Letters

REGARDING the Scottish Met-Camm Pullman picture (Express Mailbag, August issue), I think I can identity it – or at least narrow it down, because three of the former Eastern Region Pullmans were sent to Scotland for departmental use after withdrawal from regular services. These were Kitchen Second No. E335 (condemned April 24, 1976); Kitchen First…

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I HAVE to start this month by thanking Pathfinder Tours, the Class 50 Alliance, Riviera Trains and GB Railfreight for a fantastic day on April 14 that saw many Rail Express readers join our ‘Cumbrian Hoovers’ tour from Birmingham to Carlisle. Locos Nos. 50049+50007 ran faultlessly throughout, perfectly matched with Riviera’s blue/grey stock, and the…

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The bizarre – and genuine – sight of No. 368 damaged in a light engine collision with classmate No. 363 on the Granton branch, Edinburgh, on August 27, 1970. The houses in the background are still there today, but the building on the left – which was part of the Chancelot Roller Flour Mills –…

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THIS month sees the start of a new era for HSTs. The rail icon has already notched up more than 40 years of front line service, providing Intercity comfort to nearly all corners of the country within that time, and is still the train of choice for non-electrified routes today. Now that role is changing…

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ALTHOUGH steel and other metals were the main traffics to use Cargowaggon flat wagons (February issue), mention was also made of their use for conveying non-metals related commodities, such as sawn timber (e.g. scaffolding boards), which I believe was mainly imported from Luxembourg and possibly elsewhere. One of the UK destinations mentioned for sawn timber…

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THANKS for printing the picture of LMS diesel shunter No. 7069, which is an early precursor of the Class 08 fleet (Express Mailbag, February issue), as I have worked on the loco and can add some more details. No. 7069 remained in use up to 1972 when it was withdrawn and then remained in a…

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WHILE nosing around at the Nene Valley Railway recently, I was amused to find this Class 325 mail unit tucked away in the back of a shed at Ferry Meadows station. All is not quite what it seems, however, as this is just a demonstration cab (number No. 325000) that I believe used to be…

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I really enjoyed the Class 50 themed issue (October), especially the shots of their earlier days, but it’s always great to see these machines out on the main line again now. A while ago I bought this slide for my collection, but have few details to go with it. No. 50008 is seemingly hauling a…

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When coupled together for tandem working, the conversion of former Class 155 two-car sets into single-car Class 153s becomes apparent. No. 153375 (right) has the original larger cab as built by British Leyland in the late 1980s. That of No. 153371 (left) shows the smaller, more cramped layout built by Hunslet Barclay, at what used…

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YOU may be aware that Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is currently consulting on the detail of their revised timetable for the addition of Peterborough and Cambridge services to the Thameslink network next year. Stevenage, in Hertfordshire, will be one of the principal beneficiaries of these changes, with direct links to central London, Farringdon, Gatwick, Brighton…

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