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.

History

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. In November 1997, Fragonset commenced its first contract providing locomotives for Virgin CrossCountry. 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.
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. The use of the Class 31s continued until 1999, when Class 150/1 diesel multiple units replaced them. 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.
First Great Western, Midland Mainline and Virgin CrossCountry all hired Class 47s. Wessex Trains hired Class 31s to haul passenger services from Bristol-Weymouth and Bristol-Brighton with 31601 repainted into Wessex Trains pink livery. First North Western hired Class 31s to work Blackpool-Manchester-Chester services.
Railtrack hired 31190 and 31601 to haul test trains. Both locomotives were repainted into Railtrack's blue and lime green livery. Network Rail 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. 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 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. In August 2005, the business of Hertfordshire Rail Tours was purchased.
FM Rail launched its new livery in September 2005, when 47832 was repainted for a Crewe Works open day.
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. 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.
In 2006, FM Rail concluded a deal to lease the former depot site at Coalville in Leicestershire. 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.
The administrator sold the Fragonset Railways Maintenance business to Rail Vehicle Engineering Limited, a company founded by former FM Rail managing director Andy Lynch; this business has since been sold to Loram and rebranded as Loram UK. 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 £.

Fleet details

Key:Not in UsePreservedSold for further useScrapped

NumberClassNameLiveryYear
Acquired		Previous OperatorStatus
3110531-Trans-Rail1999ex-EWSSold to Network Rail in 2003
3110631Spalding TownBR blue1999ex-EWSNever owned by Fragonset - property of Howard Johnston
3110731-Black1999ex-EWSScrapped CF Booth in 2009
3112831CharybdisFragonset Black1999ex-EWSAlways privately owned
3115431-Civil Engineers2001ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3119031-BR Green1999ex-EWSPrivately owned
3123331-Civil Engineers2000ex-EWSSold to Network Rail in 2003
3128531-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSSold to Network Rail in 2003
3128931-BR Blue1999ex-EWSSold to Northampton & Lamport Railway
3130131-Railfreight Grey/Red Stripe1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
3140731-Mainline Freight Blue1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3141131-Departmental Grey1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
3141231-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3141531-BR Blue1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
3141731-Departmental Grey1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
3142231-InterCity Mainline1999ex-EWSStored serviceably - used as static generator
3142331-InterCity Mainline1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
3142631-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3143331-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3143731-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
3143931-Regional Railways1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
3145231MinotaurDevon & Cornwall Railways Green1998ex-EWSSold to ECT Mainline Rail
3145431The Heart of WessexInterCity Swallow1999ex-EWSSold to ECT Mainline Rail
3145931CerberusFM Rail Black1998ex-EWSSold to Network Rail in 2006
3146031-BR Blue1999ex-EWSScrapped at Stockton-on-Tees in 2006
3146131-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSSold to Cotswold Rail in 2007
3146231-Departmental Grey1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3146831HydraFragonset Black1998ex-EWSSold to ECT Mainline Rail
3152431-Civil Engineers1999ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
3154931-Civil Engineers1998ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
3155831-Civil Engineers1998ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
3160131Devon & Cornwall Railways Green1998ex-EWSSold to ECT Mainline Rail
3160231-unbranaded Network Rail Yellow1998ex-EWSSold to Hanson Traction
3301933GriffonCivil Engineers2003ex-Harry Needle Railroad CompanyPrivately owned
3302133EastleighFragonset Black1999ex-EWSPrivately owned
3310333SwordfishBR Blue2002ex-EWSPrivately owned
3310833VampireFragonset Black1999ex-EWSPreserved on Swanage Railway in 2005
3320233Fragonset Black2002ex-EWSSold to Cotswold Rail
3725537-Civil Engineers2002ex-EWSPrivately owned
4705347-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4718647-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4720147-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4721147-Railfreight Distribution2001ex-EWSScrapped at Eastleigh Works in 2004
4721947-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4722647-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4722847-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4722947-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSScrapped at Stockton-on-Tees in 2006
4723647-Railfreight Distribution 1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
4728047-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4728547-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
4729347-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4730747-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4731347-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4731447-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4733547-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4734847-Railfreight Distribution 2001ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
4735547AvocetFM Rail Freight Black2000ex-EWSReactivated by West Coast Railways 2010
4736047-Railfreight Distribution 2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4736347-Railfreight Distribution2000ex-EWSWithdrawn
4736847-Trainload Freight Grey2000ex-EWSWithdrawn
4737547-Rail Blue2000ex-EWSNemesis Rail
4747147-InterCity Executive2002ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
4748847-BR Two Tone Green1997ex-Waterman RailwaysNemesis Rail
4748947-Parcels Red1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
4752547-Railfreight Distribution 1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
4752647-BR Blue Large Logo1999ex-EWSWithdrawn
4754747-Network SouthEast2002ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
4755047-InterCity Mainline2000ex-EWSWithdrawn
4757447-Rail Express Systems Red2002ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
4762847-Rail Express Systems2000ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
4764047-BR Blue2003ex-EWSPrivately owned
4770147WaverleyBR Two-tone Green 1997ex-Waterman RailwaysPurchased direct from Waterman Railways by the Lear Family, based at Dartmoor Railway
4770347HermesFragonset Black1997ex-Waterman RailwaysSold to Cotswold Rail in 2007
4770447-Rail Express Systems2000ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
4770747-Rail Express Systems2000ex-EWSWithdrawn
4771047-Fragonset Black1997ex-Waterman RailwaysSold for scrap in 2007
4770947DionysosBlue Pullman1997ex-Waterman RailwaysSold to Direct Rail Services, 2007
4771247ArtemisBlue Pullman1997ex-Waterman RailwaysSold to Direct Rail Services, 2007
4771547PoseidonFragonset Black2000ex-EWSSold to Cotswold Rail, 2007
4771647-Rail Express Systems2000ex-EWSOn loan to Dartmoor Railway
4771747-BR Parcels Red2000ex-EWSSold for scrap in 2007
4774447-EWS2005ex-EWSStored
4776747-EWS2005ex-EWSStored
4778047-Rail Express Systems2004ex-EWSStored
4780347-Infrastructure2000ex-EWSWithdrawn
4783247Driver Tom Clark OBEVicta Westlink Rail Black & White2004ex-First Great WesternSold to Victa Westlink Rail
4797247-Central Services2000ex-EWSWithdrawn
5601156-EWS2005ex-EWSStored at Coalville
5602156-Trainload Freight2005ex-EWSStored at Coalville
5602256-Trans-Rail2003ex-EWSScrapped at EMR Kingsbury in 2012
5606156-Trainload Freight Metals2005ex-EWSScrapped at Stockton-on-Tees in 2006
5606656-Trans-Rail2004ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2005
5612556-Fastline2003ex-EWSSold to Fastline
7310373-InterCity Executive2002ex-EWSWithdrawn
7310473-InterCity Executive2002ex-EWSStored
7310573-Civil Engineers2002ex-EWSOn loan to Battlefield Line Railway
7310773SpitfireFragonset Black 2002ex-EWSSold to RT Rail, 2007
7311473-BR Blue Large Logo2002ex-EWSOn loan to Battlefield Line Railway
7311773-InterCity Executive2002ex-EWSOn loan to Dartmoor Railway
7313273-InterCity Executive2004ex-EWSScrapped at CF Booth in 2006
7313473-InterCity Executive2002ex-EWSOn loan to Dartmoor Railway
7313973-InterCity Executive2002ex-EWSStored
8621286-Virgin Trains2004ex-Virgin TrainsStored serviceably
8621786-Anglia Railways2004ex-OneStored serviceably
8622386-Anglia Railways2004ex-OneStored serviceably
8622986-Virgin Trains2004ex-Virgin TrainsStored serviceably
8623186-Virgin Trains2004ex-Virgin TrainsStored serviceably
8623386-BR Electric Blue2004ex-Virgin TrainsStored serviceably
8623586-Anglia Railways2006ex-OneStored serviceably
8625086-Anglia Railways2004ex-OneStored serviceably
8625186-Virgin Trains2004ex-Virgin TrainsStored serviceably