Rail (Enthusiast) Magazine - No.349 Feb 1999

Rail (Enthusiast) February 1999. Issue No.349

- Front Cover:  The derailed and damaged Northern Spirit Sprinter 156489 at Crosby Garrett, on the Settle and Carlisle line on Jan 15.
 
- Comment:  The Railway Inspectorate should be in charge of safety issues.

- News:  Landslide causes collision on 'S&C'; Midland Metro delayed again.

- Around the Regions:  Island Gardens closes as DLR development continues.

- Wolmar:  The future of rural lines has to be discussed.

- Is there any Future for Regional Eurostar?  Despite £180m spent on trains, not a single Eurostar has carried passengers north of Watford. Howard Johnston questions if there will ever be direct trains from Scotland and Northern England to Paris and Brussels.

- Open Access:  The DETR must be in control and not Railtrack.
 
- Magnificent Severn Beach:  Nearly 100 years old, the Bristol-Severn Beach branch line, operated by Wales & West, could benefit from a number of initiatives to enhance its appeal. John Hunt takes a £2.90 trip along the line and details all its attractions, where to go , what to see and where to take photographs.

- To EWS, the Lion's Share of the Spoils:  Infrastructure maintenance generates huge numbers of trains taking materials to and from sites. Now considered as a core business by EWS, Paul Shannon describes how the infrastructure network operates with recently introduced virtual quarries.
 
- Fleet News:  More EWS locomotives withdrawn and first '66' for Virgin.

- Freight News:  Changes to Home Counties Binliners.

- Insider:  Freight holds the key for network survival..

- Arrivals and Departures:  Changes at Railtrack senior management level.

- Heritage News:  Is Class 40 D213 Andania destined for Butterley?

- Stop and Examine: Phil Haigh takes the hot seat.