FREE SUPPLEMENT: THE BLUE & GREY YEARS 2
BRITAIN’S BEST-SELLING RAIL TITLE July 2019
A1 Trust orders TWO boilers WIN
UK Railtours Tickets See Page 11
■ ■
Brighton Belle restoration focus Abellio outlines East Midlands plans
FORGOTTEN LOCOS OF PRESERVATION
NEW TRAIN TEST: THE MK5 SLEEPERS
SPOTLIGHT ON WENSLEYDALE
■ HS2 TRAIN DESIGNS REVEALED ■ CREWE OPEN DAY RAISES £72,000
The
EDITORIAL
Editor: Chris Milner Deputy editor: Gary Boyd-Hope Consultant editor: Nick Pigott Senior correspondent: Ben Jones Designer: Tim Pipes Picture desk: Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield Publisher: Tim Hartley Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Sub-editor: Nigel Devereux Editorial assistant: Jane Skayman Classic Traction News: Peter Nicholson Operations News: Ashley Butlin Narrow Gauge News: Cliff Thomas Metro News: Paul Bickerdyke World News: Keith Fender By post: The Railway Magazine, Mortons Media Group, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR Tel: 01507 529589 Fax: 01507 371066 Email: railway@mortons.co.uk © 2019 Mortons Media ISSN 0033-8923
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Accepted photographs and articles will be paid for upon publication. Items we cannot use will be returned if accompanied by a stamped addressed envelope, and recorded delivery must clearly state so and enclose sufficient postage. In common with practice on other rail periodicals, all material is sent or returned at the contributor’s own risk and neither The Railway Magazine, the editor, the staff nor Mortons Media Ltd can be held responsible for loss or damage, howsoever caused. The opinions expressed in The RM are not necessarily those of the editor or staff. This periodical must not, without the written consent of the publishers first being given, be lent, sold, hired out or otherwise disposed of in a mutilated condition or, in any unauthorised cover by way of trade or annexed to or as part of any publication or advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever.
This issue was published on July 3, 2019. The next will be on sale on August 7, 2019 .
Trespassing needs dealing with swiftly
G
IVEN the growing concern by Network Rail and train crews over trespass incidents related to the operation of Flying Scotsman, you would have thought identification by the British Transport Police (BTP) of some recently publicised offenders, using images and other footage online as evidence, would not have proved too difficult and completed quickly. You’d be wrong. More than six weeks after the incidents near Elford (RM June, p7), ‘enquiries are still ongoing’ apparently. Even the offer of a statement by one of the train drivers involved had not been taken up either. It is very disappointing. The wheels of justice appear to be turning incredibly slowly in bringing offenders to book despite the danger the public are placing themselves in, coupled with the mental well-being of train crew when faced with members of the public on the track. Only last month, when ‘Scotsman’ ran through the Golden Valley, near Stroud, people actually refused a request by a signalman to move off the crossing. Warnings of prosecution for anyone caught trespassing or obstructing trains are being continually ignored, yet where are these prosecutions? There are a significant number
Members of the public loiter around St Mary’s Crossing, between Stroud and Kemble, waiting for Flying Scotsman. Despite the best efforts of the signalman, they ignored requests to move. NICK GALLOP/TWITTER
TRAIN OF THOUGHT
Editor’s Comment
of people who have invested financially in the main line steam business so locos and rolling stock can operate every week, yet this is all placed at risk by large volumes of trespassers who ignore warnings. Worse is the fact, most have no more than a passing interest in railways. Recent prosecutions for trespass (for steam) can possibly be counted on the fingers of
one hand. However, more criminal proceedings would lead to widespread publicity and act as a deterrent to those hell bent on standing on the ballast. Furthermore, you don’t need to stand on the ballast to get a decent photograph. Do we really have to wait for a fatality or serious injury before BTP start to get tough with trespassers? p
The new train ‘revolution’ is on the move THREE new fleets of trains entered service in May, two more were planned for the end of June, and there’s a strong possibly another new fleet will begin carrying its first passengers in July. Then in August, LNER ‘Azuma’ services will start to serve Edinburgh. More fleets will follow in the autumn once testing is completed. The rolling stock ‘revolution’ the travelling public has been promised for several years is finally happening. While it will take time for all of the new trains to get into service – and indeed some passengers won’t get new trains for several more years yet – the speed at which changes take place can easily be
overlooked. In the late-1970s and early-’80s, I made the mistake of putting off until another day opportunities to travel on certain lines and photograph trains known to be listed for withdrawal – and realised too late they’d been withdrawn. A definite case of mañana. So, if recording railways and its history is your forte, take the opportunity now to capture images of the ageing ‘Pacers’, Class 91s, second-generation DMUs, and even modern units like the ‘Heathrow Express’, as very quickly, some will move on to pastures new while others are destined for scrap. Don’t let your chance slip by.
CHRIS MILNER, Editor
Blue and Bl d grey nostalgia l i FREE with this issue is a second 24-page special supplement looking back at BR’s blue & grey era, a time revered by many enthusiasts. I hope you enjoy the nostalgic journey and the pictures bring back some happy memories.
July 2019 • The Railway Magazine • 3
Contents
July 2019. No. 1,420. Vol 165. A journal of record since 1897.
Headline News
The five short-listed bidders for the £2.75billion HS2 train contract revealed their proposed designs in June. This is the joint Bombardier-Hitachi 'Great British' train design, widely regarded as the favourite to win as construction will support two existing UK factories. BOMBARDIER/HITACHI
Crewe‘All Change’open day raises £70,000, bidders reveal HS2 train designs, debut for UK's first hydrogen-powered main line train, Abellio sets out East Midlands plans, EMT passengers marooned after Corby flood, A1Trust orders two new boilers from Germany, Scottish Government considers Borders electrification.
On the cover
MAIN IMAGE: Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7018 is back in traffic after an absence of 24 years. On June 22, the Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) loco approaches Blue Anchor with the 12.01 Minehead-Bishops Lydeard. PAUL BIGGS INSET 1: Forgotten locomotives in preservation. INSET 2: Train test – Caledonian Sleeper Mk5 stock. PAUL SMITH
INSET 3: Preservation progress rogress in Wensleydale. Wensleydale
Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 70 Steam & Heritage
Classic Traction: Weybourne Diesel Group at the North Norfolk Railway has restored the National Railway Museum’s MetroCammell DMU to a high standard. Paired with the NNR’s own‘MetCamm’, the DMU leaves Weybourne on June 14.
‘Saint’ rolled out in full GWR livery, RPSI Slieve Gullion appeal, Dartmouth hires Churnet Valley ‘S160’, NYMR ‘S160’ unveiled for D-Day anniversary, Invicta moves to Whitstable, ‘J21’ to be restored at Loughborough, 15 locos for NYMR autumn gala.
76 Industrial 79 Steam Portfolio 80 Irish 82 Narrow Gauge 84 Miniature 86 Metro 88 Network
GLEN BATTEN
90 Freight 92 Classic Traction 96 World 100 Railtours 104 Traction & Stock
LNER starts to sideline IC225 sets, ScotRail reduces Class 314 diagrams, ORR approves TPE ‘802s’ and Anglia ‘FLIRT’ bi-modes for passenger operation, GBRf acquires Swedish ‘66’ trio. GBRf Class 66 No. 66749 passesWorksop East Signalbox with the 09.22 Ferme Park-Worksop DownYard on June 4, taking LNER Mk4 stock for secure storage. ROBIN STEWARTSMITH
107 Stock Update 108 Traction Portfolio 110 Operations
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Our regular gallery of the best railway photography from around the world.
68 From The RM Archives
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10 Railways in Parliament 54 Readers’ Platform 60 Subscription Offer
62 Meetings 63 Reviews 64 Panorama
The Railway Magazine's audited circulation of 34,543 copies per month makes it by far the
Panorama: BR diesel-hydraulic No. D1001 Western Pathfinder creates a smokescreen as it leaves Exeter St David’s for Penzance, while Class 33 No. 33003 waits with a train for Salisbury and Waterloo on September 5, 1975. LES NIXON
116 Heritage Diary 129 Reader Services 130 Crossword and Where Is It?
Call 01507 529529 or see page 60 for our latest offers Like us facebook.com/ TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine Follow us therailwaymagazine
A once-in-a-lifetime shot for the lucky photographer as two legends of British steam meet on the main line in 2019. No. 60103 Flying Scotsman passes No. 7029 Clun Castle at Hinksey, south of Oxford, on June 15. ROBIN COOMBES
Features 16 ScotRail Progress
John Heaton visits Scotland to assess the performance of recently introduced train fleets, including the refurbished HSTs and Hitachi Class 385s.
23 Humphrey Platts: Railway Photographer Nick Piggott meets a railway photographer whose work stretches back almost 75 years.
conclusion, Andy Coward finds out what has been required to adapt the‘5-BEL’for 21st century main line operation.
36 The Wensleydale Railway Running through a beautiful part of North Yorkshire, this relatively new heritage railway has exciting plans for the future, as Graeme Pickering discovers.
if they deliver on their promise of a hotel quality experience.
50 The Metropolitan Special Andrew Royle looks back at a forgotten railtour over London Transport’s Metropolitan Line in 1954.
55 Forgotten Gems
30 Return of the Brighton Belle
43 Overnight Sensation?
As its multi-million pound restoration reaches a
In the latest of our new train tests, Ben Jones takes a trip on Caledonian Sleeper’s Mk5s to see
Mark Smithers highlights several significant industrial and narrow gauge survivors which have largely escaped public attention.
SCOTRAIL CHANGES: New train performance north of the border - p16
BRINGING BACK THE BELLE: ‘5-BEL’ restoration report - p30
MET MEMORIES: Touring LT steam lines in 1954 - p50
July 2019 • The Railway Magazine • 5
Have you got a story for us? Email: railway@mortons.co.uk
A1 Trust orders TWO new boilers from DB Meiningen GERMAN steam locomotive works Dampflokwerk Meiningen has been awarded the contract to construct the new Diagram 118a boiler for new-build LNER ‘P2’ 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. The £1million order by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A1SLT) covers not only the boiler for the Gresley Mikado, but also a second identical boiler for the trust’s flagship Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado. The Diagram 118a boiler is an updated version of the original LNER Diagram 118 boiler, modified to incorporate modern materials, welded construction and a steel firebox. This second batch of boilers will feature a number of modifications, which have either been fitted to Tornado’s current Meiningen-built boiler during its operational life, or planned
improvements based on future usage with the ‘P2’. Having three boilers will enable the trust to rotate them between the ‘A1’ and ‘P2’, with two operational boilers and one ‘spare’ undergoing overhaul at any one time. This will reduce the time out of traffic for each locomotive by around four months, increase the potential revenue earned by both locomotives during each operational cycle, and reduce the cost of their overhauls. The first of the new boilers will be delivered in September 2020 and fitted to Tornado during its next overhaul. The second boiler for Prince of Wales will follow in July 2021. “The decision to procure two new boilers is a major strategic move by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, and fulfils a long-held desire to have three
boilers for our two locomotives in order to reduce their time out of traffic during overhauls, and act as an insurance policy,” said A1SLT commercial director Graeme Bunker-James. “Having a ‘spare’ boiler will greatly assist with the delivery of regular itinerary tours and ensure we are a reliable provider of locomotives to our customers as well as our direct passengers.” The funding of the boilers is coming via the A1SLT’s Boiler Club, which was launched in October 2016 to raise £600,000 plus Gift Aid from 300 supporters each donating £2,000 in up to 40 payments. So far more than 175 supporters have subscribed, pledging around £440,000, including Gift Aid. Additional funding for the ‘spare’ boiler will also come from recent legacies to the trust.
HRA concerned over rising ‘incidents’ HERITAGE Railway chairman Brian Simpson has issued a warning to all of the UK’s tourist and preserved railways about a rising trend of incidents, both numbers and severity. He said while numbers are relatively small the trend is in the wrong direction. Mr Simpson’s warning comes following a meeting with the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) in mid-June
Grand Union in Cardiff open access application
GRAND UnionTrains has submitted an open access application to provide services between London Paddington and Cardiff Central, and compete with GWR. Sole director of Grand UnionTrains is IanYeowart, who launched the Grand Central open access operation. His plan is for an hourly service to call at Newport, SevernTunnel Junction and Bristol Parkway, using ex-LNER Class 91 and Mk 4 sets with nine vehicles. Trains would also call at the proposed Cardiff Parkway station. MrYeowart is promising reduced journey times and a 50% refund to passengers who can’t find a seat. Grand Union is working with logistics company Intercity Railfreight to carry light and urgent freight by utilising the non-passenger space in the DVT.
and the viewing of advance RIDDOR (Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations) statistics. The ORR is increasing its resources for the heritage sector and Mr Simpson sounded a cautionary note: “While the ORR wish to be supportive, they are our regulator and have substantial powers to take enforcement action,” he said.
Heritage and tourist lines have been asked to review their operations and make sure safety management systems are up to date. Part of the rise in incidents relates to failures of traction and rolling stock. Mr Simpson says railways should check build and maintenance standards are up to date and vehicles are not “pushed” beyond their working life.
The Diagram 118a boiler, built by DB Meiningen, is pictured during its construction in July 2006. DAVID ELLIOTT/A1SLT
Greater Anglia Class 37 farewell tour raises £22,000 for charity
MAY 18’s ‘EACH Express 3’ raised £22,000 for East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH). It was operated by Greater Anglia as a farewell to its locomotive-hauled trains. Proceeds from the trip – which used two DRS Class 37s to run from Norwich to Ely,
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Farewell steam specials on District Line STEAM specials were operated between Ealing Broadway and High Street Kensington as part of celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of London’s District Line on June 22-23. The event was also billed as the final opportunity to see the ‘Steam on the District’, because of planned signalling upgrades that make steam more difficult to operate. Metropolitan Railway‘E’class 0-4-4T No. 1 worked in top-and-tail mode with electric Bo-Bo No. 12 Sarah Siddons. The vintage rake of Ashbury’s coaches – including Metropolitan ‘Jubilee’Coach No. 353 and former Metropolitan District Railway coach No. 100 – were in between. Three trains ran on each day.
DETAILS
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Metropolitan Railway 0-4-4T No. 1 eases through Ravenscourt Park station on June 23 with the second of the day’s‘150’specials between High Street Kensington and Ealing Broadway. PETER ZABEK
Guests had paid £150 (£180 First Class) for tickets and there was no shortage of takers. The start of Saturday’s trains was heavily delayed after Sarah
Siddons lost its shoe gear and repairs were carried out. Delays of around 90 minutes were down to less than an hour by the last train.
Southeastern franchise extended until November
THE Department forTransport has extended Govia’s Southeastern franchise until November 10. There is an option for a further
King’s Lynn, on via Cambridge to London Liverpool Street, then back up the Great Eastern Main Line to Norwich – exceeded all expectations. More than £54,000 has now been raised for EACH by Greater Anglia special trains in 2016, 2017 and 2019.
extension to April 1 next year. Agreement for the extension has followed talks spanning two months, with the DfT having an operator of last resort on
standby had they failed. Southeastern will introduce ‘Delay Repay 15’, make refunds easier, and provide a best fare finder on its website.
THE Railway Magazine and UK Railtours have teamed up to offer readers a chance to win one of four pair of Standard Class tickets for the‘Swanage Sunday Special’excursions. The tours will operate on July 28 and August 4, 11 and 18. Each ticket is worth £74.50! The‘Swanage Sunday Special’trains leave London Waterloo at 08.45 and call at Woking and Basingstoke, returning to Waterloo at 20.55 (approximate times). See p49 for full details. To enter, just answer the following question: ■ In which county is Swanage? Send your answer by email to RMcomp@mortons.co.uk or post your answer to The Railway Magazine, Swanage Railway Ticket Competition, PO Box 99 Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JZ. Closing date is July 19, 2019. For full T&Cs visit: www.railwaymagazine.co.uk Winners will be chosen at random and contacted. UK entrants only. There is no cash alternative. DATA: Protection of your personal data is important to Mortons. Supplied data will be stored securely and will only be used for the purpose of processing this competition. Data will be stored for a period of three months then destroyed.
July 2019 • The Railway Magazine • 11
LINESIDE IN THE ‘40s AND ‘50s
HUMPHREY PLATTS RAILWAYPHOTOGRAPHER Nick Pigott meets Humphrey Platts, who began
photographing trains just after the Second World War, capturing a fascinating transitional period on the railways.
I
T IS rare these days to come across a ‘Big Four’ cameraman whose work has not been published widely in books or magazines. Such a photographer is 90-yearold Humphrey Platts, who not only began the hobby in the immediate post-war period when film was hard to obtain, but who managed to record examples of trains on the GWR, LMS, LNER and SR before British Railways had even been formed. Only recently have a few examples of his work begun to appear online, and it was thus with keen anticipation that I made my way to his Lincolnshire home to see what other treasures lay in store. I was not to be disappointed, as the images on these pages show. Newly built ‘Castles’, streamlined ‘Duchesses’, Gresley Pacifics bearing two-digit numbers and even a four-wheeled passenger carriage running on a main line. All these and more were recorded by this remarkable enthusiast in the mid-to-late 1940s; he was also active with his camera during BR’s 1948 Locomotive Exchanges. Born in London on June 25, 1929,
Humphrey’s earliest memories are of trains on the former Metropolitan & Great Central Joint line at Northwood, Middlesex, and it was the sight of an express roaring through the station there that sparked his lifelong passion. His parents weren’t particularly interested in railways but did treat him to a trip to King’s Cross in the summer of 1937 to see the new ‘Coronation’ express. “I was only just turned eight but I can remember seeing the ‘beaver tail’ coach and the ‘Silver Jubilee’ stock in one of the adjacent platforms,” he told me. His interest in railways really began to take off a couple of years later when he was sent to boarding school in Seaford, Sussex. “Steam was what really captivated me but the Seaford branch had already been electrified by the time I got there, so it looked as though my school days would be pretty barren from a railway point of view. However, just a few weeks after my 10th birthday, war was declared and the threat of enemy invasion on the South Coast meant our entire school had to be evacuated to central Wales. “The scene in Wales was as different to Seaford as I could possibly imagine. The school’s new
Humphrey Platts: a railway photographer for almost three-quarters of a century. PICTURE: NICK PIGOTT
Right: Humphrey as a young man during an official cab ride from Grantham to Newcastle on‘A3’No. 60105 Victor Wild almost 70 years ago.
THE NICK PIGOTT
Interview
‘Castle’ 4-6-0 No. 111 Viscount Churchill – the loco rebuilt from the unique GW Pacific The Great Bear – stands on the right of this busy scene at the north end of Shrewsbury station in 1946. Stanier ‘Black Five’ No. 4863 waits in the centre road and on the left is ‘Hall’ 4-6-0 No. 4999 Gopsal Hall.
Freight Track Record GBRf unveils ‘Cemex Express’ Class 66 COMPILED BY
BEN JONES
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FTA predicts ‘testing times’ for rail freight
FREIGHT Transport Association (FTA), the trade body representing logistics and freight companies across all modes, is predicting challenging times ahead for UK rail freight. Domestic bulk and semi-bulk rail freight grew beyond all expectations in 2018, but the FTA’s 2019 Logistics Report suggests uncertainty surrounding Brexit, lower than expected manufacturing growth, and the possibility of a global economic slowdown. Elizabeth de Jong, director of UK Policy at FTA, said:“While 2018 saw a notable growth in domestic bulk and semi-bulk rail freight – possibly due to the expansion of the construction sector – sentiment for 2019 is much more subdued, indicating we are entering more challenging times.” The survey of more than 500 freight and logistics businesses anticipates a substantial decrease in domestic intermodal activity. Internationally, bulk and semibulk rail freight declined in 2018, with no change predicted in 2019.
GB RAILFREIGHT unveiled a Class 66 in the house colours of CEMEX on June 13, cementing its links with one of the world’s largest suppliers of building materials. No. 66780 is the latest in a series of GBRf locomotives to be decorated in the colours of major freight customers, and has also been named The Cemex Express. The‘plates were unveiled by record producer and rail enthusiast Pete Waterman at Dove Holes Quarry, near Buxton, marking a year of co-operation between the two companies. GBRf hauls several trains of aggregates per week from Dove Holes for readymix and asphalt plants, mainly in the south-east of England, but also to terminals in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, Sheffield and Birmingham. Trains can load to around 2,000 tonnes, with CEMEX moving around 2.6million tonnes of material every year by rail. John Smith, managing director of GBRf, said:“We are delighted to unveil this Class 66 locomotive in CEMEX livery, representing our two organisations’ongoing partnership. “This contract is demonstrative of the role rail freight has to play in helping the UK to cut carbon emissions and to improve air quality.” David Hart, CEMEX’s supply chain director for UK & France, added:“The transport of our product by rail is of ever-increasing importance to CEMEX as we look to make our operations as sustainable
Above and top: GB Railfreight has reliveried No. 66780 in CEMEX, marking a successful first year of its contract to haul building materials from Dove Holes Quarry in Derbyshire. It was named The Cemex Express by Pete Waterman on June 13. STEVE BELL/GB RAILFREIGHT Right: GBRf No. 66741 Swanage Railway hauls No. 66790 past North Stafford Junction on June 3, moving the newly imported locomotive from Immingham Mineral Quay to Longport for modification to UK standards.
STEVE DONALD
as possible. Rail is a far more environmentally friendly method of transport than trucks on the road. “We are very proud of our partnership with GBRf and hope that together we will be able to transport more and more by rail safely whilst reducing the number of truck movements.” No. 66780 is one of 10 Class 66s bought from DB Cargo in 2017,
and was formerly No. 66008. GBRf’s‘66’fleet is growing once again with the acquisition of three more locomotives from Sweden. Beacon Rail Leasing Nos. T66 403-405 are being prepared in Gothenburg before being imported via Immingham. No. T66 403 arrived in the UK in early June and was hauled by No. 66741 Swanage Railway to EMD Longport for the installation
of UK safety and signalling systems, air conditioning and reliability improvements, before joining the GBRf fleet as No. 66790. The two other locomotives, expected to follow shortly, will become Nos. 66791/792. GBRf operates five other former European Class 66s – Nos. 66747751 – imported from the Netherlands in 2012/13.
Hope Works celebrates 90 years MORE than 2,000 people visited Breedon Group’s cement works at Hope, in Derbyshire, as the UK’s largest cement plant celebrated 90 years of operation. June 1 open day attractions at the Peak District plant included 0-6-0T industrial Nunlow, returning to its former home, and LNWR‘Coal Tank’No. 1054, as well as the resident ex-BR Class 20s that shuttle cement tanks over the two-mile branch between the plant and Earles Sidings, on the Sheffield to Manchester Hope Valley route. The works have been a major customer for the railway since it opened in 1929, and is now served by Freightliner, which has a crew depot at Earles Sidings. The plant produces more than 1.3m tonnes of cement per year, most of which is distributed by rail.
Freightliner ‘66’ in the pink
Hope Cement Works in Derbyshire celebrated its 90th anniversary on June 1. HNRC-owned Class 20s Nos. 3 and 82 (formerly Nos. 20906 and 20066, respectively) shunt cement tanks during the open day. ROBERT FALCONER
iPort gains third train with Felixstowe operation
THE rail-served Doncaster iPort freight terminal gained a third intermodal service from May 20 with the introduction of a weekday
return train to Felixstowe.The GB Railfreight-operated trains run five days per week.They have joined routes to Southampton
90 • The Railway Magazine • July 2019
introduced in September 2018, and more recently,Teesport. GBRf operates a third of all intermodal services from Felixstowe.
FREIGHTLINER’S No. 66587 became one of the most instantly recognisable locomotives on the network in June after it gained a striking new magenta and white livery. The ‘66’ has been re-liveried and was named AS ONE, WE CAN at Southampton Maritime
Terminal on June 11 to mark the freight operator’s new contract with Japanese shipping company Ocean Network Express (ONE). Three days later, No. 66587 passes Ely with a Birmingham Lawley Street to Felixstowe intermodal train. PETER FOSTER
Genesee & Wyoming opens new office in Birmingham
FREIGHTLINER’S parent group Genesee &Wyoming Inc (G&W) opened a new office in Birmingham on June 4. Following the acquisition of
Freightliner in 2015/16, the office houses G&W’s UK shared service centre, finance procurement teams and technology teams, training and conference facilities.
Ellis Clark Trains Unit 1 Toller Court Shortbank Road, Skipton North Yorkshire BD23 2HG
T 01756 701451 M 07799 554491 E ellis@ellisclarktrains.com W ellisclarktrains.com
July 2019 • The Railway Magazine • 91
Classic Traction Track Record COMPILED BY
PETER NICHOLSON Call: 01507 529589
email: classic.traction @btopenworld.com
Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.
NRM DMU in action on the North Norfolk Railway
SIDELINES MR-B Class 37 sold
THE Class Forty Appeal’s Class 37 No. 37190 has been sold to Locomotive Services Ltd and moved from the Midland Railway–Butterley to Crewe Diesel depot, where it was displayed during the June 8 open day.
Unique-liveried Class 31 problems
CHINNOR & Princes Risborough Railway Class 31 No. 31163, running as No. 97205 in Railway Technical Centre livery (RM May, p94), suffered a suspected turbo fault at the Severn Valley Railway on June during a test run. All gala appearances have been cancelled while the problem is dealt with.
DIARY July 4-6 East Lancashire Railway, diesel spectacular 13-14 Tarka Valley Railway, open weekend 19-21 South Devon Railway, diesel gala 20 DRS Carlisle Kingmoor, open day 26-28 Glos/Warks Railway, diesel gala August 2-4 Spa Valley Railway, diesel weekend 3-4 Llangollen Railway, 1960s mixed traction 10-11 Ecclesbourne Valley, Railway diesel gala 17-18 Caledonian Railway, diesel operating weekend 24 Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, diesel railcar rambler 24-26 Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, anything goes
THE National Railway Museum’s Metropolitan-Cammell Class 101 DMU – DMBS No. M51188 and DTSL No. M56352 – have been overhauled to a high standard by
theWeybourneTraction Group. They are now able to operate in multiple with the NNR’s own Class 101 set, DMBS No. E51228 and DTSL No. E56062.
It was good to hear four synchronised diesels with their characteristic rasping exhausts as they prepared to depart Weybourne for Sheringham on
the Friday of the North Norfolk Railway’s June 14-16 June mixed traction gala.The National Collection pair is nearest the camera. PICTURE: GLEN BATTEN
A second engine offered to Ivatt LMS 10000 project THE Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society, which is aiming to construct a replica of LMS diesel-electric No. 10000, has a chance to acquire another engine of the correct type. A 16SVT power unit was acquired in 2012 – No. IH1861 – and now the RAF, which bought these engines from English Electric in 1947 for use as reserve generators, has No. IH1863 available. No. IH1863 needs to be moved urgently to enable demolition of the building it is housed in. The society is
September 13-15 Dean Forest Railway, diesel gala 13-15 Isle of Wight Steam Railway, mixed traction event 14-15 Epping Ongar Railway, diesel gala 14-15 GCR (N), diesel gala 14-15 Llangollen Railway, heritage railcar gala 21 East Lancashire Railway, English Electric theme day 21-22 Middleton Railway, works outing (mixed traction) 27-29 Mid-Norfolk Railway, diesel gala
92 • The Railway Magazine • July 2019
appealing for funds to extract this engine on skates from the RAF building and to move both engines to a secure covered location in the Midlands. The intention is to overhaul IH1863 so it will be ready to exchange for IH1861, if and when that unit requires attention or overhaul. This will minimise the time No. 10000 spends out of service when it becomes operational. In return for helping to save IH1863 and get both engines under cover, donors will receive certificates and have their
English Electric 16SVT engine No. IH1863 is awaiting removal from a Royal Air Force base for use as a spare power unit in the newbuild LMS Co-CoDE No. 10000. PICTURE: COURTESY IDRS
names inscribed on a plaque inside the finished locomotive. Donations can be made by cheque to The Treasurer, Ivatt
Diesel Re-creation Society, 2 The Square, Bestwood Village, Nottingham NG6 8TS or via www.LMS10000.co.uk
Ruddington ‘Peak’ returns to traffic at Severn Valley D05 Preservation Ltd’s Class 46 No. 46010 was completed in time for its debut at the Severn Valley Railway’s (SVR) May 16-18 diesel festival. It has been restored to a high standard by the Pioneer Diesel Locomotive Group at Ruddington, and appeared at the SVR along with the same group’s Class 37 No. 37688 Great Rocks (RM June, p 96).
The ‘Peak’ is seen arriving at Highley with the 11.18 Bridgnorth-Kidderminster on May 17. It is now back on the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) for a full season’s operation, including diesel running days on July 13 and 27, August 10 and 24, September 14-15 diesel gala, and 22, all subject to availability. PICTURE: BRIAN SHERRINGTON
World Track Record
FOCUS ON SOUTH EAST ASIA
Trains old and new in Myanmar
THE railways in Myanmar (formerly Burma) are being slowly modernised with assistance from Japan, in particular. The state railway retains a handful of operational steam locos, although many more are plinthed or stored at depots. Some of the older and once common place Alsthom-built diesel locos have been replaced in regular service by 48 secondhand DMUs of various types, supplied by the Japanese government since 2015. Much of the basic infrastructure dates from colonial days (when Burma was administered as a province of British India, until 1937), with British made semaphore signalling equipment. However, this too is beginning to change as main lines such as the Yangon to Mandalay line are being modernised with substantial Japanese assistance, and new colour light signals are replacing mechanical signaling. When complete in the mid-2020s journey times between Yangon and Mandalay will be reduced to around 8 hours from 15 hours today. ■ Our thanks to Kevin Hoggett for some of the information in this report.
Above: 2-8-2 YD No. 967, Vulcan Foundry UK (5732/ 1949), passes Bago North signalbox on February 5 with a charter operated for British firm RTC. The semaphores here will be removed as part of the modernisation for the Yangon to Mandalay line. The loco is one of the three operational metre-gauge steam locos remaining in Myanmar. No. 967 is one of 20 Indian standard YD Class locos ordered for Burma in 1948. ALL IMAGES: RIKA LAPORTE Left: Former Japanese (JR Central) ‘KiHa 11’ singleunit railcar RBE25108 exiting a tunnel after just passing over the famous Goteik Viaduct (visible on right) on the Mandalay to Lashio line on February 12. These DMUs, dating from 1989-99, were obtained second-hand from Japan in 2015 and re-gauged from 1,067mm to metre gauge.
Above: Plinthed at the station in the country’s new capital Naypyidaw is what is probably the oldest loco in the country – Glasgow-built Dübs 2-4-0T A01 (Dübs 612/1873). Naypyidaw was built by the former military government between 2002 and 2006, replacingYangon as the capital.The new city is located on the Yangon to Mandalay main line.
British-built traction remains active in Borneo on tourist trains TWO of the last steam locos built by Vulcan Foundry (Newtonle-Willows) are used in the Malaysian state of Sabah to operate regular tourist trains. The train between Tanjung Aru (Kota Kinabalu) and Papar runs normally on Wednesday and Saturday, and is a joint venture between the Sutera Harbour Resort, near Kota Kinabalu, and the Sabah State Railway (Jabatan Keretapi Negeri Sabah - JKNS). Three metre-gauge 2-6-2s were built for the north Borneo Railway in 1955 (works numbers 6274-6276), numbered 6-014 to 6-016. Currently only 6-016 is in service. The other two locos remain in Sabah, although 6-014 is now derelict at the JKNS depot at Papar. The JKNS network dates from the late-1890s when tobacco growers sought transport for their product to the coast.
By 1907 the North Borneo Railway network had grown to 193km, but some sections closed from the 1960s onwards. Currently, 134km of single track from Secretariat, Tanjung Aru, on the outskirts of Kota
98 • The Railway Magazine • July 2019
Kinabalu (formerly Jesselton), to the town of Tenom are open. The section south of Kota Kinabalu to Beaufort was closed for complete reconstruction in 2006 with Chinese financial assistance, reopening in early 2011.
New turntables have been installed at Tanjung Aru and Papar to turn the steam locos. The section of line south-east from Beaufort is in poor condition, with derailments not uncommon.
Trains are DMU-operated, some of them built by D Wickham & Co Ltd in Ware, Hertfordshire. ■ Our thanks to Dr Iain C Scotchman for some of the information in this item.
Wickham-built DMU No. 3102 at the southern end of the JKNS network at Tenom on March 12. BOTH IMAGES: DR IAIN C SCOTCHMAN Left: Vulcan Foundry 2-6-2 No. 6-016 with the North Borneo Railway tourist train at Tanjung Aru on March 13. The Wickham-built DMU vehicle behind the loco has been converted into a kitchen car.
What better way to end this second tribute to he blue & grey era than with this fine portrait of ‘Western’ No. D1013 Western Ranger leaving the Royal Albert Bridge on the Devon side with the morning Penzance to Manchester on July 23, 1973. Happily the loco survived the demise of the class and can be found today on the Severn Valley Railway. JOHN COOPER-SMITH
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