Marcus' Model Railway Journey

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Coventry Street​

1st

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17th October, 2025

Govia Thameslink Railway completes upgrade of its largest fleet​

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Refitting some Electrostars at Selhurst depot


Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) is celebrating the completion at Southern’s Selhurst depot in South London of a £100m reliability and onboard upgrade of its largest train fleet.

Taking five years, 304 ‘Electrostar’ trains consisting of 1,222 carriages operated by Southern, Gatwick Express, Great Northern, and Southeastern were upgraded by ‘Project Aurora’, which was funded by rolling stock company Porterbrook.

Improvements include plug and USB sockets, information screens, LED lighting, improved WiFi, and a new digital “backbone” to help speed up repairs.
 
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Project Aurora group photo


The final train to be upgraded was unit No. 387305, which is due back into service this weekend.

At the project’s peak, two trains were upgraded each week.

In total, 304 trains required:
  • 280 km of wiring,
  • 39,000 LED lighting tubes.
  • 36,000 power and twin USB sockets.
  • 2.8 million fixings and fastenings.
Each seat now has power and dual USB sockets, and at the end of each carriage are new digital screens.

Each train’s operational systems can now be monitored through on-board data recorders and updates to the Train Data Network, so that engineers can diagnose faults before the trains arrive at their destinations.
 
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Working in the driver’s cab of the last unit to be upgraded


The trains have also been fitted with forward-facing and track debris CCTV that remotely live streams and downloads images to aid incident analysis and help reduce future delays.

As well as the Electrostar trains, Southeastern has been upgrading its Class 376 units and Class 395 ‘Javelins’.


“The success of this modernisation scheme has resulted in wide-ranging benefits to passengers on some of the country’s busiest routes, and I’d like to thank everyone whose dedication contributed to this. A project of this scale to be completed in-house by Southern engineers is a really impressive feat and has been key to the speed we’ve managed to get upgraded trains out and serving customers again. I hope passengers are feeling the benefit of these improvements as they use our trains to visit friends and family and explore some of the great destinations our railway has to offer.”

Steve Lammin, GTR’s Engineering Director
 
19 October, 2025

LMS-Patriot Company reports good progress on new-build steam loco​

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Unions fitted to pipes


Fresh from its rebranding in August, the LMS-Patriot Company has released an update on its work building ‘Patriot’ class steam locomotive, 5551 ‘The Unknown Warrior’.

The company reports that the new-build steam locomotive has been “progressing well”.

The loco is at Tyseley Locomotive Works, and workers have spent the last few months securing existing components to the frames and manufacturing and fitting new components.

One task that has been completed is the fitting of the middle cylinder with machined bolts.

The two outside cylinders will soon be back from Ian V. Riley Engineering, and once they have returned, they will be fitted to the frames.
 
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Cylinder covers


The locomotive needs twelve new spring hangar brackets, which have now been manufactured and machined.

Once the frames have been levelled, the spring hangar brackets will be fitted to them.

Once this process is completed, work will start on the horn blocks and ties.

Also completed is the casting and drilling of three new rear cylinder covers.

There will now be a final quality check of the castings.

Ian Riley Engineering moved to new premises earlier this year and is now ready to restart the machining of the Unknown Warrior’s six new driving wheels.

Once machining is completed, the driving wheelsets will be delivered to Tyseley Loco Works. This is expected to take place in Spring next year.


The Unknown Warrior will have an all-new boiler, which is being manufactured at Heritage Boiler Steam Services (HBSS).

The work has been progressing well, and has included fitting of the remaining longitudinal stays, fitting unions to various pipework, and temporarily fitting the J-pipe
 
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Spring hangar brackets


The company, which is currently in the process of recruiting a new chair, has ordered two sets of boiler tubes, so that it has a spare set.

The tube sets have been ordered and delivered to the Huyton workshops of HBSS.

The company plans for the boiler to be delivered to Tyseley for trial fitting in the frames next year.

Once the trial fitting is completed, the boiler will return to HBSS for fitting of the tubes, hydraulic testing and certification.

More information about 5551 ‘The Unknown Warrior’, together with membership details and 5551 branded merchandise, is available from the LMS-Patriot website.
 
Marcus & Neo go to watch the wrestling

19/10/25: Final Fall At The Banking Hall​

Portland House, Cardiff​


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Results

Hunter Maul d. Eli Blake

Raven Creed d. Rhiannon Jade

Slammasters Tag Team Championship
The Blockbusters (c) d. Big D & Chicago Desailly, Mikey Fine & The Butcherman and Aaron McRae & Dyche

Lio Rush d. CJ Rawlings

Myla Grace d. Abigail

Slammasters Championship
Man Like Dereiss d. “The Brilliance” James Ellis (with Big Manager Blanch) (c) – NEW CHAMPION!

Wild Boar & Rhino d. Greedy Souls (Brendan White & Danny Jones)
 
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The Champions The Blockbusters will face three opposing teams, one of which will see "Slammasters Originals" Mikey Fine and Big D team up for the first time in a Slammasters ring.

The other two teams will be Wildcard teams of those who impress us during the pre-show seminar.

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20th October, 2025

Community Resilience Grant sees 26 North Wales projects funded​

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New Class 805 train at Penmaenmawr


Community organisations across North Wales have been awarded £20,000 by the Conwy Valley and North Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership’s Community Resilience Grant.

The grant supports projects which aim to reduce isolation, improve wellbeing and encourage sustainability.

The specific grant was launched earlier this year, receiving funding from Avanti West Coast, who match funded the Conwy Valley and North Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership (funding from Transport for Wales and administered by Community and Voluntary Support Conwy (CVSC)).

Those within five miles of the line between Llandudno to Blaenau Ffestiniog and Holyhead to Shotton, were invited to apply, where each organisation could receive up to £1,000.


26 organisations are being supported by the fund, including Stepping Stones North Wales, who plan to provide professional art therapy sessions for adult survivors of childhood abuse.

Others include JuncYard CIC who will use the money to purchase equipment for the Victorian Skatepark Project in Llandudno Junction, and Shotton Steel RFC who will be providing hot meals to young players.


“It’s lovely to be able to offer a helping hand to community groups when financial support for them tightens year after year. From the last rounds of grant funding offered, we

have created some lovely friendships and delivered some amazing opportunities, and we look forward to continuing this with new partnerships.”

Karen Williams, Community Rail Officer for the Conwy Valley and North Wales Coast Community Rail Partnership
 
21st October, 2025

The Royal Scot to see 71000 return to service​

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71000 Duke of Gloucester


On the 6th November, 71000 ‘Duke of Gloucester’ is returning for its first public steam tour since its recent general overhaul.

The Royal Scot will depart from London Euston, heading towards Crewe.

This section of the tour will be hauled by D213 ‘Andania’.

From Crewe, 71000 will take passengers on an incredible journey to Carlisle, where passengers can then spend two hours exploring the city.

The trip will be steam-hauled back to Crewe, where it will become diesel-hauled again as it heads back to London Euston.


Tickets are available for standard class and first class, with tickets able to be booked online.
 
21st October, 2025

Christmas shopping in Newcastle with the Branch Line Society​

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A GBRf Class 66 will haul 'The Christmas Train'


The Branch Line Society is running a special train, ‘The Christmas Train’, on Friday, 19th December, for a magical day out to north-east England, to get the festive season off with a sparkle.

The train will be hauled by a GBRf Class 66, hopefully a Class 66 that has never worked a passenger train before, and depart from London King’s Cross just after 07:30.

Travelling via the East Coast Main Line, it will pick up at Peterborough, Doncaster, and York, before continuing to Durham and Newcastle, where it will arrive at 13:15.

With just under three hours in Newcastle, passengers will have time to explore a wide range of restaurants and bars in the city centre, or visit the Christmas Market and Village.

There will also be time for participants to travel on the new Tyne and Wear Metro Class 555s, visit Monkseaton Station for its famous Left Luggage Room real ale bar, or the Tyne Pedestrian Tunnel at Jarrow to travel in the inclined lifts and see the historic wooden escalator.

Departure from Newcastle is just before 16:00, returning along the same route as the outward journey, to Doncaster, where a change of locomotive to a GBRf Class 69 will take place in the Down Decoy Yard, just South of Doncaster Station.

As for the Class 66 on the outward journey, it is expected that the Class 69 will not have worked a passenger train before.

Arrival at London King’s Cross is scheduled for just after 21:30.

During the journey, a charity raffle will be held in support of the Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.
 
Wednesday 22 Oct 2025

Marcus & Cleo Have Another Bus Adventure into Cardiff

We first popped into 'The Great Western' for a couple of drinks.

Then we went to my model railway shop and I bought a few things.

I treated Cleo to a silver 'Octopus' bangle, well she needed cheering up.

Met Neo briefly and a couple of his workmates while the were stood outside their office for a break.

Then onto 'The Gatekeeper' for a few drinks and something to eat, Cleo had a pizza and I ate 15 chicken wings.

I had a few pints of 'Abott'.

Then it was the bus home.


The bus into Cardiff was Cardiff Bus/Bws Caerdydd No. 257, ADL Enviro200, CE63 NZN
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Wednesday 22nd October 2025

4917


ETHNONRAIL UPDATE

ROLLING STOCK &( FLEET UPDATE

Today, I bought a - second-hand - X1 Sheep Wagon, X2 Pullman Coaches, X1 GWR Castle Class Locomotive.

Hornby R106 Sheep S.R Sheep Wagon 51915​


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