Editor Richard Clinnick shares what to expect in the June issue of Rail Express, out later this month.
The High Speed Train, may, it seems, have a slightly extended career with Great Western Railway, with the news that the Castles will remain in passenger traffic beyond December. While GWR always intended to keep some sets as strategic reserves, it has now confirmed that some will remain in traffic.
Repeating a theme from RE321, we provide the diagrams (which have reduced in numbers) for those who want to see, photograph or travel on the remaining Castle sets in RE325. There are also the weekday diagrams for the CrossCountry HSTs that are due to all be withdrawn by the middle of October. Furthermore, RE assesses where the trains could end up.
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Our cover star is No. 47712 Lady Diana Spencer. A worthy winner of the Rail Express Editor’s choice at the Heritage Railway Association awards in March (RE324), the ‘47/7’ celebrated a decade of preservation by powering a push-pull set from Crewe to Carlisle. I was lucky enough to be on board and was able to chat with the owners to find out the fascinating story of the return to the main line of a push-pull ‘47’ and ScotRail Mk.3 set. It’s a great story and one of our features in this issue.
Another interesting story is the transition Greater Anglia has undergone. In 2016 it had a motley fleet of trains including Class 153, ‘156’ and ‘170’ diesel multiple units, Class 317, ‘321’, ‘360’ and ‘379’ electric multiple units as well as Class 90-hauled Mk. 3 sets on expresses, top-and-tail Class 37s hauling Mk.2s on the Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft lines, and top-and-tail ‘68s’ hauling Mk.2s on the same route. From 2019 it began introducing new trains and phasing out the old fleets and, although there have been snags along the way, the final ‘legacy’ trains were withdrawn at the start of April and that felt the right time to speak to the man who led the change, and we do that in this issue.
In the Headline News section, we cover the launch of the Severn Valley Railway’s £1.5 million Survival Fund, detail the withdrawal of the first Transport for Wales Class 175s and report on the confirmation of the Elizabeth Line timetable.
In the modelling section, the Accurascale Class 37/4 is put under the microscope, Graham Farish announces a selection of new rolling stock in ‘N’ gauge while Bachmann launches new ‘OO’ gauge models. This month’s modelling project is the first of a two-part feature looking at how to create No. 47712 and its ScotRail Mk2/Mk.3 train in ‘OO’ gauge.
I hope you enjoy the issue and, as ever, if you have any feedback do please let me know at [email protected]
