Marcus' Model Railway Journey

Unloading one of the traction motors


London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) Nos. 10000 and 10001 were the forerunners of many current British mainline diesel locomotives.

Designed by H. G. Ivatt and built in 1947/48 at Derby Works, many of their parts and concepts are still used on the railway network today.

The original No. 10000 was scrapped in 1968 before historically important diesel locomotives became part of the preservation movement.

The two Ivatt diesel-electric locomotives and the Class EM2s had many similar components, and the acquisition of the traction motors is hugely beneficial to the project.

Although 1501 was withdrawn from mainline service in the Netherlands in the 1980s, it continued to be used on special trains until the 2000s, and its traction motors are still in excellent condition.

The traction motors after unloading


The society will now assess the nine traction motors in its ownership, and aims to test one of them in the coming months.

Six other motors were obtained in 2019 as part of EM2 bogies, but require refurbishment.

The motor assessed as being in the least-good condition has been fully dismantled and used to develop ways in which the other five can be dismantled and overhauled.

While work is continuing with the motors, other projects include 3D modelling to ensure compliance with Network Rail requirements, constructing the cabs, and further development of a rolling chassis.

Further information about the project is on the society’s website www.LMS10000.com.

Donor parts to recreate 10000 include a power unit and alternator donated by GB Railfreight from Class 56 No. 56104, and a motor initially built for an Australian locomotive, but the order was cancelled before delivery was made, and it was used as a backup generator at a military base.

The LMS "Twins" type 3 Diesel electrics 10001 and 10000 pass Rugby No 5 on the approach to Rugby Midland with the up Royal Scot in Sep 1950.

10000 still carries its LMS letters on the side, 10001 was built in BR days so never carried them.

27th March, 2025

Steam locomotive 45212 to visit Scotland this Saturday​

45212 on March 15, 2025


45212 will be on the mainline this Saturday (29th March 2025) as it hauls The Edinburgh Flyer.

Departing York at 07:29, the train will pass through Thirsk (08:01), Northallerton (08:11), Durham (08:51), Newcastle (09:15), Berwick-upon-Tweed (11:07), Prestonpans (12:43) and Edinburgh at 13:02.

After time in Edinburgh, the train will depart at 16:20 and will pass through Dunbar (17:14), Alnmouth (19:25), Morpeth (20:04), Newcastle (20:29), Durham (21:03), Darlington (22:07), Thirsk (22:30) and York at 23:01.

27th March, 2025

Steam locomotive 60163 Tornado to visit the Severn Valley Railway​

Peppercorn Class A1 4-6-2 60163 TORNADO on February 27, 2025


The Severn Valley Railway has announced that 60163 Tornado will be visiting them this July as part of the Railway 200 celebration.

60163 Tornado will be visiting the railway to haul the line’s set of LNER teak carriages, dating back to 1922.

Also in operation will be GWR 1450 and 7802 Bradley Manor and a selection of heritage diesel locomotives.

A 19th-century narrow gauge locomotive will be on display at Highley Engine House, with modern vehicles on display, such as Hydroflex, visiting thanks to Porterbrook.

60163 Tornado visits thanks to the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

28th March, 2025

Britain’s oldest working steam locomotive to visit the Tanfield Railway​

Furness 20 during a visit to Tanfield in 2008 hauling a rake of the railway's historic passenger carriages


The Tanfield Railway is to welcome Furness Railway No. 20 as part of its Great North Festival of Railways in May.

Furness Railway No. 20 was built in 1863 and will make a visit to the railway on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th May.

No. 20 will operate alongside Tanfield’s home fleet of locomotives.

The Tanfield Railway is the world’s oldest railway and Tanfield300 is part of the year-long celebration of its 300th anniversary.

David Watchman, General Manager of Tanfield Railway, commented: “Bringing together the world’s oldest railway and Britain’s oldest working standard gauge steam locomotive is a truly historic occasion. Furness 20’s visit to Tanfield Railway is one of the highlights of our Tanfield300 celebrations and a unique opportunity for visitors to see a living piece of railway history in action. With a packed programme of steam-hauled services, guided tours, and hands-on heritage experiences, this event will be a must-visit for enthusiasts and families alike. We’re looking forward to welcoming visitors to Tanfield Railway to celebrate 300 years of steam and industry with us.”

Tickets are now available for the Great North Festival of Railways, and visitors are encouraged to book in advance to secure a ticket.

For more information and to purchase tickets, visit www.tanfield-railway.co.uk.

28th March, 2025

Flying Scotsman part of Locomotion’s summer celebration of Railway 200​

Locomotion railway museum in Shildon, County Durham, has announced its programme for the bicentenary year of the modern railway.

The programme includes new exhibitions, a summer festival with Flying Scotsman in residence, and guest locomotives.

There will also be a visit from the Railway 200 Exhibition Train.

The first fare-paying passenger railway journey in the world took place on 27 September 1825 on the Stockton and Darlington Railway line.

Locomotion stands alongside a section of the line.

Locomotion is already showing an exhibition, Railway Firsts, which opened last month.

The exhibition highlights important episodes in railway history, using pop-up displays with a signalling theme.

Locomotion


At the beginning of next month, the museum will install a statue of early railway engineer Robert Stephenson, which is owned by Network Rail.

The statue is made of bronze and is 8ft 10in high.

It was first installed outside London’s Euston station in 1871. In 2020, it was removed and restored to its original condition by HS2.

Visitors to the museum will be able to see the statue from Tuesday, 8 April.

The museum will also run an expanded programme of activities for schools and families throughout the year, including STEM workshops and storytelling.

Over the Easter school holidays, activities will have the theme of ‘movement and journeys’.

During the early May Bank Holiday weekend, activities will be themed around ‘trailblazers of the S&DR’.

The Young Railway Photographer of the Year exhibition will be on display at Locomotion from June until December.

The exhibition will showcase some of the best entries from the competition.

Locomotion’s summer festival will run from Saturday, 19 July until Sunday, 31 August.

It will include steam rides and a pop-up beach.

60103 Flying Scotsman at Orton Mere, Nene Valley Railway


On Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 September, a replica of Locomotion No. 1 will recreate the journey taken in 1825.

The engine will pass by Locomotion on the Friday.

From Saturday 20 September until Wednesday 1 October, the Railway 200 touring exhibition train, Inspiration, will be stationed at Locomotion.

This period of time includes the anniversary of the journey.

In October, the museum will host another exhibition – West Side Story – which explores the story of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

In November, the Brick Alley LEGO user group will present a weekend of creative activities, including railway scenes built from LEGO.

During the late May bank holiday, the summer festival, and during the bicentenary month of September, the museum will welcome loaned rail vehicles to add to its permanent displays

There will be a season of free talks at Locomotion during the year, presented by The Friends of the National Railway Museum North East.

“As the nation marks the bicentenary of the modern railway, Locomotion will right at the heart of the celebrations.

“This will be a year like no other. We’re excited to welcome visitors from all over the world to be a part of history in the making, as we celebrate the past, present and future of the railways in the place where it all began.”

Sarah Price, Head of Locomotion

28th March, 2025

Neo and Marcus have a night in Cardiff, celebrating their friends 'Stag'

A good friend of ours was having his Stag Night in Cardiff.

There were 16 of us in the party.

We had a lovely meal at the Wahaca Mexican restaurant.

Then we went on to Golf Fang Cardiff where we had cocktails and an incredible game of crazy golf.

It isn't your average crazy golf course and they don’t do things by half!

18 holes of pure entertainment in an environment surrounded by bespoke art, giving you something new to explore and be inspired by at every turn.

With an amazing atmosphere, DJs and cocktails added to the mix, you will want to come and see what all the fuss is about!

Over 18's Only!

We then left there in the early hours and went on to a club.

The club we went to was called Metros, not the best nightclub I've ever been to.

Then the lads carried onto The Live Lounge and Neo and myself caught a taxi home.

Got in at 02:30 hrs.


We caught a train to Cardiff Central at the start of the evening. A class 150, Sprinter, 150285.

29th March, 2025

Steam locomotive 45212 to travel from Yorkshire to West London tomorrow​

Black Five (45212) pulling The Cheshireman through Crewe on it's way to Chester


LMS Black 5 No. 45212 will be heading to West London tomorrow, 30th March 2025.

Departing the National Railway Museum at 15:12, the locomotive will head to Southall via York (15:26), Doncaster (16:09), Retford (16:53), Newark Northgate (18:11), Grantham (20:13), Peterborough (20:54), Sandy (21:51), Stevenage (22:08), Hatfield (22:19), New Barnet (22:28), Alexandra Palace (22:34), Gospel Oak (22:59), Willesden Junction (23:21), Ealing Broadway (23:35) and Southall at 23:42.

British Rail Class 23​

The British Rail Class 23 were a class of ten Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotives built by the English Electric Company (EE) in 1959.

The power unit used was a Napier Deltic T9-29 9-cylinder engine of 1,100 bhp (820 kW) driving an EE generator, which powered the four traction motors.

They were numbered from D5900 to D5909.

The T9-29 diesel engine was a single, half-sized version of those used in the more powerful British Rail Class 55 'Deltic' locomotives, and the overall design and external appearance of the Class 23 was also similar to the Class 55, but much shorter, leading to their nickname of Baby Deltics.

Hitchin Station, with Diesel-hauled Up stopping train.
View northward, towards Peterborough etc. on ex-GN ECML, also Cambridge and Bedford. By 1961, main-line Diesels of several classes had become established on the main line from King's Cross: this is No. D5900, the first (built 5/59) of the English-Electric ('Baby Deltic') Type 2 1,160 hp Bo-Bo (later Class 23). They proved rather unreliable and lasted only about 10 years. The train is probably on a Cambridge - King's Cross service. Photo taken 30 March 1961.

Initial problems with the locomotives were minor and varied, although a problem with cracking in the cylinder liner around the injector hole required the engine to be changed.

By November 1959, seven engines had been changed and this reduced availability first raised comparisons with the better reliability of the British Rail Class 24 Type 2.

The Type 2s were averaging 30–40,000 miles per failure, the Baby Deltic less than a quarter of this.

Although they suffered problems with the cylinder liners that were not dissimilar to those of the Class 55 Deltics, most of the Class 23's early problems were a variety of failures with the engine ancillaries.

The auxiliary gearbox used to drive the compressor and cooling fans was a particular problem, suffering from vibration in its geartrain and a resonant whirling in the long drive shaft to it at particular rpm.

Many engines seized because this shaft driving the auxiliaries snapped and then whipped round, rupturing coolant hoses and causing overheating.

By October 1960 the emphasis of failures had shifted from the ancillaries to the engine itself.

Locomotive mileages had only reached 40–60,000 miles each, including stoppages, whilst in this 18 months there had been 44 engine changes across only 10 locomotives.

Despite a generous availability of spare engines, four of the ten locomotives were out of service at the time.

Four main engine problems had been identified:

• Fractured cylinder liners from the injector hole, caused by assembly stresses
• Fractured cylinder liners from the injector hole, caused by electrolytic corrosion.
• Turbocharger bearing failures, caused by exhaust gases leaking through the labyrinth seals.
• Seized pistons, due to poor cooling caused by chemical erosion from incorrect lubricants.

English Electric 'Baby Deltic' D5900 at King's Cross c1965

By the late 1960s BR had drawn up a "National Traction Plan", whose aim was to rationalise the number and types of diesel locomotives in traffic (and thus reduce operating costs).

The 'Baby Deltics' were an obvious target, being only a ten-strong class, and still beset with operational problems.

The locos were withdrawn between 1968 and 1971.

The last two locos in traffic on revenue-earning service were D5905 and D5909. Several of the class received full yellow ends whilst still in two-tone green.

These were D5900/3/4/8; D5908 also carried the new double-arrow BR symbol.

D5909 was the only locomotive to receive the full "rail blue" livery.


Baby Deltics D5903, D5900, D5904 & D5908 on 9th April 1969. Stored Ferme Park down yard. Loco's D5900, D5903 & D5904 left Ferme Park for Clarence Yard on June 25th 1969 prior to moving on June 26th, 1969 to Kettering for cutting up.

Class 23 D5909 stands at Stratford depot, in London, March 1970. This was the only member of this class to carry the rail blue livery.

All Class 23's were scrapped.

However, on 5 September 2010, the Baby Deltic Project announced its plans to create a new member of the class.

This is being achieved by way of shortening a class 37's body in three places and mounting it on Class 20 bogies.


Class 23 D5910 outside at Barrow Hill, 13th May, 2022