FM Rail

FM Rail was a railway charter company based in Derby, England. The company was formed when spot hire company Fragonset Railways and charter operator Merlin Rail merged. It went into administration in 2006.

FM Rail
PredecessorFragonset
Merlin Rail
FoundedSeptember 1997
FounderMark Sargent
DefunctDecember 2006
Headquarters
Derby
Area served
United Kingdom
ServicesFreight operating company

History
31128 Charybdis at Bristol Temple Meads in July 2004
47715 at the National Railway Museum, York in October 2005
47145 at Barrow Hill in July 2006
31106 at Bristol Temple Meads in March 2009

Fragonset Railways

Fragonset Railways was formed in 1997 as a spot hire company when four Class 47/7 locomotives were purchased from Waterman Railways with the operation initially based at the Tyseley Locomotive Works.[1] In November 1997, Fragonset commenced its first contract providing locomotives for Virgin CrossCountry.[2] A further Class 47/7 owned by the Lear family was also managed. A permanent base was established at the Railway Technical Centre, Derby. The locomotives were repainted into a new livery of black with a broad maroon mid-bodyside stripe.[3]

In 1998, Fragonset purchased several redundant Class 31 locomotives from EWS. The first of these, 31452, was quickly repaired at the company's base at Tyseley Locomotive Works. A further four Class 31s quickly followed. They were initially employed on Silverlink services on the Marston Vale Line, operating in top and tail mode with two carriages.[4] The use of the Class 31s continued until 1999, when Class 150/1 diesel multiple units replaced them.[5] Following this, the Class 31 fleet was employed on a variety of duties, including hire to WAGN to haul electrical multiple units between depots for maintenance.

Fragonset would go on to purchase many redundant locomotives from EWS, mainly of classes 31, 33, 47 and 73. By 2002 it had purchased 75.[6]

First Great Western, Midland Mainline and Virgin CrossCountry all hired Class 47s.[7][8] Wessex Trains hired Class 31s to haul passenger services from Bristol-Weymouth and Bristol-Brighton with 31601 repainted into Wessex Trains pink livery.[9] First North Western hired Class 31s to work Blackpool-Manchester-Chester services.[10]

Railtrack hired 31190 and 31601 to haul test trains. Both locomotives were repainted into Railtrack's blue and lime green livery. Network Rail (Railtrack's successor) purchased its own fleet of 31s, so no longer required the Fragonset locomotives. First GBRf hired Class 73s to supplement its own fleet.

South West Trains hired Class 33s and 73s to act as Thunderbird rescue locomotives. West Coast Railways hired 31190, repainted into Royal Scotsman maroon livery.

Some locomotives, notably 47355 and 73107, were repainted into a freight livery of all-over black with large Fragonset lettering.

Merlin Rail

Merlin received its train operating licence in July 2002.[11][12][13] It was originally very decentralised, considering itself to be a "virtual company" operating over the internet with no central office, although the control office was initially in Maidstone, Kent. As the business grew the need for a central location became apparent and offices at Wyvern House, by Derby station, were rented from mid-2003.

Merlin saw itself as an operator of specialist, individually planned trains, and felt that such trains were not the core activity for conventional train operating companies and therefore did not always enjoy the best of operational and organisational arrangements. Merlin believed that a dedicated specialist train operator in this niche market could provide a high quality total service for all potential clients requiring individually planned trains.

Merlin was the first train operator to receive approval through the stringent Railway (Safety Case) Regulations, 2000, and held one of the widest railway safety cases, allowing full geographic coverage of the network with all classes and types of conventional locomotives, passenger rolling stock and loaded and unloaded freight vehicles. It was specifically authorised to operate new, unusual and novel vehicles.

FM Rail

In January 2005, Fragonset and Merlin merged to form FM Rail.[14][15][16] In August 2005, the business of Hertfordshire Rail Tours was purchased.[17][18][19]

FM Rail launched its new livery in September 2005, when 47832 was repainted for a Crewe Works open day.[20]

In January 2006, the Blue Pullman was launched, and two Class 47 locomotives were repainted into a Nanking blue livery to match the coaching stock.[21][22][23] In 2006, FM Rail purchased the assets of Pathfinder Tours, another railtour operator, in conjunction with Riviera Trains.

In February 2006, FM Rail operated its first freight service on behalf of Fastline between Doncaster and York.[24]

In 2006, FM Rail concluded a deal to lease the former depot site at Coalville in Leicestershire.[25] It was planned to move most of its withdrawn stock there to reduce costs. Other locomotives were disposed of once they had yielded spare parts.

Administration

In December 2006, Begbies Traynor was appointed as administrator of FM Rail.[26][27][28]

The administrator sold the Fragonset Railways Maintenance business to Rail Vehicle Engineering Limited (RVEL), a company founded by former FM Rail managing director Andy Lynch; this business has since been sold to Loram and rebranded as Loram UK.[29] The Merlin Rail train operating licence and railtour operator Hertfordshire Rail Tours was sold to Victa Westlink Rail, which later itself also went into administration, the majority of which was then absorbed by Stobart Rail.

The business affairs were not resolved until June 2013, when unsecured creditors received payments of 2p in the £.[30]

Fleet details
Key: Not in Use Preserved Sold for further use Scrapped


Number Class Name Livery Year
Acquired		 Previous Operator Status
31105 31 - Network Rail Yellow 1999 ex-EWS Sold to Network Rail in 2003, preserved at Mangapps Railway Museum in 2018.
31106 31 Spalding Town BR blue 1999 ex-EWS Never owned by Fragonset - property of Howard Johnston
31107 31 - Black 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped CF Booth in 2009
31128 31 Charybdis BR Blue 1999 ex-EWS Always privately owned
31154 31 - Civil Engineers 2001 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31190 31 - BR Golden Ochre 1999 ex-EWS Privately owned
31233 31 - Network Rail Yellow 2000 ex-EWS Sold to Network Rail in 2003, preserved at Mangapps Railway Museum in 2019.
31285 31 - Network Rail Yellow 1999 ex-EWS Sold to Network Rail in 2003, preserved at the Weardale Railway.
31289 31 - Blue 1999 ex-EWS Sold to Northampton & Lamport Railway
31301 31 - Railfreight Grey/Red Stripe 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in February 2011
31407 31 - Mainline Freight Blue 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31411 31 - Departmental Grey 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
31412 31 - Civil Engineers 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31415 31 - BR Blue 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2009
31417 31 - Departmental Grey 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
31422 31 - InterCity Mainline 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2014
31423 31 - InterCity Mainline 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at T.J Thomson of Stockton in 2011
31426 31 - Civil Engineers 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31433 31 - Civil Engineers 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31437 31 - Civil Engineers 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2011
31439 31 - Regional Railways 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2011
31452 31 Minotaur Devon & Cornwall Railways Green 1998 ex-EWS Sold to ECT Mainline Rail
31454 31 The Heart of Wessex InterCity Swallow 1999 ex-EWS Sold to ECT Mainline Rail
31459 31 Cerberus FM Rail Black 1998 ex-EWS Sold to Network Rail in 2006
31460 31 - BR Blue 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at Stockton-on-Tees in 2006
31461 31 - Civil Engineers 1999 ex-EWS Stored with Nemesis Rail
31462 31 - Departmental Grey 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31468 31 Hydra Fragonset Black 1998 ex-EWS Scrapped at Weardale Railway in 2018
31524 31 - Civil Engineers 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
31549 31 - Civil Engineers 1998 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
31558 31 - Civil Engineers 1998 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
31601 31 Devon & Cornwall Railways Grey 1998 ex-EWS Preserved on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway
31602 31 - Network Rail Yellow 1998 ex-EWS Scrapped at Weardale Railway in 2018
33019 33 Griffon Civil Engineers 2003 ex-Harry Needle Railroad Company Privately owned
33021 33 Eastleigh Rail Expess Systems Red 1999 ex-EWS Preserved at the Churnet Valley Railway
33103 33 Swordfish BR departmental Grey 2002 ex-EWS Preserved on the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, in preservation since 2009
33108 33 Vampire Fragonset Black 1999 ex-EWS Preserved on Swanage Railway in 2005
33202 33 Fragonset Black 2002 ex-EWS Preserved at the Mid Norfolk Railway
37255 37 - Civil Engineers 2002 ex-EWS Stored with Nemesis Rail
47053 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47186 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47201 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47211 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2001 ex-EWS Scrapped at Eastleigh Works in 2004
47219 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47226 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47228 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47229 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at TJ Thomson's of Stockton in 2006
47236 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 1999 ex-EWS Stripped for parts by West Coast Railways, only the cab survives.
47280 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47285 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
47293 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47307 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47313 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47314 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47335 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47348 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2001 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
47355 47 Avocet FM Rail Freight Black 2000 ex-EWS Reactivated by West Coast Railways 2010
47360 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47363 47 - Railfreight Distribution 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2010
47368 47 - Trainload Freight Grey 2000 ex-EWS Stripped for parts by West Coast Railways.
47375 47 - Rail Blue 2000 ex-EWS Exported to Hungary in 2015
47471 47 - InterCity Executive 2002 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
47488 47 - BR Two Tone Green 1997 ex-Waterman Railways Stored with Nemesis Rail
47489 47 - Rail Expess Systems Red 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2010
47525 47 - Railfreight Distribution (Revised) 1999 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2010
47526 47 - BR Blue Large Logo 1999 ex-EWS Stripped for parts by West Coast Railways.
47547 47 - Network SouthEast 2002 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
47550 47 - InterCity Mainline 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2010
47574 47 - Rail Express Systems Red 2002 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
47628 47 - Rail Express Systems 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
47640 47 - BR Large Logo 2003 ex-EWS Preserved at The Battlefield Line
47701 47 Waverley BR Blue with silver roof 1997 ex-Waterman Railways Stored with Nemesis Rail
47703 47 Hermes faded Fragonset Black 1997 ex-Waterman Railways Sold to Cotswold Rail in 2007, currently with HNRC, in use as a generator for coaches.
47704 47 - Rail Express Systems 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
47707 47 - Rail Express Systems 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2010
47710 47 - Fragonset Black 1997 ex-Waterman Railways Sold for scrap in 2007
47709 47 Dionysos Blue Pullman 1997 ex-Waterman Railways Sold to Direct Rail Services, 2007, Scrapped at Eastleigh Works in September 2012.
47712 47 Artemis BR Scotrail 1997 ex-Waterman Railways Sold to Direct Rail Services, 2007, currently with Locomotive Services Limited in active service.
47715 47 Poseidon Network Southeast 2000 ex-EWS Sold to Cotswold Rail, 2007, currently with Harry Needle Railroad Company.
47716 47 - Rail Express Systems 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2010
47717 47 - BR Parcels Red 2000 ex-EWS Sold for scrap in 2007
47744 47 - EWS 2005 ex-EWS Stored with Nemesis Rail
47767 47 - EWS 2005 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2009
47780 47 - Rail Express Systems 2004 ex-EWS Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2007
47803 47 - Infrastructure 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at Ron Hull of Rotherham in 2007
47832 47 Driver Tom Clark OBE West Coast Railways Maroon 2004 ex-First Great Western Sold to Victa Westlink Rail, sold to Direct Rail Services in 2008 and to West Coast Railways in 2014.
47972 47 - Central Services 2000 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2010
56011 56 - EWS 2005 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2009
56021 56 - Trainload Freight 2005 ex-EWS Scrapped at TJ Thomson's of Stockton in 2009
56022 56 - Trans-Rail 2003 ex-EWS Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2012
56061 56 - Trainload Freight Metals 2005 ex-EWS Scrapped at TJ Thomson's of Stockton in 2006
56066 56 - Trans-Rail 2004 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2005
56125 56 - Fastline 2003 ex-EWS Sold to Fastline
73103 73 - Caledonian Sleeper 2002 ex-EWS Converted to 73970
73104 73 - Network Rail Yellow 2002 ex-EWS Converted to 73951
73105 73 - Caledonian Sleeper 2002 ex-EWS Converted to 73969
73107 73 Tracy GB Railfreight 2002 ex-EWS Sold to RT Rail, 2007, returned to service with GB Railfreight in 2008
73114 73 - BR Blue Large Logo 2002 ex-EWS preserved at the Battlefield Line Railway
73117 73 - Caledonian Sleeper 2002 ex-EWS Converted to 73968
73132 73 - InterCity Executive 2004 ex-EWS Scrapped at CF Booth in 2006
73134 73 - InterCity Executive 2002 ex-EWS Stored at Loughborough with GB Railfreight
73139 73 - Loram UK Grey 2002 ex-EWS Stored at Eastleigh Works
86212 86 - Virgin Trains 2004 ex-Virgin Trains Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2012
86217 86 - Anglia Railways 2004 ex-One Exported to Hungary in 2012
86223 86 - Anglia Railways 2004 ex-One Scrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2011
86229 86 - Virgin Trains 2004 ex-Virgin Trains Scrapped at CF Booth in 2015
86231 86 - Virgin Trains 2004 ex-Virgin Trains Exported to Bulgaria in 2016
86233 86 - BR Electric Blue 2004 ex-Virgin Trains Exported to Bulgaria in 2012
86235 86 - Anglia Railways 2006 ex-One Exported to Bulgaria in 2016
86250 86 - Anglia Railways 2004 ex-One Exported to Hungary in 2012
86251 86 - Virgin Trains 2004 ex-Virgin Trains Stripped for parts by Freightliner

References
  1. "Class 47 owner Fragonset to use BRM as temporary base" The Railway Magazine issue 1156 August 1997 page 11
  2. "Fragonset 47s enter service for Virgin" The Railway Magazine issue 1161 January 1998 page 9
  3. "First loco emerges from Fragonset Derby plant" The Railway Magazine issue 1187 March 2000 page 9
  4. "Bedford-Bletchley trial is shop window for Fragonset Railways" Rail’issue 342 21 October 1998 page 9
  5. "Martston Vale 31s to end" Rail’issue 365 8 September 1999 page 52
  6. "Fragonset increases its loco fleet to 75" The Railway Magazine issue 1212 April 2002 page 8
  7. "Loco-hauled trains return to St Pancras schedules" The Railway Magazine issue 1211 March 2002 page 30
  8. "Locomotives return to London St Pancras" Rail issue 430 6 March 2002 page 12
  9. "Locomotive Haulage…there's more than you think!" Rail issue 458 2 April 2003 page 49
  10. "Loco fade-out at Blackpool" The Railway Magazine issue 1246 February 2005 page 11
  11. "Merlin Rail and Wessex enter charter market" The Railway Magazine issue 1211 March 2002 page 102
  12. "Merlin's One Stop Shop" The Railway Magazine issue 1222 February 2003 page 73
  13. "Merlin takes off at last" The Railway Magazine issue 1222 February 2003 page 75
  14. "Fragonset Railways joins with Merlin Rail and FM Rail is born" Rail Express issue 105 February 2005 page 6
  15. "Fragonset and Merlin merge to form FM Rail" The Railway Magazine issue 1246 February 2005 page 11
  16. "FM Rail is born as Fragonset and Merlin merge" Entrain issue 39 March 2005 page 20
  17. "FM Rail buys Hertfordshire Railtours" Rail Express issue 112 September 2005 page 11
  18. "FM Rail to take over Hertfordshire Railtours" Entrain issue 46 October 2005 page 9
  19. "FM Rail to buy Herfordshire Rail Tours" The Railway Magazine issue 1254 October 2005 page 8
  20. "New look for FM Rail" The Railway Magazine issue 1255 November 2005 page 67
  21. "Blue Pullman makes a comeback" Rail Express issue 113 October 2005 page 5
  22. "FM Rail unveils first Blue Pullman coach" Today's Railways UK issue 49 January 2006 page 61
  23. "FM turns VT Mk2s into Blue Pullmans - Class 47s next" The Railway Magazine issue 1257 January 2006 page 78
  24. "FM Rail's first freight train" The Railway Magazine issue 1260 1 April 2006 page 7
  25. FM finally moves into Coalville storage depot Rail issue 542 21 June 2006 page 15
  26. "FM Rail in administration as finances collapse" Rail Express issue 128 January 2007 page 5
  27. "FM Rail in administration" Today's Railways UK issue 62 February 2007 page 14
  28. "Administrators start dismantling FM Rail empire" The Railway Magazine issue 1271 March 2007 page 10
  29. 22 jobs saved at FM Rail Rail issue 557 17 January 2007 page 9
  30. "FM Rail creditors lose out" The Railway Magazine issue 1349 September 2013 page 10
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