61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
Bit disappointing that there doesn't seem to be much demand for the three car units at preserved railways, but they do mean 50% more space, fuel and maintenance required.
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Preserved DMU updates
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W55028 is running. Swanage to Wareham and vv.
m79900
Member
And I think most railways are pacered out at this point!
EDIT: M79612 (the Derby Lightweight trailer) ran a special charter with the 121 on Friday the 11th.
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Iskra
Established Member
The KWVR class 101 DMU has re-emerged in BR Blue, and very nice it looks too. Interestingly, they have an upcoming DMU running day where the 143 will run with the 144 for possibly the 143's only run in preservation.
Just over seven months since entering the shed at Haworth, our Class 101 DMU consisting of vehicles Sc51803 and M51189 has made its first moves on Friday 20th October following overhaul.
During its time in the works, a significant amount of body repairs have been completed with the majority of windows having been removed to access the corroded bodywork. As a change to the livery previously carried, the unit has been out-shopped in British Railways all over Blue with full yellow ends, a livery first introduced in 1967 and could be found on Class 101’s into the 1980’s. The work has also seen the installation of newly fabricated route indicators on each cab front as per original drawings to reflect the era the unit now portrays. Other works carried out during its time in the shed have included replacing sections of the exhausts, installation of new silencers and a change-out of final drive seals in M51189.
Its first planned run back in traffic is on the Railcar Running Weekend of 28th – 29th October, running on both days of the event.
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The KWVR class 101 DMU has re-emerged in BR Blue, and very nice it looks too. Interestingly, they have an upcoming DMU running day where the 143 will run with the 144 for possibly the 143's only run in preservation.
Really nice to see the two digit headcodes reinstated.
D6130
Established Member
Yes....and it's a 'power twin' so with the potential for some rapid acceleration - although it's never going to get out of second gear, given the 25 mph speed restriction on heritage lines.
richa2002
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Lovely job. Only thing that irks is the white LED lights on the markers. Spoils the whole look!The KWVR class 101 DMU has re-emerged in BR Blue, and very nice it looks too. Interestingly, they have an upcoming DMU running day where the 143 will run with the 144 for possibly the 143's only run in preservation.
Ashley Hill
Established Member
Why is this?
Iskra
Established Member
Presumably the intention is to use it for spares, or alternatively someone else has bought it.
Wilts Wanderer
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Yes....and it's a 'power twin' so with the potential for some rapid acceleration - although it's never going to get out of second gear, given the 25 mph speed restriction on heritage lines.
You can just about get 3rd gear at that speed, particularly if the wheels are at/near minimum tyre thickness. And 4th gear certainly sees use as the setting for coasting.
D6130
Established Member
Very true....I was just speaking figuratively!
61653 HTAFC
Veteran Member
Will that perhaps be the first time a 143 has worked in multiple with a 144?The KWVR class 101 DMU has re-emerged in BR Blue, and very nice it looks too. Interestingly, they have an upcoming DMU running day where the 143 will run with the 144 for possibly the 143's only run in preservation.
The 143 is for spares for the 144. Glad to see it get a run out before they start dismantling it.
Rikki Lamb
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They actually look quite good and are no doubt cheaper/more efficient.
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m79900
Member
At Ecclesbourne, Class 122 55006 has been repainted and is awaiting final repairs, and a start appears to have been made at repainting Class 119 51073. Hopefully this could herald a return of decently regular DMU operations on the railway.
Steam and the dining/chip trains are a big part of the timetable particularly at the weekends so I can't see much more use than there was this year for the units unless they become the 'second set' when two trains are running to save reforming the main coach set.
STINT47
Member
Some second generation news from an email sent out from the GCR earlier today.
New' Trains Arriving! |
The GCR is soon to take delivery of two Class 153 single car diesel units. The vehicles, which will be owned by the GCR and have been obtained for next to nothing, are not for preservation, though. As you may know, for some time we have supported train operators East Midlands Railway and Cross Country with their train crew training, which has provided valuable additional income for the GCR. We have previously used one of our Diesel Railcars for this purpose but, fabulous though they are, from a national rail operator perspective they are a long way from the technology of a modern train. After discussion with the operators, we agreed to obtain 2x Class 153 vehicles to provide a more relevant training experience. In addition to the prospect of further train crew training work, the Class 153s also provide an ideal testbed for other technology testing contracts in the future and are certainly expected to more than pay their way. Whilst their primary purpose is not to as passenger transport on the GCR, I'm sure they'll be making appearances at Diesel Galas, as well as the commercial potential for Drive a Train Experiences with the trains too. The first vehicle is expected to arrive this week. Malcolm Holmes, General Manager |
Intercity110
On Moderation
this sounds really nice! i'm definitely going to have to visit again if these show up.
they'll only be on diesel galas, and as the article says it's not meant to be used on passenger services so this won't happen.
Does anyone know what livery they'll be in?
Iskra
Established Member
A great initiative and it acts as a great way of keeping them in working order until the time when they may truly be deemed as historical units and people may wish to ride on them again.
The GCR tend to run multiple trains, so you'd have a choice at least.
Personally, I quite like them (but not for long journeys, my bum is still numb from a trip around the Cumbrian coast on one). I think they will be a very useful class for heritage railways and could be the easiest Sprinter unit to preserve and operate.
For anyone interested, preserved railcar of the year awards have opened for voting:
Railcar of the Year 2023
Voting for this year's Railcar of the Year award is now open! Make sure you cast your vote before the end of Sunday 31st December. Please note that only one vote is allowed per person and you are required to list your name in order for your vote to be counted. However there is no limit on the number of people you can encourage to get voting to make sure your favourite wins! Voting is free and the winner will be announced in early January.
The Nominations
Class 101 M51189/Sc51803 (Worth Valley): Since 2013 the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's DMU services have been dominated by this Class 101 2-car "power twin" which replaced a similar Class 108 unit which had operated for the previous 15 years. It was one of the first Class 101 sets in preservation to have a serious interior overhaul rather than being placed straight into service with a quick repaint, so has to some extent always stood out from the crowd. Fast forward to 2023 and the set is being nominated due to the rapid efforts of the volunteers and staff to give the set a much needed intermediate overhaul. Following ten years of work corrosion was starting to take hold, particularly around the windows and the set removed from service. The ambitious target of having both cars through works within the year and back in service in time for the October Railcar Convention was set. The unit is nominated due to the sucess of delivering the work in time, the quality of the bodywork and repaint, and for the bold descision to switch from safe BR Green colours to the less common and more controversial BR Blue.
Class 104 M56182 (North Norfolk): This year's nomination for longest running and highest quality of overhaul is unique Class 104 M56182. The last survivor of its sub class (all other surviving 104 driving cars have engines), it was stored for over 15 years in preservation waiting its turn in a restoration queue and declined in condition to near scrap during that period. In addition to this, prior to preservation its interior had been gutted when it was used in departmental service as a Sandite vehicle. A whopping nine and a half year super-restoration then followed with a newly formed team at the North Norfolk Railway. The rebuild was total with no stone left unturned and the exterior, underframe and interior all stripped to a shell and rebuilt fully back to as-built passenger carrying condition. Authentic Class 104 parts (from scrapped sisters) were used to ensure the reconstructed interior in particular was indistinguishable from a restored 104 that wasn't a departmental. Even the chassis frames and underside of the floor were cleaned back and individually repainted! The end result after so many years of work was nothing short of stunning and the vehicle returned to passenger traffic for the first time in 36 years in September. M56182 is nominated for the attention to detail of the restoration which is one of the best in preservation, for the authenticity of the back conversion from Sandite vehicle to as-built, for securing the long term future of a unique sub-class of vehicle which would otherwise have been lost, and for bringing some much needed variety to the North Norfolk's running DMU fleet, which for over twn years has only consisted of Class 101 vehicles.
Class 127 M51618 (Llangollen): Nominated from the Llangollen Railway is oddity Class 127 M51618. Whilst the outside bodywork resembles a conventional Derby suburban design, the interior and power transmission are anything but standard. The 127's have high backed seating and a heavyweight hydraulic transmission which during their working lives were considered the peak incarnation of the Derby works developed DMU. Sadly, this complexity, whilst providing superior power, has made preservation far more challenging with spares harder to come by and knowledge to maintain them even rarer. Additionally, the suburban bodies also suffer from corrosion and there are many more doors to maintain than low density units. As a result of all the above, by the 2020's not a single Class 127 remained operational in heritage service with the entire fleet either scrapped, in storage or being used as hauled coaching stock. All except M51618, which has bravely been under overhaul at Llangollen for several years after coming out of service for bodywork and interior restoration. The vehicle was returned to traffic at their October Railcar Gala resplendent in BR Green with speed whiskers, the livery in which it was built. M51618 is nominated for this year's awards for the quality of the exterior overhaul but also for the historical merit for seriously investing in a complex vehicle such as a 127 when others have struggled. Also, being able to complete the restoration in addition to the large commitment maintaining and crewing the largest operating 1st generation fleet in the country is extraordinary.
Class 143 143623 (Wensleydale): This year's second-generation candidate is 143623 based at the Wensleydale Railway. The railway has recently become home to the largest Pacer collection in preservation so maintenance and development of the fleet beyond basic maintenance is a challenge. Most sets remain in as-withdrawn Northern Rail purple livery but over 2022/2023 143623 has become the first of their units to be backdated externally to a more classic livery from earlier times. The set becomes the first Class 143 to carry Regional Railways colours and indeed is the first of the class in preservation to be re-liveried back into a BR scheme. The unit is nominated for this pioneering development in Class 143 preservation along with contributing a positive heritage angle to a controversial 14X fleet now dominating Wensleydale Railway metals.
Project Wareham (Swanage): For the first time in the award's history, a fixed vehicle or unit is not the subject of this nomination. Rather, a wider project with two sets (4 vehicles) at it's heart: Project Wareham. Preserved first generation railcars have never operated on the mainline carrying passengers... until now! The railway's "Project Wareham" is arguably almost half a century old, it being part of the railway's founders' original aim to run services through from Swanage to the mainline junction at Wareham. However, the project "proper" in terms of rolling stock has been around ten years in the making, with the Class 117 set undergoing a six-year restoration (2014-2020) at Eastleigh Works involving many exceptional tasks such as wheelset replacements. The Class 121 was also so treated with the combination being a four vehicle mainline registered passenger fleet able to run regular Swanage-Wareham services. 2023 was the year that the units finally fulfilled this service, putting railcars at the heart of the realisation of a major preservation ambition. Therefore, the project as a whole is worthy of nomination.
Voting
Follow the link below to cast your vote. Make sure you vote for your choice before the end of Saturday 6th January. Please note that only one vote is allowed per person and you are required to list your name in order for your vote to be counted.
CLICK HERE TO CAST YOUR VOTE
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YorkshireBear
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Can't help but vote for my home DMU but it was a tough choice!
richa2002
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The lifetime cost of an incandescent bulb vs an LED is miniscule within the context of preservation. If efficiency is the target too, the KWVR should just sell all heritage stock and run 142s.
renegademaster
Member
Incandescent bulbs can tolerate poor quality power supplies with voltage all over the place like what you get with dynamos, LEDs get fussy whenever the input voltage isn't exactly whatever it's designed for
YorkshireBear
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As a track worker I'm a big fan of the LEDs but can see why others might not be.
Iskra
Established Member
The KWVR 101, won the railcar of the year award
Well done all involved!
xotGD
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Excellent!The KWVR 101, won the railcar of the year award
fgwrich
Established Member
The second one is on its way tonight. Former Wales and West / Wessex / EMT 153308 is on its way to the GC tonight.