TweetThe days of Bubble car operated Cardiff Bay shuttles are now confirmed to be at an end following news that it has been sold to Chiltern Railways. Arriva liveried 121032 had several spells out of service over the last six months and worked its last service in south Wales on 9th May, departing for...
Read more →TweetAuthor: Colin J. Marsden Publisher: Ian Allan ISBN: 978-0-7110-3739-7 Price: £20.00 Website: www.ianallanpublishing.com Locomotive listings used to warrant separate books of their own, but with the dominance of the Class 66 and smattering of other classes they now have to share billing with multiple units and coaching stock. That is not to take away...
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TweetAn A-Stock set made a return to passenger action at the weekend as part of a series of specials coinciding with the Rickmansworth Festival. The set comprising Driving Motor cars 5111 and 5110 and Trailers 6111 and 6110 made a number of journeys between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Amersham on Sunday 19th May. It is the...
Read more →TweetAuthor: Gavin Morrison Publisher: Ian Allan ISBN: 978-0-7110-3505-8 Price: £25.00 Website: www.ianallanpublishing.com The recent withdrawal by Electric Traction Limited (ETL) from mainline operations means the future of classic electric locomotives is far from rosy. The withdrawal of 87002 Royal Sovereign all but ends Class 87 UK mainline duties, while the Class 86 mainline contingent...
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TweetTug 60092 was on Thunderbird duties last night, rescuing a stricken HST near Wantage Road and bringing the train forward to Didcot. The DB Schenker Class 60 was coupled up to 43122 after both it and 43088 failed while in charge of the 1A33 2030 Bristol to London Paddington. Passengers were unloaded at Didcot...
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TweetDeltic 55022 will once again work on the mainline for GB Railfreight, the locomotive’s owners have now confirmed. Royal Scots Grey will leave its base at the East Lancashire Railway tomorrow (Wednesday 24th April) and head to Glasgow where it will based for duties hauling electric multiple units and translator coaches. Beaver Sports, owner...
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TweetA convoy of classic traction featuring Class 37s and 20s, lead by a Class 47, was the reward for patient rail photographers earlier this month. The late running 0X38 Eastleigh to Crewe saw Direct Rail Services’ 47828 haul six other DRS locomotives on April 2nd. 37409, 37607 and Class 20s 20303/01/02/04 were in the...
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TweetChoppers may be in their sixth decade of mainline service, but that hasn’t stopped them appearing in numerous liveries in recent years. The lurid Harry Needle orange, or GB Railfreight blue and orange are just two liveries to have adorned Class 20s for the first time over the last 12 months. But now London...
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TweetA smashed headcode panel did not mar an “excellent performance” from D9009 Alycidon on its first mainline outing of 2013. The panel was smashed and headcode blinds were damaged in a run-in with a pheasant between Durham and Newcastle en route to Edinburgh on Saturday April 6th. The Deltic was in charge of Pathfinder...
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TweetIf you weren’t fortunate enough to either be riding behind Deltic D9009 Alycidon, or be stationed lineside, camera-at-the-ready, at some point on its route as it took charge of “The Eidyn Burgh Scot” on April 6th 2013, then at least there was Twitter. The social networking site enabled enthusiasts to keep up to date...
Read more →TweetAuthors: Richard Faulkner and Chris Austin Publisher: Ian Allan ISBN: 978-0-86093-647-3 Price: £19.99 Website: www.ianallanpublishing.com Dr Richard Beeching is infamous even outside of railways circles as the man who shrunk the UK rail network and deprived many towns of a rail connection. But as the 50th anniversary of his report The Reshaping of British...
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TweetRepairs to 50044 are progressing well, but up to £50,000 still needs to be raised to get Exeter back on the mainline, the Fifty Fund has told RailwaysToday. Work is underway to adapt a power unit purchased from a scrapped Portuguese 1800 locomotive, which were built by English Electric and used a very similar...
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