Gascoigne Wood HST clearout

PORTERBROOK has disposed of all but one of its off-lease HST coaches, with vehicles from the former East Midlands Railway fleet sent for scrap or to new homes during March.

Leaving Gascoigne Wood (North Yorkshire) for Newport Docks behind No. 50049 Defiance on March 1 was the former set NL08, comprising Nos. 40753, 41071/072, 42139-141/329 and 44048. A similar move on March 10 (5Q51/10.22 Gascoigne Wood

Sims, Newport, hauled by No. 66716 Locomotive & Carriage Institution Centenary 1911-2011) took Nos. 41046, 42124/230 and 44085 on their final journey.

Another convoy of Porterbrook coaches to Sims, Newport took place on March 16 when No. 66737 Lesia hauled Nos. 41113/115/185/190, 42160/286/307/330, 44051 from Neville Hill (Leeds) to the South Wales scrapyard. The same day saw No. 37667 (D6851) collect five coaches from Gascoigne Wood and move them to Crewe for Locomotive Services. This left just one HST coach, former EMR TRFB No. 40751, at Gascoigne Wood and this is expected to depart by road.

Angel Trains has also been busy disposing of HST stock from Ely Papworth. Eight TS vehicles, Nos. 42158/215/226/235/241/244/323/ 340, were taken to Sims, Newport by No. 57305 on March 4, with a further seven coaches – Nos. 40742, 41164, 42106/134/180/181/188 – departing for the same scrapyard seven days later. Other coaches departed for Scunthorpe and the Colne Valley Railway (see Preservation news).

Wabtec and ScotRail have both sent vehicles they acquired as spares donors in 2020 for scrap. TS No. 42502 and TGS No. 44029 were taken by road to EMR at Attercliffe (Sheffield) on March 22-23, while set HA32 – which had been stored at Dundee since March 2020 – departed for CF Booth, Rotherham behind No. 57312 on March 24. It comprised Nos. 42069/118, 44023 and 46010. Still at Dundee was set HA31 (Nos. 41126, 42261/344 and 44030).