Then & Now: Leeds

CLASS 20s have never been very common in Leeds, despite past allocations at sheds in nearby places such as Sheffield and York. So their appearance in the West Yorkshire city has always been an event.

SHEFFIELD 150

Sheffield station has now notched up 150 years of service since it was opened by the Midland Railway in 1870 on the more direct ‘New Road’ from Chesterfield.

Heljan refurbished ‘Fifty'

Twin motors and nearly 2.5kg of weight makes this one of the largest and most powerful ‘O’ gauge models to emerge from Heljan. But how does it measure up?

From coal to nuclear

Built to move coal-carrying containers for Cawoods, the remaining PFA fleet can now be found transporting nuclear materials for Direct Rail Services. David Ratcliffe tells the story of these innovative low-deck wagons.

Bachmann's ‘Baby Sulzer'

Bachmann adds the distinctive Class 24/1 to its ‘OO’ gauge ‘Branchline’ range, a locomotive type that was a development of the first Derby Sulzer Type 2s.

0 to 60! Just how nimble are today's locos and units, and what's the quickest off the mark?

Could a three-car Class 331 claim top spot in our acceleration table? Neville Hill heads north to find out.

‘47s' R Us

Former BR Trainman Tim Helme reflects on his favourite type of loco, the Class 47.

The Class 314 story

For over 40 years, the ‘314s’ were an everyday sight on the Strathclyde network. David Russell takes a look back at the history of this small fleet, the last examples of which were withdrawn in December.

New in Cappagh blue: DC Rail unveils third Class 60

DCR’s parent company gets a shout out on the latest ‘Tug’ to return to the main line after a rebuild at Toton.

Gas guzzlers

While diesel power became the standard for replacing steam, gas turbine technology was briefly considered as a potential alternative – with Britain’s first such prototype arriving 70 years ago in early 1950.

Farewell old friends

Crowds turned out to see the last booked LNER HSTs on Sunday, December 15.

0 to 60!

It’s another Hitachi-built bi-mode this month, and this time Neville Hill tests out a TransPennine Express Class 802 set.

Industrial Relations

Tim Helme looks at some of the industrial shunter locations that could be encountered by Derby train crew on trips from 4 Shed in the 1980s/90s, most of which have now been consigned to history.

Porterbrook Donates Power Cars To 125 Group…

Two EMR Class 43s will enter preservation when they are retired from TOC service.

A Traffic With Pedigree

David Ratcliffe looks at the former Pedigree Petfoods traffic that ran to and from Melton Mowbray.

Resurrecting Test Car 2

Having played its part in the acceptance testing and certification of many items of rolling stock, Test Car 2 has been deservedly saved. Dave Bower, who worked on it during the 1980s and 90s, and is now a member of the restoration team at the Great Central Railway, speaks to Christopher Westcott about this historic vehicle.

A Second Chance To See… Class 101 DMUs

Neville Hill visits the Mid-Norfolk Railway to resample a Class 101 DMU, formerly one of Britain’s most numerous and widely used units, and looks back to four notable runs.

Weekend Project: Class 73 No. 73129 City of Winchester

How to refinish the Dapol ‘OO’ gauge Network SouthEast Class 73 to model No. 73129 in the revised version of the livery (or one of the other three revised NSE Class 73s).

Going Dutch -The Class 77 story

Briefly considered as the standard electric express passenger locomotive of the future in the early 1950s, the 1500V DC EM2s/Class 77s almost met the same fate as the Woodhead route on which they ran, but were instead taken on by the Dutch national operator in 1969. Gareth Bayer tells the fascinating tale of these Co-Co electrics.

Darstaed Mk.1 suburban coaches

Darstaed Vintage Trains, the ‘O’ gauge coach-builder, has added to its growing range of Mk.1 stock with six new 57ft suburban coaches.

‘45' NOT OUT

Ahead of a new edition of his book about life as a BR trainman in the 1990s, Tim Helme looks back to the remaining Class 45s that could still be found in the Derby area back then.

Dapol's ‘Hoover'

It has taken more than nine years to see the arrival of a finished ‘N’ gauge Class 50 from Dapol since the first views of the model, in the form of CAD impressions, were unveiled. A lot of water and model development has passed under the bridge during that time, so how does the new model measure up?

Epping To Ongar: Underground Evidence

On the eve of the 25th anniversary since London Underground closed what is now the Epping Ongar Railway, Christopher Westcott walks the six-mile route with the EOR’s communications officer Dean Walton, in search of evidence of the former operator.

The Penmanshiel Tragedy

Forty years ago, two railway workers sadly lost their lives when a tunnel being upgraded on the East Coast Main line collapsed. David Russell looks at how British Rail coped with the unexpected closure of one of its two main routes between England and Scotland, and managed to have the line reopened in just five months.

First ‘Flirts' In Passenger Service

More of Greater Anglia’s new arrivals delivered in both bi-mode and all-electric versions.

25 Years Of Roscos

Much of Britain’s rolling stock is owned by three main leasing companies, which have now notched up 25 years in the rail market.

0 To 60!

Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest off the mark?

Battersea Bound!

Tunnelling is set to begin on London Underground’s Northern Line extension from Kennington to Battersea, as the two boring machines have been lowered into place at the former power station site.

Highland Observations

The 1980s and early 1990s saw a renaissance in the use of observation saloons on the Kyle of Lochalsh route, this culminating in the conversion of a Class 101 DMU car. To mark the release of Bachmann’s model of this vehicle, Simon Bendall profiles the last 15 years of loco-hauled passenger trains on the scenic Scottish line.

VTEC To End Early In 2020

History repeats itself as the current East Coast operator admits it will not meet its franchise commitments over the full eight year contract, and so will be replaced by an integrated ‘track and trains’ partnership.