Diesel

  • Hull Trains reveals new fleet name

    Hull Trains reveals new fleet name

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    THE five Class 802 bi-mode trains that will begin work with Hull Trains (HT) are to be called the ‘Paragon’ fleet.  HT says it has significance in Hull from when Paragon station first opened in 1848, with the dictionary definition defining paragon as ‘a model of excellence’. In addition to the fleet name, HT has…

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  • Anglia ‘FLIRTs’ get formal launch

    Anglia ‘FLIRTs’ get formal launch

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    By Ben Jones GREATER Anglia’s (GA) rural services are beginning to see a radical transformation as new Class 755 bi-mode ‘FLIRT’ units enter service.  There was a ‘soft launch’ into passenger service on July 29, with GA officially introducing the new Stadler-built trains at Norwich on September 4.  No. 755413 worked return trips to Great Yarmouth…

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  • Five locos add even more power to Turkish open   access operator fleet

    Five locos add even more power to Turkish open access operator fleet

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    TURKISH open access freight operator Körfez Ulaştırma (KU) took delivery of five DE36500 Wabtec (formerly GE Transportation) ‘Powerhaul’ locos this summer. KU is the rail freight subsidiary of Tüpraş, Turkey’s largest oil refinery. The locos were ordered in 2018 and assembled by Wabtec’s Turkish partner Tülomsaş, in Eskişehir.  They will be used alongside five similar DE36000…

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  • Belgian heritage line hosts gala weekend

    Belgian heritage line hosts gala weekend

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    BELGIAN national rail enthusiasts’ group Patrimoine Ferroviaire et Tourisme (PFT) held its annual gala weekend on the Chemin de Fer du Bocq heritage line from Ciney to Bauche in mid-August.  A wide variety of visiting diesel locos, from several operators, visited the line, along with preserved ex-Belgian State Railways Canadian-built (Montreal Loco Works 74511/1945) 2-8-0…

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  • Washington to New York non-stop

    Washington to New York non-stop

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    AMTRAK has announced plans to introduce a non-stop ‘Acela’ high-speed train pair between New York and Washington DC from September 23.  The non-stop trains will take 2hr 35min, with the current fastest ‘Acela’ services taking just under three hours, stopping in major cities such as Philadelphia and Baltimore en route. Read more News and Features…

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  • New Chinese coaches enter service in Cuba

    New Chinese coaches enter service in Cuba

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    NEW passenger coaches entered service in Cuba in July, operating on the Havana to Santiago de Cuba route.  The vehicles are the first of 240 carriages to be supplied by Chinese firm CRRC from its Tangshan plant. Historically, Cuban Railways have used a wide variety of older rolling stock, including second-hand carriages from European operators.…

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  • North Tyneside 03 prepared for Gateshead shunter reunion

    North Tyneside 03 prepared for Gateshead shunter reunion

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    CLASS 03 No. D2078 has been repainted in BR blue and now carries its TOPS number, 03078.  It is based on the North Tyneside Steam Railway (NTSR) and Stephenson Museum. The repaint inspired the September 29 diesel day to be become a Gateshead TMD-themed diesel shunter gala over two days, 28th and 29th.  For the first…

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  • Cranmore marks Sentinel 60th anniversary

    Cranmore marks Sentinel 60th anniversary

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    THREE Sentinel-type diesels are seen outside the Sentinel Diesel Locomotive Preservation Group’s shed at Cranmore, East Somerset Railway, on August 20. This follows the completion of repainting of Rolls-Royce 10199 of 1964 in 1970s British Steel Corporation Teesside green livery with large cabside number.  Although never a BSC loco, this commemorates the 60th anniversary of…

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  • Reliable ‘Warship’ steps in and takes a turn on GC freight

    Reliable ‘Warship’ steps in and takes a turn on GC freight

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    SEVERN Valley Railway-based Class 42 No. D821Greyhound, along with South Devon Class 25 No. D7535, have been the most frequent and reliable gala visitors this season, both attending the Great Central Railway’s September 6-8 diesel event.  Here, the ‘Warship’ (a last-minute replacement for ‘Clayton No. D8568), heads a rake of mineral wagons at Swithland on September 6.  This…

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  • ‘Chopper’ takes up Watercress Line duties

    ‘Chopper’ takes up Watercress Line duties

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    CLASS 20 No. D8059 arrived at the Mid-Hants Railway (MHR) on July 26 from the Midland Railway-Butterley.  It is owned by Somerset & Dorset Locomotives and is visiting the MHR on an extended stay, initially standing in for Class 50 No. 50027 Lion, which is receiving attention. The English Electric Type 1 entered passenger traffic on the…

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