Table of contents for April 2017 in Rail Express

I AM grateful to the Heavy Tractor Group for its invitation behind the scenes to witness the transformation of ‘Heavyweight’ Type 3 No. 37714 from DRS blue livery into a retro look of Trainload triple grey, as pictured on our cover this month. The work has been done at Loram in Derby, and we covered its arrival there in the last issue. Four weeks on from then and it is fair to say the result is nothing short of stunning – with the loco looking practically brand-new. Loram, which has a reputation for quality paint work, has gone out of its way to get the livery as authentic as possible – and, not only that, but the way the paint has been applied means it is guaranteed to last in…

ALL rail services into and out of Liverpool Lime Street were cancelled during the evening peak on February 28 after a wall collapsed in the cutting on the approach to the station. Network Rail said the wall at the top of the cutting had been loaded with concrete and cabins by a third party, which then collapsed around 17.45 sending 200 tonnes of rubble onto the four tracks below. It also damaged the overhead live wires. The site required an extensive clear up and repair, and was not expected to reopen until March 9. A Network Rail spokesperson said: “Our activities are in three steps: firstly, making the location safe. This will allow us to start step two, safely accessing the tracks below to clear the debris, before step three,…

GORDON HIGHLANDER MAKES PROGRESS THE future of ‘Deltic’ No. D9016 (55016) Gordon Highlander is looking more secure following an offer by a welding and fabricating firm to undertake work on the loco at preferential rates. Owner Martin Walker had previously expressed concern at the cost of the loco’s restoration, having already spent around £15,000 on the cabs and cabside windows. A number of fundraising initiatives are expected to be announced shortly. TELFORD ARRIVAL AFTER a short spell in storage at Wishaw (Warwickshire), former Mid-Norfolk Railway resident Mk.2 BSO No. 9406 has arrived at the Telford Steam Railway where it is to be restored over the next 12-24 months. Prior to preservation, the coach spent many years as internal user vehicle No. 024909 at Preston.…

CHILTERN RAILWAYS POOR availability of Chiltern’s dedicated Class 68 pool during early February saw four of the AAR-equipped batch of locos out of action with a variety of faults, while those that were serviceable were concentrated on Birmingham services. As a result, Nos. 68002 and 68018 were drafted in from February 9 to work with the slam door Mk.3 set in ‘top and tail’ formation, their lack of AAR multiple working equipment preventing push-pull operation with a DVT. With the DVT required to stay in the formation for guard’s accommodation, a Mk.3 TSO had to be removed from the set to remain within platform lengths, resulting in overcrowding. Nos. 68002 and 68018 remained in use in this manner until the evening of February 17, with the next morning seeing them…

Freightliner FRESH from its latest round of repairs, No. 08691 departed LH Group Services on February 8, bound for Felixstowe. Once unloaded, this allowed Wabtec’s No. 08571 to head in the opposite direction to await its next call to action. GB Railfreight OUT of traffic since August last year, No. 08925 was released from its lengthy repairs at Barrow Hill at the start of February. Taken south to March Whitemoor Yard, this allowed No. 09002 to be displaced for amuch-needed E-exam. Having spent a few days at the haulier’s yard, the Class 09 was duly deposited at Barrow Hill on February 6 for work to commence. HNRC NO. 08818 was returned to Barrow Hill at the start of February following tyre turning at Leeds Midland Road, while the last week…

THE number of DEMU vehicles remaining on Northern Ireland Railways' books has been reduced again following the disposal of four cars that had been withdrawn and subsequently stored at Ballymena Infrastructure depot. As on previous occasions at this location, the metal recycling company Hamills of Ahoghill cut each vehicle in half on site prior to transporting them by road to the company’s premises for their final disposal. The two trailers of 8450 Class unit No. 8455 (Intermediate No. 8795 and Driving Trailer No. 8785) were cut in half on January 31, while Motor Coach No. 8455 and 8080 Class Motor Coach No. 8089 were cut on February 1 and 2 respectively. No. 8089 was notable in that it was the first Motor Coach of the then 80 Class to be…

THREE new items have been added to Ten Commandments’ 4mm scale range, including a suitable concrete block load for use in the Bachmann Plasmor OBA wagons. Coming in two pieces, the pre-coloured plaster load represents 16 stacks of blocks (£4.50). Also new is a pre-assembled and painted CCTV camera atop a tall post, this measuring 132mm not including the locating spigot (£5.50), and a pair of modern temporary traffic lights, these measuring 32mm and also ready to use with coloured lenses employed to represent the lights (£3.50). The company has also launched a completely new and much-improved website, this offering online ordering and stock level details among other features. www.tencommandmentsmodels.co.uk…

■ The Association of Model Railway Societies in Scotland (AMRSS) has commissioned a new ‘OO’ gauge limited edition from Bachmann in the form of Class 47/7 No. 47708 Waverley. Finished in ScotRail colours, the model is due for release at next year’s Model Rail Scotland exhibition on February 24-26 and will be priced £160. www.modelrail-scotland.co.uk ■ R3sprays is now offering Class 68 transfer packs to renumber the 4mm scale Dapol models. The DRS sheet provides numbers for Nos. 68001-32 (£8) while the Chiltern pack covers Nos. 68010-15 (£4). Also new is a renumbering sheet for HST power cars in Virgin East Coast colours, this including the 2016 ‘Golden Spanner’ awards logo currently adorning some of the fleet (£8). www.r3sprays.co.uk ■ Detailed last issue, Cavalex Models has extended the deadline for…

SO, at last, the wait is over with the first batch of Class 68s making it to the UK and onto retailers’ shelves in mid-February. Not that many of the models had time to get acquainted with their surroundings as orders for one of the most desirable ‘OO’ gauge releases in years flooded in, the DRS examples in particular selling out in just a few days. Measured by sales alone, Dapol has scored a major hit with its most significant 4mm scale diesel to date. However, this is not the only indicator of what makes a good model. Six models make up this initial tranche, including the aforementioned Direct Rail Services duo of Nos. 68002 Intrepid and 68005 Defiant. These are joined by the ScotRail branded pair of Nos. 68006…

APRIL 1/2 Scalefour North 2017, Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, 154 Northgate, Wakefield, W. Yorks. www.scalefour.org 10am-5pm Sat, 10am-4pm Sun. Member £6, non-member £7. Layouts include Calcutta Sidings (P4). APRIL 8 The National Garden Railway Show, East of England Showground, Oundle Road, Peterborough, Cambs. www.nationalgardenrailwayshow.org.uk 10am-5pm. Adult £10, accompanied child free. APRIL 8/9 Rochdale MRG Exhibition, Littleborough Coach House, Lodge Street, Littleborough, Lancs. www.rochdalemrg.wordpress.com 10am-4.30pm. Adult £3, accompanied child free. Layouts include Port William (N), Tinsley South (OO) and North Ballachulish (EM). APRIL 8/9 Trainwest 2017, Springfield Community Campus, Beechfield Road, Corsham, Wilts. www.trainwest.org.uk 10am-5.30pm Sat, 10am-4.30pm Sun. Adult £8, child £5, family £20. Sunday after 1pm: adult £5, child £2 Layouts include Kinlet Wharf (N), Tormouth (N), Croydon North Street (OO), Vopak Terminal (OO), Black Country Blues (EM) and Morfa…

AMONG the array of current day liveries, there are three that are pretty much guaranteed to bring strong sales, these being Direct Rail Services, Colas Railfreight and Network Rail. Kernow Model Rail Centre will certainly be hoping this proves to be the case for its latest pair of limited edition Bachmann locomotives, the ‘OO’ gauge models depicting current and former members of the Network Rail fleet. Both the Class 37/0 and Class 57/3 have been seen in all over yellow before, the former as a limited edition of No. 97303 while ‘bodysnatcher No. 57312 was part of the main range. Both sold very well and now command high second-hand prices, showing a continuing demand that Kernow hopes to tap into. Short-lived GM The new Class 57 depicts No. 57305, which…

 CONSTRUCTION of the first phase of HS2 is expected to start within weeks now that royal assent has been given following approval by Parliament. “Wolverton Works could be used to build the trains” The bill for construction was first published on November 25, 2013, and a total of 820 petitions were received for consideration by the Government. The changes that took place as a result of debate by both Houses of Parliament included an increase in the tunnelled section from 12 to 31 miles, mainly to protect the landscape in the Chilterns. The line will run from London Euston, with trains calling at Old Oak Common and then running non-stop to Birmingham Interchange, which will provide passengers with onward connections to the West Coast Main Line and Birmingham International Airport.…

OPPORTUNITIES for rail to compete in the movement of freight traffic over shorter distances have been reduced as a result of a cutback in the budget available to operators applying to use the Modal Shift Revenue Support (MSRS) grant. In the current year, £20 million was awarded in respect of 41 traffic flows hauled by DB Cargo, Eddie Stobart, GB Railfreight, Freightliner and JG Russell. For reasons of commercial confidentiality the details of individual movements are not published, but most are for intermodal traffic over shorter distances where road transport is cheaper. In total, the effect was to remove more than one million lorry journeys from the road network. Rail often faces additional costs for terminal operations and road delivery to customers compared to a road haulier operating from a…

ANALYSIS of the new train orders promised by recent successful franchise bids indicates that agreater amount of new rolling stock is being purchased than is justified by either passenger growth projections and the composition of the existing fleet. This is particularly relevant to the Greater Anglia franchise, where the entire fleet is planned to be replaced regardless of age. It makes sense to have trains of a single type operating on high frequency routes –such as Crossrail, Thameslink, and Merseyrail – as rolling stock with the same acceleration and stopping characteristics allow the service frequency to be optimised, especially with the ambition of 24 trains per hour on the Crossrail and Thameslink central sections. The Class 700 fleet continues to increase, and by mid-February had reached 45 sets out of…

HERE’S something we’re guessing most of our readers never experienced – a front window view behind aClass 77-hauled train about to plunge eastbound into the depths of Woodhead tunnel. The photo was taken in March 1959, five years after the ‘new’ Woodhead tunnel had opened. The twin track tunnel was built for electrification of the route and replaced the original pair of single bore tunnels, which had opened over a hundred years earlier. What’s interesting about this view is that single line working is in place. The down line (coming out of the tunnel) is closed, and the Woodhead signalman is handing a token to the train crew for permission to proceed through the three-mile tunnel. Train loco No. 27006, which would soon be named Pandora, was one of seven…

KNOWN more recently for its overseas programme of railtours, Mercia Charters announced in February that it was suspending the running of European charters for the foreseeable future. In a statement, the firm said: “This decision has been made due to the large drop in the Pound against the Euro and the highly uncertain nature of currency fluctuation caused by the ongoing situation with the UK leaving the EU, making ticket pricing very difficult for us to ensure costs are covered by income. We would like to run tours at an affordable cost and feel this is not achievable in the current climate.” Mercia Charters was set up in 1997 and ran railtours in the UK until 2000. It ran its first European tour in 1999, and its foreign trips have…

EARLY February saw the winners of DRS’ latest locomotive clear-out revealed, the company having put six Class 37s and its last remaining Class 47 up for sale in November. Notably, the Type 3s are all operational but due for heavy overhauls, an investment that DRS is not prepared to make with its new motive power now available. The list of winners is diverse, with Europhoenix taking No. 37601 and HNRC nabbing Nos. 37607 and 37612, while Rail Operations Group has added No. 47813 to its collection of Brush Type 4s. Only No. 37688 has found a new home in preservation, it being acquired by D05 Preservation, which already owns former DRS stablemate No. 47828 at the Dartmoor Railway (see also Preservation News). Finally, Nos. 37610 and 37667 are destined for…

FEBRUARY saw Dapol’s ‘OO’ gauge Class 68 models reach the UK to much excitement. As expected, the DRS-liveried examples were by far the most popular, retailers selling out within a few days of receiving their allocations. The end result is undoubtedly stunning, fully capturing the distinctive look of the popular machines. Disappointingly though, the gloss was rather taken off what should have been a triumphant event by the revelation of a significant livery error on the DRS models with the green ‘swoosh’ misaligned on one side of the model, as well as some locos arriving with poorly applied etched nameplates. While many purchasers have declared themselves to be rightfully delighted with their models, these issues are undoubtedly mortifying for the manufacturer on such a high profile release. EXPRESS RATING…

FEBRUARY saw Dapol commence manufacturing of the first ‘N’ gauge limited edition Class 66 under the Project Railway Honour banner. This followed the approval of the second decorated sample of No. 66418 Patriot at the start of the month. Pictured here, this now features the correct amount of grey and black around the cab fronts, improved nameplates and other minor tweaks to reflect the appearance of the Freightliner loco when it was named last November. It is currently hoped that the loco will be delivered to the UK in time for the York show on April 15-17, allowing those models that have not already been pre-ordered to go on sale. Limited to 250 examples and priced £105, pre-orders for the Class 66 can still be placed via the online shop…

THE Model Rail Scotland exhibition saw Realtrack Models display the latest stage in the development of its ‘OO’ gauge Class 156 ‘Super Sprinter’, this being a printing test sample of the ScotRail Saltire livery. Intended to check the printing of the many spots and other details, this was applied to a pre-production model finished in only an approximation of the dark blue livery. Despite this mocked-up nature, the model showed much promise. Realtrack and Rapido Trains are still targeting a June release date for at least some of the first batch of models, with the Saltire livery now due to arrive ahead of the First Group scheme. Following the Glasgow show, over half of each of the two Saltire releases are now pre-ordered while the First Group livery with replacement…

DUE for release shortly by Bachmann are two new additions to its ‘OO’ gauge range of Sectorisation era locomotives, these eschewing any pretensions of glamour in favour of the everyday and, indeed, the sort of workhorse traction that many layouts should feature. First up is another appearance for the Class 37/4, this depicting No. 37422 Robert F. Fairlie in Regional Railways colours (32-376A, £144.95). This marks a welcome return to the manufacturer’s range for the often overlooked livery, with the Type 3 intended to partner the recently released Mk.1 and Mk.2a coaches in the same scheme. This accompaniment extends to the same factory-applied weathering, which is decent enough although the cabside and centre windows are rather too dirty. Painted in April 1993, No. 37422 was a regular on the North…

ALSO newly released by Kernow Model Rail Centre are three packs of 4mm scale Heljan ZFV ‘Dogfish’ ballast hoppers, each of these containing four wagons with different numbers and lettering positions. The available liveries are BR black, olive green and Civil Engineer’s grey/yellow, all of which have then been extensively weathered. The ‘Dutch’ grey/yellow livery is pictured here, although it is largely obscured on all four hoppers by the weathering, the masters for which were created by Mercig Studios and then matched as best as possible by Heljan. There are some nice touches to be seen such as rust patches and paintwork scratches while the mix of rust and ballast dust inside the hoppers is quite effective. The overall coating of ‘greyness’ is very heavy though and may well not…

CHINNOR ANNOUNCES THREE-DAY DIESEL GALA THE Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is to hold its largest ever diesel gala on May 11-13, with five visiting locos plus the home fleet. Confirmed so far are Nos. D8059 (20059), D8188 (20188) and 50026 – with two others still to be announced. Resident locos include the unique Class 17 ‘Clayton’ plus any available shunters. An intensive timetable will see trains operating between 09.30 and 17.00 each day, which in the down direction includes the 1-in-68 climb to Chinnor. Trains will run through to Princes Risborough, but there is not yet a chance to alight there until the new platform opens in the autumn. Diesel driver experiences are also being offered on May 9, plus a limited number of photographic permits that includes a…

THE Department for Transport has announced three companies have been chosen to bid for the next East Midlands franchise. The three are: current operator Stagecoach; Arriva Rail East Midlands; and First Trenitalia East Midlands Rail, ajoint venture company formed by First Rail Holdings and Trenitalia UK. The East Midlands franchise includes intercity services on the Midland Main Line from St Pancras to Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield, plus regional services in the Midlands. The new franchise is said to be vital in supporting the Government’s ambitions to make the Midlands region an engine for growth by improving connections within and outside the region. Ministers want to improve the quality, frequency and timings of journeys on the east of the franchise network and to seek to develop new services and connections.…

24 CLASS 03 (seven vacuum and 17 dual braked) SIX of the vacuum-braked (VB) locomotives had a cut down loading gauge for working between Cwm Mawr and Coed Bach in South Wales, with the other example being deployed as a shunter at Birkenhead EMU depot. For the South Wales traffic, a Class 08 had been successfully modified with a cut-down cab, and so the VB Class 03s would be withdrawn before the end of the year. Of the dual braked (DB) machines, all but two were allocated to the Eastern Region at locations where Class 08s could not be used; the other site being the Birkenhead dock lines. It was anticipated the DB fleet would be retained for the foreseeable future. 609 CLASS 08 (116 air, 222 vacuum, and 271…

Monorails of the Early 20th Century By Adrian S Garner Published by Lightmoor Press www.lightmoor.co.uk 208 pages, black & white, 283 x 220mm, hardback. £25.00 THIS amazing piece of work is a follow-up to the author’s 2011 book that covered monorails in the 1800s, moving on to detail those built from 1900 to the end of the Second World War –when development was put on hold until a boom period began in the 1950s (thereby producing too many to catalogue). The author says his research began 50 years ago, something that can easily be believed from the quality of the finished work. Seven chapters cover the different systems and technologies, such as the almost unbelievable Brennan Gyroscopic Monorail, the Kearney-Thom bicycle, and the Bernie Railplane. Alternatives to these are also…

HST TO VISIT BARROW HILL FOR BEER FESTIVAL UK Railtours is running its first ‘125 Special’ of 2017 on May 18, when an East Midlands Trains set will be used to work a charter from St Pancras to Barrow Hill and back. This is the first day of the roundhouse’s popular beer festival, and tour participants should have around three hours at the site before the HST returns to London. A bargain fare of just £39 in standard class is being offered on this tour, which uses the HST in between its morning and evening duties. Another ‘125 Special’ is pencilled in for September 16, running from St Pancras to Alfreton (for transfer to the National Tramway Museum) and Chesterfield (for Chatsworth). LAST-BUILT ‘66’ FOR UK RAILTOURS OUTING GB Railfreight’s…

THE Spa Valley Railway’s Summer Diesel Gala in August will play host to a ‘Deltic’ for the first time. The visit of No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier to the railway was announced to DPS members at its annual general meeting on March 4. The loco is currently receiving attention at the DPS depot at Barrow Hill. A DB Cargo Class 60 is set to be the star attraction at the Nene Valley Railway in April. Other guest visitors will include No. 45041 Royal Tank Regiment (which has been present since the gala in October 2016 and has undergone a repaint) and No. 50008 Thunderer. The same weekend will see a Class 20 appear at the Avon Valley Railway for the first time, in the form of No. D8059 (20059). More…

THE undoubted highlight of February’s repaints was the emergence from the Toton paintshop of Class 67s No. 67023 and 67027 in Colas colours, the duo having been repainted in preparation for taking up test train duties with their new owner. While No. 67027 has now lost its DB livery, the red and grey colours continue to spread on the Class 66 fleet with Nos. 66009, 66019 and 66082 the most recent to emerge from Axiom Rail’s paintshop in Stoke. At Eastleigh Works, No. 66303 received the DRS ‘minimalist’ look during February with No. 66304 taking its place on March 1, while No. 37607 has been stripped of its DRS branding at Motherwell following its sale. At Wabtec, Doncaster, HST power car No. 43194 now carries Great Western green in preparation…

DRS MK.2 COACHES RECEIVE ATTENTION DRS Mk.2d BFK No. 17159 emerged from overhaul on January 25, and was moved as the 5Z68/10.20 Eastleigh Works-Norwich Crown Point by No. 57007. It will act as a spare brake for the Greater Anglia ‘short set’. Two days later, No. 37423 arrived at Norwich with another overhauled coach, TSO No. 5937, from Loram at Derby. Leaving Greater Anglia for attention on February 21 was another TSO, No. 5919, which departed as the 5Z19/10.05 Norwich Crown Point-Eastleigh Works hauled by Nos. 68024 and 37405. In readiness for the 2017 operating season, and prior to the rake’s move to its new base at Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway, Northern Belle Mk.2d BFK No. 17167 returned from overhaul on February 8. Initially it was moved by…

■ DB CARGO: After a hiatus of almost a year, Axiom Rail at Stoke-on-Trent has outshopped a new FQA triple-unit container flat (ex-FCA/FYA). Outer vehicles Nos. 610389/90 have been partnered with No. 610156, which has been modified for its new role as an ‘inner’. They departed for Warrington Arpley on January 27. Nos. 610389/90 were long-term inmates at Axiom Rail, having been on the premises since at least 2015. No. 610156’s original partner, No. 610155, was formed in the last FQA set to leave the Stoke workshop in February 2016 (Nos. 610340 +610155+610124). In related news, No. 610217 arrived at Axiom Rail on January 4, joining its partner, No. 610218, which had arrived before Christmas. These are ex-Margam Yard. Meanwhile, four other former Margam ‘storees’ have been recorded piggybacked together.…

■ TRAFFIC AND TRACTION: A fourth De Dietrich/Mk.3 train was stabled at Belfast York Road yard during the period under review. It was believed to be a spare train for the cross-border ‘Enterprise’ service, as originally planned for when the De Dietrich/GM 201 Class operated service was introduced. On January 19, however, it was NIR DMU No. 3006 that worked the 06.45 Belfast Central to Connolly and 09.30 return when the booked DD/Mk.3 train was unavailable. A six-car 3000 Class DMU also worked the 12.35 ex-Belfast and 15.20 return later the same day. ■ RUSTY RAILS: The Yorkgate down platform has recently been used by the last Belfast bound train from the Londonderry main line on weekdays, as this utilises the York Road North crossover, which is used irregularly.…

FOLLOWING on from the popularity of the first batch of ‘O’ gauge Class 08 shunters, Dapol is to release a second production run in late summer. These will repeat the liveries already seen but with new numbers, with the manufacturer again stating that the batch quantity will be limited. The plain BR black example will appear as No. 13003 while there are two BR green versions, both with wasp stripes. No. D3305 will feature early BR ‘cycling lion’ emblems while No. D3002 gets the later totems. There are also two BR blue models, No. D3316 with pre-TOPS brandings and No. 08173 in TOPS condition with BR arrows on the bonnet sides. Inevitably, the price has risen from the first run with all five models being priced £225. In addition, DCC…

AS detailed in last issue’s review, the Little Loco Company is to donate over £10,000 to the Class 15 Preservation Society in return for its assistance in developing the company’s outstanding ‘O’ gauge model. The first £7500 instalment was presented to the society’s committee at the East Lancashire Railway during February. The money will help fund restoration work on No. D8233’s underframe and bogies. The group has also received the first Class 15 model produced with certificate No.1, which will be auctioned off at a later date to raise further funds. littleloco.co.uk…

NO less than three new limited editions have been unveiled by Rails of Sheffield, the ‘OO’ gauge Bachmann locos all being exclusive to the retailer. The standout is arguably GB Railfreight’s No. 66727 Maritime One in its stylish mid-blue Maritime Transport customer livery as launched in September last year. This is joined by another GM, Freightliner’s No. 66614 in the original green and yellow livery and adorned with the Battle of the Somme remembrance nameplates Poppy 1916-2016 unveiled last October. Completing the trio is Class 37/4 No. 37425 Sir Robert McAlpine/ Concrete Bob in Trainload Construction sub-sector colours, as carried between December 1989 and October 1995. All three models are limited to the usual 512 examples and are expected to be released during the course of this year with pre-orders…

RECENTLY released by Bachmann is the third instalment in its series of green and cream coaching stock, as used on the Kyle of Lochalsh line in the late 1980s and early 1990s.This twin pack (39-005) not only contains a further Mk.2 Tourist Standard Open (TSO), No. 5154 Clan Fraser, but also the most significant vehicle of the specially-liveried fleet, former Class 101 observation saloon No. 6300 Hebridean. The coach pack is intended to complement the ‘Highlander’ digital trainset that was released back in 2014, which contained BR large logo-liveried Class 37/4 No. 37418 An Comunn Gaidhealach along with two green/cream Mk.2s, TSO No. 5193 Clan MacLeod and Brake Standard Open (BSO) No. 9388 Bailechaul. Adding the two together allows a more representative four-coach train to be formed while an even…

THE Southern Railway fleet of two-axle non-passenger vans proved to be a popular choice for departmental conversions once their revenue earning days were over. The Parcels & Miscellaneous Vans (PMVs) were the vehicle of choice where possible, a considerable number being turned into staff and tool vans, often with some modifications, such as a small window inserted into each. The Covered Carriage Trucks (CCTs) were less desirable but a fair few were still similarly modified. Bachmann has naturally tapped into this source of further liveries to provide another addition to its range of corporate era departmental stock. Utilising the CCT, the manufacturer has managed to find an unmodified vehicle that matches the tooling in the form of No. ADB975276, which was a stores van allocated to the Rolling Stock Engineers…

DUE to be added to Bachmann’s 2mm scale range very shortly is a further Class 24, this coming in the form of the BR Research department’s ever-popular No. 97201 (372-980, £129.95). The Sulzer Type 2 was taken into departmental stock in 1976 to provide motive power for test trains, principally the tribology set, with it initially being renumbered as RDB968007. However, the Farish model re-creates the loco’s much more famous 1980s appearance, when, by now numbered 97201, it emerged from repairs at Toton in June 1980 carrying Research red/blue and the name Experiment. Still employed on test trains when not attending open days, it outlived its classmates by some margin, withdrawal eventually coming at the end of 1987 due to being vacuum-braked only and an increasing shortage of spare parts.…

ALSO new in the Graham Farish range this month are further Mk.1 coaches, three of which are finished in Network SouthEast colours. These re-create vehicles most commonly associated with Thames & Chiltern division services from Paddington during the late 1980s and early 1990s, prior to the arrival of the ‘Turbo’ DMUs. Pictured here are Tourist Standard Open (TSO) No. 4945 (374-016), First Corridor (FK) No. 13328 (374-166) and Brake Standard Corridor (BSK) No. 35464 (374-193). All are fitted with Commonwealth bogies and are well finished in the colourful livery. Inevitably, steam-age features such as the end steps persist but the lack of air brakes is not an issue as all three were vacuum brake only to withdrawal. Joining them is a Full Brake (BG) in the red with yellow stripes…

RECENT weeks have seen Heljan add a further model to its ‘OO’ gauge wagon range, this coming in the form of the 35t GLW Class B tanker. First seen in 1957, the design was pioneered by Charles Roberts in conjunction with Esso, delivering a tanker with a 22t capacity that could operate at up to 60mph due to the fitting of roller bearings and vacuum brakes. It immediately proved to be a success with the design also being adopted by other wagon manufacturers. A considerable number were built for Esso and other petroleum companies in the following years, with British Railways also taking a small batch for departmental use. The Esso Class B tanks remained in service into the 1980s, now carrying TOPS numbers and coded TSV but usually devoid…