GENERAL UPDATES - Happy New Year!

Good Morning! It's 2016 on TheGBRailScene, the independant blog which is now in its third year (under 3 different names!). 


82102, the most recent repaint at Loughborough. This leaves just 82127!
(C) Andy L
Don't worry. I'm not going to bombard you with information as you're probably either recovering from a slightly tipsy New Years Eve, about to go off for a run to lose the mince pies and Xmas choccies, or just want me to get to the point and stop wombling on!

Therefore, just a swift post! I'll highlight a few updates to the Rail industry:
HST interior - (C) Virgin East Coast
  • Abellio Greater Anglia 12097/11100/ 11080 are back from repaint at Wolverton. 82102 has returned from an overhaul and repaint at Loughborough, leaving just 82127 as the only DVT not in AGA colours. 57306/310 sit at Norwich (the former will be used on an event for the Mid-Norfolk Railway, at Dereham). The FleetList is updated.
Now a few changes to our blog:
Snowplough test runs in December 2015. (C) Aydan Low. 
  • Firstly, we thank Andy for his time with us. He has left the team to concentrate on the final 6 months of his GCSEs, which we wish him good luck with. 
  • Lewis are Orson are both on long term leave due to other commitments. We're unsure when they'll return.  
  • We now aim for just 5 posts a week, and there will be NO posts on any Thursday (and some Tuesdays/Saturdays). This is due to other commitments.
  • Updates on our Facebook feed have been discontinued. The feed will remain open in case we decide to bring it back to life in the future, although the site hasn't proved too popular this past year. We'll reconsider opening it again if we reach 200 likes.... So please support us :-)
FACT: We now have almost 500 Twitter followers, the same amount of views we had on our highest performing post ever! 
Enjoy your New Years resolutions and speak soon! Harry
Regards:

Our Popular Posts....

07/02/17: Recent Goings On

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Harry Here, Summarising Some Of The Interesting Fleet News Between Oct 2016 and Spring 2017...... 10/2016: 142073 heads to  Doncaster for overhaul , as all ArrivaTrainsWales are going into the new livery gradually. 27/01/2017: 37423 and an extra DRS MK2 arrive at Norwich from  Derby, for Short Set usage.  Meanwhile, 68021 and 68016 arrive to take over duty's on the 68 Hauled Anglia Short Set, because 68025 and 68005 both need exams.  01/17: Virgin East coast finish the overhaul of all 45 trains! 
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Abellio Greater Anglia to Abellio East Anglia

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As Many Of You Are Aware, The AGA Franchise Renews This October For Services In East Anglia, Including To Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire. Abellio Continue The Franchise, But Renamed East Anglia Ltd.  Greater Anglia, as it was at first, began in February 2012 - operating the short term tender which was due to expire in July 2014. However, the Government later extended this franchise, and it then became the rebranded Abellio Greater Anglia.
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Reminder: Stock + Service Changes, Abellio East Anglia.

IN SUMMARY: - Free Wi-Fi on Many Trains and also an  improved WiFi service at stations .  - Additional seats on trains across the network, by increasing train lengths and capacity.  - CET toilets, so waste isn't flushed onto tracks. This is already on MK3s.  - Increasing train punctuality and performance. - Entire fleet replacement (stated below), so other units are displaced or withdrawn. - Norwich to Cambridge trains extended to Stansted, and Sudbury branch lines running to Colchester. - Lowestoft connections to London Liverpool Street reinstated, using the electro-diesel units, four times per day. - Trains half hourly to Great Yarmouth, plus later connections to Sheringham and Lowestoft.
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Exclusive ~ VirginTrains ~ Penguilino & Claus 91

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To get into the Xmas spirit, Virgin Trains have unveiled East Coast  82209 & 91128  and Virgin West Coast revealed Pendolino 390013 in their Winter-style livery, as designed by Madeleine Deakin (aged 11) and Amber Maxfield (age 9) whom won a competition earlier this season.  The units were unveiled at London Kings Cross this morning and will remain in the livery until January. Claus 91, as it's been named, operates on the East Coast mainline between Kings Cross and Scotland via Penguinborough, whilst the Penguilino can be found on Virgin Trains West Coast services between London Euston and The North (North Pole) via Ho Ho Crewe.
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SOUTH - Last Day of Class 458/0 Operations

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©Liam Jenkins Good Evening, Liam here, offering you a post regarding the last day of South West Trains Class 458/0 service. Enjoy! On Sunday 8th November 2015, South West Trains operated the last day of Class 458/0s on the units' final day of operations. These units are to be sent to Doncaster Works, where they will be refurbished with the Gatwick Express Class 460s into a new Class 458/5 class.
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Special - Rebuilding the 1960's Class 73's.

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It's Friday, and today's post is a special! Not as I'm here (Andy)... Class 73's were built in the 1960's and generally used in the Southern region. In 2013, it was announced that GB Railfreight would initially be re-building 5 Class 73's to make them Class 73/9's. The complete re stripping and rebuilding has taken place at Brush Traction in Loughborough.  The Class 73/9's first started testing in late 2014 (73 961 - 965) as there had been some issues, however they were all resolved pretty soon. The 73/9's are intended to work infrastructure trains (test trains under Network Rail) and also to be used on Rail Head Treatment Trains. As a result of the rebuild, it has given the Class 73/9's up to 25 years more in service, and more 73/9's are to be released over the coming months which should see them introduced on to the Serco Sleeper eventually!
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Peter Skuce Reports (6A)

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Chiltern 168. (C) P Skuce. Peter. Part A is for the Chiltern Line Modernisation. Part B will lead from this. During the 1960s British Railways built forty one, 4 carriage Class 115 DMU trains for the London Marylebone – Aylesbury Chiltern Line. One trailer carriage had entirely Standard Class accommodation with 106 seats, whilst the other trailer carriage was a composite, featuring First Class cabins with seating to the 2+2 layout and Standard Class with two toilets. They were powered by Leyland Albion engines, with mechanical transmission and their maximum speed was 70 mph. A new maintenance depot was built at Aylesbury to accommodate the trains.
Read More....