Sam Hewitt

AFTER many years Armenia is beginning to modernise its rolling stock, with new EMUs being supplied by Russian firm Transmashholding. The railway network in the small former Soviet republic has been operated since 2008 as a concession by Russian Railways subsidiary ‘South Caucasus Railway’ (SCR). The SCR concession is largely reliant on now life-expired, former…

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A NEW rail head milling machine for Crossrail’s Elizabeth Line has been completed in Austria by specialist company Linsinger. The 48-metre long, two-section machine, designated MG31-UK by its builder, is equipped with a pair of three-axle bogies for each section to support the weight of the milling machinery. It made its journey to the UK…

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IT IS likely the last loco in the world from a long series of streamlined diesel locos based on General Motors classic ‘E’ and ‘F’ type has ceased working scheduled passenger trains. The ‘E’ and ‘F’ types were first introduced in the USA in 1937 and 1939, respectively. Several thousand ‘E’ and ‘F’ type diesel…

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TWO English Electric 350hp 0-6-0DEs were seen departing simultaneously from Severn Valley Railway (SVR), Kidderminster station on August 22. Nearest the camera is Class 09 No. D4100 Dick Hardy, heading the LNER teak set as e.c.s., while on the far road, Class 08 No. D3022 pulls a dead steam loco. The passenger stock had been in use…

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VOLUNTEERS from the Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society (IDRS) carried out a full clean and inspection of English Electric 16SVT Mk1 power unit in August, including the four Brown Boveri turbo chargers. The society is aiming to build a replica of pioneer LMS diesel-electric No. 10000. The power unit was built in 1947 and is in very…

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THE Diesel & Electric Preservation Group’s West Somerset Railway-based Class 14 No. D9526 has received an extensive overhaul. The work included the fitting of a replacement reconditioned Paxman 6YJ engine, originally installed in a BR Class 74, a now-extinct electro-diesel type.It had been hoped the 0-6-0DH would have been ready for full entry into traffic for…

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THE Class 501 EMU previously housed at the now-closed Electric Railway Museum, Coventry, has found a temporary new home at the private site of the Coulsdon Old Vehicle & Engineering Society in Oxfordshire. This site is not open to visitors other than on occasional open days.The former Great Central Railway Finmere station is on the…

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THE Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway (L&MMR) at Cynheidre, South Wales, held a successful event on Bank Holiday Monday, August 27, with more than 200 passengers carried. In addition, it hosted a visit by the Branch Line Society in the morning, with 136 of the group’s members enjoying a rare double-headed ride covering all available…

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CLASS 42 No. D832 Onslaught is making welcome appearances at several heritage railways this year, including the Great Central Railway (GCR). Following the September 7-9 diesel gala, where it appeared with visiting ‘Deltic’ No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier, it featured in an East Midlands Railway Photographic Society photo charter on the 10th. Its next visit was the…

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THE 79-day, £200million project to upgrade track and signalling at Derby station is nearing completion. CrossCountry (XC) services returned to the station on September 3, and East Midlands Trains regional services to and from Nottingham and Crewe are also serving the city again. A replacement bus service is now in operation between Derby and Matlock,…

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