Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2018 i The Railway Magazine

How hard is it to design a comfortable train seat? MAYBE the question should be how difficult is it, as an increasing number of passengers are finding the seats on the rising numbers of Class 700 and 800 trains entering service very hard. Having experienced seats on these trains – one on a 25-minute journey, the other for 90 minutes – I too am unimpressed. They are much firmer than previous seats and finding a comfortable position can be a chore. Neither it seems are RM readers, nor the wider public, over-enthusiastic about the seats. Commuters in particular have been critical of the Class 700 Thameslink trains (pictured right) with their harsh lighting, sterile interiors and the lack of a table of any kind on which to place a hot…

THE opening of Kenilworth’s £13.6million station has missed another deadline for train services to begin serving the town’s 22,000 population. After the December 11 date was missed, the station was expected to open on February 26, but that date slipped again and means a fourth‘opening’date has passed. March 5 has been pencilled in on the basis all inspections have been completed, and legal and regulatory approvals received. Provisional train times are listed on Real Time Trains, the first being at 06.08 to Coventry and 06.45 to Leamington. The last train is the 22.17 from Leamington and 22.43 back from Coventry. There will be no Sunday service. Redoubling the track between Milverton Junction (Leamington Spa) to Kenilworth was a part of the new station plan in order to avoid a higher…

LORD Faulkner of Worcester will formally open the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s new Broadway extension and station on Good Friday (March 30), 58 years since the last train stopped there. A commemorative plaque will be unveiled to mark the occasion, after which the railway’s flagship locomotive –‘Modified Hall’ No. 7903 Foremarke Hall – will depart at 09.40 with the first official passenger train from the re-created station, bound for Cheltenham Racecourse.…

DIESEL-powered trains could be a thing of the past by 2040 under a new Department of Transport (DfT) initiative to reduce air pollution. The announcement comes just a few months after the Government curtailed a rolling programme of main line electrification in favour of bi-mode trains that are heavier and more expensive to buy and maintain than conventional trains. Hydrogen and battery technology is being promoted as a possible way forward for traction away from electrified routes, but both are largely untested in everyday service, and currently regarded as unsuitable for heavy freight trains and intensively worked main lines. Transport Minister Jo Johnson announced the aspiration on February 12, saying: “I would like to see us take all diesel-only trains off the track by 2040. “If that seems like an…

CAF is building 55 Class 195DMUs for Northern, the first batch of which will be tested in Romania. These DMUs use essentially the same body shell as the Class 331 (see story above right), and have almost identical interiors with identical seat layouts. The Class 195 fleet comprises 25 two-car trains, with 123 seats (Nos. 195 001-025) and 30 three-car units, with 203 seats (Nos. 195 101-130). All Class 195 vehicles will be equipped with MTU power packs, incorporating 390kW Daimler engines and hydraulic-mechanical transmission, supplied by ZF. Northern say they plan to use the new DMUs between Chester and Leeds from December 2018, as approval for service is anticipated following dynamic testing in Velim (Czech Republic), Romania and the UK. The Class 195s will be based at Newton Heath…

PLANS to merge the British Transport Police in Scotland with Police Scotland have been put on hold indefinitely. The merger received substantial opposition in both Scotland and England, but was due for completion by April 2019. However, according to Police Scotland’s Deputy Chief Constable Iain Livingstone, ‘unresolved issues’ mean that combining both forces could compromise public safety. The Scottish Government will review the timetable. Scottish Conservative Shadow Justice Secretary Liam Kerr said the plan was “an unpopular move that virtually nobody is in favour of”. The official line of both the British Transport Police and Police Scotland is that both forces are working to ensure the proposed merger goes ahead as smoothly as possible.…

EUROSTAR launched its new direct service to Amsterdam and Rotterdam on February 20, running an inaugural train in the timings of one of the two planned daily services. When regular services begin on April 4 these will be the first direct trains connecting the UK and the Netherlands. The train, with invited guests and the media on board, was formed of unit Nos. 374031 and 374032, which were delivered to Eurostar in 2017. The final seven Class 374 trains ordered (Nos. 374021-034) have been delivered with signalling systems for the Dutch network pre-installed. All but the last train (Nos. 4033/34) are now in service. Two trains will leave St Pancras International at 08.31 and 17.31, arriving in Rotterdam three hours one minute later, and taking another 40 minutes to reach…

Confidential task force will identify ‘annoying’ EU rules and laws to be scrapped in post-Brexit period BREXIT provides an opportunity for ministers to scrap (and take the credit for doing so) many of those irritating European Union (EU) rules and standards that prevent Governments from doing what they’d like to do by allowing the implementation of plans not enforced by EU legislation that would ultimately make the railways better, cost less and help passengers – and freight if they have heard about it! MPs have set up a special and confidential task force to identify which rules and standards they will abolish immediately we leave the EU – and in the mean time, ignore others, where possible. There has been no debate or consultation about this and, no doubt, the…

If you keep an eye on the railway press, the large number of orders for new trains in recent years won’t have escaped your attention. The launch of fleets such as Hitachi’s InterCity Express Trains (IETs) will no doubt have alerted you to the dawn of a new generation. More and more passengers are using Britain’s railways, either to commute into our big cities or for leisure travel, and complaints about overcrowding and outdated trains have been on the rise. Couple that with a generation of ex-British Rail trains coming to the end of their working lives and the requirement for new and additional trains is clear. By 2021, more than 7,000 new vehicles will have been added to the fleets of train operators across the country. Many will replace…

Shame no WCML link to Heathrow Airport HOW and who does one lobby to get new routes considered? For those of us living north-west of London wishing to get to Heathrow Airport by train, the journey is a complete pain. You can get to Euston quickly enough but then need to take two more trains to get to Heathrow, either via the tube (Northern/ Piccadilly Line) or walk to Euston Square for Circle line to Paddington then Heathrow Express/Connect. The journey from Euston takes well over an hour (15 minutes less using the expensive Heathrow Express) and taking luggage on the Tube is not fun – most routes involve stairs. Crossrail will make little difference as a Tube link from Euston will still be required. So why isn’t there a…

SHED permits were rarely if ever issued to single applicants whereas group visits were usually more successful. Thanks to its management links with British Railways and the six regions, the RCTS made more official visits to works and sheds than most societies, and as a result the Railway Observer (RO) became the most reliable reference for locomotive and train working news. Shed and works visits were invariably organised by the local area groups. In the large cities travel was often by train, or in London and Glasgow by Underground, but because of the location of many sheds local buses were more convenient. Some groups were more adventurous than others organising two- or three-day trips by coach, covering areas such as South Wales, the north-west of England or Scotland. The February…

NORTHUMBERLAND’S Aln Valley Railway will take delivery of its second operational steam locomotive in mid-March when Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 60 (3686/1948) arrives from the nearby works of Ian Storey in Hepscott, near Morpeth. The former National Coal Board locomotive is owned by Stephen Wood and began its preservation career at the Strathspey Railway, where Mr Wood served as a director. After seeing regular operation during the 1980s the loco was set aside for overhaul, but sat out of use for around 20 years before being transported to Hepscott for major repairs. Upon reaching the AVR’s Lionheart station in Alnwick the loco will be given a full repaint into black livery before running-in starts over the newly extended line. Its first public running days are expected to be the railway’s…

THE National Railway Museum has appointed Judith McNicol as its new director. This is a role she has been performing in an acting capacity since the departure of the previous incumbent, Paul Kirkman, in July 2017. Ms McNicol has been based at the NRM since she joined the Science Museum Group in 2005, during which time she has held several roles, including that of director of people & culture. Her mandate will include the delivery of the redevelopment of the museum, starting with the modernisation of the Great Hall in 2019 (see main article on this page). Ms McNicol said:“It is a very special privilege to become director of the National Railway Museum. “My ambition as director is that the museum will not only inspire future engineers to be part…

76077 restoration begins at GWSR CHRIS Hinton’s BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76077 has taken its first steps on the road to a return to steam at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Toddington headquarters. The frames have been shot blasted and painted and are due to be sent to Locomotive Maintenance Services at Loughborough for restoration, along with the wheelsets. No. 76077 is the last of the four preserved Riddles ‘4MT’ Moguls to be restored, having been bought from Barry Scrapyard in 1987. Extension grant from Oswestry group OSWESTRY-BASED Cambrian Heritage Railways (CHR) has been the recipient of a £120,000 grant from the town’s council towards the extension of its running line from Gas Works Bridge to Weston Wharf. The CHR hopes to have the extension open by the end of the…

THE boiler belonging to the Project 62 Group’s Yugoslavian-built Class 62 0-6-0T No. 30075 has been lifted from the locomotive’s frames as the next stage of its overhaul begins. The North Dorset Railway Trust’s Shillingstone station was a hive of activity on January 31 as the lift process began. The cab was removed first, after which the boiler was lifted and placed on a low loader for the short journey to the workshops of Richard Vincent Engineering at Henstridge, Somerset, where the overhaul will be carried out. The whole process was completed within two hours. The boiler will require work to the steel inner firebox, including the replacement of sections of thinned plate, as well as a full retube before a new 10-year ticket can be issued. While it is…

80136 to North Norfolk Railway NORTH Yorkshire Moors Railway resident Riddles ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80136 has been confirmed as one of the guests for the North Norfolk Railway Spring Steam Gala on April 20-22. The ‘Standard Four’ will make a fine pairing with resident ‘4MT’ Mogul No. 76084, and is expected to run with the recently outshopped BR Mk1 suburban set. Butterley hires in GCR ‘Austerity’ THE Midland Railway-Butterley has hired in Roger Hibbert’s Hudswell, Clarke ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 68067 from the Great Central Railway to cover the 2018 season. The 1943-built loco returned to steam following restoration last autumn. No. 68067 spent its working life with the National Coal Board at locations including Holly Bank, Littleton and Bold collieries.…

THE Downpatrick & County Down Railway (DCDR) is continuing work on its ex-Northern Ireland Railways Class 450 DEMU set No. 8458 ahead of it entering service on the railway. No. 8458 has been receiving remedial attention to make it fit for a career on a heritage line since arriving at Downpatrick in September 2014. The lengthy approvals process with the DCDR’s regulators was completed in 2017, and attention is now focused on the remaining electrical work required to run buffet equipment. All windows have now been sealed and work has started on replacing rotten foot boards. In NIR service the Class 450s worked as permanent three-car sets featuring a single power car (No. 458 Antrim Castle in the DCDR’s case), an intermediate trailer car and a driving trailer. However, owing…

HAMPTON & Kempton Waterworks Railway (H&KWR) has agreed a lease for the route of an extended railway with Thames Water. The lease is essential for the railway’s expansion plans – a ceremonial signing is planned for March. Extensive track laying will not follow immediately, but route clearance is likely and a few additional track lengths may be added to the short extension from the Hanworth Loop‘break out’ point ( RM June 2017). H&KWR visitor numbers for 2017 were 7,400 compared with 6,700 for 2016. Income was also up, £19,546 in comparison with £17,150 in 2016. Resident steam locomotive Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST 984/1903 Darent will miss most of this season, although withdrawal for boiler work now looks likely to be in May. The railway has been looking for a guest…

THE rolling chassis of the Groudle Glen Railway’s (GGR) new-build Bagnall 2-4-0T Brown Bear left the Isle of Man in mid-January. It went to Old Hall Farm Engineering, Bouth, Cumbria, where final assembly will be undertaken. The cab, water tanks and remaining components followed a few days later. The boiler, constructed by Bennett Boilers, has also been delivered to Old Hall Farm Engineering. The plan had been to complete Brown Bear at Groudle Glen, but unexpected firebox problems discovered with the GGR’s Bagnall 2-4-0T (1484/1896) Sea Lion , necessitating dismantling and reassembly, will fully occupy GGR volunteers this winter. Moving Brown Bear to Old Hall Farm Engineering will maintain progress and avoid delaying completion of the loco, which is a replica of 1905-built Bagnall 2-4-0T Polar Bear.…

Hamworthy stone traffic to cease? SOURCES in Dorset report DB Cargo’s occasional stone trains to Hamworthy Quay in Poole are likely to end in April. The contract for the stone, some of which is shipped to the Channel Islands, is about to end and the branch has no other rail traffic. The future of the line is unclear and it is possible this desirable location on Poole Harbour may succumb to housing development. South London freight diversions NON-EMU traffic was banned in the Up direction over a bridge at Catford in south-east London in early January, forcing the diversion of freight trains via Redhill or Herne Hill. Severe corrosion in a main girder was repaired during a series of possessions and a total closure of the line on February 11,…

FREIGHTLINER Heavy Haul removed 36 stored HHA coal hoppers from Thoresby Colliery sidings in Nottinghamshire on February 8, ahead of the planned lifting of the track by Network Rail. No. 66568 took the wagons away in two batches, hauling 16 to Woodhouse Junction Sidings, east of Sheffield, before returning to collect the remaining 20. Later in the day, the ‘66’ worked the 15.13 Thoresby Colliery Junction-Carlisle North Yard, continuing the following day to deposit its train at Barassie Yard in Ayrshire. A large number of redundant HHAs are stored around the country, awaiting further use or possible conversion for other traffic.…

RAIL watchdog Transport Focus (TF) has accused Network Rail of badly letting down passengers after it was announced confirmed timetable information, which allows the booking of advance tickets, would not be available for the next six months to the usual rolling 12-week window from the May 20 timetable change. Known as ‘T minus 12’, it means timetables for available routes have been agreed between Network Rail and train operators after consideration of line closures for engineering work. In some cases, the 12-week margin will shrink to six weeks or even four in some cases, meaning advance tickets will be on sale much later than usual. TF chief executive Anthony Smith said: “Passengers have been badly let down and will be deeply frustrated that they can’t make plans with certainty. “They…

THE Heritage Lottery Fund has awarded the Boiler & Engineering Skills Training Trust (BESTT) a grant of £594,300 for its new mechanical overhaul training programme. The programme is supported by six of the country’s leading heritage railways and will teach 16 engineering hopefuls how to overhaul the mechanical components of steam locomotives, ships and steam road vehicles. The trainee placements will last up to 15 months, beginning with athree-month basic training placement to acquire workshop skills, followed by a 9-12 month syllabus-based training placement that will follow a new steam mechanical overhaul syllabus, as started by BESTT. Candidates must be 18 years of age at the start of training and are paid £11-15,000 per annum, with a £3,000 bonus on successful completion. Applicants should have basic maths and English and…

AMERICAN national passenger operator Amtrak has not had a good start to 2018. Only weeks after the fatal derailment of the inaugural run of a Seattle to Portland train via the rebuilt Point Defiance Bypass inland route on December 18 (RM Jan) the operator’s trains have been involved in several serious accidents this year. On January 31, an Amtrak train chartered by the Republican members of Congress, travelling from Washington DC to a conference, collided with a rubbish truck on a level crossing at Crozet, 10 miles north-west of Charlottesville, Virginia, killing one of the people in the truck. Several of the senior politicians on board, who had medical backgrounds, assisted in the immediate aftermath. Four days later, on February 4, the southbound‘Silver Star’ (New York to Miami) collided head-on…

NETWORK Rail’s draft strategic business plan for 2019-24 prioritises renewals and upgrades aimed at reducing delays by 15% across the network, plus a greater emphasis on safety and a commitment to recruit 50% more women by 2024. More than £47billion will be invested in completing previously agreed enhancements, maintaining and improving Britain’s railways over the five-year plan, known as Control Period 6 (CP6). However, in comparison to previous control periods, there is a noticeable lack of new major projects, with NR focusing on general improvements and completing current schemes. Outgoing NR chief executive Mark Carne said:“This is a radical plan, an ambitious plan. It is not without challenge and risk. But with great people, great teams, the right quality of leadership, the right incentives and the determination to see it…

‘BIG BOY’No. 4014 has been undergoing a mammoth restoration – and you can be one of the first to ride behind the Union Pacific (UP) giant. The Railway Magazine is in discussions with specialist tour operator Darjeeling Tours to take you to see the ‘Big Boy’, the UP heritage base at Cheyenne and lots more of railway interest in the Colorado and Wyoming areas, and maybe further afield. In their heyday, 25 4-8-8-4 ‘Big Boys’ were produced for the UP between 1941-1944, working heavy freight between Wyoming and Utah, over the Wasatch mountains. Forced out by diesel locomotives, the last revenue train hauled by a ‘Big Boy’ ran in July 1959, with a number of the class remaining on standby for several years afterwards. Of the 25 built, eight survive…

Strike mandate ends LEO Docherty (Aldershot) asked what steps the Department for Transport (DfT) is taking to prevent future strikes on the South Western Railway. Transport Minister Joseph Johnson said:“The RMT’s current mandate for strike action on South Western Railway (SWR) expires in April. During the RMT strikes over Christmas and New Year, SWR operated around 70 per cent of their services, keeping passengers on the move. “In December, the Secretary of State met with Mick Cash to renew his offer of guarantees of employment to people who currently fulfil the role of the second person on the train beyond the length of the franchises. “The Secretary of State and I continue to encourage a dialogue between the parties to resolve the union’s dispute and avoid further unnecessary strikes for…

AS THE editor has previously commented about the seats and their positions on new trains’ seats entering service, here is a passenger point of view. Whoever has designed the new Class 800s has never actually travelled on a train, or at least not for some distance. The seats in Standard Class are worse than sitting on a concrete slab. If you are a passenger on ajourney for several hours (Reading to Cardiff or Swansea), you need some seating comfort. These seats do not offer any at all. On their Facebook page, GWR is constantly telling us “travel in comfort”, but complaints about these seats are rising and some of a serious nature. People have been in such agony at the end of a long journey they have been hardly able…

OWNERS and operators in the heritage sector embarking on a new build or a substantial rebuild, can call upon Ricardo Certification to provide the professional guidance your project requires and put you on the right route to certification. But professional standards haven’t always been so rigorously applied. Private locomotives (ie: industrial) were always permitted to run on BR lines, subject to registration and the occasional inspection from a BR inspector. This rule applied equally to passenger-hauling steam locomotives from when the steam ban was broken in 1971 to the date of Privatisation. At Privatisation, the successor to the BR inspector was the Vehicle Acceptance Body (VAB), which was appointed by Railtrack, and more recently by the Rail Safety & Standards Board (RSSB). Under BR, the governing standard was MT276, but…

DIDCOT Railway Centre has announced details of a limited number of firing/ driving experiences on No. 6023 King Edward II to take place on November 4. Participants will get to enjoy more than two hours on the footplate, including about an hour at the controls of the big 4-6-0, along with time helping to prepare the loco (morning session), or disposing of it at the end of the day (afternoon session). In addition, those booking for the morning session can experience breakfast on the footplate, or tea in the afternoon, with lunch provided, along with a souvenir enamel tea can. The cost of the experience is £500, with bookings made by calling 01235 817200 or via email at info@didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk…

THE visit of Flying Scotsman to the Nene Valley Railway in September will come hot on the heels of a visit by another Gresley Pacific – No. 60009 Union of South Africa. John Cameron’s ‘Streak’ will be in service on the Peterborough line for five days starting on August 30 with a driver experience day. The next day, No. 60009 will haul the NVR’s popular ‘Jolly Fisherman’ fish and chip train, then take part in a Pacifics weekend on September 1-2 alongside ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34081 92 Squadron in a repeat of last year’s event. Union of South Africa will end its visit with another driver experience day on September 3.…

EAST Lancashire Railway-based Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0T No. 32 Gothenburg (680/1903) will make the short journey from Bury to Preston later this month to take part in the Ribble Steam Railway’s Industrial Steam Gala. The former Manchester Ship Canal ‘Short Tank’ will be one of four locomotives in steam during the March 24-25 event, joining the resident steam fleet on services between Preston Riverside station and Strand Road. Of these, Bagnall 0-6-0ST Courageous (2680/1942), ex-British Steel Corporation Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST Linda (3931/1938), and Grant Ritchie 0-4-0ST No. 21 (272/1894) are expected to be in service. A full timetable will feature a combination of double-headed, top-and-tailed and solo working, utilising the line’s Mk1 stock and the Furness Railway Trust’s North London Railway four-wheeler. Ticket prices are £8 for adults, £5 for children…

BLUEBELLS, or at least a Bluebell, will be seen along the length of the Spa Valley Railway during March – thanks to a visit by one of the Bluebell Railway’s popular stalwarts. Diminutive ex-South Eastern & Chatham Railway ‘P’ class 0-6-0T No. 323 Bluebell arrived at Tunbridge Wells West on February 19 and was expected to enter service on the 24th. It temporarily fills a void in the SVR’s steam fleet left by the recent departure of Vulcan Foundry ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 72. The ‘Austerity’ left the railway in early February after almost three years in Kent following its sale by James Hymas. Bluebell will operate services along with one of the SVR’s diesels on weekends until the end of March prior to returning to Sheffield Park for Easter.…

DENNIS Howells’ Hawksworth ‘94XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 9466 has been confirmed as attending the West Somerset Railway’s Great Western Routes & Branches Gala on March 22-25. The presence of the main line–certified pannier provides a GWR/BR(W) tank engine treble at the event, as it will be joining Severn Valley-based ‘57XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 7714 and ‘14XX’ 0-4-2T No. 1450. No. 9466 will also be the sixth locomotive of GWR origin in action during the weekend, the other three being ‘Modified Halls’ No. 6960 Raveningham Hall, No. 6990 Witherslack Hall (from the Great Central Railway) and ‘Manor’ No. 7822 Foxcote Manor.…

A CARRIAGE which was part of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s reopening train on June 29, 1968 will be returned to the livery in which it performed that historic role – for one weekend only. Southern Railway Corridor Brake Third No. S3554S, built to a South Eastern & Chatham Railway design, was one of three vehicles in that inaugural train, now in the possession of the Ingrow-based Vintage Carriages Trust. At the time it carried a light shade of BR maroon following its arrival at the railway from the defunct Westerham Valley Railway scheme, but today wears BR Carmine & Cream. However, during the railway’s 50 th  anniversary gala from June 24 to July 1, the ‘Chatham’ (as it is known) will lose its ‘Plum and Spilt Milk’…

Bellerophon in summer finale at Foxfield gala THE Vintage Carriages Trust (VCT) is considering its plans for the overhaul of Haydock Foundry 0-6-0WT Bellerophon after its boiler certificate expires this summer. The 1874-built loco is expected to make a final public appearance at its Foxfield Railway (FR) home during the line’s summer gala on July 21-22, with the VCT in talks with the FR about how and when the overhaul will proceed. Much of the bottom end is in good order, but it is expected the loco will require re-tyring before it can return to service. The 1930s boiler may also require significant repair or even potential renewal, but no decision will be made until after the boiler is dismantled and inspected. The VCT would like to see the loco…

THE RPSI’s £4million Whitehead Railway Museum received top honours at the annual Heritage Railway Association awards dinner in Birmingham on February 10, scooping the prestigious Manisty Award for Excellence. The ‘Manisty’ is the HRA’s most prestigious award, being presented on an occasional basis for an exceptional and outstanding contribution to railway preservation. For its 2017 awards, the HRA board made the unprecedented decision to present two Manisty Awards – one to the RPSI for Whitehead, and the other to the Swanage Railway in recognition of its achievement in returning passenger trains to Wareham from Swanage. On presenting the award to RPSI chairman Canon John McKegney, the HRA’s president, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, said: “This is recognition of the contribution made by RPSI and Whitehead Railway Museum to railway heritage in…

THE South Tynedale Railway’s (STR) Chrzanow 0-6-0WTT Naklo will be overhauled following confirmation of a grant of more than £200,000 from the Power to Change Trust. The boiler was withdrawn early for overhaul after the 2010 season when a steam leak was discovered between the firebox and foundation ring. It was surveyed in early January. A decision on the scope of required work, which could be so extensive it might mean a virtually new boiler, will be made when the results are received. Work on the boiler will be contracted out, while the chassis overhaul will be undertaken in-house at Alston. The aim is to return Naklo to traffic in 2019. The Power to Change community business development programme grant towards overhauling Naklo, which has a footplate capable of accommodating…

A REVISED planning application for temporary Douglas Bay Horse Tramway stables on the Summerland site ( RM Dec) was approved in mid-January, but construction will not begin imminently. The Summerhill Stables will continue in use through 2018. The tramway will operate from March 29 as there is no necessity to delay opening for 2018. The RM understands Isle of Man Transport remains hopeful the Summerhill Stables may be retained in long-term tramway use. It was offered for sale by Douglas Borough Council in August 2016. An application by a conservation group for the stables (parts of which date from 1877) to be listed on the island’s register of protected buildings is awaiting a decision by the Isle of Man’s Department of Environment, Food and Agriculture. The structure of…

VOLKS Electric Railway (VER) will reopen over its full line on March 30. The 2ft 8½in-gauge line stopped operating in September 2016 for Heritage Lottery-funded reconstruction at Aquarium and the depot at Halfway, but partially reopened to Halfway station on October 14, 2017 ( RM Dec). The March 30 grand reopening is likely to see six cars available for service for the first time in nearly 20 years, with the addition of car Nos. 4, 6 and 10. The trio have been restored by Alan Keef Ltd under the Heritage Lottery-funded project. No. 4 returned to Brighton last year and electrical equipment has been installed during the winter. No. 6 was due to return by the time this issue was published, and will be similarly fitted with control gear,…

• TALYLLYN Railway’s Hughes 0-4-2ST No. 3 Sir Haydn is rapidly approaching completion of its contracted overhaul at Vale of Rheidol Railway’s Aberystwyth works. New eccentrics and drain cocks have been made and the wheels are back under the chassis. The water tank and bunker have been repaired, with large components test assembled prior to adding pipework and painting. The boiler has passed an out-of-frames steam test and work on the cladding is complete. • AMERTON Railway managed to run trains on December 10, but heavy snow on surrounding roads meant only 40% of booked passengers made it to the railway. Of 290 people needing to be re-booked onto other ‘Santa’ services just 20% had to receive refunds. However, Amerton Railway still managed to carry 30% more passengers than in…

A SCHEME to develop a new undersea colliery off the Cumbrian coast near St Bees could bring coal traffic back to the area for the first time in many years. If approved, the £200million mine would be the first new deep coal mine in the UK for more than 30 years. The high-value coking coal would be transported by conveyor to a railhead on the Cumbrian Coast Line, for distribution by rail. Up to six trains a day are planned, transporting the coal to Redcar on Teesside for export or to steel-making plants at Scunthorpe and Port Talbot. Production is expected to start in 2020 with full production by 2023 – up to 500,000 tonnes a year is predicted over the mine’s 50-year life. Up to 80% of production is…

GB RAILFREIGHT’S second four-day ‘mega-tour’ has been unveiled and will see a Class 56 making its passenger debut over the West Highland Line, a pair of Class 73s over the Forth Bridge, and AC electric locomotives running to London Paddington and Blackpool North. Living up to its name – ‘GBRf 2018 – Out of the Ordinary’ – the train will start from London Victoria on September 20 behind a Class 66; possibly one of the 10 recently acquired from DB Cargo. It will head for South Wales via Bristol, where a pair of Class 73/9s takes over for a run to the Celsa steelworks in Cardiff. Resident GBRf Class 08s will haul the train in the works yard, providing rare traction and track. The rebuilt ‘73s’ will then work to…

CREWE Heritage Centre commemorated the 70th anniversary of railway nationalisation (January 1, 1948) with an event on January 13. The event was organised by the Woodhead Railway Heritage Group with all proceeds going to the Woodhead Railway Museum Project. Class 87 AC electric loco No. 87035 Robert Burns was completed at Crewe Works in 1974 for use on the West Coast Main Line, and has been preserved at Crewe since September 2005. It was repainted back into BR blue last year and is on display in the main exhibition hall, all of which is now available for use by the heritage centre following departure of the engineering workshop. Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Call: 01507 529589 email:…

EAST Coast Main Line open access operators Grand Central and Hull Trains topped the rail passenger satisfaction league table in 2017, according to the latest result released by Transport Focus. The two operators scored 96% and 95%, respectively, with Virgin Trains East Coast (VTEC) the best of the long-distance franchised companies at 92%. Virgin Trains West Coast scored 91%, both well above the average long-distance score of 86%. Of the other inter-city operators, Great Western was the worst performer at 79%, with CrossCountry achieving 83% and East Midlands Trains 85%. Scores for commuter operators in London and the south-east of England continue to lag behind, with South Western Railway suffering the largest year-on-year decline from 83% to 75%. Major disruption during and since last summer’s Waterloo upgrade had adetrimental effect…

STAGECOACH will compete against Deutsche Bahn subsidiary Arriva, Abellio of the Netherlands and a First/ Trenitalia joint venture in its bid to retain the Midland Main Line franchise. The quartet has been shortlisted by the Department for Transport (DfT) for the next franchise, which will assume control of inter-city services between London, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire, and regional routes across the East Midlands from August 2019. Stagecoach, operating as East Midlands Trains, has run the franchise since 2007. Despite calls for it to be excluded from bidding for new franchises after the recent Virgin Trains East Coast controversy, Transport Secretary Chris Grayling said there were “no adequate legal grounds” to do so. The new operator will be announced in April 2019 and is expected to replace the current…

THERE will be just two bidders competing to run the next Wales and Borders franchise after Abellio Rail Cymru said it was withdrawing from the competition, unable to overcome the collapse of its joint venture partner Carillion, which went into liquidation in January. The decision leaves MTR and KeolisAmey battling to run the franchise that will be awarded by Transport for Wales. Incumbent Arriva withdrew from the bidding last year. It is expected the winner will be announced in May, take over services from October, and will need to include a commitment to modify or replace the Class 142/143 Pacers. The franchise award will include operation of the South Wales Metro, an integration of heavy rail with a proposed light rail operation, using Cardiff Central as the hub.…

Far North sleeper plan moves forward HITRANS (the Highlands and Islands Transport Partnership Board) has been given support for further studies to be carried out into its proposal to introduce an overnight sleeper train from Edinburgh/Glasgow to Thurso. The study will be carried out by SYSTRA. Dubbed ‘The Midnight Train to Georgemas’, the service would use surplus Mk 3 sleeping cars and provide a connection with ferry services to Orkney from nearby Scrabster. Boy and grandfather die in crossing crash GRANDFATHER Barry Hearnshaw (72) and his 15-year-old grandson Will Hallett died when their car was hit by a Southern Class 377 EMU at a level crossing at Barns Green, Sussex on February 17. Both BTP and RAIB are investigating. Virgin East Coast drops quiet coach THE First Class quiet coach…

CHIEF EXECUTIVE of Network Rail Mark Carne has announced he will retire later this year. His decision will allow NR time to headhunt a new CEO ahead of the start of Control Period 6 (CP6), the next five-year regulatory period, which begins in April 2019. Chairman of Network Rail Sir Peter Hendy CBE said: “Mark has done an outstanding job and I want to applaud him for what he has achieved in his time at Network Rail. His leadership steadied the ship during the challenging transition to a public sector organisation and he has been the architect behind the huge positive changes in the company, driving transformation, devolution and efficiency, with an emphasis on equality and diversity, too. “Three years ago he set out a strategic vision for a digital…

HITACHI Rail Europe (HRE) and Bombardier have joined forces in a proposal to build a ‘world class’ test centre for new trains at Long Marston in Warwickshire. The two global transport giants are also working with Quinton Rail Technology Centre – home to Vivarail and a large quantity of stored rail vehicles – and have applied to Stratford-upon-Avon District Council for planning permission to develop the centre. If authorised, the centre would be used for new train approvals, endurance testing, commissioning, acceptance and signal integration testing, and could create up to 50 new jobs by 2022. Currently, capacity and capability for testing new trains in the UK is limited, with the main facility being Network Rail’s Rail Industry Development Centre (RIDC) near Melton Mowbray – formerly the BR Old Dalby…

AS IN the title, ‘bi-modes’ came first, arriving on the Great Western Railway before wiring was complete. Electrification had fallen behind schedule and exceeded budget; GWR therefore decided to make its fleet of InterCity Electric Trains (IET) totally bi-mode from the start so they would be up and running as soon as possible. Otherwise, the rolling stock cascade programme would have been left in further disarray: GWR would have been unable to release InterCity ‘125’s to ScotRail, which in turn would have delayed the transfer of Class 170 DMUs to increase capacity elsewhere. Great Western’s intention to employ other displaced ‘125’s on semi-fast services in Devon and Cornwall would also have been jeopardised, as would the concomitant release of elderly ‘Sprinters’ and ‘Pacers’. The cascade sequence thus depended on the…

IN 1878, the standard-gauge West Lancashire Railway was opened from Southport to Hesketh Bank, with a through connection to Preston following in 1882. This line remained in use until 1964, when it fell victim to the Beeching cuts, removing Hesketh Bank from the main line map altogether as a consequence. Six schoolboys from King George V School in Southport, already members of the Narrow Gauge Railway Society, decided at this stage to ensure the survival of a representative collection of 2ft-gauge industrial equipment in the area, on the site of an abandoned clay pit belonging to the Hesketh Bank Brick and Tile Works (also known as ‘Alty’s after its corporate proprietor, Henry Alty Ltd), which had been established following the discovery of clay during the building of the West Lancashire…

RICHARD Hardy, who died on February 18, aged 94, was one of the last remaining professional links with the ‘Big Four’ and a railwayman who commanded as much respect in the preservation era as he did during his illustrious career with the LNER and British Railways. Known affectionately in his autumn years as ‘the Grand Old Man of Steam’, and widely regarded as the elder statesman of the heritage movement, he made a meteoric rise through the rail industry’s hierarchy, becoming a shedmaster at the astonishingly young age of 22, running another five major depots before he was 35, and then overseeing the massive changeover from steam to modern traction on the busy Stratford district of the Eastern Region. Unlike many of his fellow managers, Dick was a rail enthusiast…

Now Crewe Works buildings on hit list FOLLOWING on from your item on the proposed demolition of Wolverton Works, a notice in Crewe’s local newspaper advises Bombardier and others have applied to demolish the former Machine, Arcade, No. 9 and No. 10 erecting shops, to be replaced with a large housing estate. There will soon be little or no original railway works left in the UK and this does seem a waste of premises following the refurbishment of 9 and 10 shops some years ago. Clive Taylor ex Crewe Works employee Sad demise of West Highland Class 156s I READ of the likely demise of the Class 156 units on the West Highland Line (February issue) and feel a tinge of sadness. While accepting the units are 30 years old,…

100 YEARS AGO MARCH 1918 ELECTRIC light has recently been substituted for gas at Lancing, London, Brighton and South Coast Railway. The station including platforms, signal box, booking hall and other departments is being illuminated by electricity, supplied from the Carriage Works Power House at Lancing which is fitted with diesel engines. THE PRUSSIAN Railway Department has provided information about the number of engines and wagons built during the war. Of locomotives, 4,900 had been built, an increase of 30 per cent compared with peace times, and of wagons 120,000, also a great increase. Before the end of the current financial year a further 1,700 locomotives, and 29,000 goods wagons were to be delivered. PRESIDING at the annual meeting of the Great Eastern Railway, Lord Claud Hamilton, MP said that…

THE Swindon & Cricklade Railway (S&CR) is hoping a new multimillion pound appeal can enable it to live up to its name and finally extend north into Cricklade. It is almost 60 years since the last passenger trains ran over the former Midland & South Western Junction Railway route, and the S&CR is marking its own 40th anniversary by launching a £2.5million appeal to extend its two-mile running line beyond the current northern railhead at South Meadow Lane. A two-phased approach is being adopted, with the target date for completion of the first phase set for this coming September. This would take the railway around half a mile to a point south of Farfield Lane, where a bridge will need to be installed before Phase 2 can begin. The estimated…

THE Standard Steam Locomotive Company (SSLC) has broken with tradition and employed a modern, non-railway engineering company to assemble the frames of its new-build BR ‘Clan’ Pacific No. 72010 Hengist. Other new-build schemes have used established heritage rail engineering firms or preserved railway workshops to erect their locos’ frames, but the ‘Clan’s’ frames are being put together by the Sheffield firm of CTL Seal Ltd at a cost of around £100,000. In order to carry out the work the company has been vetted by the Vehicle Acceptance Body to ensure the locomotive, and its constituent parts, comply with all current – and foreseeable – industry standards and legislation. The choice of CTL Seal was a logical one as the firm has already completed the manufacture of a number of components…

THE 6201 Society’s Stanier Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth was back on the network on February 22, albeit diesel hauled when transferred to the West Coast Railway Company’s Carnforth works. Since being withdrawn from the main line in November 2016 with weeping small boiler tubes, Princess Elizabeth has been at the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust’s (PRCLT) West Shed at the Midland Railway-Butterley, awaiting the replacement of its small tubes by PRCLT. However, the premature withdrawal of PRCLT’s flagship LMS Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland in the autumn, and the subsequent decision to carry out a major repair programme on the loco, has seen ‘Lizzie’ slip down the queue. “With no prospect of PRCLT being able to carry out any work on No. 6201 until at least July, the…

THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A1SLT) has acquired the first components for its next new-build steam locomotive – a Gresley‘V4’ 2-6-2 No. 3403. Plans to follow its current build of‘P2’2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales with a‘V4’were announced at the A1SLT’s Silver Jubilee Convention in October 2015, and last September the Trust confirmed it had started work identifying and scanning the original drawings for the‘V4’at the National Railway Museum. Now they have gone one step further and bought the locomotive’s wheel tyres. The complete set of fully certified tyres for the‘V4’s’pony, Cartazzi and 5ft 8in driving wheels have been bought from David Buck, owner of Thompson‘B1’4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower, along with a chimney, two BR class 08 shunter speedometer drive generators and a pair of two-stage, single-spindle air pumps of…

BR ‘BRITANNIA’ No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell is set to take part in the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s (KWVR) three-day Spring Gala shortly after this issue of The RM goes on sale. The National Railway Museum’s ‘7MT’, which famously brought the curtain down on BR steam 50 years ago, will appear at the March 9-11 event to help the KWVR kick off its own 50 th  anniversary celebrations. It will also mark the last gala appearance by the ‘Brit’ before the expiry of its current boiler certificate later in the month. The gala ranks as one of the biggest yet for the railway, featuring three guest locomotives in total and no fewer than six in steam from the resident fleet. West Somerset Railway-based ‘7F’ 2-8-0 No. 53808 will also…

THE question as to the future sustainability of heritage railways will form the subject of a doctorate by regular RM photographic contributor, Robin Coombes. Since the 1960s the UK’s preserved railways have grown considerably in both size and number, overcoming many challenges, to establish themselves and become an important part of the UK tourism map. However, they still face numerous challenges, from changing social trends to ageing volunteers and equipment, and the new study is setting out to establish exactly what the essential ingredients are to make them sustainable in the future. Mr Coombes is undertaking the study at the University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Education and Research over the course of the next three years. Initially, the work will focus on questionnaires sent to heritage line managers and…

RAIL users in Northern Ireland will soon see a new name added to the timetable after Translink announced Belfast Central station will be renamed Lanyon Place as part of a major refurbishment and modernisation. The station, which last year saw in excess of 2.6million passengers, will receive a new modern frontage to replace the current ‘blast wall’, enhancements to the ticketing area, improved retail and cafe offerings, and the provision of a new Belfast Bike dock. The new name has been chosen to reflect the growing commercial developments of the surrounding location, the Lanyon Place area being a major hub of activity. Belfast City Council has plans to reopen the nearby Lanyon Tunnels for retail, light industrial, office and leisure use. These eight defunct tunnels, which have been out of…

PORTRUSH station will benefit from the coastal town’s £17million Portrush Regeneration Programme with a refurbishment to be completed in time for the town hosting the Open golf championship next year. Translink has now received planning approval to create a ‘fit- for-purpose’ station, which will offer fully accessible waiting facilities, improved passenger information, and signage to local amenities and attractions. The station’s frontage on to Eglinton Street will be modernised and enhanced to ‘create a more prominent sense of arrival to the town as a key gateway to the Causeway Coast’. John Glass, Translink’s head of projects, said: “This is an exciting new development for the town, providing modern facilities to cater for growing passenger numbers and supporting local tourism. “We expect to have contractors on site from spring 2018, with…

A PROJECT to construct a near-replica of Hunslet 0-6-4T Single-Fairlie Gowrie (HE979/1908) will be formally launched at the Mainly Narrow Gauge model railway exhibition, being held at the Museum of Science and industry (MOSI) in Manchester on April 28. Steam man Alan Freebury (whose log of locos driven is about to reach 250) and well-known heritage railway figure Martyn Ashworth started development work more than two years ago aimed at constructing a new Gowrie, including securing a full set of drawings from the Hunslet Archive, held at Statfold Barn. They heard about a separate proposal from Welsh Highland enthusiast Paul Stock and contact was made, with the trio joining forces to move the project forward. A charitable trust is being formed to raise finance, run the project and own the…

REPORTS that Snaefell Mountain Railway (SMR) trams would be fitted with a new fail-safe braking system this winter were incorrect. Isle of Man Transport has confirmed officials visited manufacturers of braking systems in Switzerland during December. However, this related to an ongoing project (pre-dating the August 4, 2017 SMR runaway incident at Bungalow) aimed at upgrading braking on all Isle of Man Government-owned rail systems. This project is likely to come to fruition in around 18 months. SMR will reopen on March 29, utilising its primary and secondary braking systems with an upgraded maintenance and usage regime.…

BARNET Council has given its approval for a new railfreight terminal on railway land at Cricklewood, north London. The extensive site, at the south end of the Midland Main Line, close to the North Circular Road, is regarded as one of the few remaining sites in the capital suitable to handle construction traffic for the planned £4.5billion Brent Cross housing regeneration scheme. Around 7,000-8,000 new dwellings are planned for the area, and without this facility it was feared all construction materials would have to be delivered by road – further increasing congestion and pollution levels and posing additional safety risks to residents. Up to three trains each day will serve the terminal, five days a week, carrying around 1,700 tonnes of aggregates, which will be taken onto construction sites by…

THE Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust (PRCLT) is facing the prospect of a year without operating any of its own tours with No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland. The trust usually runs a small number of tours each year, raising valuable funds for the upkeep of its locomotives, in addition to those where No. 46233 is hired to other promoters. However, No. 46233 is currently out of action and undergoing major repair work at the Midland Railway-Butterley. During a ‘fitness-to-run’ examination, prior to a main line trip scheduled for November 18, a crack was discovered in one of No. 46233’s flue tubes. Unfortunately, on further investigation, it was found 21 of the 40 flue tubes were cracked. The opportunity is being taken to carry out additional major work on the boiler…

THE Branch Line Society has confirmed the itinerary for its next charity railtour, supporting St John Ambulance, with avisit to freight lines south and west of Glasgow. April 28’s ‘Inverclyde First Aider’will be hauled by aWest Coast Railway Co Class 37, with a WCRC Class 47 or 57 assisting as required, and providing heating. The train starts from Crewe and will visit Dallam Yard and Dallam Royal Mail terminal in Warrington, Upperby Down goods, Lockerbie Up loop (Down direction), Shieldmuir Royal Mail terminal in Motherwell, Down City Union, Arkleston Down loop, the Newton-on-Ayr to Mauchline branch in the Eastbound direction, and the much sought after Kingmoor Up goods line, in full from Mossband Junction to Caldew Junction. There will be a buffet car serving hot food, snacks and light refreshments…

GB RAILFREIGHT is working with the Swanage Railway to run an unusual main line charter bringing visitors to the heritage line’s popular May diesel gala. On May 10, Swanage’s main line-registered Class 33/0 No. D6515 will haul London Underground ‘4-TC’ No. 428 from Ealing Broadway to the Isle of Purbeck, providing an appropriate BR Southern Region way to reach the event. After the big weekend, Michael Owen’s Nos. 20007 and 20142 will power the ‘4-TC’ back to Ealing Broadway on May 13. The trip will be No. 20007’s first main line passenger working for 16 years. Tickets are just £39.50 if obtained in advance, or £45 on the day, and are available at: www.swanagerailway.co.uk…

More additions for the cab collection CABS from Class 33 No. 33046 (East Lancashire Railway) and Class 56 No. 56128 and Class 37 No. 37670 (sent for scrap from UK RL, Leicester) are expected to join the Cab Yard collection at Bridgend, South Wales in the near future. West Somerset June gala plans IT IS hoped up to five visiting locos will arrive by rail for the West Somerset Railway’s June 8-10 diesel gala, including ‘Peak’No. 45041 and Class 50 No. 50035 Ark Royal. Apreview day on the Thursday is being considered. Spa Valley‘ED’to work EMU push-pull SPA Valley Railway’s Class 73 No. 73140 will be working at the March 10-11 diesel gala, not having featured in an event since 2015. It will run with 3-CIG EMU set No. 1497.…

March  10-11 Spa Valley Railway, diesel gala 16-18 Mid-Norfolk Railway, diesel gala 17-18 Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, diesel gala 17-18 Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, diesel gala 17-18 Nene Valley Railway (NVR), open weekend 23-25 Bluebell Railway, diesel gala 24 Colne Valley Railway, diesel day 24-25 Chasewater Railway, diesel gala April  3-5 Aln Valley Railway, diesel rides 6-8 NVR, diesel gala 7-8 Severn Valley Railway, open house weekend 13-15 East Lancashire Railway, Class 40s at 60 gala 14-15 Avon Valley Railway, diesel gala 14-15 Ribble Steam Railway, diesel shunter gala 21 Gwili Railway, diesel gala 21-22 LT Museum, Acton open days 28-29 Epping Ongar Railway, diesel gala…

THERE were no departures of stock from the closed Electric Railway Museum, Coventry in January as weather had made the site a quagmire, unsuitable for heavy vehicles. It was hoped conditions would improve to allow further items to be removed in February/March. No EMUs are now going to North Wales and an alternative buyer has been found for 2-HAP No. 4311. This was due to be moved to his site as soon as access conditions at Coventry allowed. The 2-EPB (Class 416/1) unit No. 6307 was also earmarked for North Wales at one time, but this did not appear to be a suitable home. The Suburban Electric Railway Association (SERA) has stepped in and has taken back the vehicles it donated to the ERM in 2007. This, and the Liverpool…