Marcus' Model Railway Journey

23rd November 2023

Inside The Train Shed -

Old Rovex GWR Signal Box repaint.

So I've made some more progress with applying a couple of coats of GWR (Great Western Railway) Dark stone No.3.

I just need to paint the base a grey colour.

It looks good from 3 foot away, the overpaint isn't so obvious, so that's acceptable.

I have a new kit to build of this Signal Box, which will make painting much easier as all the 'wood' panels are separate and painting the white on the windows pre-glazing will be great too.

Later I may have a go at 'Great Westernising' a standard Hornby Signal Box as well.

I love the colour combinations of the Stone colour paints.

24th November 2023


TRANSPORT FOR WALES

December timetable change​

This December sees Transport for Wales (TfW) deliver additional services and trains across north and south Wales and into England.


With the next timetable period running from 10 December to 1 June next year, there are exciting plans to almost double the number of services on the Ebbw Vale line thanks to a £70million investment.

Brand new services will start running between Newport and Ebbw Vale Town during the timetable period as a result of the investment.

TfW is also planning to run daytime services every 45 minutes on the Wrexham Central to Bidston line, an increase from every hour.

And the reintroduction of hourly Chester to Liverpool services via Liverpool airport is welcome news for customers in the north of the network, providing another key link between the two cities.

Fifty brand new trains have now joined the fleet with more than 100 set to be introduced on the mainline and Metro networks over the next two years.

A full hourly service between Cardiff and Cheltenham Spa will also start next year as more trains become available.

Customers on all TfW services should double check their journey times as your usual time may differ.

TfW’s Planning and Performance Director Colin Lea said: “We’re delighted to be introducing new services on key routes in both the north and south of our network in this timetable period.

“The Ebbw Vale project showed fantastic collaboration with our partners to almost double the number of services on the line, with the new link to Newport, and allows greater opportunities for leisure, learning and commuting.

“In Wrexham and Deeside it gives more choice and better reliability on the Borderlands line to Bidston, while the full return of Liverpool-Chester services is now possible following completion of crew training on our new trains.

“The most important thing is to please check your travel details before you travel.”

Customers can see what the timetable will look like by planning a journey HERE

The Ebbw Vale project follows a £70 million Welsh Government loan to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council to fund the work which was delivered by Amco Giffen and Siemens on behalf of Network Rail.

25th November 2023

STEAM museum exhibition tells stories of images in its 2024 calendar​

STEAM Museum at Swindon is staging a photographic exhibition entitled ‘Locomotives Through the Lens' which is centred around the images selected for its exclusive new 2024 calendar and examines stories behind the photographs.

Among the photographs in the exhibition are ones taken by talented railway photographer, Richard Bell, some of which have been chosen to appear in the 2024 Museum calendar entitled ‘Western Steam'.

The calendar features preserved GWR and Western region locomotives operating between 2008 and 2023 on both the main line and on heritage railways.

With the majestic British countryside as a backdrop, there are photographs from the length and breadth of the Great Western Railway network, from north Wales to south Devon, and from Berkshire to west Wales.

For the first time, the calendar's images are being portrayed at a large scale, which gives visitors the sense actually being part of each scene scenes.

Next to each image an explanatory text describes how the photograph was achieved, and shows that as well as experience and know-how, it is often a combination of the right weather conditions, persistence, and good luck that are required to achieve a perfect photograph.

The' Locomotives Through the Lens' exhibition at STEAM runs until mid-2024, with no extra charge over and above the Museum's standard admission price.

Further details can be found here.

The Museum's Western Steam 2024 calendar is on sale at the museum shop.

Frances Yeo, Swindon Museums Manager said “It's great to see our new Locomotives Through the Lens exhibition opening in the Museum's Caerphilly Castle Hall. This finale to our 2023 exhibitions programme at STEAM, explores the motivations and commitment needed to achieve the perfect photograph. Richard's experience, dedication and enthusiasm for the subject matter comes through in every image as well as in his accompanying commentaries.”

26th November 2023

Toy monkey returned to toddler after 600-mile rail adventure​

Railway workers have reunited a toy monkey with its three-year-old owner after it travelled over six hundred miles by rail.

On Monday (20 November), Kayna Tay and her son were returning home to Bristol by rail after visiting his grandparents in Rutland for the weekend.

While travelling from Oakham to Birmingham New Street, the family had to move carriages, and in doing so, the toddler misplaced his dinosaur rucksack, which contained the toy.

The little boy was very upset when he realised when changing trains at Birmingham New Street that he had lost ‘Monkey', the toy he had since he was born.

Kayna, 43, went to Network Rail's Birmingham New Street station reception, and customer service assistants Leon Allen and Vinny Murphy set about locating the missing primate.

By this time, though, Monkey was en route to Newcastle, so the pair contacted the train manager, who searched under the seats but could not find it.

When Monkey's CrossCountry train reached its destination, Edinburgh, the toy was found and handed to lost property.

By now, it was 384 miles from home in Bristol.

Back at Birmingham New Street, Vinny and Leon arranged for Monkey to travel back from Scotland to Birmingham, looked after by Avanti West Coast staff.

Meanwhile, staff spotted a tiny, hand-knitted jumper with a British Rail logo that had previously been made as a Christmas decoration, and decided that it was a fitting memento of Monkey's adventure.

So on Tuesday morning, wearing the Christmas jumper, Monkey travelled on a CrossCountry train to Bristol Temple Meads station, where a very relieved Kayna collected it from Great Western Railway (GWR) staff at lunchtime.

Workers from four different companies had been involved in rescuing the toy, and Monkey had travelled 619 rail miles further than the family's planned 155-mile trip home from Leicestershire to the Bristol.


For more information on what to do if you lose an item on a train, contact your train operator.

Kayna said: “My little boy was inconsolable when we realised we'd lost Monkey on the train and we arrived at Birmingham New Street. But the treatment we received from the customer services team there, who mounted a miracle mission to find the monkey again, was above and beyond what I could have expected.

“I can't thank everyone involved enough, across all the train companies, for not only making my little boy smile again, but he loves monkey's new jumper and is full of questions, fascinated by the adventure he's been on!”

Vinny Murphy, Birmingham New Street customer services assistant, said: “It was heart-breaking to see Kayna's little lad so upset that he'd left his best friend on the train, so it was the least we could do to get straight on the phone to try and track him down.

“We couldn't have done this without the efforts of all the train crews scouring under seats to find him. Spotting a tiny Christmas jumper in our station reception for him to wear was then the icing on the cake! We're so pleased we could have helped and Monkey is back home for cuddles where he belongs – in gladrags fit for the festive season.”

Elizabeth Jackson, CrossCountry interim regional customer service manager, said: “Thankfully it's not every day we have to take teddies on our trains, but it was a pleasure to help get Monkey safely back home to Bristol. It's been wonderful to work together with colleagues from across the industry to get this very cheeky monkey home safe and sound.”

Philippa Cresswell, Avanti West Coast executive director on board, said: “It was brilliant to see the railway family coming together to reunite Monkey with his family and get him safely back into the arms of Kayna after his very eventful journey. We were glad to play our part and the collective effort definitely deserves a round of ape-lause!”

A spokesperson for GWR said: “We at GWR have a long history of looking after long-lost bears, and reuniting cuddly toys seeking greater adventure with their worried owners.

“Our approachable and friendly staff are always on hand to help, and we are delighted we have been able to do so on this occasion.”

26th November 2023

Statfold Barn Railway’s ‘Lynton’ carriages to move to Bala Lake​

The Charitable Trust which runs the Statfold Barn Railway and Museum has decided to donate its ‘Lynton' coaches to the Bala Lake Railway.

Originally built by Alan Keef for the narrow-gauge railway at Thorpe Park, the four coaches were acquired by the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway in the early 1990s.

The Railway rebuilt them into their current form, and they transferred to the Statfold Barn Railway in 2014.

Statfold Barn, which is located in the Statfold Country Park, acquired three ex-South Tynedale Railway coaches in 2022.

As a result, it has used the Lyntons less often over the last year.

The Statfold Barn Railway is a narrow-gauge railway based near Tamworth, Staffordshire.

The coaches' new home, the Bala Lake Railway, is around one hundred miles away, and runs for four-and-a-half miles along the southern shore of Bala Lake in Gwynedd, North Wales.

Hunslet loco Alice at Bala on the Bala Lake Railway

Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust Chairman Graham Lee said “We took the decision to donate the coaches to our friends at the Bala Lake Railway to help ensure that they have sufficient passenger capacity for their extension into Bala Town.

“The coaches have served us at Statfold well, but with their little use it was time for them to go and to be enjoyed by the visitors of the Bala Lake Railway.”

27th November 2023

Mid Norfolk Railway gives Ukrainian children a pre-Christmas treat​

Children who have escaped from the war in Ukraine and are currently living in Norfolk have been given a pre-Christmas treat with a with a special trip on the Mid Norfolk Railway's Polar Express.

The Mid Norfolk Railway is a leading railway charity, and takes its place in the local community seriously.

As a gesture of support for the children, the railway's Trust Council decided they wanted to do something for the children and their families who are living in Norfolk many miles from Ukraine as a result of the ongoing conflict in their country.

In conjunction with the Ukraine Centre in Dereham, the railway laid on a special trip on the Polar Express 145 Ukraine refugees and the families who are hosting them in Dereham and the surrounding villages in Norfolk.

Regular Polar Express trains operate on Wednesdays to Sundays until 23 December, with trains departing at 5 pm and 7 pm on Wednesday, Thursdays, and Fridays, and 2. 45 om, 4,245 pm, and 6.45 pm on Saturdays and Sundays.

However many of the trains are already sold out, and there are only a few seats remaining on the rest.

Full details can be found here.

Graham Watts, the Chairman of the Railway said: “The War in Ukraine is in the news still on a regular basis and it is now two years since this conflict began, there is little we can do, however what we can do is hopefully bring some fun and joy at this time of time of the year to these families that find themselves living here in Norfolk not through choice”.

27th November 2023

Black Five steam locomotive to haul post Christmas Wensleydale Railway service​

The star turn at this year's Wensleydale Railway Christmas trains has returned to take part in the festivities.

Black Five steam locomotive number 45407 ‘The Lancashire Fusilier' is back at Leeming Bar and will be the central attraction as it hauls THE POLAR EXPRESS.

Two days of steam services, hauled by 45407, will run between Christmas and New Year operating services between Leeming Bar and Leyburn on Thursday 29 and Saturday 30 December.

A special diesel service will run on Wednesday 28 December.

The special POLAR EXPRESS™ service began running on 10 November and is expected to transport 60,000 passengers on a magical interactive journey to the North Pole up to 23 December.

‘The Lancashire Fusilier' will operate the service on 29 and 30 December, with trains departing Leeming Bar for Leyburn on both days at 11:00 and 13:45.

For trains running on 28 December, a visiting heritage diesel locomotive – class 47, number 47701 – and coaching stock will be operating three trains on 28 December and trains will depart Leeming Bar for Leyburn at 10:00, 12:00 and 14:30.

Passengers should note that there is no car parking available at Leeming Bar Station or on the street outside.

Parking will be available at the former Vale of Mowbray factory overflow carpark, situated immediately behind the factory site at Low Street, off Leases Road.

The is also an opportunity to board the trains at Bedale Station (DL8 1AW) where there is ample parking in the town.

28th November 2023

Eurostar service from Amsterdam to London to pause for six months next year​

Eurostar will not run services from Amsterdam to London from June 2024 for six months, due to renovation work at Amsterdam's central station meaning that officials will not be able to process cross-Channel passengers.

Passengers will be able to change at Brussels to make the trip.

The Dutch government, the local rail operator and Eurostar have been negotiating over the impact of the station renovations, but were unable to agree a way forward that would allow services to continue.

Since Britain left the European Union, passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London need more extensive security checks and passport checks that those travelling to other European countries.

The station renovations mean that there will not be enough space for these checks to be carried out.

Eurostar launched its London-to-Amsterdam in 2018, and runs four services per day on the route, which stop at Brussels and Rotterdam.

Eurostar feared that it would have to suspend the service for twelve months, and has expressed relief that the suspension will last half that time.

Gwendoline Cazenave, CEO of Eurostar Group said, “Eurostar has always aimed to find a solution that would have the least possible impact on customers, the environment and its business. We acknowledge that a final decision has been made.

“We are pleased that the discussions have shortened the gap in services between Amsterdam and London from 12 to six months and we continue to work on reducing the inconvenience for passengers, local residents and the economy of Amsterdam and surrounding areas. It is very important that all the parties involved are responsible and supportive of each other to meet the deadlines.

“Our focus must now turn to how we can offer the best experience and journey connections for Eurostar customers in this period. As part of this work, we will still run services directly between London and Amsterdam one way as a minimum.

“We will be working collaboratively in the coming weeks to further mitigate the impacts for Eurostar and its customers over the six-month gap and more information will be made available in due course.”

28th November 2023

Steam locomotive 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley to return to Cheshire today after temporary fix​

The Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust has released a statement after 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley was declared a failure after a tour to Edinburgh last week.

A problem was detected on route to Edinburgh, which meant that the locomotive could not continue on the rest of its planned itinerary.

After a weekend in Edinburgh, a temporary fix has been put in place and now allows the locomotive to steam back to Crewe (with diesel assistance) where the valve can be taken apart for a full repair to be carried out.

The SNGLT says that they do not see any long period out of traffic for the locomotive.

A spokesperson for the SNGLT said “The problem was detected on route to Edinburgh and a temporary repair has now been undertaken allowing us to steam with diesel assistance back to Crewe where the valve will be taken apart for a full repair. We do not envisage any long period out of traffic.”

29th November 2023

Great Western Railway unable to operate services between Carmarthen and Swansea until the end of the day​

The rail operator cannot run services between the two stations due to a shortage of staff at Carmarthen station today (29th of Nov)​

No Great Western Railway services will operate between Carmarthen and Swansea today, Wednesday the 29th of November 2023, until the end of the day, due to a shortage of staff at Carmarthen station.

GWR trains travelling on the route affected between Carmarthen and Bristol Parkway/London Paddington will now start and terminate at Swansea and are expected to do so until the end of the day.

Customers holding a ticket for travel to or from stations between Swansea and Carmarthen today can use their tickets on Transport for Wales services, which are accepting GWR tickets until further notice.


During this period of disruption, customers are advised to check their travel plans using National Rail Enquiries live Journey Planner, which can be found by clicking here.


Customers may be entitled to compensation should they experience a delay in their journey and are therefore advised to keep hold of their ticket, making a note of the journey taken in order to support a claim.

29th November 2023

Office of Rail and Road begins investigation of train performance for Wales and Western region​

The investigation which launched today, (29th Nov), will focus on Network Rail Wales and Western region's poor punctuality and reliability​

Rail Regulator, The Office of Rail and Road has launched an investigation into Network Rail Wales & Western region's poor train punctuality and reliability, which has seen ongoing decline whilst other networks across the country see stability in performance.

The Office of Rail and Road are aware that, in order to provide reliable and punctual trains, it requires a cross-industry focus and will seek to investigate the roundtable of parties who have a direct impact on delivering train performance for the region in question.

With the focus of the investigation on Network Rail, ORR's investigation will also look into train operators, freight operators and other rail-related bodies in order to discover the steps required to bring improved performance for passengers and freight for the Wales and Western region.

The investigation aims to find whether Network Rail is compliant with license obligations for the Wales & Western region and also to assess whether it is doing everything within reasonable power to provide train service performance.

The regulator will also undertake a review of the effectiveness of the region's Performance Improvement Plan, which will discover if assets are managed appropriately and the potential effects changes to the rail network could bring to performance.

Following the investigation's completion, the Office of Rail and Road will determine whether Network Rail could do more and whether any necessary measures should be introduced, which could include enforcement action.

Feras Alshaker, Director, Performance and Planning, said:

“While Network Rail has begun making good progress in stabilising performance elsewhere on the network, performance in the Wales & Western region has continued to deteriorate, meaning poor reliability and punctuality for passengers and freight.”

“Our investigation will take a detailed look at the root causes of the region's performance issues and will consider wider contributing factors. As part of our work, we will convene a roundtable with key players in the region to support Network Rail in taking pragmatic and effective action to improve performance for all the region's rail users.”

29th November 2023

West Coast Railways release update on Central Door Locking issue​

The Office of Road and Rail have granted tour operator, West Coast Railways, an exemption for the Central Door Locking issue until a court decision has been made.

News was released on the RailAdvent website last week saying that WCR was at the High Court of Justice aiming to get the ORR to overturn their decision to revoke exemptions surrounding the Central Door Locking on its carriages.

WCR says that if the exemptions are revoked, it would make the business unviable due to cost of upgrading the train carriages with the CDL – expected to be in the region of £7m.

The new exemption runs from the 1st December 2023 until the 29th February 2024 whilst the court's decision is released.

30th November 2023

Swanage Railways loans steam locomotive to The Watercress Line​

Battle of Britain Class Pacific No. 34070 Manston will be running on The Watercress Line during a short-term loan from the Swanage Railway.

Manston has been loaned to The Watercress Line to help it during the Christmas period, but it will return to Swanage Railway next year for its own summer workings and the special events that the railway has planned for next year.

34070 Manston was built by the Southern Region to Oliver Bulleid's design in 1947 and allocated to Stewarts Lane then in 1955 it was transferred to Ramsgate shed.

Following the Kent Coast electrification in 1961 it spent a short time at Ashford shed before ending its days at Exmouth Junction until 1964 when it was purchased by the Manston Locomotive Preservation Society.

The Manston Locomotive Preservation Society subsequently merged with Southern Locomotives Ltd., which, besides Manston, owns eight other locomotives that run on heritage lines in Britain.

Manston started hauling trains on the Swanage Railway in 2008 and was withdrawn in 2017 for overhaul but returned to Swanage in 2021.

As well Manston, the Swanage Railway also has another Battle of Britain Class Pacific, No. 34072 257 Squadron and the similar West Country Class Pacific No. 34028 Eddystone.

30th November 2023

DB Cargo confirms position in charter train market​

DB Cargo UK has confirmed its current position in the charter train operation market after various rumours started circulating.

When it comes to charter train operation, DB Cargo says that they are not withdrawing themselves from the charter train market, despite recent rumours.

However, the operator has said that they are going to focus in on contractual operations, with the likes of Belmond for their British Pullman trains, and less focus is going to be on the ‘ad hoc' operations for other tour promoters.

DB has said that their charter business has moved from regular itineraries to other highly complex paths and trains.

However, DB has said it will honour all ad hoc requests in 2024 that have already been agreed, which is about half a dozen.

A spokesperson for DB Cargo said “DB Cargo UK is not withdrawing from the charter train sector, at the present time we are simply concentrating on our contractual business with the likes of Belmond, rather than ad hoc requests to run services.”

“The nature of DB's charter business has shifted from regular itineraries to highly complex operations which absorb an increasing amount of resource, which is becoming scarcer.

We will be honouring all ad-hoc trains in 2024 that have already been agreed and contracted to do – about half a dozen.”

30th November 2023

RMT members accept Rail Delivery Group’s pay offer​

The RMT Union has announced that its members have voted to accept the pay offer from the Rail Delivery Group, bringing the national dispute to an end.

Also as part of the deal was no compulsory redundancies until the end of 2024.

The Department for Transport says that the funding for the pay offer remains the same as the offer proposed in February, and says it will not cost taxpayers any additional money.

This offer sees the withdrawal of RMT's strike mandate and will allow negotiations between TOCs and RMT on reforms to begin next year.

General Secretary Mick Lynch said: “Our members have spoken in huge numbers to accept this unconditional pay offer and no compulsory redundancies until the end of 2024.

“I want to congratulate them on their steadfastness in this long industrial campaign.

“We will be negotiating further with the train operators over reforms they want to see. And we will never shy away from vigorously defending our members terms and conditions, now or in the future.

“This campaign shows that sustained strike action and unity gets results and our members should be proud of the role they have played in securing this deal.”

Transport Secretary Mark Harper said: “This is welcome news for passengers and a significant step towards resolving industrial disputes on the railway, giving workers a pay rise before Christmas and a pathway to delivering long overdue reforms.

“It remains the case that the train drivers' union ASLEF continue to block their members from having a say on the offer that would take train drivers' median salaries from £60,000 to £65,000 for a 35-hour, 4-day week – ASLEF should follow the

RMT's lead and give their members a say.”

A Rail Delivery Group spokesperson said: “This welcome vote from RMT members will unlock a pay rise for our people, and means that fair agreements have now been reached with three out of the four unions involved in the recent industrial dispute.

“Unfortunately, the ASLEF leadership's decision to call further industrial action means passengers still face disruption between 1-9 December, despite an offer remaining on the table which would see basic driver salaries increase from £60k to £65k for a four-day week.

“We want to reach a fair agreement which will get more trains running on time and put the railway on a sustainable footing, at a time when taxpayers are contributing an extra £54m a week to keep services running post covid. Instead of staging more damaging industrial action, we call on ASLEF to work with us to resolve this dispute for the long-term good of everyone who works in rail and the millions of businesses and passengers who rely on it every day.”

30th November 2023

Three Hitachi Rail fleets win Golden Spanner awards for reliability​

Hitachi Rail fleets have won three separate awards at the 2023 Golden Spanner Awards.

For the first time, judges used Miles per 701D (the rail industry fault code) to measure reliability.

The Rail Delivery Group collects the fleet reliability data as part of the Fleet Challenge initiative.

Judges chose the fleets for their excellent performance and reliability over the last year, which Hitachi attributes to collaboration with clients, hard graft by maintenance workers, and investment in new digital solutions.

Hull Trains_Class 802-3_002

Hull Trains Paragon fleet (Class 802) won Gold (the top award) in the 2nd Generation new inter-city category for the second year in a row, while another Hitachi fleet, Lumo (Class 803), won Silver.

Both operators run trains on the East Coast Mainline, so Hitachi Rail believes that this is a recognition of the contribution that its fleets and maintenance have made to improving reliability.

Modern Railways magazine runs the Golden Spanner Awards, which are considered to be the rail industry's most prestigious awards for fleet reliability, and which celebrate the best of the UK's rolling stock maintenance and practices.

Hitachi argues that digital maintenance is playing a major role in high levels of train availability across the network.

Hitachi Rail's digital maintenance includes on-board data and monitoring systems.

These capture real-time information about the train, and help to reduce the time that trains spend out of service in depots.

Jim Brewin, Chief Director U.K. & Ireland at Hitachi Rail, said: “We share these awards and success with our customers because their day-to-day collaboration is essential to ensuring that we break new records in reliability together.

“A huge congratulations to our maintenance teams, whose ‘always improve' mindset puts them at the forefront of our digital maintenance transformation, which is setting the industry benchmark in reliability.

“Our digital solutions are part of Hitachi Rail's wider investment in the U.K. which is delivering over £640 million benefit to the British economy in 2023.”

Martijn Gilbert, Managing Director of Hull Trains, said: “Our £60m Hitachi fleet continues to go from strength to strength. It has been a challenging year for many rail operators, yet Hull Trains has consistently delivered for our customers. Prior to last year's success at the Golden Spanners, we had not been recognised since 2016. So, to win a Gold Award two years running is testament to the dependable service people have come to expect from Hull Trains. We are currently England's most reliable train operator.”

David Lister, ScotRail Safety, Engineering & Sustainability Director, said: “It's great to see our Class 385 fleet recognised at the Golden Spanner Awards. It's a win not just for Scotland's Railway, but more importantly for our customers.

“Since their introduction, the Class 385s have proven to be a reliable and dependable fleet of trains, which is exactly what our customers want and is testament to the collaborative work of the ScotRail and Hitachi teams.”