Marcus' Model Railway Journey

Leyland Beaver Flatbed & Trailer BR 1963-70

Leyland Beaver Flatbed & Trailer BR 1963-70

Leyland Line up (light was fading, didn't use flash)

Working at the approximate end of platform 2, SE end. looking NW

Working at the approximate end of platform 2, SE end, looking SE

22nd September 2023



NetworkRail:

New Ebbw Vale services to begin in December​

Region & Route: Wales & Western: Wales & Borders


Brand new rail services are set to be launched on one of South Wales’ key lines, almost doubling the number of travel options.

Thanks to a £70 million investment through the Welsh Government and Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, Transport for Wales and Network Rail will be delivering direct services between Ebbw Vale and Newport.

From December, the line will have two trains per hour – one to Cardiff and one to Newport.

That means the line will have more than 60 services running on it every single day.

Transport for Wales project sponsor Kevin Lewis said the project was an example of “true collaboration”.

He said: “These new services will be a huge boost for the local economy giving people more options for leisure, learning and business travel.

“If you want to travel towards Bristol, London or Manchester, you no longer have to double back on yourself to Cardiff, though those services are still there for those heading west.

“TfW, Network Rail and our partners in Blaenau Gwent Council, as well as Caerphilly Council have worked incredibly closely to ensure we’ve delivered genuine value for money from this Welsh Government investment. This really has been a truly collaborative effort.”

The project has also seen a fully accessible footbridge built at Llanhilleth and new platforms at Llanhilleth and Newbridge, meaning there is now step-free access to all platforms on the line.

To allow the services to run, a new seven-mile passing loop has been built between Crosskeys and Aberbeeg alongside new earthworks and drainage, constructed to accommodate the new track.

Alongside this work, The Department for Transport and Network Rail have provided a further £17m of funding to deliver the signalling upgrade at the south end of the line.

Network Rail, with contractors AmcoGiffen and Siemens, have been delivering the work on infrastructure for the past 18 months with the next set of work included below.

During this time work will be continuous (24/7) as buses replace trains:

• Sunday 24 September
• Saturday 30 September and Sunday 1 October
• Wednesday 15 November to Monday 4 December 2023

Nick Millington, route director at Network Rail Wales and Borders said: “I’m delighted that we are now entering the final phase of work which will transform how passengers travel on the Ebbw Vale line.

“We are proud to provide low carbon journeys and support Welsh Government ambitions including its modal shift away from private cars. It will also help connect communities and boost the local economy.

“I’d like to again thank passengers and our neighbours for continuing to bear with us as we complete these vital improvements.”

A return ticket from Ebbw Vale Town to Newport will cost you £8.30 or £29.10 for a seven-day season ticket (correct up to March 2024).

The Ebbw Vale line reopened in 2008 after being closed for 40 years and was instantly popular with passengers with direct services to and from Cardiff Central.

In 2014, a brand-new station at Pye Corner opened serving passengers at the southern end of the line and in 2015, approximately one and a half miles of new track was laid to extend the railway from Ebbw Vale Parkway to a brand-new station at Ebbw Vale Town.

Councillor John Morgan, Cabinet member, place and regeneration and economic development at Blaenau Gwent Council commented: “I am pleased that the work to improve the rail service is nearing completion. Working with our partners in Welsh Government, Network Rail and Transport for Wales to enhance the Ebbw Valley rail link to improve transport links remains a high priority for the Council.

“I have no doubt that a more frequent service will improve opportunities for inward investment, access to employment both within and outside of the local area and enhance a critical transport artery that is seen as a main driver within the context of the wider Cardiff Capital Region City Deal offer and the development of the Metro.”

And Councillor Nigel George, Cabinet member for corporate services, property and highways at Caerphilly Council said: “The improvements at Newbridge station and the wider works on the route between Ebbw Vale and Newport are a fantastic step forward to improving access for all to public transport.

“Not only will they improve access for disabled travellers, they should also encourage more people to travel by rail and improve the customer experience for families with pushchairs and those with luggage.

“I’d like to thank all stakeholders for all the hard work and Welsh Government for their investment that has gone into making these works a reality and I look forward to seeing the difference they make for people locally.”

As a result in the uplift in services, trains will be retimed so it is important for customers to check their journey details from 11 December onwards.

22nd September 2023

All train services cancelled for rest of today on Welsh Marches line​

All train services between Hereford and Shrewsbury have been cancelled for the rest of today, Friday, 22 September, because of a fault with the signalling system.

The closure will affect all trains between Cardiff Central and Crewe, Chester, and Manchester Piccadilly, and also between Swansea and Manchester Piccadilly.

Anyone intending to travel between Hereford and Shrewsbury today is advised to travel via an alternative route, and tickets on those routes will be accepted by the relevant train operators:

• between Cardiff Central and Birmingham New Street – CrossCountry
• between Shrewsbury or Hereford and Birmingham New Street – West Midlands Railway
• between Cardiff Central and Bristol Parkway – Great Western Railway
• between Crewe, Chester, Holyhead and Birmingham New Street – Avanti West Coast
• between Stafford / Crewe and Manchester Piccadilly – Avanti West Coast
• between Crewe and Manchester – Northern

Transport for Wales has requested rail replacement buses, but details of those arrangements are not currently available.

Further information will be provided once it is known on the Transport for Wales website here or the National Rail website here.

National Rail Enquiries has a real-time Journey Planner available at Your UK Train Journey Planner – National Rail Enquiries to check details of how trains are running.

Helpful advice for travel on a rail replacement service, including accessibility information, is available here.

The location of rail replacement buses can be found by checking station signs or by searching for the relevant station on National Rail s station information pages here.

Anyone who is affected by the closure and experiences a delay in completing their journey may be entitled to compensation.

All claims for compensation should be accompanied by the relevant train ticket details of the journey, as both will be required to support any claim.

Click WATCH (Highlighted in red) for video

WATCH: Video explaining how problems with signals and points cause delays – and what Network Rail is doing to prevent them.

22nd September 2023

Rail services to be affected in the Plymouth area as signal upgrades take place​

Customers of Great Western Railway are advised to check their journeys as very early morning and late evening services are impacted by the work​

Great Western Railway is advising customers to check their travel plans carefully before making a journey, as signal upgrade work taking place will see services which operate in the very early morning and late evening affected.

The project will see Network Rail engineers carry out improvements to signalling systems between Totnes and Plymouth.

The work will see the old signalling system replaced with new state-of-the-art signalling, which will support improved reliability and safety whilst allowing a higher number of trains to operate in the area.

Work will get underway from Sunday the 24th of September and will continue with several overnight closures until the early part of 2024.

The project will see the majority of work completed through the night affecting services at the start and end of the day, including Great Western Railway's Night Riviera sleeper service.

• Mondays will see trains operating after 22:30 affected
• Tuesdays to Thursdays will see trains operating before 06:00 and after 22:30 affected
• Fridays will see trains operating before 06:00 affected
• Saturdays will see no changes to services
• Sundays will see trains operating before 09:00 affected

Monday morning and Friday evening service will operate as usual in order to support customer demand.

The ongoing project will also stop for a two-week break from Tuesday the 31st of October through to Sunday the 12th of November, which will support further rail improvement work taking place in Cornwall.

Rail replacement buses will be operating to and from Plymouth in order to connect with other trains in the mornings and evenings, where services are impacted by the work.

Night Riviera sleeper service will not run between Mondays and Thursdays, however will operate on Friday and Sunday nights and on some select days in order to support leisure travel to Cornwall at the weekend and also those commuting to London during the week.

To find out more about the impact on Night Riviera sleeper service, please click here.

Sleeper services and early morning and late night services will return to normal operation once the work allows, in early 2024.

Paul Collyer, Network Rail sponsor, said:

“This is the largest signalling investment in Devon and Cornwall for a generation and we are bringing the old signalling systems into the 21st century.”

“Unfortunately, we do need to cause some disruption to carry out this work, but once complete, passengers travelling into and around Plymouth will feel the benefits for years to come.”

Lee Goodson, GWR station manager for Plymouth, said:

“We recognise that these works will be very disruptive for our customers, and we thank them in advance for their patience and understanding.”

“This includes to our iconic sleeper service, and we look forward to being able to bring it back to a six-day-a-week service as soon as possible.”

“We will be running an extensive replacement bus service on affected days to help keep passengers moving. However, journeys will take longer than normal, so we recommend checking carefully.”

“These upgrades will help to make our services in the region more reliable and allow scope for extra services to be added in the future.”

22nd September 2023

Network Rail signs innovative partnership with heritage railway​

An innovative partnership has been established between the Severn Valley Railway and Network Rail that will help maintain and improve both networks through sharing each other's expertise, technology and facilities.

In a first-of-its-kind partnership, Network Rail's Central route will offer its professional skills, advice, and redundant railway materials to the Severn Valley Railway to help keep it safe and operational.

In return, the Severn Valley Railway will provide Network Rail with the support, training, and facilities needed by its staff to operate and maintain traditional railway technology.

Many parts of Worcestershire and the West Midlands still use semaphore signalling and lever frame signal boxes to keep passenger and freight trains moving.

Network Rail will also be looking at how and when its state-of-the-art ultrasonic testing train, which monitors track and infrastructure conditions, could be used on the Severn Valley Railway.

It would be a step-change for a heritage railway to have access to this type of technology for monitoring its assets and identifying potential.

Denise Wetton, Network Rail's Central route director, said: “This exciting partnership will make a real difference to the railway of the past and present. The railway has always played a vital role in communities and economies and the support we will give the Severn Valley Railway will help it remain a key attraction for the region.

“Access to their tracks and signalling to help train our staff on more traditional railway infrastructure, which is still in use on parts of our modern-day network, will help keep passengers and freight moving. Being able to do this when the SVR is closed to the public and trains aren't running allows this learning to happen in a much safer environment and is something which is very difficult to do on the main network.

“It's a perfect partnership and I am thrilled we have been able to make it happen.”

Gus Dunster, Severn Valley Railway's managing director, said: “The SVR is very excited to be entering into a formal partnership with Network Rail, the first of its kind on any heritage railway.

“Operating and maintaining Victorian infrastructure is enormously costly, and it requires specialist skills and knowledge as well as equipment. Working closely with Network Rail will enable us to continue to safeguard the SVR's infrastructure and help us to ensure our heritage line is in good shape and resilient for the future.

“The SVR is keen to strengthen its partnerships with a range of main-line companies, and this will form a cornerstone of that ambition. I am very grateful to Denise Wetton and her team for their energy and desire to make this partnership happen.”

22nd September 2023

Škoda Group promotes its autonomous technology as a cost-cutter​

Škoda Group is claiming that its products enable transport providers to improve their services through integration.

The group argues that the significant rise in energy prices is posing a challenge to public transport providers, and that spending money on inefficient operations leaves less available to spend on improving services and expanding the transport network.

It also points out that transport providers face rising costs of repairing vehicles damaged by collisions, and that there is an increasing emphasis on ensuring safety inside and around vehicles.

Škoda's presented its digital systems at a press conference at the Trako 2023 trade fair in Gdańsk, Poland, hoping to appeal to train operators considering how to optimise energy consumption.

Škoda's automatic train operation (ATO) system automatically guides the train, automating the driver's tasks and planning the journey to align with the timetable and energy savings.

The system reacts to changing conditions on the route and so minimises energy loss.

The driver retains their role in the train's operation, dealing with unforeseen and unpredictable events.

Urban transport companies face high costs for repairing vehicles damaged in collisions, in both traffic and depots.

Škoda Group's anti-collision system (ACS) aims to reduce the impact of collisions, both financially and in terms of injuries, using a combination of LiDAR technology, cameras and precise localisation using HD maps and odometry.

The system creates a ‘virtual tunnel' enabling the vehicle to detect obstacles, give early warning and provide emergency braking.

Škoda Group states that it has a vision for autonomous technologies to play a key role in public transport.

Its latest project builds on existing digital systems and integrates them into what it calls a “comprehensive smart depot ecosystem”, stating that “The equation is simple – increased efficiency plus increased safety equals cost savings, a happier passenger and a cleaner environment.”

Jiří Liberda, President Business Unit Digital at Škoda Group, said, “Smart digital solutions are a huge benefit for transport companies and passengers. The use of smart technology can reduce energy consumption by up to 15%, optimising financial costs. Trains also keep to timetables better thanks to the ATO system, leading to an overall increase in the quality of service. In addition, transport becomes more environmentally friendly, safer and smoother in daily operations.”

22nd September 2023

Inside The Train Shed

Another item has arrived for the ETHNON RAIL Project

FB003 Platform Footbridge Four Track Span OO Gauge Model Laser Cut Kit

When assembled it should look something like this.

23rd September 2023

Avanti West Coast reveals livery for its new fleet of trains​

Avanti West Coast has released the first pictures of one of its new Class 805 trains in the new livery chosen for the class.

The new trains are being built at Hitachi's factory at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham, which is where the new livery was applied.

Inspiration for the train's stylish look comes from Avanti West Coast's Pendolino trains which have a palette of colours reflecting the different landscapes in the areas through which the trains will operate.

Testing of the new trains will start next week, and the Class 805 train chosen to display the new livery, number 805005, has been receiving some final touches before it is transferred to Avanti West Coast's fleet.

It will become the third train to be formally handed over to Avanti West Coast when it is delivered next week to Oxley depot at Wolverhampton in the West Midlands.

The first of the new trains are scheduled to enter service across the network in the next few months, with all three units delivered so far being used for mainline testing and staff training.

The news about the new trains and their new livery comes a few days after it was announced that the West Coast Partnership, comprising Avanti West Coast and West Coast Partnership Development, was awarded an initial three-year National Rail Contract, that includes the option to extend it for a further six years.

Ellie Woolmore, Head of Brand at Avanti West Coast commented: “The excitement around our new fleet is really starting to build. The new livery helps to give the train its identity, taking its lead from our iconic Pendolino fleet, whilst accentuating its sleek design.”

23rd September 2023

New Locomotive for ETHNON RAIL

There was an online sale today, I bought a second hand loco to join the fleet........

Bachmann Branchline 32-755 Class 57/3 57315 in Arriva Trains Wales/Trenau Arriva Cymru Livery

I used to watch these 'Zombies' ('Zombie' is the nickname for a Class 57 as is 'Bodysnatcher' ) at Cardiff Canton Depot.

24th September 2023

New Rolling Stock for ETHNON RAIL

I was checking one of my favourite sites for model trains today, I bought a second hand pair of Plasser Tamper Machines to join the fleet........

BACHMANN OO 36-160 & 36-165 PAIR OF PLASSER TAMPER MACHINES (MOTORISED & NON-MOTORISED)

I used to see these Tamper machines stored in a siding near my local station in the early 80's.

They are used for track maintenance.

BACHMANN OO 36-160 & 36-165 PAIR OF PLASSER TAMPER MACHINES

Bachmann Branchline 36-165 Plasser Tamper track maintenance machine (motorised)

Underside of Bachmann Branchline 36-165 Plasser Tamper track maintenance machine (motorised)

Bachmann Branchline 36-160 Plasser Tamper track maintenance machine (non-motorised)

Underside of Bachmann Branchline 36-160 Plasser Tamper track maintenance machine (non-motorised)

24th September 2023


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

Autumn hits Markies Garden