Sam Hewitt

THE manufacture of the first of the new Class 331 EMU sets for Northern is underway at the CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles) at Zaragoza, Spain. Northern’s order is for 31 three- and 12 four-car units – part of the ‘Civity’ family – which will be phased into service from December 2018 over the…

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TWO recent GB Railfreight locomotive namings have further cemented the close ties between the operator and the UK armed forces. GBRf and the Royal Corps of Signals named No. 66756 Royal Corps of Signals at a ceremony on June 24 to mark Armed Forces Day celebrations in Swanage. The locomotive was named by John Smith, GBRf…

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DB CARGO’S five-year contract to move Cornish china clay for Imerys expires in December and is currently under review. DBC hauls bulk china clay from various locations to Par Docks and Carne Point, near Fowey, for export by sea. According to Imerys, negotiations with DB Cargo are still at an early stage, but the china…

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FUEL oil traffic returned to the West Highland Line (WHL) on July 2, but only on a trial basis. However, the train brought a Class 56 to Fort William for the first time in the type’s 40-year career. Colas Railfreight provided traction for the trial run, which took No. 56302 PECO The Railway Modeller 70 Years…

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GENERAL Motors Class 071 No. 073 has been repainted into the original Irish Rail orange & black livery with white lining to mark the 30th anniversary of the rail operator’s formation on February 2, 1987. Back in February, as Irish Rail celebrated the anniversary, staff members Ken Fox, Noel Enright and Neil Dinnen suggested to chief…

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DUBLIN & South Eastern Railway Mogul No. 461 laid the ghosts of its former steaming problems to rest during mid-June when it and the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s other main line locos put in faultless performances on Steam Dreams’ multi-day ‘Emerald Isle Explorer’. The tour officially got underway on June 13 with Flying Scotsman working…

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TO promote the return of the TV drama ‘Game of Thrones’, London Underground Tube stations took part in a one-day ‘experiential advertising campaign’ on July 17. This included themed wall and floor vinyls at King’s Cross St Pancras, plus an ‘Iron Throne’, where passengers could have their picture taken. Elsewhere, characters from the show –…

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TRANSPORT for London has released a new version of its Tube map aimed at helping passengers who suffer from claustrophobia or anxiety. The map shows which sections of the network are above ground and which are in tunnels, thus helping journey planning for those wishing to avoid going underground. There are around 270 stations on…

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REBUILT Blackpool ‘Balloon’ No. 718 re-entered traffic as part of the Blackpool Transport B fleet on May 26 following a full repaint into green & cream at Rigby Road depot. The 1934-built car was rebuilt with a flat front in 2002, but since then has not carried a fleet livery in favour of advertising and vinyl…

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AT A private location, deep in the heart of the Leicestershire countryside, one of the most ambitious tramcar restorations yet seen in the UK is getting underway. For inside sit the mortal remains of ex-Leicester Corporation double-deck car No. 31, which the Leicester Tram 31 Group has set on the comeback trail after the car spent…

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