Rail Express

RAIL EXPRESS is Britain's favourite modern rail enthusiast title. Undoubtedly the best for modern traction photography, the magazine keeps readers informed and entertained with undiluted coverage of Britain's railways in the diesel and electric era. First produced in 1996, RE has set a new standard for the hobby, with a clean design, high quality paper and the best reproduction. January 2008 saw the magazine relaunched in an innovative 'supersize' format, showing off the ground-breaking contents to the best advantage. Every issue includes news and analysis covering the present day railway scene, plus the latest preservation developments. Also inside: RAIL EXPRESS Modeler - Diesel & Electric era modeling magazine

Rail Express

GB Railfreight unveils Class 99

Siemens officially opens Goole factory

First TRU electric trains complete test runs in North Yorkshire

Railway 200 plans include Derby open day

Additional Class 37s to be hired to cover RHTT season • Harry Needle Railroad Company ‘37s’ to be hired by Colas Railfreight to cover the route restricted York ‘leafbuster’ circuit.

Last West Midlands Class 323s stopped • Birmingham Cross-City line ‘323’ duties come to an end.

West Coast Railways acquires Riviera fleet • More than 60 coaches are bought by the Carnforth-based operator

Powerscene • Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.

Plym Valley ‘Goyle’ is sold • Class 31 joins Nemesis Rail fleet.

RSS deploys ex-Wabtec shunters • The company’s latest acquisitions have been rebranded and put to work immediately.

‘Polybulk’ coupling translator wagons to return to use • 1970s wagons to be returned to main line for use by GB Railfreight on Siemens Piccadilly Line deliveries.

‘N’ gauge ‘Warship’

ICI hoppers return

New Hornby arrivals • A flood of new models arrived from Hornby during August and September, including new ‘TT:120’ scale intermodals, a much anticipated TXS digital sound Class 56 and a second run of the new TTA tank wagons in three liveries. As Hornby gets to grips with its catalogue backlog, the flow is expected to continue well into the winter months.

50-foot LMS saloon inspected • Heljan throws the kitchen sink (and a cooker) into its brand-new LMS 50-foot inspection saloon model.

Desirable ‘Desiro’ in ‘N’ • A new third rail model is added to the Graham Farish range in the form of the South West Trains Class 450 EMU. How well does this important new model measure up?

HAA wagons for ‘TT:120’ scale

MDV in ‘TT:120’ scale

Modelling a Gatwick Luggage Van from Bachmann spares Part 1 • A two-part project, showing how to build a Gatwick Luggage Van (GLV) for the early 1990s period from Bachmann spares, starts with carving up a 2-EPB bodyshell.

Hornby’s graceful ‘Azuma’

Colourful Class 450 ‘Desiros’

The Class 317 story • Back in June, the last complete Class 317 set was sent for scrap. David Russell traces the history of the fleet which, in a period of just over 40 years, operated out of six different London termini.

Nene Valley Railway’s GB Railfreight gala • The Nene Valley Railway played host to a wide array of GB Railfreight locomotives over the weekend of September 7/8. Richard Clinnick rounds-up the action.

TfL: “We have no plans to move to driverless operation” • Development of driverless trains had been part of the agreement imposed by the Conservative party for Transport for London funding post-Covid 19.

New timetable introduced but “Enterprise” service remained partially bustituted • New timetable replaced after only a few weeks.

Riviera Trains stock passes to West Coast Railways • The entire fleet of long-established stock provider...