TRACTION 233 and TRACTION MODELLING

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TRACTION 233 is published on Friday 1st April 2016.

 

2016 certainly started badly for the railways of northern England and Scotland with the closure of several lines due to flooding, landslides and the serious damage to the bridge on the West Coast Main Line at Lamington. Of course, this also led to some extremely unusual sights on the railways. As well as freight trains having to be diverted on to lines that they don’t normally use, enthusiasts have also been treated to double headed Class 47s on the overnight sleepers north of Carlisle, whilst the ‘Highland’ sleeper has even been running out of King’s Cross behind Class 90s. Interesting times indeed, and with the prospect of the Class 73 electro diesels taking over haulage of sleeper trains in 2016, no doubt this is also something haulage enthusiasts will be looking forward to!
 

Anyway, let's get back to the contents of the latest edition of TRACTION.

 

Back in summer 1968 I was given permission by my parents to go on my first solo ‘railway holiday’. It was a long and involved two-week journey around much of Britain. I first headed off ‘down South’ to visit the Waterloo to Southampton line and in ‘TO SOUTHAMPTON: SUMMER 1968’ I’ve tried to recreate the events of that journey almost half a century ago.

 

I know many readers enjoy articles by former railwaymen and Chris Trerise describes some unusual workings he was involved with in ‘CLASS 31 THAMESLINK DRAGS’.

 

The ‘Deltics’ have a special place in the hearts of many enthusiasts like Richard Maclennan, who regales us with one of his weekend adventures in ‘NIGHTS WITH THE WHITE CABS’.

 

David J. Hayes continues his ‘WEST MIDLANDS FREIGHT LINES REMEMBERED’ series. This article covers ‘NORTON JUNCTION AND THE LICHFIELD TO WALSALL LINE’ and will appear in two parts in this issue and in TRACTION 234.

 

The unglamorous side of railway operations in South Wales is the subject of two articles about freight traffic in the Swansea area. Nick Ross recalls his spotting days in ‘SWANSEA EAST DOCK STABLING POINT REMEMBERED’ whilst Keith Williams looks at ‘BURROWS SIDINGS IN 1980’.

 

‘FREIGHTLINER THROUGH THE YEARS’ is the subject of Gavin Morrison’s photographic feature of container trains.

Colin Boocock traces the fascinating history of the AEC/Park Royal railcars built for the Great Western Railway and the railways of Ireland in ‘FROM SOUTHALL TO SLIGO’.

 

This issue’s European feature covers a type of electric multiple unit that readers who have visited the Norwegian fjords, and travelled on the popular ‘Norway in a Nutshell’ tour, will have encountered. Rory Wilson traces the history, development and operation of the ‘NSB Type 69 EMUs’.

 In TRACTION MODELLING Alex Fisher presents a layout suggestion based on ‘PINXTON SIGNAL BOX’ in Nottinghamshire, with lots of coal train action.

 

Stuart Moore has solved his space and time problems by building a series of dioramas, which can showcase his collection of N Gauge diesels. He calls them ‘RECREATING CORPORATE BLUE’.

 

Finally Jeff Nicholls reviews the superb ‘Heljan O GAUGE CLASS 60’.
 

TRACTION issue 234 will be published on the 3rd June 2016.