Hornby R2951 Wrexham Shropshire Class 67 MK3 DVT

Description

Hornby R2951 Class 67 – 67014 Diesel Locomotive and a Mk3 Driving Van Trailer – 82301 in Wrexham and Shropshire Livery Train Pack

Click here to view theWrexham & Shropshire Coaches Pack R4399

This coach pack produced by Hornby under model number R4399 is a Wrexham and Shropshire OO gauge Coach Pack

The Driving Van Trailer (DVT) is a purpose-built control car railway vehicle that allows the driver to operate a locomotive from the opposite end of a train. Trains operating with a DVT consequently do not need the locomotive to be moved around to the other end of the train at terminal stations. Unlike many other control cars, DVTs resemble locomotives (specifically Class 91) and thus when the train is operating in “push” mode, it does not appear to be travelling backwards. The vehicles do not have any passenger accommodation due to health and safety rules in place at the time of building that prohibited passengers in the leading vehicles of trains that travel at more than 100 miles per hour (160 km/h). Historically, it was believed that a train would be unstable at high speeds unless pulled from the front but extensive testing, and the experience of high speed trains with central power cars such as the British Rail APT and the Eurostar, have altered this view. In this configuration a class 82 DVT is being used to operate with a Class 67 Powered locomotive.

Background

Wrexham & Shropshire was formed in 2006 as a joint venture between John Laing and Renaissance Trains with the aim of operating rail passenger services between Wrexham and London Marylebone as an open access operator. Direct railway services from the area to London had been withdrawn by InterCity in 1992. Virgin Trains introduced a Shrewsbury to London Euston service in May 1998, but it was withdrawn in 1999.

In October 2006 an evaluation service ran from London Marylebone to Wrexham General via the proposed route using the EWS Company Train.

In March 2007 Wrexham & Shropshire lodged an application with the Office of Rail Regulation for track access rights to operate services. In September 2007 Wrexham & Shropshire were granted access rights from December 2007 for a seven-year period.

In January 2008 John Laing’s rail operations, including its shareholding in Wrexham & Shropshire, were sold to Deutsche Bahn. After this transaction the shareholders in Wrexham & Shropshire were DB Regio (50%), Renaissance Trains (36%) and John Laing (14%). Operations commenced on 28 April 2008. In September 2009, DB Regio took 100% ownership.

Services

Services were operated by a DB Schenker Class 67, Mark 3 carriages and a Driving Van Trailer. To operate the service, DB Regio purchased a fleet of ex Virgin West Coast Mark 3s and Driving Van Trailers and put them through a refurbishment programme at Marcroft Engineering, Stoke-on-Trent. A dedicated fleet of four Class 67s (012-015) were repainted in Wrexham & Shropshire livery ready for the launch in April 2008 followed by a fifth (010) in April 2009.

When services commenced, none of the carriages were ready so Mark 3s were hired from Cargo-D and operated in top and tail with a Class 67 at each end. The Driving Van Trailers entered service in October 2008, but it would be September 2009 before the first Mark 3s were ready. Originally the four sets consisted of three Mark 3s, this was later increased to four from May 2009 although these were not refurbished internally.

Chiltern Railways Class 168s were cleared to operate on Wrexham & Shropshire’s route and reached Shrewsbury on at least one occasion.

With the reduction in service levels from December 2010, a Mark 3 set was hired to Chiltern Railways to operate a Birmingham Moor Street to London Marylebone peak-hour service.