Marcus' Model Railway Journey

2nd September 2023

Inside The Train Shed

So I got into the Train Shed to get some work done, when I noticed a moth on the window.

I haven't been able to identify it yet.

The 'flash' has revealed the colour better..........

Still haven't identified it yet.

I had a good few hours laying track today.

After replacing the electro frog points with insul points, I managed to progress the mainlines from the NW end of the station area - through the station up to the first set of loop points at the SE end.

It was a pretty warm day in the shed today, 30 °C, Cleo kept supplying drinks to keep me hydrated.

Some good progress today.

The section line is just a 'break' line

The track laid at close of play today.

I took this photo of all the types of small points I have (all insul-frogs) to show the difference in the frog areas.

Left: Hornby
Middle: Peco Setrack
Right: Peco Streamline

3rd September 2023

Alstom delivers first Movia trainset for Bhopal-Indore metro project​

On Thursday (31 August), Alstom delivered the first trainset for the Bhopal–Indore metro project to Madhya Pradesh Metro Rail Corporation Limited (MPMRCL) in India.

The company set a new record for manufacturing speed, taking just fourteen and a half months from its Notice To Proceed (NTP) to delivery.

The Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh unveiled the mock-up car at Smart City Park in Bhopal on last Saturday (26 August) in the presence of MPMRCL, the General Consultant and Alstom.

Awarded in July 2022, the contract requires Alstom to design, manufacture, supply, install, test and commission fifty-two standard gauge Movia metro passenger three-car trainsets, and to maintain them for fifteen years.

The trainset unveiled on Thursday will be deployed to Indore.

Of the full order, twenty-seven will run in Bhopal and twenty-five in Indore.

Bhopal is the capital city of the state of Madhya Pradesh, and Indore is its largest city.

The next trainset is due to be delivered by Wednesday 20 September, to Bhopal.

The trains are expected to enter passenger service in April next year.

The Movia trains are ultramodern and lightweight, with a top speed of eighty km/h.

They will run on the 31 km line in Bhopal, which has thirty stations, and the 31.5 km line in Indore, which has twenty-nine.

They can carry fifty passengers seating and three hundred standing.

The cars are air-conditioned and eco-friendly.

The trains are powered with energy-efficient propulsion systems with regenerative braking, which reduces energy consumption.

Further energy saving is achieved through features such as ambient lighting and smart lights.

The trains use a Train Control and Management System (TCMS) with an embedded automatic track inspection system which ensure that data can be collected and transmitted at high speed without error.

Continuous CCTV surveillance and direct communication between the train operator and the control centre help to ensure safety and security.

The intelligent CCTV features includes the capability to identify unattended objects and confirm that trains are empty in the event of emergency evacuation.

The trains also have dedicated wheelchair spaces.

The Movia was originally developed by Adtranz, which was acquired by Bombardier in 2001 and then by Alstom in 2021.

Movia trains operated on several Metro systems, including Delhi, Stockholm, Singapore and on the Victoria and sub-surface lines of London Underground.

Under the ‘Make in India' and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat' initiatives, Alstom has built the Bhopal-Indore Metro trainsets at its state-of-the-art rolling stock manufacturing facility at Savli, Gujarat.

The contract is valued at €387 million (over INR 3200 crores).

It requires Alstom to install the latest generation of Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) signalling, as well as train control and telecommunication systems; each with seven years' maintenance.

This is the second such order in India for Alstom, after the Agra-Kanpur metro projects.

Oliver Loison, Managing Director if Alstom India said, “It is a proud moment for us to deliver the first trainset for the Bhopal-Indore metro project in advance. Bhopal and Indore has been recognised as a smart city in India, and the addition of metro will modernise the city infrastructure notably. These trains will ensure safe, reliable, efficient, and affordable mass transport system, while also promoting economic activity. Alstom is India's long-standing partner in the journey towards sustainable mobility and we are looking forward to further strengthen this partnership by redefining the mass transportation needs of Madhya Pradesh.”

3rd September 2023

Inside The Train Shed

I had a good few hours laying track today.

I managed to progress the mainlines on the SE end of the station area - positioning the single slips for the goods yard access.

It was a pretty warm day in the shed today, 30 °C, when I first went in it was 35 °C until I opened some windows.

Had some fun cutting some flexi track to length.

The single slips are in position

Single slip placement, looking SE

Progress made by the end of play.

Sections still need to be secured to the baseboard.

4th September 2023


TANGENT MAN STRIKES AGAIN!
Just when you thought it was safe to be informed only on railway topics!

Back in the garden

Here's a picture of some white phlox.

My late mother bought me this plant many, many, years ago and it's still going.

She passed in 2017, she used to love sitting in my garden, seeing this flower brings me happy memories of her.

White Phlox

The pink Japanese Anemone is in flower now.

4th September 2023

Inside The Train Shed

I had a good few hours securing track today.

I managed to fix down the mainlines on the SE end of the station area - what I had positioned yesterday, the single slips for the goods yard access.

Again It was a pretty warm day in the shed, 30 °C, when I first went in it was 35 °C , I had to mop up some of my sweat that had dropped onto the track.

You may have noticed the white towel on the edge of the baseboard, that's to prevent my sweaty arms and hands touching the baseboard.

So after fixing the track I thought I would test it for running locomotives on the mainlines.

The locomotives I used were Class 37 97302 "Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railways" and Class 57/6 57603 "Tintagel Castle".

The loco's ran perfectly, running test passed!

I have ordered some very short sections of track which will ease my task when creating a clearance gap between point mechanisms.


"Tintagel Castle" and "Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railways" performing the running checks.

Close-up of "Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railways"

Didn't quite get the focus right for "Tintagel Castle"

Class 37 97302 "Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railways"

Class 57/6 57603 "Tintagel Castle"

Class 37 97302 "Ffestiniog Welsh Highland Railways" and Class 57/6 57603 "Tintagel Castle"

5th September 2023


TRANSPORT FOR WALES

Midweek evening rail services return​

Trains are now running throughout midweek evenings for people travelling between Cardiff and Pontypridd as South Wales Metro works continue to progress.


Transport for Wales (TfW) is transforming the Core Valley Lines as part of a billion-pound investment to electrify the line and deliver the South Wales Metro.

While modernising the rail infrastructure, parts of the railway are closed at certain times and rail replacement buses are keeping people moving.

However, from September, TfW has reintroduced rail services between Cardiff and Pontypridd to replace rail replacement buses which have been running in the evenings from Monday to Thursdays since last year.

Dan Tipper, Chief Infrastructure Officer at TfW, said: “We’re making good progress with building the South Wales Metro and we’re now in a position where there will be more rail services running in the evenings, and less rail replacement between Cardiff and Pontypridd.

“There is still ongoing work, but on this section of railway we’ve completed our electrification infrastructure works, the wiring is up, our new signalling is installed, and we’ve energised the first section of track.

“More rail services being reintroduced will be a major improvement for customers using the popular route between Cardiff and Pontypridd, and we’re looking forward to welcoming them back to our services.

“I’d like to thank all our customers for their continued patience during this time of disruption and it’s important to emphasise that our teams are moving swiftly forward with building the South Wales Metro.”

The transformation of the Core Valley Lines for the Metro has been part-funded by the European Regional Development Fund through Welsh Government, and will enable faster, more frequent services between Cardiff and the heads of the valleys. 

WATCH VIDEO:

Midweek evening rail services return​

5th September 2023


TRANSPORT FOR WALES

Dolwyddelan extension for Conwy fflecsi service​

Dolwyddelan residents will now benefit from improved transport connections following an extension to the Dyffryn Conwy fflecsi service, Transport for Wales has confirmed.


Working in partnership with Conwy County Borough Council, the Dolwyddelan extension includes two pick-up points at Y Gwydyr and Dolwyddelan train station.

fflecsi will operate in the Dolwyddelan area between 6.30am and 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday.

fflecsi Dyffryn Conwy is a demand responsive bus service which does not have a fixed route and timetable but an operating zone, allowing passengers to be picked up and dropped off anywhere within that fflecsi zone.

Rather than passengers waiting at a bus stop for a bus to turn up, they can book a journey in advance using the fflecsi app, or by calling 0300 234 0300.

Passengers are informed where to catch the bus and what time it will be arriving – the pick-up point will be as near as possible to the location of the passenger.

Huw Morgan, Head of Integrated Transport at Transport for Wales, said: “fflecsi Dyffryn Conwy has been successfully operating in rural communities for almost three years and we’re pleased to be extending the service to Dolwyddelan.

“We recognise public transport connections can be challenging for some rural communities in Wales and we’re continuing to explore options to improve services where there is appropriate demand.

“I hope residents in Dolwyddelan find the fflecsi service to be a reliable and efficient transport solution that provides them with the necessary connections to make onward journeys in the area.”

Cllr Liz Roberts of Conwy County Borough Council said: “The community of Dolwyddelan in the LL25 area are so pleased that the voice of its residents has been heard and we look forward to having a fflecsi service. Rurality and public transport are vital if we are to gain access for work, pleasure and shopping.”

5th September 2023

Class Fifty Fund to host evening talk about the Class 50s​

A special event with a talk about the Class 50s is being held at the Severn Valley Railway's Kidderminster Town station next Saturday, 9 September at 7.30 pm.

Fifty Years of Fifties: An Evening with Geoff Hudson is being held in the station's Valley Suite, on behalf of The Fifty Fund and the Class 50 Alliance.

Geoff Hudson will share his knowledge of the Class 50 locomotives and their operation which he knows well as he was a former Fleet Manager at British Rail's Laira Depot in Plymouth.

Geoff's spent over 50 years working in the rail industry, and has always had a close association with the Class 50s.

Among the topics he will cover will be personal highlights of his career, the history of Class 50s from their introduction to their final years with British Rail and into preservation.

Geoff also promises to tell many previously untold stories,

Although the evening is due to start at 7.30, the doors to the Valley Suite are expected to open about 7.00.

If anyone arrives early, the King and Castle pub next door to the Valley Suite will be open.

During the day on Saturday, 9 September, it is hoped that a Class 50 will be in service on the Severn Valley Railway.

50031 ‘Hood' and 50007 ‘Hercules'

The Class 50 Alliance Ltd (the Alliance) maintains six Class 50s: 50007 Hercules, 50031 Hood, 50033 Glorious, 50035 Ark Royal, 50044 Exeter and 50049 Defiance, and are all based on the Severn Valley Railway.

Hercules, Exeter and Defiance are main line registered for use on Network Rail's infrastructure.

The Fifty Fund is a not-for-profit society that works to promote the activity of the Class 50 Alliance by raising money to fund its preservation activities.

It also holds Class 50- related activities, and represents the interests of its members who are all Class 50 Alliance shareholders.

5th September 2023

Itinera awarded contract for construction of Lyon-Turin base tunnel​

The contract for the excavation and construction of the Italian side of the base tunnel of the Turin-Lyon high-speed/capacity railway line has been awarded to the ASTM Group major works company Itinera.

The contract award was announced last Thursday, 31 August, at a public meeting by the top management of the Public Promoter “Tunnel Euralpin Lyon Turin” (TELT).

Construction will be a joint venture between Itinera, Ghella and Spie Batignolles.

Itinera will lead the project as leader with a 41% share, with Ghella having a 39% share and Spie Batignolles a 20% share.

The contract is worth about €1.1 billion euros, and is the latest contract for the major civil works in the international part of the new railway line between Italy and France.

When complete, the line will be 65 km long international stations at Saint Jean de Maurienne in France and Susa in Italy, where there will be a junction with the existing line.

The main part of the work is the Moncenisio base tunnel, which has the longest double-bore single-track railway tunnel ever built at 57.5 km long.

The specific part of the contract awarded to Itinera is for construction of the tunnel from Susa in Italy to the French border.

This includes constructing about 10 km of the base tunnel, which will be divided into two bores, the down-ramps and the by-passes.

The total length of the tunnels to be built is about 30 km, of which 18 km will use a Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) and 12 km will be bored using traditional methods.

Excavation will produce about 6 million tons of material, while about 730,000 cubic metres of concrete will be required, including for jet-grouting and casting pre-cast segments.

The contract is planned to take 91 months to complete, and at its peak will employ about 700 man/days.

Work on the French side began in 2021, and this award for the Italian side marks a crucial step in this strategic infrastructure which forms one of the main components of the Mediterranean Corridor, which is one of the nine axes of the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

Eventually, this axis will provide a rail connection between southwestern Europe and countries in central and eastern Europe.

Once this new Turin-Lyon railway line is in full operation, which is planned to be in 2032, it is expected that over 1 million trucks will be removed from Alpine roads, with a saving of 3 million tons of CO2 each year.

As well as this contract, Itinera is also carrying out excavation on the French side of the tunnel, between the entrance portal at Saint Julienne Mont Denis and Saint Martin La Porte.

It also has other major international transportation projects, including the new 3.8 km-long Storstrøm Bridge in Denmark, providing a rail and road connection between Copenhagen in Denmark and Hamburg in Germany.

5th September 2023

Minor problem found with steam locomotive 563 during commissioning​

Adams T3 Class 4-4-0 steam locomotive No. 563, which is in the final stages of its restoration and being prepared for operational service, has been taken back to the engineering facility at Herston for some minor additional work.

When 563 arrived at Norden, the locomotive was separated from its tender to make it easier to carry out the work.

The need for that became apparent after it was moved at low speed to Swanage last Wednesday. Routine checks of 563 revealed that both coupling rods had started to run warm.

Before any further testing can be carried out, the engineering team will need to carry out precautionary checks and machine the coupling rods' bushes to ensure their clearance is correct.

However, while that work is being done other commissioning work can continue at Herston.

Although this may sound as if it is major problem, in reality, it is not as bad as it sounds as there is no direct access to the workshops by rail for this task.

Neither is it a reflection on the Flour Mill workshop as it does have not a length of track long enough to undertake a rotation test and get the wheels moving for long enough.

The team is looking on this as part of the all-important testing process.

The locomotive has now moved further than it ever has in the last 75 years, so it is to be expected that before testing and commissioning is completed, there may be unforeseen minor teething problems.

Preparations are still being made to return 563 to traffic in October, and the team do not expect that this will have any effect on its plans, and hope to announce further details in the next few weeks by social media and the Swanage Railway website.

The move to Norden and the extra work will incur extra costs for the 563 Locomotive Group that was not expected. It is therefore looking for support , and would greatly appreciate any contribution however small.

5th September 2023

SISCOG wins 5-year contract to bring the next level of operations for Northern Ireland railways​

The public transport operator will see daily operations including timetabling, planning and fleet and crew allocation use the SISCOG System.​

Northern Ireland's public transport operator Translink is set to revolutionise its daily operations thanks to a 5-year contract following an international tender with transport specialist software company, SISCOG, which also provides optimisation of resources and company solutions for London Underground.

The SISCOG Suite will see the implementation of Translink's ‘Rail Validation System' and will revolutionise the efficiency of its day-to-day running of rail services.

Translink's ‘Better Connected' Strategy will also be supported through the software with aims met such as maximising efficiency and consistency in management as the specialist cloud-hosted software takes control of both long-term planning and daily operations including train timetables, rolling stock and employees during 2024.

The impressive system will also support Translink's ongoing and future projects, including:

• New 8 platform Belfast Grand Central Station, which is set to finish in late 2024
• New Rail Operating Centre
• Improvement and centralisation of three Railway Signalling Control points
• The operator's new fleet

The project will also see Translink's partnership with data engineering company Anaeko continue and will involve solution hosting, integration and data migration.

The specialist system will also see an operational partnership with Iarnród Éireann (Irish Rail) as it is used to support the planning and management of the Belfast-Dublin Enterprise train.

Richard Knox, Translink General Manager for Rail Services, said:

“This system will support the internal Translink team in delivering an optimised and efficient service for our passengers”

“We look forward to working with the SISCOG team to use this enhanced technology to improve services, maximise the use of resources and ensure continued high-quality performance.”

Eurico Matos, SISCOG's Head of Strategic Development, said:

“We are honoured to have earned Translink's trust for the design of the new ‘Rail Validation System'.

Our team is eager to leverage our experience and expertise to deliver a system that elevates current operations and tackles future challenges head-on, ensuring Translink's customers experience a best-in-class transport service.”

5th September 2023

Inside The Train Shed

Not a great deal done today with the weekly shopping and the heat.
Not much will be done tomorrow either, as we shall all be in Cardiff town for a day out and cocktails!

I did manage to carry out a frog wear warning diagram to satisfy the engineering question in my brain.

Potential wear areas

6th September 2023



NetworkRail:

Network Rail to carry out essential track renewals in 170-year-old Dinmore Tunnel to improve reliability between Hereford and Shrewsbury​

Region & Route: Wales & Western: Wales & Borders


Buses will replace trains between Hereford and Shrewsbury during a nine-day closure on the Marches Line between Tuesday 12 September to Thursday 21 September as teams work around the clock to renew the track and ballast inside the historic tunnel.

Network Rail, along with principal contractors, Colas Rail, will access the railway from Wellington Level Crossing, to replace the ballast (supporting stones) and track in the up-side (track travelling towards London) of Dinmore Tunnel, which was constructed in 1853.

The new track will boost reliability of journeys on the Marches line – an important rail link that connects South Wales to the Midlands and beyond.

Transport for Wales will operate a bus replacement service from Hereford to Shrewsbury while the railway is shut, followed by a reduced rail service from Cardiff to Shrewsbury from Friday 22 September to Friday 29 September.

Network Rail urges passengers to check before they travel at: www.journeycheck.com/tfwrail/ for more information.

Engineers will be working 24/7, with minor traffic obstructions between Cherry Brooke/Old Dinmore Hill and Wellington Level Crossing for the safe movement of materials into and out of the tunnel.

There will also be a temporary road closure near the crossing from Monday 11 September to Friday 22 September between 8pm and 6am each day.