Page 9 - Rail Express - September 2019

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Steam legends help launch Scottish ‘Azumas’
LNERintroducedClass800 bi-modes to
Anglo-Scottish services from the start
of Augustand,prior to that, ranpress
previews trips from York to Darlington on
July30and Edinburgh-Berwick on July31.
The York trip wasgreeted by A4
steam loco No. 4468 Mallard,holder of
the worldsteam record (126mph set in
1938), at York andA3No. 60103 Flying
Scotsman,the world’smost famous
steam loco, at Darlington.
Mallard has rarely left theNational
Railway Museuminthe last 30 years,
so required much work by the museum
to getitfitand approvedintime to
be hauledonNetwork Rail metals. On
the day, DB Cargo’s Nos. 66050and
66134 ‘top and tailed’ the A4 from the
museum to the station’s platform 7via
Holgate Sidings so it could be lined up
with No. 800113.
‘Deltic’ repairs to start
AFTER months of investigation
following its disastrous failureon
March3whilst hauling the southbound
‘Auld Reekie’ railtour from Edinburgh,
the go-ahead has been given to start
repairs on Class 55 No. D9009 (55009)
Alycidon.
The ‘Deltic’ had been quarantined at the six motors to be removedand sent
SPAVALLEY LASH-UP: Recent yearshave seen the summer diesel gala at the Spa ValleyRailway close with amultiple-headed
working of the diesels that have taken part. This year,however, the ‘lash-up’ wasmovedtothe Saturday, August 3, when Nos. 27001, free, with booking available nowat
D821, 31430, 73140 and 33063 headed the 18.00 TunbridgeWells West to Eridge, which is seen passing Poke Hill Farm. NeilWalkling www.siemens.co.uk/railopenday
HEADLINE NEWS
IN BRIEF
A4 No. 4468 Mallard linesupwith ‘Azuma’ No. 800113 at York on July30.
The Edinburgh previewtrip
featured No.800104with special
tartan adornments to the LNER
bodyside stripe as well as Scottish
flags on the driving cabs. The same
set wasused on the following day
forthe first passenger services, the
05.40 Edinburgh-King’s Cross and
17.30 return.
With north of York nowcleared
forelectric‘Azuma’ services, theywill
graduallyreplace thecompany’s Mk.4
andHST sets by mid2020.
A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman greets
No. 800113 at Darlington on July30.
Nemesis’ depot, Burton-on-Trent, while away to Sulzer forstripping and repair.
inquiries and inspections were made Meanwhile, work is to start on
to ascertainwhat went wrong. All six stripping aprevious bogie fault,
traction motors and amaingenerator which has seen arubbing on the
were damaged in ahugepowersurge.A inside of acentrewheelset. Alycidon
forensic engineer wasevencalledin. is not expected back in service for
Beforerepairs canbegin, No. D9009 some months. The DPShas opened a
must first be lifted off its bogies onto crowdfunding appeal as this will be a
accommodationbogies, which will allow costly repair.Details canbefound on
the DPSwebsite at www.thedps.co.uk.
September 2019 RAIL EXPRESS 9
‘FLIRTS’ENTER SERVICE
STADLER bi-mode No. 755410became
the firstofGreaterAnglia’s newfleet
to enter service on July29when it
worked between Norwichand Great
Yarmouth/Lowestoft –the loco-
hauled ‘short set’ diagram. Theunit
is one of 38 three and four-carClass
745s beingintroduced ontoregional
services in East Anglia, partof1,000
newvehicles being builtfor the GA
network. The ‘shortset’ is notfinished
with yet, however, as it wasinservice
on selecteddaysinAugust whilethe
‘745s’ arebedded in.
‘MIDDY’DIESEL
THE Mid-SuffolkLight Railway at
Wetheringsett, near Stowmarket,
took delivery of anew locomotive in
June with thearrivalofJohn Fowler
0-4-0 diesel No. 20337. Built in 1933
it worked at theNabisco Foodsfactory
in Welwyn Garden City (originally the
ShreddedWheatCo. until taken over)
beforebeing soldin1974for static
exhibit.
With 45 yearsoutside at various
sites it wasa daunting task to restore,
but thenew owners took just six
monthstostripthe engine locomotive
down and rebuildfor itsnew home,
arriving in time forthe railway’s diesel
gala on June30. Originally builtwitha
40hppetrolengine it wasre-engined
by Fowlerin1956 with aMcLaren 40hp
diesel engine, which it still carries -
albeitwith alot of newparts.
FUNDING FORCAMP HILL
PLANSfor thenew Camp Hill stations
have received a£15 million funding
from the Department forTransport.
Thefunding is astep towardsresuming
passenger servicesonthe Camp Hill
Line calling at Moseley, Kings Heath
andHazelwell Stations.Transport
forthe West Midlands (TfWM) and
theWestMidlandsRailExecutive
(WMRE),working with rail industry
partners including Network Rail and
West Midlands Trains, areleading the
development of the newstations.
The Camp Hill linestations closed
during 1941and sincethen,the line
hasbeen used onlybyfreight and
non-stop through-services. These
newstations will provide regulartrain
services into BirminghamNew Street.
NORTHAM OPENDAY
SOUTH WesternRailway will hold
an openday on September 28 at
the Northam Traincare Depotin
Southampton. Theevent will be
hostedbySiemens Mobilityin
partnershipwith SWRand is thefirst
timethe depothas openedits doors
since SouthWestern Railway became
the train operator.
NorthamTraincareishometothe
Siemens Class 444and 450 ‘Desiro’
trains,and the eventcoincideswith
16 years since the fleets were
introducedonthe route. The event is