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Sam Hewitt

  • Locomotive Services gets two Class 73s

    Locomotive Services gets two Class 73s

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    CREWE-based Locomotive Services Limited (LSL) has acquired two Class 73 electro-diesel locos. One of the pair is the first of the class – a ‘JA’ type, which dates from 1962. No. 73001 (E6001) has been acquired from the Dean Forest Railway and arrived at Crewe by road on May 2. The other acquisition is No. 73002,…

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  • West Midlands Class 196 DMU construction underway

    West Midlands Class 196 DMU construction underway

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    CONSTRUCTION of the first of a fleet of 26 new diesel multiple units for West Midlands Trains (WMT) has begun at Beasain, Spain. They are being built by CAF (Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles). The units are from the ‘Civity’ family and comprise 80 vehicles. They are part of a £1billion investment promised by the…

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  • Luxury dining trains’ brief encounter in Kent

    Luxury dining trains’ brief encounter in Kent

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    THERE was brief chance to see two of Britain’s luxury dining trains together on May 11, writes David Staines.  ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 was recessed at Lenham Loop with the 12.50 Maidstone East-Folkestone West ‘Heart of Kent Hospice Circular’ to allow LSL’s Nos. 47810 and 47853 to overtake with a ‘Statesman’ special to Canterbury.  No. 44871 and the…

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  • Mayflower in the Highlands

    Mayflower in the Highlands

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower crosses the Beauly Firth at Invershin while working a day tour from Inverness to Dunrobin Castle during Steam Dreams’ mammoth ‘Highlands and Islands’ tour of Scotland on May 9-17.  The previous day, the Thompson 4-6-0 worked with No. 60103 Flying Scotsman over the Highland Main Line from Edinburgh.  ‘Scotsman’ worked north from King’s…

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  • UK Railtours ventures through Butterley

    UK Railtours ventures through Butterley

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    GB RAILFREIGHT No. 66753 EMD Roberts Road edges into Butterley loop with UK Railtours’ ‘Amber Valley Venturer’ tour from Euston on May 4, making for an unusual sight among the preserved DMUs and coaching stock at the Midland Railway-Butterley (MRB). No. 66719 METRO-LAND is out of view at the other end of the train. Resident ‘Generator’ No. 47401…

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  • Bahamas becomes part of Vintage Trains roster

    Bahamas becomes part of Vintage Trains roster

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    ‘JUBILEE’ No. 45596 Bahamas will return to Tyseley for the works open days on June 22-23. This comes only a few months after the completion of its overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works and two very successful comeback runs over the Settle to Carlisle Line. The Stanier ‘5XP’ is also booked to haul six Vintage Trains tours…

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  • From the archive: The big bird that flew too far

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    Part 2: Soviet Union and derivatives by Robert Humm It’s 50 years since the prototype diesel Kestrel first graced the British Rail network, but after four years it was sold to Russia. The RM presents the story of its life behind the Iron Curtain and the locos it inspired in the USSR. As we saw…

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  • Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures

    Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    Steam Dreams’ ‘Cathedral Express’ trip from Slough to Kingswear was powered by two West Coast Railways Class 47s on May 4 after the booked steam locomotives suffered failures.  The original plan was for a WCRC ‘47’ to work the train as far as Taunton, where David Buck’s ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower would take over for the…

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  • ‘Lizzie’ back on main line after repairs at Carnforth

    ‘Lizzie’ back on main line after repairs at Carnforth

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    STANIER Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth made its main line charter comeback on April 30 with a West Coast Railways ‘Dalesman’ outing over the Settle to Carlisle (S&C) line .  Out of action since November 2016, the LMS 4-6-2 made two test runs from Carnforth to Hellifield on March 14 and 28, the latter being…

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  • ‘K1’ joins Stanier pair for ‘Jacobite’ summer season

    ‘K1’ joins Stanier pair for ‘Jacobite’ summer season

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    APRIL 19 saw the start of the 2019 operating season for West Coast Railways’ ‘Jacobite’ trains.  Two of Ian Riley’s Stanier ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0s moved north from Carnforth to Fort William on April 16, with No. 45407 having the honour of hauling the first train three days later.  No. 45212 is the other ex-LMS 4-6-0 allocated…

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