Locomotives

LNER 82205 stands at Leeds on May 22 before departing with the 1245 to London King's Cross. SNAPPITYSNAPS PHOTOGRAPHY.

Feature

“This is the East Coast thoroughbred”

Richard Wilcock is on board for the special 1245 Leeds-London King’s Cross service as LNER celebrates its first 225 Day.

Locomotives 24 Jun

Romic has bought two of Michael Owen’s Class 20s (20007/205). On February 21, they stand at Watford Junction with 20142 Sir John Betjeman, having arrived with the 1315 UK Railtours charter from Bewdley. PIP DUNN

News

Romic set to keep Class 20s previously put up for sale

Firm had initially put pair on the market after acquiring them from Michael Owen.

Locomotives 9 Jun

67003 at Valencia in Spain in 1999 before it was shipped to the UK. PIP DUNN.

News

RAIL's report from construction of Class 67s shows how their potential has been left unfulfilled

67003 was the first Class 67 to be shipped to the UK 26 years ago - now it's been scrapped.

DB Cargo UK 6 Jun

67004 pulling the 0450 Edinburgh-Fort William Caledonian Sleeper at Achallader on March 30 2013. ANTHONY HICKS.

News

Why the Class 67s have been running on borrowed time for nearly the whole of their lives

The scrapping of 67003 has highlighted the lack of work for the class since their arrival in the UK around 25 years ago.

DB Cargo UK 5 Jun

They certainly aren’t ‘great lookers’ but the corridor connections on a Class 730 are vital for passengers and train crew. PIP DUNN

Feature

Review: West Midlands Railways introduces Class 730s

West Midlands Trains is introducing two Bombardier Aventra fleets into traffic and up first is the Class 730/0s for West Midlands Railways. By Pip Dunn.

Locomotives 14 Apr

Just how good a journey experience do HSTs still offer? On March 26 2022, 43021 leads 43124 at Dalwhinnie with the 1508 Glasgow Queen Street to Inverness. JAMIE SQUIBBS.

Feature

Review: Should we salute Scotland’s magnificent Inter7?

In our third and final Mystery Shopper piece covering ScotRail, we head out on the InterCity network to see if older trains still offer quality.

Locomotives 11 Apr

Hitachi’s facility near Newton Aycliffe opened in 2015 and has produced hundreds of IEP vehicles - among them the Azumas. LNER 801109 passes Barkston (Lincolnshire) with the 0843 Bradford Forster Square to King’s Cross on September 4 2024. PAUL CLARK.

Feature

Will all of the UK train assembly lines survive?

UK train manufacturers face even leaner times ahead unless the government has a clear strategy for new rolling stock and places some orders, says Philip Haigh.

Locomotives 24 Jan

The first six InterCity diagrams included turns to Glasgow. 90007 ascends Shap at Greenholme with the 1415 Euston-Glasgow Central on August 31 1991. STEVE TURNER.

Feature

The many ups and downs of BR's Class 90 locomotive

Class 90s have experienced a chequered career, alternating from zero to hero and back again several times, as David Clough explains.

Locomotives 10 Jan

Inside Old Oak Common depot on October 31, 345061 sits on M8 road with a bogie drop prominent in the foreground. PHILIP HAIGH.

Feature

Keeping the wheels turning on Elizabeth line Class 345s

Philip Haigh visits Alstom’s Old Oak Common depot, to gain an insight into the work that goes to maintaining a modern train fleet.

Locomotives 6 Dec

Velim in the Czech Republic is perhaps the best-known test track of all. In 2009, an Alstom AGV for Italy is in action. ALAMY.

Feature

New centre to test trains, tracks and systems

Intensive prototype testing has been moving away from the main line network towards specialist test centres scattered across Europe, as Ben Jones discovers.

Locomotives 4 Dec

News

Class 40 Preservation Society engineer resigns - society rejects offers to buy loco

The Class 40 Preservation Society has had to temporarily suspend main line running, owing to issues with D345 and the resignation of its chief engineer.

Locomotives 15 Nov

News

LSL supports Bo’ness diesel gala

Locomotive Services Limited is supporting the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s December 28/29 diesel gala.

diesel 8 Nov

Royal Mail 325015 and 325005 at Hardendale with the 1419 Shieldmuir-Daventry service on September 16. The company is dispensing with its 30-year-old units and putting more of its business onto roads. PAUL SHANNON.

Feature

Can the Royal Mail trains keep on running?

After Royal Mail decided to stop using its own trains, Andy Comfort hears how the 30-year-old trains may still have plenty of life left in them.

Locomotives 6 Nov

Feature

Welcome progress in the Valleys

More passenger services and new rolling stock operating on newly electrified routes is offering plenty of positives for rail travel in South Wales - but not everything is rosy, with controversy over a proposed new station in Cardiff. ANDREW MOURANT reports.

Electrification 8 Oct

News

A heritage future for ‘rescued’ ‘20’?

Harry Needle Railroad Company has recovered 20056 from the scrap line at the British Steel site at Scunthorpe.

Locomotives 3 Oct

Feature

How previous generations celebrated the first passenger rail journey

Momentum is gathering for next year’s ‘Railway 200’. Richard Foster looks at how previous anniversaries celebrated the railway’s birth.

Locomotives 24 Sept

Feature

NRA Fleet Achievement of the Year 2024: Greater Anglia

The Fleet Achievement of the Year award in the 2024 National rail awards went to Greater Anglia for its fleet transformation.

Locomotives 16 Sept

Feature

Scotland's secret nuclear Rustons near the end of the line

Ben Jones discovers two of Britain’s least-known locomotives, built in the 1950s for a pioneering nuclear power station and now quarantined awaiting disposal.

Locomotives 13 Sept

News

Main line-bound Class 89 at Crewe

The sole Class 89, owned by the AC Locomotive Group (89001), was collected from the UK Rail Leasing site at Loughborough on August 15 and taken to Crewe.

Class 89 11 Sept

Feature

Four decades of the Sprinters: the privatisation years

Following part one’s look at the Sprinter revolution BR implemented in the late 1980s, Pip Dunn turns to how the units are almost all still in traffic.

Locomotives 9 Sept