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BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING RAIL TITLE 1897 September 2017
2017
Mail Rail opens for tourists
■ First/MTR South Western
franchise begins ■ DB Cargo puts Class 66s up for sale
■ NYMR gets £4.6m lottery grant ■ NRM gifts ‘28XX’ to Swindon museum
Summer Saturdays to Skegness
Forgotten Railways in North West Ireland
Traction icon – SNCF CC72000
Far North with diesel power
■ ABELLIO FOR WEST MIDLANDS ■ THREE DERAILMENTS IN A WEEK
The
GCR’S BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE: The exciting reconnection of the northern and southern sections of the Great Central Railway takes a step forward on the evening of September 2-3 when the new bridge that will span the Midland Main Line at Loughborough is lifted into place. Here, the abutments are at an advanced stage of construction as part of a £2.5million project that will create an 18-mile heritage railway.
EDITORIAL
Editor: Chris Milner Deputy editor: Gary Boyd-Hope Senior correspondent: Ben Jones Designer: Tim Pipes Picture desk: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield Publisher: Tim Hartley Editorial assistant: Jane Skayman Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Sub-editor: Nigel Devereux Consultant editor: Nick Pigott Classic Traction News: Peter Nicholson Operations News: Ashley Butlin Narrow Gauge News: Cliff Thomas Metro News: Paul Bickerdyke World News: Keith Fender By post: The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 529589 Fax: 01507 371066 Email: railway@mortons.co.uk © 2017 Mortons Media ISSN 0033-8923
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This issue was published on September 6, 2017. The next will be on sale on October 4, 2017.
TOM INGALL
Invest in rail freight rather than trial the ‘platooning’ of lorries
T
HE Government’s announcement it is to trial ‘platooning’, with as many as three wirelessly connected HGVs travelling in close convoy – with all acceleration, braking and steering controlled by a driver in the lead vehicle – has worrying overtones. While dubbed as a trial – and history shows ‘trials’ tend to become permanent – one of the key concerns will be safety. If the driver is incapacitated will there be a ‘dead man’s’ device, as there is on a train, to bring the convoy to a controlled halt? What happens if a truck has a blow-out? What is the likelihood of the second and third trucks (being in close convoy) piling into the back of the first in the event of an accident, making a collision far more serious? What is to stop someone hacking the wireless connection between the trucks. Each lorry will have a driver, so where exactly are the savings and benefits? Most of us have seen one HGV trying to overtake another on an incline when the speed difference is 1mph, so goodness knows what platooning will do to motorway congestion. Platooning is fine for trekking across miles of uninhabited desert in Australia or interstate journeys in the USA, but not for the busy motorways of the UK.
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Editor’s Comment
The Road Haulage Association, AA and RAC have already expressed concerns. While there are many safety questions that remain unanswered, the development is a real kick in the teeth for the rail freight industry from a Government that should do far more to support it. Less than 12 months ago, the Department for Transport cut freight facilities grants by £4million, yet it is prepared to spend more than twice that amount on a crazy trial, rather than inject money into rail freight. What really angers me is not only is the DfT giving this crackpot idea airtime, it tries to con us by adding the usual spin by saying it will decrease fuel consumption, reduce congestion, improve air quality and reduce emissions. Isn’t that exactly what putting freight on rail will do – or have I missed something?
Passengers still being priced off the network THE recent 3.6% fare rise announcement has shocked many daily commuters – the type of passenger that is a captive market for the railway – who have no option but to travel to work by rail. Add on the cost of parking – which at some stations is £14 a day or more – and large proportions of the population who want to use rail daily are being priced off the network. The latest rises will also act as a disincentive to promote leisure travel too, but operators will also feel the squeeze if passenger numbers decline in the light of rises. It’s also getting tiring for passengers with the rail industry trotting out the same old mantra – that the money from fare rises will improve the railway, make journeys better and boost the economy. But when?
Some parts of the network are still starved of decent trains and passenger capacity. In Wales, with unit cascading and electrification plans in disarray, there is no replacement on the horizon for the worn out ‘Pacers’. On CrossCountry, passengers are ‘sardined’ in ridiculously sized trains on a daily basis, with no hope of extra carriages, and plans for new trains to replace 40-year-old HSTs on the Midland Main Line are in limbo until the new franchisee is chosen in two years’ time. At that time the introduction of new MML trains will still be a minimum of a year away. If rail is to continue to thrive, prosper and grow as we all want it to, let’s see some genuine investment in these ‘Cinderella’ services.
Farewell to SWT DURING August, the operator of the South West Trains franchise was changed, renamed and rebranded. Stagecoach Group’s SWT was the first of the franchised railways to begin operation under the Conservative’s rail Privatisation plan. Their first train ran on February 4, 1996, and during its 21-year tenure of the franchise, SWT embarked on an ambitious programme of new and refurbished trains, station and other passenger enhancements, opening up new services and introducing some striking liveries – plus reusing Waterloo International for domestic services after it lay abandoned for a decade.
With First Group and MTR taking over in a quiet transition, more new trains are planned, with faster journey times and additional trains on Sundays. However, its first few days operating South Western Railway was marred by visible protests at London Waterloo by rail unions wanting to retain guards on trains – sadly a hint of industrial issues ahead? SWT staff and managers deserve a vote of thanks for 21 years of serving the public on what was always a difficult railway to run, covering the busiest section of the railway network. CHRIS MILNER, Editor
September 2017 • The Railway Magazine • 3
Contents
September 2017. No. 1,398. Vol 163. A journal of record since 1897.
Headline News
Overnight delivery: CAF has sent several completed Mk5 Caledonian Sleeper vehicles to the Velim test centre in the Czech Republic for dynamic testing.
Abellio/JR East joint venture wins West Midlands franchise, Signalling delays mar successful Waterloo upgrade, Six new stations for England and Wales, Heritage Lottery Fund chairman to reopen refurbished Barrow Hill roundhouse, Caledonian Sleeper Mk5s on test in Czech Republic, Scottish debut for Virgin IET.
On the cover COVER: Fowler 'Jinty' 0-6-0T No. 47406 heads a passenger train during a Timeline Events photo charter at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in Derbyshire on August 23. PETER ZABEK
Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 70 Steam & Heritage
82 Traction & Stock
NRM ‘28XX’ gifted to STEAM Museum, Scots Guardsman bows out, Swanage hires ‘T9’ after losing two locos in shed collision, NYMR scoops £4.6m lottery grant.
DB Cargo puts 10 Class 66s up for sale, SWT Class 707s finally enter service, Investigation into Class 455 traction
76 Industrial Steam 79 Steam Portfolio 80 Irish
85 Stock Update 87 Traction Portfolio 88 Narrow Gauge 90 Railtours 93 Railtours Portfolio 94 Metro 95 Miniature 96 Classic Traction 100 Network
equipment ‘explosions’, TfL ups Class 345 EMU order.
Lee Valley gets £170m upgrade, masts up on Cannock Chase and Shotts lines, Fylde signalboxes under threat. NYMR ‘Schools’ 4-4-0 No. 926 Repton is back in action after a lengthy overhaul and now carries Southern green again.
102 World 107 Operations
JOHN HUNT
Regulars
Echoes of ‘Top Shed’ at Didcot Railway Centre on August 28 as ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa lines up with ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman during a one-off Timeline Events charter. JACK BOSKETT
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42 Multiple Aspects
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42 Railways in Parliament 54 Reviews 56 Readers’ Platform 58 Subscription Offer Subscribe today to receive your monthly copies of The Railway Magazine from only £20.
60 Panorama Our monthly gallery of the best railway photography.
66 Meetings 68 From The RM Archives Find out what The RM was reporting 20, 50 and 100 years ago.
Looe break: A GWR Class 153 railcar is framed by the arch of Terras crossing bridge as it trundles along the East Looe river towards Liskeard on June 1. RON WESTWATER
112 Heritage Diary Details of when Britain’s unique collection of heritage railways and railway museums are open.
122 Prize Crossword and Where Is It?
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Features
14 Summer Saturdays to Skegness
30 Battling for The Far North
44 Last of the Giants: SNCF CC72000
Pip Dunn recalls the summer holiday trains that took a wide variety of freight-only diesels from the East Midlands and Yorkshire to the Lincolnshire Coast between the 1970s and the early-1990s.
Keith Farr returns to the Far North Line to review the performance of diesel locomotives and DMUs over the difficult road to Wick and Thurso, looking at the Sulzer Type 2s of the 1960s and 1970s, the ‘37s’ of the 1980s, and the current ScotRail Class 158s.
Late August saw the last booked workings of the most powerful diesel locomotives in France - the SNCF CC72000s. Ben Jones takes a brief look at the reasons behind their development, where they worked, and their gradual decline over the last decade.
22 The demise of the railways in North-West Ireland
36 A Dales Delight
This month marks the 60th anniversary of the closure of more than 200 miles of lines in the north-west corner of Ireland. Neil Sprinks looks back and finds out why the region’s railways were decimated almost overnight.
The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway has gone from strength-to-strength since it reopened part of the Skipton to Ilkley line to tourists in 1981. Mark Smithers visits the Yorkshire Dales to discover the railway now has its sights set on reaching Skipton.
50 Mail Rail Opens to the Public
BUCKET AND SPADE TRAINS: Summer Saturday diesel haulage to Skegness in the 1970s and 1980s – p14.
DALES RAIL: The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railways looks to the future and aims for Skipton – p36.
ADIEU CC72000: A look back at the 50-year career of SNCF’s most powerful diesels – p44
Keith Fender visits the new Postal Museum in London and rides on a revived section of the Mail Rail system, which is now carrying passengers for the first time in its history.
September 2017 • The Railway Magazine • 5
HeadlineNews Barking Riverside go-ahead TRANSPORT for London (TfL) has been granted the necessary legal powers to build the three-mile Barking Riverside extension in east London. The line is costing £263million and is being built to serve a large brownfield housing and retail development with 10,800 new homes. The developers are contributing £172m to the project, with TfL providing the balance. Work is expected to start next summer with train services to Barking Riverside due to begin in late-2021. The new line will be an extension of the London Overground Gospel Oak to Barking line, which is currently being electrified, and will transfer to EMU operation in January 2018. In December 2016 TfL announced Balfour Beatty, Carillion and Volker Fitzpatrick had been shortlisted to build the electrified extension, which will run alongside the Fenchurch Street to Tilbury line between Barking and Renwick Road overbridge. There, it will turn south and run for around 1.5km over a new viaduct to reach the terminus.
ScotRail tops charts for performance
ABELLIO ScotRail is the best performing large train operator in the UK, according to industry figures for the year to August 19. ScotRail’s moving annual average (MAA) stands at 90.9%, better than the company’s performance improvement plan target of 90.5%, and ahead of the other large operators in the UK. For the four weeks to August 19, 92.5% of trains met the industry standard public performance measure (PPM) – the best performance in this period for five years, and well ahead of the 88.9% achieved in the same period last year. ScotRail Alliance managing director Alex Hynes said: “The fact that we are the best performing large operator in the UK is down to the hard work of our people in the ScotRail Alliance, a partnership between Abellio ScotRail and Network Rail. “But we are not complacent. We’re working hard to build the best railway Scotland has ever had. “Our new and better trains will deliver faster journeys, more seats and better services for our customers.”
Abellio bags West Midlands and promises 400 new vehicles By Ben Jones
DUTCH company Abellio joined the Premier League of British railway operators in August when it was announced as the winner of the new West Midlands franchise. It now holds a 70.1% stake in the West Midlands Trains (WMT) joint venture, with Japan’s JR East and Mitsui taking the remainder – a first passenger contract for JR East outside its home country. WMT replaces Govia, itself a joint venture between Go-Ahead and SNCF subsidiary Keolis, which has operated under the London Midland brand since 2007. Like the Greater Anglia and ScotRail contracts previously won by Abellio, the deal includes a large order for new trains, including 100 new ‘metro-style’, high-capacity EMU vehicles for the Birmingham Cross-City line, 80 DMU cars for the Snow Hill line, and 225 new EMU vehicles for West Midlands to Euston services by 2021.
‘Modern’ trains
The new Cross-City trains are expected to be similar to those used by London Overground with wide doors and greater standing room. No mention is made of the Class 323 EMUs currently used on the route, or the Siemens Class 350s employed on EustonBirmingham-Crewe-Liverpool services. Other commitments include ‘modern’ trains for the Watford to St Albans Abbey branch, an extra 20,000 seats into Birmingham at peak times, plus 10,000 extra seats and standing room for 5,000 more on routes into London. Abellio is also promising free wi-fi on all trains by the end of 2019; charging points on all London trains by May 2021; ‘smart ticketing’, including
Whether the single-car units have a future with the new franchisee is unclear. The usual single-carriage consist of LM’s Nuneaton to Coventry shuttle was strengthened to two cars on August 5 to serve Coventry Arena, where Coventry City FC’s first game of the 2017/18 season was taking place. Class 153 DMUs Nos. 153371 and 153375 depart from Nuneaton with the 11.14 service to Coventry. GRAHAM NUTTALL
better value fares for part-time workers; 25% refunds for delays of more than 15 minutes, 50% for 30 minutes and full refunds after one hour. WMT will invest almost £1billion in the franchise, including £70m in new and existing depots, £60m of station improvements, 800 real-time information screens, and feasibility studies into new stations in the West Midlands. Services in the West Midlands region will be jointly managed with the Department for Transport (DfT) and the West Midlands Rail consortium of 16 local authorities. Trains will be rebranded in a dedicated West Midlands Railway livery, which has already been revealed by WMR. The new franchise starts on December 11 and runs until
March 2026. Currently it carries around 74m passengers on a 558-mile (900km) network linking London Euston with Birmingham, Crewe and Liverpool, as well as urban and interurban routes in the West Midlands.
Midlands Rail Hub
Rail could also boost the West Midlands economy by a further £2billion over the next three decades according to Network Rail’s new West Midlands & Chiltern route study. The document proposes the creation of a Midlands Rail Hub to provide maximum connectivity with HS2 (which opens to Birmingham Curzon Street in 2026) and improvements to the rail network that would allow up to 150 extra trains a day, offering
85,000 extra seats, to serve Birmingham by 2024. Recommendations include the construction of a new grade-separated triangular junction at Bordesley, enabling trains from the North and South West to run to Moor Street and Snow Hill rather than New Street, new stations on the Camp Hill line at Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazlewell, extra platforms at Moor Street, quadrupling of the line through Water Orton, and redoubling the Leamington to Coventry line to increase capacity. Extra capacity would be created by lengthening existing trains, especially on the Chiltern main line, and the introduction of digital technology for signalling and train management.
Network Rail to encourage third-party investment in new infrastructure after review recommendations NETWORK Rail is opening up its major infrastructure projects to competition, enabling third parties to bid for contracts and bring new sources of funding to the railway. The Hansford Review, which focuses on ways of unlocking new investment and reducing costs for rail projects, makes nine recommendations. These include introducing more flexibility into the application of NR standards to reduce costs where appropriate, developing the capability to generate and assess alternative methods of designing and delivering projects so they
6 • The Railway Magazine • September 2017
can be delivered more quickly and cheaply, incentivising suppliers to challenge NR’s standards where they are seen to increase costs for little benefit, and identifying a selection of pilot projects to demonstrate the advantages and disadvantages of the new funding and delivery models.
‘Pipeline’
NR will publish a ‘pipeline’ of investment opportunities for third parties by the end of this year. These are expected to be smaller developments such as new stations, depots and car
parks, but larger enhancements such as new lines and route extensions could follow in the longer term. NR’s Anglia Route has been selected to lead a trial of the reforms over the autumn, with the aim of introducing them across the country in spring 2018. The pilot scheme will focus on reviewing, updating and challenging NR’s standards for electrification. The changes will allow companies in the supply chain to directly work on railway projects and compete for lucrative contracts with NR. A rewards
scheme will share money saved from introducing a new idea or innovation between NR and the private sector company. Network Rail is investing almost £130m every week, with more than 15,000 live projects on its books. NR chief executive Mark Carne said these reforms “represent a raft of opportunities for other companies to work on Britain’s railway projects, to compete for a slice of this huge market and potentially deliver further improvements for passengers that otherwise might not happen”.
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The opening of Kenilworth station is planned for December and good progress is being made on the construction in this August 16 view, showing the steelwork for the new station building. FRASER PITHIE
Six new stations announced A view across Waterloo from platform 1 with the platform extension work in progress. NETWORK RAIL
Delays hit Waterloo upgrade project THE complex upgrade to extend London Waterloo station platforms Nos. 1 to 8 to accommodate 10-carriage trains was completed on time on August 29, but there were delays and cancellations after a problem was detected during the safety critical signalling testing phase. The delays ran into the afternoon as Britain's busiest station returned to normal operation. These
changes will increase Waterloo’s capacity by 30%, and are part of an £800million upgrade plan being carried out on routes from Waterloo to the South West. Between August 4 and 24, more than 1,000 engineers and trackside staff worked shifts to build extensions on to platforms 1-4, and to modify platforms 5-8, ready for longer trains that will run from December 2017.
An added layer of difficulty was the change of franchisee from South West Trains to South Western Railway, so the formal launch of the franchise was delayed until September 4 – see separate story. In the middle of the upgrade was a derailment that caused additional disruption when a Class 456 EMU side-swiped a ballast hopper - see below.
A FURTHER six new stations will open in England and Wales over the next three years. Five of the stations will benefit from the second phase of the Government’s New Stations Fund scheme. Horden Peterlee in County Durham will receive £4.4million of DfT funding towards a scheme worth £10.55m and Warrington West in Cheshire gets £4.23m towards a total project cost of £17.2m, while Reading Green Park will receive £2.3m towards a total project cost of £16.5m. Bow Street in Ceredigion, Wales has won £3.94m towards its £6.76m total, and Portway Parkway, near Bristol, will receive
£1.672m of the £2.23m cost. All five stations will open by March 2020. Wales will also gain its first privately funded new station for many years, located at St Mellons on the Cardiff to Newport line. The new facility is provisionally named Cardiff Parkway and is expected to cost £25m. It should open in February 2020. Forecasts predict around 600,000 users each year by 2026. The initial round of station funding has already delivered stations at Newcourt in Exeter, Lea Bridge in north-east London, Pye Corner in Newport, and Ilkeston in Derbyshire, with Kenilworth due to be follow later this year.
Major disruptions: Three derailments and buffer stop collision in six days FOUR incidents in a six-day period during August, including three at London termini, brought delay and disruption to the rail network. The first incident was at 14.20 on August 14 after a Felixstowe to Doncaster container train derailed at Ely West Jct when the last 12 wagons came off the track at a set of points which forms part of the junction. More than a half a mile of track towards Ely North Jct was damaged, blocking both the cross-country route from Peterborough to Cambridge and Stansted Airport as well as services between King’s Lynn and London King’s Cross.
Crane
A rail-mounted Kirow crane, owned by Colas, was brought in by Network Rail to remove the wagons and their containers. The line remained closed until the early hours of August 21 for
repairs to be completed. Just over 12 hours later came a second derailment. Class 456 No. 456015, working with two South West Trains Class 455 EMUs, was leaving platform 13 at London Waterloo at slow speed with the 05.40 to Guildford train when it collided with a works train. The works train was occupying part of platform 12 and the approach line in connection with the lengthening of Waterloo’s platforms 1 to 8 in order to handle 10-carriage trains (see ‘Waterloo upgrade’ story). The derailment restricted access to at least another two platforms – despite the former Waterloo International platforms having been brought into use ahead of the lengthening works – and led to delays and cancellations because of the further reductions in capacity. Unofficial sources from the industry claim the cause was
Colas Rail Kirow crane No. DRK81612 is viewed from Clayway bridleway crossing moving containers from the wagons of the derailed container train. DR IAIN C SCOTCHMAN
split points on exit from the platform. Less than an hour later came a buffer stop collision at London King’s Cross. The 05.13 from Royston, formed by Class 387 No. 387117, hit the buffer stops in platform 9 at about 4 mph. Three passengers were slightly hurt, and there was minor damage to the train and the buffer stop equipment.
Troubled
The final incident in a troubled week was at London Paddington on August 20 when power car No. 43188, at the rear of the 11.57 to Penzance, had moved only a few feet when one wheelset on the penultimate bogie climbed the rails. It came to rest at an angle. There were no passenger injuries. The train was dispatched from the rear vehicle, despite being in reverse formation, but the train manager quickly realised what had happened and was able to signal to the driver to stop. The previous evening, ‘A4’ No. 60009 Union of South Africa had stood in the same platform at the end of a steam charter, but photographic evidence revealed a number of tie bars between the rails where the power car was, so the evidence is pointing towards track spread. Re-railing teams worked through the afternoon and evening to get 43188 back on the rails, the power car being taken to Old Oak for examination. All four incidents are being investigated by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB).
Class 456 No. 456015 at the head of the 10-carriage 05.40 Waterloo-Guildford on August 15, derailed in the throat of the station. The work to lengthen the platforms was just over half way through at the time of the derailment. JAMIE SQUIBBS
Above: Leaning at an unusual angle, examination of the derailed power car No. 43188 is carried out in platform 2 at London Paddington on August 20.
The wheelset under the power car that climbed the rails. BOTH: JAMIE SQUIBBS
September 2017 • The Railway Magazine • 7
HeadlineNews SIDELINES Kezlan Images takes over Transport Treasury TRANSPORT Treasury, the Scottish-based picture library, is being taken over by Kezlan Images of High Wycombe. The library holds more than 300,000 negatives and transparencies, including the collections of many well-known railway photographers such as Dr Ian C Allen, Stanley Creer, R C Riley, Roy E Vincent, Eric Sawford, WAC Smith, and Alec Swain. Kezlan owner Robin Fell says the Transport Treasury archive will be fully up and running by September 11. Kezlan Images hope to expand the scope of the archive to include overseas images and also more buses. To help achieve this Kezlan Images is also looking for volunteers to help with listing collections. If you have a good knowledge of rail or bus operations, plus moderate typing skills, then they would love to hear from you. See advert on p120 for Kezlan’s contact details.
Trenitalia drops out of franchise bid THE Italian rail operator Trenitalia has withdrawn from the bid to win the next Southeastern franchise. Trenitalia was a sole bidder, up against Stagecoach, a joint venture of Abellio, East Japan Railway Company and Mitsui, and incumbent Govia. It now wants to focus on bids for both the West Coast Partenership and East Midland Trains, for which it is in league with First Group.
Copper thefts cost railway £300,000 POLICE are hunting thieves who have stolen more than £90,000 of copper wire from the railway in the past two months. The total cost of replacing the cables so far this year currently stands at around £300,000. It is believed the power, signalling and communications wire is being stolen to order then sold abroad as part of an international criminal enterprise. Around 3,650 metres of copper cable has been removed in a series of thefts in Staffordshire.
First and MTR take control of South Western franchise
AFTER 21 years running the South West Trains franchise, the end of its tenure came at 02.00 on August 20. SWT ran the first franchised train on February 4, 1996, from Twickenham to Waterloo, and held a grip on the franchise for more than two decades. Taking over is a joint venture between First Group and Hong Kong-based MTR, with First owning 70% of the operating company. South West Trains becomes South Western Railway, with SWT trains being given vinyl stickers externally. SWR is headed by managing director Andrew Mellors. A formal launch was delayed until early September because of upgrade work at Waterloo. New train liveries are in the pipeline, but SWR has already announced a new fleet of 90 five- and 10-car EMUs that will be built by Bombardier on the ‘Aventra’ platform in Derby. The Siemens Class 707 fleet, which entered service with SWT right at the end of that franchise (see p82), will remain
with SWR until 2019. The 90 ‘Aventra’ sets will be supplemented by a full refurbishment of 18 of the 24 Class 442 EMUs that used to work the Southampton and Weymouth routes, as these will be cheaper to lease than the 707s. There are question marks remaining over the future of the Class 455s, which are going through an AC traction package upgrade, and the recently lengthened Class 458/5 units, neither of which feature in long-term plans. SWR has said all its suburban sets will have toilets, something that is lacking on the 707s It is understood some of the Class 455s are another candidate for conversion to bi-mode by owner Porterbrook. SWR is planning to introduce faster services and up to 400 additional Sunday trains in 2018. All units not currently equipped will be retrofitted with at-seat charging points, faster wi-fi, and improved passenger information systems.
One of the final SWT services – the 01.42 Waterloo-Surbiton – arrives at Clapham Junction on August 20. HASSARD STACPOOLE
Stations will get a £90million investment and more parking spaces will be provided. There will be an increase in promotional fares, a new fare structure for 16 to 18 year olds still in education, and flexible ticketing for part-time workers. The Isle of Wight line remains within the franchise – despite suggestions it might be hived off – and SWR will work with the island community to create plans for a sustainable future for the railway, given the former
First view of new Spanish-built Caledonian Sleeper vehicles
Tornado for North York Moors line next March
The first vehicles of each type being constructed for Caledonian Sleeper operations have gone from Spain to the Czech Republic for testing (see also p84). Here, ‘Club Car’ No. 15101 is seen at the Velim test circuit on August 26. DALIBOR PALKO
Egyptian crash kills 41 A COLLISION between two trains near Khorsid station in the suburbs of the Egyptian Mediterranean city of Alexandria on August 11 killed 41 people and injured around 200 more, writes Keith Fender. The accident occurred in the early afternoon when a train from Cairo collided with the rear of another from Port Said that had stopped in the station. A Government spokesman told local media the most likely cause was human error, probably by signallers.
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The rake of five new Caledonian Sleeper vehicles at Velim awaiting testing. Nearest the camera is sleeping car (SLC1) No. 15302 showing the destination display, corridor connection and couplings. DALIBOR PALKO
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8 • The Railway Magazine • September 2017
Underground trains are 80 years old in 2018. First has given an undertaking to the Competition and Markets Authority to cap prices on unregulated fares. The move comes after competition concerns, with First having an interest in both routes to London from Exeter. Ticket prices on the routes will be linked to those on a number of other comparable services to ensure they are kept in line with the market.
SEE P58 FOR DETAILS
PEPPERCORN ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado will be making a return foray to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in March. It will work a seven-date stint as part of a now annual visit by a high-profile locomotive. The visit of the celebrity Pacific follows the precedent set by Flying Scotsman in March 2015, when the NYMR promoted a week of advance-sale tickets for travel behind the world-famous Gresley ‘A3’. It was a huge commercial success, helping the railway turn over £500,000, of which £370,000 was surplus. The success was repeated this year, with LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot netting a £100,000 surplus. Tornado will be in operation on March 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 11, and is expected to work three round trips between Pickering and Grosmont each day. All trains will be pre-book only, with details of ticket sales being made available soon on the NYMR’s website. The RM understands the ‘A1’ will work a Mk1 rake during its visit and will not be paired with the railway’s LNER teak set.
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This is ‘Azuma’ crossing the Border…
Testing of the Hitachi Intercity Express Train (IET) has seen the first Class 800 set visit Scotland for the first time. On August 16, Virgin set No. 800101 worked from Doncaster to Dunbar as part of a testing programme ahead of the roll out of the 65-strong fleet on the East Coast route next year. During the test run, the set ran on both diesel and electric power, and is seen crossing the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed. Hitachi tweeted drone footage of the train on the famous viaduct, and it can be found this link: https://tinyurl.com/ycxh7jrt PICTURE: GEOFF GRIFFITHS
Wensleydale membership divided over proposed Aysgarth sale A PROPOSAL to sell off the Wensleydale Railway’s (WR) disconnected Aysgarth station has caused division within the railway’s membership. The plans have been put forward as the railway’s board seeks to remedy a growing financial deficit. Aysgarth lies just short of three miles from the WR’s current Redmire terminus, but is not connected to the rest of the railway. The well-preserved site consists of two platforms, a station house, waiting room, signalbox and goods shed, and has been looked after by a local station group on behalf of the WR for the last few years. It sits just a short walk from the popular Aysgarth Falls, and as such is seen by many members
as the crown jewel of the line. Sale of the site would therefore derail any hopes of the WR ever reaching this tourist‘honeypot’ in the heart of the Yorkshire Dales National Park.
Consequently, the board has desire to return Aysgarth to the achievement of these proposals been considering options for the condition it was in its heyday, cannot be legally bound into disposal of Aysgarth, in particular and has expressed a desire to a contract of sale without an offer from a“wealthy railway locate locomotives and coaching significantly reducing the value focused individual”to buy the stock on the site, and in due of the site”, adding the buyer site for £400,000. course extend the line back would ultimately“be entitled to This would in turn allow the towards Redmire. do with it as he wishes”. ‘Difficult situation’ board to clear the £195,000 The proposal will be put to In a letter from Wensleydale mortgage on the station, leaving Private site the members at the AGM on Railway plc to the membership around £200,000 to be ploughed Although the station would September 9, but already the concerning the proposed sale, back into the railway. remain a private site, the vendor issue has divided supporters' the board states that the railway The board states in the letter would allow public access on opinion. is“in a difficult financial situation, they recognise the sale“would certain days of the year, and There is a strong membership with the Trust (Wensleydale have an impact on the overall has also expressed interest in contingent that feels very Railway Association [Trust] aim to reach Hawes in due extending westwards towards aggrieved about the proposal, Ltd) having made major course, but the inescapable fact Hawes, too. especially as the station and contributions to maintain the is that the railway’s chances of The board says they would extension has been the source railway as a going concern over even reaching Aysgarth with “jointly sign a Memorandum of of an appeal called Aysgarth the last year”. its own resources, when it can’t Understanding in which both Ambition. Aysgarth is owned by the even afford to maintain the parties would outline their Some members have voiced plc board, but they say that it current stretch of track, are respective intention to cooperate their thoughts online, saying is“tying up a capital resource virtually nil”. in the delivery of mutually the proposal has dropped out of and also requires the monthly The as-yet unnamed individual beneficial outcomes”. However, the blue and already feels like a servicing of mortgage payments”. has apparently stated their a codicil to this states“the ‘done deal’.
Eurostar power cars arrive at High Speed Colleges
Class 319s bow out on Thameslink GTR Nos. 319440/443 call at Elephant & Castle with the 07.28 Orpington-Bedford on August 25, just two days before the class was retired after almost 30 years on Thameslink duties. JAMIE SQUIBBS
THE two Eurostar power cars Alstom has donated to the National College for High Speed Rail have been delivered and placed on a section of track as gate guardians. Each of the two colleges – one in Aston, Birmingham, the other in Carolina Way, Doncaster – open to their first students in September, and will offer a range of courses relating to high-speed rail. Each of the power cars has been given a new livery: No. 3101 at Doncaster in teal and No. 3102 (above) is outside the Birmingham college in a vivid cerise. PICTURE: FRASER PITHIE
Fares to rise 3.6% in January RAIL passengers are facing their biggest rise for five years when an average of 3.6% will be added to regulated ticket prices from January 1. The rise has been formulated by using the retail price index figure for July of 2.6% plus the standard 1%. Passsenger groups have been saying for several years that the rises are unsustainable as they are not matching wage increases, and there have been calls to base fare rises on the consumer prices index. In Scotland a different formula is used for off-peak fares and these will rise by an average of 2.6%. News of the fare rises sparked fresh calls for renationalisation of the railways.
September 2017 • The Railway Magazine • 9
HeadlineNews
No more trains for Penrhyn Quarry Railway in ‘foreseeable future’ Penrhyn Quarry Railway’s Felin Fawr station on June 25, 2016, when the line was visited by Ffestioniog Railway-based Hunslet 0-4-0ST Hugh Napier (left, with leased South Tynedale Railway buffet carriage) and De Winton 0-4-0VBT Chaloner from Leighton Buzzard Railway. CLIFF THOMAS
Engineering Ltd had left the Felin Fawr site the railway would remain in situ. However, THE Penrhyn Quarry Railway (PQR) in North the planned visit by Bressingham’s newly Wales has ceased operating. overhauled Hunslet 0-4-0ST Gwynedd from There has been no official statement the end of August and encompassing PQR’s despite various rumours, but stock started September 16-17 gala was cancelled. to be dispersed to other heritage locations The locos that have left Felin Fawr include during July.Then a statement on the Manning, Wardle 0-4-0ST 1382/1897 Jubilee railway’s Facebook page provided a little 1897, which only went to the site late more information. It read:“It is true that the last year to be restored to steam, where Penrhyn team are moving from Felin Fawr, dismantling had started. the railway is not being evicted. It is owned byWelsh Slate Ltd (successors “Over the past few weeks it has become to the original Penrhyn Quarry owners) clear that the railway could not continue and is on long-term loan to Narrow Gauge at Felin Fawr due to circumstances beyond Railway MuseumTrust (NGRMT). our control. A statement issued by NGRMT confirmed “We will be issuing a further statement it had“decided with regret to remove the once all of our supporters have been locomotive from its present site because contacted and informed of what is going on.” it has become clear that the locomotive’s The railway’s website was updated to say: future there is no longer secure. “The Penrhyn Quarry Railway will no longer “Welsh Slate Ltd have fully supported be running trains for the foreseeable future the trust’s action, and have expressed a due to unforeseen circumstances. preference that the locomotive remains in “We thank everyone for their support and Wales. custom at the railway.” “This means that the current plans for its Comments posted in relation to the restoration to working order have to be Facebook statement implied that while PQR suspended for the time being.” By CliffThomas.
The Vale of Rheidol Railway’s CEO Robert Gambrill offered accommodation and Jubilee 1897 was relocated to Aberystwyth at the end of July with the agreement of Welsh Slate Ltd. NGRMT says it remains committed to restoring the loco to operation as a long-term objective, although this depends on securing the necessary funding. The original Penrhyn Railway closed in 1962. Moves to revive a section of the line date back to around 2003, tracklaying at Felin Fawr starting about three years later. The short line between Coed-y-Parc bridge and St Ann’s Bridge was officially opened on July 24, 2012, the 50th anniversary of official closure of the original railway, with Bressingham’s ex-Penrhyn Hunslet 0-4-0ST George Sholto (HE 994/1909) visiting for the occasion. The line has subsequently held galas with visiting steam, acquired two ex-South Tynedale bogie carriages, and confirmed plans to significantly extend the railway back towards the quarry. Despite efforts, no further information from the PQR has been provided.
Brake failure scare for Snaefell passengers
SNAEFELL Mountain Railway (SMR) tram No. 2 ran a significant distance downhill, apparently out of control, following a brake failure, on the afternoon of August 4, writes Cliff Thomas. The tram failed to stop at Bungalow, the intermediate station, and crossed the Mountain Road before application of the manually operated Fell brake brought it to a standstill on the Laxey side of the level crossing. Passengers were said to be shocked by the experience but there were no significant injuries, despite some people being thrown around the vehicle. The incident comes less than 18 months after Snaefell car No. 3 ran away from the Summit in different circumstances.Then the car had no crew or passengers aboard, the vehicle gathering speed until derailing shortly before the Bungalow crossing and rolling down the mountainside, destroying the body. Snaefell trams have a brake on the bogie wheels, which is principally a parking brake. The primary control of descent speed uses the former Aachen rheostatic braking system, which works via the tram’s electric motors. A third braking system is the original 1895 Fell brake that works on the centre rail. However, there is no centre rail at Bungalow, where SMR crosses the road on the level. It is unclear whether the Fell brake was applied as the tram approached Bungalow following a problem with the rheostatic
10 • The Railway Magazine • September 2017
system and then re-applied on the Laxey side of the crossing. The flashing lights at the level crossing were activated helping to avoid a collision with a road. Passengers were taken down to Laxey by a another tram. Railway Magazine reader Nick Douglas, a regular visitor to the Isle of Man, who was aboard the tram, said it normally left the Summit with all seats occupied and two additional passengers, one sitting on the conductor’s stool. Between the Summit and Bungalow, the tram accelerated significantly and the driver could be seen“wrestling his controls”. Mr Douglas has supplied a statement
to Isle of Man Health and Safety Executive Inspectorate, a copy of which has been seen by The RM. The tramcar was taken out of service for examination. Speaking to The RM, Ian Longworth, director Of PublicTransport in Isle of Man, apologised for the incident, but while it was under health & safety investigation he could not comment further on the circumstances. Some years ago the Fell rail had badly deteriorated and orders for new rail was placed, with some 60% of the Fell rail having been renewed since 2010. Until the 1970s Fell rail was the only means of controlling the descent of trams.
Snaefell tram car No. 2 at the Summit station, prior to the incident on August 4. NICK DOUGLAS
Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk Double-chimney ‘Castles’ Nos. 5043 and 7029 stand side-by-side around Tyseley’s turntable on June 24. The pair will be reunited again on October 29, this time in steam. GARY BOYDHOPE
Copycat vandalism as more railways targeted By Chris Milner and Gary Boyd-Hope
Open day to mark Tyseley’s rededication of Clun Castle
TYSELEY Locomotive Works has set Sunday, October 29 as the date for the official rededication of its flagship 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle. The double-chimney ‘Castle’ made its post-overhaul debut at The Railway Magazinesupported Tyseley Open Weekend in June, albeit static only, and will be formally recommissioned – in steam – during a special public open day at Tyseley. Traditionally, Tyseley’s late-season open event has taken place in September, but the date has been pushed back to ensure ‘Clun’ is completely finished; a fitting way to round
off the 50th anniversary year of the pioneering Birmingham set-up. Steam passenger shuttles will operate throughout the day, featuring Tyseley’s home fleet, including ‘8750’ class 0-6-0PT No. 9600 and ‘Hall’ No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall. There will also be regular turntable demonstrations, sales and promotional stands, and a chance to see progress on some of the ongoing TLW projects. The champagne-smashing rededication of No. 7029 will take place at 11.00, and it is expected No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe will
be alongside, offering the opportunity to see a pair of double-chimney ‘Castles’ in steam together for the first time in more than 50 years. As this issue of The RM went to press there were no plans to run No. 7029 on any booked Vintage Trains railtours this year, although some main line testing may take place between Tyseley and Stratford-upon-Avon. Tickets for the 7029 ‘Clun Castle’ Public Dedication and Open Day will be available for purchase on the day at £20 for adults, with no charge for accompanied children aged 15 and under.
First steam calls at Ilkeston in 50 years COLLETT 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe will have the honour of working the first steam-hauled train to stop at the newly reopened Ilkeston station on December 9 after an absence of more than half a century. The Tyseley-based ‘Castle’ will be heading Vintage Trains’ ‘Christmas White Rose’ from Tyseley to York, which will be stopping at Ilkeston to pick up passengers en route.
The train leaves Tyseley shortly our steam services will call at before 08.00 and will call at Ilkeston, including a second Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton, steam train to York a week later Leicester and East Midlands on December 16.” Parkway before reaching The original Ilkeston station Ilkeston around 10:30. closed on January 2, 1967 and Ben Mason, Vintage Trains’ was ‘reborn’ on April 2 this year commercial manager, said: when the first trains in 50 years “Vintage Trains is excited to be called at the new £10million running the first steam train to facility. serve the community of Ilkeston For more information on the in over 50 years. This is long ‘Christmas White Rose’ visit: overdue! www.vintagetrains.co.uk or call “We hope many more of 0121 708 4960.
Greater Anglia cracks down on fare dodgers ALMOST 500 fare dodgers have been prosecuted by Greater Anglia in the last month as part of a crackdown in Essex and London. On July 17 alone, 267 fare dodgers were prosecuted incurring fines of £54,964 and costs of £26,618. A further 217 people were prosecuted at Southend Magistrates Court on August 2, fined £17,762, and ordered to pay costs of £11,900.
Andrew Goodrum, Greater Anglia customer services director, said: “It is always cheaper to buy a ticket than to be fined for not having one. “We will continue to crack down on people who deliberately catch our trains without buying tickets. “Travelling without a ticket results in fares going up for everyone and reduces money available for investment in the railway.”
JUST weeks after vandals wrecked six priceless LNER teak carriages on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway comes news of two more heritage railways being targeted. Four separate attacks at the East Lancashire Railway, Bury, on July 20, 21, 22 and July 25 left the railway with a bill for damage that will cost £30,000 to repair. The attacks came in the week the railway was celebrating its 30th anniversary. Vandals have left graffiti on locos, carriage windows were smashed, corridor doors left with holes in, and the cafe in a carriage at Bury Transport Museum was wrecked. General manager Tracey Parkinson, who has only recently taken on the position, said: “It’s been a week of mixed emotions for the railway, from celebrating our 30th anniversary and the dedication of our inspiring volunteers to cleaning up the aftermath of mindless vandals. It is deeply saddening for me and the entire ELR family to see both our heritage and hard work destroyed.
Tintagel to be reborn for Great Central Autumn Gala NINE Elms regular BR ‘5MT’ No. 73084 Tintagel will be reborn at the Great Central Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala on October 5-8, thanks to the return to service of resident classmate No. 73156. The Riddles 4-6-0 is in the final stages of its restoration at Loughborough, and will appear at the event in the guise of one of the 20 Southern Region ‘5MTs’ that took names from withdrawn Maunsell ‘King Arthur’ 4-6-0s. Its appearance further enhances the Southern feel of the event, provided largely by the two visiting Bulleid ‘Light Pacifics’ Nos. 34081 92 Squadron and 34053 Sir Keith Park, visiting from the Nene Valley and Severn Valley Railways, respectively.
Pitlochry station honours former ScotRail PR manager PITLOCHRY station bookshop has unveiled the John Yellowlees room. The honour recognises the former ScotRail external relations manager for his role in encouraging the re-use of old stations’ buildings under the Adopt a Station scheme. The Pitlochry Station Liaison Committee started selling old books for charity, and
“We have estimated it will cost in the region of £20,000£30,000 to repair the damage, as well as a lot of time and effort. “I would like to take this opportunity to praise the efforts from Greater Manchester Police, who have been fantastic at dealing with these devastating incidents.” Police did confirm that in relation to the July 25 incident, persons had been detained. Days later, came an attack at the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Dereham station. The culprits broke into the Mk1 and Mk2 stock during the evening of July 28, using the on-board fire extinguishers to smash windows inside and out, and break interior fittings. The cost of repairing the damage has been estimated at £20,000. As this issue of The RM closed for press there had been no arrests in connection with the incident, and the MNR was considering whether it will need to send any of the affected vehicles away for repair. Moves were also being made to improve on-site security with the provision of CCTV cameras on key areas of the line.
John offered them the former newspaper sales kiosk and storage space. In its 11 years, the bookshop has raised more than £200,000 for charity, with other second-hand bookshops having sprung up at Wemyss Bay and Kilmarnock. Pitlochry is one of eight stations in the Highland Main Line Community Rail Partnership.
Up to nine locomotives are expected in steam, with the remainder being drawn from the home fleet. The format of the event will follow the tried and tested formula, featuring an intensive timetable of both passenger and goods trains. In fact there could be in excess of 90 movements at Loughborough on the Saturday and Sunday. The eight-coach express will be returning for the gala, and the ever-popular Travelling Post Office run-pasts will take place at Quorn & Woodhouse. A special photographic display of Southern Region imagery will be held in the museum at Loughborough Central during the event to reflect the GCR’s nod to the Southern and the events of 1967.
EMT celebrates a decade of charity work EAST Midlands Trains marked its 10-year partnership with the Railway Children with an HST special to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and a cheque for £30,000 to the charity. The presentation was made after EMT’s July 15 train from St Pancras International to Pickering, organised in collaboration with the NYMR, the Branch Line Society and the 125 Group.
September 2017 • The Railway Magazine • 11
HeadlineNews Final call for Barrow Hill’s grand reopening celebrations BARROW Hill Roundhouse will reopen to the public later this month after a £1.2million restoration, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A real coup for the Barrow Hill team will be the visit of Sir Peter Luff, chairman to the board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), on September 21 to view the restoration work and officially open the new entrance building at the unique Midland Railway roundhouse. Mervyn Allcock, Barrow Hill general manager, said: “We are very honoured that Sir Peter Luff has agreed to open the new extension building and lead our celebrations. “We are looking forward to welcoming him to the Roundhouse and showing how much we appreciate the financial assistance the HLF has given us.” However, the real highlight for visitors will be the pairing of two icons of steam at the Grand Reopening Gala on September 22-24: the National Railway Museum’s ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman and ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado. It will be the ‘A3’s’ first visit to the Roundhouse since it attended a BR open day in 1974. It will also be the first opportunity for many to see the world-famous ‘Pacific’ alongside its 100mph descendent Tornado. Both locomotives will be in steam and working shuttles on the Springwell Colliery branch during the event.
Special drama
Admission costs £22 for adults and £11 for children under 16 (under fives are free) or £53 for a family ticket, admitting two adults and two children. Tickets are now also on sale for ‘Down the Line’, a professionally produced play commissioned as part of the celebratory events to mark the reopening of Barrow Hill Roundhouse, and supported by The Arts Council. There will be three performances on the evenings of September 21-23 involving a cast of professional actors and hundreds of local people, including a community choir and Ireland Colliery Chesterfield Brass Band. The audience will be an integral part of the play as they follow the drama through and around the Roundhouse
building. The play includes a guest appearance by Flying Scotsman and tells the story of Barrow Hill from the advent of the railways to the present day. Doors open at 18.30 each evening, performances start at 19.30 and finish at 21.30. Tickets are priced at £13.20 each for adults and £6.60 for under-16s. Tickets for both events can be obtained from: www.seetickets.com. Sir Peter Luff added: “As the last surviving operational roundhouse, Barrow Hill has a unique role in telling the evocative story of the UK’s railway heritage. “There’s no better way to learn about this history than getting up close to the buildings and locomotives that survive from that time, and that combination is what makes this place so special.
Sympathetic extension
“That’s why I’m really excited to open the new extension, and see the finished restoration, all made possible thanks to National Lottery players.” Barrow Hill’s ‘Moving Forward’ project is designed to broaden the Roundhouse audience to include families, a range of learners, the local community and corporate use. This has been achieved through essential conservation repairs to the roundhouse and its buildings, a sympathetic extension that creates a new visible and accessible entrance, and upgrading facilities for educational visits and corporate use. It has also allowed the recruitment of a learning & access officer and development of a new learning programme, improving access to the site and collections, bringing the site to life with new interpretation, appointing a volunteer co-ordinator, providing heritage skills, training and apprenticeships, and developing a programme of events and activities. UK Railtours is joining in the celebrations with a special train from London King’s Cross to the VIP preview day on September 21. The train will run via the East Coast Main Line to Grantham and will then head cross-country via Nottingham and the Erewash Valley route to Chesterfield. Prices start at £67.50 for adults in Standard Class or £165.00 for First Class dining. See www.ukrailtours.com for tickets and timings.
12 • The Railway Magazine • September 2017
BEN JONES
By Ben Jones
Barrow Hill's new extension, which will include revised interpretations of the history of the country's only working roundhouse and new facilities for schools and corporate events.
WIN GRAND REOPENING GALA TICKETS! THE Railway Magazine, together with its sister titles Heritage Railway and Rail Express, is a media partner for this superb event, and we have two pairs of tickets that must be won by
our readers. The winners will be able to see all the attractions, plus ride behind the two icons of steam. Enter this prize draw to win a pair of adult tickets.
To be in with a chance of winning, visit www. railwaymagazine.co.uk/ win-tickets-to-barrow-hill Closing date is September 15, with UK entries only accepted.
See inside the ‘new’ Barrow Hill for free!