Diesel
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‘Forgotten Engines’ at Vale of Rheidol
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THE Vale of Rheidol Railway (VoR) has tended not to hold major gala events, its last being a steam festival in September 2015, centred on two locos that had not steamed for many years.But when they happen, they are special! With all three of its classic 2-6-2Ts now in main line operation, along with Hunslet…
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Downpatrick diesel gala marks 30 years of the ITG
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STEAM gave way to internal combustion power at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway (DCDR) on October 12 as the Irish Traction Group (ITG) celebrated three decades of diesel locomotive preservation. Visitors travelled from both sides of the border, and from across the Irish Sea, to join in the celebrations, which saw ITG stock in…
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Hitachi Class 802 enters service with TransPennine Express
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By Tony Miles THE first of 19 five-car Hitachi Class 802 bi-mode trains entered passenger service with TransPennine Express on September 28. They had received clearance from ORR late the previous evening. Set 802201 operated the 06.03 Newcastle-Liverpool Lime Street and 09.25 return as a one-off working ahead of regular service introduction later in October. …
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Class 195 roll-out continues – but ‘Pacers’ will run into 2020
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DELIVERIES of new DMUs and EMUs to Northern by CAF are running late, although the company introduced a further nine Class 195s over the Calder Valley line between Leeds and Chester via Manchester and Warrington in October. It takes the number of ‘195s’ in traffic to 29, exactly half the order. Northern has said because…
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‘Azuma’ trains improve direct Lincoln services
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LNER launched its new Lincoln to King’s Cross ‘Azuma’ service on October 21, increasing the single daily service to five per day. A sixth service will be introduced at a later stage. A five-car bi-mode ‘Azuma’ will provide a two-hourly Monday to Friday service departing London at 10.06, 12.06, 14.06 and 16.06. Southbound services will…
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ScotRail Class 153 cycle conversions underway
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WORK on the first of five Class 153 units to be converted for use by ScotRail on the West Highland line has begun at Brodies in Kilmarnock. Under ScotRail’s plan, these designated carriages, with space for cycles and large sporting equipment, as well as additional seating, will be used with the Class 156 units that…
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December debut for Hull Trains ‘Paragon’ fleet
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November 25 saw the first of five Hull Trains’ (HT) Class 802/3s make its debut in the company’s home city. The First Group-owned open access operator confirmed that the bi-mode trains will be phased into passenger service over the next two months, releasing its ailing Class 180s for transfer to East Midlands Railway (EMR). The…
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Hull Trains reveals new fleet name
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THE five Class 802 bi-mode trains that will begin work with Hull Trains (HT) are to be called the ‘Paragon’ fleet. HT says it has significance in Hull from when Paragon station first opened in 1848, with the dictionary definition defining paragon as ‘a model of excellence’. In addition to the fleet name, HT has…
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Anglia ‘FLIRTs’ get formal launch
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By Ben Jones GREATER Anglia’s (GA) rural services are beginning to see a radical transformation as new Class 755 bi-mode ‘FLIRT’ units enter service. There was a ‘soft launch’ into passenger service on July 29, with GA officially introducing the new Stadler-built trains at Norwich on September 4. No. 755413 worked return trips to Great Yarmouth…
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Five locos add even more power to Turkish open access operator fleet
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TURKISH open access freight operator Körfez Ulaştırma (KU) took delivery of five DE36500 Wabtec (formerly GE Transportation) ‘Powerhaul’ locos this summer. KU is the rail freight subsidiary of Tüpraş, Turkey’s largest oil refinery. The locos were ordered in 2018 and assembled by Wabtec’s Turkish partner Tülomsaş, in Eskişehir. They will be used alongside five similar DE36000…
