Automotive
Rail Express
Steam Heat Diesels In Limited Supply!
Train heating is essential on preserved railways during the cold winter months, but few preserved diesels have a working boiler capable of steam heating coaches. David Russell surveys the current situation.
5 min |
March 2018
Rail Express
TFL To Sell Class 345 Fleet To Raise Money For 'New Tube For London'
The Elizabeth Line fleet will be sold and leased back to raise finance for replacement Piccadilly Line trains.
1 min |
March 2018
Rail Express
Report Finds TSGN 'Not Value For Money'
Government auditor finds Govia Thameslink Railway has failed to deliver for passengers.
3 min |
March 2018
Rail Express
Carillion Failure Highlights Outsourcing Weakness
Contractors must balance bidding too low against securing the work.
2 min |
March 2018
Rail Express
Tram Extension Uses Former Mainline Route
Part of a new cross-city extension to Dublin’s Green Line tram route is built on trackbed last used by passengers in 1937.
2 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
Final GBRF Sand Hoppers Delivered
The second week of December saw the outstanding 20 IIA-F wagons arrive for the Sibelco sand contract.
1 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
Trans Pennine Debut For Class 68s
The first loco-hauled passenger working took place at the very end of 2017 in rather unusual circumstances.
1 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
First Place For Realtrack 'Sprinter'
The next livery for the Rapido Trains-developed Class 156 second generation DMU has now arrived in the shape of First ScotRail.
3 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
Type 2s And DMUs From Bachmann
Both Class 25 designs and a retooled ‘Turbostar’ family headline the manufacturer’s ‘OO’ programme for 2018.
5 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
Fares Rise Seen As Unsustainable
Ticket price hikes have outstripped wage increases yet again, contributing to a levelling offin passenger numbers.
4 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
Peak-hour Stops Withdrawn With MML Timetable Change
New intensive Thameslink timetable will increase train frequencies on the Midland route but with fewer intermediate stops for InterCity trains south of Leicester.
2 min |
February 2018
Rail Express
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.
1 min |
April 2017
Rail Express
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.
10 min |
April 2017
Rail Express
Knottingley Celebrates 50 Years
Staff at DB Cargo’s West Yorkshire depot organised a mini open day on October 28, raising money for Cancer Research UK and marking the depot’s 50th anniversary.
1 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
Happy Birthday Class 31 An Unlikely Survivor
This month marks the diamond jubilee of the Brush Type 2 fleet, nearly one in seven of which have survived into 2017.
2 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
NVR 'Goyle' Gala Celebrates Diamond Jubilee
The Nene Valley Railway marked 60 years of Class 31s with an intensive three-day gala featuring no less than eight locos in action.
2 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
0 To 60!
A Class 345 takes over as leader in our series, as Neville Hill takes a seven-car version for a spin to Shenfield. Just how nimble are today’s locos and units, and what’s the quickest offthe mark?
1 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
The Pride Of Canton
Looking to portray an early Doncaster-built Class 56, Alex Carpenter describes how he modelled one of the Trainload Metals fleet in no less a form than the Cardiff depot’s notional flagship.
2 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
Pool Profile 2: Trainload Metals Class 56s
Although the Metals sub-sector was initially given a small allocation of ‘Grids’ upon the division of the locomotive fleet in 1987, these were removed just months later. It would be the 1990s before the class was again officially allocated to steel duties, first in South Wales and then the North East. Simon Bendall details their history.
2 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
Sub-Sector Customisation
One of the philosophies behind the design of the triple grey scheme was to create a uniform look for the Railfreight fleet with no deviation from the set livery layout. However, as Simon Bendall explains, some depots did not get this memo.
3 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
Channel Tunnel 'Cromptons'
The late 1980s saw a pool of Class 33s allocated to the Construction sub-sector, these being largely dedicated to transporting materials to the various Channel Tunnel building sites in Kent. Paul Wade describes how to upgrade the Heljan ‘Slim Jim’ variant as well as model the associated Queen Mary brake vans.
4 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
Celebrity Locos In Demand For Railtours
Irish Rail’s two retro-liveried 071 Class locos were requested for two recent railtours, including a first use in multiple.
3 min |
December 2017
Rail Express
Diesel First For Isle Of Wight
The Isle of Wight Steam Railway made history at the end of September by running the island’s first-ever main line diesel locomotive.
1 min |
November 2017
Rail Express
ScotRail Calls In Financial Support
Strikes, engineering works and falling revenue led franchise holder Abellio to ask its Dutch parent company for a £10 million loan to fund franchise commitments.
1 min |
November 2017
Rail Express
Northern Powerhouse To Get Rail Funding Boost
HS2 could benefit services in the North as HS1 does in Kent.
2 min |
November 2017
Rail Express
Three Decades Of A Design Classic
Three decades of a design classic The Rail Express stand at Warley will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Railfreight sub-sector livery.
2 min |
November 2017
Rail Express
Limited Return For DRS 'Chopper'
The onset of autumn has brought the annual reinstatement of the Class 20/3s but in even smaller numbers.
1 min |
November 2017
Rail Express
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.
3 min |
January 2018
Rail Express
First Class To Be Abolished On South Eastern Routes In Next Franchise
New trains will have more standing room and be capable of driver-only operation.
2 min |
January 2018
Rail Express
Full Thameslink Timetable Postponed For 12 Months
The core section will be ready for December 2018, but the wider network will need another year of further investment to support the new services.
2 min |