FEATURES 
15 A GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE
Using virtual reality to train rail engineers  
 
16 MANCHESTER VICTORIA 175
The station celebrates a major milestone
 
22 WESTERN DIESELS 
60 years of change on the Western Region
 
28 0-60: CLASS 444
Third rail but second rate? 
 
30 THEN & NOW: MILTON KEYNES 
Spot the difference over 10 years 
 
REGULARS 
 
26 SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS
The best ways to get Rail express every month
 
31 TIME TRAVELLER 
News headlines from decades past
 
32 REVIEWS & EXPRESS MAILBAG
More on First Generation DMUs; plus a selection of new books 
 
NEWS 
 
8 HEADLINE NEWS
Could there be a return to the ‘Big Four’?; class 50s commemorate Waverley Route closure; DB’s share of freight continues to fall; Freightliner to take over Mendip Rail stone trains; Colas sells locos to Beacon Rail; Cumbrian ‘Tractors’ bow out; Damaged tram trains laid up; South East drives rail growth; bi-modes for ROG postal trains; Barking Riverside contract awarded. 
 
71 LU WORLD 
Finances affect Piccadilly line upgrade
 
72 RAILTOURS
‘Deltic’ to visit Harrogate and Cleethorpes 
 
74 PRESERVATION 
No. 47712 will return to the main line; ‘Whistler’ suffers boiler problems; IDRS acquires EM2 bogies; East lancs Railway Sulzer even kicks off 2019 gala season. 
 
79 POWER BY HOUR
Preparations for TPE ‘68s’ continue 
 
80 POWERSCENE 
Notable workings, Name Game and Spectrum 
 
90 UNITS
Northern receives more units from ScotRail. 
 
93 SHUNTERS
NS ‘08s’ still proving useful. 
 
94 COACHES 
GWR hands back more HSTs. 
 
95 WAGONS 
New livery for Freightliner MWAs
 
96 IRISH ANGLE
‘Santa Specials’ provide traction variety