Contents Listing - Articles & Features in this issue
Viewpoint
Loco news
Photonews
Laira depot
Colin Marsden
Railfreight today
A winter's eve at Paddington
Photoguide
Les Nixon
Stocklist
Twilight falls on the 501
Catch-a-bargain
Front cover: No 56.094, with distinctive front-end treatment, at Tinsley on 4 March 1985.
Article Snippets
MRP: Better service for you! Welcome to another issue of MRP. This month we provide you with a pull-out guide to locomotive allocations right up to date as we went to press — which we trust you will find useful. As a further service to our readers, from this issue we will be providing news on your favourite classes of locomotive, so that you can keep up to date on the current scene with MRP. We hope you'll agree that this makes MRP better value than ever—but help us to help you in the future by sending us news reports and photographs so that we can be bang up to date. Just to whet your appetite on what MRP will be bringing you in the future here's three major developments occurring with the new BR timetable that comes out about the same time as this issue.
The first stage of the Great Eastern main line electrification comes into normal service on 13 May. Extension of the passenger service from Witham to Ipswich will entail the Liverpool Street to Norwich services being taken over by Willesden-based Class 86 locomotives built in 1965 and 1966. The booked locomotives have recently been overhauled at Crewe British Rail Engineering Ltd locomotive works and were fitted with Flexicoil springing and resilient wheels, and classified as 86/4 , for mixed traffic. Ten are required to operate the initial service, with . Class 47/4 haulage temporarily filling - the gap to Norwich. At least one electric locomotive is expected to be named to commemorate the event, and one of the first week's passengers is expected to be Her Majesty The Queen.
From the same day the North Woolwich line will go overto Southern Region electric multiple-units replacing the life-expired Cravens built diesel units, and the North London line from Broad Street to Richmond will be operated by Class 313 Great Northern suburban electric units as will the Euston to Watford local service, bringing the demise of the Class 501 units and Croxley Green depot—we i feature the dying days of the 501s in this issue.
The present 'Manchester Pullman' service from Euston will be formed of the new Mk3b stock from this date, as will a new 'Liverpool Pullman' service. (Vehicles are detailed in the 'Stocklist' in this issue.) The King's Cross to Leeds service is also to go 'Pullman' using a refurbished IC125 High Speed Train set, which will make a return trip to Doncaster between up morning and down evening services.
The first stage of the Great Eastern main line electrification comes into normal service on 13 May. Extension of the passenger service from Witham to Ipswich will entail the Liverpool Street to Norwich services being taken over by Willesden-based Class 86 locomotives built in 1965 and 1966. The booked locomotives have recently been overhauled at Crewe British Rail Engineering Ltd locomotive works and were fitted with Flexicoil springing and resilient wheels, and classified as 86/4 , for mixed traffic. Ten are required to operate the initial service, with . Class 47/4 haulage temporarily filling - the gap to Norwich. At least one electric locomotive is expected to be named to commemorate the event, and one of the first week's passengers is expected to be Her Majesty The Queen.
From the same day the North Woolwich line will go overto Southern Region electric multiple-units replacing the life-expired Cravens built diesel units, and the North London line from Broad Street to Richmond will be operated by Class 313 Great Northern suburban electric units as will the Euston to Watford local service, bringing the demise of the Class 501 units and Croxley Green depot—we i feature the dying days of the 501s in this issue.
The present 'Manchester Pullman' service from Euston will be formed of the new Mk3b stock from this date, as will a new 'Liverpool Pullman' service. (Vehicles are detailed in the 'Stocklist' in this issue.) The King's Cross to Leeds service is also to go 'Pullman' using a refurbished IC125 High Speed Train set, which will make a return trip to Doncaster between up morning and down evening services.