Marcus' Model Railway Journey

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Bachmann Branchline 33-852 (customised) GW Macaw B Bogie Bolster

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Now, I was looking at this wagon and noticed the trader had three of them and I thought shall I make a rake of them.

I thought better not they were a tenner each (£10).

So I decided to buy one.

The trader smiled at me and said "couldn't tempt you with a rake then?"

So I asked how much for the rake?

He said "25?"

So I bought these lovey wagons for £8.33 each! :)

3X Hornby R6158 6 wheel closed vans "Palethorpes Sausages" - 2802

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Closure of 130-year-old Grade II-listed footbridge on safety grounds

September 6, 2022

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Network Rail says Beverley station’s 130-year-old Grade II-listed footbridge will close this week to keep station users, train drivers and passengers safe, before being sympathetically refurbished next year.

With a rotting wooden canopy and a rise in antisocial behaviour, Network Rail urgently needs to close the footbridge in East Yorkshire to put safety first. To remove the risk of pieces of the weakened canopy falling onto the tracks, the bridge will be closed from the end of service on Friday 9 September until further notice.

Until now, staff have carried out daily maintenance checks to keep the area safe, but this is a temporary and unsustainable solution.
 
It comes after East Riding Council approved plans to remove the bridge’s centuries-old wooden canopy following years of wear and tear. During 2023, Network Rail will complete this work and fully refurbish the original cast iron structure.

Matt Rice, North & East Route Director for Network Rail said: “I know how important this footbridge is to the heritage of Beverley station and how well-loved it is by passengers. That’s why we want to see it eventually refurbished and, crucially, made safe for people to use and trains to pass beneath.

“Closing the footbridge as soon as we can is the safest option, and it needs to happen. I’m sorry to anybody who is upset or inconvenienced by our decision. I’d like to thank East Riding Council, Historic England and our rail industry partners for their continued support.”

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Network Rail explored multiple options before deciding that closing the footbridge was the only viable option to keep people safe while preserving as much of the heritage as possible.

The bridge is thought to have been installed in the 1880s, with the wooden canopy being a later addition. As a Grade II-listed structure, the plans have been given the green light by Historic England, and some of the original features have been offered to the National Railway Museum.

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Access between Beverley station’s two platforms will be maintained via the level crossing on Armstrong Way. Passengers should speak to station staff if they need any help and allow extra time for switching platforms.

Tony Baxter, Regional Director for Northern, said: “The safety of our passengers and staff is our number one priority, so we support the closure of the footbridge at this time. Of course, as a local landmark we look forward to its restoration and re-opening whereby it will continue to serve the rail users of Beverley for many more decades to come.”

Looking North to Beverley Station, April 1961

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5th September 2022

Hydrogen train trials start in Scotland​


A former ScotRail Class 314 electric unit converted to hydrogen power is being tested on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway near Linlithgow.

The unit was reclassified as Class 614 last October and is the last survivor of the Class 314 fleet, which was built by British Rail.

The trials on the 8km heritage line could be the first step towards introducing hydrogen trains on rural ScotRail routes where electrification is not considered to be an option.

The tests are being run by the University of St Andrews, with Transport Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Ballard Motive Solutions, but it is understood that extending the trials to Network Rail infrastructure is not likely in the near future.

Angel Train Class 614209 is seen stabled at Bo'ness

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9th September 2022

Rail strikes called for this month have been cancelled as a mark of respect to Her Majesty the Queen, who died at Balmoral Castle yesterday afternoon after a short illness.


The RMT, ASLEF and TSSA have called off their planned stoppages, and the Rail Delivery Group said train services would now run normally.

The RDG said: ‘The whole railway family is united in sending our condolences to the Royal Family.’

RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: ‘RMT joins the whole nation in paying its respects to Queen Elizabeth.

‘We express our deepest condolences to her family, friends and the country.’

London transport commissioner Andy Byford and his colleagues at Transport for London said: ‘It is with great sorrow that we have learnt of the death of Her Majesty The Queen.

We send our deepest sympathy to His Majesty The King and all members of the Royal Family.’


Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport chief executive Sharon Kindleysides said: ‘We are deeply saddened by Her Majesty’s passing and extend our condolences and deepest sympathy to our Patron, Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal, and all members of the Royal Family at this sad time.

Queen Elizabeth II served the people of this country with dedication and generosity for more than 70 years.

Her life of service and dedication has touched so many of us and her reign was one of impact, inspiration and influence.’


Happier times when the queen opened the 'Elizabeth Line' in London a few months ago

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Queen Elizabeth II: April 21 1926 - September 8 2022​

 
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12th September 2022

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Passengers warned of crowded trains during mourning​

National Rail passengers are being warned that trains are likely to be very crowded between now and the day of Her Majesty’s state funeral, a week from today.

They are also being advised on the day it will not be possible to both see the funeral in London and get to Windsor in time to see the Queen being laid to rest.

Trains to and from London, and services in the London area, are expected to be the busiest, and passengers with the former franchises who had booked journeys before the Queen’s death on 8 September will be entitled to a full refund if they wish to change their plans.

The normal administration fees for cancellations will not be charged.

Among the open access operators, Grand Central does not charge for ticket changes in any case, for journeys up to 30 September.

Passengers who have booked with Heathrow Express, Hull Trains and Lumo who wish to change their plans are being advised to check directly with them.

The Rail Delivery Group’s customer information director Jason Webb said:

‘Understandably, many people wish to pay their respects to Her Majesty the Queen during this period of national mourning. On the day of the funeral, Monday 19 September, people should plan carefully the timing of their journey home as trains and stations are likely to be extremely busy.’
 
14th September 2022

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Royal mourning: trains set to run all night​

Trains are likely to run all night on key routes in a bid to cope with heavy demand for rail travel as the Queen’s funeral approaches.

Avanti West Coast has announced the restoration of some of the services on the London-Manchester route which were withdrawn in mid-August.

Avanti said it had been forced to cut its timetables because crews were often not available, but there will now be 26 trains a day from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston, up to eight more than before.

Avanti West Coast said: ‘We are expecting a great many mourners to visit London on our services.

We want to ensure that everyone who wants to travel on our trains to pay their respects can do so, and have been working hard to see where we can put on additional services for the period of mourning.’

AWC added that it was also examining the options for additional services between London and Birmingham and the possibility of hiring rolling stock from charter companies to provide relief trains.

Meanwhile, the Rail Delivery Group said:

‘The rail industry is doing all it can to ensure people can travel to pay their respects during the period of mourning. Where possible we will be running some extra services and customers should check journey planners for the most up to date information. A very limited service will be operating through the night on some routes.’
 
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15th September 2022

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Royal mourning: transport challenge ‘bigger than Olympics’​

Millions of people are due in London for the Queen’s Lying in State and her funeral on Monday

The first overnight trains to carry some of the visitors to London during the mourning for the Queen are reported to have started to run.

More are due over the following nights as the day of Her Majesty’s funeral approaches.

Meanwhile, London transport commissioner Andy Byford has warned that Transport for London faces a bigger challenge than the Olympics a decade ago.

GWR has started to run additional trains between Reading and London, and warned that both stations in Windsor will be very busy until Monday.

Although Monday has now been declared a Bank Holiday by the King, National Rail said a normal weekday service will run, but peak time fares will not apply.

Unlike the National Rail operators, TfL can rarely run additional trains on the Underground because all the capacity on some lines is already used for normal traffic.

However, trains will be provided on the central section of the Elizabeth Line on Sunday.

Network Rail has cancelled engineering work which had been arranged for a number of sites in London and the south east this week, so that possessions do not interrupt train services.
 
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16th September 2022

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More overnight trains as Queen’s funeral approaches​

More overnight trains have been arranged as the day of Her Majesty’s State Funeral approaches.

Avanti West Coast has also added four daytime services from Manchester to London using locomotives and rolling stock hired from a charter company.

Southeastern has said it will be running night services on main line routes, and has declassified First Class until Tuesday.

Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy said:

‘The transport industry is working hard to help people pay their respects in London and across the United Kingdom.’

The focus of Monday will naturally be on London and Windsor, and London transport commissioner Andy Byford has said Transport for London faces a bigger challenge than it did during the Olympics in 2012.

He also said it was an ‘important and difficult time for the country’.

He continued:

‘We are doing everything we can to ensure Londoners and visitors can pay their respects to Her Majesty The Queen and welcome His Majesty the King. We are working with our partners to keep our city moving smoothly and to ensure that everyone who needs to get around or is planning to attend the memorial events can do so safely. I would urge all customers to check before they travel, using the TfL website or TfL Go app, as while we’re planning to run a normal service, there may be short notice changes and diversions as a result of the large number of people travelling and necessary road closures.’

In particular, passengers are being asked to consider walking the final stages of their journeys in central London, and to avoid Green Park Underground station if possible.
 
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13th September 2022

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The Severn Valley Railway has announced that their purple locomotive, No. 70 ‘Elizabeth II’, is getting black nameplates out of respect for Her Majesty The Queen.

HM The Queen sadly passed away last week, and with the Severn Valley Railway running their Autumn Steam Gala this weekend, the locomotive is set to run with a wreath all weekend.

No. 70 Elizabeth II, or 34027 Taw Valley, was painted purple earlier this year to mark the Platinum Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign.

“Over the past months, this locomotive has brought so much joy and pleasure to people in its unique livery,” said Helen Smith, the SVR’s managing director.

“Painting it in the official Jubilee colour, and renaming it were our way of celebrating the 70-year reign of The late Queen.

When we heard the sad news last week that she had died, some of our volunteers put forward the idea of changing the nameplates to black."

“This feels like a very fitting and appropriate way for us, as a heritage railway, to pay our respects.”

The purple locomotive will be in service at the SVR’s Autumn Steam Gala later this week, running from Thursday 15th to Sunday 18th September.

It will also carry a wreath and black flags.
 
20th September 2022

Wires damage continues to block Great Western

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Damage to the overhead wires at Hayes & Harlington is likely to keep the Great Western Main Line closed between Ealing Broadway and Reading until around midday, according to Network Rail.

Engineers went to the scene early yesterday, after the incident apparently occurred at about 06.30.

All four lines are closed at the scene, and the main train service from London Paddington is the eastbound Elizabeth Line to Abbey Wood, although a limited shuttle has started running between Paddington and Ealing Broadway about every 30 minutes.

It is reported that about 2km of wire was damaged, and repairs are continuing.

The blockage caused problems yesterday for thousands of people travelling to London from the west of England and south Wales to the state funeral of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

They had to change at Reading for trains to London Waterloo, and that remains the principal travel advice this morning.

However, Oxford and Banbury passengers can also use Chiltern Railways to and from London Marylebone.

The cause of the damage has not yet been revealed.
 

20th September 2022​

Steam locomotive 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley to travel to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway today​

Departing Crewe HS at 03:32, the locomotive will pass through Crewe (03:51), Acton Bridge (04:07), Warrington Bank Quay (04:16), Wigan North Western (04:29), Preston (04:47), Lancaster (05:10), Carnforth (05:43), Bentham (06:02), Long Preston (06:36), Skipton (06:47), Keighley (07:01), Shipley (07:12), Woodlesford (07:54), Castleford (08:06), Thirsk (09:50), Middlesbrough (10:42), Gypsy Lane (10:53), Nunthorpe (10:58), Battersby (11:15), Glaisdale (12:14), and Grosmont at 12:44.

These above timings in brackets are approximate.

60007 Sir Nigel Gresley still in wartime black 4498 guise out on a test run from Crewe to Chester prior to heading up for a spell at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
Presumably the nameplate and wreath were in deference to the royal funeral which was due to take place a short while later. Taken on September 19, 2022

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20th September 2022​

An update on Swindon and Cricklade Railway-based steam locomotive No. 6695​

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Last week, Ex-GWR 0-6-2T No. 6695, which is based at the Swindon and Cricklade Railway, passed its boiler test and made its first movements under its own power since 2015.

Over the coming weeks, it is expected that 6695 will have its final touches applied to re-introduce her into traffic.

Loaded test runs will take place on the 24th and 25th September 2022 and the public are encouraged to come and see the locomotive and have a ride behind the locomotive at selected intervals.


An official launch is expected to take place in 2023.
 
Allan Bott, spokesperson for the S&CR and the Steam loco dept said:

“It’s amazing that we have finally gotten to this point. The guys in the Steam Loco dept have worked their socks off, with some even working late into the night and taking leave from work to get this project completed. The sheer dedication of the team is faultless. Bring on the next project!”

Over the coming weeks, the final touches will take place on 6695 to hopefully re-introduce her into traffic. Loading tests will commence on 24th & 25th September 2022 and the public are encouraged to come and see her and also ride behind her at selected intervals.

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