Rail Express October 2017

NEW LOOK '68'!

‘Cat’ gets TransPennine livery

PAIN AND PLEASURE

40 years of the Deltic Preservation Society

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

50s at 50!

RAIL EXPRESS No. 257 OCTOBER 2017 £4.40

■ Unseen photos from their early West Coast days ■ Full story of main line return

■ OLD OAK REUNION Six-loco line-up stars at impressive open day

40 PAGES

OF MODELLING

SCOTRAIL

HSTs

First set arrives for training

■ MoD SPEEDLINK

Wagonload defence traffic

■ HELJAN 'RAT'

'O' gauge '25/3' announced

■ EXHIBITION DIARY All this autumn's events

Issue No. 257 October 2017

CONTENTS

LEGENDS LINE UP: The Great Western Railway open day at Old Oak Common on September 2 will be the last to be held there, with the depot closing next year to make way for a HS2/Crossrail interchange station. There is a full report on pages 6/7, but exhibits included this magnificent line-up of Western Region power, with (from left and in chronological order): Nos. 93 (railmotor), 6023 (‘King’), 7903 (‘Hall’), D821, D1015, 50035, 43002, 180102 and 800003. The photo was taken from the top of a Ferris wheel at the event. Craig Munday

6

HEADLINE NEWS Network Rail anticipates funding cut; ScotRail gets first mini-HST; West Midlands to start in December; New look for TPE ‘68’; First look at CAF Class 397; DfT curtails Welsh franchise; New livery for SWR launch; Competition eliminated on Exeter route; Colleges get Eurostar power cars; August sees a spate of derailments; Eight ‘31s’ to star in anniversary event.

14

40 YEARS OF PAIN AND PLEASURE The highs and lows of the Deltic Preservation Society since it was formed in 1977.

20

FIFTIES AT 50!

Beginning a celebration of Class 50s as they hit their golden anniversary, we look back to their early years on the West Coast Main Line.

25

34

76

0-60: CLASS 73 How did a rebuilt ‘73/9’ do in our test?

REVIEWS New books for modern traction fans.

77

EXPRESS MAILBAG More on the South Staffs closure; Class 155 cabs.

78

LU WORLD

FFROM ONLY

££21.50 NEVER MISS AN ISSUE...

SUBSCRIBE TODAY – PAGE 18

New rail adhesion trains for the Piccadilly Line.

80

RAILTOURS BLS does West London; Start ‘Whistling’ for spring.

82

PRESERVATION Mangapps ‘47’ goes to Mid-Hants; 125 Group acquires more Mk.3s; East Lancs ‘Teddy Bear’ back in action; Three ‘Deltics’ for Bluebell gala; Didcot ‘08’ goes blue; Pilot scheme ‘Chopper’ ready for main line return.

88

POWER BY THE HOUR Class 88s stopped for modifications; New ‘Cats’ let out as TransPennine livery debuts.

BACK FROM THE BRINK Looking back on the Bury line Class 504 fleet and the progress made on the sole-surviving unit.

TIME TRAVELLER October news from decades past.

THE SECOND MAIN LINE COMING The Class 50 fleet was all withdrawn by 1994, but three years later the first of seven preserved examples returned to the main line.

30

75

90

POWERSCENE Key workings from around the country.

98

UNITARY AUTHORITY Thameslink sees off its last Class 319.

MODELLING To celebrate the 40th anniversary of Speedlink, our main focus is on the network’s MoD traffic, including train formations and how to model them. Reviews include Dapol’s ‘O’ gauge Hybar wagon, while there is news of releases from Heljan in both 4mm and 7mm

101 SHUNTER SPOT Freightliner reliability improves.

102 COACH COMPARTMENT GWR begins HST hand-back.

103 WAGONS ROLL ESSO TTA fleet heads for scrap.

104 IRISH ANGLE Stored DMUs to be reactivated; ‘Tippex’ GM re-enters traffic; New MPV on test.

Besides the Legends line-up (above), the Old Oak Common open day also saw this amazing line-up of six Class 50s sporting four different livery variations.

Nearest the camera is No. 50007, then Nos. 50017, 50026, 50044, 50049, 50050 – a great way to celebrate the class’ 50th anniversary! Paul Bickerdyke

Editor’s Comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION

Newstrade & distribution Marketforce UK Ltd, 5 Churchill Place, Canary Wharf, London, E14 5HU. 0203 787 9001 Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Friday of every month This issue September 22, 2017 Next issue October 20, 2017 Advertising deadline October 5, 2017 ISSN No 1362 234X

Paul Bickerdyke Rail Express Editor

© Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.

Legends one and all

W

HAT a treat is was to attend the Old Oak Common open day at the beginning of September, and everyone involved who helped organise and steward the day has to be thoroughly congratulated. The only downside is, there cannot be another one.

The first Old Oak depot was opened by the Great Western Railway in 1906, although that site closed in 2009 to make way for Crossrail use, and it is the 1970s HST depot that is still in use by today’s GWR. All that will change from next year, however, as IEPs take over from HSTs on West Country routes, and those sets that remain will be serviced at Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance instead.

So the theme of the open day was one of celebration, marking the 111 years of the depot and the locomotive legends that have been associated with it during that time.

Many of the former Western Region diesel types were represented, plus a nod

Rail Express is pleased to consider contributions for publication

to the steam past and the IEP future. See pages 6-7 for a full report.

The open day also helped celebrate the golden anniversary of the Class 50 fleet – which first saw use on West Coast duties, but later became synonymous with the Western Region and Old Oak itself.

The popularity of these mighty English Electric machines is shown by the fact that 18 of the original 50 have been preserved – and seven of these were present at the Old Oak event. When was the last time such a gathering occurred?

We mark the anniversary this month with a look back to their early years north of Crewe (page 20) and then the full story of their return to the main line in preservation (page 25).

Paul Bickerdyke

Want to know when your next edition of Rail Express is on the shelves?

Please do not send images that have already been sent to other publications. Prints & slides are sent at the owner’s risk and must be accompanied by a SAE for return. Digital images can be sent by email, but please bear in mind we may not be able to reply to every one, as we receive hundreds of images each week.

Although care will be taken with submissions, Rail Express assumes no responsibility for loss/damage, however caused. Submitted material may also be used in connection with other Mortons Media Group projects or as content on the internet. Payment for material used will be made promptly. Please send digital submissions to RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk or via CD or DVD to the editorial address.

IMPORTANT: Images should be ex-camera with no Photoshop manipulation.

ADVERTISING

Divisional advertising manager Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk Advertising Fiona Leak Tel: 01507 529573 Email: fleak@mortons.co.uk Publishing director Dan Savage Publisher Tim Hartley Production editors Sarah Palmer, Sarah Wilkinson Designer Tim Pipes Reprographics Jonathan Schofield Subscription manager Paul Deacon Circulation manager Steve O’Hara

EDITORIAL

Editor Paul Bickerdyke Tel: 01507 529540 Email: RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk Editorial address Rail Express Magazine, Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ

Scan this QR code for a reminder.

Having trouble finding a copy of this magazine?

Why not just ask your local newsagent to reserve you a copy each month

Independent publisher since 1885

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag Follow us on twitter@railexpress Visit our website railexpress.co.uk

Simon Bendall Editor Rail Express Modeller

David Russell

Power by the Hour Shunter Spot Name Game Spectrum

Preservation Unitary Authority Coach Compartment

Gareth Bayer Wagons Roll

Christopher Westcott

David Rapson

LU World (with Piers Connor)

Powerscene

William Watson Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)

‘Industry Witness’ News Writer

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag

HEADLINE NEWS

A general view from the western end, under what remains of the shed roof, with (from left) No. 31438, No. 57604, Class 14 No. D9524 (as 14901), the line-up of Class 50s and ‘Hymek’ No. D7017.

Old Oak hosts ‘Legends’ open day

Great Western Railway opened the doors to its depot in West London in early September, giving a last chance to look round before it closes next year.

MORE than 7000 visitors took the opportunity to have a last look round Great Western Railway’s Old Oak Common depot on September 2, which featured no less than 39 locos and units, representing more than a century of development of Western Region traction.

The depot is due to close next year to make way for a new HS2/Crossrail

interchange station. The neabry depots for Heathrow Express and Crossrail will remain unaffected, however.

The original GWR depot opened at Old Oak in 1906, although that site closed in 2009. The current GWR HST depot opened in 1976, but will shut when Hitachi-built Class 800 and 801 sets replace HSTs on front-line duties – the IEPs being maintained at nearby

North Pole depot, on the opposite side of the main line to Old Oak. The theme of the open day was Legends of the Great Western, with highlights including a line-up of six Class 50s in various liveries, plus another showing the development of Western Region traction from a ‘King’ class steam loco to a Class 800 (see page 3).

Power car No. 43093 was also

named after the depot, while there was a chance to see the new liveries carried

by Nos. 56049, 57604 and 180104.

All profits from the day will go to the depot’s chosen charity – Place2Be – which provides mental health support for children in schools. E

OLD OAK COMMON EXHIBITS Diesel locos 08483, 08836, 14901 (D9524), 31438, D7017, 37069, 37218, 41001, D821, 43002, 43093, 43185, 47813, 47828, 50007, 50017, 50026, 50035, 50044, 50049, 50050, D1015, 56049, 57602, 57603, 57604, 57605, 66779 Units 121034, 180102, 180104, 800003 Steam 93 (railmotor), 1501, 6023, 6430, 7903, 60163, 70013 Right: A general view of the open day exhibits from Old Oak Common Lane.

GBRf’s last-built ‘66’ No. 66779 is nearest the camera, with the line-up of six ‘50s’ behind.

Left: Various locos were open for cab visits, one of the most popular being HST power car No. 43185.

Right: DRS supplied Type 3s Nos. 37069 and 37218 (left), while Rail Operations Group sent its recently reliveried No. 47813 (right).

6 RAIL EXPRESS October 2017

A flashback to the 1990s as InterCity-liveried Nos. 43185 and 47828 were parked side by side.

Follow us on twitter @railexpress

HEADLINE NEWS

There is an incredible seven Class 50s in this shot – when was the last time so many were together in one place? The main line-up features (from left) Nos. 50007, 50017, 50026, 50044, 50049, 50050. Additionally, No. 50035 can be seen in the background between Nos. 50007 and 50017. All photos: Paul Bickerdyke

Steam railmotor No. 93 was giving rides within the depot boundaries. What greater contrast could there be between this 1908-built vehicle and the 1997/98-built Class 332 EMUs used by Heathrow Express, which are based in a depot alongside GWR’s that will not be affected by redevelopment of the area.

Above: Prototype HST power car No. 41001 returned to Old Oak Common, the place it was based during trials in the mid-1970s. It is pictured in the lifiting shop with its No. 1 bogie removed. Some work will be done on the power car while at Old Oak.

NEW LIVERIES

Two cars of ‘Adelante’ No. 180104 received a special livery depicting ‘History Makers’ vinyls.

‘Grid’ No. 56049 was showing off its new Colas colours, the loco having only just emerged from Washwood Heath following a lengthy overhaul and more than 10 years out of action.

Project 22 brought along the engine around which it hopes to rebuild a now-extinct Class 22 diesel-hydraulic loco, some of which were based at Old Oak Common.

The four GWR Class 57/6s were all on shed - including No. 57604, which was showing off its fresh coat of GWR lined green.

One highlight of the day was the naming of GWR power car No. 43093 as Old Oak Common HST depot 1976-2018, along with a special motif depicting the development of Western Region traction over the last century.

October 2017 RAIL EXPRESS 7

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag

HEADLINE NEWS

Network Rail anticipates funding cut after cancelling major projects Fewer big schemes will mean less Government money unless Network Rail can find new private investors.

By ‘Industry Witness’ CUT-BACKS to electrification and other schemes have prompted Network Rail to look at how best to deal with a resultant drop in funding in the next financial control period (2019-24), in response to a study set up and headed by engineer Professor Peter Hansford with a supporting team of industry representatives from Keolis UK, Amey, Carillion, and GB Railfreight.

The process for managing the Government’s rail budget is based on five-year plans known as Control Periods, where a Statement of Funds Available (SoFA) is provided to the Rail Regulator (the Office of Rail and Road) together with an expectation of what is to be delivered from the funds in the

form of a High Level Output Statement (HLOS).

A negotiation then takes place with Network Rail to finalise what is to be spent on operations, maintenance and renewals, and enhancement projects.

In Control Period 5, which runs from 2014-19, £38 billion was allocated, of which £12 billion was for major projects such as Thameslink and electrification.

The current plan has not worked out well. NR was expected to cut its day-to-day spending by 20%, which has not proved possible as it was unrealistic in the first place, while at the same time an escalation in the cost of electrification has taken place.

As yet no figure has been published in respect of the future SoFA, but there have been severe cutbacks to the HLOS

with the abandonment of electrification projects for the Midland Main Line, Great Western extension to Swansea and the Windermere branch.

It has also been accepted more money must be put into the upkeep of the network after an arrears of maintenance was found.

NEW PRIVATE FUNDING

The Hansford team recognised if an enhancement programme is to continue, it will need to be largely funded by the private sector – as was the case before NR was brought into the public sector and its debt therefore coming under Government control.

At present, such private funding is not easily available due to the way NR is now structured.

The thrust of the study finds the role of the NR Route Directors should be changed, and commercial expertise to negotiate with private sector engineering companies should be established within the organisation.

There is also the example of the East-West route, where a separate company has been established to raise funds to design, build and operate the proposed new line between Oxford and Cambridge.

This will require a combination of existing operational assets, out-of-use sections, and new formations to achieve the goal. The previous idea that this would form part of an electric spine starting at Southampton has been dropped, and the route will not now be electrified. E

Nos. 43132 and 43021 power the mini-HST of four Mk.3s from Edinburgh Craigentinny to Aberdeen Clayhills at Arbroath on September 10 for crew training to begin. Jim Ramsay

ScotRail gets first mini-HST as IEPs reach Waverley THE first HST set to be taken off lease for transfer to ScotRail departed Plymouth Laira for Bristol St Philip’s Marsh on August 31, power cars Nos. 43021 and 43132 having lost their nameplates and branding.

The early hours of September 1 saw the set continue north as the 5E23/01.00 working to Doncaster West Yard, where Mk.3 trailers Nos. 41032, 42045, 42046 and 42561 were left to undergo refurbishment. The 2+4 formation then went forward as the 5S04/10.00 Doncaster West YardCraigentinny, the Mk.3s being Nos. 40207, 42047, 42207 and 44015.

The mini-HST then ran to Aberdeen Clayhills on September 10 so crew training could begin between there and

8 RAIL EXPRESS October 2017

Dundee the following day. New vinyls had been applied at Craigentinny describing a ‘New Era’ for inter-city travel between Scottish cities, but there was no ScotRail branding.

The first Hitachi-built IEP reached Edinburgh Waverley on September 7 in the form of bi-modes Nos. 800001+ 800002, which ran north from Doncaster.

Class 800s will be used by Virgin Trains East Coast from next year, although these two particular five-car sets are destined for use with Great Western Railway.

The units were not the first IEPs to visit Scotland, however, as that honour fell to nine-car set No. 800101, which reached Dunbar on a test working on August 16.

Bi-modes Nos. 800001+800002 at Edinburgh Waverley on September 7, the first IEPs to visit the Scottish capital. Hitachi

Follow us on twitter @railexpress

HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF CHINNOR CHARTER OFFERS ‘20’ AND ‘31’ FIRST RUNS

NEW LOOK FOR TPE ‘68’: Direct Rail Services’ No. 68021 has become the first of the class to receive TransPennine Express livery, which was applied at DRS’ depot in Crewe. TPE will sub-lease 14 locos from DRS – Nos. 68019-032 – to power workings from Liverpool Lime Street and Manchester Airport to Newcastle, Scarborough and Middlesbrough from summer 2018.

These will be formed of Mk.5 coaches currently on order with CAF in Spain. TPE

FIRST LOOK AT CLASS 397: CAF is also building a fleet of 12 five-car EMUs for TransPennine Express in Spain, which will be known as Class 397 and will work the routes from Liverpool and Manchester Airport to Glasgow and Edinburgh. The first of the 125mph units is pictured under construction at CAF in August. TPE

New West Midlands franchise up and running in December New trains and more services are promised from the Abellio-led winning consortium.

By ‘Industry Witness’ WEST Midlands Trains, which is a consortium made up of Abellio, the East Japan Railway Company, and Mitsui & Co, has won the next London Midland franchise.

It will take over from incumbent Govia from December 10, with the contract running until March 2026.

For services operating in the Birmingham area, there will be more involvement from the elected mayor and 16 local councils in the area, which have formed West Midlands Rail (WMR) as an umbrella organisation to promote improved services.

WMR already has a number of development proposals, such as an extension of the current Birmingham to Stourbridge Junction service to a new station at Brierley Hill, and a plan to extend some Kidderminster trains to run on the Severn Valley Railway as far as the Safari Park on a dated basis.

MK.5 SLEEPERS ON TEST: The first rake of Mk.5 ‘Caledonian Sleeper’ coaches, which are being constructed by CAF in Spain, have been moved by rail from Hendaye, in France, to Velim in the Czech Republic for trials on the test circuit.

The coaches (seated/brake Nos. 15001/2, club No. 15101 and sleepers Nos. 15301/2) arrived on August 19 and a week later were still parked up at the station awaiting transfer into the test site. CAF is building 75 new carriages for use on the Scottish sleeper services from 2018. UK testing is expected to begin at the end of this year. Serco

NEW TRAINS AND ENHANCEMENTS

The commitments made in the new franchise contract include the provision of 400 new vehicles worth £700 million, of which 80 will be diesel powered.

Rolling stock provided for shorterdistance commuting will have metrostyle interiors, with extra standing room for shorter-distance travel, which will mean capacity can be enhanced to cater for an additional 50,000 peak-hour passengers in Birmingham.

For West Coast Main Line stopping services operating to London Euston, there will be space for an additional 15,000 passengers during peak hours, with the overall fleet order intending to allocate 225 vehicles for London area services. There will also be two morning services from Walsall to London, with return evening workings being introduced from December 2018.

Train service enhancements are focused on the West Midlands.

The route between Birmingham and Shrewsbury will see two trains each hour from December 2018, and there will be a new hourly direct service to Stokeon-Trent. The opening of a new station at Kenilworth in December 2017 will result in the introduction of hourly trains between Leamington Spa and Coventry.

The frequency of Sunday services will also improve, with the Cross-City line being enhanced to four trains each hour in December 2018, and six from May 2021. There will also be extra services at Snow Hill through a step-up to six trains every hour to Stourbridge Junction. A notable addition is the provision of Sunday trains on the Bedford to Bletchley line, where services will be provided from May 2021.

West Midlands Trains is also promising a £60m investment in stations with improved information systems.

The delay repay threshold will be reduced, with compensation being paid if trains run more than 15 minutes late.

FOLLOWING an agreement with the Somerset and Dorset Locomotive Company to base Class 20 No. D8059 (20059) at Chinnor in 2018, the loco will be performing its inaugural run in ‘top and tail’ mode with newly restored Class 31 No. D5581 (31163) on October 9.

Just 50 tickets are available for the charter, which will perform two round trips of the line, with all profits being split between the Railway Benevolent Fund and for completion of the external restoration of No. D5581. Ticket holders will be invited to take a private tour of the yard at Chinnor, including to view ‘Bubble Car’ No. W55024 as restoration continues.

Details at www.chinnorrailway.co.uk

TROLLEY TRUST GETS BASE THE Rail Trolley Trust has announced it has obtained a permanent base for its collection at the Chasewater Railway in Staffordshire. The trust was formed two years ago to provide a formal structure for the collection of rail trolleys, which were used to carry personnel and materials within engineering possessions. It now owns 12 trolleys and six trailers.

The initial focus at Chasewater Heaths station yard is to carry out groundworks to enable a 40ft container to be moved onto site. Some of the trust’s vehicles have been loaned out to other preserved lines, while others are undergoing restoration.

A Wickham Type 17A No. 7594 – one of the RTT’s restoration projects. RTT

EGIP GOES LIVE NETWORK Rail has been warning residents near the Edinburgh-Glasgow main line that the overhead power cables went live on September 2. Work on the line connecting the two cities via Falkirk High is entering the testing and safety validating process, which should allow electric trains to be introduced later this year.

More than 100,000 safety leaflets are being delivered through every door in lineside communities and messages are being sent online through social media.

NR has also been working with schools and local groups to get the safety message into the community.

Electrification of the 46-mile route is a milestone in the overall Edinburgh Glasgow Improvement Programme (EGIP), which is a key part of the Scottish Government’s strategy to ensure the railway is fit for the country’s future.

It should deliver a 20% reduction in journey times while adding 30% more capacity.

October 2017 RAIL EXPRESS 9

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag

HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF METAL AND CABLE THEFT SET TO INCREASE? THE price of copper has increased by more than 50% in little more than a year, raising fears the incidence of metal and cable theft will follow suit.

According to the London Metal Exchange, in the last four months alone the value of copper rose 25% with an overall increase of 50% since 2016.

The Scrap Metal Dealers Act was implemented four years ago, which severely restricted the stolen metals market.

However, security firm VPS SiteSecurity says it has found many of the licenses issued to scrap metal merchants – which is a legal requirement – have expired and not been renewed, even though many of them still appear to be operating.

NEW STATION DISAPPOINTS EDINBURGH Gateway, the £41 million taxpayer-funded station to the west of the city, has been branded a ‘white elephant’ less than a year after it opened, as figures show it was used by barely a third of the expected number of passengers.

Scottish transport chiefs said they expected up to 600,000 passengers a year to use the station, but leaked figures show that only around 135,000 have used it in its first eight months.

The passenger shortfall is being blamed on the decision to drop plans to connect the station to the GlasgowEdinburgh main line.

DfT curtails Welsh ambition Wales now has the power to choose its own rail franchisee – but Westminster is not letting go entirely because of overlaps with the rest of Britain.

By ‘Industry Witness’ RESPONSIBILITY for choosing the next holder of the Wales & Borders franchise has been transferred to the Welsh Government.

However, the Department for Transport at Westminster has now said it will still need to be involved because the network is owned by Britain as a whole.

Before the devolvement, there was a settled plan for capacity enhancement and electrification of local lines in South Wales as a result of the Route Utilisation Strategy, developed by Network Rail.

One element, the Cardiff re-signalling to provide increased platform capacity at Cardiff, has been carried out, but electrification of local routes was put on hold after the Welsh Government decided it wanted to evaluate whether a light rail system would be a better solution.

The current Wales and Borders franchise contract is due to end on October 13, 2018 and the Welsh Government’s procurement agency, Transport for Wales, has opted for a new method of providing a specification

for the franchise. It has created a development process involving the four bidders – Abellio, Arriva, KeolisAmey and the MTR Corporation – which have been asked to set out proposals on the available options, with these then being amalgamated into an ‘Invitation to submit final tenders’.

The options include an evaluation of whether heavy rail routes used for operating local services in the Cardiff area should be replaced by light rail infrastructure. If the latter is chosen, the transfer of Network Rail assets to the Welsh Government will take place.

PROBLEMS

The arrangements have not been well received in some quarters, as the process has been confined to the four bidders, leaving out anyone else that might have some input. It is also complicated by the fact that a number of services within the franchise boundary serve stations in England.

Funding could also be a stumbling block, and it has been suggested the result of the development process could

lead to increases in the level of support payments by £1 billion over the contract period. Such a change in funding levels has already been rejected by the DfT. The eventual winner of the next franchise will not be a conventional train operating company as before, but will be termed an ‘operator and development partner’. If a decision is made that the Cardiff Valleys routes are to become a light rail operation, the cost of conversion will be met by the chosen partner.

The delay brought about by the abandonment of the original electrification proposal leaves an ever-shortening timescale to provide rolling stock to replace the 30 Class 142 and 143 ‘Pacer’ units, which are not compliant with regulations for carrying passengers with reduced mobility that apply from the start of 2020.

To provide capacity while the fleet of Class 150 and Class 158 DMUs are converted to meet the required standard, Arriva Trains Wales will lease five dualmode Class 769 sets from 2018 until at least 2021, these being converted ex Thameslink Class 319s. E

YACHT COLLISION RAIL services on the Cambrian Coast line had to be cancelled on August 21 after a loose yacht hit the Barmouth Bridge.

The coastguard said an empty 30ft (10m) yacht slipped its moorings and became caught under the railway bridge, which runs over Mawddach estuary.

A replacement bus service was set up while the line was closed. The yacht was eventually freed and brought on to the beach.

A spokesman for Network Rail said there was no damage to the bridge.

WORDSEARCH WINNER THE winner of the wordsearch competition in our August issue was Donald Smith of Leyland, Lancashire.

NEW LIVERY FOR SWR LAUNCH: South Western Railway showed off its new livery at Waterloo on September 4 to officially launch the new South Western franchise. EMU No. 444040 was chosen as the first of the fleet to be treated – SWR’s ‘fallen tree’ logo representing the routes radiating out from Waterloo. SWR took over running of the franchise from South West Trains, the latter company having been in charge since it was first privatised in February 1996. At the launch, a spokesman for SWR said: “Between now and 2024, we will be investing more than £1.2 billion on new and refurbished trains, station improvement projects and the simplification of tickets.” SWR

‘442s’ RETURN TO WESSEX: Rail Operations Group's No. 47815 hauled EMUs Nos. 442404 and 442409 from Ely to Bournemouth depot on September 7. The move is seen getting underway at Ely Dock Junction. These were amongst the first of 18 stored 'Wessex Electric' units to be transferred for refurbishment and a return to traffic with South Western Railway on the Waterloo to Portsmouth route. Aubrey Evans

10 RAIL EXPRESS October 2017

October 2017 RAIL EXPRESS 11

Like us on facebook facebook.com/RailExpressMag

HEADLINE NEWS

New ‘loco’ takes shape WORK is progressing on DVT No. 82113 at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway to convert it into a test bed for a new form of traction. The project, funded by the Rail Safety and Standards Board (RSSB) and Artemis Intelligent Power, will see the DVT fitted with a JCB engine, backed up by hydraulic accumulators that store energy under braking. This energy can then be reused for acceleration, with the idea being to prove whether the technology can be applied to rail use.

Rumours abound that this will result in the DVT becoming a new Type 1 loco called Class 19 – however the Rolling Stock Library, which controls the TOPS numbering system, says it knows nothing about this part of the plan.

Work done so far includes repairs to the bodywork and a repaint; the ‘blunt’ end has also been painted yellow and been fitted with lights. The traction equipment has yet to be fitted, however panels have been marked on the bodysides where grilles will be cut. It is due to be completed in December for three months of testing to be carried out.

DVT No. 82113 awaits its experimental traction-package fitting at Bo’ness on September 7. Gordon Kirkby

Competition eliminated on Exeter route First Group now controls services on both main line routes between London and Devon, meaning the Government has had to step in to ensure a price differential remains.

By ‘Industry Witness’ EXETER has had a long tradition of being served by two main lines offering the option of journeys using either London Waterloo or Paddington.

The routes have similar mileages, being 172 miles from Waterloo via Salisbury and 174 miles from Paddington, using the Berks and Hants line, and up until the award of the South Western franchise to a consortium led

by First Group there was a choice of train operator and therefore fares.

In the post-Beeching era of

rationalisation in the late-1960s, it was thought a good idea to concentrate journeys between individual towns and cities on a single route, and as a result the main line between Salisbury and Exeter was run down and singled in 1967.

Some reinstatement of capacity has taken place since then, with local authorities seeking more frequent services so larger numbers of rail passengers reduce road traffic congestion. As an example, annual passenger demand at Axminster has risen from 281,000 in 2012 to

394,000 in 2016. The higher level of use at intermediate stations has seen an improvement in the frequency of services between Waterloo and Exeter, but these remain slower than the Great Western route as most trains have up to 20 station calls, and limited-stop services cannot be accommodated on the single line.

Many Great Western services have a single stop at Reading, where the fastest journey time is a little over two hours compared to a typical three and half hours via Salisbury.

As a result of the different types of

service, it has been possible to pay less to travel on trains offering the longer journey time, and the Competition and Markets Authority has investigated whether both routes being under the control of the same operator is an infringement of competition law.

After negotiations with First Group, it has now been agreed there will be a price cap on unregulated fares between Exeter and London on both routes.

The availability of cheaper advance fares for both services will also be monitored by the competition authorities. E

COLLEGES TAKE DELIVERY OF EUROSTAR POWER CARS: Alstom has donated two withdrawn Class 373 power cars to the new National College for High Speed Rail, and following preparatory work at Long Marston, they have been moved to their new homes. The first, No. 3101 (left), arrived at the college’s Doncaster site on August 8, with No. 3102 being moved from Long Marston to Birmingham a a few days later. The vehicles will be used for hands-on engineering and virtual reality training (including driving) and have been painted and vinyled into teal/yellow and pink/orange respectively. Alstom

12 RAIL EXPRESS October 2017