Essential reading for today's rail enthusiast

Subscribe
The Hub Logo

Essential reading for today's rail enthusiast

Subscribe
Buy Latest Issue

News

  • Class 68 makes an impression

    Class 68 makes an impression

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Dapol’s highly anticipated 4mm scale re-creation of the Vossloh machines has arrived but it is not without some controversy. SO, at last, the wait is over with the first batch of Class 68s making it to the UK and onto retailers’ shelves in mid-February. Not that many of the models had time to get acquainted…

    Continue reading »

  • HONG KONG BATTERY LOCOS

    HONG KONG BATTERY LOCOS

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    I SAW the shot of a Brush/Wabtec-built battery loco for the Hong Kong Metro in your February issue (RE249). It reminded me of this photo taken in 1989 of one (No. L60) of the previous batches built by Brush for Hong Kong. These 1500V DC locos are used to haul maintenance trains. Phase 1 (Nos.…

    Continue reading »

  • Performance: 0 to 60!

    Performance: 0 to 60!

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest off the mark? A Virgin ‘Pendolino’ is this month’s target for Neville Hill in the shadow of the Jodrell Bank radio telescope. COULD Britain’s most sophisticated squadron service InterCity set, the Class 390 ‘Pendolino’, challenge the EMU leaders of our 0-60 table? Well…

    Continue reading »

  • STORM DORIS BONUS

    STORM DORIS BONUS

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Disruption caused by Storm Doris across the country on February 23 led to some additional loco-hauled services in East Anglia. Both the Norwich-based ‘short sets’ were pressed into service on the main line instead of their usual trips to Yarmouth and Lowestoft. Nos. 37423 and 37419 are pictured arriving at Colchester with the 15.30 from…

    Continue reading »

  • CHILTERN ‘BUBBLES’ TO GO

    CHILTERN ‘BUBBLES’ TO GO

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Class 121 DMUs Nos. 121020 and 121034 are to be withdrawn by Chiltern Railways when the timetable changes in May. The first generation DMUs are the oldest still in passenger service on the main line, and are used for off-peak services between Aylesbury and Princes Risborough. It is understood the units need new tyres, but…

    Continue reading »

  • SEVERN VALLEY WINS HRA MODERN TRACTION AWARD

    SEVERN VALLEY WINS HRA MODERN TRACTION AWARD

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The Severn Valley Railway has been presented with the annual Heritage Railway Association Modern Traction Award, which is sponsored by Rail Express, for the purpose-built diesel depot at Kidderminster that was officially opened in May last year. Jonathan Dunster (right) accepted the trophy from RE’s editor Paul Bickerdyke at the HRA Awards ceremony, held at…

    Continue reading »

  • Bidding mania will create a glut of surplus stock

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The practice of promising new trains to win franchise bids is set to make some existing stock redundant – including a number of relatively recent introductions. By ‘Industry Witness’ ANALYSIS of the new train orders promised by recent successful franchise bids indicates that a greater amount of new rolling stock is being purchased than is…

    Continue reading »

  • Freight grant cut will mean reduction in rail traffic

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Loss of financial support could see more short-run freight workings switch from rail, leading to increased pollution and more road congestion. By ‘Industry Witness’ OPPORTUNITIES for rail to compete in the movement of freight traffic over shorter distances have been reduced as a result of a cutback in the budget available to operators applying to…

    Continue reading »

  • Major railway scrapyard calls it a day

    Major railway scrapyard calls it a day

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THE Stockton-based firm T J Thomson and Sons has closed its metals processing business and from now on will only deal in metal trading. This means the end of railway vehicles being scrapped on the site just south of the town’s station, which has been open since 1932 and was once one of Europe’s largest…

    Continue reading »

  • Lime Street closed by collapsed wall

    Lime Street closed by collapsed wall

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    ALL rail services into and out of Liverpool Lime Street were cancelled during the evening peak on February 28 after a wall collapsed in the cutting on the approach to the station. Network Rail said the wall at the top of the cutting had been loaded with concrete and cabins by a third party, which…

    Continue reading »

Latest Issue

Subscribe
Buy Latest Issue

Next Issue On Sale:

Loading data…

Free Digital Issue

Search

Tags

ASLEF Avanti West Coast BOTW COVID-19 Department for Transport Editor’s Intro Elizabeth Line eurostar Great Western Railway Heritage Railway HS2 Latest issue Latest issue RE Letters LNER London Underground modeller Modelling model railways Model trains Mortons Books National Railway Museum Network NETWORK RAIL News Office of Rail and Road Rail Delivery Group Rail Express Rail strikes Railway Round-Up Railways Illustrated RMT RMT union round-up ScotRail South Western Railway Sponsored Content steam Strike The Railway Hub The Railway Magazine tickets TransPennine Express Transport for London TSSA