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Cover image for Rail Express

Rail Express

Jun 01 2026
Magazine

RAIL EXPRESS is Britain's favourite modern rail enthusiast title. Undoubtedly the best for modern traction photography, the magazine keeps readers informed and entertained with undiluted coverage of Britain's railways in the diesel and electric era. First produced in 1996, RE has set a new standard for the hobby, with a clean design, high quality paper and the best reproduction. January 2008 saw the magazine relaunched in an innovative 'supersize' format, showing off the ground-breaking contents to the best advantage. Every issue includes news and analysis covering the present day railway scene, plus the latest preservation developments. Also inside: RAIL EXPRESS Modeler - Diesel & Electric era modeling magazine

Rail Express

HEADLINE NEWS

DRS puts final four ‘Thunderbirds’ up for sale • The auction for the last quartet of ‘heritage’ traction in the DRS fleet, the Class 57/3s, will further reduce the operator’s roster to just 35 locomotives.

TfW Rail reinstates stored Class 153s • More ‘153/3’ and ‘153/9’ sets are returned to traffic to cover for Class 150/2 withdrawals

Mk.2e TSO returns to service • Eastern Rail Services reactivates another carriage

Powerscene • Our authoritative class-by-class review of newsworthy locomotive workings.

Positive Traction offers ‘13e’ • A secondary ‘calf’ locomotive is under conversion to give a more powerful option for the battery ‘08e’.

GBRf removes all RSS ‘08s’ • Following the withdrawal of Class 08s from Whitemoor, shunters have also been axed at two more yards.

New base for Splitbox ‘37’ • Weardale is new home for former Thornaby Class 37

PRESERVATION PICTORIAL

Ex-Transplant FEAs move to York Works • Out of use and denuded of their ‘slinger’ kit for almost a decade, half of the former Transport for London fleet of module flats have moved north to Network Rail’s Holgate facility.

TIME TRAVELLER

‘TT:120’ expands at Hornby

Turbo-charged Bachmann

New ‘Nodding Donkeys’

Heavy metal Deltic • Hornby shows it is capable of museum quality models with its Dublo model of Deltic prototype No. DP1

Cavalex Models scrap steel wagon • A new wagon from Cavalex Models is always awaited with keen anticipation by modellers. How does the brand new JXA scrap steel carrier measure up?

Budget IETs and Azumas • With the trainset market in mind, Hornby releases low cost models of the Hitachi Class 800 in ‘OO’ gauge. It is investigated in our usual thorough style

Suburban modelling in a small space • Terry Tew’s ‘OO’ gauge Greenford Broadway packs a lot of operation into a few square feet of layout.

Go loco for the engine experts

BRITAIN’S 10 LEAST USED STATIONS • Every year, the Office of Rail and Road lists the five least used stations in the country. Widening the scope, Chris Milner looks at the country’s 10 least used stations, along with their history.

Prototype No. 10800 • As British Railways prepared for dieselisation, a number of prototype locomotives were commissioned. Andy Flowers looks at a loco built by the North British Railway which wasn’t very successful.

UK Railtours torrid year continues • It’s been an awful year for one of the country’s leading tour operators.

Freight-only line to be used for temporary passenger service next year

TfL seeking to replace Battery loco fleet

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Formats

  • OverDrive Magazine

Languages

  • English