Coaching Stock News
More Mk.4 movements
The second former Grand Central Mk.4 set to head to the Arriva Traincare depot at Eastleigh was released from Doncaster on December 4, where it will be modified to work with Class 67s for Transport for Wales services. Powered by 37611, the former GC03 featured 12222, 12461, 12323, 10330, 11321 and 82227.
Less fortunate were 12231, 12405, 12419, 12421 and 12520 that were transferred from Worksop to the Sims Metals yard at Hull Docks for disposal at the end of October, while 12483, 12513, 12514 and 12518 headed for Booth’s between November 1 and 4.
More Scotrail HST sets extended
By mid-december, Scotrail had lengthened five of its HSTS to five coaches, of which four were available for traffic.
Noted in use by November 19 and joining the previously-recorded HA10 and HA11 was HA05, 42029 having been added to 40605, 42345, 42034 and 42184, with 43033 and 43131 for power. On November 20, 43144 and 43152 transferred HA06 from Slateford to Inverness via Aberdeen, this set having spent just over a year in store following its release from refurbishment at Doncaster.
As well as receiving exams at Inverness, 42033 was added to 40606, 42206, 42581 and 42208 before 43144 and 43169 took HA06 south to the new Cadder HST depot on December 6. This facility opened, albeit not fully completed, on December 11, with the set entering traffic two days later. Also now in five-car formation but not yet in service is HA12, this consisting of 40612, 42275, 42576, 42276 and 42574.
Long Marston developments
A correspondent’s visit to the Long Marston premises of International Metals and Cable Recycling during November confirmed the rolling stock that is now stored there, these vehicles having arrived during the course of 2021 but having previously gone unidentified.
Transferred from the nearby Long Marston Rail Innovation Centre following its takeover by Porterbrook have been former Nightstar generator coaches 96372, 96373 and 96375, while also on site is former Network Rail weed-killing coach 99019, which is in poor condition and due to be scrapped. Located adjacent to the latter are Mk.1 TPO stowage coaches 80411 and 80432, which were previously at the embryonic Vale of Berkeley Railway and owned by Andrew Goodman, while, as previously reported, Mk.3 TF 41189 is now installed as an office coach. Subsequently, the three generator Mk.3s were transferred to Great Yarmouth in mid-december, 96372 arriving on the 14th, with 96375 following two days later and then 96373.
‘Castle’ to Newquay
Now a rare sight, an HST returned to Newquay on November 22 when 43098 and 43194 were deployed on Par to Newquay workings with set GW15 (48143-45 and 49115). Starting with the 2C01 06.18 Plymouth-par and 2N02 08.18 Par-newquay, the set remained on the branch until working the 2N11 17.19 Newquay-par and 2P24 18.17 Par-plymouth.
The next day, 43009 and 43171 took GW09 (48125-27, 49109) from Laira to Doncaster for warranty work and returned on the 24th with GW11 (48131-33, 49111).
Damaged Mk.5 returns
Last-built CAF Mk.5 sleeper coach 15340 was finally released from repairs at Brodie Rail’s Kilmarnock workshops on November 12, almost two years to the day that it was damaged in a shunting collision at Fort William. Hit by 73969 on November 6, 2019, it suffered bufferbeam damage and was initially stored out of use before being admitted for repairs in April 2021. 73970 was provided to return the repaired sleeper to Polmadie, but it was still out of traffic a month later.
More Mk.3s for Brush
With the transfer of much of the DATS Mk.3 fleet to Loughborough during November, the two coaches that had remained at Rectory Junction were finally collected on December 16.
With 43054 and 43066 for traction, former Greater Anglia FO 11090 and TSO 12091 were also moved to the now largely-closed Brush workshops for further storage.
Meanwhile, Europhoenix has made Mk.3b DVT 82107 available for sale, it currently lying at Leicester and in ex-anglia condition.