Again sorry for the delay for the news pages!!

January 2005

Main line News

1). The Alstom test track at Asfordby closed at the end of 2004. It had been used for the testing of Virgin Pendolinos.

2). The class 350/1 Desiro units have started delivery and testing on the West coast Main line between Crewe and Stoke. These trains are very similar to the SOuth West trains vehicles though these have ac pantograph collection rather thatn the southern dc shoe.

3). A eurostar Power car was floated down the river Thames under Tower Bridge to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of the channel tunnel.

4). Heathrow connect have recieved delivery of their class 360 Desiro. 5 have been recieved so far. These loo different to the other Desiros as they have no cab corridor.

5). On the 30 October 2004 'one' Anglia operated there last revenue earning class 86 on a special train. The class 86s are now scheduled for withdawl and scrapping.

6). On October 27th 2004 The west country saw its worst storm for 30 years. The 80mph winds and rain and heavy sea tides caused havoc to the railways with much flooding. Dawlish sea wall was damaged and track re laying had to be undertaken.

7). Alistair Darling the transport secretary, has announced plans to reduce the amount of train operating franchises from 25 to 19. The Central trains franchise is to be shred out with Chiltern, Midland Mainline, Northern, Silverlink and Virgin Cross Country. A Greater Western Franchise consisting of Great Western, Great Western link and Wessex trains will be formed. The remaining great Northern franchise will be given to Thameslink.

8). The Network rail water cannon trains and rail cleaning trains have been very busy round Britains railways, attempting to clean the leaf residue off rails that causes trains to slip.

9). There have been some minor problems with Virgin Pendolinos as the traction brakes(Dynamic brakes) have stopped operating at low speeds but the disc brakes have not applied. A train actually hit the buffers at Liverpool lime street at very low speed. here was minor damage to the train front and one or two injuries. Trains today use the motors to act as brakes, this is called dynamic braking, the motor is reversed causing electricity generation which is then either burnt off(Reostatic) or pushed back in tot he power lines(Reogenerative).  

10). On 4th November 2004 a class 43 HST power car was placed in the National railway museum as a temporary display for the Museums annual dinner function.

Preserved News

1). There is some talk of 'The Duchess of Hamilton' being re streamlined. The LMS toyed with streamlining in the 1930s and the locos really did look nice. A feasability study is underway by the National railway museum.

2). The ex roundhouse turntable from Thornaby depot is to be taken to Stratford. The Birmingham Railway trust has acquired some land at the eastern end of Stratford upon Avon station to site the turntable.

3). An appeal has been launched for returning the oldest surviving Black 5 No 5025 back to traffic condition for its 75th anniverasry. For further info please contact: W A D Macphail, Treasurer, WEC Watkinson Trust, Ardneil, 80 Bruceland road, Elgin, IV30 1SP.

4). The restoration of Shillingstone station on the ex Somerset and Dorset railway is proggressing. This is a similar scheme tot hat at Midsomer Norton though not as far advanced.

5). A new trust to re build the Penrhyn railway in Wales has been formed. This was a 2 foot gauge railway built to move slate from quarries at Bethesda to port Penrhyn.

6). The Severn valley railway held a gala diesel railcar event in October 2004 to celebrate 50 years of diesel railcars. Units were brought from many preserved railways and it seems that the event was a great success.

7). The Epping to Ongar railway which operates over former London Underground rails, now operates a limited service on its line between Ongar and just short of Epping. This is not neccesarily a preserved railway though it does use vintage stock.

8). The £500,000 needed to complete the Welsh Highland railway was raised in just under 4 weeks!! This will allow the lines construction to be completed between Rhyd ddu and Porthmadog and up to the Abergasyn pass. This is now Britains longest narrow gauge railway.

9). The North Norfolk railways hopes of connection to the main line network may come to fruition. This follows many other preserved railways having or constructing main line connections. A report has been published and the results look favouable.

10). Totnes riverside signal box formerly from Cradley heath is well under way and will hopefully be soon in use.