Headline News

South Yorkshire Tram-Train launch marred by collision, Network Rail outlines £200m Werrington Junction plan, German high-speed train gutted by fire, ScotRail InterCity 125 passenger debut, tributes flood in for RTC founder Nigel Dobbing and ace photographers Malcolm Ranieri and Colin Garratt.

Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest

70 Steam & Heritage

Meiningen wins ‘P2’ boiler design contract, BR black ‘Saint’ for Didcot event, short-notice WSR visit for Llangollen ‘Standard 4’ tank, Bahamas stars at Tyseley 50th anniversary event, ‘Pannier Party’ for South Devon 50th gala.

76 Industrial Steam

78 Steam Portfolio

80 Narrow Gauge

82 Irish News

84 Freight

86 Miniature

88 Network

Derby remodelling completed on time, station improvements for Aberdeen and Bristol, ScotRail reveals major timetable upgrade for December, new smartphone app to assist disabled passengers.

92 Railtours

97 Classic Traction

100 World

104 Metro

107 Traction & Stock

Siemens Class 717s start work on Moorgate route, new livery for Virgin Class 221, first Class 315 EMU sold for scrap, approval for Overground Class 710s, braking issue grounds Class 385s.

111 Traction Portfolio

112 Stock Update

113 Operations

Regulars

12 Railways in Parliament

59 Retaining Heritage Skills for the Future

60 Meetings

62 Subscription Offer

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64 Panorama

Our monthly gallery of the best railway photography.

68 From The RM Archives

Find out what The RM was reporting 20, 50 and 100 years ago.

120 Heritage Diary

Details of when Britain’s unique collection of heritage railways and railway museums are open.

130 Prize Crossword and Where Is It?

Features

14 Thames Valley Transformation

Keith Farr starts a two-part study of train performance on the Great Western Main Line from Paddington, which has seen an evolution from steam to diesel and now electric and bi-mode trains over the last 60 years.

22 Nodding Along: The ‘Pacer’ Story

In the second part of his detailed look at the development and career of the ‘Pacer’ family, Gary Boyd-Hope considers the first production designs – Class 141 and 142 – and the experimental railbuses inspired by them.

32 Night Shift

For 79 days between July and October, East Midlands Trains used Barrow Hill as a temporary depot for servicing HSTs and ‘Meridians’. Ben Jones spent a night with the team.

34 The day after steam ended

David Percival provides a personal account of what railway enthusiasts did immediately after BR standard gauge steam ended on August 11, 1968.

39 Christmas Gift Guide

The RM’s annual digest of gifts for the railway enthusiast and historian – everything from books to DVDs and once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

48 1968: The Year of the Long Knives

Although famous as the year BR dispensed with steam traction, 1968 actually saw BR withdraw more diesel locos than steam. John Crosse tells a sorry tale of failed designs and wasted investment.

55 Fabulous at 50

No fewer than 11 Class 50s were present at the Severn Valley Railway in October to celebrate the Golden Jubilee of this cult diesel class.

On the cover

COVER: Restored North Eastern Railway Petrol-Electric Autocar No. 3170 hauls an NER autocar trailer at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on October 19. CHRIS MILNER

INSET: An EMT ‘222’ visits Barrow Hill for overnight servicing. BEN JONES

INSET: Vintage Trains’ first steam run. VINTAGE TRAINS

INSET: BR’s cull of non-standard diesel types in 1968.

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