Essential reading for today's rail enthusiast

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  • Government freight strategy fails to curtail use of lorries

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    With coal in rapid decline, the future looks like intermodal – but more incentives are needed to switch from road to rail. ALTHOUGH the closure of coal-fired power stations has brought about a significant reduction in freight activity, the Government has been keen to emphasise the value of rail haulage in restricting the number of…

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  • Early North East HST

    Early North East HST

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    JUST a small correction to one of the photographs that accompany my article on the introduction of HSTs in the October issue. The shot of W43008 by Peter Swift was taken at Alnmouth not Morpeth. The test runs were booked to Morpeth, but ran to Alnmouth to gain the loop and reverse. Kevin Daniel By…

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  • A second chance to see…‘MacRat’ 26038

    A second chance to see…‘MacRat’ 26038

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Neville Hill visits the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to see how the performance of BRCW Type 2 No. 26038 compares to its former British Railways days in Scotland. EVEN in the busiest days of British Railways, it would have been unusual to see a ‘60A’ Inverness shed-plate anywhere near Pickering, North Yorkshire, and considerable imagination…

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  • Rugby Cement on rail

    Rugby Cement on rail

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    For many years until the start of the 1990s, Rugby Cement wagons were a common sight around the country in mostly wagonload trains, as David Ratcliffe describes. THE Rugby Portland Cement Company was established in 1872 and was an important railfreight customer until 1990, contributing about 15% of British Rail’s total cement tonnage. Railbourne cement…

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  • Will the swallow be a swansong?

    Will the swallow be a swansong?

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THIS year has been a big one for the HST, one which has seen the iconic design notch up 40 years in front line service. It is a remarkable achievement unmatched in the modern traction era. There are older diesels around, but none still doing the job they were first intended to do, day in…

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  • Derby Trainman: A fistful of dust

    Derby Trainman: A fistful of dust

    by

    Sarah Wilkinson

    –

    THE majority of my turns on the Washwood Heath job were spent as guard, and I regularly coughed and spluttered my way through 23 wagons in that dusty hopper house (as limestone comes in different sizes, some wagons did just contain simply dust!) Over time, I became quite adept at setting them, which was just…

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  • The ‘Journey Shrinker’

    The ‘Journey Shrinker’

    by

    Sarah Wilkinson

    –

    AUGUST 2016 marked the 40th anniversary of HSTs starting in regular passenger service. Initially operated at 100mph until the timetable change on October 4, 1976, they were quickly taken to by the travelling public. However, HSTs were less readily accepted amongst the rail enthusiast community. They were seen as being responsible for the withdrawal of…

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  • Grand Hibernian takes to the tracks

    by

    Sarah Wilkinson

    –

    BELMOND’S latest luxury train, the Grand Hibernian, began its maiden voyage around Ireland on Tuesday August 30 with a celebratory departure from Dublin’s Heuston station. The train of newly converted Mk.3 vehicles departed at 14.20 for Cork, after which it was due to visit Killarney, Galway, Westport, Waterford and Belfast over the course of seven…

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  • Island Line to remain part of SWT franchise

    by

    Sarah Wilkinson

    –

    THE Isle of Wight’s Island Line operation linking Ryde with Shanklin is to stay a part of the South West Trains franchise following a major campaign, writes Gary Boyd-Hope. The 8½-mile railway, which famously employs ex-London Underground 1938 Stock converted to third rail pick-up, had been highlighted in September last year by the then rail…

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  • East Anglian passenger fleet to be replaced by new EMUs and bi-modes

    by

    Sarah Wilkinson

    –

    THE new nine-year East Anglia franchise, won by current Greater Anglia incumbent Abellio (see last month), will see brand new fleets ordered for all routes as part of a £1.4 billion investment. This includes orders for the first main line vehicles for this country from Switzerland-based Stadler Rail, as well as the previously announced deal…

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