Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2017 i The Railway Magazine

THE Rail Delivery Group (RDG) has confirmed to The Railway Magazine that plans to simplify rail fares (RM June 2017), announced in February, are still being progressed. Despite the RDG and the Department for Transport (DfT) initially suggesting the three-fares projects would go live by May this year, the earliest start date for just one of the trials is expected to be January 2018. The RDG says it has been working to develop an effective way to update and simplify the complex contractual fares structure inherited from British Rail. This structure has not been overhauled since 1993 when it was finalised in readiness for Privatisation. The fares database contains detail around the ownership of routes and fares, with millions of fares interlinked contractually between train operators and many also controlled…

MORE than 163 supporters have now joined The 163 Pacifics Club – which is fundraising to buy the locomotive’s tender from William Cook Cast Products – and have helped the appeal reach its initial target of £200,000 pledged. Tornado’s tender is leased to the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust under a 15-year loan agreement, which will come to an end in 2021. The tender is a development of the original Peppercorn design. It has a water capacity of 6,200 gallons and carries seven tons of coal, as opposed to 5,000 gallons and nine tons on the original. August 2018 will mark the 10th anniversary of the completion of Tornado.…

WORK to build a 508km-long 350km/h high-speed railway between Ahmedabad and Mumbai officially began on September 14, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Mr Shinz? Abe laid the foundation stone. The $17billion cost of the new line is to be mostly paid for by $14bn in loans from Japan; in return Japanese firms will supply Shinkansen high-speed trains and technology, which will be assembled in India. The new line will open with 750-seat trains on August 15, 2022 – the 75th anniversary of India’s independence. The new line will feature a 21km tunnel section between Thane, north of Mumbai, to Virar. In Mumbai an entirely new terminus station will be built in the Bandra-Kurla Complex, near the main airport and 11 other stations will be provided.…

ALSTOM announced on September 22 it was in merger talks with Siemens, writes Keith Fender. The French rail engineering group has multiple factories in France, plus several more in other European countries, particularly Italy and Germany, and owns 33 per cent of Russian rail engineering giant Transmashholding. Siemens had previously been in discussion with Bombardier earlier this year about creating joint rolling stock and signalling companies through a merger of their current rail businesses. An Alstom-Siemens merger would result in Siemens selling its rail businesses to Alstom, reportedly for around €7billion, and in return receive half the shares in the new bigger Alstom group. SUBSCRIBE TODAY! FROM ONLY £20 SEE P32 FOR DE TAILS…

THE first move towards the long-term static future of John Cameron’s ‘K4’ 2-6-0 No. 61994 The Great Marquess took place on September 21, when the Gresley Mogul left the North Yorkshire Moors Railway bound for Scotland. The loco had been in store at the NYMR since it failed in 2015, and is destined to take up residence in a new private museum being built by Mr Cameron on his estate in Fife. Until the new building is ready to receive the ‘K4’ in around two years’ time, No. 61994 will be displayed in the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s Museum of Railways from this October. Mr Cameron’s ‘A4’ No. 60009 is also destined for static display once its main line certificate expires in 2019.…

SPANISH train builder Talgo is the latest European company to target the buoyant British market for new trains. The company is setting up a UK office in London and has appointed its first sales manager for this country – former Hitachi Rail Europe employee Jon Veitch. While the £2.5billion High Speed 2 (HS2) train order is a prime target, given the company’s experience in building 350km/h AVE trains for Spain, Talgo is also looking to win orders for inter-city, regional/commuter trains, and possibly even locomotives. The company has hinted it may even build a British factory if it wins sufficient orders over the coming years. Talgo was founded in 1942 and employs around 1,100 people in Spain. It takes its name from the original lightweight train invented by Alejandro Goicoechea…

TWO ScotRail Class 385 EMUs have been moved to Minden, Germany, in order to undergo unpowered dynamic testing on the DB rail network. Problems in obtaining train paths here have led to the move, which involves DB Systemtechnik, which is carrying out the tests. It is understood this will speed up the approval process for the class Hitachi is building at Newton Aycliffe. During the tests, which will take place in several locations, the sets will be loco-hauled at up to 100mph to establish the dynamic performance and stability is in line with technical standard EN14363.…

I HAVE commented about ticket machines before; they may be expensive to buy, but if TOCs demand paper tickets before people join the train, then it seems reasonable to require them to provide enough working machines to avoid massive queues. A poor example of this is at Paddington, where there are two national rail machines at the new taxi rank, both of which have not taken cash for several months. In September, they were both ‘out of order’, requiring a 10-minute walk to the bank of 10 machines on the station concourse. Four of these were also out of order one Friday in early September, with the others also not taking cash. With an air of optimism, they have had the same notice on them for several months: ‘The fault…

World Record Officially the world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901 IT COULD be almost any winter’s day in the 1950s. Mirfield station nestles against the eastern edge of the Pennines as advection fog from the confluence of the Rivers Colne and Calder mixes with smog from the textile factory chimneys. The resultant miasma severely limits the visibility available to approaching steam locomotive drivers, but the area’s reputation as the foggiest place in Britain has long been recognised, provoking the pre-war installation of searchlight-style, electric speed signalling. The fog hides the source of noisy machinery. The rhythmic racket of looms in the nearby woollen mill is suddenly joined by another metallic sound. Clank-Clonk-Clank – the signature sound of an approaching ‘Austerity’ War Department (WD) 2-8-0 freight locomotive grows louder as…

Books , videos and other items for possible review should be sent to : TheRailway Magazine , Media Centre tre ,, Morton Morton Way Way ,, Horncastle Horncastle LincsLN9 Lincs LN9 6JR 6JR Marsden Rail 38 – Around Britain 1953-1967 THIS is an excellent 75-minuteDVD fromMarsden Rail, nearly all filmed in colour. TheDVD takes the viewer on a journey around Britain during the twilight of steam, between 1953 and 1967. There is a rich varietyof steamaction and some superb sequences showing the traditional railway atwork. Thiswas an erawhen steamworked alongside the first-generationdiesels and electrics, and providedawonderfully varied railway scene. Included areLMS/LNER locosworking around Glasgow.Ahighlight here is the material fromtheWCMLaround Beattock, concluding over the border in Carlisle, and includes coverage of the Alston and Silloth branches. Shrewsbury, theWelshMarches and NorthWales featureand…

FOR a small Yorkshire Dales village Hellifield, with its large junction station and engine shed, has received considerable coverage in the Railway Observer over the decades. In volume 17, a correspondent muses how pleasant it was to find express services passing through, still entrusted to a Midland Railway ‘Compound’. The RO continued to report on 4-4-0s at Hellifield until volumes 31 and 32. The August edition of volume 31 (1961) contained the comment that on‘the 8th No. 40685 was waiting to leave for Derby’, having been withdrawn. The history of the 440s at Hellifield was long and varied from the days of their Midland Railway pomp through to the British Railways era, when they were employed as pilots, and on local services to Carlisle, Morecambe, Leeds, Manchester and Bradford. By…

Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. SIDELINES O&KNo. 3 reassembled atDownpatrick THE Downpatrick & County Down Railway’s Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0T No. 3 was largely reassembled at Downpatrick on August 24, moving the ex-Cómhlucht Siúicre Éireann loco a step closer to a return to traffic. The tanks, cab and chimney have all been re-fitted around the overhauled boiler, with a return to service planned in early 2018. No. 4 stays in Dublin THE RPSI’s‘WT’ 2-6-4T No. 4 has not moved toWhitehead as originally planned, contrary to a report in The RM’s September issue. It was felt the re-tube of the LMS-NCC loco could be carried out in the society’s shed at Dublin Connolly, possibly in time for Halloween services,…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. SIDELINES Truck arrives for Warrington 28 THE Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society has taken delivery of an ex-Lisbon Brill 21E truck. It will go underneath Warrington Corporation No. 28, which is currently under restoration in Birkenhead. The truck will need re-gauging from 2ft 117⁄16 in-gauge, and will hopefully be fitted with the motors and wheelsets from a long-wheelbase Brill 97E truck that came from Brussels. Repaint for ‘Balloon’ No. 721 THE North Eastern Electrical Traction Trust’s ex-Blackpool ‘Balloon’ No. 721 could be in line for a repaint at its North East Land, Sea & Air Museums home, near Sunderland. The 1935-built car is having its black and gold ‘Pleasure Beach’ vinyls removed, with…

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk ‘Citylink’ for Alicante STADLER will build six bi-mode (diesel and 750V DC electric) ‘Citylink’ tram trains for Spanish regional operator Ferrocarriles de la Generalitat Valenciana (FGV) to use on the Alicante-Benidorm- Dénia route. FGV will replace its Class 2500 DMUs with the new vehicles, which will be built in Spain at Albuixech from 2019; it already operates electric versions of the ‘Citylink’. The ‘Citylink’ bi-mode tram-train design has previously been bought for the tram-train network in Chemnitz, Germany. Sheffield also has seven Class 399 dual-voltage ‘Citylinks’. ‘Avenio’ trams for Bremen BREMEN tram operator BSAG has ordered 67…

RMT members working for Greater Anglia (GA) have voted to strike on October 3 and 5 over the possible extension of driveronly operation (DOO). New trains on order from Stadler and Bombardier – due for introduction from 2019 – have provision for the driver to control the doors. However, the union has taken the view that in spite of face-to-face talks with GA, as there is no definitive answer on whether or not there will be an increase in DOO, they have served notice on the company regarding the strike ballot, the result of which was more than two to one in favour of action. GA’s train service delivery director Richard Dean explained: “We are obviously disappointed. We’re keen to talk to the RMT to try and resolve the issues…

SEPTEMBER 2 saw the Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP) pass a major milestone when the 25kV AC overhead wires were energised between Newbridge Junction and Glasgow via Falkirk High. Work will now turn to testing and validation to enable staff training before the introduction of electric trains in December. The completion of electrification of 46 miles of railway between Edinburgh Waverley and Glasgow Queen Street marks an important event in the delivery of EGIP, which promises a 20% reduction in journey times and 30% more capacity on longer electric trains. The current ScotRail Class 170 three-car DMUs will be replaced from late 2017 by new Hitachi Rail Europe Class 385 three- and four-car EMUs, which are currently under construction. However, crew training, testing and initial electric services will be with…

A PROPOSAL to sell off the Wensleydale Railway’s Aysgarth station to an unnamed buyer in order to release much-needed capital has been ratified by the railway’s shareholders. The controversial move (RM Sept) was given the green light at the Wensleydale Railway plc annual general meeting on September 9, clearing the way for the cash-strapped plc to dispose of the station for around £400,000. This will enable the company to clear the £195,000 mortgage on the site, leaving around £200,000 to be ploughed back into the railway’s infrastructure. However, the decision has not seen unanimous approval, with some believing it will have a negative impact on the longerterm aim of reaching Hawes. In spite of pledges from the buyer that he would like to see the station linked with the WR’s…

A LACK of available locomotives has forced the Swanage Railway to cancel its ‘Class of 1967’ gala on October 13-15, which was to feature Ivatt ‘2MT’ tank No. 41312. The move comes as a direct result of the low-speed collision between ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34070 Manston and BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80104 on July 24, which has resulted in both engines being taken out of service. The situation has not been helped by the unserviceability of the National Railway Museum’s LSWR ‘T9’ 4-4-0 No. 30120, which arrived on the railway in late July, but has not turned a wheel since owing to issues with its already suspect inside cylinder block. Although the railway has ‘M7’ 0-4-4T No. 30053 and ‘U’ 2-6-0 No. 31806 in traffic, it has struggled to…

STOP PRESS 76084 for sale? NORTH Norfolk Railway-based BR ‘4MT’ No. 76084 may be offered for sale after its owning group, the 76084 Locomotive Company, announced its largest shareholder had notified them of his intention to seek a buyer for his stake in the loco. The shares represent a full 50% of the voting total, and the company feels the sale may trigger an offer for the entire locomotive. Parties with a serious interest in acquiring a large or 100% stake in the main line-certified locomotive are invited to contact the company secretary at secretary@standard4.com by October 15 at the latest. GWR gears up for Class 800 introduction AS WE closed for press, it was expected Great Western Railway (GWR) would introduce the first Class 800 sets into passenger service…

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk CELEBRITY ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado has added two more heritage lines to its 10th anniversary year itinerary in 2018. The Peppercorn Pacific, which was completed in 2008, will be operating on the East Lancashire Railway from March 29 to April 2, just weeks after a seven-date appearance at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, from March 3-11. Tickets for the ELR visit are expected to go on sale during November. Additionally, the Nene Valley Railway has announced that No. 60163 will return to Wansford in May. The exact dates have yet to be finalised, but the loco is expected to take part in two driver experience courses and the ‘Jolly Fisherman’ fish & chip specials during its stay.…

Use surplus stock for sporting events and ‘specials’? BY LETTING franchises with many new trains, such as for the south west of London, the Government is intentionally or otherwise creating a large stock of second-hand ones. Most of these are still serviceable but, given the cost of heated storage, they will probably be scrapped if a use is not found for them. Certainly, the new trains should provide greater comfort and, in many cases, air conditioning; more capacity is also promised. It also helps demonstrate the Government is investing in the railways – even if the money comes from the private sector, it is no doubt virtually guaranteed – and avoids them being seen to invest in Network Rail, which is currently in the ‘doghouse’ over costs. The extra capacity…

Crossrail 2 concerns SIR Vince Cable (Twickenham) asked in the House of Commons, with reference to the Department for Transport’s paper ‘Rail passenger numbers and crowding statistics: 2016 report’ (published on July 27), what assessment has been made of future crowding on South West Main Line into Waterloo and the effect of Crossrail 2 on those figures. Transport Minister Paul Maynard said: “The Department for Transport has recently published its High Level Output Specification for rail which sets out demand forecasts for years 2018/19 and 2023/24. “These forecasts are for peak-hour and peak three-hour demand on all South West Trains services into Waterloo. For the peak three hours, the arrivals into Waterloo are 119,100 and rise to 123,500 by 2023/24. That is why we are currently investing in the Waterloo…

IT WAS the dawn of a new era for BR’s Railfreight business – a bright new image with bold graphics, locomotives and wagons dedicated to specific areas, and an end to scruffy, unkempt ‘general use’ locomotives. The allocation of staff and resources to specific freight business sectors in the mid-1980s had proved a great success, but it was felt that the Railfreight brand did not reflect the renewed strength and confidence of the sector. So, in October 1987, Railfreight was relaunched with a new colour scheme, combining three-tone grey paintwork with colourful sector symbols and imaginative depot plaques. Taking its cues from military aircraft markings, Roundel Design produced a new combination of neutral base-grey shades and bright primary colours to create a strong ‘squadron’ identity for each of the five…

By B W L Brooksbank and Peter Tuffrey THIS is a condensed softback version of abook produced by BenBrooksbank 20 years ago, and has the added attraction of several new photographs. As an admirer of the original work, author PeterTuffrey,whose books on local historyare especially well-known in the Yorkshirearea, offered to producewhat he describes as a‘minimally condensed rewrite’for a different firm of publishers. The result isauseful overview of East Coast Main Line operation during the SecondWorldWar and the first decade or so of Nationalisation. In addition to a scene-setting chapter placing the work into its historical context, thereare sections on passenger and freight services, and another dealing with restaurant, Pullman, sleeping car, postal and Royal trains. The book is unusual in having no fewer than nine appendices, a couple of…

Send your letters to:The Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. email: railway@mortons.co.uk NB. Publication of a letter does not imply that the Editor or staff ofThe Railway Magazine necessarily agree with its contents. TALKING POINTS Not much for the North? I COULDN’T believe theTransport Minister has cancelled electric trains to Sheffield,Windermere and Swansea. All the work andplanning that has gone into the above jobs – people are understandably upset. Also, what about the new trains for London, leaving some built but not really required south ofWatford? What about us up North? RArmstrong Blackpool In fairness, Blackpool North is being electrified and TransPennine and Northern both haveorders for lots of new carriages–Ed. Uncomfortable seats on newtrains IWAS interested to read Lloyd Smith’s comments in the September issue…

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. ‘Shakespeare Express’ over Gloucs-Warks? It may happen one day! THE sight of a ‘Castle’-hauled ‘Shakespeare Express’ service running over the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is a distinct possibility should the national network ever be extended from Stratford-upon-Avon to Honeybourne. On August 6, Vintage Trains’ Michael Whitehouse and Mark Gaskell hosted representatives from both Stratford District Council and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWSR) aboard the ‘Shakespeare Express’ in order to discuss aspects of mutual interest. Topics included the future of Vintage Trains’ land at the former GWR Stratford depot, plus options for working with the GWSR if the Honeybourne line was reinstated. Potential The GWSR…

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. SIDELINES ■ WELSH HighlandRailway’s Dinas-based permanent way locoBaguley0-6-0DM 2395/1953No. 9 ran over the full lengthof the line into Porthmadog Harbour station for the first time on September 1. Theex-South Johnstone Sugar Mill,Queensland, locowas acquired in September 2009, although renovationwas not completed until early 2016. ■ THE Old Kiln Light Railway celebrated its 35th anniversary at Tilford on July 30 with Jim Haylock’s 0-4-0TEmmet hauling trains.Emmet was set to provide steam this year while resident O&K 0-6-0T Elouise (9998/1922) under goes overhaul, but was withdrawnin late August. Remaining 2017 Old Kiln LR trains will be diesel-hauled. ■ MANX Transport Heritage Museum has restored thebody of…

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk READ THESE Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. SIDELINES Record year for VT’s Liverpool route VIRGIN Trains carried 1,765,874 passengers between Liverpool Lime Street and London Euston in 2016/17, an increase of 11.2% over the previous 12 months. The record year also saw VT’s punctuality at its highest level since Privatisation (89% within 10 minutes of booked arrival time). Increased availability of £17 fares between Liverpool and London is credited with encouraging more people to travel by train, as well as the growing appeal of Liverpool as a tourist destination. For the first time, more passengers travelled to the city than to London –889,000 in 2016/17 – 13,000 more than…

Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. DEPOTCODES HAPC ScotRail HST Power Cars LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 43021 LA/EFPC-EC/HAPC 43132 LE/EFPC-EC/HAPC 56049 COLS-COFS 59204 MD/WDAM-WQ/WQAAMD/WDAM 60092 TO/WCBT-WQ/WQAA 66001 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA 66014 WBAE-WBAR 66015 WBAE-WBAR 66019 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA 66025 WBAE-WBAR 66027 WBAE-WBAT 66068 WBAT-WBAR 66077 WBAE-WBAR 66093 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66117 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAEWBAT 66124 TO/WBAR-WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAR 66129 WBAE-WBAR 66136 TO/WBAE-WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66138 WBAE-WBAR 66155 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66156 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAE 66169 WBAT-WBAR 66171 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAR 66192 WQ/WQAA-TO/WBAR 66956 FD/DHLT-LD/DFHG 66957 FD/DHLT-LD/DFHG 67018 WAAC-WAWC 67022WAWC-WAAC 67029 WAAC-WACC 68022 XHVE-XHTP 68023 XHVE-XHTP 68024 XHVE-XHTP 68025 XHVE-XHTP 90019 WQ/WQAA-CE/WEDC Liveries DB Cargo red: 66034, 66192 DRS Compass: 68033/34 First Blue+ANew Era vinyls: 43021, 43132 GBRf: 92043 TransPennine Express: 68021 GWR Green+Legends of the GreatWestern vinyls: 43093 Vinyls removed: 43144 Named 20096 IanGoddard 1938-2016 43093 OldOak Common HST…

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk Tornado’s first 90mph train booked for April ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado has gained approval for regular operation at 90mph following its 100mph test run in April. It will make its first public outing at the higher speed on April 14. UK Railtours’ ‘Ebor Flyer’ will take the ‘A1’ from London King’s Cross to York via the East Coast Main Line, picking up at Potters Bar and Peterborough, before the dash to York. The train will be steam-hauled throughout and includes a four-hour break at the destination, where passengers have the chance to visit the National Railway Museum or…

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. CLASS 800 units Nos. 800001+ 800002 worked into Edinburgh Waverley on a test run on September 7, the first appearance of the class in the city. THE 11.10 service from Weymouth to Bristol Temple Meads on August 16 was worked by a pair of Class 150s – Nos. 150238 in the ordinary FGW livery and 150239 in GWR livery. Departure was some 20 minutes late because of the late arrival, and on departure from Dorchester West No. 150238 lost power and No. 150239 assisted. A stop at Maiden Newton saw No. 150238 brought back to life. On arrival at Westbury the train lost its path to the 11.23…

TRACKLAYING work on the new Crossrail routes through London was completed in mid-September. Transport Secretary Chris Grayling joined Crossrail chairman Sir Terry Morgan and CEO Andrew Wolstenholme in the new Whitechapel station to see Ellen McGuinness, track quality control engineer, fix the final rail clips into place on September 15. Over the last two years, 1,000 workers have installed 63,000 sleepers, 51,419 metres of rail and more than 800 sections of long-welded rail to complete more than 50km of new track. Work is now focusing on the installation of platform screen doors, signalling, tunnel ventilation and communications systems, along with the overhead lines that will power the new Class 345 EMUs.…

MERSEYRAIL services could be extended over a new branch to the Lancashire new town of Skelmersdale by the late-2020s if a new study finds a strong business case for the £300million link. The town is the second largest in the North West without a rail connection and Merseytravel and Lancashire County Council are investing more than £5m in studies to build the case for a new station at Headbolt Lane in Knowsley and a link to Skelmersdale town centre. If it goes ahead, Merseyrail trains would be extended from their current terminus at Kirkby to serve Headbolt Lane, Rainford and Skelmersdale, which would become the new interchange for Merseyrail and Northern trains to Wigan and Manchester. Merseyrail’s new Stadler EMUs, due to enter service in 2020, will undergo trials using…

THE November issue of The Railway Magazine will contain a free DVD – worth £12.99 – featuring steam in the 1920s. Supplied by Duke Marketing for The RM and produced by Jeremy English, the DVD looks at the Grouping in 1923, and using archive film from the latter part of that decade examines the stock inherited and the many new types of locomotive introduced. There’s a great variety of locomotives, many on DVD for the first time, and will include:‘ Dean Goods’, ‘Counties’, ‘Aberdares’, ‘Lord Nelsons’, Midland ‘2Ps’, former Great Central 4-6-0s and Gresley ‘A1’ Pacifics. Order your copy of The Railway Magazine today, or call 01507 529529 to take out a subscription so that you never miss an issue.…

WEST Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has approved a new transport plan that should deliver £3.4billion worth of improvements in the region over the next decade. The plan covers major road improvements, as well as public transport, and includes extensions to the Midland Metro tram network via the Birmingham HS2 hub at Curzon Street, Digbeth and north Solihull to Birmingham Airport/HS2 Interchange, and a branch from Wednesbury on the Birmingham to Wolverhampton route to Brierley Hill and Dudley. Heavy rail improvements are led by the Camp Hill Chords project – two new connections from the Snow Hill to Tyseley line to the Saltley to Kings Norton ‘Camp Hill’ line, allowing more trains to serve Snow Hill and creating new suburban lines serving areas such as Castle Vale and Castle Bromwich in…

AN 18-year-old man has appeared in court charged with attempted murder following a bomb attack on a rush-hour District Line train at Parsons Green on September 15. Ahmed Hassan, of Sunbury, Surrey, is also accused of causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury. He was arrested trying to leave the UK at Dover. Police have made other arrests, though some suspects have been released. Thirty passengers were injured after an improvised explosive device failed to detonate correctly, most suffering burns following the explosion. Met Police chief Cressida Dick said the bomb – carried in a bucket and concealed in a shopping bag – had been packed with shrapnel.…

THE collapse of the main rail line at Rastatt in Germany in August has caused massive disruption to the main North-South Rotterdam to Genoa Rail Freight Corridor, and is only likely to be repaired in early October. The collapse was caused by DB Netz’s contractor trying to dig a tunnel under the tracks. DB Netz was slow to provide diversions, and the ones chosen, through France and Austria, revealed a complete absence of contingency plans, traction current, axle weight limits, train lengths, drivers’ route knowledge, and language problems. According to some operators, only around 15% of the normal 200 freight trains a day in each direction have got through on diversion routes, with ICE and local passengers diverted to buses. Claims for compensation, if they followed the UK rates, could…

Coal Sector Class 08: 08995 Class 26: 26001-008 Class 31: 31120/130/199-201/217/270/275/276/304/312/319/324 Class 37: 37139/165/167/212/213/222/223/229/235/239/274/278/308, 37332/375/376/380, 37689/692-699, 37701-704/796-803/887/889/894-899 Class 56: 56002/005-007/009/012-018/021/023/025/027-030/047/054/066-069/071-077/079-089/091-102/104/106/ 107/109/111-135 Class 58: 58001-050 Class 60: 60004/032/045-047/055-061/066-079/086-093+ +As delivered Construction Sector Class 31: 31155/209/271/294/296 Class 33: 33021/033/042/050/051/053/056/063/064, 33202/204/207 Class 37: 37043/144/211/214/222/223, 37414/422/425/427/429, 37676-688 Class 47: 47004/006/007/051/063/079/114/125/196/209/210/224/233/288, 47305/328/ 354/360/361/373/379, 47430/588, 47901 Class 56: 56001/031-035/037-039/041/043/045/046/050-053/055-060/062-065/070/078/103/105/110 Class 60: 60001/006/009-012/015-019/039-043/048/080-085/094-100* *As delivered Metals & Automotive Sector Class 37: 37004/037/040/042/048/051/077/078/099/100/106/109-111/145/137/ 138/ 190/201- 203/227/241/248/250/255/275/293, 37312/321/326/381/382, 37423, 37501-520, 37710-719, 37883-886, 37901-906 Class 47: 47079/224/276, 47305/347/359 (03/88-05/91), 47594/599 Class 56: 56032/040/044/054/061/064/069/073/076/087/097 Class 60: 60008/020-023/029/030/031/034-038/044/049/050/052* *As delivered Petrochemicals Sector Class 08: 08388 Class 31: 31185/199/201/207/233/238/273/302/304/319 Class 37: 37078/080/138/184/188/215/220/248/273/280/294, 37350/359, 37418/421/428, 37521,37667/668, 37705-710/712/715/717/719, 37883-885/887-893 Class 47: 47010/052/054/085/094/095/119/125/150/190/193-197/212/223/224/233/276-278/294/295, 47305/319/324/368/369/373/379/380/381 Class 56: 56036 (briefly!) Class 60: 60002/003/013/014/024-028/033/051/053/054/062-065* *As delivered RfD Sector Class 08: 08653/661/737/745/751/946 Class 31: 31160 Class 33: 33203-205/206/211 Class 37:…

100 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1917 IT IS stated a new line of railway, to be constructed for the development of the ironstone industry in the district, will run through the site of the Battle of Edge Hill, near Banbury. The cost is estimated at £140,000. SEVERAL Caledonian Railway engines which have been repaired in England have left home painted the standard blue and returned painted black, for example, 4-6-0 No. 912. On the other hand 0-6-0 tank mineral engine No. 240 went to Stratford in the standard black and returned in painted blue. THE Railway Executive Committee has informed the National Union of Railwaymen that the Director of Recruiting has agreed that until further notice skilled men from railway shops notified to the War Office for release, who are not…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. ‘Dubbie Pug’ to steam by 2020? THE Kingdom of Fife Railway Preservation Society is undertaking a feasibility study into the possible restoration of its ex-National Coal Board Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST East Fife Area No. 17, with a view to having the so-called ‘Dubbie Pug’ in steam by 2020. Operations at the society’s Fife Heritage Railway (FHR) are currently maintained by another Barclay 0-4-0ST, the former Granton Gas Works No. 10 (1890/1926), now named Forth. The loco returned to traffic in the latter half of 2016, but its boiler certificate expires in 2020, having only been issued with a four-year ticket by the boiler inspector. This was largely down to the manner the…

Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Twonew RATs for Piccadilly Line IN ANattempt to avoid a repeat of last autumn’s disruption to the Piccadilly Line, London Underground (LU) will patrol the line this year with twonew Rail AdhesionTrains (RAT). Last autumn therewere widespread delays and cancellations as trains were withdrawnwith wheel flats. TheRATswill be formedof specially converted three-car 1973 Stock trains fitted with Sandite dispensing equipment. Unlikeother RATs for the Metropolitan Line (based on ‘A’Stock) and Central Line (1962 Stock), the Piccadilly Line’s will be returned to passenger use once the leaf-fall season is over. LU is also completing a trackside vegetation-clearanceprogramme to reduce the number of leaves that fall onthe line, and will make use of moredetailed weather…

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Power cars allocated for transfer to ScotRail 43003/012/015/021/026/ 028/030-037/124-138/ 140-152/163/164/168/169/ 175-177/179/ 181-183 ScotRail gets its first HST SCOTRAIL has taken delivery of its first InterCity 125, which has been showcased in Aberdeen ahead of a driver training programme. After an initial move from Laira to Doncaster, four Mk3 trailers were left at Wabtec, with power car Nos. 43132 and 43021 continuing to Craigentinny depot in a 2+4 formation. Here, they were given special branding proclaiming ‘A New Era’, before the reveal in the Granite City by ScotRail MD Alex Hynes. The set will be based there for crew training over the next few months,…

Call: 01507 529589 email: classic.traction@btopenworld.com; Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. 2-EPB EMU returns to old home depot THE 2-EPB Preservation Group’s EMUset No. 5759 andMotor LuggageVan (MLV) No. 68002 were taken by rail fromtheir Southall base behindWest Coast Class 33 No. 33207 JimMartin to Slade Green depot forapublic open dayonJuly 15. The2-EPB set wasnewly repainted inBRgreen and the MLV, which has receivedanew traction and control battery,was in Network SouthEast livery. All three vehicles passed ultrasonic axle testing (UAT) prior to the journey, and received attention on the Slade Green wheel lathe before returning to Southall on July 17. Thegroupwould be pleased to receive invitations fromany railway wishing to have these interesting units visit their line for anevent. Seewebsite:www.epbpg.co.uk
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Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures aremost welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Lighter-weight bogies project THE University of Huddersfield’s Institute of Railway Research is involved inaEurope-wide project to develop lighter and more efficient freightwagons. TheEU-funded Dynafreight projecthas the ambitious target of doubling the amount of European freight carried by rail. One aspect of this is the development of lighter-weight bogies, built using stronger steels and innovative manufacturing techniques. Lighter wagons will allowlonger trains and/or greater loads to be carried. IRR research was carried out in conjunction with theValencia plant of Swiss train manufacturer Stadler. IRR research fellowDr Samuel Hawksbee said:“Potentially, light-weighting has various advantages, such as reducing energy consumption, carbon emissions and damage to the track.” Long-distance cement for Colas…

ABBEY PUMPING STATION October 7, 17 Corporation Road, Leicester LE4 5PX (0116 299 51110). www.abbeypumpingstation.org/events.asp Museum open Feb-Oct (13.00-16.30). ALN VALLEY RAILWAY October 28-29 (Halloween Specials) Lionheart Station, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 2EZ. www.alnvalleyrailway.co.uk Information line 0300 030 3311. AMBERLEY MUSEUM & HERITAGE CENTRE October 8 (Historic Gathering), 15 (industrial Trains), 28 (Halloween Specials) Houghton Bridge, Arundel, West Sussex BN18 9LT (01798 831370). Museum open 10.00-17.30 on Wed-Sun. www.amberleynarrowgauge.co.uk AMERTON RAILWAY October 7-8, 14-15, 21-29 Stowe-by-Chartley, Weston, Staffs ST18 OLA (01785 850965). www.amertonrailway.co.uk APEDALE VALLEY LIGHT RAILWAY Home of the Moseley Railway Trust October 7-8, 14-15, 21, 28-29 Apedale Country Park, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 7LB (0845 0941953). www.avlr.org.uk Events: October 7-8 Diesel Delights, 28-29 Halloween Specials. AVON VALLEY RAILWAY October 7-8, 14-15, 21, 24-26, 28-29, November 26 Bitton station, Bath Road,…