Page 75 - Rail Express - September 2019

PRESERVATION
‘Bubble car’ returns to Swanage
THE long-awaited introduction of
regularSwanageRailway services to
and from Wareham took astep forward
on July 24, when the first of the line’s
DMUs that will be used on these
workings,Class 121 ‘Bubble Car’
No. 55028, wasreleased from Eastleigh
Works. It wascollected by No.D6515
(33012) Lt JennyLewis RN,which had
run light engine from Swanageearlier
in the day.
The DMU will undergo testing
and commissioning beforecrew
training begins. Interim maintenance
facilities forthe line’s DMUs arebeing
constructedbyCorfe Castle station
untilarrangements fora long-term
lease of sidings at Furzebrook have
been concluded with Perenco and
Dorset Council.
Still to be completed is the three-
carClass 117 set (made up of Nos.
51356+59486+51388), which is at
Eastleigh Works. The overhaul and main
linecertification of all four vehicles
has taken much longer than expected
duetothe number of issues, including
delays in the delivery of wheelsets. The July24, while working from Eastleigh Workstothe SwanageRailway. The DMU vehicle
vehicles have been fitted with TPWS,
OTMR,GSM-R and central door locking
toenable them to be used on the
main line.
The SwanageRailway is still
hoping it can begin running DMUs on
its services to Wareham on alimited
number of days before the end of
the 2019 season, although these
‘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
Bahamas is at the rear. Graham Nuttall
Class33No. D6515 (33012) hauls Class 121 No. 55028 away from Bournemouth on
will be usedonthe heritagerailway’s main line shuttle from Wareham. NeilWalkling
would be operated by athirdparty
train operating company. Meanwhile
the railway has applied to the Office
of Rail and Road forits ownmainline
passenger licence, and anticipates
being able to run afull 90-daytrial
service in the 2020 season.
IN BRIEF
■ Class 117 DMBS No. 51346, which
has been used as aspares donor in the
SwanageDMU refurbishment project,
wascut up at Eastleigh Worksduring
June. The cab has been acquired by
The South WalesLoco CabPreservation
Group.
September 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 75
NEW ENGINE BLOCK FOR‘37’
THE Class 37 Loco Group has acquired an
English Electric 12SVMk.2 powerunit,
built in 1967, from an industrial site for
use in No. 37003 following the discovery
of crackswithin the main crank of the
loco’s engine earlier this year.The engine
block from the newly-purchased unit will
be built up using components from the
current powerunit.
The group estimates the work will
add£27,000 to the cost of the overhaul
of No. 37003, which is being carried out
at UKRL’s Leicester depot. It had been
hoped it would be back in service as
No. D6703 in time forits 60th
anniversary in December 2020, but now
this maynolongerbepossible. An appeal
forfunds has been made to assist in
returning the ‘37’ to workingorder.
‘47’ TO BE SCRAPPED
MOVED to the Dean Forest Railway earlier
this year,No. 47524 is expected to
undergo component recovery,providing
partsfor other surviving Class 47s, before
being disposed of.Bought from EWS
in 2003, it had ashort spell at Tyseley
before being transferred to the Churnet
ValleyRailway,wheresomerestoration
work wascarried out over aperiod of
severalyears. However, the Brush Type 4
has neverrun in preservation.
6-PAN UNDERFRAME
ON THEMOVE
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.
SUBSCRIBE TODAY ON PAGE 12