Issue No. 259 December 2017
6 HEADLINE NEWS
Knottingley open day celebrates 50 years;
Government increases CP6 rail funding; Bidders
revealed for HS2 trains; ‘Deltic’ works freight
train; Pullman makeover; Northern Belle sold;
Orient Express visits St Pancras; Gala launch
for restored ‘105’; TPE Mk.3s head north; West
Midlands franchise will revive LNWR name; First
IETs enter service; First ‘385’ reaches Queen
Street; Crossrail unit goes underground.

14 HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLASS 31
These hardy workhorses have now notched up
60 years in service, so we round up the surviving
fleet and look at the celebratory gala held at the
Nene Valley Railway.

20 ON SHED
Part two of our comprehensive survey of
surviving modern traction depots, this time
looking at London, Southern England and Wales.

26 LONDON FROM ABOVE
The high-rise buildings of the capital offer some
great opportunities to shoot railways in an urban
environment, as this selection shows.
31 0-60: CLASS 345
There is a new leader, as a Crossrail EMU sets a
blistering start time in East London.

32 TIME TRAVELLER
December news from the past five decades.

33 MOMENT IN TIME: CREWE
One photo captures three types of electric loco
together at Crewe Works: DC, AC and third-rail.

84 LU WORLD
Plan to build additional trains is ‘paused’.

85 EXPRESS MAILBAG
Class 50 on coal; Class 50s at Carlisle; ‘325’ cab.

86 RAILTOURS
Tastes are changing in the charter market.

87 PRESERVATION
‘Bubble Car’ bound for Bodmin; ‘Skinhead’ back in
action; ‘Chopper’ bound for scrap; Five ‘Whistlers’
for East Lancs spring gala?

94 POWER BY THE HOUR
GBRf takes on DB rejects; RHTT round-up.

98 POWERSCENE
Class-by-class round-up of notable workings.

106 UNITARY AUTHORITY
Class 442 refurbishment contract awarded.

109 SHUNTER SPOT
RSS prepares additional ‘08s’ for service.

110 COACH COMPARTMENT
More HST sets stopped by GWR.

111 WAGONS ROLL
GBRf shows off new biomass hoppers.

112 IRISH ANGLE
Celebrity locos in demand for railtours; NIR
‘Thumper’ DEMU back in use on Sandite duties.