MILEPOST 38 JULY 2017 I 28 Class 345: Welcome to TfL Rail – from page 140 RPS railway performance society www.railperf.org.uk Milepost 38¼ 73 July 2017 Milepost 38¼ - July 2017 The Quarterly Magazine of the Railway Performance Society Honorary President: John Heaton FCILT Commitee: CHAIRMAN Frank Collins 10 Collett Way, Frome, Somerset BA11 2XR Tel: 01373 466408 e-mail [email protected] VICE CHAIRMAN Michael Rowe Burley Cottage, Parson St., Porlock,Minehead, Somerset, TA24 8QJ . Tel 01643 862182 E-mail: [email protected] SECRETARY Frank Price, Penn House, Middle Common Rd., Pennington, Lymington SO41 8LE Tel: 01590 672235 Email: [email protected] TREASURER Peter Smith 28 Downsview Ave, Storrington, W Sussex, RH20 (and membership) 4PS. Tel 01903 742684 e-mail: [email protected] EDITOR David Ashley 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW. Tel 01895 675178 E-mail: [email protected] Distance Chart Editor Ian Umpleby 314 Stainbeck Rd, Leeds, W Yorks LS7 2LR Tel 0113 266 8588 Email: [email protected] Database/Archivist Lee Allsopp 2 Gainsborough, North Lake, Bracknell, RG12 7WL Tel 01344 648644 e-mail [email protected] Technical Officer David Hobbs 11 Lynton Terrace, Acton, London W3 9DX Tel 020 8993 3788 e-mail [email protected] David Stannard 26 Broomfield Close, Chelford, Macclesfield, Cheshire,SK11 9SL. Tel 01625 861172 e mail: [email protected] Meeting Secretary: Michael Bruce, 234A Otley Rd., Weetwood, Leeds LS16 5AB Tel 0113 305 0367 [email protected] Committee member: David Sage: 93 Salisbury Rd, Burton, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 7JR Tel 01202 249717 E-mail: [email protected] Non-committee official:- Foreign Fastest times: Alan Varley, 285 Chemin de la Costiere, 06000 Nice, France, e-mail: [email protected], German FT: Bill Long - [email protected] Fastest Times Editor Martin Robertson 23 Brownside Rd, Cambuslang, Glasgow, G72 0NL e-mail: [email protected] Directors of The Rail Performance Data Foundation: RPS nominees: Frank Collins, Peter Smith, Frank Price Trustees: John Rishton, Nigel Smedley, David Lloyd Roberts CONTENTS Notices 75 Fastest Times Martin Robertson 78 Sent to Coventry – 28 times David Ashley 84 Farewells Derek Wilson 94 Michael Hedges, Thank you Michael Rowe 102 Recorder’s guide to SNCF: Old and new from Paris Est Alan Varley 109 Swiss Performance: 2015/2016 David Adams 115 Sodra Stambanan Alan Sprod 119 Letters 124 News: Decision making on VTEC John Irving 131 Cumbrian Mountain Express Andrew James 133 More Rocket news David Ashley 134 Rocket 1829 Noel Proudlock 135 High speed runs Jeremy Hartill/Reinhard Doute 136 Class 387 GW extensions David Ashley 138 Welcome to TfL Rail David Ashley 140 Network developments Ian Umpleby 142 Books 143 Enclosures: The Final Flourish – Southern Steam Copyright The Railway Performance Society Ltd, registered in England & Wales No. 04488089 Use of the material in the magazine is permitted only for the private purposes of the reader No material in the magazine can otherwise be used for publication or reproduction in any form without the express permission of the Society Milepost 38¼ 74 July 2017 The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the RPS, the Editors or any of their advisers. Whilst efforts are made to ensure accuracy, the Editor his advisers and the RPS accept no responsibility for any loss or damage arising from any inaccuracies howsoever caused. Readers are asked to note that the RPS encourages contributions from all members, and articles may appear that are interesting in content, but occasionally may not be to the standard of the rest of the publication. Material sent to the Editors, whether commissioned or freely submitted is provided entirely at the contributors own risk; neither the Editor nor the RPS can be held responsible for any loss or damage howsoever caused. Published by The Railway Performance Society Limited, 92 Lawrence Drive, Ickenham, Uxbridge, Middx, UB10 8RW Printed by Prontaprint Harrow, 7 Central Parade, Station Rd., Harrow, Middx, HA1 2TW. PUBLICATION OF MILEPOST Milepost is published in April, July, October, and January. If you have not received your copy by the end of the month of publication it may have gone astray. Requests for replacements of missing or defective copies should be directed please to the Editor. REPRESENTING THE SOCIETY The RPS is always keen to be represented at special media-type occasions. However, we do ask that anyone wishing to do this should do so with the express agreement of the Committee. Should the opportunity arise for any member or in exceptional circumstances, friend of a member, to do this please can contact be made with the Secretary (either by telephone or e-mail) setting out the circumstances of the occasion. Please give us at least one week in advance of the occasion. SUBMITTING ARTICLES Submissions may be sent as attachments to an email or by post as documents on a CD, usb or as a printed document. If sending a CD or usb, please enclose a hard copy of the article; this helps if file(s) are unreadable for any reason. Please send all submissions to the editor whose contact details are in the inside front cover of Milepost. The editor will normally acknowledge email submissions within a few days, and always within 3 weeks. If sending by post and you wish to have a receipt, please enclose an SAE for reply. If you wish any material/CD/usb to be returned, please clearly state this. Guidelines for submission are: Text: Microsoft Word: Margins 25.4mm all around, Titles Arial 14 bold, text Arial 11. Tables: Microsoft Excel Arial 8, but any recognized format can be handled. THE MEETINGS SECTION. TUES 25th JULY 2017 THURS 28th SEPTEMBER 2017 SATURDAY 14th OCTOBER 2017 The Grove Inn, Leeds Royal Oak, Borough The Calthorpe Arms, London 1700 ** Note new time: 1215 ** 1215 Talk by Leslie McAllister: Area Meeting Area Meeting RPSI: Past, present and future DIRECTIONS TO THE VENUES LONDON – The Royal Oak, 44 Tabard Street, London SE1 4JU. From Borough tube station, turn left and at first road junction turn right into Great Dover Street and the almost immediately left into Long Lane. Tabard Street is a few yards on the right (5 minutes walk). OR from London Bridge walk down approach road and turn left into Borough High Street, Turn left by Southwark Local Studies Library, with St Georges Church on right, into Tabard Street. Cross Long Lane and continue down Tabard Street with Royal Oak on right (just over 10 minutes). Please let Richard Howlett know if you are coming on 020 8394 0340 or [email protected] LONDON – The Calthorpe Arms, 252 Grays Inn Road, London WC1. From King’s Cross station cross Euston Rd and turn left towards Grays Inn Road, where you turn right, and walk southwards down Grays Inn Rd. The Calthorpe Arms is on the left (About 10mins walk from King's Cross) OR From Russell Square Piccadilly Line station turn right, then turn first right into Grenville Street then first left into Guilford Street (Great Ormond Street Hospital on right) and walk to the end of Guildford Street Milepost 38¼ 75 July 2017 where it meets Grays Inn Road. The Calthorpe Arms is diagonally left from the end of Guildford Street. We will use the Dining Room upstairs LEEDS – The Grove Inn, Back Row (off Neville Street), Leeds. LS11 5PL Please note that there is a slight change to the directions to The Grove Inn from Leeds City station as follows: The South Entrance to Leeds City station is now open accessed from the west end footbridge. Go down the two escalators from the south entrance there are then a number of ways to get to Neville Street but the easiest way to go forward from the escalator through the doors and turn right down Dark Neville Street at the end turn right onto Neville Street cross the traffic lights (water Street) at the corner of Bridgewater Place tower block turn right and the Grove Inn is visible. Please note that the stairs previously mentioned opposite the south concourse (main concourse) are going to be closed. As before if high winds are forecast and Neville Street is closed please meet outside WH Smith's in the South Concourse and we find somewhere else to meet. BRISTOL PARKWAY - THE BEAUFORT ARMS Members should leave Parkway station along the approach road, passing the bus stops and, at the mini-roundabout where the station approach joins Hatchet Road, turn right. Walk 100 yards and at the next mini-roundabout, turn right again. You are now walking along North Road. Meetings are held at The Beaufort Arms, BS34 8PB, which is on the left side of North Road after a further 50 yards. Meetings start at 16:00 and conclude around 18:30 The Beaufort Arms is open all day and food is served at all times. You can order and eat during the meeting should you wish. Further information is available from John Rishton on 07804 418896 or [email protected] FASTEST TIMES Alan Varley has taken on the compilation of Foreign Fastest Times. Contact details are shown on page 2. This means that UK and Ireland will be managed by Martin Robertson, and others by Alan Varley. HISTORIC FASTEST TIMES Please send contributions for future issues to: [email protected] Or by post to Bevan Price, 24 Walmesley Road, Eccleston, St. Helens, Lancs., WA10 5JT. Logs need not be sent to me, but could you please provide a copy to Lee Allsopp, for the logs database. DISTANCE CHART EDITOR’S REPORT – Ian Umpleby Following a recent visit, a Far North chart should make the July Issue along with three heritage lines.