It is now over 200 years since the world’s first steam railway locomotive made its maiden voyage along a primitive plateway in South Wales – in 1804 Richard Trevithick’s high-pressure steam locomotive successfully hauled a loaded train a distance of nine miles at an average speed of two mph.
Five new fleets were ordered as part of the Greater Anglia franchise. With the final ‘321s’ withdrawn, engineering director Martin Beable tells Richard Clinnick how the transition was achieved, and what comes next.
It may be the smallest railfreight operator, but DC Rail is playing a key role in not only building major projects but in how the sector is operating, as Cappagh Group director of rail David Fletcher tells Richard Clinnick.
Returning No. 47712 to the main line was one thing, but getting it to operate in push-pull mode across Scotland, running at 100mph for sustained periods, won it an award selected by Rail Express. Richard Clinnick meets the owners to find out how this happened, and why.
