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THE National Railway Heritage Awards 2025, as featured on pages 64-67, has for many highlighted the rich transformation of the public awareness of Britain's rich railway legacy, as reinforced by the splendid Railway 200 landmark celebratory programme. The post-Beeching decades in which far too many redundant railway structures were cast aside and bulldozed in the cause of quick commercial progress without a second thought to their true historical value to their locality, region, or the nation now seem a distant memory, although we can never sit back and take current positive thinking for granted. Take, for example, the case of Richmond station, where a £235,000 transformation which started two years ago restored its magnificent Art Deco glory with its facade leading to it now being hailed as "the prettiest station…
DECEMBER 8 marked an historic occasion for GER 0-4-0ST 'Coffee Pot' No. 229 as it returned to its home region and was to be found in steam outside London's Liverpool Street station as part of a Railway 200 celebration organised by local Freemasons. Built by Neilson & Co works in 1876, No. 229 ended its working years with the GER at nearby Stratford depot as a shunter. In 1917, it was sold to the Admiralty and moved to Chepstow's Beachley dock, and although it returned to home territory when it was taken to the former North Woolwich museum, until now it had never been seen in steam back in the region, its last date in commercial use believed to be in about 1954. Owned by Bill Parker, of the Flour…
ALSTOM has scooped two awards for its sell-out record-breaking Railway 200 event The Greatest Gathering. Organisers of the world's largestever gathering of historic and modern trains - held at Alstom's 90acre Derby Litchurch Lane Works on August 1-3, as featured in Heritage Railway issue 336 - carried off the Star Team Award at the 2025 Heart of Gold Awards, which is organised by the Railway Benefit Fund to celebrate those in the rail industry who make a real difference. Award winners were announced at Railpen's new London offices and presented with their honours by charity president Pete Waterman OBE and Jo Kaye, the fund's chief executive officer. The next day, The Greatest Gathering won a Project Team Award at the Rail Staff Awards 2025 at the National Exhibition Centre near…
AN investigation was underway into a collision between unique BR Standard Class 8 Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester and a buffer stop during shunting moves with its support coach within Hanwell Loop near Southall at 8.40pm on December 6. Following the steam-hauled leg of Saphos Trains’ ‘The Bath Christmas Market Express’ from Ely via Southall to Bath, No. 71000 came into contact with the buffer stop at Hanwell East Spur. Train operator Locomotive Services Limited said: “This was a very slow-speed move, and no passengers were involved. There was no damage to the locomotive and no staff were hurt. LSL TOC is carrying out a full investigation involving the relevant parties.” No. 71000 returned to action to head its Steam Dreams excursion from London Victoria to Bath on December…
BO’NESS & Kinneil Railway-based BR Standard 4MT No. 80105 has been withdrawn from service following a currently undisclosed boiler failure, meaning that its year-long loan to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway from mid-February will not go ahead. Preserved by the Locomotive Owners’ Group (Scotland) Ltd in 1973, its most recent overhaul was completed in the autumn of 2024. Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway press officer Ian Crowder confirmed that the search for a replacement was ongoing.…
THE Great Central Railway (Nottingham) has asked the Secretary of State for Transport for permission to run public services after 6pm. Under the Transport and Works Act 1992, the railway is subject to certain restrictions which do not permit passenger trains to run after this time, although freight and engineering trains are allowed to use the line at any time. In a formal application submitted on December 1, the railway asked for written consent to make a small amendment to the operating restrictions to run a single train on no more than two evenings a week and finishing no later than 10pm. Starting at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre in Ruddington, the proposed train would run south through Rushcliffe Halt and across Stanford Viaduct, before returning north. The request is…
