Page 75 - Rail Express - September 2019
P. 75

PRESERVATION




          ‘Bubble car’ returns to Swanage                                                                                             IN BRIEF




          THE long-awaited introduction of                                                                                             NEW ENGINE BLOCK FOR‘37’
          regularSwanageRailway services to                                                                                            THE Class 37 Loco Group has acquired an
          and from Wareham took astep forward                                                                                          English Electric 12SVMk.2 powerunit,
          on July 24, when the first of the line’s                                                                                      built in 1967, from an industrial site for
          DMUs that will be used on these                                                                                              use in No. 37003 following the discovery
          workings,Class 121 ‘Bubble Car’                                                                                              of crackswithin the main crank of the
          No. 55028, wasreleased from Eastleigh                                                                                        loco’s engine earlier this year.The engine
          Works. It wascollected by No.D6515                                                                                           block from the newly-purchased unit will
          (33012) Lt JennyLewis RN,which had                                                                                           be built up using components from the
          run light engine from Swanageearlier                                                                                         current powerunit.
         in the day.                                                                                                                       The group estimates the work will
             The DMU will undergo testing                                                                                              add£27,000 to the cost of the overhaul
          and commissioning beforecrew                                                                                                 of No. 37003, which is being carried out
          training begins. Interim maintenance                                                                                         at UKRL’s Leicester depot. It had been
          facilities forthe line’s DMUs arebeing                                                                                       hoped it would be back in service as
         constructedbyCorfe Castle station                                                                                             No. D6703 in time forits 60th
         untilarrangements fora long-term                                                                                              anniversary in December 2020, but now
         lease of sidings at Furzebrook have                                                                                           this maynolongerbepossible. An appeal
         been concluded with Perenco and                                                                                               forfunds has been made to assist in
         Dorset Council.                                                                                                               returning the ‘37’ to workingorder.
             Still to be completed is the three-
         carClass 117 set (made up of Nos.                                                                                             ‘47’ TO BE SCRAPPED
         51356+59486+51388), which is at                                                                                               MOVED to the Dean Forest Railway earlier
         Eastleigh Works. The overhaul and main                                                                                        this year,No. 47524 is expected to
         linecertification of all four vehicles                                                                                         undergo component recovery,providing
          has taken much longer than expected                                                                                          partsfor other surviving Class 47s, before
          duetothe number of issues, including    Class33No. D6515 (33012) hauls Class 121 No. 55028 away from Bournemouth on          being disposed of.Bought from EWS
          delays in the delivery of wheelsets. The  July24, while working from Eastleigh Workstothe SwanageRailway. The DMU vehicle    in 2003, it had ashort spell at Tyseley
          vehicles have been fitted with TPWS,     will be usedonthe heritagerailway’s main line shuttle from Wareham. NeilWalkling     before being transferred to the Churnet
          OTMR,GSM-R and central door locking                                                                                          ValleyRailway,wheresomerestoration
          toenable them to be used on the         would be operated by athirdparty         ■ Class 117 DMBS No. 51346, which           work wascarried out over aperiod of
          main line.                              train operating company. Meanwhile       has been used as aspares donor in the       severalyears. However, the Brush Type 4
             The SwanageRailway is still          the railway has applied to the Office    SwanageDMU refurbishment project,           has neverrun in preservation.
          hoping it can begin running DMUs on     of Rail and Road forits ownmainline      wascut up at Eastleigh Worksduring
          its services to Wareham on alimited     passenger licence, and anticipates       June. The cab has been acquired by          6-PAN UNDERFRAME
          number of days before the end of        being able to run afull 90-daytrial      The South WalesLoco CabPreservation         ON THEMOVE
          the 2019 season, although these         service in the 2020 season.              Group.                                      THEIsle of Wight Steam Railway has
                                                                                                                                       acquired the underframe of ‘6-PAN’
                                                                                                                                       Corridor Third(TFK) No. S12235S
                                                                                                                                       (latterlyDS70277) from the Spa Valley
                                                                                                                                       Railway, primarily to provide aspareset
                                                                                                                                       of bogies. The vehicle wasone of several
                                                                                                                                       which, after withdrawal, hadtheir bodies
                                                                                                                                       removedfor use as crane match wagons.

                                                                                                                                       CLASS20RETURNSTOGCR
                                                                                                                                       AFTERa visit to Barrow Hill forrepairs,
                                                                                                                                       No.D8098 (20098)returnedtothe
                                                                                                                                       Great Central Railway on July1.The loco
                                                                                                                                       undertook aloadedtest run with
                                                                                                                                       No.37714 Cardiff Canton on July28.
                                                                                                                                       KITCHEN CARTOBE
                                                                                                                                       RESTOREDATEASTLEIGH
                                                                                                                                       IN late July, Mk.1 Restaurant Unclassified
                                                                                                                                       (RU) No. 1987, which later became Brake
                                                                                                                                       ForceRunner No. DB975982, wasmoved
                                                                                                                                       from the Kent &East SussexRailwayto
                                                                                                                                       Eastleigh, whereitistoberestored by
                                                                                                                                       Arlington foruse in the line’s ‘Wealden
                                                                                                                                       Pullman’ dining train –this is expected to
                                                                                                                                       cost around £200,000. It will replace RU
                                                                                                                                       No. 1955, which is in need over overhaul
                                                                                                                                       and updating.













          ‘CHOPPER’ HIRED BY VINTAGETRAINS: With No. 47773 (D1755) currentlystopped forattention, VintageTrains has
          hired London Underground-liveried No. 20142 fordiesel support on its charters. It arrived at Tyseleywith No. 20007 (which is air-
          braked only, so unsuitable foruse with VintageTrains’ vacuum-brakedcoaches) from West Ruislip on July3.The Type 1ispictured  ONLINE ■ POST ■ PHONE
          at BentleyHeath (near Solihull) on July27, with an empty stock move from TyseleytoDorridge. ‘Jubilee’ steam loco No. 45596   SUBSCRIBE TODAY ON PAGE 12
          Bahamas is at the rear. Graham Nuttall
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