Rail Express April 2014 by Mortons Media Group Ltd

Diesel engines for GBRf ‘92s’?

Stratford Then & Now 0 to 60: Class 220 Camera phone update

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

ELECTRIFICATION

RAIL EXPRESS No. 215 APRIL 2014 £4.25

2000 track miles to be electriﬁed in biggest programme since the 1960s

Modelling section

Box to Box Documenting the signalboxes on North Humberside

The West Highland Line in the 80s: Eastﬁeld ‘37/0s’, ETHELs, and www.railexpress.co.uk freight guide

CONTENTS

Issue No. 215 April 2014

NEwS

Work begins on East-West Rail link; DPS turns down GBRf freight job; storms abate allowing repairs to be completed; passengers not being fairly compensated; Network Rail electriﬁcation ‘explosion’; NACCO returns to US ownership; diesel engines for GBRf ‘92s’?

18 BOX-TO-BOX: NORTh huMBERSIDE Michael Rhodes documents the remaining signalboxes between Gilberdyke and Hull.

24 CAMERA PhONES: yOuR ShOTS

A selection of images taken by readers following the challenge we issued last month.

26 ThEN & NOw: STRATFORD

How the scene has changed at this London hub.

26 0 TO 60: CLASS 220

How fast is a CrossCountry ‘Voyager’ oﬀ the mark?

28 REVIEwS

Tracks of the City (Dublin); Shed by Shed Part Nine.

29 EXPRESS MAILBAG

Do we have too many ‘50s’, and should we get them all together for their 50th anniversary?

30 TIME TRAVELLER

Looking back to April news over the past 50 years.

31 RAILTOuRS

Linked trips make railtour history; Polish ‘66’ to work first time railtour; full diary for April.

34 PRESERVATION

New power unit for ‘07’; Epping EMU for sale; ‘Bubblecars’ to Barry; diesel gala updates.

37 Lu wORLD

LU searches for new Tube train; ‘C’ Stock update.

MODELLING There’s a 1980s west highland Line theme to this month’s supplement, including Class 37/0s, EThELs, BSw timber wagons, and a look at freight traﬃc ﬂows through the Speedlink era.

COLAS Rail’s Class 70 fleet finally started work at the end of February, and Nos. 70801 / 70803-70805 had all worked trains as this issue went to press. Missing No. 70802 was unloaded from the Atlantic Companion at Seaforth Docks on February 28, then ran light engine to Bescot on March 10. It is pictured at the closed Ditton station (Cheshire) waiting for DRS No. 37604 to pass with a Network Rail test train. Ditton was the first station to close after rail privatisation in 1994. Jim Scott

40 POwER By ThE hOuR

Colas ‘70s’ enter service; slow start for DRS ‘68s’.

43 POwERSCENE

Key workings this month locomotive-wise.

51 ShuNTER SPOT

GBRf expands shunter operations.

52 uNITARy AuThORITy

TransPennine ‘350’ deliveries near completion.

54 COACh COMPARTMENT

Riviera coaches used in an episode of Casualty.

55 wAGONS ROLL

VTG orders 25 triple-platform Ecofret sets.

56 IRISh ANGLE

Stored Irish Mk.3s coaches go for scrapping.

MAIN COVER IMAGE: Class 90 No. 90034 now sports DRS livery and logos, the new look being unveiled at Gresty Bridge (Crewe) on March 11. The loco will be used to power Virgin Trains’ Mk.3 set on regular workings and charters. Meanwhile, rail electrification is set to boom – see page 13. Chris Milner

Editor’s comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION Newstrade & distribution COMAG, Tavistock Road, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7QE. 01895 433600

Paul Bickerdyke

Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Thursday of every month

Rail Express Editor

This issue March 20, 2014 Next issue April 17, 2014 Advertising deadline April 4, 2014

Welcome...

HE weather took a turn for the better as February ended and March began, allowing Network Rail engineers to take stock of winter’s toll on the system and get lines up and running again. The main line through Bridgwater finally reopened on March 10, bringing to an end the diversions via Westbury, while a potential major slip near Sheffield was fixed allowing the Midland Main Line to return to normal from the 8th. There are still a couple of major closures to be sorted, not least the Great Western Main Line at Dawlish. But everyone involved has to be commended for the tireless efforts put in to make good the effects of what has been a truly exceptional winter weather-wise. As the railways return to normal, thoughts are turning to how best to prevent it all from happening again. As far as Devon and Cornwall are concerned, the effect on the local economy has been enormous, with estimates putting lost trade at up to £600 million or more. That sort of money could reopen one of the rail routes which formerly provided an alternative path west of Exeter. The favourite option is to reopen the missing 20 miles between Bere Alston and Okehampton, around the north edge of Dartmoor. Whether the political will

disappears with the floods remains to be seen. But the fact remains that being disconnected from the rest of the network for two months has hit the south-west hard.

Locos to the fore

Good news this month on the locomotive front. Colas Rail’s Class 70s have started to earn their keep – not before time in the case of No. 70801, which had been in the country for 16 months without heading a train. The first five are now in traffic and are set become a regular feature in the South and Midlands. Elsewhere, as our cover image shows, DRS’ Class 90 is now ready to start work. The loco will be dedicated to hauling Virgin’s ‘Pretendolino’ coaching set on the regular Thursday and Friday evening diagrams from Euston to Birmingham, as well as for charter train work as required. It’s not the first blue ‘90’, but it is the first to work under DRS branding. One intriguing story to keep an eye on is the talk of adding diesel engines to GBRf’s recently acquired Class 92 electrics. Radical reengineering would be needed, but the company has form in this respect with its Class 73 project. It’s definitely one to watch! Paul Bickerdyke

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EDITORIAL

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NEWS

Storms abate allowing repairs to be completed

Rail lines reopen, but services still not fully reinstated around the country. THE weather continued to wreak havoc across the country in February, although the situation improved towards the end of the month and into March, allowing repair work to be completed. A snaphot on February 13 showed the West Coast Main Line closed through Runcorn to Liverpool, as was the East Coast Main Line from Doncaster to Leeds. Overhead line damage north of York meant a limited service was running and a speed restriction between Newcastle and the Scottish border of 80mph. The Welsh routes to Blaenau Ffestiniog, Fishguard and Aberystwyth were shut as engineers worked to clear trees, while flooding continued to affect the South and South West, although it had not got any worse. Flooding at Waltham, between

Maidenhead and Twyford, meant there was a very limited service out of Paddington. The Staines to Windsor & Eton Riverside branch was closed when flood waters rose above the level of the electric conductor rail. Two of the three routes to Exeter were open, but on the route through Bridgwater in Somerset around 3⁄4 mile was underwater. Further west, the hole in the Dawlish sea wall was shored up by 11 shipping containers welded together and filled with sand and stone to protect engineers and prevent further damage. Other routes blocked long-term included Woldingham to Oxted; Eastleigh to Fareham near Botley; and Tunbridge Wells to Hastings. The latter two were still closed as this issue of Rail Express went to press. An aerial view of the flooded Great Western Main Line near Bridgwater on February 10. The line reopened to all traffic on March 10. Network Rail

Dawlish to reopen for Easter NETWORK Rail announced on March 4 that the line through Dawlish would reopen on April 4 in time for the Easter holidays. The line connects Devon and Cornwall to the rest of the rail network, and is a vital connection for business and tourist use. The original estimate for reopening was mid-April, but NR said it was working round the clock to finish by the start of the month instead. However, with the line set to reopen, calls have been made to ensure Devon and Cornwall are not cut off again in the future. Options available include reopening former routes that avoid the famous seawall by running inland. The cost to the affected local economy has been estimated by the

Plymouth Chamber of Commerce at up to £10 million per day, equating to a total of £600 million while the line has been closed. The line most likely to be reopened is the former London & South Western Railway route from Exeter to Plymouth via Tavistock, which closed in May 1968. The line remains open between Exeter St Davids and Okehampton and from Bere Alston to Plymouth, meaning there is a gap of around 20 miles through the town of Tavistock. Another alternative is the former Teign Valley line, which ran from Heathfield, north of Newton Abbot, to just south of Exeter. This closed as a through route in 1961, ironically due to flooding, and then entirely in 1967.

Map showing the possible alternative routes for trains between Exeter and Plymouth. The central mass of remote Dartmoor is impassable and has to be circumvented.

Plans to avoid the seawall at Dawlish date back to the 1930s when the Great Western Railway proposed a new line running inland behind Dawlish from Exminster to Bishopsteignton,

LANDSLIP CLOSES MIDLAND MAIN LINE: The MML was partially closed between Sheffield and Chesterfield from February 18 after a hillslide at Unstone threatened to engulf the railway. The southbound line was closed, and inter-city services were diverted via Woodhouse and Beighton. Northern Rail trains went no further south than Sheffield, and freight traffic was also diverted. The line reopened three weeks later on March 8. The image below shows the affected former wooded area on February 15, while right EMT Nos. 158806+158858 pass Woodhouse with the diverted 08.52 Liverpool Lime StreetNottingham on February 26. Pictures: Network Rail/Mike Haddon

10 RAIL EXPRESS April 2014

east of Newton Abbot. Some construction work did begin in 1939, but it was never completed due to the outbreak of the Second World War, and the idea was dropped afterwards.

NEWS

Passengers not being fairly compensated by TOCs for service disruptions Improvements are needed so that passengers are refunded following events out of their control. By ‘Industry Witness’ THE storms and floods that have disrupted rail services have brought criticism of the compensation available to passengers unable to travel despite holding valid tickets, as well as those experiencing a level of delay that removed the purpose of their journey. The situation is not helped by the number of journeys made using advance tickets that are sold for use on a specific service, so that disruption on one part of the network can mean connections are missed and a replacement ticket has to be purchased. There is little uniformity in the policies adopted by the Train Operating Companies (TOCs) in providing refunds and, despite a passengers’ charter being required as part of each franchise contract that specifies what qualifies for compensation, users are frequently not aware of what can be claimed. Before the disruption to journeys brought about by the recent severe weather, the Rail Regulator announced an intention to introduce a stronger code of practice covering passenger compensation in the event of service cancellation and delay. This will be introduced before the end of this year. Having developed a compensation structure that results

in train operators receiving substantial payments from Network Rail when services are disrupted, it needs to make sure that passengers who are affected also receive compensation. A recent survey by the Office of Rail Regulation revealed that very few users are aware that refunds can be claimed if their journey is delayed. The objective is to ensure the industry becomes more proactive about communicating what can be claimed – such as when making announcements about service disruption on board trains, at stations, and on websites. Changes to the conditions that apply are also proposed, in particular that compensation will be cash rather than travel vouchers for a future journey, and provisions for specific delay compensation will be included in new franchise contracts. Rebate arrangements will also be improved for season ticket holders if there are regular delays that fall below the current threshold of 30 minutes. Passenger Focus, the government watchdog for rail passengers, wants to go further in modifying the terms and conditions for travel including the inappropriate use of penalty fares. Regular case studies are now published online that demonstrate the lack of discretion shown by revenue protection staff when there is clearly no intent to defraud. This includes inappropriate decisions being made to prosecute individuals who are often able to demonstrate in court that they did not have the opportunity to purchase a ticket.

There is also pressure to change the rules that apply to advance purchase tickets. The issue is that these are sold for use on a specific train and if the passenger misses this for a reason when the individual is blameless, the purchase of a full price alternative ticket is needed to permit travel. No allowance is given for what has already been paid, which can be substantial for a longer distance journey. It is not proposed to change the compensation relationship between Network Rail and the train operators, as this was considered as part of the periodic review process that has set industry financial arrangements for the next five years. It was viewed that the structure in place already provided incentives for NR to invest in improving assets to prevent delays. A good example is the justification for the new flyover at Hitchin, where an investment case was made based on the money NR would save as a result of reducing delay minutes that occurred as a result of conflicting movements at Cambridge Junction. The £47 million cost was justified by a forecast reduction of 30,000 delay minutes annually to services. Similarly the money received by the train operators can be used to improve the response to service disruption by investing in better information systems and providing higher staffing levels. It also offsets the cost in training staff to run trains on diversionary routes enabling journeys to continue by rail rather than the need for substitute bus services.

PLOUGHS STAND DOWN: The Met Office

counts March 1 as the official start of spring, but in railway terms it is sights like this that signal the end of winter. On February 28, DRS Class 37s Nos. 37606 and 37218 topand-tail independent snowploughs Nos. ABD965208 and ABD965240 at the south end of Culloden Viaduct, near Inverness, as the 5Z50 Inverness to Motherwell TMD. The ploughs were heading south for maintenance by DRS. John Gray

in brief FIRST EVER SPALDING mODEL ENGINEERING AND HOBBy SHOW

THE inaugural Spalding model Engineering and Hobbies Show will take place on the weekend of April 26-27 at the Springfield Events Centre, celebrating the best of British with working miniature steam models, an outdoor model boating pool, an end-to-end ‘sit and ride on’ railway and radio controlled trucks on a road network hauling ballast. The event organisers are endeavouring to produce an interactive show that engages experts and beginners alike and, with modern engineering technology such as 3D printing on display, it is hoped that the event introduces a new, young audience to the scene. The show is open from 09.30 to 17.30 on April 26 and to 16.30 on April 27. Admission is £6 for adults, £5 for concessions and £2 for under 16s. For more information see www.spaldingshow.com

RUNNING DAy FOR DEVON ‘RAT’

THE Devon Diesel Society and Dartmouth Steam Railway & Riverboat Company (DSR) have joined forces to offer another full day out behind Class 25 No. D7535. The loco will be running in a new blue livery, and is expected to operate around 70 miles on April 27. The DSR’s Type 2 very rarely sees use on passenger services. Its appearance on April 27 will be the day after classmate No. D7612 is due to operate on the nearby South Devon Railway, making a Class 25 Devon weekend possible. No. D7535 will operate five trips between Paignton and Kingswear, with the first departure at 09.45. The loco was last repainted nearly 28 years ago but will shortly emerge in rail blue livery with small yellow warning panels.

WENSLEyDALE APPEAL

AN unstable embankment at Akebar on the Wensleydale Railway is posing a serious threat to the future of the line. The railway dealt with a previous slip at this location in 2013, but now a more serious fault has occurred. Train movements have been stopped while repairs get underway with help from the rail industry - in particular HNRC, which has supplied wagons and locomotives to assist with the work. The railway has developed a plan to complete the repair, but needs to raise around £100,000 at current estimates. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so by visiting www.wensleydalerailway.com or by sending a cheque payable to the Wensleydale Railway Trust at Leeming Bar Station, Leases Road, Leeming Bar DL7 9AR.

EUROSTAR ‘VELARO’ DELIVERED

AFTER some delays with its move through the Channel Tunnel, new Siemens ‘Velaro’ pair Nos. 4007+4008 made its way through the Channel Tunnel on 6K74/23.00 Frethun-Temple mills on January 29. The Class 374 units are being used for staff familiarisation and training purposes. Introduction to service of the first units is expected to take place in 2015, with a new London-Amsterdam ‘Eurostar’ service being introduced in December 2016.

OOPS mOmENT FOR TPE ‘350’

NEWLy delivered TransPennine Express ‘Desiro’ No. 350409 was involved in a shunting accident at its new home depot in Ardwick, manchester, on march 2. The EmU was pushed through a buffer stop at low speed, damaging the coupling and parts of the cab front. For more on TPE ‘350’ deliveries, see Unitary Authority on page 52.

April 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 11

Infrastructure

Box-to-box:

Gilberdyke

to Hull

Michael Rhodes documents the semaphores and signalboxes on the North Humberside line.

HE line between Hull and Gilberdyke may be perceived as boring by many. It is, after all, part of the UK’s longest straight railway line, which runs 18 miles between Selby and Melton Lane Crossing to the west of Ferriby. In contrast to the lines on South Humberside, freight traffic is sparse (although trains from Hull Docks have increased significantly in the last five years). On the other hand, the line is busy with passenger traffic and is controlled by no fewer than 10 signalboxes and manual gate crossings in the 16 miles between Hull Paragon station and Gilberdyke. Network Rail has stated its aim

18 raIL eXPress april 2014

of centralising Britain’s signalling into 14 regional centres by the late-2020s, leading to the abolition of more than 500 signal boxes in the next 10 years. The Hull line is no exception, with resignalling planned for 2016/17 – possibly tied in with electrification if the money is found to place wires beyond Selby to Hull. Visiting in late 2013, there were already surveyors at many of the crossings, working out where the new automatic barriers could be placed. The next couple of years will be the last chance to observe and photograph the 10 boxes along this line, rich in history and with ever-increasing freight traffic.

1 1. GILBERDYKE: The North Eastern Railway (NER)-designed box opened in 1903 and has a 55-lever McKenzie & Holland frame. Here, in September 2013, Class 66 No. 66539 passes with a Hull Docks to Drax coal service. 2. GILBERDYKE: This is without doubt the hardest work along the line, with control of the junction to Goole and Doncaster. Back in 1984, Class 31 No. 31406 rounds the curve from Goole with a Sheffield to Hull passenger service. Little has changed at this spot today, except the vegetation has grown in a little (but without obscuring the shot), and the signalbox has acquired a satellite dish.

Infrastructure

Hull to Gilberdyke Signalboxes

3. OXMARDYKE: The crossing box is a 1901 NER construction, with a 16-lever McKenzie & Holland frame, which was fitted in 1956 after it had been reconditioned from another box. Like Cave Crossing, the gates here are controlled by a splendid Victorian-era gate wheel and once closed it will be lever No. 16 that locks the gates. 4. BROOMFLEET: The 60-lever box at Broomfleet dates from 1904 and is of NER design. It has had severe problems with subsidence and has metal beams bolted to the outside to stop further collapse. The number of levers has been greatly reduced since the mainline from Hull to Gilberdyke was reduced from four to two tracks in the 1980s. Here, Class 66 No.66051 passes with 6H25, a Hull to Drax power station coal train, on October 1, 2012.

â&#x20AC;ş april 2014 raIL eXPress 19

NOSTALGIA

Then & Now: STRATFORD M

UCH has changed at this east London rail hub in the years between these two shots – although, in railway terms, it’s difficult to judge whether it’s a change for the better or worse. The upper photo was taken in October 1978 and shows Class 37 No. 37263 running light engine through the station towards the west. The loco was then 13 years old and would last in traffic until 1999, although happily it survives to this day in private ownership and is under restoration at Tyseley. In the sidings on the left is Driving Motor Brake Second (DBMS) No. E51156 from a Class 125 DMU, which were all withdrawn by 1977, while behind the loco is a Class 105 ‘Cravens’ DMU in the Lea Valley platforms. All of the land and buildings off to the left are railway property, home to Stratford’s diesel depot and repair shops. The depot was one of the biggest in the country, but its role diminished with electrification of the lines to Cambridge and Norwich in the mid-1980s, and it was eventually closed by EWS in 1997.

HE lower shot was taken on January 28 this year and shows London Overground EMU No. 378228 departing for Richmond. At the rear of the train are the new Platforms 1 and 2, which were opened in 2009 after LO took over North London Line services from Silverlink Metro. To the right of this is the island platform (Nos. 9 and 10) that opened after the station was remodelled in the 1990s and which serves main line trains to Norwich, Clacton and Southend. Hidden behind are the refurbished Lea Valley platforms, which after a period out of use now see regular services again to Broxbourne and beyond. By far the greatest change, however, is the opening of the large Westfield shopping centre built on the former railway lands, which is accessed by a wide footbridge stretching across the full width of the station. The centre opened in 2011 and was part of the regeneration of Stratford as the home to the London 2012 Olympic Games, the park and stadia for which was also mostly built on former railway land. The site of the former Stratford diesel depot is now occupied by Stratford International station on the HS1 line between St Pancras, Ashford, Paris and Brussels. The International station (so called, even though no international trains call there yet) is connected to the domestic station by a Docklands Light Railway link that uses Stratford’s low level platforms before continuing on to Woolwich.

26 RAIL EXPRESS April 2014

PERFORMANCE

Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest off the mark? In this month’s speed trial, Neville Hill tests out a CrossCountry Class 220 ‘Voyager’ leaving Taunton for Bristol Temple Meads.

ITH the roar of the engines under each carriage, and the smell of the toilets, the erstwhile Virgin ‘Voyager’ Class 220s, now in the tender care of Arriva CrossCountry, are not everyone’s favourite motive power. Are these in fact anyone’s first choice? Having assumed ownership of a fleet that was undeniably capable of swift acceleration and shorter journey times, Arriva responded by reducing the engine power from 750hp to 700hp, no doubt reducing their maintenance charges and fuel consumption. Schedule them to exploit their full capability instead? No chance. So here we find No. 220007 leaving Taunton with an early morning Paignton to Manchester Piccadilly train. This service uses Platform 4, one of two main line platforms that have been reinstated

by Network Rail and First Great Western. North and eastbound trains from the Up relief platform (Platform 5) have to negotiate a 60mph turnout – ideally set for an HST blasting away from Taunton, but a restriction that causes a ‘Voyager’ to be eased for a few seconds. Not so those leaving from the Up main (Platform 4), which offers a clear run. Running three minutes late and with the advantage of a downhill start, averaging about 1-in-400 for the first three miles to Creech St Michael, the situation should have been favourable. True, there was a gusty north westerly wind and a greasy rail in places due to leaf fall, but the de-named Thames Voyager took 84 seconds to reach 60mph and passed Cogload Junction without regaining the 10 or so seconds that are sometimes clawed back on this section.

TIMES AND SCORES SUMMARY Rank No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

180110 220007 43285, 43321 166205 67006

0 to 60 time (seconds) 83 84 96 102 179

RE Factor** 8514 7610 9050 11391 8030

Taunton depart to Cogload Junction pass Unit No. Load* Train Date Recorder Miles 0.00 0.43 0.59 0.78 1.08 1.53 2.28 2.90 4.75

220007 4/186/192 07.02 Paignton-Manchester Piccadilly December 14, 2013 Neville Hill, in 4th coach of 4 Location TAUNTON d.

WTT 0

Creech St Michael Cogload Jct p.

M. S. 0 00 0 58 1 11 1 24 1 40 2 01 2 33 2 57 4 04

MPH 3L Pfm 4 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 100

Location

Issue

Notes

Notes: *Vehicles/tare/gross tonnes; WTT = working timetable; timed to 1⁄100th of a second and rounded to the nearest full second.

North from Grantham East from Taunton South from Burton West from Tilehurst North from Tamworth

Jan. 2014 Apr. 2014 Jan. 2014 Mar. 2014 Feb. 2014

Working on four or five engines? Disappointing derated acceleration HST workhorse Showing the effects of low gearing A majestic effort

0-60 time: RE FACTOR**: COMMENT:

BELOW: An unidentified four-car Class 220 unit heads past Charlton, between Taunton and Cogload Junction, with a northbound Arriva CrossCountry working on December 17, 2009. In our test, No. 220007 reached 60mph in 84 seconds from leaving Taunton, and by Charlton was doing 100mph. Darren Harris

84 seconds 7610 (6095 on the full 750hp rating) All four engines working but disappointing acceleration.

Note: **The RE (Rail Express) Factor is calculated using a formula based on time, load and rated horsepower. A higher score is better.

April 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 27

IRISH ANGLE

William Watson & Alan McFerran

Stored Irish Rail Mk.3s Withdrawn vehicles are broken up north and south of the border.

NORTHERN Ireland-based recycling company Hamill’s of Ahoghill (near Ballymena, County Antrim) has won a contract to dispose of a number of withdrawn Irish Rail Mk.3 carriages. Sixteen vehicles have been stored in the sidings at Dundalk station, County Louth. As with previous disposal programmes carried out by Hamill’s, each vehicle is cut in half prior to transportation by lorry to the company’s premises for final cutting. On February 4, GM loco No. 217 moved six Mk.3s over the short distance from Dundalk station to the closed Ardee Road freight yard for the initial cutting, while GM No. 088 similarly moved a further batch on the 12th. Noted at Hamill’s premises on February 15 were the remains of Mk.3s Nos. 6301, 6305, 7153, 7170 and 7612. Meanwhile further south, mid-February saw some repositioning of the withdrawn Mk.3s stored at Sally Park Yard in Waterford. Recycling contractor’s equipment arrived at the location by road on February 18 in readiness for scrapping of the vehicles. Recovery of internal fittings and seats was undertaken prior to cutting, which started on the 19th. Initial impressions indicate that the vehicles at Waterford were being reduced to scrap on site rather than being cut in half for final disposal elsewhere.

Former Irish Rail Mk.3s waiting to be scrapped at Thomas Hamill & Sons in Ahoghill, Northern Ireland, on February 15. Gordon Hawkins

IARNROD EIREANN / IRISH RAIL ■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: GM No. 072 worked a Dublin North Wall to Ballina wagon transfer, consisting of four bogie container ﬂats, on January 28. GM No. 075 was failed at Kildare on January 30 while working a Waterford to Ballina DFDS liner. The loco was replaced by No. 079, which ran light from Inchicore. Four days later on February 3 No. 079 itself failed at Athlone while working a Ballina to Waterford timber train. No. 081 was despatched light engine from Inchicore to work the train to Portarlington, where the loco and train were recessed until the next day. However, No. 081 could not be started the following day and so No. 074 was sent light from Inchicore to work the train from Portarlington to Waterford. No. 079 ran light to Inchicore under its own power from Athlone on February 5. On February 13, No. 078 worked a Waterford to Ballina DFDS liner as far as Kildare, where No. 080 took over for the remainder of the journey. The next day No. 073 was in charge of a Waterford to Ballina empty timber train as far as Kildare, where No. 078 took over for the remainder of the journey. Also active on Mayo to Waterford/North Wall freight duties during the period under review were Nos. 077, 082, 215, 217, 218 and 219. The gradual reduction in the use of Mk.4 push-pull stock on the premier Heuston to Cork route, and the increasing use of 22000 Class DMUs on the service, continues. It is believed that only three of the eight Mk.4 sets are being diagrammed on a regular basis as IR seeks to reduce costs and maximise revenue. Members of the 22000 Class have recently been employed on the cross-country Limerick Junction to Waterford service. ■ EXTREME WEATHER: Flooding, strong winds and high tides continued to aﬀect rail services during the period under review. In early February replacement buses were in operation

56 RAIL EXPRESS April 2014

between Waterford and Kilkenny/Carrick-on-Suir, Limerick and Ennis, and between Enniscorthy and Rosslare Europort. Cork to Midleton and Cobh services were also affected, but substitute buses were unable to be used to and from Cobh due to the road route also being impassable. A rockfall between Bray and Greystones on the Rosslare line also caused disruption. IR has said that the Limerick to Ennis section, closed since February 2 because of flooding at two locations, would remain out of use for approximately six weeks because of severe flooding in the Ballycar Lough area, which has slow drainage characteristics. The company added that the track in the area had been raised by 600mm in 2003 to counteract the threat of flooding, but the water level in mid-February was nearly that depth above rail level. A lull in the weather across the country brought some respite in early February, but further storms then caused more disruption. Damage to electric power lines, fallen trees and other debris was responsible for service disruption, with many routes being affected. On February 12 both cab windscreens on a 22000 Class DMU were smashed, apparently in a collision with a fallen tree. It was unclear if the driver received any injuries. Buses were in use between Tralee and Mallow on February 13 due to power cuts that affected operation of the level crossing, while Limerick to Galway services were further disrupted because of obstructions on the line between Ennis and Athenry. Services on the Nenagh and M3 Parkway branches were suspended for some time on February 14 because of electrical problems and fallen trees respectively. Severe flooding of the Sligo line between Longford and Carrick on Shannon on February 18 saw buses being used between the two locations – these arrangements were expected to last until late February. Services to and from Waterford were subsequently reinstated after flood damage

was repaired but as before (see March issue) only platform 5 was being used. The Irish Government has made an emergency loan to IR of €5 million to assist in covering the cost of repairs to damaged infrastructure. €2.8 million will be spent on repairs and reconstruction at Cork station (see March issue), while €2.2 million will be used for stabilising the cliff-face at Waterford station and repairing damaged infrastructure elsewhere. ■ TRAFFIC INCREASE: Traffic on the Ennis to Athenry section of the Limerick to Galway route had been less than anticipated since its reopening for timetabled services in March 2010. However, the latest figures from IR show an overall increase in passenger numbers of 38%, with the introduction of online booking in December 2013 cited as the main reason. The increase is all the more noteable as the results excluded peak hour travel from Galway to Athenry and Limerick to Ennis. Free car parking has also been introduced at Gort, Ardrahan and Craughwell. ■ DUBLIN: While other parts of the capital city are well served by LUAS, DART or ‘Commuter’ rail services, it would appear that those living in the north west area may, yet again, be deprived of a rail-based public transport option. The National Transport Authority (NTA), which oversees public transport in the Republic of Ireland, is proposing the construction of dedicated busways in the area rather than investing in new LUAS or Metro lines. One route that the NTA has earmarked for the bus option is between the city centre and Dublin Airport/Swords – a corridor that was previously proposed to be served by Metro North, but was sidelined due to the recession. Ironically, Dublin Airport continues to thrive with over 20 million passengers using it in 2013, but it remains one the few major European airports not to have a rail connection.

IRISH ANGLE

head to the scrapyard

GM No. 217 at Dundalk station on February 4 for shunting the stored Mk.3 stock to the nearby yard. One rake containing push-pull carriages was moved in the morning; the second is behind the loco comprising Nos. 7101, 7601 (generator van), 7401 (buffet), 7170 (first class/standard class), 7141, 7156 (city gold), 7153, 7154, 7159 and 7131. Cathal O’Brien

Refurbishment for cross-border stock is approved The 28-strong fleet of De Dietrich crossborder stock, which is jointly owned by IR and NIR, is to receive a midlife refurbishment. A significant proportion of the

£12 million allocated for the project is expected to be paid for by the European Union through funds originally earmarked for a cross-border bridge project at Warrenpoint, County Down.

NIR remains committed to relaying the section south west of Belfast from Lisburn to Lurgan, reduction of the journey time between Belfast and Dublin, and the introduction of a

regular hourly interval service. The use of Mk.3 generator vans on the De Dietrich trains appears to have improved reliability of the small pool of dedicated 201 Class locomotives.

NORTHERN IRELAND RAILWAYS (NIR) ■ TRAFFIC: IR DMU No. 29x10 was noted at Belfast Central on February 10. It is believed that the unit had replaced the booked De Dietrich train on the 11.00 exDublin Connolly. GM No. 8113 was at Londonderry in mid-February with a train of CE Dept hoppers. A series of overnight ballasting trips was undertaken by the loco and wagons in the Londonderry/Coleraine area. ■ NEWS: NIR announced on January 28 that 12.9million passenger journeys were made in 2013, an increase of 1.6million over the previous year. A new footbridge costing £400,000 is to be erected at the Portadown end of Moira station, adjacent to the road level crossing.

RIGHT: NIR GM No. 8113 sits at the site of the former station at Limavady Junction, County Londonderry, on February 15 at the head of a hopper train being refilled with ballast for work in the Londonderry/Coleraine area. Chris Playfair

April 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 57

MODELLING Around 15 Class 37s were given the white solebar stripe by Eastfield in 1983/84 before officialdom intervened and ordered its removal. When teamed with red nameplates, the effect was most pleasing.

‘Tractors’ to the Isles

The Bachmann Class 37/0 has been subject to a number of tooling alterations since first appearing, and not always for the best. Alex Carpenter sets about creating a trio of early 1980s boiler-fitted Eastfield machines. THERE are quite a few ‘OO’ gauge Bachmann Class 37/0 models to choose from when sourcing a donor model, but it has to be said that the best tooling is not currently available. The models used here are based on this more accurate tooling, which was first introduced some six years ago. Employed as donors here were No. 37035 in Civil Engineers’ ‘Dutch’ and EW&S-liveried No. 37114, while other models from the same batch are No. 37057 in BR large logo blue and the centre headcode box duo of No. 37239 in Trainload Coal and BR blue No. 37254. Unsurprisingly, these models can command a high price on the secondhand market, but are well worth picking up when seen at a good price. Re-tooled in 2011 to accommodate lighting and DCC upgrades, this unfortunately saw two significant errors introduced. The most obvious is

the elongated separate nose sections, while a curious ‘trench’ also appeared beneath the cantrail grilles. Both issues make a big difference to the look of the model and are difficult to remedy, which is why the first batch are much sought after by discerning fans of the EE Type 3s.

Making a selection

Eastfield was home to a considerable number of Class 37/0s in the early to mid-1980s, their principal, but by no means only, duties being both passenger and freight work along the West Highland Line. The majority were equipped with a steam-heat boiler ,while split headcode examples largely dominated the allocation. With the Glasgow depot being one of the first to personalise its loco fleet with nameplates and livery adornments, the choice of which locos

to model was considerable. However, the decision to portray long-standing favourites No. 37012 (the original Loch Rannoch) and No. 37112 was not difficult, both carrying their embellishments of a white solebar stripe and yellow bonnets, respectively. While a centre-box example was the preferred choice for the third loco, the total lack of donor models with the divided Robert Stephenson & Hawthorn style of cantrail grilles rather narrowed the field. Instead, plain blue No. 37108 was plumped for as this made best use of the available donors, it being a rare example at the time with plated- up nose doors. All three bodyshells (two No. 37114 and one No. 37035) were stripped down and the glazing removed. The nose ends on two models had to come off and be swapped over in order to give

the right combination of end and roof variants, but it was easier to remove all the noses anyway as it made working on them and final painting quite a bit easier. The nose ends are glued on, but gentle pressure applied from behind with a large flat screwdriver should ease them off without much difficulty.

Modifications

All three models needed the high intensity headlights removed and the resulting holes made good. This was easiest on No. 37108 as it had the plated nose-end doors, so was a simple task of cutting the moulded headlight off with a scalpel, filling from behind with Humbrol plastic model filler, and smoothing off with fine wet and dry paper. The other noses all required the original doors to remain in place, so needed the central dividing bar rebuilding after the headlight was

No. 37112 was one of three Class 37s to be given yellow cabs by Eastﬁeld at the start of the 1980s. Nos. 37027 and 37111 being the others. By far the longest lived of the trio, it also sported bodyside numbers.

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Supplement No. 120

MODELLING

The trio of boiler-ﬁtted split headcode Scottish machines stand ready for action on a future layout.

removed – this was done with Mircostrip, applied and cut to length once fitted. At the same time, the nose-top aerials were removed and the mounting holes filled in. Shawplan’s Extreme Etchings replacement cab window frames were next up; these are simply fitted by cutting out the window dividing bars and filing out the entire opening to accommodate the different shape of the new etch. Be careful not to remove too much plastic as you need to leave a small amount around the whole etch on which to apply the glue. If you can, chamfer the edge of the opening with a file so the etch sits recessed ever so slightly. Once happy with test fitting, the etch can be fixed in place with sparing amounts of superglue, this being applied from the inside and dragged along the joints to seal it. Do not use too much glue or the glazing will not fit. Next was the Extreme Etchings roof fan grille, which is superb and considerably enhances the look of the model. After pushing out the factoryfitted effort from the inside, test fit the new mesh and mark out the material to be removed. The new grille is correctly larger so the opening needs to be filed out to suit, and also note that it is oval with the longer side of the etch going side to side across the roof. When filing out the fan opening, leave around 1mm of

plastic to overlap around the entire edge, this serves as a base to glue the mesh on to. Holding the mesh exactly in position, apply small dabs of superglue directly to the mesh using a cocktail stick, going around the whole edge until it is secure. The mesh is so thin and flexible that it does not require bending, it just glues quite happily to the roof profile. However, the top etched surround does require rolling to the roof profile and is simply glued on top. The last job before painting started was to add Shawplan-etched worksplates to some or all of the cabsides as required. These could then be over-painted blue or yellow during spraying to match the real things.

Painting

The bodyshells were next given a coat of grey primer, this helping to highlight any defects that need attention, with a second coat of primer applied afterwards if necessary. As grey primer never gives a good base for yellow, the separate noses were then given a coat of matt white in readiness for the yellow topcoat which can be applied once dry. Once the rail blue had been applied to the bodyshells, the white solebar stripes on No. 37012 were carefully measured and masked off, making sure everything was level and a constant thickness. Railmatch matt white/rail

white was used for this, applying a few coats to ensure good coverage over the blue. Turning to No. 37112, the yellow bonnets were masked off and sprayed white as a base, then yellow to match the nose ends. Next, the cab front and side windows were sprayed black with a bit of hand painting to finish the job. Finally, the bonnet top doors were painted black, this was done by hand as it was not a level surface to mask on so sprayed paint would bleed through to the yellow and ruin it.

Finishing

Transfers were a combination of Fox, Railtec and Replica, with 9mm-long BR arrows being used along with the smaller West Highland ’terrier’ motifs. All were applied in the usual manner of gloss varnish, transfers, gloss varnish and finished with satin varnish to seal them in. I find matt varnish to be a little ‘too matt’ for loco use and the weathering process dulls the satin down nicely, as per the prototype. The bufferbeams of Nos. 37012 and 37112 were sprayed red before the usual array of bufferbeam detail and pipework was added. While No. 37112 retained the as-supplied round buffers, the poor plastic oval buffers on the other two were replaced with metal Hornby Class 50 buffers, which are available as spares. The snowploughs

are from the Heljan Class 47 with the centre section omitted from all three locos as per photographs. Lastly, the Shawplan Laserglaze cab windows can be fitted; some filing may be required to get a perfect fit while, unusually for the range, they are fitted from the inside. I used ‘Micro Krystal Klear’ dragged along the inside edges to hold the new windows in place. Once dry in half an hour or so, the locos were re-assembled ready for weathering. A medium weathering was called for, this representing the trio as running in 1983 with a somewhat careworn appearance. Railmatch sleeper grime was liberally applied and wiped off, before another new layer was applied as required, using photos as a reference. Roof dirt was then used on the underframes, bodyside grilles, roof and bonnet tops to varying degrees. The bonnet tops of Class 37s were rarely cleaned and perhaps yellow was not the best colour to paint them as shown on No. 37112! After modelling a fair few Class 37s, it is safe to say that the extra time and effort involved in fitting the Extreme Etching products is well worth it. While it will add a couple of hours to each model, the end results are undoubtedly impressive.

Not every EE Type 3 at Eastﬁeld received livery embellishments. No. 37108 is a typical example of the breed, with just a small terrier emblem to mark its allocation.

Supplement No. 120

April 2014 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller M13

REVIEWS

Weathered Sentinel shunter released The last of the initial trio of Hornby Sentinels is now available, this carrying weathered Tarmac dark green. NOW available from retailers is the third of Hornby’s new Sentinel industrial shunters, this portraying an example used by aggregates firm Tarmac (R3180, £55.99). Finished in dark green with the company’s current logo on the cabsides, the model is also supplied with factory weathering. This amounts to a heavy spray of track colour over the underframe, bufferbeams and lower body, it progressively fading out the higher you go. As a result, the cab roof, bonnet tops and bonnet sides behind the side panels are largely pristine, which looks somewhat odd when viewed from above. From the sides though, the effect is decent enough and gives the impression of a hard-working loco. Apart from this, the model is to the same specification as the previous two releases reviewed back in REM117. The panel gaps around the solebar remain a disappointment while this particular example had a rough finish to the edge of the cast chassis block that the paint cannot disguise. That said, it remains an interesting model with lots of

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potential, which is married to very good performance characteristics. While Hornby has advised that the Sentinels are all painted rather than selfcoloured plastic, you are still left with the feeling that the fit and finish could be a bit better in order to deliver a really first rate model.

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Coaches span the years

Also new from Hornby this month are two very different pairs of coaches, both in terms of era and detail. Completing the set of Mk.4 coaches to accompany the Flying Scotsman Class 91 train pack are First Open No. 11410 (R4540, £28.49) and buffet No. 10304 (R4542, £28.49). Both are nicely finished in East Coast silver and certainly look the part but the elderly tooling does not stand comparison to today’s models. In contrast, the two new Southern Railway ‘Van B’ bogie guard’s vans show just what Hornby can do these days. Released in limited numbers just before Christmas, the bulk of the production run has now arrived and portrays No. S266S in BR crimson (R4586, £28.99) ExprEss ratiNg

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and BR blue No. S256S with NFV TOPS code (R4585, £28.99). Built in three batches in the late 1930s and early 1950s, the chosen running numbers are from the latter build while the Hornby tooling portrays the earlier vans, although the differences are relatively minor, such as the style of door planking. BR crimson was the initial livery of the 1952-53 build, this progressively giving way to BR blue during the late 1960s. Once relegated to parcels use, the blue examples could be seen from Sussex to the north of Scotland with the last examples going in 1986. Sporting high levels of detail in all areas, both vans are well finished with the blue example looking particularly good, although they were normally so filthy that the underlying colour was difficult to determine!

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Classy clay open arrives in ‘N’ SOMEWHAT surprisingly given the popularity of china clay traffic as a modelling subject, the BR china clay open wagons have never previously been available in ‘N’ gauge as a ready-torun model. This has now been rectified with the arrival of Kernow Model Rail Centre’s latest exclusive model. Commissioned from Bachmann as part of its Graham Farish brand, the all-new model is now available as two triple packs, both of which carry bauxite livery with a white weathered finish. Representing the diagram 1/051 wagons in their 1950s-60s condition is the triple pack with flat tarpaulins (377475Z, £34.99), the trio of wagons being numbered B743689, B743790 and B743804 and limited to 500 examples. The second release covers the wagons during their famous ‘Clay Hood’ days (377-476Z, £34.99), the distinctive blue

canopies appearing from 1973. With the models carrying the TOPS code of OOV, this strictly speaking dates them to the 1983-88 period but as the branding is barely discernable in the small scale, they can easily pass for earlier years when they were coded UCV. Numbered B743113, B743142 and B743169, 750 packs have been produced. Bachmann has done an excellent job with the tooling, especially given their tiny size. The body is well rendered, including a correct longitudinally planked floor (which aided end tipping), while the underframe includes separate brake shoe mouldings and the vacuum cylinder linkage. For each wagon, the accessory bag includes coupling hooks, vacuum pipes and the hinge bar for the end door, which need to be glued in place. The tarpaulins and hoods are

M32 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller April 2014

separate plastic mouldings and have a far superior look to the fabric versions supplied with the 4mm scale wagons. Small slithers of double-sided tape are provided on the inside edges to secure the covers to the wagon sides, allowing easy removal if required. The wagons also score over their bigger cousins in the axlebox department, correctly having split axleboxes rather than the much rarer roller bearings that the latter are saddled with. Finishing is very good with the white weathering being particularly effective, and applied to the wagon interiors as well. The only negative is the chunky ‘N’ gauge couplings, which are rather overpowering on something so small, but at least they are in NEM

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pockets to allow an easy swap. All in all, a highly impressive release from Kernow and Bachmann which leaves the ‘OO’ gauge model crying out for a similar upgrade, or even complete replacement. Reviews by Simon Bendall

Supplement No. 120

Serial Elcot Road Part 39 –

Customising the Sentinel

This month, Terry Bendall describes how the Hornby Sentinel shunter can be converted to ‘P4’ and detailed. IT WAS always the intention to make use of some sort of industrial shunter on Elcot Road, since many coal concentration depots did have dedicated shunters. While Elcot Road may be a bit on the small side for such a thing, it does make the operation a bit more interesting. There are a number of different prototypes that could be used in such a situation but a desire to avoid ex BR types ruled out the likes of a Class 03 or 04. While there are a number of kits available, these often use Black Beetle or similar motor bogies. Past experience has shown that getting these mechanisms to run consistently well at the slow speeds required for shunting is tricky, given the short wheelbase and difficulty in packing weight into the body. Thus, the announcement by Hornby that it was to produce the chain-drive Sentinel was of much interest, especially as it would have a can motor and gear drive along with a cast chassis to give weight. One of the NCB examples was duly procured upon release.

Wheel conversion

Since Elcot Road is built to ‘P4’ standards, the first job was to fit ‘P4’ wheels but this, of course, would not be necessary for those working in ‘OO’. While a conversion pack has since appeared from Ultrascale, this was not in the offing when the model first appeared so a different rewheeling method has been employed. The clearance for fitting the wider ‘P4’ wheels between the sideframes is very tight so the Ultrascale offering uses wheels of a narrower profile than usual. Another option is to use 12mm diameter diesel wheels from Alan Gibson. These are made to fit a 1/8 inch diameter axle, as employed by Hornby, and again produce a perfectly acceptable result. One compromise is that the face of the wheels is not quite prototypical but this does not matter a great deal as they are all but hidden behind the sideframes. The conversion method employed here was rather more complex as it used Black Beetle 12mm wagon wheels, which are made to fit on a 2mm axle. To fit these into the existing bearings and to allow the existing Hornby gear to be reused meant making new axles on a lathe. Picture 1 shows the start of the conversion with the keeper plate and brake rigging removed. On the left is one pair of the ‘OO’ wheels still on the axle and the other ‘OO’ axle with the wheels removed. In front is one of the new axles turned from 1/8 inch diameter steel rod. Picture 2 shows the ‘P4’ wheels assembled and fitted into the chassis. It was necessary to scrape away inside the sideframes to give some clearance for the wider gauge wheels. Making new axles is not difficult for those that have the necessary skills and equipment but for those without them, the other methods mentioned above are more feasible. Picture 3 shows the keeper plate refitted and also the additional pick-ups that have been fitted to help give smoother running. As the factoryfitted pick-ups are hidden inside the chassis,

Supplement No. 120

cleaning them at exhibitions would be difficult so the extra pick-ups (made from small strips of copper-clad paxolin sheet with 0.3mm phosphor bronze wire soldered to them) have been fitted. Short lengths of insulated wire transfer the current to the motor. The final job after this was to increase the width of the pull rods for the brake rigging. This was done by cutting through the cross pieces and gluing on spacers made from 1mm brass tube, and then gluing the pull rods to the spacers. Moving to the body, the infill sections for the bufferbeams were glued in place and filler used to fill the gaps around the edges, this being rubbed down afterwards to give a smooth surface. The moulded coupling hooks were replaced with ones from the Smiths range while the bufferbeam lifting lugs were also drilled out to give the holes found on the prototype. Another job above the footplate was to fit a shaped piece of lead under the plastic moulded control desk, this filling the space designed for the DCC chip.

Sanding and painting

Prior to painting, the bodyside printing was removed using fine wet and dry paper and items such as the glazing and wipers removed. However, the ends of the bonnets were masked with tape to ensure that the well-rendered Sentinel sword emblem remained intact. Once painted in Great Western green to match the coal merchant’s road fleet, the masking was removed from the bonnet ends and the grille and framing painted by hand. It was decided to retain the bufferbeam wasp stripes, these requiring touching in after gluing the infill sections in place. The black parts of the stripes were masked off with tape and the yellow parts carefully repainted by hand. When this was dry, the tape was removed and the black stripes similarly treated. The lifting lugs and the buffers were also painted black as were the handrails on the body. While the nature of the model’s design and the need to have it in pieces for painting makes dealing with some of the panel gaps difficult, the gap between the chassis frame and underframe valance was filled and rubbed down until an acceptable finish was achieved. The chassis was then painted black, several coats and further rubbing down in between being required to achieve a smooth finish. As pictured here, the model still requires a dose of weathering before it is ready for exhibition use.

3 april 2014 rail eXPreSS Modeller M33