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Diesel

  • Class 172/0s debut on ‘Nuckle’ services

    Class 172/0s debut on ‘Nuckle’ services

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    TWO refurbished Class 172/0 DMUs entered service with West Midlands Trains (WMT) on the new through Nuneaton to Leamington Spa route on May 20. They had previously worked on the Gospel Oak to Barking route in London. Working with its partners, WMT has transformed the units inside and out, the longitudanal seating being replaced with…

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  • Locomotive Services gets two Class 73s

    Locomotive Services gets two Class 73s

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    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

    –

    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

    –

    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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  • UK Railtours ventures through Butterley

    UK Railtours ventures through Butterley

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    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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  • Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures

    Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    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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  • New Stadler diesel locos for Bolivia taking shape

    New Stadler diesel locos for Bolivia taking shape

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    STADLER is building three metre-gauge, six-axle diesel locos for Bolivian freight operator FCA. The loco’s design – known as the ‘South America Light’ – is based on the earlier Euro Light model (supplied to DRS as the Class 68).  The three locos will be moved by sea this summer to the Chilean end of the…

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  • Chasewater recalls Littleton Colliery

    Chasewater recalls Littleton Colliery

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THE Chasewater Railway held an event on April 6-7 to mark the 25th anniversary of the closure of Littleton Colliery.  The pit was located near Cannock, Staffordshire. It closed on December 3, 1993 and was the last working coal mine in the Cannock Chase Coalfield, thus ending deep mining in Staffordshire.  ‘Janus’ 0-6-0DE (Yorkshire 2748 of 1959)…

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  • NER 1903 railcar enters service at Embsay & Bolton Abbey

    NER 1903 railcar enters service at Embsay & Bolton Abbey

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    AWARD-winning NER electric Autocar No. 3170 and trailer car No. 3453 are now in regular operation on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway, following launch on October 19 (RM Nov, p9).  However, on the first day of public operation on April 17, a technical problem occurred and it looked as though the four-train service might have…

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  • Spa Valley special remembers ‘great friend’ Roy Bell MBE

    Spa Valley special remembers ‘great friend’ Roy Bell MBE

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THE Spa Valley Railway ran a special train on April 30 in memory of the late Roy Bell MBE, who was a great friend and supporter of the railway. He died in October 2018. Roy was the Southern Region’s last chief signalling engineer.  The four-coach ‘Roy Belle’, top-and-tailed by Class 31 No. 31430 Sister Dora and…

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