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  • Inside Loram

    Inside Loram

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The Engine Shed Society held its 2016 Annual General Meeting at Loram in Derby. Dave Richardson describes the visit. ENTHUSIASTS leaving Derby on trains heading towards Nottingham or Leicester have a choice: eyes right for Loram UK (the former Derby Technical Centre and, more recently, RVEL), or eyes left for Etches Park depot. Eyes right…

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  • First UK-built IEP unveiled

    First UK-built IEP unveiled

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Hitachi has rolled out the first Class 800 bi-mode to be assembled at its factory in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham. Five-car bi-mode No. 800005, which is destined for use by Great Western Railway from later this year, had the honour of becoming the first of the type to be assembled in the UK. The set…

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  • ORR looks at train dispatch

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    In light of the ongoing union disputes over driver only operation, the Government asked for a review of who controls train doors at stations. THE ongoing and highly debilitating strikes taking place on Govia Thameslink Railway’s Southern-operated services, staged by the RMT and ASLEF unions, are continuing into 2017 despite the Office of Rail and…

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  • Step forward in ‘50’ restoration

    Step forward in ‘50’ restoration

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THE restoration of Class 50 No. 50030 Repulse took a step forward on November 23, with the removal of its four radiators – the first major components to be removed from the loco for overhaul. Owner the Renown Repulse Restoration Group (RRRG) has so far been following a policy of repairing its spares for use…

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  • Class 319 to go bi-mode

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Porterbrook Leasing and Northern are to introduce bi-mode Class 319 ‘Flex’ EMUs to widen their sphere of use and help replace the unloved ‘Pacer’ DMU fleet. Porterbrook announced on December 22, that it has committed to deliver to Northern a variant of a Class 319 EMU that is able to operate over both electrified and…

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  • Stadler wins contract to supply Merseyrail’s new EMU fleet

    Stadler wins contract to supply Merseyrail’s new EMU fleet

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    SWISS-based Stadler has beaten off competition from Bombardier, Siemens, CAF and Mitsui to win the contract to build 52 new EMU sets for Merseyrail. These will replace the 32 Class 507 and 27 Class 508 units that have been plying the two main Merseyrail routes – the Wirrall Line and Northern Line – since 1978-80.…

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  • ‘Grid’ pattern working

    ‘Grid’ pattern working

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Lee Davies looks back to the dying days of British Rail to describe life working ‘J’ turn coal trains from Tyne Yard. IN 1994, the year that privatisation of British Rail began, its then freight subsidiary Loadhaul decided to close the depots at Sunderland South Dock and Blyth Cambois. The work for these depots had…

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  • End for last mechanical signalling on NIR main lines

    End for last mechanical signalling on NIR main lines

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Upgrade work has seen the loop and semaphore signals at Castlerock replaced. The latest phase of the Coleraine to Londonderry infrastructure upgrade was finished by November 21, including the completion of a loop at Bellarena and its associated signalling, the installation and commissioning of Track Circuit Block operation, and intermediate signals throughout the Coleraine to…

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  • BARS hires ERS coaches for ‘Polar Express’ duties

    BARS hires ERS coaches for ‘Polar Express’ duties

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Rolling stock heads to Weardale and Telford heritage lines for seasonal work. Eastern Rail Services is once again providing stock to British American Railway Services for use on its lucrative Polar Express trains at the Weardale Railway. On November 1, No. 31452 collected five coaches, Nos. 5866, 5906/60/89 and 9500, from the Mid-Norfolk Railway and…

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  • DB shunter sale suffers delays

    DB shunter sale suffers delays

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The results of the company’s final clear-out of Class 08/09 shunters were still largely awaited in late November. November was expected to bring the results of DB Cargo’s last shunter sale, the company having put its remaining 23 Class 08s and solitary Class 09 up for grabs to considerable interest. However, as the month ended,…

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