Essential reading for today's rail enthusiast

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Sam Hewitt

  • Railway people: A year at Scropton

    Railway people: A year at Scropton

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    Ex-Derby Trainman, and now signalman, Tim Helme describes life through the changing seasons at his post on the Derby to Stoke line, where there is much to contemplate between the passing trains. IF you want to conjure up an image of a classic mechanical signalbox, Scropton Crossing may well be it, with cable pull semaphores…

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  • FROM THE ARCHIVE: The London Midland Region

    FROM THE ARCHIVE: The London Midland Region

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    Following our look at the Western Region last year, this month we delve into the Rail Express archives again to dig out some rare and unseen images taken on the London Midland Region in the 1950s and 60s. Many of them have never been published before, and include classes and locations long since gone. The…

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  • Report highlights Southern woes

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Too many trains and too few depots are just some of the reasons behind the problems faced by Southern. By ‘Industry Witness’ PASSENGER fury on the Southern part of the Thameslink Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise prompted the Department for Transport to commission a report into service reliability from Chris Gibb, a non-executive director…

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  • Bidders announced for West Coast and South Eastern franchises

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    West Coast bidders must partner with an established high-speed operator to oversee the first HS2 services, while those for South Eastern are asked to consider new routes. THE Department for Transport has announced the list of qualified bidders for the next two franchise competitions. The West Coast Partnership is the franchise that will run inter-city…

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  • If at first you don’t succeed…

    If at first you don’t succeed…

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THE efforts of the Swanage Railway are a perfect illustration of the proverb in which we are urged to try, try, try again. Almost as soon as British Rail closed the branch from Wareham to Swanage on January 1, 1972, efforts were made to reopen it in full as an ongoing heritage concern. But, as…

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  • AUGUST 2017

    AUGUST 2017

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    [su_note note_color=”#c0142b” text_color=”#ffffff”]Current issue: August 2017 Next issue: September 2017 – On sale: August 18[/su_note] Headline News Bidders announced for next West Coast and South Eastern franchises; First passenger runs for Class 230 ‘D-Train’; New look for ROG Type 4; Swanage Railway reconnects to the main line; Report highlights Southern woes; South Western Trains orders…

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  • Historic South Kensington platform to be rebuilt

    Historic South Kensington platform to be rebuilt

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    TRANSPORT for London has issued a notice to tender with the Official Journal of the European Union to ‘sensitively restore and develop’ South Kensington station and surrounding buildings. The real estate company Savills is working with TfL to identify a shortlist of qualifying interested bidders. Much of the station and surrounding buildings owned by TfL…

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  • Internal redesign for LU Tube stock

    Internal redesign for LU Tube stock

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    London Underground is having to upgrade its older Tube stock to fill the short gap between new legislation coming into force and new compliant trains being introduced. ROLLING stock on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines – some of which date back to the early 1970s – are to be redesigned internally…

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  • Tank wagon traffic to TMDs

    Tank wagon traffic to TMDs

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The 1980s and 1990s saw Traction Maintenance Depots continue to receive fuel deliveries and, to a lesser extent, other fluids by rail. However, as privatisation took hold, such traffic went into terminal decline as road transport became more cost effective. David Ratcliffe profiles an assortment of tank wagons that could be found on depots during…

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  • DEMU Showcase headlines Midlands events in June

    DEMU Showcase headlines Midlands events in June

    by

    Sam Hewitt

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    It is again time to head to Burton upon Trent for the society’s all-diesel and electric show with the Great Central three-day exhibition following soon afterwards. EARLY summer is here and with it comes the annual Diesel & Electric Modellers United exhibition in Burton upon Trent. Taking place on the first weekend of June, this…

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