Sam Hewitt

SRI LANKA is planning to invest in new locomotives and rolling stock in the next few years. The entire network is now back in use following damage in the country’s civil war,which ended in 2009. In recent years both diesel locos and DEMUs have been bought from Indian manufacturers, based upon designs used in neighbouring…

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AMERICAN national passenger operator Amtrak revealed plans in late-March to stop the provision of charter services, and to end the long tradition of attaching private coaches to long-distance services. Amtrak currently provides charter services using its own trains, or provides crew or diesel locos to some mainline steam charters. There are between 200 and 250…

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ELECTRIC operation of the line from Budapest to Esztergom began on April 9, with trains operated by MÁV-Start Class 415 ‘Flirt’ EMUs. The start of electric operation enabled MÁV-Start to cascade the ‘Desiro Classic’ DMUs – previously used for Esztergom services – to the Budapest Nyugati to Lajosmizse line, which is now the only non-electrified…

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DANISH State Railways (DSB) is buying 26 ‘Vectron’ AC 6,400 KW dual-voltage (15kV/25kV AC) electric locos from Siemens, with an option for 18 more. The locos will be built in Munich and are due to be delivered by December 2020, entering service in 2021. The 200kph locos will be used with double-deck coaches to allow…

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NATIONAL Collection Class 40 No. D200 (40122) was not able to run at the East Lancashire’s 40s@60 event on April 13-15, but was able to play a prominent part in static displays and line-ups. It is seen in the bay platform at Bury Bolton Street station the day after the event bearing a replica headboard as…

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THE Bluebell Railway’s March 23-25 gala had three visiting locos from the Midland Railway-Butterley: ‘Peaks’ Nos. 45041 Royal Tank Regiment and D182 (46045), both owned by The Peak Locomotive Co; and Class 31 No. 31271 Stratford 1840-2001, owned by A1A Locomotives. No. 45041 failed in service at Horsted Keynes on Friday with a triple pump problem, but was…

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CLASS 101 DTCL No. 54342 (56342) is seen at GCR Quorn & Woodhouse Yard ready to be dragged by Class 08 No. D3690 to Loughborough on April 5. It arrived from the Midland Railway-Butterley two days earlier. No. 54342 is lucky to have survived following withdrawal in 1989 and seeing internal use by BR at Leeds Neville Hill. When…

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AVON Valley Railway’s diesel gala on April 14-15 had to be cut back from the event planned. No visiting locos were expected, but two key residents were unavailable. Class 08 No. 08202 was not back from its hire to Knorr-Bremse, Wolverton Works as hoped. Class 31 No. 5518 (31101) disgraced itself on the first day after working…

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CLASS 08 No. 08757 Eagle worked its first general passenger service at the Telford Steam Railway (TSR) on March 31. It attracted enthusiasts from as far afield as Lincoln, Leeds and Bristol, and is seen departing Lawley Village. This loco was bought with the proceeds from the railway’s 2016 ‘Polar Express’ trains. It top-and-tailed with a…

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THE Growler Group’s Class 37 No. D6948 was the first diesel to head a passenger train on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway’s new extension to Broadway when it worked the 16.00 departure from Toddington on March 21. This was the last of four trains for GWSR shareholders and supporters, arriving just before 17.00. The Type 3…

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