Sommaire pour February 2017 de Rail Express

IT has not been a great start to the year so far. Fares have gone up, passenger growth figures have stalled, the prospect of further electrification is on hold, and strikes have again affected services. The much anticipated Class 31 charter to the Mid-Norfolk Railway was cancelled, the DTG’s ‘Western’ No. D1015 can no longer work the anniversary tour in February and then, just when it seemed things couldn’t get any worse, Vivarail’s innovative Class 230 DMU conversion burst into flames while out on main line tests. But, on the plus side, we also report on the first UK-built IEP rolling off the assembly line at Hitachi’s plant in County Durham, where production is rapidly ramping up to meet the full order book. Then days later Siemens opened its new…

ONE of the engines of Vivarail’s D-Train DMU conversion No. 230001 caught fire at Kenilworth on December 30, while running trials on the Coventry to Leamington Spa line. The fire started around 13.00 in a detachable engine module under the trailing power car of the three-car unit. The set had yet to start in service, so no passengers were aboard, and all ten Vivarail and West Coast Railway staff were able to escape without harm. Fire engines attended from Kenilworth and Leamington and remained on site for acouple of hours. The unit was later able to continue under its own power to Coventry, and was moved from there to Vivrail’s base at Long Marston by road in early January for assessment. Vivarail’s chief executive officer Adrian Shooter said that the…

FOLLOWING on from an extremely successful 2016, in which huge sums were raised for good causes, the Branch Line Society has a number of tours in the pipeline for 2017. Its first trip, the ‘Vossloh Voyager’ in conjunction with SWT, was due to run on January 14 and, as this issue went to press, final arrangements were also being made with Virgin Trains East Coast about a HST tour from King’s Cross to Edinburgh on March 18. This tour may also feature some Class 08 haulage and visit the depots at both Bounds Green and Craigentinny plus other interesting bits of track in between. Looking further ahead, April 22 should see a tour to North Wales take place, using West Coast Railways Class 47s as traction. Another trip with TransPennine…

NENE VALLEY DERAILMENT LOCOS FINALLY MOVED TWO of the locos involved in the NVR convoy derailment at Fletton Junction in October, Nos. D182 and 47765, finally departed Peterborough after inspection on December 12, being taken to Leicester by No. 56104. Sulzer Type 2 No. 26007 is likely to need moving away from Peterborough by road. On December 27, No. 47765 was taken to Derby Etches Park for tyre turning, while the ‘Peak’ arrived back at the Midland Railway-Butterley behind No. 31452. The same ‘31’ took No. 47765 back to the GCR (Nottingham) on December 28, following its visit to the wheel lathe. ‘BUBBLE CAR’ FOR NORTH SOMERSET RAILWAY NOW owned by the DPR Carriage Group and destined for use at the North Somerset Railway between Radstock and Frome, ‘Bubble Car’…

Correct to January 1, 2017 Pool codes DDIN – Freightliner Class 08 Allocation changes 08428 WSSC-WQDA 08495 CE/WQBA deregistered 08530 DFLS-DDIN 08531 DFLS-DDIN 08585 DFLS-DDIN 08624 DFLS-DDIN 08632 WQAA-WQDA 08633 CE/WQCA deregistered 08691 DFLS-DDIN 08703 WSSC-WQDA 08742 WSSC-WQDA 08752 WSSC-WQDA 08784 WQBA-WQDA 08785 DFLS-DDIN 08873 DFLS-DDIN 08879 CE/WQBA deregistered 08888 WSRC-WQDA deregistered 08904 WSGC-WQDA 08907 CE/WQBA deregistered 08922 WQBA-WQDA 09106 WSGC-WQDA 20302 XHNC-XHSS 20303 XHNC-XHSS 20305 XHNC-XHSS 20308 XHNC-XHSS 20312 XHNC-XHSS 37261 Reregistered KM/XHSS 47812 BO-LR 47815 BO-LR 47843 BO-LR 47847 BO-LR 47848 BO-LR 66001 WBAT-WBAE 66017 WBTT-WBAR 66019 WBTT-WBAR 66058 WBLT-WBLE 66076 WBAT-WBAE 66117 WBAT-WBAE 66128 WBAT-WBAE 66136 WBAT-WBAE 66150 WBAT-WBAE 67002 WAWC-WAAC 67012 WAAC-WAWC 67022 WAWC-WAAC 67023 WQDA-WQAA 67027 WQDA-WQAA Modifications RETB fitted: 66850 Sold Great Central Railway: 08907 HNRC: 08428, 08623, 08706/42/82/99, 08804, 08904, 09106 Private owners:…

Alstom THE latest changeover of Alstom Class 08s at Eastleigh Works took place on December 13, No. 08790 arriving from Wembley for attention and a repaint. The low-loader then departed with newly completed No. 08454 aboard, this being deposited back at Edge Hill, where it surprisingly took up residence alongside No. 08954 rather than displacing the latter from the Liverpool ‘Pendolino’ depot. Freightliner DECEMBER 20 saw Freightliner’s Class 08 fleet transfer to a new DDIN pool, this involving Nos. 08530/31/85,08624/91 and 08785 along with hired-in No. 08873, which remains in Hunslet ownership. Amply illustrating the current poor availability, Nos. 08530, 08531 and 08691 were all noted outside LH Group Services in mid-December, all three being stripped down and devoid of a power unit. HNRC NOW on hire to GB Railfreight,…

DVT MOVEMENTS HAVING undergone repairs to the guard’s area flooring, DVT No. 82305 returned to Chiltern Railways on December 21, moved by No. 37800 as the 5M59/12.19 Brush, Lougborough-Wembley LMD. On December 16, No. 82113 arrived at Bo’ness for contract work to be carried out. It was previously located at Long Marston. GREATER ANGLIA LATEST NOVEMBER 22 saw the movement of Mk.2e TSO No. 5787 as the 5Z57/09.26 Crewe-Norwich Crown Point, hauled by No. 57310. It has since been used in Greater Anglia’s NC37 ‘short set’ with Nos. 5919 and 9525. TRANSLATOR VEHICLE UPDATE AFTER a spell in store at Barry, Nos. 6376/77 have returned to traffic and were used in the delivery of No. 345002 to Ilford on December 8. Nos. 6378/79 have also been reinstated to traffic and…

■ VTG RAIL UK: As well as the Polybulks mentioned elsewhere, VTG has begun the clear out of former British Petroleum TEA tankers that used to ply their trade from Grangemouth Refinery. Wagons disposed of in the last couple of months are: Nos. VTG 80160/6/8/561/7/9/76, VTG 87162 /9/72/5/97/9/262/460/5/77/564/7/82 and VTG 87585/91/681/7/99/880/93/6/9/960/1/2/71. ■ NETWORK RAIL: The first of three Loram C44 four-car Corrective Rail Grinder (CRG) sets has been noted at Loram’s Derby workshops (the former RVEL/RTC site). The unit is made up of Nos. DR 73901 (Control Car), DR 73902/3 (16-Stone Grind Cars) and DR 73904 (Rear Support Car). Serco Rail Technical Services will carry out a programme of type acceptance testing. ■ PRESERVATION: Former RCE Birmingham ‘Drain Train’ ZRA water tank wagons Nos. DB999101 and DB999103 have been preserved…

PUBLIC consultations were undertaken during the period under review for two major projects – the planned Belfast Transport Hub and the Derry/ Londonderry North West Multimodal Transport Hub. The Belfast project includes the building of a new railway station on the site of the former Grosvenor Road freight yard rather than expanding the existing Great Victoria Street terminus (GVS), which will facilitate the installation of straight platforms. Issues that have come to public attention include: the loss of the convenient city centre location at GVS and the removal of the Boyne road bridge that crosses, at right angles, the platforms at GVS and the Europa Buscentre yard. The Derry/Londonderry project will see the restoration of the former Waterside station to railway use. Due to the restricted size of the site,…

HORNBY’S 2017 announcements contained much of interest but also a lot of disappointment for D&E modellers, as key liveries were overlooked yet again on the high-end diesels. While the Class 60 finally gets Colas, DB colours are ignored once more while there are no new ‘31s’ or ‘56s’ at all, despite frequent calls for BR blue, Railfreight and ‘Dutch’ examples. Fans of high speed sets also received a shock with a pair of HST power cars now costing £319.99, which is a £65 increase on last year’s already expensive Virgin East Coast sound-fitted duo. Speaking of VTEC, purchasers of the Class 91 train pack have been left fuming as the new range confirmed there are no additional Mk.4s to allow for lengthening, raising the question as to exactly why Hornby…

■ Early January finally saw the production batch of Dapol ‘OO’ gauge Class 68s leave China, a further delay during manufacturing seeing them miss the planned pre-Christmas arrival. Subject to shipping and customs, they should reach retailers in mid-February while DRS will be marketing its exclusive limited edition of No. 68001 via its online shop. www.dapol.co.uk ■ A new name to the hobby is Stenson Models, the company having taken over the range of 4mm scale bogies and wagon detailing parts previously produced by Colin Craig. Now available to order online, further items are under development to expand the current catalogue of parts, a process which Colin will still be assisting with. www.stensonmodels.co.uk ■ Quick off the mark as ever, Railtec Models is offering a 4mm scale transfer pack for…

NOW available from Gaugemaster are further additions to the range of ‘HO’ scale Viessmann animated figures. Marketed under the ‘eMotion’ brand, these figures feature movement or some other action once wired to a 14-16 Volt supply. Pictured here is ‘Selfie Girl’ (1551, £22.75), this featuring a micro-LED mounted in the mobile phone to simulate a flashlight, which triggers at irregular intervals. The figure requires a 12mm hole drilled in the baseboard or other surface to accommodate the 38mm long cylinder that contains the electronics, this being secured from underneath by a plastic ring. The figure then requires wiring to a suitable transformer and switch with instructions included in the box. Another new release is a lumberjack with chainsaw. www.gaugemaster.com…

DUE for release shortly is the latest addition to Bachmann’s roster of Direct Rail Services motive power, this coming in the form of No. 57305 Northern Princess in Northern Belle colours (32-764). This was the second Class 57/3 to receive the burgundy and cream scheme in October 2014 at Eastleigh Works, joining classmate No. 57312 Solway Princess as replacement motive power for the Crewe-based luxury train. Although initially largely dedicated to the set, more recent times have seen the duo increasingly usurped by Class 68s on some workings, certain charter companies such as UK Railtours preferring to use the Vossloh machines. As a result, it is no longer that unusual to see one or both of the Class 57s on other duties, such as nuclear flask workings or stock transfers…

WELL known for its diverse range of scenic items, German manufacturer Noch has launched a new line of 3D-printed track maintenance equipment. Produced to ‘HO’ scale, the first two packs are now available in the UK, Arundel-based retailer Gaugemaster being one of the importers. Each set contains two models, these representing different types of modern day hand-operated equipment. Supplied ready-assembled, painted and weathered, they are designed for use with track maintenance figures in a set scene or, alternatively, could be positioned in an infrastructure compound or on the back of a lorry. First up is a set containing a power wrench and a rail grinding machine (13641, above left), these measuring just 17mm and 13mm in length respectively. These are large items compared to the two machines in the other…

ONE of the ‘OO’ gauge rolling stock highlights of 2015 was the release of Bachmann’s models of the Southern-design parcels vans, namely the Parcels & Miscellaneous Van (PMV) and the Covered Carriage Truck (CCT). Naturally, the first batch soon sold out with a second run now on the way. Illustrated here is PMV No. S1151S, carrying BR(S) green with black ends (39-530, £29.95). This once again displays the evenly-planked style of bodywork that was in favour in the mid 1930s along with plenty of detail to admire on both the body and underframe. Rather more up to date is ZKA ‘Limpet’ No. DC390327 (38-085C, £15.95), this being one of the ballast wagons converted from the POA/PNA aggregates opens in the first half of the 1990s. For this example, Bachmann has…

FARE rises, continuing industrial unrest and falling performance are battering public confidence in rail operations, which has led to a fall in the rate of growth experienced in recent years. Network Rail and the train operators have plans for infrastructure and train service enhancement based on a minimum annual passenger growth of 4%. That figure is far higher on franchises such as Anglia, where complete rolling stock replacement and improved timetables are planned. There was a marked slowdown in the rate of ticket sales during the summer months from July to September 2016, as results for the quarter showed that 425.1 million journeys were made, which was an increase of just 0.7% compared with the same period in the previous year. Season ticket use fell by 2.7% to 157.4 million,…

POWDERHALL REFUSE DEPOT CLOSED ‘BINLINER’ workings from the Powderhall waste transfer station (North Edinburgh) to Oxwellmains (Dunbar) have been halted, possibly for good, after equipment failures and environmental concerns at the plant forced it to stop working. The site was already due to close at the end of 2018 to be replaced by a new waste incineration site at Millerhill in the south-east of the city, so it is not thought that repairs and improvements will now be made at Powderhall. Powderhall was originally built as an incinerator in 1893, but since the mid-1980s has been used only as a transfer station, collecting waste from the Edinburgh area and preparing it for transfer elsewhere – including by rail to the landfill site in Dunbar. FREIGHTLINER PARENT BUYS CONTAINER TERMINALS GENESEE…

THE ongoing and highly debilitating strikes taking place on Govia Thameslink Railway’s Southern-operated services, staged by the RMT and ASLEF unions, are continuing into 2017 despite the Office of Rail and Road declaring that driver controlled operation (DCO) is safe. As a result, the Government has asked the independent Office of Rail and Road, as part of its ongoing work as the independent rail regulator, to draft a national safety framework to further improve the way trains are dispatched across the country. It expects the unions to be fully involved in this process. In a report published on January 5, the Chief Inspector of Railways Ian Prosser confirmed that DCO on trains on the Southern network is safe with suitable equipment, proper procedures and competent staff in place. The ORR…

Loco Review 2017 By Martin Buck Published by Freightmaster Publishing www.freightmasterpublishing.co.uk 224 pages, colour, 245x167mm, softback. £18.95 THIS is the 10th and final (according to the author) edition of the annual guide from Freightmaster, which provides a round-up of railway highlights over the past year with photographs and data. It is a great book to dip into, not necessarily in any order, with chapters covering the Caledonian Sleepers, various freight flows, infrastructure developments, special occasions and loco profiles. Aspects of 2016 covered include the 175th anniversary of the Great Western Railway, the introduction of re-engineered Class 73/9s in Scotland, the closure of the West Coast Main Line in Scotland at Lamington Viaduct, Class 68s on passenger work in East Anglia, and the run down of the coal industry. There are…

IN a move that will please many enthusiasts wishing to put dates in their diaries and make advance plans, the East Lancashire Railway has put together a diesel roster covering the period right through to October. This is subject to change if there are any failures or other developments, although the ELR hopes that any changes will be kept to a minimum. Details are as follows: January 21/22 – 45108, January 28/29 – 31466; February 4/5 – 50015, February 11/12 – D1501 or 45108, February 25/26 – 33109; March 4/5 – D1501, March 18/19 – 50015, March 25/26 – 31466 or 40106; April 1/2 – 45108, April 8/9 – 40106 or 50015, April 14/15 – 45108, April 16/17 – D1501, April 22 – 50015, April 23 – 37109 or 50015,…

MARTIN Walker’s ‘Deltic’ No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey, which is currently operating as No 55018 Ballymoss, is the latest guest to be announced for the Severn Valley Railway’s gala in May. It will then move to the Nene Valley Railway to take part in the line’s 40th anniversary event before returning to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The loco will also be used on a number of driver experience courses at both lines. Class 26 No. D5343 is due to visit the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway for its gala in August, where it will appear alongside another previously announced guest, No. 31206. Diesel Galas February 18/19: East Lancashire Railway March 11/12: Spa Valley Railway March 18/19: Ecclesbourne Valley Railway March 18/19: Great Central Railway March 25/26: Ribble Railway March 31-April 2:…

THE 192nd and final ‘S’ Stock train was delivered to London Underground on November 10, more than 6½ years after the first pre-production train arrived. The fleet, which has taken nine years to deliver from the signing of the contract, is made up of 59 eight-car units that operate on the Metropolitan Line and 133 seven-car trains that operate across the Circle, District and Hammersmith & City lines. Making a total of 1403 individual cars, the units are maintained by London Underground at Neasden, Ealing and Upminster depots, supported by their manufacturer Bombardier. However, all of the ‘S’ Stock trains still need to be returned to Bombardier’s works in Derby on a programmed basis for modification works as part of the sub-surface Automatic Train Control [ATC] resignalling project being undertaken…

TWO more Riviera Trains coaches have been repainted into BR blue/grey colours at Loram, Derby. Nos. 3386 and 6054 emerged from the paint shop during December. A total of 15 coaches from the Riviera fleet now carry this colour scheme, Nos. 1200, 3278, 3333/45/56/64/86/90/97, 5961, 6024/51/54, 9504 and 80042. All have been repainted at RVEL/Loram in the past 12 months with the exception of No. 80042, which was acquired in these colours in 2011 following the collapse of Cargo-D. Another recent Riviera repaint is that of Mk.1 FO No. 3097, which has gained chocolate/cream colours during a visit to Eastleigh Works.…

TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: A programme of topping up of ballast has been carried out at various locations around the system, with the ballast train operating out of the regular loading siding at Poyntzpass between Portadown and Newry. GM No. 8111 was employed on ballast duties on November 9, but was failed at Portadown while running light engine to York Road after depositing its train of empty hoppers at Poyntzpass. IR GM No. 233 ran light from York Road to where it returned hauling No 8111. The NIR GM was soon repaired, and was used to carry out brake tests at Lisburn on November 13 to five stored RPSI ex-NIR Mk.2s Nos. 8911, 8945/6/8/7. This exercise was repeated on November 27 and December 4, when No. 112 was used. On all…

IN addition to the catalogue models, this summer will see Bachmann release four further Class 47s in 4mm scale, these all being limited editions of 512 pieces and priced £154.95 each. The quartet of Type 4s have all been selected by the company’s sales representatives and will only be available from stockists within each rep’s area. Available from dealers in the north of England and Scotland will be No. 47805 John Scott in DRS ‘compass’ (32-815RJ) while shops in East Anglia, the East Midlands and South Yorkshire will receive No. 47714 in Anglia Railways turquoise (32-817SD). 150 of the latter will also be made available with DCC sound, priced £244.95 (32-817SDDS). Retailers in London, the south east and the Home Counties have access to Colas Rail’s No. 47727 Rebecca (32-816NF)…

OXFORD Diecast has recently expanded its 4mm scale range with further additions to the popular Network Rail and Royal Mail categories. The former has seen the release of a new Ford Transit van, this being a standard short wheelbase and low-roof model on a 2009 registration plate (76FT023, £5.75). The modern Transit also appears in Royal Mail red on a 2007 plate, this being a high roof, long wheelbase variant (76FT024, £5.45). This re-creates a unique vehicle in the company’s fleet, being an electric conversion of the standard Ford van and sporting additional branding to reflect this. A new tooling is the DAF 85 series lorry, which is mated with a 40ft box trailer in Royal Mail colours (76DAF001, £22.95). First introduced in 1992, the model features a Pregistration from…

NOW available from retailers is the latest entry in Hornby’s ever-increasing range of high-quality 4mm scale wagons, this being the LMS and BR designs of the 20-ton coke hopper. Following on from the earlier LNER/ BR 21-ton coal hopper, the models continue the trend of producing a wagon that is suitable for both the steam and diesel eras, thereby maximising sales. In the case of the coal hopper, this was achieved with one tooling but for the coke hoppers, two different body styles have been produced, these sharing the same underframe. The first of these represents the LMS build to diagram 1729, these having wooden raves all the way around the upper body. Two models have been produced using this tooling, both in LMS grey, of which No. 299957 is…

BACHMANN’S restocking of its coaching stock range continues unabated with the release of further Mk.1 stock. Pictured here is one of two new twin packs featuring a pair of BR blue/grey Mk.1s with 1980s regional brandings, this being the Network SouthEast version while the other has ScotRail lettering. This set (39-003) contains Second Corridor (SK) No. 18704 and Brake Second Corridor (BSK) No. 35280, both carrying the interim white NSE lettering and coloured flashes that were quickly applied after the launch of the sector in 1986 pending repainting in the full ‘toothpaste’ livery. Such Mk.1s could typically be found working out of Waterloo, Paddington and Euston for a couple of years. Both feature Commonwealth bogies and a fine application of blue/ grey along with a coat of factory weathering, this…

COMPLETING Bachmann’s BR coaching stock releases for this month is a new batch of Regional Railways vehicles, this bringing the welcome return of the livery to the 4mm range. The scheme has not been produced on Mk.1s for many years while its only previous appearance on Mk.2s was in the form of limited edition twin packs. As with recent Network SouthEast coaches, the new Regional Railways range appears to be purposefully limited to avoid flooding the market with a livery that has not always been a great seller. Three different coaches have been produced, all of which are illustrated here. These all depict vehicles that plied the North Wales Coast route to Holyhead for much of the 1990s and into the early 2000s behind Class 37/4s and can be used…

‘NIGHTSTAR’ COACHES IN CANADA WHAT an interesting shot of the disused ‘Nightstar’ coach bodies in Canada (December issue, page 3). The story of the fleet of brand-new coaches never turning a wheel in service in this country is already an extraordinary one, so the fact that 33 of them are now dumped in a field overseas only adds to the myth. Doing some research on Google recently, I came across the enclosed shot showing the location of the 33 bodies in Thunder Bay, Ontario – surrounded by wasteland. One small crumb of comfort – if they had been stored like this in Britain, they would no doubt have been visited by vandals long before now. Chris Gibbon Coventry ‘NIGHTSTAR’ IN BIRMINGHAM CAN anyone help with more information about this photo…

THE Class 40 Preservation Society has announced the dates for its next tours using No. 345 (40145). On June 10, the loco is planned to haul a train from Bury to North Wales, with Llandudno and Blaenau Ffestiniog being the likely destinations. Like previous occasions, there should also be a one-way positioning move from Carnforth to Bury the previous day. The route, pick-up points and prices of both trips are still being finalised. The tours on June 9/10 are likely to be the last to be operated by No. 345 for some time. After the tour, the loco is expected to be stopped to enable new tyres to be fitted. ONLINE ■ POST ■ PHONE SUBSCRIBE TODAY ON PAGE 16…

IN addition to No. 08888, mentioned in last month’s issue, DB Cargo has sold a number of other Class 08s on its recent tender list into preservation, and most had been moved to their new homes by early January. No. 08907 has been acquired for the Great Central Railway, and is having its vacuum brake equipment reinstated before being put into service. Its arrival means the line is now home to four Class 08s, Nos. 08528/694/907 and D3101 (which never received a TOPS number). Nearby, the GCR (Nottingham) has taken delivery of Nos. 08784/922. The new owner of Nos. 08495/633 has links with both the North Yorkshire Moors and Churnet Valley railways, and one loco has been moved to each of these lines. No. 08633 was started at the Churnet…

MAIN LINE ‘WESTERN’ SUFFERS POWER UNIT ISSUE THE Diesel Traction Group’s No. D1015 Western Champion suffered a potentially serious power unit problem during the final leg of its ‘Yuletide East Yorkshireman’ tour on December 17, necessitating it completing its journey on one power unit (see photo in Railtours, p73 ). An assessment is taking place to ascertain what repairs are required and decide if the loco is able to operate ‘The Western Glory’ tour on February 25, which would mark the 40th anniversary of the withdrawal of the class from British Rail service. LLANGOLLEN ‘26’ RETURNS TO USE AFTER REPAIRS DAMAGE to No. D5310 (26010), which suffered a generator flashover and electrical failure during its final operating weekend at the Spa Valley Railway in October,…

DECEMBER saw DB Cargo step up its repainting programme with the outshopping of four Class 66s in red and grey. This was achieved by utilising the paint facility at Axiom Rail’s Stoke wagon works, Nos. 66041 and 66149 being the first of what is expected to be a considerable number of ‘Sheds’ to visit the Potteries. In contrast, Nos. 66128 and 66150 were painted at Toton. At Derby, No. 37423 has surprisingly emerged from aheavy exam at Loram reliveried in the ‘economy’ DRS blue livery like the company’s Class 66s, it looking very plain in comparison to its previous Class 68-style vinyls. Still on DRS’ books, No. 37703 has completely lost its brandings at Bo’ness, and it now carries BR arrows with original TOPS number 37067. Lastly for the locos,…

ASIDE from the aforementioned No. 08888, a further five Class 08s have also found new homes in preservation, these being the only shunters to actually be collected from DB depots by the end of 2016. As mentioned last issue, No. 08907 arrived at the Great Central Railway from Bescot on November 28, while Nos. 08784 and 08922 were delivered to the GCR’s northern site at Ruddington from Toton on December 14. Fully operational No. 08633 also had a short journey from the wagon works at Stoke to the Churnet Valley Railway on December 6, while No. 08495 made it to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway just in time for Christmas, arriving from Crewe Electric on the 22nd. The proposed sale of No. 08757 to the Trawsfynydd & Blaenau Ffestiniog Railway…

Correct to December 28, 2016 Allocations 230001 Newly delivered HQ/MBCS 319427/52 correction remain BF/ ETHQ 345002/18 Newly delivered HQ/ MBCS 374023/24 Newly delivered TI/GVEL 385102 Newly delivered 387108/13 BI-HE 387139-42 RG/EFHQ 442401/11/21 SL/ETHQ-HQ/SCXH 700012/17/28/29/36 Newly delivered TB/ETHQ 707001-30 Newly registered WD/ HYHQ 707001/03/04 Newly delivered 960014 (977873) AL/HOHQ-HQ/ MBCS Renumbered 377442-377342 Formations 230001: 300001+300201+300101 345002: 340102+340202+340302+340502+340702+340802+340902 345018: 340118+340218+340318+340418+340518+340618+340718+340818+340918 377342: 73442+78642+73842 707001-30: 421001-30+422001-30+423001-30+424001-30+425001-30 Modifications AC Traction Motors fitted: 5722 Sold Locomotive Diesels Ltd:960014 (977873) Stored/stopped locations Brush, Loughborough: 319427 Clacton: 321402/18 Eastleigh Works: 442423 Ely: 442401/11/17/18/21 Ilford: 321410 St Philip's Marsh: 58939 (165124) Wolverton: 78842 (377442) Operational 230001 Disposals EMR Kingsbury: Arrival dates: December 3: 373019/20, December 15: 373003/04…

Correct to December 28, 2016 Pool codes XHUC – DRS Barrier Vehicles Allocations 5787 XHSC-EBHQ 6354/55/58/59 HQ/SAXH-KM/XHUC 10212/29 NC/EBHQ-HQ/EAHQ 11017/18/48 NC/EBHQ-HQ/EAHQ 12011/78 NC/EBHQ-HQ/EAHQ 12122/33/38 NC/EBHQ-HQ/EAHQ Formation changes LA11: 42502 out, 42580 in OC40: 42580 out, 42502 in Modifications Trial power doors fitted: 11028 Sold Rail Alliance Holdings: 96372/73/75 Stored/stopped locations Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway: 82113 Great Central Railway: 96371 Laira: 10212/29, 11017/18/48,12011/78, 12122/33/38 Thornton Yard: 3279/92, 3318/31/58,3400/24, 5632/57, 9494, 9522 Operational 6376-79, 96604/06 Disposals C.F. Booth, Rotherham: Cut date: November 28: 9713…

TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: GM No. 215 was failed at Mallow on November 27, while powering the 12.20 Heuston to Cork. The locomotive was detached from its train of Mk.4s and stabled. Dedicated Belmond loco No. 216 was despatched light engine from Dublin to Mallow via Cork (crew change) on the 29th to haul No. 215 to Inchicore. This was No. 216’s first mainline trip of note since the Belmond Grand Hibernian tour season ended on October 22 (not the 21st as previously reported in the December issue). GMs Nos. 217 and 220 have been repainted at Inchicore, both retaining Intercity livery. The 2600 Class DMU fleet has been fitted with sanding equipment. Four-car 22000 Class units Nos. 22x23 and 22x25 were each in use on the Grand Canal Dock to…

JANUARY 4 saw Hornby complete its announcements for 2017 with the unveiling of its new catalogue and with it, the reliveries of existing tooling that can be expected over the next 12 months. As detailed last issue, the manufacturer revealed the most significant new models at Warley in late November, these being the new tooling items. To briefly recap, these are an all new Class 87 AC electric and the Hitachi Class 800 ‘Super Express’ bi-mode units. The latter are reported to already be selling very well so pre-ordering from retailers is strongly recommended. Also already announced are further Mk.1 coaches in the form of the First Open (FO) and Brake Second Open (BSO), along with the diagram AA15 GWR ‘Toad’ brake van. Few high-spec diesels Disappointingly, only a handful…

DECEMBER saw Dapol release the remainder of its first batch of ‘O’ gauge Class 08 shunters, this encompassing various versions of BR green. As with the Rail blue examples, demand has proved to be exceptionally high with numerous retailers soon selling out. Three versions have been produced as standard releases, these encompassing plain BR green without wasp stripes as Nos. 13282 (early BR crest) and D3043 (late BR crest) along with No. D3219 with wasp stripes and the late BR totem. All three livery variants are also available without numbers to allow easy customisation by modellers. Completing the line-up is the model pictured here, this recreating No. D3120 in BR green with wasp stripes and the early BR ‘cycling lion’. Exclusive to DCC Supplies, the Class 08 is a limited…