Letters

Caledonian Sleeper train has a number of major shortcomings

by

Sam Hewitt

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8th January 2020

I HAD to travel to Glasgow at short notice and decided to try out the new Caledonian Sleeper stock. As there were no cabins available, I had to travel on one of the new ‘reclining’ seats. My first impression was how fabulous the train looked, and inside the seating car layout was every bit First…
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Morpeth crash: I helped two survivors

by

Sam Hewitt

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21st November 2019

THE feature by Fraser Pithie on the Morpeth Curve (RM Sept) was a fascinating read, which allowed me to re-live my involvement in the 1984 crash. We lived at 45 Low Stobhill at the time of the 1984 crash. I loved the fact there were trains at the bottom of my garden, and my son and…
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Uninspiring train liveries

by

Sam Hewitt

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15th October 2019

Seeing the photo of the new EMR livery on the front of the September issue highlights what to me is a retrograde step – I think this new scheme is most uninspiring. I have always thought that the old livery, predominantly white with red and blue trim, was rather smart and stylish, and always kept…
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Bath conundrum

by

Sam Hewitt

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9th October 2019

I enjoyed Mike Arlett’s articles on Bath Green Park in the August and September’s issues. In particular, I was pleased to see the Ivo Peters’ photograph in the September article showing the departure of No. 568 on a Bournemouth train, and specifically No. 41902 preparing to leave on a local to Bristol St Philip’s. One…
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The shocking state of trackside vegetation in public areas

by

Sam Hewitt

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11th September 2019

I AM constantly depressed by the lack of vegetation control on our national network, as highlighted in your Readers’ Platform this month (RM August). On a recent visit to St Mary’s crossing near Stroud I was shocked by just how bad things have got. Not only were there weeds growing between the track but small shrubs…
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Terrible state of the lineside – RM readers voice concerns

by

Sam Hewitt

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20th August 2019

I AM a driver with a UK train operator and raised the issue of the state of the lineside about eight years ago with Network Rail, citing the points that both The RM and David Nattress made. Their answer? “We and our contractors clean-up after every job and we recovered enough scrap rail to go…
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Final HST working was emotional

by

Sam Hewitt

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12th July 2019

HAVING been given your June edition by a friend who recognised me in the Paddington hosts HST farewell feature, I was the driver of 1L7, the 14.29 Swansea-Paddington. The coverage was excellent, but very emotional, and I was told Sir Kenneth Grange was aboard for some of the journey. I was even more proud to have…
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There were other ‘Castle’ name changes

by

Sam Hewitt

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10th April 2019

THANK you for the supplement sent with the March 2019 issue. Item 24 states the name Penrice Castle was carried by three separate members of the same class. That is true, but it also applies to eight other ‘Castle’ names. Even more remarkably, the names Denbigh Castle and Ogmore Castle were each carried by four separate members of the class. The first…
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No. 10000 and the ‘Royal Wessex’

by

Sam Hewitt

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6th March 2019

The recent photos in The RM of No. 10000 working the ‘Royal Wessex’ (and the Up express at Bournemouth Central) reminded me of the problems associated with the running of this train when it was introduced in 1951. The Up and Down ‘Wessex’ was covered by two separate Bournemouth diagrams; originally light Pacifics were rostered. …
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My BR involvement in early GCR operations

by

Sam Hewitt

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6th March 2019

Graham Oliver’s article (Saving a Main Line Railway) about the early years of today’s Great Central Railway brought back memories, as I was one of those from British Rail charged with supervising operations. At the time I was a divisional inspector at Nottingham, and my involvement started with preparation for the 75th anniversary in March…
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