Sam Hewitt

EGYPTIAN National Railways (ENR) signed agreements worth $575million with US manufacturer General Electric (GE) for 100 new multi-purpose diesel-electric locos in mid-2017. The first 25 locos, which will be based on GE’s 3,200HP ES30ACi light ‘Evolution’ model, with a 12-cylinder GEVO engine, will be delivered in 2018. ENR already has 80 GE ES40ACi locomotives, which…

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AS STEAM disappears in China it appears there is more local interest than ever. In February the English language newspaper China Daily published a long feature on the Sandaoling coal mine, well known to many railway photographers as the last place anywhere in the world with significant daily steam freight operation. The China Daily report…

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MORE than £340million is being invested by Network Rail to improve and expand the rail network on Merseyside. The most notable work is the extensive rebuilding works at Liverpool Lime Street and reopening of the Halton Curve, near Runcorn, to allow faster direct trains between North Wales and Liverpool. In early February work was continuing…

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THE recently extended platform 12 at Edinburgh Waverley is now in use, providing additional capacity for the longer electric trains being used on routes towards Glasgow. The work was part of a £23million package of improvements being undertaken at Waverley by Carillion to create longer platforms and extra capacity. In recent weeks, ScotRail has been…

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A NEW £1.5million footbridge across the Brighton Main Line, near Salfords in Surrey, has replaced the busiest foot crossing on the Network Rail system. Dean Farm Crossing spanned four tracks and saw more than 760 trains a day, some running at up to 90mph. The new bridge was built over Christmas, craned into place on…

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BAGULEY-Drewry inspection railbus No. DB 998901 OLIVe returned to the Middleton Railway on January 29 after a superb bodywork restoration was completed by the Vintage Carriages Trust at Ingrow West (KWVR). The work followed an arson attack in February 2016 when the vehicle suffered extensive damage. OLIVe is seen being shunted at Ingrow by former Liverpool…

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THE Keighley & Worth Valley Railway is now running a ‘Railcar Wednesday’ service in the ‘low’ season, using a 1960s diesel train. The first day of operation was February 7 with German railbus No. E79964 (Waggon- und Maschinenbau GmbH 1269 of 1958), which is seen running alongside the River Worth, near Damems, en route to Keighley.…

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FORMER Dutch Railways 0-6-0DE No. 625 (690) (English Electric 2122/Vulcan Foundry D312 of 1956) is on indefinite loan to the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway from RMS Locotec, and so is not regarded as preserved. It arrived at Cynheidre on January 31 and was the last loco at Boden Rail, Washwood Heath, having been used to…

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CLASS 27 No. D5353 (27007) was collected from the Mid-Hants Railway on January 21, destined for restoration at the Caledonian Railway in Brechin, Scotland. The loco was operational on the MHR following arrival there in 1985. It suffered fire damage the next year, but ran again in 1992 until withdrawn in 2000 for overhaul. However, this…

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CREWE Heritage Centre commemorated the 70th anniversary of railway nationalisation (January 1, 1948) with an event on January 13. The event was organised by the Woodhead Railway Heritage Group with all proceeds going to the Woodhead Railway Museum Project. Class 87 AC electric loco No. 87035 Robert Burns was completed at Crewe Works in 1974 for…

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