Innholdsfortegnelse for February 2020 i The Railway Magazine

The new year has begun much as the old one ended, with HS2 again hitting the headlines and becoming a hot topic in the press and on social media. A decision on the Oakervee report over the project’s future is imminent, and debate over whether HS2 should be built or not has been re-ignited following Lord Berkeley’s critical report. The Government is aiming to remove diesel trains from the network by 2040, but is being pressed to achieve that transition earlier. Whether it is road, rail or air, Government policies on emissions are somewhat disjointed, particularly in the light of cancelling electrification schemes, which although costly, would have a far greater future benefit as well as a long-term impact on emission reductions. Neither is the playing field level when it…

MORE than two million passengers travelled over the reopened Borders Railway between Edinburgh and Tweedbank in 2018/19. The figures provide further evidence of the success of the project which brought passenger trains back to the northern section of the former ‘Waverley Route’ in September 2015, and saw 1.2m passengers in its first year. Wider use of EMUs by ScotRail on recently electrified routes has, in turn, released more DMUs to strengthen Borders Railway services, reducing overcrowding. The Campaign for Borders Rail (CBR) used the news to press for an extension of the line southwards towards Hawick and Carlisle. With support from Westminster, the Scottish Government is planning to undertake a feasibility study to consider the costs and benefits of rebuilding the railway beyond Tweedbank for both freight and passenger use.…

December 26, 1949 - January 9, 2020 IT IS with regret we report the passing of Huddersfield-based railway photographer David C Rodgers. He died aged 70 after a short illness. A talented photographer, who adapted well to the digital age, Dave (as he was known) helped organise the ‘Border Countryman’railtour on February 25, 1967, when he was still not yet 18. He was a member of the Master Neverers Assocation, and the story goes crashed his dad’s car while chasing ‘Britannias’; however, the car had railway detonators inside. Dave travelled extensively to other countries to take pictures of steam, particularly South Africa. His photographs were of the highest quality, with images appearing regularly in The RM over the past 25 years, notably the recent ‘Blue & Grey Years’ supplements. It…

TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed a £500million pot of money is available to fund the reopening of lines, including some of those closed during the Beeching era. Around 5,000 miles of track were shut down during this period, with the loss of about 2,300 stations, as part of the reshaping of BR. Mr Shapps made the announcement during a visit to the Fleetwood to Poultonle-Fylde line, which closed in 1970, and to which £100,000 has been pledged for developing reopening proposals. A further £1.5m will be given to the project to reopen the Ashington to Blyth line in Northumberland Mr Shapps added: “Many communities still live with the scars from the closure of their local railway more than five decades ago. “Work begins to undo the damage of the…

THE launch of a series of key events to mark 50th anniversary of the closure of many railway lines in East Lincolnshire took place at Skegness on January 23. Significant parts of two main lines and several branch lines were closed by Dr Richard Beeching, which had a significant effect in the area. The ELR50 project will draw together memories, pictures and memorabilia from the lines affected as part of a major exhibition to be held at Batemans Brewery Visitors Centre at Wainfleet from August 1 to October 4. Additionally, there will be talks, study sessions and a coach tours to some of the lines. On September 19, Talisman will be running a railwayana auction as part of the 10-week-long event. East Midlands Railway had been planning to provide a…

IT WAS at the end of November 2019 when I found myself on the concourse of Euston station ready to take my last trip on Virgin Trains. An array of the now familiar red tilting trains was waiting to ply its trade: 10.20 to Manchester, 10.23 to Birmingham New Street (for Shrewsbury), 10.30 to Glasgow Central, 10.36 to Blackpool North, and by 10.40 and 10.43 it was time for the next clockface, 20 minute-frequency departures to those first two cities, the 10.43 running forward to Edinburgh. Had it really been 22 years since fanfares had heralded the entry of Richard Branson’s global brand name into the gladiatorial forum otherwise known as British railway passenger operation? Virgin Trains was never an organisation known for understatement and, as such, it had a…

The second one walks into a railway station or boards a train, customer service is live and a moving feast. From station posters and the booking office to on-board signs and seats, as well as cleanliness and the general condition of the environment, we absorb it all through our senses, which feeds our perception. We remember our last experience using the train just as much as our last experience using a supermarket, or calling our home insurer or energy supplier. Each interaction with a service provider is an opportunity with the customer. The single biggest factor in most customer experiences are the people. Each individual involved has the ability to ‘wow’ those they come into contact with – as equally as they can anger and turn them off. While one…

Not all disabilities are visible. Passengers could be suffering from hidden conditions such as a brain injury, dementia, have communication difficulties, impaired cognitive ability, or even autism. In such cases, busy railway stations can leave passengers anxious, stressed or confused, and with the combination of crowds and noise, navigating to the right place at the right time can be difficult. To overcome this, in 2016 Gatwick Airport launched the sunflower lanyard scheme to help staff identify passengers with hidden disabilities who may need assistance. After implementation at other UK airports, the scheme has started to be slowly rolled out to the railways, with LNER and c2c early adopters. It is expected more will join, but there has to be adequate staff training to support the needs of such passengers. The…

MY FIRST impressions of Avanti West Coast have been unremittingly poor. None of the services I have travelled on have arrived on time. There has been no service in First Class, the wi-fi has not worked (it did when it was Virgin) and the staff attitude has ranged from surly to indifferent. In December, I booked two tickets to travel to London in mid-March. For the outward journey the system gave me a seat reservation in two separate coaches and for the return gave me seats in the same coach but numbers 02 and 24. Avanti West Coast say they are ‘customer focused’, but this customer totally disagrees based on these experiences. When I booked with Virgin I got digital tickets, Avanti do not offer that facility. Customer service has…

NATIONAL Railway Museum-owned ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman will visit the Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) for the first time this autumn as the Dereham to Wymondham line celebrates its 25 anniversary. The precise dates for the visit have yet to be confirmed, but the MNR is already planning a string of special services over the former Great Eastern Railway line, together with dining trains and footplate experience opportunities. ‘Tremendous’ MNR general manager George Saville said: “2020 is a special 25th anniversary year for the Mid-Norfolk Railway, and this announcement of the world record-breaking locomotive visiting us will certainly make it a tremendous year for the railway. “The increased pace of expansion in recent years, and especially the building of the maintenance shed in Dereham, has increased the attraction of such visitors…

NORTH Eastern railway ‘J21’0-6-0 No. 65033 will have both of its main frame plates replaced after severe wastage put the current frames beyond economic repair. The work will be carried out as part of its National Heritage Lottery-funded overhaul. The issue was discovered during the strip down of the 1889-built loco by Locomotive Maintenance Services at Loughborough. Both frame plates were found to be severely corroded in places, with distortion affecting some areas, to the degree that the future safe operation of the loco was is question. The Locomotive Conservation & Learning Trust, which owns the‘J21’, subsequently looked at and sought advice on the options available, which included refurbishing the frame plates, refurbishing one plate (the left-hand) and replacing the other, or outright renewal of both. After spending weeks considering…

February 7-8 Northampton & Lamport Railway, Winter Steam Gala 14 & 29 Mid-Hants Railway, Flying Scotsman 15-16 & 22-23 Nene Valley Railway, Thomas Half-Term Specials March 1 Whitwell & Reepham Station, Steam Sunday 1, 7-8 Mid-Hants Railway, Flying Scotsman 6-8 East Lancashire Railway, Spring Steam Gala 6-8 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, Spring Steam Gala 14-15 East Anglian Railway Museum, Spring Steam Gala 21 Avon Valley Railway, RSH 7151 Day 21-22 East Somerset Railway, Steam Gala 2020 27-29 North Norfolk Railway, Spring Steam Gala 28-29 Great Central Railway, Goods Galore Gala 28-29 Ribble Steam Railway, Spring Steam Gala April 3-5 Bluebell Railway, Branch Line Weekend 4-5 Nene Valley Railway, Mixed Traffic Weekend 5 Isle of Wight Steam Railway, Island Heritage Train Day 5 Whitwell & Reepham Station Steam Sunday 10-13…

THE two surviving ‘hi-tech’ Steel Company of Wales (SCOW) Bagnall 0-6-0STs – Nos. 401 and 403 – will be reunited for the first time since the mid-1980s at the North Tyneside Steam Railway (NTSR) on May 8-10. The pair – W/Nos. 2994 and 2996 – were built in 1951 as part of a trio of ‘New Standard 18’ locomotives for SCOW’s Abbey, Margam and Port Talbot steelworks. They featured such refinements as Walschaerts valve gear, piston valves, roller bearings, hopper ashpans and rocking grates, self-cleaning smokeboxes, and balanced reversing gear. Over the next six years they were evaluated alongside Bagnall-built diesels, which eventually succeeded them, and Nos. 401 and 403 were sold to the Austin Motor Company at Longbridge. They were named Vulcan and Victor respectively, and served the Birmingham…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s annual multi-day railtour in May will be the first for many years to include Northern Ireland destinations in the main itinerary, living up to its ‘international’ nickname. The ‘Lough Foyle Railtour’ will run over three days on May 9-11, with the usual ‘fringe’ events starting two days before. The first of these is a steam-hauled positioning special from Whitehead to Dublin on May 7 (Thursday). It is expected to leave Lanyon Place in Belfast at around 09.55, arriving in Dublin Connolly at 14.20. The now-traditional diesel railtour will run on the Friday, this year titled ‘The Ormond’ – after the ancient Irish kingdom and the associated baronies of County Tipperary. The tour will begin at Dublin Connolly, heading first to Limerick then on to…

■ THE Royal Arsenal Narrow Gauge Railway (RANG) has launched a crowd-funding appeal to raise £9,500 towards buying two sets of points, track and ballast to complete the lower station run round loop and timber sleepers to build a platform for its running line at Crossness Pumping Station. A similar appeal early in 2019 raised £13,386 in 77 days, financing rail materials for the 700-metre line, which enabled RANG to start operating limited passenger rides from June 2019. ■ A THREE-day gala at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the 15in-gauge line being saved for preservation is being planned for May 8-10. Nine home-based locos are likely to be showcased, joined by Siân Project Group’s Guest Engineering-built 2-4-2 Siân (from the Kirklees Light Railway) and a…

Blackpool and Fylde trusts to merge collections THE Blackpool Heritage Trust (BHT) is merging its collection of preserved Blackpool trams with those belonging to the Fylde Transport Trust (FTT). The BHT was established in 2014 as the custodian of the Blackpool tramway heritage fleet, but its efforts have been hampered by a lack of charitable status, thereby limiting the sources of funding available to it. An application for charitable status was made to the Charity Commission, but subsequently declined. The Fylde Transport Trust, which has very similar aims to the BHT, is a registered charity, and has successfully reactivated its tram restoration activities, with projects such as‘Standard’ No. 143,‘Railcoach’No. 279, and‘Balloon’car No. 715 all benefiting from significant investment. The merger of the two collections will now allow the vehicles in…

THE Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham has called on the Government to help fasttrack the extension of Metrolink to Stockport, writes Tony Miles. Council and transport bosses will now work to develop an ‘outline business case’for extending the tram line from East Didsbury into Stockport’s new transport interchange, with the mayor hoping to see work begin by 2025. The cost of the extension is estimated to be between £500million and £1billion. The new call comes after Transport Secretary Grant Shapps hinted funding could be made available for the extension during the General Election campaign. Mr Burnham said:“Stockport is already leading the way nationally on town centre regeneration. However, we need the Government to give us the powers that we need in parallel with the funding so that we can…

ELECTRIC trains are now operating to Cardiff Central after the completion of work between St Brides, near Newport, and the Welsh capital over the Christmas holidays. A year later than expected, GWR’s first eastbound electric train was the 08.50 Cardiff to Paddington on January 5. Electric operation is now possible for all but a few miles between London Paddington and Cardiff via Bristol Parkway using GWR’s Class 80x bi-mode trains. However, diesel power is still required through the wet conditions of the Severn Tunnel, where Network Rail has not yet resolved issues with maintaining the 25kV AC power supply. Until January, Wales was famously said to be one of only three countries in Europe without a single mile of electrified railway. The introduction of electric operation leaves just Albania and…

THERE could be as many as 250 redundancies at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe factory as a result of a lack of future orders. The number of posts to be lost represents a third of the workforce. The firm has entered a 45-day negotiation period with staff, but will aim to relocate staff to other sites its operates providing servicing and maintenance on long-term contracts. The factory has recently completed the 70 Class 385s for ScotRail and is progressing with fitting out the final‘Azuma’trains for LNER, the last of which will be delivered in May. On Newton Aycliffe’s order book are 33 five-car bi-mode units for East Midlands Railway, 13 five-car bi-modes and 10 seven-car EMUs for Avanti West Coast, and five five-car Class 803 sets for First Group’s East Coast Main…

AN INDEPENDENT report by the National Audit Office (NAO) heaped further pressure on the Department for Transport and HS2 Ltd in late-January, saying it is “impossible to estimate with certainty” how much it will eventually cost. The spending watchdog is critical of the Government’s management of the project, saying the “risk and complexity of HS2 were underestimated from the start”. The report warns again that the full opening of Phase 1 between Euston and Birmingham could be delayed by up to a decade, with a partial opening estimated in 2029-33 and full service starting between 2031 and 2036. Phase 2a is expected in 2030/31 (previously 2027) and the opening Phase 2b goes back from 2033 to 2036-40. Costs of Phase 1 could rise from the budgeted £27billion to £40bn, Phase…

GBRF Charity Railtours, the fundraising arm of GB Railfreight, has confirmed it will run a four-day charity rail tour in 2020, the third such event since 2016. The team at GBRf decided to restart the tours with the strapline This Time it’s Personal, following one employee losing his battle with cancer and another being diagnosed with prostate cancer. Between September 24-27 the tour will raise funds for Prostate Cancer UK, which is the company-wide charity of choice for fundraising efforts The GBRf special will visit different parts of the country following some of the more interesting routes, and will be accompanied by GBRf’s more ‘unusual’ locomotives. Extra details will be announced in February ahead of the full itinerary in March. Bookings will open in early April.…

THE cream of the LNER and LMS’‘Top Link’motive power are set to put old rivalries aside on March 7 when they work separate legs of the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Yorkshireman’ from London to York and back. John Cameron’s Gresley ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa will head the northbound leg on what will be one of its final railtours before withdrawal in April. It is set to leave Ealing Broadway at around 06.25, heading around West London through Acton Wells and joining the Midland Main Line, near Cricklewood. Stops will be made at St Albans, Luton, Bedford and Kettering, after which the ‘A4’ will take the Nottingham direct line, crossing Harringworth Viaduct and passing through Oakham before picking up at Melton Mowbray. The train joins the Midland Main Line…

When, after renovation in March 2016, the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust opened the Spurn Lighthouse in Yorkshire, the idea of creating a replica ‘sail bogie’ or ‘landship’ was mooted. The Spurn military railway was constructed during the First World War in order to enable the fortification of the Green Battery on Spurn Point and the Godwin Battery at Kilnsea. After 1919, the line saw considerably less use, and that is when local residents saw their opportunity. The first mention of this unusual means of transport on the Spurn Point military railway was reported in the Hull Daily Mail, dated October 5, 1922. It would appear that two local residents of Kilnsea – a Mr Charles Hailes and Mr Edwin Hodgson – struck upon the idea when they needed to get down…

Jack Boskett first picked up a camera at the age of five, and won the under 18s category of a photo competition just two years later. Learning photographic skills as he grew up, Jack’s first railway photograph was published in The Railway Magazine in 2005 when he was 15, and he has continued to hone his skills without the benefit of any formal training or college and university qualifications. At the age of 19, he decided to become a self-employed photographer and after 10 years in business, has never looked back. His style is varied, from unique angles to moody creations of railways’ steam era using preserved lines as his stage for artistic licence. A future ambition is to assist a film set designer, as he says there are far…

YOUR January issue contained, in the archive section, a list of the steepest gradients on the network. Has anyone studied the opposite end of the spectrum (ie: the shallowest, non-level, gradients?). Attached is a photo of a gradient post arm which I rescued from a ditch by the Vale of Clwyd branch, between Foryd Junction and Rhuddlan, when track was lifted in the 1960s. 1-in-3684 is pretty close to 1 inch in 100yards. To put this in perspective, I believe the curvature of the earth is about half an inch in 100yards. Did railway surveyors have guidance on when to call a track level, and does anyone know of a gradient with a bigger number declared? John D Smith By email…

THE columns of the Railway Observer have always kept members up to date with news from the heritage sector, including progress on the various new-build projects such as the ‘Patriot’. When complete the 4-6-0 will provide an important missing link in the ranks of preserved LMS locomotives. Almost 60 years ago on Sunday, September 4, 1960, ‘Patriot’ No. 45503 The Royal Leicestershire Regiment, allocated to Carnforth shed, was selected to work the Carnforth to Ravenglass leg of the RCTS ‘Cumbrian Rail Tour’, organised by the society’s West Riding branch. As was often the case with the class the ‘Patriot’ was to play a secondary role to preserved Midland Compound No. 1000. The itinerary saw the Compound work the nine-coach special to Carnforth, where the ‘Patriot’ came on and produced a…

THE Spa Valley Railway started 2020 on a low note after it became the latest in a growing list of preserved railways to be targeted by vandals and potential arsonists. On New Year’s Eve hooligans broke into the railway’s dining trains with the intention of causing maximum damage and even arson. Fireworks, including a rocket, were set off inside Mk1 ‘SO’ No. 4828, while cardboard was set alight in the corridor of ‘SOB’ No. 25843 Kate. Fortunately, the fire did not take hold, but the damage could have been a lot worse. Additionally, the culprits damaged doors, stole food from on board, a credit/debit card reader from the buffet, and even a fire extinguisher. Kent police were called upon the discovery of the break-in, and an investigation is on-going. A…

NEWLY overhauled GWR ‘45XX’ 2-6-2T No. 4555 is expected to make the first appearances of its two-year residency at the East Somerset Railway (ESR) during the line’s March 21-22 Steam Gala. The Dartmouth Steam Railway (DSR) Small Prairie will be one of three ex-GWR tank engines in steam, joining another DSR loco – ‘5205’ 2-8-0T No. 5239 Goliath – and out-going ‘56XX’ 0-6-2T No. 5637, which will be making its final appearance at the ESR before moving to the Swindon & Cricklade Railway. Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 46447 is also expected in service during the weekend, while Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Lady Nan will be on ‘driver for a tenner’ duties in the sidings at Cranmore. The four larger locos will share duties on seven services each day, including passenger trains,…

Bluebell begins Fenchurch overhaul STROUDLEY‘Terrier’0-6-0T No. 672 Fenchurch could steam for the 100th anniversary of the class in 2022, 10 years since it last operated. The Bluebell Railway loco’s boiler was lifted from the frames at Sheffield Park during December for a full assessment pending a return to steam, with the anniversary year being the target. The boiler is expected to require firebox repairs and possibly a new front tubeplate. ‘No. 9’ rips corridor gangway from ELR van AN INCIDENT at the East Lancashire Railway on December 22 caused delays to‘Santa Special’operations when‘A4’No. 60009 Union of South Africa tore the gangway connection from‘Stove R’van No. M32978 at Bury Bolton Street Station. The corridor connection had not been detached before the loco moved forward after uncoupling, but fortunately…

THE pioneering locomotive that launched heritage operations on the former Ashburton branch is returning to the line it once called home when it visits the South Devon Railway (SDR) next month. Newly overhauled GWR ‘flattop’ Small Prairie No. 4555 will visit Buckfastleigh for the Spring Steam Gala on March 14-15, reuniting with ex-GWR panniers Nos. 6412 and 1369 for the first time in 47 years, when together they kick-started operations on the fledgling Dart Valley Railway. No. 4555 has recently been the subject of a major overhaul at the Dartmouth Steam Railway and Tyseley Locomotive Works, and will be calling at the South Devon Railway on its way to a long-term hire at the East Somerset Railway. Its return to the SDR offers the opportunity to re-create scenes from half…

KINGDOM of Fife Railway Preservation Society volunteers continue to make steady progress on the restoration of ex-National Coal Board Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST East Fife Area No. 17 (2292/1951) – the‘Dubbie Pug’– at Kirkland Yard. A £90,000 appeal is open to help cover the costs of returning the former Dysart Colliery loco to steam (https://tinyurl.com/ w5dfm9e), although the society will not meet its planned 2020 completion target. It had been hoped the loco could be ready to take over operations from former Granton Gas Works Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 10 Forth (1890/1926), the boiler certificate of which expires this year. Towards the end of last year the motion and brake rigging were removed and were being prepared for cleaning and storage. Lifting the frames from the wheelsets was to follow during the…

Mogeely lever frame for Maam Cross THE January issue erroneously reported that the Connemara Railway Project was to erect the relocated signal cabin from Mogeely at its Maam Cross base during February. In fact the Maam Cross cabin will be a replica of the long-demolished original that served the station, with only the 18-lever McKenzie & Holland lever frame from Mogeely being used within. RPSI’s operating licence renewed THE RPSI has had its five-year year licence to operate as a Railway Undertaking (RU) renewed by the Commission for Railway Regulation, enabling it to continue operating trains in the Republic of Ireland until November 2024. The society has the status of a railway undertaking under Irish and EU law. The previous licence expired in December.…

UNRESTORED 2ft-gauge ‘Yepla’ class Fowler 0-4-2T 16341/1924 arrived at the private ‘Workshop X’ in North Derbyshire on December 9 following its purchase by Simon Hudson. Withdrawn in 1961, it was bought by Jeremy Martin in 2018 and repatriated in early-2019, but offered for sale on realisation it was too big for his Richmond Light Railway (RM Sept 2019). Restoration is being undertaken by its new owner’s Leeds-based company The Steam Workshop, which hitherto has restored and operated miniature steam locos. After removing the tanks and cab the boiler was lifted in early January. 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.…

MARTYN Ashworth’s Avonside 0-4-0T Ogwen remains targeted to return to steam for the first time in 55 years during summer 2020. Delivery of the boiler following repairs at LMS (Locomotive Maintenance Services) is now expected in March. The boiler went to LMS in Loughborough in March 2019. A new firebox (made by Mendip Steam Restorations) was delivered last July and production of a new front tube plate and smoke box is in progress. New tubes, stays, studs, fusible plugs and washout plugs will be fitted before the tested boiler returns to the private restoration workshop.…

BILL Parker’s Manning, Wardle 0-6-2T Chevallier seems unlikely to remain at Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (WLLR) much longer. Chevallier arrived at WLLR for the line’s 2016 gala, and has remained stored, other than a couple of runs to test work undertaken by the owner’s representatives. It goes out of ticket in April. WLLR members have been told the tests showed Chevallier was not suitable for the railway, primarily on the grounds of coal and water consumption. There were also mechanical issues, hence Chevallier was not utilised to cover WLLR’s current loco shortage. Instead, the railway hired U-Class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal, which entered service at the end of August last year. Members were also told Chevallier was not currently for sale and WLLR did not wish to continue storing…

Hartlepool customer lounge opened by GC OPEN access operator Grand Central (GC) has installed new waiting room facilities at Hartlepool as part of a £2.6million programme of improvements across its network. A previously empty station building now houses a new customer lounge, wireless charging points, improved seating and breakfast bar-style workstations. GC will also carry refurbished facilities at Sunderland, Eaglescliffe, Thirsk, Bradford Interchange, Brighouse, Mirfield, Wakefield Kirkgate, and London King’s Cross. New route director for Greater Anglia ELLIE Burrows has joined Network Rail as route director for Greater Anglia, one of four new routes that make up Network Rail’s Eastern Region, covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and parts of Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire and Greater London. Ms Burrows has more than 20 years’rail industry experience, including being area director at NR and, most…

MORE than 20,000 staff gave up their Christmas and new year holidays to deliver 386 separate infrastructure projects around the country between December 24 and January 1. From minor interventions to improve drainage or extend platforms to major engineering projects, both planned and unplanned, Network Rail spent more than £111million during the Christmas shutdown. On the biggest of NR’s new regions, North West and Central, projects included preparatory work in and around Euston for HS2, modifications to overhead wire stanchions at Bletchley to prepare for a new East West Rail flyover crossing the West Coast Main Line, track replacement at Tring, Crewe, Warrington and Haddenham & Thame Parkway, drainage improvements between Preston and Lancaster, and on-going preparation for the resignalling of Birmingham New Street in 2022. December 27 saw the…

NETWORK Rail has awarded 82 framework contracts worth an estimated £400million to deliver specialist design services for Control Period 6 (2019-24). Options to extend the framework into CP7 (2024-29) could increase their value to £640m. Multi-skilled The new Design Services Framework (DSF) aims to provide access to a wider range of multi-skilled suppliers, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The contracts, which went live on January 1, have been awarded to 34 suppliers, with two contracts per region for each of 10 single disciplines and four multi-discipline frameworks awarded at a national level. The contracts cover buildings and architecture, civil and structural, consents and environment, E&P contact systems, E&P distribution design, E&P plant, geotechnical, signalling, telecoms and track.…

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE wagon builder W H Davis will deliver 32 EcoFret2 triple-platform intermodal wagon sets to GB Railfreight in 2020/21. The wagons will be leased to GB Railfreight by VTG, and are expected to join the operator’s fleet in two batches, the first 16 set arriving in late-2020 and the balance in early-2021. They will feature several improvements over previous wagons, including new bogies with enhanced suspension and damping, and their ability to accommodate more containers per train than more traditional intermodal flats. Further investment in new intermodal vehicles is expected by GBRf soon as it reviews its ability to offer greater capacity on trains and increase efficiency. ■ GBRf has appointed former Associated British Ports chief executive James Cooper as its new chairman. Mr Cooper’s career spans the infrastructure and…

THE Europe-wide timetable change on December 15 saw new lines open (or reopen) in several countries, and as is now routine in some central European countries, several major operating contracts changed hands, especially in Germany and the Czech Republic. In Germany GoAhead and Abellio both started new contracts around Stuttgart, although following problems experienced by both operators with new train fleets in June they have started the new contracts with a mix of new and hired-in trains. Abellio has suffered from late delivery of ‘Talent 2’ EMUs being built by Bombardier, with only six of 25 trains delivered on time, which has led to former operator DB Regio leasing trains instead, and in some cases operating them. GoAhead received all its fleet  of Stadler-built ‘FLIRT’ EMUs, but chose to not…

THE Railway Magazine is delighted to announce all subscriber copies will now be distributed in paper envelopes (from this issue), replacing the previous polybag. It’s a move a number of subscribers have been asking us to make. The change allows The RM to take a step forward in helping our planet by avoiding single-use plastics, and ensuring packaging is sustainably sourced and fully recyclable. The move will eliminate the use of around a ton of plastic each year.…

A BROKEN rail (pictured right) has been revealed as the cause of a derailment which has affected 2½ miles of track between Leyton Midland Road and Walthamstow Queens Road on January 23. The incident on the Gospel Oak to Barking line has caused substantial damage to signalling and other equipment along the route, as well as affecting eight bridges. An investigation has begun by Network Rail, but owing to the severity of the damage, a full schedule of repairs is being finalised, and repairs will take several weeks to complete. A reopening date will depend on the availability of contractors and key supplies. Overground services remain part suspended. NETWORK RAIL…

SWR ‘Aventra’ EMU on test at Velim ONE set from what will be a fleet of 30 five- and 60 10-car EMUs for South Western Railway has begun testing at the Czech test circuit at Velim. The Class 701 order is for a total of 750 vehicles. S&C closure man dies BR MANAGER Ron Cotton, who was tasked in 1983 with closing the Settle to Carlisle line, has died. Career railwayman Mr Cotton was so inspired by its potential, he helped to successfully market the line before the reprieve decision was announced in 1989 by then-transport secretary Michael Portillo. Mr Cotton maintained his links to the line, and became a member of the Friends of Settle to Carlisle support group. ‘442s’ back in traffic SOUTH Western Railway has started to…

CREWE-BASED Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) has made a bid to buy the former Springburn railway works, which closed last July. LSL is owned by Jeremy Hoskings, whose plans are focused on expansion of his railway business, which includes railtour operator Saphos Trains. The lease on Springburn ends in March, and until the closure of the works had been used by Gemini Rail Services for repair and maintenance of rolling stock. Although a bid has been made, there was no confirmation of acceptance as this issue of The RM closed for press. LSL has bought two Class 90 locos – Nos. 90001/2 from Porterbrook – and has agreements to buy Mk3s to run behind the electric locos as well as plans to buy an HST set. Recently, a number of sleeping…

INFRASTRUCTURE modifications on the Isle of Wight for the introduction of Vivarail’s Class 484 trains has left Network Rail with a £1million gap in its funding. It has emerged the track at Brading will need to be lowered by 500mm for the new trains, but this will cost an estimated £1million. Under the infrastructure lease, the franchisee (South Western Railway) has responsibility to maintain the track and ballast to a depth of 300mm, but below this, Network Rail has to fund any work. The funding bombshell was relayed to the Isle of Wight Bus and Rail User Group on January 18 by South Western Railway’s Island Line programme manager Andrew Mundy. He said Vivarail trains require the platforms at Ryde St Johns to be lowered, while Ryde Pier, Esplanade and…

Greener Network Rail HORNSEY and Wood Green MP Catherine West asked what steps the Government is taking to curtail the use of diesel trains on the rail network. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris replied: “The Government is ensuring the railway plays its part in delivering our ambitions to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 and to reduce air pollution created by transport. “We continue to expand the electrified rail network where it delivers passenger and environmental benefits and value for money. This allows removal of diesel trains. For example from January, electric trains can run between London and Cardiff. “Network Rail is developing a traction decarbonisation network strategy to inform Government decisions on the scale and pace of further rail decarbonisation, and the reduced use of diesel trains that…

■ Cannot refuse someone or charge extra because of their disability. ■ Must guarantee to accommodate a disabled traveller if notice is given. ■ Must make every effort to accommodate them even when no notice is given. ■ Must provide help with moving passengers and/or luggage around the station, getting on and off and loading/ unloading luggage. ■ Must provide information in accessible formats. ■ Must train their staff in disability awareness and specifics such as handling equipment. ■ Must provide adequate compensation for any lost or damaged equipment ■ Must allow registered assistance dogs to travel on buses and coaches Information provided by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers…

Caledonian Sleeper disappointment echoed I’M SORRY to confirm that Peter Middleton’s criticisms of the new Caledonian Sleeper stock are more than justified (January 2020). As a monthly traveller on the Aberdeen to Euston return, I was underwhelmed by the new stock from the start. There is absolutely nowhere to stow stuff in a cabin, and neither is there shelf space. Who designed the sink at such an awkwardly high height? Why is it so shallow, with no interior rim to stop water splashing over with train movement? And why does the single inlet tap produce such a lamentably slow jet of water? Mr Middleton is spot on about noisy bogies. They are indeed louder than those of their predecessors – and I write as one who has both slept over…

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THE Dartmouth Steam Railway’s Large Prairie No. 4110 touched down at the East Somerset Railway on January 9 after making the move from Paignton. The 2-6-2T, which has never run in preservation, is undergoing a contract restoration at Cranmore, after which it will remain on hire to the ESR for an extended hire. It will be the first time the loco has run under its own power since withdrawal in June 1965. No. 4110 has not been the luckiest of locomotives to come out of Barry Scrapyard, despite being the 100th loco to leave the South Wales yard. Its first home was with the Great Western Railway Preservation Group at Southall, where it arrived in May 1979. Some bottom-end work was carried out at Tyseley Locomotive Works, but in 2015 the…

PIONEER British Railways ‘Standard’ Pacific No. 70000 Britannia will enter the Locomotive Services Ltd (LSL) workshop at Crewe for overhaul almost immediately after its current 10-year boiler certificate expires in September. The plan is for the loco’s boiler to enter the boilershop as that belonging to under overhaul Peppercorn ‘A2’ No. 60532 Blue Peter comes out, meaning work can begin on the ‘Brit’s’ 10-yearly straight away. LSL is keen to have the versatile No. 70000 back in traffic and clear of the workshops before other locomotives in the Jeremy Hosking fleet – ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6960 Raveningham Hall, ‘42XX’ 2-8-0T No. 4270 and ‘West Country’ No. 34046 Braunton – come to the end of their boiler tickets between July 2021 and November 2022.…

Foxcote Manor heading back to West Somerset COLLETT ‘Manor’ 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor will return to the West Somerset Railway this summer after winter maintenance and re-varnishing at the Llangollen Railway. No. 7822 is expected to stay at Llangollen until March, returning to Somerset in time for the WSR’s peak season starting. Cement works apprentices join ‘Coal Tank’ project THREE apprentices from Hope Cement Works spent three days working with the Bahamas Locomotive Society at Ingrow during December, assisting with the dismantling of LNWR 0-6-2T No. 1054. The apprentices will return at different times during the year to provide further help with the project, as well as the forthcoming overhaul of ex-Hope Cement Works 0-6-0T Nunlow. Milestone for Vale of Berkeley revival THE Vale of Berkeley Railway’s…

FORMER Royal Ordnance Factory, Sellafield, Peckett ‘W7’ 0-4-0ST No. 1 (2027/1942) has been put on display on a length of track by Irlam station on the former Cheshire Lines Committee line from Liverpool to Manchester. The loco has been painted in CWS Soap & Candle Works livery with the name Irlam on the tank sides; CWS employed three Pecketts (all preserved) in its heyday, but not No. 2027. The one-time Carnforth resident, together with a 10T open wagon in Manchester Ship Canal livery, was installed on site on December 28, joining a tar wagon and slag ladle.…

THE defunct former sugar factory complex in Mallow, County Cork, has been put forward as a possible replacement for Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail’s (IÉ) Cork Kent traincare depot. The plans are part of the rail operator’s aim of expanding and improving its facilities in the future. Currently, the facility in Cork is used primarily for servicing and fuelling the 2600 Class multiple units serving Mallow, Midleton and Cobh, together with 22000 Class units. Treble capacity However, IÉ has said it will need to treble the depot’s eight-set capacity to cater for future demand on the network, and Fianna Fáil county councillor Gearóid Murphy believes the Mallow factory site may fit the bill. The factory closed its doors in 2006 and has been out of use ever since. Crucially for Coun Murphy’s…

THE boilers from the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway’s (SKLR) out-of-service Bagnall 0-6-2Ts Superb and Alpha were lifted from the respective frames on December 2. The objective is to overhaul the boiler lifted from Alpha in order to return Superb (sidelined in early 2019) to service as quickly and economically as possible (RM June 2019). All four Bagnall 0-6-2T boilers at SKLR were thought to be identical, but it transpired the foundation ring rivets on the boiler from Superb prevented it being dropped into Alpha’s frames as intended. Alpha last steamed in 1969 and has been receiving cosmetic attention from young SKLR volunteers. The absence of a boiler will enable further work inside the frames.…

RIVETING of a new inner firebox for Hunslet 0-4-0ST Elin’s boiler was completed during January. Other refurbishment of Elin, which last steamed in 1997, continues at the Richmond Light Railway (RLR), where overhauling Bagnall 0-4-0ST Pixie (2090/1919) is progressing, with the wheelsets now returned following fitting of new tyres, a new cast wheel centre and new crankpins. The bodywork of the new-build tender for Couillet 0-4-0T Chuquitanta is nearly complete, with brake gear being fabricated and fitted. The RLR plans to build a new enclosed bogie coach, which will have end verandas.…

AN INVESTIGATION by the Ffestiniog Railway into possible construction of a line from Blaenau Ffestiniog station to Llechwedd slate quarry (RM June 2019) has seen clearance of undergrowth from the FR’s old Dinas branch terminus and adjoining trackbed. The cleared land is owned by Llechwedd slate quarry, and has revealed the old formation near Pant-yr-Afon hydroelectric power station with further working parties being organised. The FR originally terminated at Dinas to serve several slate quarries. In 1866, following the introduction of passenger services, a (then) branch was opened to Duffws in the centre of Blaenau Ffestiniog. A few years later passenger trains to Dinas ceased, although the line between Glan-y-Pwll and Dinas continued to carry slate traffic. The original Dinas line formation was replaced in 1899 by a deviation to…

MANCHESTER’S Heaton Park Tramway is celebrating a record year during 2019, despite suffering a major cable theft in late-September that forced the closure of the heritage attraction. Since reopening on October 26 (RM Dec) the tramway has been riding a wave of goodwill, which has resulted in record takings. Lightopia Part of this late-season success was a result of Heaton Park’s illuminated Lightopia Festival, which was open every weekend from the middle of November to New Year’s Eve. The event featured spectacular illuminations brought over from China, sponsored by the Chinese Government, with the tramway running special illuminated trams in conjunction with the festival. More than 35, 000 visitors attended the event, thereby helping to boost the tramway’s visitor figures during a period when it is normally closed. “Last year…

MANCHESTER Metrolink’s Trafford Park extension is now expected to open around April time this year, more than six months earlier than planned. The announcement followed the start of daytime testing along the full route to the west of the city in December. The £350million project to build the 3.5-mile line began in January 2017. It runs from the Pomona stop, on the Media City/Eccles route, to Trafford Centre, with five new intermediate stops at Wharfside, Imperial War Museum, Village, Parkway and EventCity. This brings the number of stops on the Metrolink network to 99. Trafford Park is one of Europe’s largest trading estates, said to have more than 1,300 businesses employing more than 35,000 people, while Trafford Centre is home to a large shopping mall. The terminus there has been…

DIRECT Rail Services (DRS) has secured a contract to transport new cars between Dagenham and Garston for the Ford Motor Company. DRS will work with automotive transport specialist STVA UK to transport cars on a mix of single- and double-deck wagons between the Ford factory in Essex and its rail terminal just outside Liverpool. DRS reports its ability to employ Class 88 electro-diesel locomotives, which can operate in diesel mode to reach the unwired terminals at each end of the journey, was key to securing the contract; apart from that section the entire route is electrified at 25kV AC. The switch will reduce the use of diesel locomotives under the wires over long distances, cutting emissions and increasing the efficiency of the operation, which previously employed Class 66 diesels. Each…

ONE of the UK’s largest new Strategic Rail Freight Interchanges is now connected to the national network and open for business. The first test train arrived at East Midlands Gateway (EMG), near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, late on December 17, journeying from Southampton Western Docks behind DB Cargo’s Maritime blue-liveried No. 66162 Maritime Intermodal Five. As well as being a major customer and logistics partner for DB Cargo, Maritime Intermodal is also the operator of the EMG terminal. DBC’s first commercial service arrived at the new terminal from the Port of Felixstowe on January 7, with this route now operating five times each week. The EMG train increases Felixstowe’s daily train total to 36, following on from two new services to Doncaster iPort and Hams Hall, introduced in late-2019. A…