I find it quite funny that people, myself very much included, find themselves becoming sentimental over the withdrawal of old locomotives, units, and even the ends of franchises. This has been a thought which I have had for a long time now, and thought it would be a good idea to post about it on here.
When the Class 43 HSTs were introduced, in the 1970s, people were upset that they were to replace the classic Western Region traction, such as the Class 50s, 52s, 35s, and 42s, which had been running around the west of the country for many years. However, 40 years later, and when GWR withdrew their Class 43 HST sets, people were being sentimental over the "End of the Intercity-125!" (myself included, once again).
The withdrawal of the HSTs on GWR was, even for me, the end of an era. I had grown up with these engines running along the Cotswold Line, and when they were taken out of service, I made sure that I saw and rode on as many of the last services as possible. This involved me riding the last "Up" and "Down" Cotswold Line HSTs - which was definitely something! The departure from Oxford was met with a large group of enthusiasts all gathering around at the end of Platform 4 to give the last HST a good send off. People climbed onto the small barrier running along the length of the back of the platform to get good photos and those on the train (like me) were all excited to be on what was destined to be part of HST history!
The withdrawal of the Class 313 units on the Great Northern network seems to be less sentimental, but that's not for me to decide. I don't live near the ECML and therefore I have never seen a 313!
I wonder if people will be sentimental over the withdrawal of the Class 800 units, when they go, in the middle of the century?.... :)
-Peter
Tuesday 27 August 2019
Monday 5 August 2019
"What's black, white, and red all over?"
The current Transport for Wales livery, that's what.
Thew new TfW livery which is being applied to their DMUs comprises of a relatively plain and boring white and red livery, with black window surrounds. Personally, I think that this livery is too similar to the current Virgin Trains West Coast (VTWC) livery on the Class 390 Pendolinos, which comprises of just a white side and dark grey doors, void of any sort of branding bar the splash of red at each end of the units with the Virgin branding on.
These two new liveries on the UK rail network are both very similar and very boring. What happened to the days of the old FGW liveries? What happened to the old blue ATW? In these cases, a branding change and a franchise change were the respective reasons for the change in livery. However, the Virgin Pendolinos were not subject to a franchise change when they received a new paint job; the livery change was supposed to make them fit in with the new Azuma Class 800/801/802 units which were designed to arrive in service in 2018. However, the new Azumas were going to run on the ECML and the Pendolinos on the WCML. Also, Virgin wanted a unified system, with one livery across the whole network they owned, but the franchise change from VTEC to LNER on the ECML meant that these ideas were not going to come to fruition.
The ECML now comprises of two different liveries; the livery on the Class 43s and 91s, and the livery on the Azuma units. The new Azumas carry a more modern livery, with less red branding. The only branding on the new units is around the windows and at the end of each unit. The 43s and 91s are all, with the exception of certain liveries, red with the white stripe and the LNER logo. The LNER logo, in fact, is actually in a different shade of red to the original colours.
But that's all I've got time for this time.
Thanks,
-Peter
Thew new TfW livery which is being applied to their DMUs comprises of a relatively plain and boring white and red livery, with black window surrounds. Personally, I think that this livery is too similar to the current Virgin Trains West Coast (VTWC) livery on the Class 390 Pendolinos, which comprises of just a white side and dark grey doors, void of any sort of branding bar the splash of red at each end of the units with the Virgin branding on.
These two new liveries on the UK rail network are both very similar and very boring. What happened to the days of the old FGW liveries? What happened to the old blue ATW? In these cases, a branding change and a franchise change were the respective reasons for the change in livery. However, the Virgin Pendolinos were not subject to a franchise change when they received a new paint job; the livery change was supposed to make them fit in with the new Azuma Class 800/801/802 units which were designed to arrive in service in 2018. However, the new Azumas were going to run on the ECML and the Pendolinos on the WCML. Also, Virgin wanted a unified system, with one livery across the whole network they owned, but the franchise change from VTEC to LNER on the ECML meant that these ideas were not going to come to fruition.
The ECML now comprises of two different liveries; the livery on the Class 43s and 91s, and the livery on the Azuma units. The new Azumas carry a more modern livery, with less red branding. The only branding on the new units is around the windows and at the end of each unit. The 43s and 91s are all, with the exception of certain liveries, red with the white stripe and the LNER logo. The LNER logo, in fact, is actually in a different shade of red to the original colours.
But that's all I've got time for this time.
Thanks,
-Peter
Thursday 1 August 2019
"We apologise for the delay"
With the recent heatwave the UK experienced, we have seen how our railway system copes (or doesn't cope in some cases) with extreme temperatures. The heat seemed to cause all sorts of issues, mainly track buckling-related, as rails expanding in the heat can create issues surround the trackwork.
The railway dealt with the heat relatively well, although some small issues cropped up which caused me to chuckle.
One of these incidents involved a man running down onto the tracks at Waterloo station, London, to save his dog. At around 7pm, on one of the hottest days of the year, a man chased his dog around the electrified lines which lead into and out of the busiest station in the country. South Western Railway reported that the lines were blocked due to "trespass". They expected disruption until the end of the day, and, thankfully, it didn't carry over into the next day.
Due to the fact that the electrified 3rd rail was switched off for every line, the trains' air conditioning systems were not working during the time of the incident. Passengers reported getting "hotter and hotter" on trains which were only a minute or two away from the station. Train Managers were not sure of when the trains would start moving again. The BTP (British Transport Police) were called to deal with the incident. The dog was eventually taken back to the station concourse, unharmed.
The heat was the not the cause of the incident at Waterloo, however; but the incidents which plagued LNER services along the East Coast Mainline (ECML) were. One train in particular which the BBC reported about was stranded on the ECML for over an hour before any rescue train got there to help. However, although more probably could have been done to help the passengers (opening doors/windows were possible and safe), the time it took for a rescue service to arrive is not that bad. All trains up and down the ECML were delayed due to the heat affecting everything from the track to the OHLE.
During the hottest day of the year, the 25th of July, passengers were advised not to travel. They were also advised of this the day before, and the day after, when delays across a lot of the railway system were still very serious and widespread. Many of the trains on the Southeastern network do not have air conditioning, and passengers who found themselves on these trains during the hottest day of the year with speed restrictions in place across the south of the country did not enjoy their days out.
The railways may not be designed for the heat we endured last week, but they work very well for the rest of the year. We built our railway system to cope with the "standard" British weather; not very cold, but no very warm. Just, well, alright. And people who say that "the trains are working in Mexico and its 40 degrees!!" when their train is cancelled in a mild heatwave* over here can be directed to the following post from the Rail UK Forums:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/heat-related-issues-25-july-2019-and-subsequent-days.186863/#post-4121437
And please pay attention to another post from the same thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/heat-related-issues-25-july-2019-and-subsequent-days.186863/page-2#post-4121908
Thank you very much. We apologise to the delay in getting any sort of interesting blog posts out. :)
-Peter
The railway dealt with the heat relatively well, although some small issues cropped up which caused me to chuckle.
One of these incidents involved a man running down onto the tracks at Waterloo station, London, to save his dog. At around 7pm, on one of the hottest days of the year, a man chased his dog around the electrified lines which lead into and out of the busiest station in the country. South Western Railway reported that the lines were blocked due to "trespass". They expected disruption until the end of the day, and, thankfully, it didn't carry over into the next day.
Due to the fact that the electrified 3rd rail was switched off for every line, the trains' air conditioning systems were not working during the time of the incident. Passengers reported getting "hotter and hotter" on trains which were only a minute or two away from the station. Train Managers were not sure of when the trains would start moving again. The BTP (British Transport Police) were called to deal with the incident. The dog was eventually taken back to the station concourse, unharmed.
The heat was the not the cause of the incident at Waterloo, however; but the incidents which plagued LNER services along the East Coast Mainline (ECML) were. One train in particular which the BBC reported about was stranded on the ECML for over an hour before any rescue train got there to help. However, although more probably could have been done to help the passengers (opening doors/windows were possible and safe), the time it took for a rescue service to arrive is not that bad. All trains up and down the ECML were delayed due to the heat affecting everything from the track to the OHLE.
During the hottest day of the year, the 25th of July, passengers were advised not to travel. They were also advised of this the day before, and the day after, when delays across a lot of the railway system were still very serious and widespread. Many of the trains on the Southeastern network do not have air conditioning, and passengers who found themselves on these trains during the hottest day of the year with speed restrictions in place across the south of the country did not enjoy their days out.
The railways may not be designed for the heat we endured last week, but they work very well for the rest of the year. We built our railway system to cope with the "standard" British weather; not very cold, but no very warm. Just, well, alright. And people who say that "the trains are working in Mexico and its 40 degrees!!" when their train is cancelled in a mild heatwave* over here can be directed to the following post from the Rail UK Forums:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/heat-related-issues-25-july-2019-and-subsequent-days.186863/#post-4121437
And please pay attention to another post from the same thread:
https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/heat-related-issues-25-july-2019-and-subsequent-days.186863/page-2#post-4121908
Thank you very much. We apologise to the delay in getting any sort of interesting blog posts out. :)
-Peter
Standardisation
Ever since the days of British Railways and their "Standards" (classes of steam locomotive which were the best bits of all the "Big Four" designs put together), the railways of the United Kingdom have tried to be as standardised as possible. British Rail's Corporate Identity Manual set out how every sign should be printed and laid out on the BR network. And now, in the 21st century, the Hitachi AT300 series of trains (Classes 800, 801, and 802) are being rolled out across two of the most major routes in the country; the Great Western Mainline and the East Coast Mainline.
However, it is sometimes the small trains and the introduction of trains in smaller areas which is often overlooked. The introduction of Class 195 trains for Northern Rail to replace Class 142 "Pacers" has not been given the same fancy introduction as the IETs and Azumas, and the replacement of the Class 707s on SWR by new Class 701s has, although this has not begun yet, been covered as much as the IETs.
The new Class 701s are being introduced by South Western Railway to replace the Class 707 trains. The 707s do not have toilets, and, as SWR want every train to have a toilet onboard, they will not meet new requirements. The Class 701s will also replace the Class 455, 456, and 458 units, and SWR will have a standardised set of trains for all commuter services.
The Class 707s were introduced in August 2017, and the Class 701s are currently under construction. New guidelines relating to yellow ends and headlights on trains may mean that these new units will not have yellow ends if the headlights are bright enough. The promotional picture, shown below, is what these new units will look like:
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54352236
As these new units will be built for SWR, they will be introduced into service directly with the SWR navy and light grey livery; this is similar to GWR, where new units which were introduced soon after a name and livery change* were introduced in the new livery.
Thanks for reading my rambling post, this time about the standardisation of our railways. Boring, I know!
Thanks for reading,
-Peter
Edit to original post: I would recommend reading this website (https://www.railstaff.co.uk/2017/09/11/waterloo-dawn-south-western-railway/) for more information about the introduction of the Class 701 units.
*I know in the case of GWR there was not a franchise change, but a branding change, and in the case of SWR there was a full franchise change.
However, it is sometimes the small trains and the introduction of trains in smaller areas which is often overlooked. The introduction of Class 195 trains for Northern Rail to replace Class 142 "Pacers" has not been given the same fancy introduction as the IETs and Azumas, and the replacement of the Class 707s on SWR by new Class 701s has, although this has not begun yet, been covered as much as the IETs.
The new Class 701s are being introduced by South Western Railway to replace the Class 707 trains. The 707s do not have toilets, and, as SWR want every train to have a toilet onboard, they will not meet new requirements. The Class 701s will also replace the Class 455, 456, and 458 units, and SWR will have a standardised set of trains for all commuter services.
The Class 707s were introduced in August 2017, and the Class 701s are currently under construction. New guidelines relating to yellow ends and headlights on trains may mean that these new units will not have yellow ends if the headlights are bright enough. The promotional picture, shown below, is what these new units will look like:
By Source, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=54352236
As these new units will be built for SWR, they will be introduced into service directly with the SWR navy and light grey livery; this is similar to GWR, where new units which were introduced soon after a name and livery change* were introduced in the new livery.
Thanks for reading my rambling post, this time about the standardisation of our railways. Boring, I know!
Thanks for reading,
-Peter
Edit to original post: I would recommend reading this website (https://www.railstaff.co.uk/2017/09/11/waterloo-dawn-south-western-railway/) for more information about the introduction of the Class 701 units.
*I know in the case of GWR there was not a franchise change, but a branding change, and in the case of SWR there was a full franchise change.
More heritage railways
In my previous post about heritage railways (called "The Heritage Circuit", and linked here), I talked about the Bodmin and Wenford, Gloucestershire Warwickshire, and Severn Valley railways. I gave a small description of each of them and tried to be as neutral about each one as possible. I didn't give much information about each station on each railway, and that was because I don't think that I am any good at giving a full-on review of each line. And that's how it's going to stay.
Great Central Railway
The GCR is a long railway running between Loughborough and Leicester North. These two termini both serve towns which are served by the national network, which means that getting to them by rail is not as difficult as it is with some other railways.
The GCR is known for being the only heritage railway in the United Kingdom to have double tracks as part of its running line. This feature makes for some very interesting photo opportunities and more operational flexibility for the line. The large yard at Loughborough provides plenty of space for storing locomotives, especially during the galas which the railway holds.
This railway has a wide range of rolling stock, so please go and read the following website for more information. I am not qualified to say anything more about the railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Great_Central_Railway_locomotives_and_rolling_stock
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
This small railway running between Chinnor and Princes Risborough is a relatively small and not very famous line. But it is a very good railway for its length; running through the hills, past a cricket field, and into the national rail station at Princes Risborough, it is the perfect place to go for a railway enthusiast in the area.
As mentioned earlier, this railway is connected to the national network in the form of a cross-platform connection at Princes Risborough. A Chiltern Railways service can take you to the C&PRR from pretty much anywhere in the Chiltern Mainline area.
The railway, being a lot smaller than those such as the GCR, GWSR, or SVR, does not have a lot of locomotives, but the engines and rolling stock it does have are very interesting. I would recommend you read this website, from the railway:
https://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/8/locomotives
And that's it for now. I may cover some more railways in the future, but for now this is good enough.
Thanks for reading.
-Peter
Great Central Railway
The GCR is a long railway running between Loughborough and Leicester North. These two termini both serve towns which are served by the national network, which means that getting to them by rail is not as difficult as it is with some other railways.
The GCR is known for being the only heritage railway in the United Kingdom to have double tracks as part of its running line. This feature makes for some very interesting photo opportunities and more operational flexibility for the line. The large yard at Loughborough provides plenty of space for storing locomotives, especially during the galas which the railway holds.
This railway has a wide range of rolling stock, so please go and read the following website for more information. I am not qualified to say anything more about the railway.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Great_Central_Railway_locomotives_and_rolling_stock
Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway
This small railway running between Chinnor and Princes Risborough is a relatively small and not very famous line. But it is a very good railway for its length; running through the hills, past a cricket field, and into the national rail station at Princes Risborough, it is the perfect place to go for a railway enthusiast in the area.
As mentioned earlier, this railway is connected to the national network in the form of a cross-platform connection at Princes Risborough. A Chiltern Railways service can take you to the C&PRR from pretty much anywhere in the Chiltern Mainline area.
The railway, being a lot smaller than those such as the GCR, GWSR, or SVR, does not have a lot of locomotives, but the engines and rolling stock it does have are very interesting. I would recommend you read this website, from the railway:
https://www.chinnorrailway.co.uk/article.php/8/locomotives
And that's it for now. I may cover some more railways in the future, but for now this is good enough.
Thanks for reading.
-Peter
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