Innholdsfortegnelse for August 2022 i The Railway Magazine

IN the aftermath of the record-breaking temperatures that caused havoc to passenger and freight services, Network Rail has announced a new taskforce to investigate and make recommendations on how the railway can develop its approach to resilience during hot weather. Led by independent experts in their field, one area of study will be gathering insights from other countries and making comparisons with international rail networks that are more used to dealing with extreme heat and fluctuations in temperature. Andrew Haines, chief executive of Network Rail, said: “The weather we’ve experienced this week has put a huge amount of pressure on our infrastructure, our staff, and our passengers, and with extreme weather events becoming more frequent as our climate continues to change, we’ve got to pull out all the stops to…

Headline News THE Department for Transport has rejected proposals for a long-discussed rail connection and station in Skelmersdale after reviewing a strategic outline business case (SOBC) which was submitted to it last year by Lancashire County Council. The plan, which had been developed in partnership with Merseytravel, Network Rail and West Lancashire Borough Council, had progressed through GRIP (Governance for Railway Investment Projects) Stage 2 with a view to the third stage being completed later this year. Options included the construction of a two-mile route from the Wigan to Kirkby line (between Rainford and Upholland) to a new station on the site of the former Glenburn College, close to the town centre, and the creation of east and west-facing spurs allowing it to be served by trains to and from…

ON a bright, clear April evening, a streamlined ‘Azuma’ forges its way past the large metal Druimuachdar summit sign on the down side of the Highland Main Line, the swish red and silver train’s livery emphasising its presence against the restrained hues of the Scottish scenery. This was the 12.00 King’s Cross-Inverness, known throughout the railway community as ‘The Highland Chieftain’, running 17min late and anxious to recover as many precious minutes as possible. The whole process of IET introduction had created doubts in the minds of observers – and not just the naturally cynical ones. Just why the Hitachi trains had become the standard InterCity replacement for the trusted HSTs was puzzling. On electric, there is no doubt that they outperformed the East Coast Main Line’s Class 91/ Mk.4…

East Devon’s Southern main line workings IN his article (‘The Famous Five’, July issue) John Heaton states “After the traversing 1345yd Honiton Tunnel, eastbound trains pitch down the Umborne Brook Valley for five miles to the former Seaton Junction, where the famous down ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ used to discard one of its many portions.” During my time working for British Railways, the ‘ACE’ ran nonstop from Salisbury to Sidmouth Junction. The train ran through the station and stopped past the level crossing. The Sidmouth branch locomotive would then couple on the rear of the train to remove the through coaches for Sidmouth and Exmouth. The ‘ACE’ left Salisbury at 12.25 and, on arrival at Sidmouth Junction, only two minutes was allowed to detach the Sidmouth and Exmouth portions. Arrival at…

Porterbrook – delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable railway www.porterbrook.co.uk…

Narrow Gauge TWO new-build North Wales narrow gauge locomotive projects are forging ahead and are now at key stages. A Gowrie Locomotive Trust supporter has offered match funding sponsorship towards specific elements of the project to construct a near-replica Hunslet 0-6-4T Single-Fairlie Gowrie. The first item identified is machining the wheelsets for the power bogie which will cost £15,000, the trust therefore needs to raise £7,500 to make use of a slot available for the work. Costs A provisional price of £3,000 has been obtained for the platework needed for the tanks, cab and bunker and match funding will also be available for this to enable placing an order as soon as possible. The third area of expenditure needing to be addressed quickly is the purchase of rivets to fasten…

THE West Somerset Railway’s June 9-11 1960s diesel gala was well attended with a small, but interesting mix of locos, and live-music entertainment at Minehead. There were two visiting locos, star of the show being Class 17 No. D8568 from the Severn Valley Railway and Class 25 No. D7612 from the South Devon Railway. The railway is still hampered by a weight restriction which limits which locos can be used. Performance Not only was the ‘Clayton’ making its WSR debut, but it was the first time a member of the class has been seen in the South West of England. It was very popular with staff and visitors and stayed on after the gala. The double-ended Bo-BoDE worked the 10.00 and 14.30 Minehead to Bishops Lydeard return timetabled services on…

A NATIONAL freight network encompassing rail, road, air, sea and inland waterways, as well as warehouse infrastructure is one of five priorities in the Government’s long-term ‘Future of freight’ plan. The task of identifying a network with the aim to “remove the barriers which prevent the seamless flow of freight” is ranked first in the list, which also includes the forging of “a new open and honest relationship” with the sector through a forum to assess future energy and fuel needs to support the transition to ‘net zero’ carbon emissions by 2050. Exploring options for planning reform, the promotion and development of long-term career opportunities within freight and logistics and the use of a £7 million Freight Innovation Fund to maximise the use of data and technology are other key…

LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 37038 KM/XSDP-BH/HNRS 37059 KM/XSDP-CD/LSLO 37259 KM/XSDP-CD/LSLO 37409 KM/XSDP-CD/LSLO 57003 KM/XSDP-CD/LSLO 57007 KM/XSDP-BH/HNRS 60039 TO/WCAT-WQ/WQAA 66031 XWSS-XHIM 91122 LR/EROG-HQ/SAXL 91128 LR/EROG-HQ/SAXL 91122/28 sent for disposal Change of ownership DRS-Locomotive Services: 37059, 37259, 37409, 57003 DRS-HNRC: 37038, 57007 Locomotive Services-GWR: 57004 Liveries Blue Pullman: 43059 DRS original: 37218 FL orange: 66502 GBRf + Wascosa branding: 66720 InterCity 125 Executive: 43384 Molton Steel + Steel is Steel branding: 60062 Refrigerated Rail: 88010 Named 43016 Powderham Castle 43156 Maen Castle 43162 Caerhays Castle 66422 Max Joule 1958-1999 66424 Driver Paul Scrivens 1969-2021 66720 Wascosa 66734 Platinum Jubilee 66765 Julie Garn 66766 Gail Richardson 73212 Stephen Eaves Names removed 57311 Thunderbird 60008 Sir William McAlpine 60013 Robert Boyle 60090 Quinag 73212 Fiona 88010 Aurora Renumbered 43384-43184 56128-69006 Operational 37901 Disposals Sims Metals, Newport:…

MULTIPLE new train fleets introduced in the last two years during the Covid-19 pandemic in Switzerland have replaced older, often loco-hauled trains. While the biggest new fleets are now in use with the major Swiss standard gauge operators, many smaller narrow gauge or mountain rack railways are also taking delivery of new trains. Perhaps not surprisingly, the one thing most of this new rolling stock has in common is that it was built in Switzerland by Stadler. Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) introduced its fleet of 29 Stadler ‘Smile’ 250kph EMUs between 2019 and May 2021. These 11-car articulated trains are the first Stadler has built suitable for high speed operation and are equipped for operation under 15kV/25kV AC and 3kV DC catenary. Whilst Stadler calls them ‘Smile’ = Schneller Mehrsystemfähiger…

Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk A RED extreme heat warning for a large swathe of South East England, the Midlands, and South Pennines on July 18/19 had a severe impact on the railway network. With temperatures reaching a new UK record of 40.3°C (104°F) at Coningsby, Lincs, a National Emergency was declared by the Government. Based on forecasts some 48 hours in advance, the decision was made to close the East Coast Main Line between the hours of 12.00 and 20.00 on July 19 for all services and operators between London King’s Cross and Leeds/York. In a bid to combat the effects of the heat, Network Rail teams were out in the lead-up painting sections of many switches and crossovers white to reflect the heat and…

Stock highlights LOCOMOTIVE Services Ltd has purchased a third Class 142, currently at Eastleigh Works. No. 142014 will join Nos. 142003 and 142007 already owned by LSL at Eastleigh. A further HST power car No. 43059 is now in Blue Pullman livery, although unlike the previous examples, this one only carries the branding ‘Pullman’ not ‘Midland Pullman’. HNRC has purchased the two remaining Mk.4 DVTs Nos. 82210/18 currently stored at its site at Worksop. Meanwhile, Network Rail has acquired two further Class 153 units Nos. 153379+153384, and GWR has bought No. 57002 – although it is understood to be for spares for its Class 57/6 fleet. For the full Stock Update, see page 95. Trams to Edgbaston PASSENGER services on the £149 million West Midlands Metro extension from Library to…

DVD for Ukraine UKRAINIAN steam locomotives star in a special DVD launched to raise money for the Ukrainian refugee crisis. It is aimed at enthusiasts and anyone who loves the sight and sound of steam at work. Railfilms producer Nick Dodson said: ”We had footage in our library of steam trains in Ukraine shot by American cameraman Bruce Anderson. It was just sitting there on the shelf and I thought it would appeal to steam enthusiasts around the world and raise funds to help Ukrainian refugees.” Everyone who worked on the production has waived their fees and all the profit made will go to provide humanitarian support for families who are fleeing the war-torn country. The one hour Ukrainian Steam Odyssey programme costs £25 + p&p, and copies can be…

SOUTHEND’S Pier Railway opened more than 130 years ago in 1890, but in April it entered a new era with the introduction of two new eco-friendly, lithium battery-powered trains costing more than £3 million. The railway runs along most of the length of the 1.3mile (2.1km) pier, which claims to be the longest pleasure pier in the world, and has become an international landmark and tourist attraction over the years. Southend’s first pier, a 500 yard (457m) wooden structure, opened in the 1830s and the only way to convey people from one end to the other was in a series of trolleys pushed by hand. When the wind was favourable, sails were used to blow the trolleys along, but when the pier was extended to 1¼ miles (2km) in 1846,…

RM Archive 100 YEARS AGO AUGUST 1922 NLR takeover A CIRCULAR was issued on July 1 to the proprietors and stockholders of the North London Railway in connection with the proposed absorption of that line by the London and North Western Railway. This follows a provisional agreement with the directors of the London and North Western Railway Company under which the NLR will be amalgamated with the L&NWR, the arrangement to have effect from January 1 last. Underground rebuild AUGUST 8 will be the last day on which passengers will be able to travel on the City and South London Railway between Euston and Moorgate stations. August 9 will see the beginning of the reconstruction of this portion of line and the following stations will be closed down: Angel,…

WHEN dealing with a host of challenges in an ever-changing world, flexibility is vital – according to Paul Lewin, director and general manager at Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways (Ff&WHR). Addressing staff, volunteers and supporters in early July in a video which can be watched at www.festrail.co.uk/fwhr-tv/ – or by searching YouTube for ‘FfWHR team briefing Summer 2022’ – his comments will doubtless strike a chord across the heritage railway movement. “The cost of living crisis is having a huge impact on our business – be it volunteers, our customers or supplies of materials arriving here,” he said. “It is a time of really significant change. We have to navigate our business through some really choppy waters. “We started 2022 planning for a world where Covid-19 was still having quite…

AT LEAST five locomotives are due to be in operation at the 10¼in gauge Bickington Steam Railway (BSR) gala on August 20/21. This includes resident locos No. 24 Sandy River 2-6-2 (Coleby Simkins, Alcock and Vere 1991); No. 750 Blanche of Lancaster 4-4-2 (D. Curwen 1948); Alice 2-6-0 (Simkins and Vere 1984) following a three-year overhaul, and No. D5910 ‘Baby Deltic’-type Bo-BoDH (D. Nicholson 1987). A loco rarely seen in public will be visiting from the Wells & Walsingham Light Railway (W&WLR), Norfolk. Adam Jeffrey’s 2-6-0 No. 4, in blue livery and lettered ‘WWER’, was built in 2012 by Tony Martin of the W&WLR. It is fitted with the original boiler from Garratt Norfolk Hero, and usually only hauls private trains. There will be double-headers, cavalcades and freight trains as…

HAVING had its Hastings to Skegness excursion curtailed after the unexpected release of the fire suppression system within the motor coach No. 60118 at Tunbridge Wells on June 18, Hastings Diesels ‘Thumper’ DEMU No. 1001 is poised for action on two further dates this year. On August 20, it is due to work Hastings Diesels’ own promoted tour, a circular tour of Kent with the final destination of Brighton. Starting at Hastings, the unit will run over Romney Marsh via Rye to Ashford, then via Dover and Minster to Canterbury West, then Redhill where the train will reverse direction to head to the final destination of Brighton for a four hour layover. Bookings Fares begin at £52 for the trailer car (£40 from Tonbridge), with first class fares at £67…

GREATER Manchester’s Metrolink tram system will be closed between MediaCityUK and Eccles until the start of service on October 22, to allow track replacement to take place. The closure, from July 16, is the third phase of such work to be scheduled this year, the route having previously been closed for eight days in February and for most of April. Part of the second stage of Metrolink to be constructed, the line was opened in December 1999 as far as the Broadway stop by then Prime Minister Tony Blair. It was extended to Eccles Interchange the following year and the spur to MediaCityUK became operational in 2010. Transport for Greater Manchester says that 40 million passenger journeys have been made on the route in the last decade alone. The oldest…

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk A problem with the overhead electrical power supply between Wigan and Preston on June 16, resulted in some Avanti WC services being cancelled, with others being delayed. One service to Glasgow Central, worked by Class 390 No. 390001, left London Euston three mins late at 17.00 but, due to being routed via Manchester, this service called at Lancaster 161 mins late at 22.12. This train finally arrived at Glasgow Central at 00.30 the following morning. Although only three Avanti WC passenger carrying trains ran from Glasgow to London Euston during the rail strike on Saturday, June 25, one service, which also ran south, was an ECS train from Polmadie depot Glasgow (dep 10.53) worked by Class 390 No. 390013, seen passing through Lancaster at 13.37…

NEVER AGAIN – FINALE WHEN the first boxed set of Never Again – The Complete Works was published in 2018, there was much acclaim as to not only the high print-quality and binding of the four books, but also for the content – much of it showing the demise of steam on BR through the eyes of the Master Neverers Association, whose members had travelled the length and breadth of the country amassing around 100,000 images since the early 1950s This was followed up last year by Never Again – Encore, a further three volumes of equally breathtaking quality railway photography. And now comes the final three volumes, a further 720 pages containing another 1000 images and nostalgia from the 1950s and 60s, making a total across the 10 volumes…

WHEN laid, track in the UK is pre-stressed to 27°C allowing it to function within a temperature range of -10 and 35°C. In hotter countries, that range is different. In Spain for example, where there was at least one recent heat-related derailment, the stress range is from 0-45°C, while in Saudi Arabia it is 10-55°C. Network Rail has said it is neither practical nor cost effective to restress track for higher temperatures during the year, simply because of the rarity of extremely hot days, but says it is keeping a watching brief on the situation. Track laid in concrete slab will provide even greater stability than concrete sleepers, but the costs compared to ballasted track are around four times higher.…

THE departure of a Prime Minister who has favoured public transport investment as a key element of the strategy to reach net carbon emissions leaves a legacy that may not continue when a new Government is formed. The response to the impact of Covid on the demand for rail services has seen an outcome that has effectively renationalised the franchised train operating companies in all but name, with contracts being granted for operating services with no responsibility for revenue generation. This approach has been criticised by candidates in the Conservative leadership election who believe that Great British Railways is being set up as a highly centralised organisation with insufficient local input about train service requirements and fares. Measures to cut costs by reducing timetable frequencies have continued, and it has…

HS2 News Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk Million-tonne milestone BY mid-July, more than a million tonnes of construction materials had been delivered by rail to HS2 work sites in Buckinghamshire. Over the course of the last 18 months, three railheads have been established to serve them, two at Calvert and one south of Aylesbury. Between them, the railheads have received 583 trains, which HS2 Ltd estimates has avoided the need for over 100,000 lorry journeys. Gearing-up for production SET to employ around 1,000 people, the Balfour Beatty VINCI construction compound at Kingsbury in Warwickshire will produce 2742 concrete bridge segments for the nine viaducts that will form part of HS2’s Delta Junction, where the new railway curves west towards Birmingham and runs north towards Crewe. Up…

Southeastern investigations THE removal of Southeastern’s franchise prompted Baroness Randerson to ask what process was followed to ascertain the problems concerned and what investigations the Department for Transport (DfT) has conducted to ensure other rail franchises have not experienced similar financial irregularities. Transport Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton replied: “An independent committee, led by the chairs of Go-Ahead Group and Keolis, appointed external lawyers and accountants to conduct an investigation. “In addition to taking account of the independent committee’s investigation, the DfT raised questions of LSER [the franchise holder]… and also required the provision of documents and information. “The department commissioned an external financial adviser to undertake a review into payments between the department and a sample of TOCs and their affiliates. “This review is considering inter alia whether money…

THE loco’s 90th birthday is being celebrated on Saturday and Sunday September 10/11 when the Middleton Railway holds a ‘90 Not Out!’ event. This coincides with the nationwide Heritage Weekend, which has the theme of ‘innovation’, so it is appropriate to celebrate the innovation of the Hunslet Engine Company in producing this locomotive all those years ago. In addition to No. 7051, the Middleton hopes to have Kerr, Stuart & Co’s pioneer standard gauge diesel No. KS4421 as a guest locomotive. This six-wheel, chain-driven loco went to the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway before moving to the Rom River Works at Lichfield and finally the Foxfield Railway. It will provide a link between the pioneering work of Kerr, Stuart and the production of successful locos from the Hunslet Engine Company. Besides…

THE story of the LMS ‘Royal Scots’ is almost a tale of two different classes – the original, parallel boiler engines and their rebuilding from 1943 onwards with taper boilers, which to all intents and purposes were new engines. The two are linked by the ill-fated high-pressure locomotive Fury from 1929 and its subsequent reincarnation as British Legion in 1935. The life and duties of the class were recorded throughout their history in the RCTS house magazine The Railway Observer. The ‘Scots’ were conceived in a great hurry in the late 1920s by a desperate LMS to solve its increasing express motive power problems. They spent their first five years in the limelight as the premier express engines of the LMS, culminating in a highly successful tour of North America…

FOLLOWING essential safety work, trams resumed operation from July 2 at Crich Tramway Village, home of the National Tramway Museum, and all facilities reopened to visitors. Services had been suspended and public access to the site restricted after problems were identified with the overhead line infrastructure during an inspection by the Office of Rail & Road in May. Corrosion on two poles supporting wires in the depot area was deemed to be serious enough to make them a safety risk and the depots, exhibition hall and soft play area were cordoned off to visitors. Replacement poles were donated by Nottingham Trams Ltd, which operates and maintains the Nottingham Express Transit system. Installation work was carried out by contractor Pod-Trak. Gratitude “We are extremely grateful to Nottingham Trams Ltd for its…

Traction & Stock ALL 93 of Great Western Railway’s Hitachi-built Intercity Express Trains are to be fitted with wireless Perpetuum Onboard digital monitoring technology, to give live information on the performance of wheels, bogie parts, gearboxes, traction motors and bearings. It is predicted that by being able to access this data, the downtime of GWR’s 57 Class 800 and 36 Class 802 units for maintenance relating to these areas could be halved, equating to a boost for fleet availability of over 100 days per year. Hitachi, which owns Perpetuum, says that bogie overhauls account for around one third of overall train maintenance costs. Sensors attached to the train are designed to enable immediate and precise identification of the parts which require inspection and maintenance before it affects passenger service. Information…

THE annual report for 2021 records that Irish Rail enjoyed a surplus of €2.6 million as Iarnród Éireann (IÉ) provided 17.4 million passenger journeys in 2021 – down from 17.9 million in 2020 that includes 2.5 months of no Covid-19 restrictions. Covid-19 continued to impact operating revenue compared to pre-pandemic levels. Total revenue of €144.5m (2020: €143.7m) from operations in the year shows a recovery of €0.8m. Rail Freight revenue at €3.6m (2020: €3.8m) reduced marginally year on year. The 2021 passenger revenue performance of €100.1m (2020: €100.8m) shows a reduction of 0.7% on the previous year. Revenue increased across Intercity €65.8m (2020: €61.4m), which was offset by decreases on Commuter €16.7m (2020: €20.3m) and DART €17.6m (2020: €19.1m) services when compared to 2020. The company received €41.5m (2020: €14.6m)…

Sponsored by The crossword winner and two runners-up can choose books worth £50 and £25 respectively from the extensive Nostalgia Collection. Visit us at www.mortonsbooks.co.uk Across 7 ‘West Country’ Pacific undergoing long-term overhaul at Loughborough, GCR (9)8 Station between Sutton and Epsom (5)10 1913-built Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway No. 2, parts incorporated in River Mite (8)11 and 12 Rev Awdry’s ‘___ the ___ Engine’, No. 2 (6,4)13 Station featured in the 1970 and 2022 Railway Children films (8)15 ‘Deltic’ No. D9001 (2,5)17 Swansea TMD, the former steam shed 87E (7)20 No. 46240, City of ___ (8)22 Great ___, south of Selby, location of a 2001 railway accident (4)25 Coal-and-water-carrying vehicle (6)26 Station and maintenance depot near Croydon (8)27 Number of Sisters on the Victoria Line (5)28 Former LNWR Liverpool suburban…