Rail Express

THE pair of Autocars introduced by the North Eastern Railway in 1903 can rightly be described as ahead of their time and the forerunner of all multiple units to follow. Rather than go with conventional steam power, and having seen the superior acceleration being offered by recently introduced electric tramcars, the company opted to experiment…

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THE long-awaited launch of Britain’s first tram-train service finally took place on October 25, when No. 399204 carried the first passengers as the 09.39 Sheffield Cathedral to Rotherham Parkgate. But the day was marred just a few hours later when this same unit was involved in a crash with a lorry, bringing a halt to…

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THUNDERBIRD rescue locomotives have not previously been necessary on Great Western routes given the operational flexibility of the High Speed Trains that are now starting to be withdrawn. It has been recognised, however, that failures of the replacement Class 800 series rolling stock – which have distributed power systems rather than power cars – will…

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Former Driving Van Trailer No. 82113, which has been converted into a self-powered vehicle dubbed No. 19001, was running trials along the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway in October. The Artemis-led project has seen the DVT fitted with a JCB engine and hydraulic accumulators, which store energy during braking for reuse during acceleration to reduce overall…

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THE Hatfield derailment of October 17, 2000 was a watershed moment for Britain’s railway, and most railway engineers around at the time would rather forget the ‘nervous breakdown’ the system experienced in the months that followed. The infrastructure owner Railtrack went into something of a commercial tailspin, but it was clear that whatever organisation emerged…

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