Issue No. 250 March 2017

8 HEADLINE NEWS
Overseas operators step in as British TOCs
deem profit margins too low; New look for West
Midlands; DRS gets first Class 88; Class 40 goes
blue; New base for Northern Belle rake; New
cab for Paddington DMU; Bi-mode finally fulfils
potential; First freight from China arrives; HS2
fleet procurement begins; Channel Tunnel tanks;
Design changes needed to Class 230 gensets;
More Class 68s confirmed.

16 AN OXFORDSHIRE RENAISSANCE
The story behind the Bicester chord and the
new Marylebone to Oxford service.

18 250 NOT OUT!
This month we notch up our 250th issue, and
here we look back on some of the key dates and
happenings from the past 21 years.

22 LAST DAYS OF THE ‘WESTERNS’
How the much-loved fleet was run down 40
years ago at the end of 1976 and early 1977.

28 THE ‘01’ STORY
The life and times of the Holyhead Breakwater
Railway and its diminutive BR locos.
30 0-60: CLASS 315
TfL Rail’s workhorses are put to the test.

32 REVIEWS
New books on ‘40s’, Tyneside, and allocations.

33 EXPRESS MAILBAG
West Midlands coke traffic; Wabtec-built locos;
Thameslink performance.compared.

34 TIME TRAVELLER
March news from decades past.

75 LU WORLD
Proposed Croxley Link in doubt again.

76 RAILTOURS
Track tours kick-start the new year; SRPS
announces 2017 tours; UKR targets South Wales.

78 PRESERVATION
What locos are operational in 2017? DPS to stage
anniversary ‘Deltic’ gala at the Bluebell Railway;
the HTG details its plans for No. 37714.

82 POWER BY THE HOUR
Class 70s stored; GBRf ‘92s’ return to Caledonian
Sleeper duties; Full listing of stored locos.

88 POWERSCENE
Our class-by-class round-up of notable workings.

98 UNITARY AUTHORITY
Off-lease Class 319 go to Long Marston.

101 SHUNTER SPOT
RSS takes on new locos and new jobs.

102 COACH COMPARTMENT
Riviera moves to new base at Eastleigh Works.

103 WAGONS ROLL
First ‘shorty’ Touax hoppers leave WH Davis.

104 IRISH ANGLE
Boost for freight after Tara Mines investment.