Rail Express December 2014

‘PRETENDOLINO’ BOWS OUT Virgin bids farewell to WB64, its last Mk.3 coaching set

HSTs for ScotRail

Essential reading for today’s rail enthusiast

INSIDE UKRL! FIRST LOOK BEHIND THE SCENES AT THE NEW LOCO LEASING FIRM

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WHAT PLANS DOES IT HAVE FOR ALL THOSE CLASS 56s?

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RAIL EXPRESS No. 223 DECEMBER 2014

BR SURVIVORS

Centre-headcode 37s Where are they all now?

48 pages of modelling Including: Heljan 40, Murphy 201, Farish 37, Hornby 2-HAL, and Arnold ‘Brighton Belle’

DRS 47s under threat

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EU rethink on diesel emissions

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CONTENTS

Issue No. 223 December 2014

This stunning image of the mock-up Eurostar and Channel Tunnel section at the NRM in York was taken on October 29 during its four day ‘Locos in a different light’ event, which sees teams of students compete to produce the most dramatic lighting effects on parts of the collection. With the museum’s lights turned down low, along with sound and smoke effects, it is always an atmospheric time to visit the museum. Duncan Langtree

E IB R C 46 S B GE SU PA 8 NEWS

New ScotRail franchise promises HSTs; EU rethink on diesel engines; Government promises HS3 in the North; 4-VEP to be restored; Railvac 3 enters service; Bakerloo Line plans southern extension.

16 ‘PRETENDOLINO’ BOWS OUT

Virgin Trains said farewell to its final Mk.3 set with a charity railtour in North Wales.

18 INSIDE UK RAIL LEASING

Rail Express gets a first-ever look behind the scenes at the home of the new loco-leasing firm.

22 BR SURvIvORS: CLASS 37s part2 Detailing the whereabouts of all the remaining centre-headcode English Electric Type 3s.

MODELLING With the Warley show looming, there is much to review from all the major manufacturers, plus we take a detailed look at BR pipe wagons in our D&E Files, and continue our series building a JLTRT Class 50.

31 0-60: CLASS 91

48 RHTT PICTORIAL

32 ExPRESS MAILBAG & REvIEWS

50 POWERSCENE

It’s back to Northallerton to test out the starting grunt of these East Coast machines.

A selection of comments and feedback.

34 TIME TRAvELLER

Modern traction news from Decembers past.

35 LU WORLD

Transport for London has unveiled the striking new look for its next generation Tube trains.

37 RAILTOURS

The BLS finally covers the Tata Santon branch.

39 PRESERvATION

‘Deltic’ and ‘Western’ suffer power unit problems; MNR gets a ‘108’; Finsbury Park blue for Alycidon.

44 POWER BY THE HOUR

DRS Class 47s under threat; Nemesis ‘47’ set for Hungary; bleak future for ex-FGW Type 4s.

16

8

18

Autumn brings out the ‘leaf-busters’ in force with a variety of traction around the country.

Our class by class review of notable locomotive workings from around the country.

59 UNITARY AUTHORITY

First Class 387s arrive at Bletchley for testing.

61 SHUNTER SPOT

An outbreak of common sense at DB Schenker.

62 COACH COMPARTMENT

Looking back at Virgin’s ‘Pretendolino’ set.

63 WAGONS ROLL

VTG acquires the owner of the ‘Megafret’ fleet.

64 IRISH ANGLE

Luxury land cruise charter makes its debut; seven more vehicles enter preservation.

Revived Type 5s Nos. 56098, 56081 and 56007 on shed at UKRL’s Leicester headquarters on November 7. By the time this issue is published, No. 56081 should be on active duties with Freightliner at Crewe.

We get a first look behind the scenes at the loco hire company in our feature on page 18. Paul Bickerdyke

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

Paul Bickerdyke

01895 433600 Printed by William Gibbons and Sons, Wolverhampton Published Third Thursday of every month

Rail Express Editor

This issue November 20, 2014 Next issue December 18, 2014 Advertising deadline December 5, 2014

Farewell to the ‘Pretendolino’

O

CTOBER 25 witnessed the end of an era as WB64 – the final set of Mk.3 coaches on the West Coast Main Line, or ‘Pretendolino’ as it is affectionately known – had its final passenger run.

Virgin teamed up with DRS to operate a railtour from Crewe to Holyhead and Llandudno, which not only was a great day out but raised more than £15,000 for the Royal British Legion.

There are other Mk.3 sets still in service elsewhere, of course – such as the hauled sets used

by Greater Anglia and Chiltern, and the HSTs used by First Great Western, East Coast and East Midlands Trains. But the withdrawal of WB64 brings to an end a continuous line of service on the WCML going back almost four decades to the late 1970s.

Mk.3s are one of the most successful products ever developed by British Rail, offering comfortable seats, a smooth ride, and great views out of the windows – and as hauled stock there is no underfloor engine noise! They look set to continue in use well past their 50th anniversary, not least in HSTs to the West Country and now in Scotland too (see page 8), so hopefully the coaches from WB64 will find use with another operator. For now, though, they look set for a spell in storage after a job well done. And if you’ve ever wondered why WB64 is so called, then turn to page 62 to find out.

CLASSIC TRACTION ON THE UP

ISSN No 1362 234X ©Mortons Media Group Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this

many ex-BR locomotives are still in traffic on the main line. This month we have a first look behind the scenes at start-up loco-hire firm UK Rail Leasing, which is resurrecting a fleet of Class 56s. The company has a fascinating story with big plans, and has found itself a niche supplying Type 5 power to the freight operators.

Also this month we have part two of our BR Survivors series, this time tracking down the remaining centre-headcode Class 37s following the split-box list in we ran in October. There are an incredible 65 examples surviving with main line operators and in preservation – not bad for a 50-year-old design!

With the news that the European Union has now scaled back its restrictions on diesel locomotive engines (page 9), this opens the door to re-engineering more of our older types of locomotives, which should hopefully see them around for many more years to come.

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STILL on a nostalgia theme, it is great to see how

Paul Bickerdyke

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EDITORIAL

Simon Bendall Editor Rail Express Modeller Power by the Hour Shunter Spot Name Game Spectrum

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BR SURVIVORS

Centre headcode ‘Syphons’

Having detailed the surviving split headcode Class 37s in our October issue, Gareth Bayer now looks at the 65 surviving centre headcode examples of this once 309-strong class. There have been some exciting developments recently, not least the return to main line action of several long stored machines with new operators.

UNLIKE their split headcode classmates, the vast majority of surviving centre headcode Class 37s have retained a strong link with their original factory appearance.

Approximately half of the remaining 65 locomotives (53 of which were built at English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry and 12 at Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns) were part of the 135 examples to be cycled through the 1980s refurbishment scheme at Crewe Works, while the rest have undergone numerous other detail changes over their five decades of service. These alterations include removing the boiler, fitting of sealed beam headlights, DRS Wipac-style light clusters, fuel tank modifications, bodyside footstep removal, toughened windscreens and the adding of radio aerials.

The most outlandish of the

changes took place on Barrow Hillbased No. 37372, which is the donor for an ambitious project to recreate a BoBo Type 2 ‘Baby Deltic’ (TOPS Class 23).

This is included in the article for the sake of completeness, although it is so far down its ‘type change’ that it cannot really be considered a Class 37 any more.

Out of 190 Class 37s originally built with a centre headcode box, the oldest of the 65 survivors is Vulcan Foundrybuilt No. 37669 (ex-37129), which was released from the famous Newton-leWillows workshops in March 1963 as No. D6829 and originally allocated to Cardiff Canton.

The last centre headcode machine to be built and, by extension, the youngest of the 107 remaining ‘Tractors’ of any type, is No. 37308, also a product of the Vulcan Foundry.

Pictured during its Ruston 906 Group days, Class 37/9 No. 37906 heads towards Castor Level Crossing on the Nene Valley Railway with the 1E50/13.00 Wansford-Peterborough on October 2, 2010. Now owned by UK Rail Leasing, the Ruston Type 3 is stored in operational condition at UKR’s Leicester Depot. Gareth Bayer

22 RAIL EXPRESS December 2014

Built in November 1965 as No. D6608, it was delivered in BR blue, which it wore until very recently, following a welcome repaint by EWS ahead of the Old Oak Common open day in 2000 and was based at Landore. In fact these two South Wales depots were the first allocation for 58 of the extant locos covered in this article, with the remaining seven joining the Eastern Region at Sheffield Darnall.

The paint schemes currently worn by the centre headcode fleet illustrate many of the best liveries of the last 50 years, although there is only one example currently in original BR green, No. 37905, although the Growler Group will be rectifying this surprising situation in due course.

BR blue is the most common colour among the preserved contingent, while on the main line the DRS Compass

image has dominated in recent years, with all-over Network Rail yellow and West Coast Railway Company (WCRC) maroon providing further variation. This situation has only recently been alleviated thanks to the exciting reactivation of Colas Rail’s first pair of Class 37s, which have just begun revenue-earning work. The Frenchowned operator has two more locomotives set to return and it remains to be seen if it intends to follow its original plan and purchase further ‘37s’.

Several other examples are nearing a return to the main line, while the impending European Union-mandated emission restrictions for new diesel locomotives and the start of HS2 construction work are expected to create further demand for these versatile locomotives.

BR SURVIVORS

RAIL COMPANY OWNED OPERATIONAL FLEET

Colas Rail: 37175, 37219 Direct Rail Services: 37194/218/59, 37402/5/9/19/23/5, 37610-12, 37667/82/8 WCRC: 37668/85 Network Rail: 97302-4 As one of the most versatile locomotive fleets on Network Rail metals, the 22 operational centre-headcode Class 37s are drawn from a wide variety of different sub types. Their number continues to increase and this trend will continue as stored or under-repair examples return to action, while other companies complete their own reactivation projects. There could be as many as 30 active locos on the main line within the next couple of years.

Unsurprisingly, the major user of the venerable EE Type 3 design is Direct Rail Services, which is responsible for two-thirds of the current fleet of working ‘Syphons’. The major news for the Carlisle-based freight company in recent years has been its programme of overhauls – undertaken by HNRC at Barrow Hill – on its group of former DB Schenker Class 37/4s. This has seen its original pair of the versatile electric train supply (ETS) fitted locos, Nos. 37409 and 37423, joined by Nos. 37402, 37405, 37419 and former EWS heritage large logo machine No. 37425, with just two more to follow.

All wear the original DRS Compass scheme except No. 37423, which is one of five ‘37s’ to gain the revised Compass brandings. These sit somewhat awkwardly on the heavily grilled Class 37 bodyside.

The remainder of the DRS fleet

includes the relatively unmolested No. 37194 and the much modified Nos. 37218 and 37259. No. 37219 has been given the new Compass livery, plus the full light cluster treatment with a flush nose replacing its headcode box, while No. 37259 has gained just the Wipac light clusters and top headlight.

Turning to the former freight Class 37/5s, enthusiasts’ favourite No. 37682, the former Hartlepool Pipe Mill, and Kingmoor shedmate No. 37688 are still going strong, as are the three ex-Eurostar Class 37/6s, Nos. 37610, 37611 and 37612. All six can usually be found on a daily diet of nuclear flask workings, Network Rail test trains and National Delivery Service (NDS) infrastructure services, while the Class 37/4s are also commonly used with green-liveried Network Rail saloon No. 975025 Caroline.

September 2014 saw Colas Rail’s second repainted and fettled machine return to action, No. 37175, which partnered Nos. 37219 and 56096 on a shakedown test in the first half of the month. Just as this article was completed, the pair of Type 3s had been despatched to Kings Norton to take up their first revenue-earning work, powering a Railhead Treatment Train for Network Rail.

Another recent EE Type 3 to make its main line debut for a new operator is West Coast Railway Company’s No. 37668, which was back in service in September. It has joined sister centrebox Class 37/5 No. 37685 in the operational fleet working the usual WCRC roster of railtours and the luxury Royal Scotsman train.

Network Rail’s yellow-liveried No. 37198 was a contender for a possible main line return until a collision at its home on the Great Central Railway in May 2014 resulted in a bent frame that could lead to it being scrapped. In happier times on March 30, the loco is pictured at Quorn & Woodhouse with a passenger working for Loughborough.

Neil Walkling

Wearing Transrail Civil Engineers Dutch livery, stored No. 37165 rusts away at West Coast Railway’s Carnforth depot on May 13, 2008 flanked by Nos. 47972 (left) and 37517 (right). DC Collection

An EMRPS night charter at the Llangollen Railway on February 8 produced this atmospheric shot of BR blue-liveried No. 6940 (37240) staged to appear as if it is arriving on a freight over the closed section from Ruabon. Gary Thomas

›

December 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 23

POWER BY THE HOUR

Simon Bendall

DRS Class 47s under threat

Two more Brush Type 4s are removed from traffic as the new order begins to make its presence felt.

DIRECT Rail Services stored a further pair of Class 47s during October as the arrival of the Class 68s and, perhaps more relevantly, the former Network Rail Class 57/3s began to be felt.

Having already sold off Nos. 47802 and 47832 to West Coast Railways, the month began with No. 47501 Craftsman being stored in the XHSS pool at Norwich Crown Point. This followed an incident on September 2 when the loco suffered severe wheelflats after being dragged on a Lowestoft to Norwich service with the brakes on. Late on October 27, the crippled No. 47501 was hauled from Norwich to Dereham on a wheelskate by No. 37604 to await removal by road to Kingmoor. Indications are that the veteran machine will not work for the ‘blue team’ again, with sale to a new operator the likely next step.

Meanwhile, the last day of October saw No. 47841 also stored in the XHSS pool at Gresty Bridge, the loco having been out of service since mid-September after failing on the ‘Northern Belle’ at Nottingham. One of the less reliable Class 47s on DRS books, its fate remains to be seen.

NORTHERN BELLE ‘57s’

The new order for the luxury charter train made its debut during October with newly repainted No. 57305 Northern Princess departing Eastleigh Works on the 13th and running north to Crewe via Kemble. Four days later, it joined No. 47790 Galloway Princess on the 1Z60/06.45 Swansea-Chester outing, before the duo took the ‘Belle’ from Bristol to London Victoria the next day.

Also now in Pullman colours, No. 57312 Solway Princess ran from Eastleigh to Crewe on October 20, before taking its turn to partner No. 47790 on the 24th. This involved a run from Glasgow Central to York and back, followed by a trip around Edinburgh and Fife the next day from Glasgow.

No. 57007 was stored at the end of

Although painted first, No. 57312 Solway Princess lost out to No. 57305 Northern Princess in becoming the first Northern Belle Class 57/3 into traffic, both of the recently acquired DRS locomotives departing Eastleigh Works in quick succession during mid-October. However, it was more humble duties for No. 57312 on October 22 when it top-and-tailed a FNA nuclear flask wagon, with No. 47790 Galloway Princess on a move from Crewe Gresty Bridge to Crewe Diesel TMD (seen in the station). Michael Sutton

October, although this merely reflected it being out of traffic undergoing overhaul at Eastleigh Works, where it had arrived on September 9. Halloween provided a fright for No. 57010 after it demolished the wooden level crossing gates at Lingwood, Norfolk, while engaged on RHTT duties with No. 57009. Left with a battered cab front, it was recovered to Norwich to await assessment.

After working the farewell special for Virgin’s ‘Pretendolino’ along the North Wales Coast on October 25 (see pages 16/17), No. 37682 ended the month in store at Kingmoor. The loco is in need of

Nemesis Class 47s set for Hungary FURTHER UK locomotives are set to find a new career in Eastern Europe following the sale of four Nemesis Rail-owned Class 47s to a Hungarian open-access train operator.

The privately owned Continental Rail Solution (CRS), which was established in February this year, has aspirations to operate both freight and passenger charter trains in the country, and has identified the Brush Type 4s as the ideal motive power for its initial operations.

No. 47375 is currently undergoing preparations and modifications at Nemesis Rail’s depot at Burton, and is expected to depart for the Continent before the end of this year. It will be

44 RAIL EXPRESS December 2014

joined by Nos. 47488 and 47744 in 2015, along with recently acquired No. 47701 Waverley. The latter arrived at Burton on October 17 behind Nos. 31452 and 31601, the trio having departed the Dartmoor Railway the previous evening, before an overnight stop at Taunton.

All four Class 47s will be repainted in a red, black and gold livery prior to leaving Burton.

DCR Type 2s Nos. 31601/452 haul Hungary-bound Class 47 No. 47701 Waverley up the Lickey incline, Worcestershire, on their way to the Nemesis depot at Burton-on-Trent.

Mark Miller

a major overhaul, although indications are this will be granted. Classmate No. 37059, which has been out of service all year, was reinstated to the XHNC pool at the beginning of October after repairs and a repaint at RVEL – however, it was still awaiting collection from Derby a month later.

CLASS 68 ‘DOyEN’ RETuRNS

No. 68001 returned to the UK via Immingham Docks in early October. Fresh from its display at Innotrans, Berlin, it was delivered by road to Kingmoor on October 9 to undergo commissioning.

While it had yet to venture out as November began, silver classmate No. 68015 made its debut on October 21 when it headed No. 68004 on the 6K27 Carlisle Yard-Basford Hall engineers’ working.

Prior to taking up hire duties with Chiltern Railways, Nos. 68010-15 have moved to a new XHCE pool, and all bar No. 68015 have so far received AAR multiple-working equipment in order to work with Chiltern’s Mk.3 Driving Van Trailers. Also fitted this way is No. 68008, leaving No. 68009 to receive the equipment at Gresty Bridge.

POWER BY THE HOUR BLEAK FUTURE FOR EX-FGW TYPE 4s: Freightliner Type 4 No. 47830 has been authorised for an overhaul at Barrow Hill, but so far there has been no such reprieve for stablemates Nos. 47811 and 47816, which are pictured on October 24 as they slowly rust away at Crewe Basford Hall. Both are essentially still in First Great Western green livery, with No. 47811 (furthest from the camera) sporting ‘fag packet’ green and gold. The locos were part of the batch of ‘47/4s’ retained by FGW for its few remaining loco-hauled trains in the early 2000s, but both had been transferred to Freightliner by the end of 2004. Harry Rawding

NEWS ROUNDUP COLAS RAIL

EARLY October saw Colas’ third overhauled Class 60 – No. 60076 – undergoing load-bank testing at Toton.

By the end of the month, the loco had been repainted in orange and yellow, but was awaiting final adjustments prior to starting main line tests. October also witnessed Nos. 37175 and 37219 busily engaged on RHTT duties emanating from King’s Norton, Birmingham, while across the city, No. 37421 was nearing completion at Washwood Heath.

Indications are that Colas is looking to expand its Class 37 fleet with the acquisition of Nos. 37503 and 37521 from DRS, both languishing in the latter’s reserve fleet at Barrow Hill since they were bought from HNRC.

DB SCHENKER

A FURTHER long-stored Class 90 has been returned to service by DBS in the form of No. 90037 Spirit of Dagenham. Absent from traffic since February 2006, the AC electric emerged from its extensive and drawn out repairs at Crewe Electric on October 6, making a short test run to the station. Next day, it was sent out to Wembley with No. 66169 in tow and repeated the 0A06 working the following day with No. 67015 for company. Duly reinstated to the WEAC pool, No. 90037 worked the daily Crewe-Wembley loco transfer on several more occasions during the month, but had still to work a train as November began. Similarly out of service for more than eight years, No. 90040 has been earmarked as the next to return to action, while mid-October also saw No. 90035 reinstated after a few weeks in store.

Other DBS locos to be reinstated during the month were Nos. 66088, 67028 and 92024, but the first overhauled Class 60 – No. 60007 – has once again been sidelined at Toton. Repaired ‘Euroshed’ No. 66225 was moved from Bescot to Wembley by No. 66097 on October 15 in order for it to be added to the 6D63/18.53 Wembley-Dollands Moor working that evening (with Nos. 92003 and 92016 up front), from where it returned to France.

ELECTRIC TRACTION LTD

OCTOBER 8 saw No. 86701 transferred across London from Willesden to Ilford in order to take up the role of static power supply for Greater Anglia Mk.3s undergoing overhaul. Traction for the move was provided by No. 87002.

EUROPHOENIX

THE second Class 37/7 owned by Europhoenix –

No. 37800 – emerged from Washwood Heath late on October 22, and was moved by road to Barrow Hill for further attention. Still carrying what remains of its GIF livery following bodywork attention, it joins sister No. 37884 at the site, the latter having yet to venture out since arriving on June 30.

GB RAILFREIGHT

THE first of the rebuilt Class 73/9s spent much of October undergoing testing at the Great Central Railway, No. 73961 even seeing use on passenger trains with No. 45041 on the 18th after spending a few days back at Brush Traction earlier in the month.

Acquired from preservation by Class 20189 Ltd earlier in 2014, No. 73128 O.V.S. Bulleid CBE has been placed on hire to GBRf and added to the GBED pool. It was released to traffic on October 31, having spent several months at St. Leonards undergoing modifications and repairs along with a repaint into two-tone grey, and was soon in action on RHTT duties. Similarly owned Nos. 20142 and 20189 also spent the latter half of October on hire to GBRf for use on RHTT workings from Tonbridge West Yard, the duo being added to the GBEE pool for the duration.

The nine new Class 66/7s delivered in September – Nos. 66757 to 66765 – all entered traffic during October, soon finding themselves employed on a wide range of duties across the UK. Also finally released to traffic early in the month after a stint at Longport was No. 66756, October 8 finding it atop the 4E19/11.30 Mountfield-Doncaster Decoy as one of its first workings.

October 10 saw No. 47815 collect Riviera Trains stablemate No. 47848 from Crewe Diesel and haul it across to Barrow Hill in order to be prepared for a main line return on hire to GBRf. Finally, No. 92020 (stored in 2001) was returned to the UK at the start of October, having resided at Eurotunnel’s Coquelles depot for the past few years.

Taken north to Loughborough by road on the 7th, it joins a number of other GBRf-owned Class 92s in awaiting reactivation at Brush.

GREATER ANGLIA

FRESH from its Greater Anglia repaint, No. 90011 was collected from Toton on October 9 when the convoy of Nos. 47805 and 57002/09/10 arrived from Crewe.

With the AC electric coupled between No. 47805 and the GM rebuilds, the working continued as the 0Z90/ 14.45 Toton-Willesden Brent on the first leg of the journey back to Norwich.

HNRC

SEVERAL of the company’s Class 20s were on the move during October, the first transfer being that of No. 20121 from Rail Restoration North East, Shildon, to Barrow Hill early in the month. Having undergone bodywork attention at Shildon along with a repaint into orange, the loco is expected to go on hire to Tata Steel at Scunthorpe prior to an eventual main line return.

Taking its place at Rail Restorations North East for similar work is No. 20166, which was transferred from the Wensleydale Railway. Mid-October saw No. 20110 also depart the preserved railway bound for the steelworks at Scunthorpe, while October 28 found No. 20906 heading to Barrow Hill for maintenance, the transfer from Hope cement works being made by road.

RVEL

RIVALLING the Brush/GBRf programme for attention, the first two Class 73s undergoing rebuilding at RVEL started testing during October. This was carried out on Bombardier’s Litchurch Lane test track across the road from the Derby RTC, with No. 73951 making the short journey by low-loader on October 17.

WEST COAST RAILWAYS

NEWLY acquired No. 47832 worked its first train for West Coast Railways on October 3 when it led the 5Z39/13.30 Carnforth-Bridlington empty stock with No. 47854 on the rear. Next day, the duo worked the 1Z40/06.26 Bridlington-Windsor & Eton Riverside and 1Z41/16.44 return.

Exactly a week later, No. 47832 was deployed again, this time on the Branch Line Society’s ‘Chord & Quay Tracker’, which ventured to Hull Hedon Road and Cadeby Up Goods Loop via various bits of rare track. Its partner for the day was very notable as it marked the return to service of No. 57001 after more than two years out of service at Carnforth.

Equally conspicuous by their absence are No. 57006, which has not worked this year, and No. 57601, out of service since February; both are on long-term repairs at Carnforth.

DISPOSALS

TWO Class 31s that have resided at Booth’s Rotherham yard for some months were finally put out of their misery during October. No. 31422 was disposed of early in the month, before the once-preserved No. 31410 followed three weeks later.

They become only the fifth and sixth locos to be scrapped this year. Still resident at the yard are former Network Rail load banks Nos. 86901 and 86902.

December 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 45

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK SHED TALK Correct to November 2, 2014.

New pool code XHCE - DRS Chiltern Hire Class 68 LOCOMOTIVES Allocation changes 08623 WQAA-WSSC 08632 WQAA-WSRC 08752 WQAA-WSSC 08799 WQAA-WSSC 08879 WQAA-WSRC 08904 WQAA-WSGC 20142 MOLO-GBED-GBEE 20189 MOLO-GBED-GBEE 33021 BO/NRLS-HQ/MBDL 37059 XHSS-XHNC 37682 XHNC-XHSS 47501 XHNB-XHSS 47701 MBDL-NRLO 47841 XHAC-XHSS 57007 XHCK-XHSS 57302 XHVT-XHAC 59204 WDAM-WQAA-WDAM 60007 WCBT-WQAA 66004 WBAT-WBRT 66044 WBAT-WBRT 66055 WBLT-WBRT-WBLT 66063 WBAT-WBSN-WBAT 66088 WFMU-WBAT 66093 WBAT-WBRT 66105 WBBT-WBRT 66106 WBBT-WBRT 66111 WBBT-WBRT-WBBT 66113 WBBT-WBRT-WBBT 66115 WBAT-WBRT-WBAT 66116 WBAT-WBRT 66117 WBAT-WBRT 66134 WBAT-WBRT 66135 WBAT-WBRT 66136 WBAT-WBRT-WBAT 66140 WBAT-WBRT 66147 WBAT-WBRT 66150 WBAT-WBRT-WBAT 66168 WBRT-WBAT 66185 WBAT-WBRT 66186 WBAT-WBRT 66194 WBAT-WBRT 67025 WACC-WAAC 67028 WQAA-WAAC 68010-15 XHVE-XHCE 73128 MBED-GBED 90035 WQAA-WEAC 90037 WQAA-WEAC 90040 WQBA-WQAA 92005 WFBC-WFDC-WFBC 92019 WFAC-WFBC 92024 WQAA-WFCC 92029 WFAC-WFCC 92037 WFCC-WFAC 92039 WFCC-WFAC Stored/stopped locations Barrow Hill: 20121, 37800 Brush, Loughborough: 92020 Carlisle Kingmoor: 37682 Crewe Electric: 08405 Crewe Gresty Bridge: 47841 Dereham: 47501 Eastleigh Works: 57007, 59003 Ilford: 86701 Nemesis Rail, Burton: 47701, 73134 Rail Restorations NE, Shildon: 20166 Tata, Scunthorpe: 20110 Toton: 60007 Returned to traffic 08623/32, 08752/99, 08879, 08904, 37059, 66088, 67028, 73128, 90035/37, 92024 Returned to France 66225 Disposals CF Booth, Rotherham: Cut dates: October 7: 31422, October 28: 31410

54 RAIL EXPRESS December 2014

East Coast unveiled the stunning new livery and name of No. 91111 For the Fallen in a ceremony at Newcastle station on October 14, followed by similar dedications at Leeds on October 27 and King’s Cross on November 7. The livery commemorates 100 years since the start of the First World War, and includes images, stories and tributes to regiments along the East Coast route and the people who served in them. On October 21, the loco passes Claypole, Lincolnshire, at the head of the 1N85/13.08 King’s Cross to York. Jamie Squibbs

 trains bound for Doncaster and

Peterborough respectively. The 6T60/17.50 Whitemoor-Brentwood left behind No. 66763 on October 18 while the same loco passed Denmark Hill with the 4E19/11.30 Mountfield-Doncaster Down Decoy gypsum empties four days later, a service powered by No. 66765 on October 31. No. 66760 even managed several trips conveying biomass from Liverpool Bulk Terminal to Ironbridge between October 17 and 24.

Believed to be the first scheduled coal train to travel via the Cumbrian coast for at least 15 years, the 6M11/05.49 Hunterston-Fiddlers Ferry left Whitehaven behind No. 66527 on October 8. Former ‘Dutch’ example No. 66748 escaped from the north east of England during the month and, on October 13, took charge of the 6Z54/10.40 Tonbridge-Bardon Hill and the 6O54/23.25 Bardon Hill-Crawley stone train. Three days later, No. 66748 powered the 6Z62/12.50 Thorney MillAngerstein Wharf but was back in more comfortable surroundings by November 1 when reported at the head of the 4N34/02.50 Drax-Tyne Dock.

Even further north, No. 66422 took the Scottish snow and ice treatment

train (SITT) from Slateford to Kilmarnock (Brodie Rail) on October 20, while Colas duo Nos. 66846 and 66848 top-andtailed an engineers’ train (loaded with ballast and sleepers) from Carlisle to Annbank early on October 23.

Class 67

THE diversion of East Coast services via the Tyne Valley over the weekend of October 11-12 saw No. 67029 Royal Diamond in charge of the 06.50 GlasgowKing’s Cross with No. 91128 in tow, subsequently hauling the 11.00 King’s Cross-Edinburgh and 18.39 EdinburghNewcastle return, both with No. 91110 along for the ride.

Next day, it was another silverliveried member of the class, No. 67026 Diamond Jubilee, that was utilised to drag No. 91125 and the ‘Sky’ Mk.4 set on the diverted 1S21/14.15 King’s Cross-Glasgow Central.

Similar arrangements applied the following weekend with No. 67024 providing diesel power on October 18 and No. 67026 once again the following day. Rather more usual ‘Thunderbird’ work befell No. 67022 on October 14 when charged with taking an empty Mk.4 set and No. 91129 from

Neville Hill to Bounds Green.

Noted at the business end of the 4B45/12.31 Wembley-Dollands Moor on October 6 was the pairing of Nos. 67019+67016 while Nos. 67015+67016 had charge on October 20, the same pair having worked a ‘British Pullman’ Kent circular three days beforehand. No. 67019 took the same luxury set on to the King’s Lynn line on October 15 when hauling the 1Z82/08.03 London Victoria-Watlington before returning as the 1Z88/17.24 from nearby Downham Market.

Class 68

CHILTERN silver No. 68011 made a number of sorties between Crewe and the East Midlands on engineering trains in late October, these beginning on the 22nd when it handled the 6Z96/12.21 Basford Hall-Toton Yard. Two days later, the same loco was at Bescot in charge of 6Z96 once again, while October 27 found No. 68011 atop the 6U77/13.42 Mountsorrel-Basford Hall loaded with stone, a service previously handled by No. 68008 Avenger on October 20 and on each of the following two days.

Two diagrams were regularly Class 68-hauled in Scotland during October.

TRACTION & ROLLING STOCK

The 4A13/12.20 GrangemouthAberdeen, returning from the Granite City at 18.20 (4N83), first saw the new Vossloh diesels on October 4 when No. 68005 Defiant had charge of 10 IKAs. These intermodal trains run seven days a week and No. 68005 was used until October 9 when No. 68002 Intrepid took over for much of the following two weeks before No. 68008 was recorded at Arbroath on October 28.

The other diagram features the 4H47/05.08 Mossend-Inverness and 4D47/13.19 return, both running via Perth and Aviemore. No. 68007 Valiant appeared on a dozen occasions during October. The southbound train passed Dalwhinnie at 16.40 on October 21 behind Nos. 68007+68005, the latter having ground to a halt the previous day with the morning train. No. 68005 had left Blair Atholl at 08.00 on October 20 but struggled on the wet rails on the climb towards Druimuachdar Summit, some 18 miles largely at 1 in 70.

Assistance was despatched from Inverness in the shape of No. 67009 but it was unable to shift the train, and not until No. 68007 arrived from Motherwell could 4H47 be moved after some 12 hours’ delay.

The boot was on the other foot early on October 29 after No. 67007 became disabled north of Blair Atholl while working the Inverness RHTT circuit, No. 68005 being sent north to recover

›

An unusual pairing, especially on the East Coast Main Line, took place on October 21 when DB Schenker electric No. 90039 hauled diesel No. 66187 between Edinburgh and Newcastle atop the 12.35 Millerhill Yard-Tyne Yard infrastructure train. The combo is seen passing Felton Lane near Widdrington, Northumberland. Martin Cook.

December 2014 RAIL EXPRESS 55

Underframe detailing for the Bachmann ‘47’ No .1 28 DIESEL AND ELECTRIC ERA MODELLING

PLAYING THE PIPES

Full history of the BR pipe wagons as the Bachmann model arrives

YOUR

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Super-sized Polybulk and Covhop Hornby Arnold 2mm Refurbished Graham Class 40 from Heljan hoppers in ‘N’ gauge Farish Class 37s ‘Brighton Belle’

M4 RAIL EXPRESS December 2014

Painted back in late July, the RHTT season has seen MPV Nos. DR98926 & DR98976 brought to the attention of a wider audience. Named John Denyer after the head fleet engineer of South West Trains, the cabs were given a repaint in pink at Effingham Junction as part of a wind-up by his colleagues.

Carrying both Network Rail and South West Trains logos as part of the joint alliance, the unmistakable vehicle sits in the erstwhile Southern platforms at Reading while working the 3S83 Effingham JunctionEffingham Junction circuit on October 15. Dan Warman Cover picture: Seen at South Lambeth in April 1979, No. B741871 is an example of the final batch of BR pipe wagons, built in 1961. The branding ‘Runcorn’, just visible immediately above the ‘Pipe’ code, reveals that it had previously been allocated to the ICI Mond Division Runcorn to Willesden company train.

Trevor Mann

Editor’s comment

Simon Bendall Rail Express Modeller Editor

7

Newsdesk: Latest developments

30

Modelling: Dioramas #1

Kernow Model Rail Centre has commissioned a second batch of Class 205 DEMUs but at a cost, while Wild Boar Models has unveiled a new 4mm scale resin and 3D printed kit for the ICI limestone hoppers.

In the first of an occasional series, the construction of two dioramas with a Ministry of Defence internal railway theme are described, these employing the wooden bases produced by Watermills Workshop.

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D&E Files: BR pipe wagons

Built to distribute water pipes and the like across the country, the BR pipe wagons were a versatile design that saw a range of uses. Trevor Mann profiles the type and illustrates the key detail differences.

15

Reviews: Farish Class 37s

The retooled Graham Farish Class 37 gets two new bodyshells at long last, these portraying two of the sub-classes created by the mid 1980s life extension programme in the form of the ‘37/4’ and ‘37/5’.

Reviews: Bachmann pipe wagon

The latest addition to Bachmann’s ‘OO’ gauge range of ‘traditional’ BR wagons, the newly tooled 12t pipe wagon is reviewed in full with both the bauxite and engineers’ olive green liveries illustrated.

18

Reviews: Heljan Class 40

Express rating A breakdown of our Express rating system

35

Reviews: Farish hoppers

A further BR diesel has been added to Heljan’s 7mm range in the form of the English Electric Type 4s. A difficult type to capture correctly in model form, have the Danes done the ‘Whistlers’ justice?

‘N’ gauge modellers can now enjoy scaled down versions of two of Bachmann’s most popular recent wagon releases as the Polybulk and Covhop hoppers join the Graham Farish range for the first time.

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36

Modelling: A better Class 47 #3

Reviews: Farish Mk.1 CCT

The modifications to the Bachmann model are completed in the third instalment of this feature, this dealing with the underframe tanks and the bufferbeams before moving on to painting preparation.

Rounding out a very good month for Bachmann’s 2mm range is the arrival of the newly-tooled Mk.1 Covered Carriage Truck. Also new in the Hornby Railroad range is the return of the ex Lima ‘Warship’.

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Serial: JLTRT Class 50 #11

Reviews: Hornby 2-HAL

With weathering just around the corner for No. 50018 Resolution, the final detail parts are added to our Just Like the Real Thing Class 50 kit as is the glazing and specially commissioned nameplates.

Hornby’s current predilection for prewar Southern Railway EMU designs continues with the arrival of the 2-HAL, the ‘OO’ gauge model being the perfect accompaniment to the earlier 2-BIL.

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Reviews: Murphy 201 Class

Requested for some time, Murphy Models has released two further liveries on its ‘OO’ gauge General Motors 201 Class Irish diesel, these including the attractive dark blue of Northern Ireland Railways.

AS detailed on page 9 of this issue, November has seen the release of the first ever standalone Rail Express Modeller publication. Taking the form of a 124 page yearbook, this sees a diverse range of modelling and prototype subjects given the REM treatment without limitations on space and the need to accommodate reviews.

Containing all new material, highlights include an in-depth look at three layouts – Portchullin, Diesels in the Duchy and Wulstanton Road – and an extensive examination of hired-in locohauled passenger trains during the privatisation era. Packed full of modelling projects ranging from Class 37s to the Chipman weedkiller and covering the three main scales, there should be something to interest all readers, and all for just £6.99!

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Editor: Simon Bendall REMeditor@mortons.co.uk Contributing writer & modelmaker: Alex Carpenter Publisher: Tim Hartley Designer: Rosie Ward Reprographics: Jonathan Schofield, Simon Duncan Advertising: Fiona Leak Tel: 01507 529573, fleak@mortons.co.uk Customer services, back issues and subscriptions: Telephone: 01507 529529 (24hr answerphone) Fax: 01507 525263 Email: railexpress@mortons.co.uk

Reviews: Arnold ‘Brighton Belle’

Undoubtedly one of the most significant releases of the year, Hornby has returned to ‘N’ gauge with the release of the ‘Brighton Belle’ under its Arnold brand.

However, does it meet expectations?

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Modelling

The smaller of the two dioramas represents a typical loading scene at an MoD base, the VBA vans being loaded using a heavy-duty forklift. For modellers interested in military vehicles as well as railways, such dioramas offer a way to combine both disciplines.

Dabbling with dioramas

Constructing a small diorama can be useful for all sorts of reasons, such as trying out scenic techniques, providing a scene for a favourite locomotive or just a chance to model something different. Terry Bendall describes two military-themed subjects built on the bases made by Watermills Workshop.

THE construction of a diorama can be a good way of developing scenic modelling skills by allowing different techniques to be tried out, perhaps in preparation for the building of a layout.

It can also allow the builder to explore the various methods of hand building trackwork as the first step towards working in the finer gauges.

More simply, dioramas can indulge a desire to model something different from the era in which you normally work or provide a backdrop for a favourite item of rolling stock. The starting point for the two dioramas featured in this

article was the wooden bases that are sold by Watermills Workshop www.watermillsworkshop.co.uk. The company specialises in offering fully finished dioramas off the shelf in both ‘N’ and ‘OO’ gauges along with a building service to a customer’s particular requirements.

However, the pine bases are also available in plain form to allow you to create your own dioramas, which is what formed the basis of these two scenes.

These can be purchased in two sizes of 38cm by 14cm or 50cm

by 19cm, the former also being available with an acrylic cover to keep the dust off. One of each size was selected for use to create the two military railway themed dioramas seen here.

Making a plan

Planning a diorama takes a bit of time and thought and one thing to remember is not to include too much. A handy aid to the planning is to use the actual models and a length or two of track to try things out in the flesh. If buildings

are needed then creating a rough mockup using card from a cereal box is a good technique; but a diorama is also a way of making use of one of the many attractive ready-made buildings that are now available. The latter have scope for personalisation and repainting, as well as trying out weathering techniques.

The first task for both dioramas was to varnish the edges of the wooden base with clear varnish. Three coats were applied to give a good finish and left to dry for a few days. Masking tape was then applied to the edges to protect the varnished finish while the scenic work was carried out.

Loading up

Dioramas benefit from small touches, such as the clumps of grass around the bufferstops and a bit of clutter. As ever, observation of the subject matter is key, and as active areas of MoD bases tended to be kept tidy, there is no benefit in overdoing vegetation and the like. The VBAs are modified Hornby models and date from well before the superior Bachmann offering appeared.

M30 RAil eXPReSS Modeller december 2014

The smaller diorama shows a typical loading scene at the end of a siding on a military base. The trackwork was built to 18.83mm/’P4’ gauge using the Exactoscale track components now available from C&L Finescale. The rails are steel, rather than the more usual nickel silver, as this generally gives a more realistic appearance.

The bufferstop was made using offcuts of nickel silver rail bent to shape using pliers and then soldered together onto a short length of rail to act as a base. The bending has to be done carefully since the rail can snap when being bent but it can be done. The

Supplement no.128

Modelling

Depending on the chosen scene, dioramas can be displayed either way round, allowing different elements to come to the fore. In this view, the paved area takes prominence with the Scammell Commander waiting to move off with its mighty load.

sleeper base for the bufferstop was made separately from the main section of track and has loose chairs cut in half and glued each side of the rail. If you are planning to power your diorama to give DCC sound for example, do not forget to ensure the bufferstop is insulated.

The road surface was made from a piece of 40 thou black styrene sheet sprayed with Humbrol No.32, which is a good starting point for a Tarmac colour, and several coats were applied to get a smooth and even finish. When the painting was finished, the plastic was fixed down using PVA wood glue and left to dry. Some careful masking of the road

surface was then undertaken so that the ballast could be applied.

The ballast employed was actual granite ballast but using some intended for 2mm, as this is much more to scale than that normally sold as suitable for 4mm. It was applied dry and then glued in place using some of the War World Scenics track ballast glue (as reviewed in Rail Express Modeller No.121) to see how this performed over a larger area.

Finishing touches

The sleepers were highlighted with Railmatch sleeper grime paint and the chairs painted with a suitable shade of rust mixed from the Precision Paints dark and light rust colours with a touch of sleeper grime added to the mix. When everything was dry, the whole of the track was given a light spray with the sleeper grime to tone down and blend together the various colours. After the masking had been removed, the road surface was given a wash of diluted black to give some variation to the colour.

A few tufts of grass were added using items from the Green Scene range while the oil drums and pallets were cleaned-up whitemetal items from Knightwing. The diorama employs two

A close-up view of the scratchbuilt vehicle loading ramp on the large diorama, this being made completely of brass. The tank transporter is an entirely resin kit while the Challenger I MBT is the trusty Matchbox plastic kit, this being loaded in normal fashion with the turret rotated to the rear.

VBA vans in the process of being loaded, which were modified some years ago from the Hornby VDA with A1 Models etched sides in the open position. The vehicles are from the whitemetal BW Models range and include an excavator modified into a heavy-duty forklift with scratchbuilt forks. The Leyland lorry is one of the versatile DROPS (Demountable Rack Offload and Pickup System) vehicles, which could carry and unload/load a range of cargoes.

Military manoeuvres

The second diorama employs the larger Watermills plain base, which gives an impressive 48cm length to play with.

The track and bufferstop were constructed using the same methods as those used on the smaller diorama base

An overview of the larger diorama; the 50cm overall length really allowing an effective scene to be created without fear of being cramped. The armoured vehicles are chocked, lashed (slithers of Tamiya masking tape) and ready to depart.

Supplement no. 128

while the concrete paving sections are a laser-cut card kit from the Busch range.

These paving sections are perhaps slightly on the small side for typical concrete sections but they offer a useful way of re-creating such a surface.

The sections were sprayed with Humbrol No.121 before being fixed in place using PVA glue. Strips of 10 thou black styrene were placed between the panels during this process to represent the joints found in such surfaces.

The vehicle loading ramp is made entirely from brass rod and sheet and is based on a portable design that can be used in a variety of situations. The diorama is designed to re-create a typical vehicle loading area at a military base and here features Genesis Kits KFA ‘Warflat’ wagons with Appleby Model Engineering components added in. They are loaded with a selection of light armoured vehicles, namely the Airfix Scimitar and Cromwell Models Spartan and Sultan.

Passing by is a Scammell Commander tank transporter (Cromwell Models) loaded with a Challenger I main battle tank (Matchbox) and accompanied by a Land Rover escort (BW Models). The final element of the scene is the lighting gantry, which is a fiddly but nice etched kit once produced

by Taylor Precision Models.

■ The author will be demonstrating the construction of dioramas as part of the Rail Express demo stand (B53) at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition on November 22-23.

december 2014 RAil eXPReSS Modeller M31

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Hornby unveils a baby ‘Belle’ HORNBY was last actively involved in the motive power market for British 1:148 ‘N’ gauge products in the 1980s with the Anglo-German collaborative Hornby-Minitrix brand.

That unfortunately fell by the wayside and in the intervening period, the market has changed and grown, bringing improvements in product quality, standards, fidelity and finesse.

Now Hornby has chosen to re-enter this market, and this time under the Hornby-Arnold brand, with a Class 403 ‘Brighton Belle’ Pullman electric unit.

This undoubtedly takes its cue from Hornby’s ‘OO’ model and allows the

Hornby has made a bold return to the ‘N’ gauge rolling stock market after an absence of three decades with the release of the famous ‘Brighton Belle’ EMUs. Produced under its Arnold brand, the return of the manufacturer to the smaller scale is a major development for the hobby. grahame Hedges examines the Pullman unit to see if it measures up to expectations. same research material to be reused.

A new British EMU in ‘N’ gauge is a rare occurrence so modellers have expectantly and excitedly awaited this new model since its announcement in early 2013. Initially advertised solely under the Arnold brand, it was from the very beginning specified to be produced in British 1:148 scale rather

M40 RAIL EXPRESS Modeller December 2014

than Arnold’s more usual 1:160 continental scale used for the rest of its range. Additionally, the model is not available through the usual trade retail outlets but only directly from Hornby via mail order.

First impressions

All five cars of the set are supplied together in two boxes (the two driving cars in one and the three trailers in the other) after the original intention to sell the two packs separately was dropped. The ‘Belle’ has initially been made available in two liveries; asdelivered umber and cream Pullman colours and the unusual lined BR blue/grey that was applied towards the end of the 1960s.

The latter (reference no. HN3002) is reviewed here and sports full yellow ends while the ‘Brighton Belle’ legends are located centrally on the lower bodysides of all the cars in the white serif font that replaced the individual original Pullman car names and numbers. The small ‘Brighton Belle’ lettering on the cab ends is also perfectly readable. The roof is finished in a satin dark grey and the bogies and underframes moulded in black plastic. The paint finish of the blue/grey scheme is impeccable with no fuzziness between the colours while the white lining is very neatly and consistently applied. The unit number of 3053 is correctly included above the headcode panels but is a tad too large.

Upon examining the model, it looks correct and impressive, and

certainly has modern and acceptable standards. This includes push-in/pullout NEM coupler sockets on the outer ends and wheels that, although possibly not exactly to the current NMRA RP25 standard used for British wheelsets, are commendably finer and darker than the standard wheels usually fitted to continental ‘N’ gauge stock.

a closer look

The nuances of the domed roofs over the cab ends are well captured along with the sloping slab sides and tapering inner ends. The passenger doors all incorporate the distinctive large oval window with a neatly moulded horizontal handrail. The inner ends also include glazed smaller oval windows and a separate corridor connection. The main bodyside windows have finely finished bars for the sliding ventilators with correctly curved upper corners and squared off corners at the bottom. The patterned glazing bars on the oval toilet windows are very nicely and effectively rendered.

The window glazing, particularly the passenger windows, is commendably flush and thin, and provides a clear view of the interior, which includes seating, tables, table lights and fine curtains. The working internal lights are impressive and the running performance is quiet and more than adequate. Additionally, the headcode illuminates and there is cab lighting depending on direction of travel. Understandably, both headcodes feature the correct route number of ‘4’, rather than any attempt

Supplement No.128

Reviews

to have one blind displaying trailing the prototype well, although separate double red rectangles. jumper cables would have been The driving cars and trailer coaches preferable to the moulded ones. The are correctly of different overall roof mounted air horns are very fine, and lengths and different bogie wheelbase consequently on the fragile side, while size. Dimensionally, the model appears the other roof detail such as the plating, to be more accurate for length over rivets and periscopes is all neatly buffers, width, bogie wheelbase and rendered, although the distinctive roof bogie centres at 2mm/1ft (1:152) scale vents are possibly a little understated. rather than 1:148. This is possibly due The buffer heads are separate to a shrinking down of the 4mm scale mouldings and the bufferbeams, which version by simply halving the are correctly quite plain, include a dimensions, which is often thought to moulded attempt at a draw hook. be the British ‘N’ gauge The underframe scale. However, this still equipment is neatly does make the model closer moulded and is all present.

Well-detailed, to the claimed 1:148 scale It is moulded in full depth, uses British 'N' than the continental including the angled main standards 1.9mm/1ft (1:160). equipment fuse holders, Examining the ‘Brighton rather than the often seen Slightly over Belle’ closely does highlight poorer alternative of just a scale, solebar a few other issues that thin moulding with a little cut-outs some modellers may relief on the outward consider to be a little bit of surface. The bogies are a disappointment. These superb with great depth and include the un-prototypical cut-outs in the third rail pick up beams are neatly the solebars, which are designed to represented as separate fittings. accommodate the wheels when On the driving cars of the blue/grey negotiating tight radius curves with the ‘Belle’, the bogie sideframes fitted are bogies on full rotation. Additionally, the the upgraded versions with additional door handrails and roof filler pipes are springing on the motor bogies and differ moulded whereas it is common for from those used on the Pullman-liveried these items to be separate wire fittings set. Unusually for new ‘N’ gauge these days; although the handrails are powered models, there is no bag of neatly picked out in silver. separate parts included for the Lastly, the non-standard inner end purchaser to fit. However, the only couplings hold the coaches further potential ‘missing’ parts that could have apart than scale coupling distance and been included are dummy screw they are not able to be easily adjusted, couplings and bufferbeam brake pipes. although the gap is not unreasonable.

The couplings are also somewhat chunky and could be fiddly to couple up for some people. However, they do have sprung self-centring mechanisms to reduce the distance on straight track after opening out on curves.

Nonetheless, the overall fidelity of the model is good.

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Under the body

For access to the 6-pin DCC socket, the body should be gently unclipped from the chassis and eased clear. The motor is five-pole and skew wound with a flywheel at each end of the spindle. It is centrally located and drives a gear tower on each bogie via cardan shafts.

Cleverly, it does not impinge on the table lights and all are present and work. The circuit board and DCC socket are mounted above the motor and are effectively hidden in the roof void of the body.

Two traction tyres are fitted to aid traction, one on each bogie of the motorised car diagonally opposed on the outer axles. Power is supplied to the other cars via the aforementioned couplings, which include a miniature three-pin plug and socket. These provide electrical connections between the cars and negate the need for a DCC chip in each coach to control the lights.

Overall, the ‘Brighton Belle’ is a very welcome return for Hornby to the

British ‘N’ gauge market. The Pullman EMUs are a much loved, iconic and historic train and the model should prove popular with collectors as well as many ‘N’ gauge enthusiasts and modellers. Hopefully the decision to produce it will be vindicated with strong sales, thereby encouraging Hornby to consider more British outline ‘N’ gauge models in the near future. plc, Westwood Industrial Estate, ❒ Hornby Margate, Kent CT9 4JX. Web: www.hornby.com

£ Price: £199.99

Further features

The face of the unit captures the look of

supplement No. 128

December 2014 RAiL eXPRess Modeller M41