Rail Express Magazine, February 2021 Issue

FEATURES:
MOTORAIL: CARS BY TRAIN - Car-carrying Motorail services were an everyday feature of British Railways’ timetables from the 1950s, but were eventually killed off by the growing motorway network.
0-60: CLASS 195 - Sampling a CAF-built ‘Civity’ DMU.
WOODHEAD’S FIRST ELECTRIC - The future Class 76 debuted 80 years ago.
HARROGATE LINE UPGRADE - The semaphores remain, but Harrogate-York now uses tokenless signalling.

REGULARS:
SUBSCRIPTION OFFERS - The best ways to get Rail Express every month.
LETTERS & REVIEWS - More on Dawlish ‘Peak Army’.
HEADLINE NEWS - New rules needed for post-Brexit Channel Tunnel operation; Whatever happened to Channel Tunnel Freight?; Final day for Isle of Wight Class 483s; Pre-Covid rail travel near all-time high; DfT grants further derogations for non-compliant stock; Annual fare rise delayed to March; DB Cargo trials 100% biofuel; First Tube train reaches Battersea on test.
POWERSCENE - Key workings from across the network.
POWER BY THE HOUR - EMR retires its final VP185-powered HSTs.
UNITS - Final ‘745’ enters service; Greater Anglia ‘Aventras’ spread their wings.
WAGONS - Classic hoppers head to scrap.
COACHES - LSL Mk.3 fleet in focus; GWR three-car HSTs.
SHUNTERS & INDUSTRIALS - New engine for HNRC ‘09’.
RAILTOURS - Vintage Trains reveals 2021 programme.
PRESERVATION - ‘Goyle’ sold for main line use; Three ‘Pacers’ acquired for main line charters; Gwili gains designated crane.
LU WORLD - ‘2024’ Stock design due soon.
IRISH ANGLE - Belmond Grand Hibernian quits Ireland.

COVER - The once-extensive Motorail network died out before Privatisation in the 1990s, but later that decade First Great Western reintroduced a service between Paddington and Penzance attached to the ‘Night Rivieria’. Two car-carrying vans can be seen tucked behind No. 57605 at Paddington on May 11, 2005 as it prepares to head west overnight.

MODELLING SECTION CONTENTS:

Newsdesk: More coaches from Hornby Whilst reissued models dominate the new 2021 range, Hornby reveals a brand-new 88DS 0-4-0 shunter and new Mk.4 coaches to match its forthcoming Class 91.
Newsdesk: Hornby 2021 at a glance New locomotives, coaches and wagons listed in a handy at-a-glance guide to the Hornby 2021 range. Is your preferred model being produced this year?
Newsdesk: Accurascale Class 37 - A prototype of the forthcoming ‘OO’ gauge early condition Class 37/0 model is assembled from the first test shots from the moulds, whilst the ARC aggregate wagons arrive alongside new wagon loads.
Newsdesk: ‘O' gauge LMS 50-foot inspection saloon planned for 2022 - Heljan surprises modellers with a new LMS inspection saloon model in ‘O’ gauge and reveals its ‘OO’ gauge Ruston & Hornsby diesel shunter. Dapol shows off first engineering prototypes of its new ‘O’ gauge BR ‘Vanwide’ wagons.
Modelling: Wheels on the workbench - Experimenting with turning down wheels from ready-to-run wagons to adapt them to run on ‘EM’ gauge track using workbench hand tools in an exercise to save money.
Modelling:‘N’gauge Class 950 - In the first of two articles, the tricky Class 950 Track Recording Unit conversion is tackled in ‘N’ gauge, starting with rebuilding the bodies using the PH Designs kit which caused a dilemma over adhesives.
Review: 'Chopper' in orange - The brand-new Bachmann model of the 1998 refurbished DRS and HNRC Class 20/3, with its locomotive-specific detailing and sophisticated electronics is put to the test.

MODELLING COVER - Our modelling cover star this month is Bachmann’s eagerly-awaited ‘00’ gauge Class 20/3, which is given a thorough once-over, and there is a comprehensive look at Hornby’s extensive list of new launches that are planned for this year. We also have tips on refining wagon wheels for ‘EM’ gauge use, plus how to model a Class 950 DMU in ‘N’.