Fleet Review
ELR Mk 2s to Carnforth
West Coast Railways has purchased five derelict pressure-ventilated Mk 2s from the East Lancashire Railway, seemingly for parts recovery given the condition of the coaches. An evening transfer from Castleton to Carnforth took place on November 6, 2020 bringing a rare run-out for both 57001 and 57006. Sandwiched between them were Mk 2 SOs 5238 and 5254, Mk 2a TSOs 5333 and 5396, and Mk 2a BSO 9431. Of these, 5254 and 5333 remain in as withdrawn BR blue/ grey and never carried passengers at the ELR, while the same goes for Regional Railways-liveried 9431. In contrast, 5238 and 5396 once formed part of the line’s popular blue/grey set in the 2000s before being removed from traffic and succumbing to the ravages of open store and vandalism. All five were reinstated to the MBCS pool for the move and it is understood that a few more vehicles are still to move.
HST training for LSL
Locomotive Services commenced staff training on HSTs from October 27, deploying power cars 43058 and 43059 on a run from Crewe to Chester with a scratch set featuring 40804, 41160, 41166 and 44081. The same stock was deployed on a much longer jaunt from November 2 onwards, running firstly to Carnforth then south to Rugby and back to Crewe. TF 41187 made for an incongruous sight on November 9 when it was included in a Kidderminster to Crewe transfer, haulage coming from 46100 Royal Scot and 34046 Braunton with support coach 35465 also in tow.
Eastleigh exchange
Inter City-liveried Mk 3s 10411, 10416 and 11068 were released from Eastleigh Works during the afternoon of November 11, making their way back to Crewe behind 47853. The BR blue Type 4 was also making a welcome return to traffic after just over a year stopped at Eastleigh for an overhaul.
Two weeks earlier, further LSL stock had been delivered to the Arlington workshops, Mk 1s 3107, 3140 and 17013, along with Mk 3a RFM 10224, being tripped over from the yard where the vehicles had been unloaded after earlier road transfers. These had taken place the previous week, with the two FOs coming from LSL’s reserve fleet at Peak Rail and the other pair from Crewe. The Mk 1s are all to be overhauled but the RFM is in poor condition and will be stripped for parts then scrapped eventually. Also newly completed is Mk 3a sleeper 10688, which is now a staff coach for the Statesman set following an eight-month overhaul at Loram. Collected from Derby by 37521 on November 12, it now carries Pullman colours.
Two left for Scot Rail
Two more HST sets have been delivered to Scot Rail in recent weeks, leaving just HA19 and HA20 to emerge from Doncaster. On October 30, 43150 and 43163 headed north to Slateford with HA14 in tow, featuring 40614 (ex41010), 42012, 42245 and 42013. Exactly two weeks later, the 5S01 1321 Wabtec, Doncaster-Slateford Depot employed 43164 and 43124 to transfer 40606 (previously 41104), 42206, 42581 and 42208, making up HA06. The last two TGFB trailers have also been renumbered on TOPS with 41124 becoming 40619 while 41158 is now 40620.
East Midlands latest
October saw East Midlands Railway remove Mk 3 set NL01 from traffic and disband it. On October 23, 2020 57312 collected 41084, 42112.42113 and 42327 from Neville Hill and took them to Sims at Newport Docks for scrapping, the move also including TGS 44070 from set NL12. With 40730, 41057 and 42111 subsequently transferring to the ownership of the 125 Group (see preserved coaches p25), 44041 is now the only survivor of NL01 and, in mid-November, it was formed in NL10 in place of 44051. Meanwhile, the new TGS in NL12 is 44071. Another former LNER set was extracted from Gascoigne Wood on October 22, 2020 and taken to Neville Hill to be prepared for service, 57312 bringing in NL55 (the former EC58) formed of 41097, 41098, 40750, 42238, 42191, 42192, 42193 and 44061. Having been rejected by EMR and stripped for spares, the disposal of NL59 was completed on November 4 with 50007 and 50049 transferring 40708, 41083/159, 42130/228/322 and 44050 from Long Marston to Newport Docks.
Mk 3s in the Midlands
Four of the Mk 3s stored at Castle Donington were retrieved by 47813 and 57310 on October 26, 2020 and taken to the Derby RTC. As well as former Greater Anglia Mk 3b FOs 11092 and 11099, which are owned by Electric Traction Ltd, the one-time Transport for Wales duo of 10249 and 12176 also featured, which are understood to be ROG owned. Then, on November 9, six more ex-Greater Anglia Mk 3s were transferred to Leicester from Long Marston, 50007 and 50049 delivering TSOB 10417 and TSOs 12015/034/084/108/126; the new owner of these has yet to be confirmed.
Other developments
Just three weeks after Mk 5 set TP10 made its passenger debut, TP01 did likewise on the afternoon of November 3, 2020. Delivered to the UK back in July 2018, 11501, 12701-03 and 12801 finally carried passengers for the first time when they formed the 1E43 1631 Manchester Piccadilly-Scarborough with 68028 for traction, going on to work regularly thereafter. Meanwhile, another member of the Eastern Rail Services fleet has arrived at Great Yarmouth carriage sidings, Mk 2d TSO 5647 having previously been at the Mid-Norfolk Railway and still carries the Riviera Trains blue and cream livery.