Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2022 i The Railway Magazine

NETWORK Rail is to upgrade the electrical and mechanical systems of three East Anglian swing bridges this autumn, including a route closure for nine consecutive days in late October. The bridges at Reedham, Somerleyton and Oulton Broad carry trains over waterways but swing open to let boats pass. They are all over 100 years old and their internal parts have become unreliable. During the project, Network Rail’s engineers will replace these parts, making the bridges less likely to develop faults and reducing the need for costly maintenance. A bus replacement service ran between Norwich and Lowestoft on September 24/25, with further closures due on October 8/9 and 22-30. October 22/23 will also see buses replace trains on the East Suffolk line between Halesworth and Lowestoft. Further work will then be…

Labour pledge to renationalise railways LABOUR’S Shadow Transport Secretary Louise Haigh told delegates at the party’s annual conference in Liverpool that it would bring the railways back into public ownership if it wins the next election. She said that power needed to be “in the hands of the public”. Ms Haigh also said the Labour Party would build “an Elizabeth Line for the North” and deliver Northern Powerhouse Rail and HS2 in full. If people cannot or will not use public transport “there is no path to net zero”, she said. Hydrogen record ALSTOM has claimed that one of its hydrogen-powered ‘Coradia iLint’ units has set a new record by travelling 1175 kilometres (730 miles) without refuelling the tank. The unmodified set was from the fleet belonging to LNVG, the…

Headline News NEIL is currently chairman (part-time) of Rail Operations Group in the UK and chairman (part-time) of Nexrail Leasing (a locomotive lessor) on the continent. He has been in the rail industry since 1981 and held a number of senior engineering and commercial roles in both British Rail and subsequently with train lessors Eversholt, Porterbrook and CBRail. He founded the leasing company Beacon Rail in 2007, where he remained as chief operating officer until retirement in 2019. Neil then became a consultant for a short time before taking up the chairman roles he currently holds. Q. What was your first-ever job? Technician apprentice in British Rail’s Southern Region Mechanical and Electrical Engineering department. Q. Were you interested in railways before you joined the rail industry? Yes, a life-long interest…

“THE original batch of 35 [Class 87] names had mostly been carried by express passenger steam locomotives of the recent past, and included a cross-section of LMSR, LNER and SR types as well as a group of BR ‘Britannias’. It was, perhaps, inevitable that latter day GWR locomotives were excluded but, even so, several of the names had been utilised by that company during the 19th Century. For some reason, the designation ‘Royal Scot Class’ which accompanied the naming announcement did not catch on. “The majority of Class 87 nameplates were fitted without ceremony at Willesden depot and, given the early caution which accompanied new-style naming, it is not surprising the class has received less than its fair share of accompanying crests, badges and coat of arms. “No.…

100 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1922 August traffic at Blackpool IT is doubtful whether any two stations serving one pleasure resort, either in this country or abroad, are used during the holiday season by numbers of passengers approaching those recorded at the Central and Talbot Road stations, Blackpool. Statistics kindly furnished by Ashton Davies, General Superintendent, Northern Division, London & North Western Railway, include all stations in the Blackpool area, but at least 90% will relate to the stations mentioned. For instance, on September 2, 71929 tickets were collected in the Blackpool area, and at the same time, the large return traffic of Oldham Wakes would represent 50,000 passengers dealt with. Weekly figures for the week ending August 5, 1922, were 107495; August 12, 124534; August 19, 108970; August 26, 87541;…

Steam & Heritage THE spiralling cost of electricity and gas is among the latest headwinds hitting Britain’s heritage rail sector – but several lines are pulling out all the stops to implement measures to mitigate their exposure to this latest unwelcome expense. Faced with the prospect of its annual electricity bill trebling, the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway (EABSR) is planning to install solar panels on the roofs of its rolling stock storage and maintenance buildings. It has been working with green energy contractor Squirrel Energy. Rob Shaw, EABSR chairman told The RM: “We looked at solar panels about 18 months ago. However, the energy crisis has made it all the more urgent. Our electricity bill is currently £30,000 per annum – but in a worst case scenario we…

THE Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway’s Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST Brazil class Premier was the star attraction for Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s (WLLR) September 2-4 Steam Gala. Premier returned to traffic in May (RM, July) following a decade out of action, its overhaul having included reverting its appearance to original Bowaters Paper Railway configuration and livery. This visit to WLLR was the first time the locomotive had ever run on a line away from its Sittingbourne home. Also in steam for the event were WLLR’s own Beyer, Peacock 0-6-0T No. 822 The Earl and U-class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal, currently on extended hire from Austria’s Zillertalbahn. SINGLE LINES ■ THE Talyllyn Railway ran a special train on July 30 to celebrate the contribution made by its women volunteers since the…

Heritage Trams AFTER more than seven years as an active member of Blackpool’s heritage tram fleet, ‘Balloon’ No. 715 is due to be withdrawn at the end of the main 2022 season ahead of a major overhaul. The tram has been in regular use on heritage tours since May 2015. Its owner Fylde Transport Trust (FTT) has made a joint decision with Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours to remove it from service to allow refurbishment work to be undertaken. No. 715’s last public heritage duties were expected to take place on September 24/25, but it is anticipated that it will make a farewell appearance towards the end of the year. Details of the farewell event will be published on the FTT Facebook page once they have been finalised. Assessment FTT says…

Railtours SEATS on two charter trains in October and December, organised by the Branch Line Society (BLS), were still available as this issue closed for press. The group’s first offering is the ‘Whitby Endeavour’ on October 22, which is due to feature Hanson & Hall Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer and operate in top-and-tail mode with a Loram Class 37. Starting at Derby (c 05.30), calling at Long Eaton, Alfreton & Mansfield Parkway, Chesterfield, it will take the ‘old road’ into Sheffield to pick up more passengers and where the train reverses direction. There is a pick-up at Doncaster before the train takes the route to York (the final pick-up point) via Knottingley West and Ferrybridge North junctions. From York, the route is via Eaglescliffe and Middlesbrough and over the…

Metro UNDERGROUND and Elizabeth Line fares for journeys that start or end at Heathrow Airport and go through London Transport Zone 1 became peak rate from September 4. The charge for a new Oyster card also increased from £5 to £7. Combined, the increases are predicted to generate up to £27 million a year for Transport for London as it works towards an April 2023 target for financially sustainable operations. Financial support On August 30, £1.2 billion of base funding, which will last until March 31, 2024, was agreed with the Government to help TfL’s to recovery from the economic impact of Covid-19. It brings the total Government upfront funding for TfL to over £5 billion since the beginning of the pandemic. The deal requires Mayor of London Sadiq Khan…

Irish News THE East Coast Railway Infrastructure Protection Projects (ECRIPP), funded by the National Transport Authority under the National Development Plan 2021-2030, will, through a series of interventions along the route, seek to protect the 168 kilometre (104 mile) route between Dublin and Rosslare Europort. Just under half of the route’s length (77km) lies adjacent to coastal or estuarine environment and is vulnerable to the impacts of climate change: 60km from Merrion Gates near Booterstown to Wicklow; and 17km in the Wexford to Rosslare area. Detailed design and planning works, including environmental assessments and statutory submissions will be delivered under the first phase of the programme, for which Jacobs Engineering has been contracted as multi-disciplinary consultants. Coastal railway construction and maintenance has always been a challenging environment, and throughout its…

GTR revenue hit IN the context of the proposed reduction in rail service frequency and carriage numbers in London, Dulwich and West Norwood MP Helen Hayes asked what estimate the Department for Transport (DfT) has made of the potential impact of that proposal on passenger numbers and revenue. The new transport minister Kevin Foster replied: “The DfT has issued all operators with a demand forecast model to track returning demand against forecasts to better match train services to demand. Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) introduced its latest timetable change on September 4 and it has used this model to ensure demand is best met given the funding available for services across its network. “At present, GTR’s operating costs are outstripping revenue. Across the GTR network, demand for services is between 60…

Ticket office closures I REFER to your article by Industry Update on page 12 of the September issue, and in particular the final paragraphs about digital technology and ticket office closures, both of which we and the disability movement are fighting tooth and nail. Disability Rights UK is concerned about rail staff reduction and redeployment plans which could, according to news released by the Association of British Commuters, be in breach of the Equality Act of 2010. Some of the plans will lead to train ticket offices in England being shut down and we are clear that such a move would make rail travel for many disabled and older passengers virtually impossible, particularly for those with limited or no smart phone access and for those who need support when obtaining…

THE Great Western Railway introduced a series of titled expresses in its 1920s heyday, including in 1927 a Saturdaysonly ‘Cambrian Coast Express’ from Paddington to Aberystwyth. But the service came into its own in the 1950s, when in 1956 a ‘Castle’ Class 4-6-0 (or a ‘King’ after receiving clearance to go beyond Wolverhampton) took the train as far as Shrewsbury. Reversal here would see the stock, by this time BR chocolate and cream Mk.1s, taken forward by one of Machynlleth shed’s immaculate ‘Manors’, gleaming in spotless Brunswick green livery. Passing through Welshpool and Newtown, then over Talerddig, the train reached the Cambrian hub of Machynlleth, where it divided. The main named section went on to Aberystwyth, but we will follow the less celebrated portion heading northwards from Dovey Junction. This…

TWO tank wagons are on course to be the next additions to the demonstration freight train at the East Lancashire Railway (ELR). Both wagons are anchor mount types and have been cleaned up and repainted. One is a 20T built 1949 by Chas Roberts for Lobtec, before passing to the Burma Oil Company. It now carries ICI blue. The second vehicle was built W McAleese, Glasgow in 1942, for Esso. Originally an Esso wagon, it now carries Regent Oil Company livery. By mid-September, both tankers were awaiting the application of lettering. Explaining the reason for the change of livery, Keith Savory, volunteer said: “We have photos of these type of wagons at Bury Bolton Street station in steam days. We do not know where they were going – perhaps they…

Classic Traction FOLLOWING relaunch (RM Oct 2020, p79), the Class 58 Locomotive Group (C58LG) has made good progress in becoming re-established. Access constraints at the busy UK Rail-operated site at Leicester where the group’s No. 58016 is located, have severely restricted progress by the volunteers in recent times. Efforts to instigate the next phase of the restoration of the ‘Bone’ are ongoing with several technical inspections and assessments undertaken over the past 18 months. Enquiries have been made towards sourcing replacement parts and components to complete the work. It has been learnt there may be a need to replace some, or all, of the wheelsets on the locomotive. Given the complexities of sourcing replacement monobloc wheelpans, how this can be achieved is being investigated. Most of the remaining restoration work…

Network FOLLOWING a devastating fire in July 2021 which destroyed the platform one buildings at Troon station, Network Rail has unveiled three concepts for the South Ayrshire site’s rebuild. Option one is a reinstatement of the old building on a like-for-like basis using modern materials. The second is a reinstatement of the old building but with some changes to the size of the building and altered access/egress arrangements. The third is a modern interpretation of the old building. Within each of these options the internal layout will in a modern style, with fit-for-purpose space for both customers and staff. A community drop-in event allowed people of Troon to look at the different concepts and offer feedback about the different styles. Once all the comments have been reviewed, a detailed design…

Traction & Stock DIRECT Rail Services (DRS) has decided to suspend the ‘sale and lease back’ arrangement which it had planned to proceed with for 10 of its Class 37s. Nos. 37218, 37401/402/407/4 19/422/423/424/425 and 37716 were offered to potential buyers in July subject to an undertaking to release them back to DRS on short-term loan for duties such as Rail Head Treatment Train workings, but it will hang onto the locomotives “for the time being”. “After reviewing our current tender process and business needs, we took the decision to suspend the recent sale and lease back scheme of our Class 37 locomotives,” a DRS spokesman told The RM. Other locomotives He added that of three other locomotives (Nos. 37069, 37602 and Class 57 No. 57002) listed for sale as…

LOCOMOTIVES Allocations 57305 XHSO-XHAC57306 XHAC-XHSO60019 TO/WCAT-WQ/WQAA66011 WBAE-WBRT66067 WBAR-WBRT66069 WBAR-WBRT66084 WBAR-WBRT66092 WBAE-WBRT66100 WBBE-WBRT66105 WBAR-WBRT66106 WBBE-WBRT66111 WBAE-WBRT66117 WBAE-WBRT66121 WBAE-WBRT66129 WBAR-WBRT66130 WBAR-WBRT66134 WBAE-WBRT-WBAE66139 WBAE-WBRT66154 WBAE-WBRT66174 WBAE-WBRT66179 WBAI-WBRT66186 WBAR-WBRT66187 WBAE-WBRT66301 XHIM-XWSS-XHIM66302 XHIM-XWSS-XHIM66303 XHIM-XWSS-XHIM66304 XHIM-XWSS-XHIM66305 XHIM-XWSS-XHIM73134 sent for disposal LiveriesBR blue: 56081 FL orange: 08691, 66509 GBRf: 60085, 69006 LNER InterCity: 91106/30 WCR maroon: 47812, 57010/12 Named08451 Loopy Lou08790 Longsight TMD43009 Nunnet Castle43010 Lydford Castle43088 Dartmouth Castle66509 Josiah’s Wish 73141 Spa Valley Railway 25 YearAnniversary92043 Andy Withers 50 YearsService Names removed08790 M.A.Smith57311 Thunderbird73141 Charlotte Stored/stopped locationsBrush, Loughborough: 43052,60029, 92018/38 Crewe Gresty Bridge: 66301/02 EMD Longport: 56032, 56102,56312 Toton: 60019 Operational 70804 Disposals C.F. Booth, Rotherham: Arrival date: September 15: 73134. Cut date: September 20: 73134 MULTIPLE UNITS Allocations 170638 DY/EMHQ-TS/EHHQ398003 newly delivered HQ/HLHQ455704/26/36 sent for disposal455847 sent for disposal455907 sent for disposal456002/06/09/24 sent for disposal319365…

GWS: No ‘Star’ plans FOLLOWING a board meeting over the weekend of September 24/25, the Great Western Society issued a statement regarding the purchase of No. 7027 Thornbury Castle by its 4709 group. The statement, signed by GWS chief executive Clive Hetherington, said: “The Great Western Society continues to be committed to buying the remaining components of No. 7027. “The board of GWS agrees to hold those parts in good condition for six months. During this time, GWS will consider offers from properly funded groups for all or parts of No. 7027 to enable a rebuild of Thornbury Castle if viable. “The GWS has no plans to build a ‘Star’. In the interim, work on [new-build 47XX Class] No. 4709 progresses well and a significant progress report is due shortly.”…

THE University of Birmingham’s Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE) and the Global Centre for Rail Excellence (GCRE) have signed an agreement to work together on new rail projects when the Welsh test centre opens in 2024. The agreement was announced by BCRRE director Professor Clive Roberts and GCRE boss Simon Jones at InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin. The GCRE is being built in Neath Port Talbot on the site of the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery. It is being designed to offer a ‘one stop shop’ for railway innovation, including research and development, testing and verification, and applied technology on mainline passenger and freight systems. There will also be two 25KV electrified test loops at the head of the Dulais and Tawe valleys, one being a…

HS2News Paused ‘Green tunnel’ work resumes CONSTRUCTION of the first of HS2’s ‘green tunnels’ resumed during September. Work at Chipping Warden in Northamptonshire was paused as investigations were carried out into what HS2 Ltd stated were “quality issues” with some of the precast concrete segments used to create the tunnel structure. The company told The RM that following “positive” initial tests, discussions took place to restart assembly as soon as possible. Chipping Warden will be one of five tunnels for phase one of HS2 created by using the ‘cut and cover’ process before being landscaped. Curzon Street revamp still on hold RESTORATION of the Grade I listed former station building at Curzon Street in Birmingham, which the new HS2 station for the city will stand alongside, is still on hold…

THE millionth cubic metre of chalk was laid close to the southern portal of HS2’s Chiltern tunnel in early September. A total of 2.6 million cubic metres of the substance, which is being excavated during the creation of the tunnel, will be used to create one of the largest areas of chalk grassland in the Chiltern hills as the area is returned to nature. It will form part of a 1.27 square kilometre (314 acre) site also incorporating woodlands, wood pasture and wetlands. Material removed during the tunnel boring process is mixed with water to create a slurry, which is pumped from the tunnel before being processed to remove flint and the water, leaving chalk cake that is being laid out along with recycled concrete and aggregates. As well as…

CREWE station, Friday, August 26: “The train standing at Platform 5 is the 14.29 private charter train to London Euston calling at London Euston only.” The exterior of the train is resplendent, a testimony to its careful preparation, with Driving Van Trailer No. 82139 at the south end, heading nine Mk.3s comprising seven First Open vehicles and two Buffet cars. On the rear is Locomotive Services’s 110mph electric locomotive No. 87002 Royal Sovereign, which next year celebrates its 50th birthday but today is in ex-works condition. Locomotive Services decided to test the market to see if there is a niche for such a private charter train – not to raid the revenue of route operator Avanti, but to ease the peak weekend pressure being caused by timetable reductions owing to…

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 5 Pennine Railway Society. Doncaster Town Fields Sports Club, Bennethorpe, Doncaster DN2 6AA. 19.30. ‘Train Doctor’: Roger Senior and ‘125 Update’: John Zabernik. Further details on website www.penninerailwaysociety.com Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS). Station Hotel, Carnforth. 19.30. ‘The Clan Project,: Ian Henderson. RCTS. Haig House Social Club, Woolton Rd, Garston, Liverpool L19 5NQ. 13.30.‘L&Y Engine at Work – Part 2’: Paul Shackcloth. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 6 Great Central Railway Society (Sheffield branch). Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Rd, Sheffield S2 2TP. 19.30. ‘Railways across North America Past and Present’: Mike Fish. Lutterworth Railway Society. Lutterworth Bowls Club, Coventry Rd, Lutterworth, LE17 4RB. 19.30. ‘Signalling on the Great Central Railway’: Tom Ingall. Norfolk Railway Society. United Reformed Church Hall, 40-42 Ipswich Rd, Norwich NR4 6QR. 19.30 ‘The…

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THE Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway has reached an important milestone in the restoration of the only steam locomotive wholly owned by the line, Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Wheldale (3168/1944). Fundraisers have raised the sum of £200,000 towards the estimated £250,000 cost of the overhaul and this was celebrated by a short ceremony at Embsay station on September 1, with chairman Rob Shaw and railway volunteers displaying a board with the message “£200,000”. Embsay spokesman, John Beesley, said the chassis is now being overhauled at Statfold Barn, which has involved stripping it down, assessing and then repairing. These repairs have included machining all the hornblocks and then refitting them square to the chassis, regrinding the slidebars then refitting, and work to the cylinder block including repairing the end covers and…

Freight A TERMINAL serving Highland Spring’s main bottling plant at Blackford in Perthshire has been officially opened by Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. The Scottish Government contributed a Freight Facilities Grant of almost £4.47 million towards construction of the railhead, which will be used to transport 40% of the factory’s output. Beginning later this year, Direct Rail Services will operate a train six days a week, transferring Highland Spring products to warehouse facilities at Daventry in Northamptonshire. Describing it as a “major milestone” towards reaching its target of net zero carbon emissions by 2040, Highland Spring Group estimates that the corresponding reduction in lorry journeys brought about by the rail link will save 3200 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. Partnership The First Minister said that everyone involved in the project,…

Although there were no direct passenger services from Scotland to the northwest of England on Saturday, August 20, due to the rail strikes, Avanti West Coast’s Class 390 No. 390001 ran ECS (5Z12/11.32) from Glasgow Central to Longsight depot, Manchester via Crewe. On August 24, Avanti West Coast Class 390 No. 390138 ran ECS from Glasgow Central (0M07/07.33) to Preston from where the unit formed the 1M07/10.13 for London Euston. On August 17, Class 745 No. 745008 worked the 12.00 Norwich to London Liverpool St. This was terminated at Ipswich due to flooding around Bentley crossing. Passengers then transferred to Class 321 Nos. 321305+321319 which formed the late running 12.42 to London, which then ran at 40mph to Manningtree. This train was terminated at Colchester ‘due to late running’ and…

World THE main line from Hamburg to Puttgarden, used by international services via train ferries to Denmark until December 2019, closed north of Haffkrug near Lübeck on August 31. The line will re-open largely on new alignments avoiding major towns as a double track electrified line in 2029. The rebuild project, which will see 55km (34 miles) of new alignments on a line only 88km (55 miles) long, is the main German contribution to the new Fehmarn fixed link which is being built in a tunnel under the sea between Rødby in Denmark and Puttgarden in Germany. The new 18km (11 miles) undersea link will be used by regular Hamburg to Copenhagen passenger services, plus rail freight between Scandinavia and Western Europe which currently takes the longer ‘Great Belt’ route…

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 9 Former 18 across junction for both 11 across and Evesham(9)10 ECML tunnel between Peterborough and Grantham (5) 11 Town with ‘Link’ and ‘Wells’ stations (7)12 Celebrity locomotive No. 4468 in the NRM (7)13 See 5 down14 Weardale Railway station(10)17 See 28 across18 ___ Main Line, linking Bedford and Wellingborough…(7)20 …and a summit between the two (10)23 ___ Anchor, West Somerset Railway station (4)25 Location of the Severn Valley Railway’s ‘Engine House’(7)26 ___ Museum Group, including the NRM (7)28 and 17 across Alpine Jubilee Line station? (5,7)29 London School of ___, name carried by Class 86 No. 86621, 1985-2004 (9) Down 1 43-arch viaduct between Northallerton…