6 News
Four operators in the frame for West Coast, rail network costs revealed by rail regulators, derailment brings WCML to a halt, Greater Anglia goes Dutch.

14 30 Years of Mk.3 Sleepers
David Russell charts the life and times of one of the most comfortable carriages ever built in this country, set to continue for many years.

22 Speedlink Casualties
The conveyance of cement from Penyffordd was one of the traffics lost to rail when Speedlink services ceased running.

24 Waste to Markham Vale
Plans are afoot to send waste trains to the former Markham Colliery in North Derbyshire - when the site at Roxby Gullett, Scunthorpe, is full.

28 Railtours
The owner of Didcot and Aberthaw Power Stations, RWE, allowed Pathfinder to run a tour inside its facilities - full story.

32 Time Traveller
The first Electro-Diesel made its appearance from Eastleigh in February 1962. Headlines from February 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 years back.

34 LU World
Passenger usage on London’s Underground system is now above one billion annually. How can the system cope with further growth?

36 Preservation
The Baby Deltic Project has suffered a temporary set-back with the withdrawal of the bogies it was to have used on its rebuild project.

40 Power by the Hour
Freightliner’s brand new Class 70s enter service immediately while DBS outshops ‘Super Tug’ in its Teenage Cancer Trust blue livery.

42 Powerscene
With superb imagery, a bumper 14 page coverage of all the topical movements, plus namings, livery changes and code allocations.

56 Shunter Spot
Two of Alstom’s long stored shunters are to be reactivated to help with the Pendolino lengthening programme. Plus location change update.

58 Unitary Authority
Class 180 ‘Adelante’ overhauls progress at Brush, Loughborough, while all the news of the various classes is brought to you here.

62 Coach Corridor
Chiltern Railways takes delivery of the first of its generator-equipped Driving Van Trailers to reduce loco noise and pollution in stations.

64 Irish Angle
Faults delay introducing the new Mitsui/Rotem-built 22000 Class (ICR) DMUs. All the news from Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways.

Rail Express Modeller

VII Contents/Comment: The China Syndrome
The recent closure of a large factory specialising in scale models is typical of the seismic shifts currently under way in China. The editor looks at the impact it might have on our hobby.

VIII Newsdesk
Heljan presses the button marked ‘go’ on models of the Class 31 and ‘Western’ diesel-hydraulics in ‘O’ gauge. Plus, Bachmann shows off progress on OTA wagons and ‘N’ Class 20.

X Review: Hornby ‘Brighton Belle’
The first of two 4mm scale multiple unit Pullman trains to be produced in 2012 is here in the form of Hornby’s Southern Region 5-BEL sets. Read our review of the new model here.

XIII Review: Dapol/Kernow Polybulk
Known for its support for models based on the china clay industry in its native Cornwall, Kernow Models has released its Imerys Polybulk wagon courtesy of manufacturer Dapol.

XIV Review: Bachmann Class 350/2
Having covered the original Siemens overhead electric ‘Desiro’ two issues ago, we now take a look at Bachmann’s model of London Midland’s second batch of units, the Class 350/2s.

XVII Review: Rails Class 26 & Grafar BG
Rails of Sheffield’s limited edition twin pack of D5300 & D5301 is reviewed along with the sixth example of all-new Mk.1 tooling in the Graham Farish range, the versatile BG.

XVIII Review: Latest Hornby
A wide selection of new items from Hornby are inspected, including the BR corporate blue/grey Gresley buffet, Network Rail NMT power cars, and Railroad Class 31 and ‘Warship’.

XX Full Frame: NR Class 57/3s
With six former Virgin Trains ‘Thunderbird’ locomotives now part of the Network Rail fleet for ‘snowbusting’ trains in the South East, Andi Walshaw illustrates his repainted models.

XXIII Exhibition diary
Our monthly run down of notable shows coming up with a significant diesel and electric era layout presence. The big show is the Model Rail Scotland event in Glasgow in February.

XXIV Serial: Elcot Road #14
In the latest instalment of our monthly serial describing the construction of a BR(S) layout in 18.83mm/‘P4’, our builders begin the scenic work with a selection of buffer stops.