Sam Hewitt

In a surprise development, a Class 08 has been hired to assist with shunting at the company’s north east factory. THE beginning of April brought another new contract for Railway Support Services with the unexpected arrival of No. 08484 Captain Nathaniel Darell at Hitachi’s Newton Aycliffe plant in County Durham on the 4th. The shunter…

Continue reading »

THE return to the UK of a Class 04 from Italy (first highlighted in our August 2003 issue) is back on the agenda again. No. D2289 has been secured from steel processing firm Lonato S.p.A. in Brescia, Northern Italy, by Mark Jones, and it is set to join the Heritage Shunters Trust collection at Rowsley.…

Continue reading »

Our ‘Cumbrian Hoovers’ railtour on April 14 saw crowds turn out to witness the rare sight of Class 50s on the Carlisle to Barrow line. John Heaton FCILT reports on a fantastic day, which saw all profits go to The Railway Children charity. A RAILTOUR sponsored by Rail Express should be a prime candidate for…

Continue reading »

Electrification has reached Blackpool North after a five-month line closure and upgrade programme allowing, among other things, an enhanced London service formed of Virgin ‘Pendolinos’. THE line to Blackpool North reopened on April 16 after a five-month closure for electrification and resignalling. Blackpool North was one of the last remaining large terminuses to retain semaphores,…

Continue reading »

Former dual-mode Class 319 EMUs fitted with diesel engines to enter service in 2019. By David Russell GREAT Western Railway has become the third train operating company to take on a fleet of Class 769 units, the former Class 319 EMUs fitted with diesel engines to enable them to operate over non-electrified lines. Unlike the…

Continue reading »