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

Time for straightness and honesty

Rail Express

EXPRESS

Next phase of Crossrail due in November • TfL confirms that a final new central London station will open and new through services will start as planned this autumn.

ROG sends first ‘360/2s’ for scrapping • Projected logistics use to transport parcels between rail-connected town and city centres has not materialised.

Positive long-term outlook for rail • The threat to future railway operations as a result of the post-pandemic trend to work from home may be counterbalanced by increasing demand in the discretionary market.

New box wagons have ‘X’ factor

IN BRIEF

Bessie’s Bulletin

THE GEN: THE FRIDAY CHARTER

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

Direct Rail Services suspends plans for Class 37 sale and leaseback • The challenging terms of the last tender failed to result in a deal, which will likely result in the operator keeping a small fleet of EE Type 3s in-house.

Class 455 disposals gather pace • Scrapping of former Southern fleet is completed and the first of the ‘455/9’ sub-class is disposed of.

Midland Counties heads to East Anglia • After years at Derby Etches Park, one of RSS’ latest acquisitions is touring the country, latest stop March.

New Davis-built JNAs for Land Recovery • The 60m3 ‘Megabox’ derivatives currently being finished at Langwith Junction in a striking silver paint scheme will go into traffic on the various LR flows centred on Longport.

Second ‘oxblood’ Mk.4 rake released • Another set appears in LNER’s InterCity-inspired colour scheme.

IN BRIEF

IN BRIEF

COACH NEWS

‘Crompton’ heads to KESR for remainder of 2022 season • Hastings gauge Class 33 answers SOS call from Kent & East Sussex Railway

IN BRIEF

The Royal Artilleryman in Locomotive Services debut • It’s been nearly two decades since a ‘Peak’ went full throttle on the national system.

Reopening of Limerick to Foynes line planned for 2024 • The project is backed by the Irish transport minister, the port company, local politicians and environmentalists.

Ballasting with Ellis Clark Trains

Keeping cool with C-Rail Intermodal

Bachmann’s banger blue Class 37

PEP-talk: the BR second generation EMU • THE BR second generation EMU family was derived from the successful Class 445/446 ‘PEP’ high-density prototypes introduced in 1971 and 1972. Why has no model of this large fleet of EMUs been produced in ‘OO’ gauge?

Accurascale’s ‘OO’ gauge CDA • One of the late developments of the successful Merry-Go-Round (MGR) coal hopper wagon was the 124 CDAs built for china clay traffic in 1987. Accurascale releases the first bespoke ‘OO’ gauge model of the CDA as part of its MGR family of models.

CIÉ Magnesite wagons • Córas Iompair Éireann constructed a fleet of two-axle covered hopper wagons for mineral traffic in the 1970s, specifically to carry processed magnesite products. It is the latest ‘OO’...