Departmentals & Internal Users - News - News round-up

News - News round-up - April 2005

17 April 2005 - thanks to Andrew Goodman, Car Services UK, Peter Hall, Simon Powell, Ashley Butlin
John Silverthorne, Mark Lambert & Brian Loughlin for this article

As usual quite a few items to mention that have happened over the last couple of months.

Sales and movements

The three 4 wheel vans that have resided at Ramsgate depot for many years 083327/083328 & 083329 have now been moved to the Rother Valley Railway.

It is now thought that the Breakdown train formerly based at Cardiff Canton is now based at Margam following the closure of Canton depot. 975494/975573 and 975612 are the coaches in question.

There has been a tidy up at Horsham recently - unfortunately DS230 has been cut up by Raxstar but the other departmental stock has been saved. 889016 has been moved to the Moveright International / Heanors yard at Wishaw, 975456 has been moved to Long Marston (with 975638 to follow there too if it hasn't already.)
****UPDATED 30TH APRIL 2005****
975638 was moved out of Horsham on 21 April which now just leaves 99014 and 99015 as the only departmental residents of the yard.

Latest vehicles for sale - 024752 at Moveright's yard and 977437 at the Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway are still available while 977934 at the East Somerset Railway is a recent new addition to the lists.

Barrier coach 6347 moved to MOD Caerwent from Wolverton works during March.

Other movements:
064749 (W169W) from Cholsey to West Somerset Railway.
977358 (94691) from Llangollen to Okehampton.

Four coaches from the old Crewe test train moved on 18 March to Barrow Hill. The coaches in question were 977084/977085/977193 and 977450. Two of these (977085/193) now belong to Fragonset while the other two left Barrow Hill for the Battlefield Line in the following week.

042155 arrived at Booths from Toton in mid-April.

Disposals

Three Bridges yard had a radical clear out during February meaning the end for vintage van 975966 and internal user van 083531. Raxstar was again the contractor here.

Other news

977859 made its final trip from Crewe to the National Railway Museum in York on 16 February. Whether it will now be preserved or be used to donate parts to others is not yet clear but it is currently clearly visible at the back of the NRM.

975025 appeared at Clapham Junction on 23 February carrying new "CAROLINE" nameplates. Following a brief stop here it made its way to MOD Ludgershall the following day. On 15 March it was spotted at Aberystwyth.

999606 (ex 62356) was registered for use on the network on 17 March and made a trip to Old Dalby and back a few days later.

And finally we have a departmental rediscovered! DS70220 was noted still present at North Acton Junction at the beginning of April where it has apparently been sitting for many years. It is now just a burnt out frame amongst the bushes alongside the Underground lines but this was an interesting discovery! It also means that despite the disposal of DS230 at Horsham during March the DS series still survives on the network!