Essential reading for today's rail enthusiast

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  • WEST MIDLANDS ‘GRONK’ TRIPS

    WEST MIDLANDS ‘GRONK’ TRIPS

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    REGARDING the article ‘A Trip Down Memory Lane’ (May issue), which looked back at some of the Class 08/09-powered local shunting trips in the 1980s and 1990s, it reminded me of similar such workings around the West Midlands at this time, when ‘Gronks’ were often let loose on the main line. During the Speedlink era,…

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  • Railway people: A year at Scropton

    Railway people: A year at Scropton

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Ex-Derby Trainman, and now signalman, Tim Helme describes life through the changing seasons at his post on the Derby to Stoke line, where there is much to contemplate between the passing trains. IF you want to conjure up an image of a classic mechanical signalbox, Scropton Crossing may well be it, with cable pull semaphores…

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  • FROM THE ARCHIVE: The London Midland Region

    FROM THE ARCHIVE: The London Midland Region

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Following our look at the Western Region last year, this month we delve into the Rail Express archives again to dig out some rare and unseen images taken on the London Midland Region in the 1950s and 60s. Many of them have never been published before, and include classes and locations long since gone. The…

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  • Report highlights Southern woes

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Too many trains and too few depots are just some of the reasons behind the problems faced by Southern. By ‘Industry Witness’ PASSENGER fury on the Southern part of the Thameslink Southern and Great Northern (TSGN) franchise prompted the Department for Transport to commission a report into service reliability from Chris Gibb, a non-executive director…

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  • Bidders announced for West Coast and South Eastern franchises

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    West Coast bidders must partner with an established high-speed operator to oversee the first HS2 services, while those for South Eastern are asked to consider new routes. THE Department for Transport has announced the list of qualified bidders for the next two franchise competitions. The West Coast Partnership is the franchise that will run inter-city…

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  • If at first you don’t succeed…

    If at first you don’t succeed…

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    THE efforts of the Swanage Railway are a perfect illustration of the proverb in which we are urged to try, try, try again. Almost as soon as British Rail closed the branch from Wareham to Swanage on January 1, 1972, efforts were made to reopen it in full as an ongoing heritage concern. But, as…

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  • AUGUST 2017

    AUGUST 2017

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    [su_note note_color=”#c0142b” text_color=”#ffffff”]Current issue: August 2017 Next issue: September 2017 – On sale: August 18[/su_note] Headline News Bidders announced for next West Coast and South Eastern franchises; First passenger runs for Class 230 ‘D-Train’; New look for ROG Type 4; Swanage Railway reconnects to the main line; Report highlights Southern woes; South Western Trains orders…

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  • Charity begins at… Ipswich!

    Charity begins at… Ipswich!

    by

    –

    GB Railfreight is offering a large amount of Class 20 mileage in July at a bargain fare. NOW a welcome (and commendable) part of the railway calendar, GBRf’s charity railtours offer both good value and a great day out. The latest one announced, ‘The Charity Chibble’, runs on Sunday, July 16, and is a one-way…

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  • Lichfield line lament

    Lichfield line lament

    by

    –

    Closed as a through route in March 1984, the line between Lichfield and Walsall was once an important freight artery to the industrialised West Midlands and to the marshalling yard complex at Bescot, as David J. Hayes describes. THE South Staffordshire Railway (SSR) line between Lichfield and Walsall via Brownhills was opened in April 1849,…

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  • Brussels welcomes first ‘Velaro’

    Brussels welcomes first ‘Velaro’

    by

    –

    Eurostar puts its Class 374s into service on the London to Brussels route as a first step towards expanding to Amsterdam and beyond. By Paul Bickerdyke EUROSTAR has introduced its Class 374 ‘Velaro’ sets to the St Pancras to Brussels Midi route, the first working being the 08.04 from St Pancras and 18.56 return on…

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