HERITAGE LINES REOPEN Cautious return for preserved railways
MIDDLETON AT 60
Pioneer line marks Diamond Jubilee
Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast
MASKS ON!
No. 196 DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING
Modern GWR ‘Castle Class’
New Hornby Mk.3SD trailers arrive
MODELLING SECTION
■ ‘O’ GAUGE ‘50s’ More Heljan ‘Hoovers’
■ DEMU MODELLING 3 Newsdesk: Class 92 engineering prototypes
The amazing level of detail being applied to Accurascale’s Class 92 becomes apparent with views of the first engineering samples. Irish Railway Model’s A-Class locomotive livery samples also arrive for approval.
4 Newsdesk: Gas turbine liveries and ‘O’ gauge Class 50s
New releases may be on the slow side, but announcements came thick and fast recently with new Heljan ‘O’ Class 50s, Gas Turbine loco liveries and planned re-issues of popular models.
6
Newsdesk: Hornby rollingstock releases
Popular models return to the Hornby range including the BR ferry van as a departmental wagon; KFAs loaded with new containers and faux MSV aggregate wagons.
8
D&E Files: HDL’s Thumper No. 1001.
Inspiration for modellers looking for something different to run on a privatisation-era layout.
12
Modelling: Hastings main line DEMUs
18
Review: ‘OO’ gauge industrial details
Kit Corner: How to build Hastings main line DEMU vehicles from DC Kits components part 1: Long frame vehicles.
Scrap metal, gas cylinders, refuse and white goods appear in the Goodwood Scenics range.
19 Review: GWR Mk.3 power sliding door trailers. The first of a two-part review of the new ‘OO’ gauge Hornby Mk.3SD trailers looks at the GWR version.
22 Review: Hornby Super GUV revisited as QQA.
Hornby applies authentic Network Rail yellow livery to its ageing but popular Super GUV model which is finished as one of the QQA departmental vans.
24
Review: Beer on rail Irish style
Modern CIÉ beer keg liner trains can now be modelled in ‘OO’ gauge using Irish Railway Models 42ft. container wagon packs supplied with intermodal keg cages and stacks of aluminium beer kegs.
RAIL EXPRESS MODELLER EDITOR Nigel Burkin
REMeditor@mortons.co.uk
Tackling Hastings No. 1001
■ Mk.3s REVIEWED GWR sliding door vehicles
Printed in the UK
CIÉ BEER KEG LINERS
REMEMBERING THE
BLUE PULLMAN BR’s 1960s vision of a luxury future
No. 291
RAIL EXPRESS No. 291 AUGUST 2020 £4.70
Lockdown eases, demand rises and timetables head back to normal
CONTENTS
Issue No. 291 August 2020
A MOMENT OF REFLECTION:
There is a dreamlike quality to this shot of East Midlands Railway HST power car No. 43048 reflected in a puddle on the platform at St Pancras on July 1 as it prepares to leave at the head of the 15.34 to Nottingham. Tim Helme
FEATURES
NEWS
70
8
76
THE RETRO YEARS: AUGUST
More classic diesel and electric scenes dug out from the archives.
BACK TO THE FUTURE
Remembering BR’s Blue Pullman trains, which entered service 60 years ago out of St Pancras and Paddington.
79
No return to franchises anytime soon; New inter-city sets take shape; Transport for the North seeks funding of £49 billion; Prospects rise for international sleeper services; Work starts on Goole factory; Irish Governments see positive future for rail beyond lockdown; Heritage lines prepare to reopen; Middleton marks its 60th anniversary in lockdown
16
POWERSCENE
26
POWER BY THE HOUR
The latest offers to ensure you receive Rail Express delivered to your door every month.
28
UNITS
TIME TRAVELLER
32
COACHES
34
WAGONS
35
RAILTOURS
36
PRESERVATION
REGULARS 14
HEADLINE NEWS
SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS
Top news stories from the past 50 years.
MODELLING
Hornby has released its ‘OO’ gauge model of refurbished Mk.3s with power sliding doors, and this month we take an in-depth look at the GWR version. There’s also news of a highly detailed Class 92 from Accurascale and more ‘O’ gauge Class 50s from Heljan. Then for ‘Thumper’ fans, we look at modelling Hastings DEMU No. 1001 in kit form.
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Notable workings, Name Game, and Spectrum. LSL expands with HST power cars; GBRf newbies modified for UK use; Freight locos return from store as traffic picks up. First ‘701’ emerges from Derby. LNER Mk.4 sets down to single figures; HST coach disposals continue. New JNAs head straight to store. A new kid on the S&C block. More Class 142s head off to preservation; ‘Deltic’ repairs move forward; Gala events still on hold.
38
IRISH ANGLE
40
LU WORLD
40
SHUNTERS & INDUSTRIALS
Further revisions to NIR's timetable. TfL project work restarts. ERS hires shunter for new Yarmouth base.
Avanti West Coast ‘Pendolino’ No. 390042 passes Blisworth (Northamptonshire) on June 15 working the 17.30 Euston to Glasgow Central. This set (and GWR’s No. 800321, inset) has been given a vinyl ‘mask’ to highlight the need for passengers to wear face coverings while travelling by train. Ryan Walker
Editor’s Comment PRINT & DISTRIBUTION
Newstrade & distribution Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP. 0203 787 9001 Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Friday of every month This issue July 17, 2020 Next issue August 21, 2020 Advertising deadline August 6, 2020 ISSN No 1362 234X
Paul Bickerdyke Rail Express Editor
© Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher.
Support your local line
I
T is really pleasing to see that finally, as we head back towards normal – or rather ‘new normal’ while we work to keep Covid-19 at bay – that our heritage lines are able to start reopening again. Out on the main line, the lockdown crisis has reminded the country just what a vital service the railway network provides. Media headlines of recent years have complained that rail services are overcrowded, too expensive and badly managed – some of which was justified – but now passenger and freight operators can only be praised for keeping the country moving and supplied throughout lockdown. This is why the Government stepped in to keep passenger services running, even when they were often practically empty. And it looks likely to continue supporting services for the foreseeable future by suspending franchise agreements and introducing some kind of management contract instead, where the financial risk is taken away from the operators. There is no such support for heritage lines, however, which – like many other businesses – must survive on their own two feet. The preservation movement relies partly on its members and supporters, but mostly on the paying public – and with more than four months’ income already lost due to lockdown, that is effectively half a year for most lines. It is not
Rail Express is pleased to consider contributions for publication
just fares either, but also the extra spend that visitors make in shops, bars and cafes. Some lines took advantage of the July 4 easing to reopen their retail outlets, and are now looking at running services again from August. Even then, social distancing will continue to limit the number of passengers that can be carried, and thus cap the fare income. So if you can, and feel it is safe for you, please consider booking a trip and supporting the heritage movement. Many lines have launched successful donation appeals, but some are in deep financial trouble and real danger of going under. And once a line closes, it will take a very long time to bring it back. ■ If you are having trouble getting to the shops or finding a copy of Rail Express on sale, then why not consider taking out a subscription and having it delivered to your door every month. Some great deals are available, so please see page 14 for the latest offers. Paul Bickerdyke
Please do not send images that have already been sent to other publications. Prints & slides are sent at the owner’s risk and must be accompanied by a SAE for return. Digital images can be sent by email, but please bear in mind we may not be able to reply to every one, as we receive hundreds of images each week. Although care will be taken with submissions, Rail Express assumes no responsibility for loss/damage, however caused. Submitted material may also be used in connection with other Mortons Media Group projects or as content on the internet. Payment for material used will be made promptly. Please send digital submissions to RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk or via CD or DVD to the editorial address. IMPORTANT: Images should be ex-camera with no Photoshop manipulation.
ADVERTISING
Group advertising manager Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk Advertising Fiona Leak Tel: 01507 529573 Email: fleak@mortons.co.uk Publishing director Dan Savage Publisher Tim Hartley Production editor Sarah Wilkinson Designers Tracey Markham, Tim Pipes Subscription manager Paul Deacon Circulation manager Steve O’Hara
EDITORIAL
Want to know when your next edition of Rail Express is on the shelves?
Editor Paul Bickerdyke Tel: 01507 529540 Email: RailExpressEditor@mortons.co.uk Editorial address Rail Express Magazine, Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincolnshire LN9 6LZ
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Christopher Westcott
Nigel Burkin
Editor Rail Express Modeller
David Rapson
Gareth Bayer Power by the hour Wagons
Alistair Grieve
LU World (with Piers Connor)
Powerscene
William Watson Irish Angle (with Alan McFerran)
Shunters
‘Industry Witness’ News Writer
6 RAIL EXPRESS August 2020
NHS TRIBUTE: Buildings across Britain were lit up in blue on July 4 to help
celebrate 72 years of the NHS and to mark all the hard work done by its staff during the coronavirus outbreak. Buildings taking part in London included The Shard, which is seen as the backdrop to London Underground’s Bakerloo Line depot at London Road, near Elephant & Castle. Fraser Hay
HEADLINE NEWS
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No return to franchises soon Concessions are set to replace franchise agreements after the Emergency Measures Agreements expire in September. By ‘Industry Witness’ THE franchised passenger operators are continuing to operate under the terms of Emergency Measures Agreements (EMAs), where the Department for Transport meets the cost of providing the timetable for key workers and other essential travel. The EMAs are due to expire on September 19, but the Government has said that franchise agreements will not be reinstated in their current form as an expected shortfall in revenue will invalidate previous contract assumptions. The preferred alternative appears to be the concession style of agreement, which is already used by Transport for London for its London Overground services, and the Liverpool City Region for Merseyrail. The change means that train operators will no longer have responsibility for revenue and become operational contractors, with the relevant public authority determining the performance benchmark and fares policy. This business model is more appropriate for local metro style operations than longer distance services where passengers are choosing rail over other options. Long distance routes require a competitive product supported by marketing initiatives that is not necessarily compatible with removing any incentive for the operator to attract customers in a competitive market.
STRUCTURAL CHANGES
Changes can also be expected after the failure to align timetables with capacity. The situation in Manchester is the most quoted example, where a
Wearing face coverings has become mandatory on board trains as lockdown eases and more people start to use services again, and to support the message GWR applied a ‘mask’ to No. 800321 – which is seen at Hinksey (Oxford) on June 25, forming the 14.20 from Paddington. John Hurst
timetable was planned on the basis of an enhancement scheme that the DfT did not subsequently authorise. As a result, more trains are now planned to run through the Castlefield corridor, which links Victoria and Piccadilly stations, than can be reliably operated. There have been similar problems with the West Midlands franchise, which required an increase in services from December 2018, although this was put off until May 2019. An investigation by the ORR has shown that the additional capacity has been created by splitting and joining services at Birmingham New Street, which has impacted on performance. Despite the need for change, Network Rail has said its planning process will not permit this to happen before May 2021 at the earliest. It is little wonder that a future industry structure is planned with a central guiding mind that, in the words of the Government, will create ‘a railway that is brought together a lot more’.
Avanti West Coast has also applied a vinyl mask to 'Pendolino' No. 390042, which is seen at Oxley depot (near Wolverhampton) in mid-June. AWC
INTERCITY SETS TAKE SHAPE:
Hitachi has started work building new train sets for both the West Coast and East Coast main lines. A Class 805 bodyshell for Avanti West Coast is pictured (far left) at the company’s Kasado plant in Japan, although others have already been shipped to Newton Aycliffe in County Durham for assembly to begin. These 13 five-car bi-modes will replace AWC ‘Voyagers’ from 2022, and there will also be 10 all-electric seven-car Class 807 units. Meanwhile, Newton Aycliffe is also assembling five 5-car Class 803 EMUs for open access operator East Coast Trains. These are due to enter service between Edinburgh and London from autumn 2021, offering a cost effective alternative to flying.
8 RAIL EXPRESS August 2020
HEADLINE NEWS
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IN BRIEF WORK STARTS ON GOOLE FACTORY
A vision of how Grand Central’s West Coast Blackpool services will look when they start running next year, as GC-liveried No. 90029 hauls a matching rake of refurbished Mk.4s from Alstom, Widnes to Wembley at Heamies Farm (Staffordshire) on June 26. The livery is not unlike a black and orange version of former East Coast operator GNER’s blue and red. Brad Joyce
TfN seeks £49 billion
Transport for the North has asked the Government to fund 20-years of rail investment across the North of England between Liverpool and Hull. By ‘Industry Witness’ TRANSPORT for the North has put forward rail investment proposals to the National Infrastructure Commission for a 20-year programme of development worth £49 billion. This includes the upgrades required for the Northern Powerhouse network at an estimated cost of £39 billion, with a further £10 billion available for smaller scale projects. The scope of future Northern Powerhouse services has now been defined and is centred on six hubs at Hull, Leeds, Sheffield, Manchester and its airport, and Liverpool. It integrates HS2 into the network with new and upgraded infrastructure. The route map includes a new line between Liverpool and HS2 at Warrington, with chords that provide a north-facing junction for access to Manchester and a south-facing junction to reach Crewe and beyond. A further new alignment is proposed between Manchester and Leeds via Bradford. The need for smaller scale developments is illustrated by the Manchester Castlefield Corridor project, where expansion to a fourtrack railway was planned as part of the Ordsall chord development opening in 2017 to link Victoria and Piccadilly stations. This mile-long section of line runs between Castlefield Junction and
the through platforms at Piccadilly, and includes Oxford Road station. A Transport and Works Act submission was made to the Government in 2015 to provide powers for construction at a cost of up to £893 million with completion by 2020, but to date has not been authorised. The view at the time was that without this enhancement no more than 12 trains per hour could run on the corridor, but despite this the May 2018 timetable provided 15 passenger services per hour with the added need to serve the Trafford Park Freightliner terminal. This facility operates 20 daily train arrivals and departures serving the deep sea ports at Felixstowe, Southampton and London Gateway. The operating performance along this section is consistently poor, and an urgent appraisal of the options is being carried out. Solutions are limited if capacity investment does not take place, with the result that it is likely in the short term that the number of services using the link will be reduced.
ELECTRIFICATION IS KEY
The 2019/20 statistics for rail travel published by the ORR showed that Covid-19 travel restrictions in the final weeks of the financial year brought a reduction of 50 million passenger journeys, cancelling out growth earlier in the year.
Despite this, the Northern franchise – which was taken over by the DfT at the beginning of March – recorded a 6.6% increase in users in the year. It has emerged that the 2016 Northern franchise agreement does not contain a requirement for sufficient rolling stock to cater for growth at this level, and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority believes that when demand returns to normal up to 56 additional vehicles will be required. ‘Pacer’ units have been recalled for now – but with the 2040 carbon neutral objective for railway operation in mind, it is only an extension of electrified routes that can resolve the shortfall. There are a number of options for infill electrification projects – in particular beyond the existing Merseyrail network, which has a number of boundary stations where it is necessary to change trains to continue a journey. Examples are at Ormskirk where the Liverpool to Preston route switches from electric to diesel, and similarly at Kirkby on the Liverpool to Wigan route. Fortunately, the new fleet of Merseyrail Class 777 trains have been built with network expansion in mind as they have dual-voltage and battery capability, and an option for 60 further four-car units is in place to supplement the 52 units ordered for existing services.
Prospects rise for international sleeper services AN unexpected revival of overnight services in Europe has taken place, with the Austrian State Railway (ÖBB) introducing a new overnight link between Brussels and Vienna at the start of this year. ÖBB has committed investment to 13 new trainsets for overnight travel, including sleeping cars marketed as the ‘Nightjet’ service,
which includes destinations in Germany. European lobby group Back on Track has identified the potential for a new generation of overnight sleeping car services as users increasingly reject airline travel to prevent high carbon emissions. To encourage such modal change, proposals have been made that include the introduction of a new aviation fuel
tax and offering operators a Public Service Contract with negotiated subsidy payments to contribute to the cost of running services. In the UK, the Department for Transport has said it stands ready to engage with any potential operator of new International trains, including sleeping car services.
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson visited Goole on July 6, to see work start on Siemens’ £200 million train manufacturing plant. The site should be running from 2023 and will be used to build new Piccadilly Line trains for London Underground, creating up to 700 direct jobs and an additional 1700 in the supply chain. The site will also include a research and development and digital innovation cluster serving the UK rail sector, with industry suppliers colocated on site.
WABTEC JOB CUTS
WABTEC, Doncaster has begun a 45day consultation period with employee representatives and trade unions as it seeks to reduce the workforce by up to 450 by early 2021. The company said the market was changing as operators turned to new fleets rather than refurbishing older vehicles.
LOCKDOWN SHUNTERS
MANY heritage railways have been using their ex-industrial diesels to keep lines ticking over during lockdown. The Doon Valley Railway in Scotland used its ex-NCB Sentinel No. 10012 to release HAA No. 354456 from store in its ‘bottom’ yard so it can leave as part of the National Wagon Preservation Group’s collection at the Chasewater Railway. The Middleton Railway has been using its Brush/Beyer Peacock 0-4-0DE No. 91/D2999 for works trains along the line, whilst the Chasewater Railway has commenced a series of weekly runs to ensure crews are up to date, some of which used ex-BR No. 08359, NBL No. 27876 and Bagnall 0-4-0DH Myfanway.
COVID CLOSES STATIONS
TRANSPORT for Wales has had to temporarily close some stations because their platforms are either too short or too curved to allow the opening of two train doors. This has affected Llanfairpwll and Valley on Anglesey, Conwy, Gilfach Fargoed in Caerphilly county and Sugar Loaf in Powys. Others at Prees, Hopton Heath and Yorton (all in Shropshire) plus Earlestown (Merseyside) are also affected. TfW said risk assessments had found two train doors had to be used to put a safe distance between passengers and the conductor.
EMISSION REDUCTION TRIAL SOUTH Western Railway has completed a trial that is claimed to have reduced harmful nitrous and carbon oxide emissions from a Class 159 diesel unit by more than 90 percent. In partnership with Porterbrook and Eminox, the technology could enable mid-life diesel trains to closely match strict modern emissions standards.
August 2020 RAIL EXPRESS 9
HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF ELR TRAM STUDY
THE East Lancashire Railway has promised that a new study into restoring a tram service to part of the Bury to Rochdale line will have no impact on its heritage railway services. Transport for Greater Manchester was awarded £50,000 to investigate the possibility of reopening a section of track between Bury and Rochdale as part of the Government’s Restoring Your Railway Fund. The ELR is keen to stress this study will not impact any of its existing tracks, as any new tram tracks will run alongside.
EAST COAST DIGITAL
THE East Coast Main Line is set to become Britain’s first mainline digital rail link with £350 million of investment to install electronic signalling designed to cut journey times and reduce delays. The money will fund the replacement of conventional signalling with a digital system that allows trains to ‘talk to the track’. This is claimed to smooth the flow of trains, make journeys safer, and reduce signal failures that result in thousands of hours of delays every year. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has indicated he wants to accelerate the roll-out of digital signalling.
10 RAIL EXPRESS August 2020
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Irish Governments see positive future for rail beyond lockdown By William Watson & Alan McFerran TRANSLINK boss Chris Conway appeared before the Infrastructure Committee of the Northern Ireland Assembly on June 3, to give an update on the company’s performance during the coronavirus pandemic. He reported that passenger journeys by bus and rail had fallen on average by 90% since the start of the lockdown in March – with only 80,000 recorded in April at the height of the crisis so far, down from the usual monthly figure of seven million. Mr Conway added that there would be a shortfall in the company’s finances of around £130 million over the next year and that revenue was currently “next to nothing”. NI Infrastructure Minister Nicola Mallon issued a statement on June 16, reaffirming her commitment to the long-term future of the Belfast to Londonderry line. Lobby group “Into the West” had questioned the delay in progressing the third phase of the Coleraine to Londonderry upgrade project, but the minister said a feasibility study was required first and
this would be carried out later this year. Upgrading of the Coleraine to Castlerock section, and from the former station at Eglinton to the outskirts of Londonderry, has seen parts of these passed for 75mph and 90mph running respectively. However, much of the other sections remain to be upgraded so the 70mph limit can be increased.
IRISH RAIL COMMITMENT
Meanwhile in the Republic of Ireland the new coalition Government Elect released its Programme of Government Statement on June 16, including its policy for public transport. The main points in respect of the railway were to ensure a national integrated public transport system with an integrated timetable and ticketing. The Government also pledged to protect existing services by continuing to ensure the level of Passenger Service Obligation (PSO) grant is adequate to maintain and improve service capacity and frequency. Also included in the document was a commitment to prioritise rail projects in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Waterford on existing and unused lines plus rail
connections at ports for passenger and freight traffic. The Government committed to evaluating reopening further sections of the Western Rail Corridor, extension of Dublin’s DART electrified network, fleet expansion, improvement of journey times, enhancement of commuter services and reduction of emissions. ■ Construction of the new National Train Control Centre at Dublin Heuston commenced in mid-June. The fivestorey building will occupy part of the up-side yard, and when commissioned will control around 250,000 train movements annually. It will replace the existing CTC facility at Connolly, which dates from the 1970s. A €32 million, 15-year contract to develop an advanced traffic management system has been awarded to Spanish company Indra Sistemas, whose personnel will be based at the new centre. Rationalisation of the up sidings at Connolly station in connection with the construction of the €200 million Connolly Quarter commercial and residential development, commenced in early June. E
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