FM Rail

File:31128 'Charybdis' at Bristol Temple Meads.JPG Charybdis at Bristol Temple Meads in July 2004]]

File:47715 Poseidon British Rail Class 47.7a locomotive - National Railway Museum - York - 2005-10-15.jpg at the National Railway Museum, York in October 2005]]

File:47145 Barrow Hill.JPG at Barrow Hill in July 2006]]

File:Hugh llewelyn 31 106 (5624693144).jpg at Bristol Temple Meads in March 2009]]

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.{{cite magazine |title= Class 47 owner Fragonset to use BRM as temporary base | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1156 |date= August 1997 |page=11}} In November 1997, Fragonset commenced its first contract providing locomotives for Virgin CrossCountry.{{cite magazine |title= Fragonset 47s enter service for Virgin | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1161 |date= January 1998 |page=9}} 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.{{cite magazine |title= First loco emerges from Fragonset Derby plant | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1187 |date= March 2000 |page=9}}

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.{{cite magazine |title= Bedford-Bletchley trial is shop window for Fragonset Railways | magazine = Rail Magazine |issue=342 |date= 21 October 1998 |page=9}} The use of the Class 31s continued until 1999, when Class 150/1 diesel multiple units replaced them.{{cite magazine |title= Martston Vale 31s to end | magazine = Rail Magazine |issue=365 |date= 8 September 1999 |page=52}} 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.{{cite magazine |title= Fragonset increases its loco fleet to 75 | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1212 |date= April 2001 |page=8}}

First Great Western, Midland Mainline and Virgin CrossCountry all hired Class 47s.{{cite magazine |title= Loco-hauled trains return to St Pancras schedules | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1211 |date= March 2002 |page=30}}{{cite magazine |title= Locomotives return to London St Pancras | magazine = Rail Magazine |issue=430 |date= 6 March 2002 |page=12}} Wessex Trains hired Class 31s to haul passenger services from Bristol-Weymouth and Bristol-Brighton with 31601 repainted into Wessex Trains pink livery.{{cite magazine |title= Locomotive Haulage…there's more than you think! | magazine = Rail Magazine |issue=458 |date= 2 April 2003 |page=49}} First North Western hired Class 31s to work Blackpool-Manchester-Chester services.{{cite magazine |title= Loco fade-out at Blackpool | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1246 |date= February 2005 |page=11}}

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 received its train operating licence in July 2002.{{cite magazine |title= Merlin Rail and Wessex enter charter market | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1211 |date= March 2002 |page=102}}{{cite magazine |title= Merlin's One Stop Shop | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1222 |date= February 2003 |page=73}}{{cite magazine |title= Merlin takes off at last | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1222 |date= February 2003 |page=75}} 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.

In January 2005, Fragonset and Merlin merged to form FM Rail.{{cite magazine |title= Fragonset Railways joins with Merlin Rail and FM Rail is born | magazine = Rail Express |issue=105 |date= February 2005 |page=6}}{{cite magazine |title= Fragonset and Merlin merge to form FM Rail | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1246 |date= February 2005 |page=11}}{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail is born as Fragonset and Merlin merge | magazine = Entrain |issue=39 |date= March 2005 |page=20}} In August 2005, the business of Hertfordshire Rail Tours was purchased.{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail buys Hertfordshire Railtours | magazine = Rail Express |issue=112 |date= September 2005 |page=11}}{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail to take over Hertfordshire Railtours | magazine = Entrain |issue=46 |date= October 2005 |page=9}}{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail to buy Herfordshire Rail Tours | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1254 |date= October 2005 |page=8}}

FM Rail launched its new livery in September 2005, when 47832 was repainted for a Crewe Works open day.{{cite magazine |title= New look for FM Rail | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1255 |date= November 2005 |page=67}}

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.{{cite magazine |title= Blue Pullman makes a comeback | magazine = Rail Express |issue=113 |date= October 2005 |page=5}}{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail unveils first Blue Pullman coach | magazine = Today's Railways UK |issue=49 |date= January 2006 |page=61}}{{cite magazine |title= FM turns VT Mk2s into Blue Pullmans - Class 47s next | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1257 |date= January 2006 |page=78}} 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.{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail's first freight train | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1260 |date= April 2006 |page=7}}

In 2006, FM Rail concluded a deal to lease the former depot site at Coalville in Leicestershire.{{cite magazine |title= FM finally moves into Coalville storage depot | magazine = Rail Magazine |issue=542 |date= 21 June 2006 |page=15}} 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.

In December 2006, Begbies Traynor was appointed as administrator of FM Rail.{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail in administration as finances collapse | magazine = Rail Express |issue=128 |date= January 2007 |page=5}}{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail in administration | magazine = Today's Railways UK |issue=62 |date= February 2007 |page=14}}{{cite magazine |title= Administrators start dismantling FM Rail empire | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1271 |date= March 2007 |page=10}}

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.{{cite magazine |title= 22 jobs saved at FM Rail | magazine = Rail Magazine |issue=557 |date= 17 January 2007 |page=9}} 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 £.{{cite magazine |title= FM Rail creditors lose out | magazine = The Railway Magazine |issue=1349 |date= September 2013 |page=10}}

{{Reflist}}

{{British Rail Spot Hire Companies|state=collapsed}}

Category:Post-privatisation British railway companies

Category:Railway companies established in 1997

Category:Railway companies disestablished in 2006

Category:1997 establishments in England

Category:2006 disestablishments in England

Category:British companies disestablished in 2006

Category:British companies established in 1997