Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 317 i Heritage Railway

THE Swanage Railway has called time on its current plans to run services to Wareham after finding that a two-year trial proved commercially unviable. Swanage RailwayTrust chairman Frank Roberts said:“I would like to thank our dedicated and professional staff and volunteers who worked so hard to put the infrastructure in place so the Swanage Railway could operate its two-year trial heritage diesel train service to the main line atWareham in 2017 and 2023. “My grateful thanks are also due to our valued and appreciated partners and stakeholders – local councils, Network Rail, SouthWestern Railway (previously SouthWestTrains) and the Government’s Coastal Communities Fund – for their enduring commitment and assistance. “While our trial heritage train service on the busy Network Rail main line into Wareham was operationally successful, it did not…

THE North Norfolk Railway has appointed Graham Hukins as interim general manager. A railway statement said: “Hugh Harkett has been quite unwell for a several weeks and required hospital treatment earlier this month. His doctors have advised him to take it easy for several weeks. “In light of this, Hugh has temporarily stepped back from the managing director role for a period of time to enable his recuperation. Given the urgent need for day-to-day management of the railway at the start of a new season, Graham Hukins has been appointed as interim general manager.“ 'Honoured' Graham, the line’s commercial, business and administration manager, said:“Firstly, very best wishes to Hugh for a speedy recovery following his unscheduled visit to‘the works’. I am honoured and humbled that the board has asked me…

THE 6201 Princess Elizabeth Society Ltd has revealed that work to dismantle the LMS 4-6-2 has commenced at Carnforth, ahead of an eventual overhaul getting underway. In 2022, No. 6201 was found to have a cracked boiler throatplate which necessitated its withdrawal from service for investigation. Subsequent non-destructive examinations recommend the removal of all boiler fittings and attachments for examination; with the boiler ticket not far off expiring at the time, the work required would have likely necessitated a boiler lift and so the locomotive has since remained stored at Carnforth. On February 28, the owning group confirmed that No. 6201 had moved into the workshops, where it is being stripped down for a full condition assessment that will determine the costs involved in undertaking a thorough overhaul. While the…

THE NeneValley Railway has appointed Tracey Spring as its new general manager. Tracey has carried out the duties on an interim basis since the previous general manager, Sarah Piggott, left the role. A statement said: “The NVR board wish to congratulate Tracey on her appointment as general manager. She has shown over the past few months that she has the enthusiasm and expertise to successfully manage our railway and we hope that all people, volunteers, and staff, will give her their utmost support.” Tracey said: “I am delighted to have been given this opportunity and I thank the board in its belief and support in my appointment. I have been at the railway for just over four years, 3½ years as deputy general manager and the last six months as…

THE Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company is recruiting what it says may be surely the most unique engineering career position in the UK! The company is seeking an engineer for the award-winning steampowered paddle steamer PSKingswear Castle, which operates on the River Dart from Dartmouth. Built in 1924 on the Dart itself (its engines are even older, dating back to 1904, eight years before the sinking of the Titanic), it now operates on home waters once more and is a member of Britain’s historic fleet, being officially listed as of pre-eminent national importance as the last remaining coal-fired paddle steamer in operation in the UK today. Applications are invited from fit and healthy individuals, preferably with a measure of experience with (coal) steam-powered engines and a desire to…

NEWS A MUCH-LOVED member of the Great Central Railway fleet bowed out of traffic in February and is now set to wait several years before it steams again. As a child I used to raid my late father’s book collection. One of our favourite books was Main Line Lament by ColinWalker, a wonderful book charting the GWR through the BR era. One chapter looked at the Annesley toWoodford Runners, which Robert Riddles BR Standard 9F 2-10-0s came to dominate for nine years from 1956 until the traffic was moved away. Colin wrote: “The sight of their 10-coupled driving wheels racing around and exhaust frothing above their smokeboxes before falling behind in a trail as long as their rattling bouncing trains was quite unforgettable”. More than 30 9Fs were allocated to…

THE Mid-Suffolk Light Railway’s Easter Steam Up weekend will feature Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 1219 of 1910 Caledonia Works visiting from Blaenavon’s Heritage Railway as its duty locomotive for the coming season. The locomotive, which was delivered new to Stewart & Lloyd Ltd at Clydedale Works in Mossend, near Motherwell, will be in operation on all of the line’s open days this year and will stay at least until the Everything Goes day on September 1. The March 31/April 1 event, the first big weekend of the line’s 2024 season, will also feature the 1906-built Cockerill Steam Tram and the Heritage Railway Association Restoration Award-winning 1934-built Fowler 0-4-0DM Shreddie, the Shredded Wheat Factory shunter. Visitors will also be able to see progress on the railway’s Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST 1604 of 1928…

FURTHER details of the Llangollen Railway’s April 12-14 1960s branch line gala have been revealed. Up to four locomotives will be in steam, with recently overhauled WR 0-6-0PT No. 7754 formally rededicated at the start of the event as it officially re-enters traffic following a few brief appearances on Santa specials in December. Also set to return to service is GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802, which has been undergoing a thorough bottom end overhaul during the last two years. During February, several volunteer working parties have seen the heavy freight locomotive start to be reassembled, with the BR unlined black livery being reapplied, giving the 2884 class locomotive a fresh shine in readiness for its comeback. Following its failure during the opening weekend of the Heritage Railway Association Infrastructure Award 2024…

NEWS AN eight-year-old enthusiast’s idea to raise funds for his beloved Severn Valley Railway inspired support from more than 100 people – and raised more than £200 for the line’s Survival Fund. Jacob Holden invited like-minded youngsters and their families to join him for an afternoon of model railway fun at St George’s Hall, Bewdley. Jacob owns a wide collection of model railway track and rolling stock and wanted to share his hobby with others, raising money for the heritage line through donations at the same time. “That was my dream come true, seeing all the people there for the afternoon,”said Jacob.“It was amazing! Diesels are my favourite, and I love how they arrive at the platform so gently. When I’mold enough, I would like to be a volunteer and…

GOVERNMENT agency National Highways spent £476,000 by infilling the 162-year-old Great Musgrave bridge in Cumbria and then being ordered to clear it again, new figures have revealed. In 2021, National Highways spent £124,000 on blocking the bridge, to the anger of revivalists who pointed out that it crossed the trackbed of a future connection between the EdenValley and Stainmore heritage railways, as reported in issue 282. The work was carried out using emergency powers which allowed it to act before seeking planning consent. The agency claimed that the overbridge was unsafe for lorries. However, surveys showed that repointing at a cost of only £5000 may have allowed it to carry loads of up to 40 tonnes. The case was highlighted in the House of Lords and led to demands that…

DEALS have been announced for two repatriated British-built narrow-gauge locomotives – including one recovered from a swamp – to be overhauled and returned to steam for the first time in the heritage era. Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST No. 704 of 1899 Nesta is to be overhauled following its acquisition by the privately-owned 2ft gauge Richmond Light Railway at Headcorn in Kent. Nesta, one of Hunslet’s four Penrhyn Small Quarry class locomotives, was withdrawn from service at the Penrhyn Quarry in NorthWales in the 1960s. However, a 1965 news article about the end of steam in the Welsh quarries prompted an American antiques dealer to buy several locomotives from Dinorwic and Penrhyn quarries, including Nesta, for export. Nesta ended up at a railway/ mining museum in Puerto Rico, where the weather was…

GO As You Please is a new temporary exhibition at the National Railway Museum in York, highlighting underrepresented and authentic stories about disability alongside 20th century railway artwork. Part of the national Curating for Change programme, it explores rail travel from the perspectives of people with lived experience of D/deafness, disability, and neurodivergence. It includes a speciallycommissioned original artwork called Shifting Landscapes by neurodivergent artist Hayley Wall. Object labels for the exhibition include quotes from community participants and, in a first for the museum, the exhibition includes many accessible features, such as QR codes that lead to an audio descriptive tour, portable object labels, and a British Sign Language exhibition overview. 'Eye-catching' The exhibition includes a film called We Do Get Out and About, created by Manchesterbased filmmaker David Bewick),…

FOR the first time since he became general manager at Waverley Excursions five years ago, Paul Semple has not had to launch an appeal to pay for the famous LNERbuilt paddle steamer’s winter repairs and dry docking. “We carried a record 157,000 passengers in 2023 and lost hardly any sailings to weather or technical failures, so, the result is that we have enough to cover everything this winter,” Paul said. “We’ve bucked some quite gloomy trends in the preservation world at present, with some of the bestknown heritage railways such as the Great Central and Swanage having to launch appeals to keep going. “Our success has been down to the cost of fuel oil dropping from a record 94p per litre in 2022 to 69p last year, while we attracted…

ON Sunday, May 5, the Railway Touring Company will host a tour between Bristol and Par under the title of ‘The Royal Duchy’, with the rostered locomotive being LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas, which will haul the trip throughout. Departing from Bristol Temple Meads and heading southwest, the tour will pick up additional passengers at Yatton and Taunton. Leaving Taunton, there will then be a climb to Whiteball Summit before passing Tiverton Parkway and arriving at Exeter St. David’s for a water stop and the opportunity for more passengers to join the trip. The route from Exeter will see No. 45596 head across the Dawlish Sea Wall and the South Devon banks to Plymouth, where passengers will have the option to leave the train and spend five hours exploring the city.…

UK Railtours has announced its first trips in several years that will utilise London Underground’s 4TC stock. On July 27, Class No. 33012 Lt. Jenny Lewis RN will depart Basingstoke, bound for the Dean Forest Railway. At Lydney Junction, the tour will cross over onto the heritage line and run to Norchard via Parkend for a two-hour break. Although full details were still to be confirmed as we went to press, UKRT confirmed that it was in the final stages of planning a tour starting at London Fenchurch Street the next day, which will explore several branch lines in East Anglia before returning to the capital; for details see ukrailtours.com…

VINTAGE Trains is offering a steam ‘dual gauge’ option for its trip from the West Midlands to North Wales on Saturday, June 8. The 'Ffestiniog Express' will depart behind steam from Dorridge, Widney Manor, Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe to Llandudno Junction, where passengers can make their own way to the town centre. The train will continue diesel-hauled along the scenic Conwy Valley line to Blaenau Ffestiniog for a choice of either visiting the new exhilarating zip wire experience in the slate quarries or taking a trip along the Ffestiniog Railway to Tan-y-Bwlch and back. For more details and to book, visit vintagetrains.co.uk/train-rides/…

APRIL 2024 31-1 Sandtoft Trolleybus Museum 1940s Event Belton Road, Sandtoft, Doncaster, South Yorkshire (bainbridgeevents.co.uk, 07754 704779) 5-6 April Staveley Hall 1940s Wartime Event Staveley Hall, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (01246 385200, staveleyhall.co.uk) 6-7 1940s Weekend Whitwell & Reepham Railway, Reepham, Norfolk (01603 871694, whitwellstation.com) 6-7 No Man’s Land Multi-Period Living History Event, Bodrhyddan Hall, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, Denbighshire (01745 590155, bodrhyddan.co.uk) 11 Chesterfield 1940s Market Town Centre, Chesterfield, Derbyshire (01246 345777, visitchesterfield.info/whats-on/chesterfield-1940s-market-p777291) 20-21 Military History Weekend The Helicopter Museum, Weston-super-Mare, Somerset (01934 635227, helicoptermuseum.co.uk) 27-28 Kelham Hall Vintage Festival Kelham Hall, near Newark, Nottinghamshire (facebook.com/groups/160181713603936) May 2024 4 Meet the Yanks Discovery Day, Staffordshire Regiment Museum, DMS Whittington, Lichfield, Staffordshire (01543 434394, staffordshireregimentmuseum.com) 4-5 1940s Weekend Heskin Hall, Chorley, Lancashire (01257 452044, heskinhall.com) 4-5 Operation Ashbourne Codename ‘Bolthole’ 2024, Darley Moor Airfield,…

NAMEPLATES from all the Big Four post-Grouping railway companies will headline Talisman’s saleroom sale on March 23. They are Hindford Grange from the GWR, Sir Bedivere from the SR, Newfoundland from the LMS, and the oldest of the quartet, Glenalmond from the LNER. The GWR contender is from 4-6-0 No. 6875, an April 1939 Swindon locomotive that was withdrawn from Bristol’s St Philip’s Marsh shed (82B) in March 1964, while the SR representative is from another 4-6-0, King Arthur No. 30457, built at Eastleigh in April 1925 and withdrawn from Nine Elms (70A) in May 1961. The LMS offering is also from a 4-6-0, Jubilee No. 45573, which emerged from the North British works in Glasgow in September 1934 and was taken out of service in September 1965 when a…

HERITAGE modern traction nameplates with a strong steam-era flavour are among latecomers to GW Railwayana's sale on March 16. They come from HSTs recently withdrawn by train operating company Great Western Railway, and such was their connection to days of yore that the company dubbed them its' its 'Class 255 Castle trains.' There are 15 plates from HST power cars, five of which are names previously carried by Castle class 4-6-0s – Chepstow Castle (No. 4077), Dunster Castle (No. 4093), Raglan Castle (No. 5008), Nunney Castle (from preserved No. 5029), and Westminster Abbey (No. 5089), the HST power cars from which they come being respectively Nos. 43170, 43122, 43171, 43009, and 43027. Sixth Castle In addition to these five, there is Acton Castle from power car No. 43027, albeit not…

BR steam led the pack in Lacy Scott & Knight's model train auction at Bury St Edmunds on February 23, thanks to a 5in gauge No. 70000 Britannia going under the hammer for £8100. Built in 1995 by Mr R Heynen, of Holland, the live steam model was followed by another in 5in gauge of an un-numbered LNER O1 class 2-8-0 that fetched £4750. In third place at £1600 was a rather more humble engine, a Simplex 0-6-0 also in 5in gauge live steam, ahead of the first O-gauge model, not of a locomotive but a Hornby Colman’s Mustard van, dating from the mid-1920s, which sold for its top estimate of £1200, so edging out a Hornby O-gauge SR Schools class 4-4-0 No. 900 Eton from circa late 1930s or…

PAPERWORK from the pre-Grouping and early Grouping days of the GWR made itself known in the Paperchase quarterly auction held on January 14-30, when three lots each sold for £510. The pre-Grouping example comprised a 500-page bound volume of extra trains and specials arrangements notices for the Cardiff division throughout 1912, while a bound volume of the service timetable of the Cardiff and Newport area was dated July 1923. The third item was another bound volume of the service timetable, covering the SouthWales area and dated September 1924. Behind this trio was a collection of 80 black-and-white negatives of UK steam of mainly ex-LNER and LMS locomotives in the late 1950s, which sold for £360. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 12½%.…

THE Severn Valley Railway is set to host the eagerly-awaited gala debut of new-build GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange. As this issue of Heritage Railway closed for press, the 81st Grange was still undergoing final refinements, including painting and lining Tyseley Locomotive Works, and was being readied for its first private steaming and yard runs in March, prior to being taken to the Battlefield Line for test running (as reported in issue 314). Subject to all work being completed and the tests being satisfactory, the locomotive was pencilled in to be unveiled to members of the 6800 Betton Grange Society Ltd at Shackertone. Afterward, it was booked to be taken to the Severn Valley Railway where, all being well, it will be rostered for the April 18-21 Spring Steam…

UP to eight engines are set up run during the West Somerset Railway’s May 3-6 gala weekend. Joining the previouslyannounced LNWR Webb coal tank No. 1054 and BR B1 No. 61306 Mayflower is GWR 2800 heavy freight 2-8-0 No. 2807, courtesy of Cotswold Steam Preservation Ltd and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. Returned to service last September after a swift overhaul, it will be the 2-8-0’s first venture away from the Cotswolds under its new boiler ticket. A second locomotive also making its first venture away from home since overhaul will be GWR 0-6-2T No. 6695, from the Swindon & Cricklade Railway. It arrived at the WSR on February 23 on an extended loan and will return home in June. Furthermore, new-build GWR No. 6880 Betton Grange has also been provisionally…

THE Seaton Tramway has scooped three honoursin the Jurassic Business Awards. The 2ft 9in gauge line’s latest success follows its triumph at the Heritage Railway Association 2024 awards in Brighton on February 10, at which it carried off the Environmental Innovation award, as reported last issue. The latest successes came on February 29 at the awards event celebrating business excellence within the Jurassic Coast communities, organised by MarketingWest and hosted at Sidmouth Rugby Club. The Tramstop Café won the Café, Pub and Fine Dining Award, and nominations“praised this café right across the board.” The tramway also took the Tourism Award. One judge said:“An attraction like this is good for the local economy as it has a knock-on effect, bringing in visitors to enjoy the scenic beauty of East Devon who then…

A NEW rail revivalist group was launched in Bideford on March 1. The Northern Devon Railway Development Alliance is to campaign for a new rail link between Bideford and Barnstaple and the upgrade of the Tarka Line between Exeter and Barnstaple. The launch meeting at the Royal Hotel included 30 representatives from 13 stakeholder organisations who have pledged to commit jointly to build on local council resolutions already passed and funding already committed to develop a compelling case to be put to the Government to support the reconnection of the ‘long-marginalised’ Torridge community of more 40,000 people, and an Alliance statement. A statement from North Devon Conservative MP Selaine Saxby said that she “wholeheartedly” supports the alliance’s ambitions: “The proposal to re-establish the old railway line between Barnstaple and Bideford,…

FOLLOWING her appointment as interim CEO for the Mid-Hants Railway last year, Rebecca Dalley has been permanently promoted to the post. A statement to members and volunteers said:“Although an interesting field was offered in the public recruitment process, we are delighted to be able to secure Rebecca’s commitment to take on the permanent role. She was clearly the best candidate, and we are confident that it is in the best interests of the railway to proceed with her appointment without completing the formal competition. “Your warm welcome and open dialogue has been key to capturing her longer-term interest in the role. “I am sure you will join us in offering our congratulations and confidence in Rebecca’s leadership over the coming years.”…

AN early spring gala was held at the 15in gauge EveshamVale Light Railway to bid farewell to Adrian and Sandra Corke, who have owned the railway for the last 12 years. The event on February 25 featured a half-hourly service from Twyford station with all present steam locomotives (Dougal, Monty and St Egwin) in operation, double-headers, and the occasional freight train. As reported in issue 311, the 1¼-mile line, originally built by Jim and Helen Shackell and which opened on August 1, 2002, has been bought by David and Katherine Nelson-Brown, who own the Perrygrove Railway. Based inside Evesham Country Park, the EVLR carries nearly 50,000 passengers annually and is open for 170 days.…

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway has launched a public SOS fundraising appeal to save an access bridge that featured in the hit movie Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. Goathland station, the filming location of Hogsmeade station in the film, is accessed using Bridge 27A, which was built in 1935 in its current form. However, due to weather conditions and time, the steel girders that give strength to the structure of the bridge have deteriorated, making it unsafe for vehicles to cross. Donations will allow the necessary repair work to begin, and when completed, visitors and volunteers will once again to be able to safely access the station for parking and deliveries, and emergency services will be able to use the bridge too. The NYMR’s popular educational school visits will…

THE Chinnor & Princess Risborough Railway is to hosts its own steam gala this autumn. While diesel galas have been prominent in the railway’s history, these have recently been rested, although they are promised to return in the near future. While the railway currently has to rely on hired-in motive power to provide steam services, it is gearing up for a weekend of steam on September 20-22. GWR 2-6-2T No. 4555 arrived at the railway in February from the Dartmouth Steam Railway for the 2024 season. It will be joined by two further as-yet unconfirmed visitors for the gala with all three expected to see equal use throughout.…

A SCHEME has been launched to build a working replica of Scotland’s oldest railway, the Tranent to CockenzieWaggonway, which dates from 1722. The 1722 Waggonway Project, a voluntary unincorporated association, established in 2017, has been working to excavate the remains of the waggonway and the associated salt pans, and revive salt-making in Cockenzie. It has also opened its own heritage centre. The project team now wants to use the information gained from its archaeological digs to build a working wooden wagonway in its original format, using traditional techniques and materials. It also wants to install a replica horse gin and 18th-century pit headgear at one end of the line, with a coalfauld with unloading tippers at the other end. Its plans also include a full-sized 18th-century working salt pan house. The…

THE Swindon & Cricklade Railway has sent its Class 205 DEMU ‘Thumper’ unit for scrap, with its remaining Class 207 driving trailer also set to depart under new ownership. Recognising their deteriorating condition and the limited resources available to work on the vehicles, the heritage line opted to scrap the Class 205s as it was unlikely they would ever be completed; both trailers needed a substantial amount of interior and body repairs, having been exposed to the elements for numerous years. Their demise, however, is not without a silver lining, as a number of spares were recovered for other surviving examples of the class, including the Mid-Hants Railway’s own unit, No. 1125. The first of the vehicles departed the railway on February 9. Meanwhile, motor brake standard open No. 60901…

A DEVELOPER has applied for planning permission to convert a Grade II-listed roundhouse in Leeds into a sports facility. The circular roundhouse in Wellington Road, Hunslet, was built in 1847 by Thomas Granger for the Leeds & Thirsk Railway, which became part of the NER, and which used it until 1904. UK Padel Club Ltd wants to convert it into a padel tennis centre, with five indoor and five outdoor courts. Leeds City Council agreed to defer and delegate approval to the authority’s chief planning officer at a meeting on February 15. Historic England said the proposal was a“very interesting new use”which would apparently have a minimal physical impact on the structure.…

THE SpaValley Railway will follow up its series of gin trains ending on March 23 by turning its attention to wine lovers throughout spring and summer – with steam-hauled specials that include a vineyard tour. These trains will run twice a day on May 25 and the weekends of June 8/9 and 22/23, July 6/7 and 20/21, August 10/11 and 17/18, and September 14/15, with departures fromTunbridgeWellsWest station for a five-mile journey to Eridge at 11.30am and 12.55pm. Passengers will disembark at the national network station of Eridge for a short walk toWildwoodVineyard for winetasting sessions featuring white, red, rosé, blanc fizz and a pinkVermouth. The family-owned vineyard has produced a number of awardwinning wines in recent years, including achieving gold and silver medals at an international ceremony in Germany.…

BALLINAMORE station on the former Cavan & Leitrim Railway has been saved from demolition, thanks to a 2.4 million Euro project which has converted it into a community hub, arts and enterprise centre. Dubbed Junction Ballinamore, the restored buildings – including the station house, booking office, waiting room and locomotive shed – were officially opened on February 16 by Heather HumphreysTD, the Irish Government rural and community development minister. The project is managed by Leitrim County Council with funding from the Rural Development Fund. Mrs Humphreys said:“As Minister for Rural and Community Development, I am absolutely delighted that my department was able to support this project with funding of €2.4m under the Rural Regeneration Development Fund. “I know that this is a really important project for Ballinamore and its surrounding…

TWO locomotives that were once owned by the same paper mill – but ran on two different gauges of track - have been reunited for the first time in preservation after moving to go on display together in the One: One Collection. As reported last issue, the Bluebell Railway’s SECR P class 0-6-0T No. 178 moved to the Margate museum on February 21 for undercover storage and display. It was then joined the following day by the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway’s Kerr Stuart Brazil class 0-4-2ST No. 926 Leader, both locomotives having previously been employed together at the Kent mill complex. Rich history Paper manufacture began at Sittingbourne in 1708, before the Sittingbourne Paper Mill was completed in 1769 with materials brought in by barge along Milton Creek. A…

NEARLY 250 items of GWR silverplate and china tableware and cutlery sold in five lots for a total of £5800 in a live online Transport Auctions of London sale on February 24. The highest individual realisation of the five lots was £1700 for silverplate-marked Tregenna Castle Hotel, a former GWR establishment near St Ives in Cornwall that became Grade IIlisted in 1952, was sold by British Transport Hotels in 1983, and still operates today. Also from the GWR, 60 jigsaw puzzles sold for £900, a price just pipped by the £950 for a collection of ephemera from the LBSCR, South Eastern Railway, Southern Railway and other constituent companies that included letters, brass tags, and rule instructions booklets. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 15% (+VAT).…

WHILE its class as a whole celebrated its 100th anniversary last year, March marked the centenary of GWR 4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis Castle with a weekend event of steam at its Didcot Railway Centre home before it set out on its travels. Delivered new to Old Oak Common from Swindon on March 4, 1924, its working life saw it take charge of services to SouthWales and the West Country. The following year it partook in the locomotive exchange trials, during which it was loaned to the LNER to compete against the company’s iconic A3 and A4 express locomotives, such as No. 4472 FlyingScotsman. It successfully out-performed its rivals, the locomotive being described as having“ covered itself in soot and glory”, which then resulted in the GWR sending Pendennis Castle to…

➜ THIS year’s Fawley Hill Vintage Festival will take place on May 17-19. The event, which will include rich and varied forms of transport ranging from road steam, triplanes, Spitfires and old Formula 1 cars to horses and camels, is being run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support at the private Fawley Hill, estate near Henley-on-Thames. It will also feature antiques and vintage shopping, a fairground, and music all weekend. For more details and to book tickets, visit www.fawleyhill.co.uk ➜ A NEW photography exhibition, Echoes of the Blitz: Underground Shelters in Ukraine and London, has opened at London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. Featuring 70 images, it has been created in partnership with n-ost, a Berlin-based journalistic network. It includes contemporary photography of Ukrainian people sheltering in Metro stations and…

WHILE the overhaul of Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado has experienced setbacks, and is now on the final straight, the remaining jobs have taken longer than envisaged and its Easter appearance on the NeneValley Railway has had to be rescheduled. The start of March saw work continuing to refit the lagging and piping at Locomotive Maintenance Services at Loughborough, with cab pipework and cabling almost completed as this issue went to press. During mid-February, work in the smokebox was concentrated on fitting spark arrestor screens, which have needed to be manufactured and cut to fit around the main steam pipes. Static testing was due to commence imminently ahead of its transfer to the Great Central Railway, where Tornado will be reunited with its tender and commence running-in trials later…

THE family of the late railway author photographer Peter Nicholson has launched an appeal to restore one of the locomotives in his collection. Hibberd Planet 4wDM No.2201 of 1939, built for the Surbiton Sewage Works in Surrey, was bought by Peter from there in 1976. He moved it to Brockham Museum and then to the now-closed Gloddfa Ganol museum at Blaenau Ffestiniog in 1978, to the Somerset and Avon Railway in 1990, to the Vobster Light Railway in 1992, and then to the Devon Railway Centre in 1998, where it has been based ever since. Peter died on October 30 last year, aged 75, as reported in issue 313. His grandson, Josh Brinsford, said: “The locomotive has not worked for many years, but this is something I would really like…

THE West Somerset Railway-based Diesel & Electric Preservation Group has bought Class 09 No. 09019 from JJP Holdings Ltd, with the shunter due to remain on the railway as it has since preserved in 2013. The DEPG has been undertaking servicing and maintenance of the former Hither Green TMD shunter for several years, so it made sense that the group opted to take on full ownership. The 09 will be offered to the railway with maintenance provided in a fully inclusive package. Meanwhile, the future of BR class 08 D3937 (08769) on the Dean Forest Railway has been secured afterValley Rail Preservation, a locomotiveowning group based on the Avon Valley Railway, acquired the shunter following the disbandment of Dean Forest Diesels late last year. Future plans Formerly known as Gladys,…

MORE details about the groundbreaking Great Central joint gala on March 16/17 to mark the 125th anniversary of the London Extension in 1899 have been released. As highlighted in issue 315, for the first time in more than 50 years, the Great Central Railway will be reunified with Great Central Railway (Nottingham) for a major weekend of events History will be made as the Leicestershire line is reunified once again with the GCR(N) at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre in Ruddington, offering visitors a glimpse into the future when reunification will be permanent, an ongoing project and part of GCR’s fundraising campaign. For the event, the two halves will be joined by a speciallycommissioned 125th anniversary rail replacement bus service using vintage Routemaster buses. Footplate visits and more All stations…

SALTBURN Cliff Tramway will not reopen until after Easter, having sustained extensive damage during a fire on January 15, as reported last issue. As a result of an electrical fault, the Grade II-listed structure suffered serious internal damage to the building and its operating equipment, in particular the electrical pump room. The tramway, which opened in 1884, was closed for winter maintenance at the time. Coun Carrie Richardson, cabinet member for climate and culture at Redcar and Cleveland Council, said: “A full rewire will be needed, along with careful restoration of this grade-listed structure. Our teams are continuing to work hard on a plan to make sure the tramway reopens as soon as possible. “However, this is likely to take some time and, although we can’t put a date on reopening at…

SIXTY years after it saw its last passenger train, Isambard Kingdom Brunel-designed and Grade II-listed Cirencester Town station is to benefit from £158,000 worth of vital repairs by its owner, Cotswold District Council. The council’s cabinet authorised the expenditure on the landmark, which has stood vacant for several years, in response to a survey where engineers identified structural instability in the west wall adjacent to the old platform. The wall was identified as structurally unstable, due partially to extensive rot in structural timbers. The necessary remedial work involves rebuilding the brick and timber wall, along with associated works to the parapet and guttering above it and the abutting walls. To address the immediate concern, structural scaffolding has been erected to support the wall ahead of the repair works. The council…

VOLUNTEERS are close to completing the major restoration of aVictorian era London & SouthWestern Railway signalbox that has been matchfunded by the son of a signalman who operated the ’box seven decades ago. The 20-lever ’box, which is believed to date from 1877, was at Liphook station, between Guildford and Petersfield on the WaterlooPortsmouth viaWoking line. On opening, it replaced two huts at either end of the station that were manned by railway policemen, the forerunners of today’s signallers, and is one of only two such LSWRType 2 ’boxes that survive. It remained in daily use until February 1975 and was saved for preservation by the Hollycombe Steam Collection, which lifted it by crane and relocated it by lorry to the collection’s location two miles away. There it became a…

THE Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust Employment is seeking to appoint a new deputy locomotive engineer who will become a key part of the team set to overhaul A4 Pacific No. 60019 Bittern. The trust is about to begin the contract overhaul of A4‘Pacific’ 60019 Bittern at a location in North Yorkshire. The deputy locomotive engineer’s responsibilities will include helping establish a new engineering facility; progressing the overhaul to a plan drafted by the trust’s Chief Mechanical Engineer; managing day-to-day overhaul activities; and, from time to time, supporting the operation of sister No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley. Role for you? The full-time salaried position will offer the opportunity to develop the applicant’s skills in both management and practical engineering, working with the trust’s highly experienced and skilled team and reporting…

DIESEL driving courses are also on offer at he Severn Valley, with classes 37, 40, 42, 46, 50 and 52 taking part. Again, the day starts with the important safety briefing at Bewdley, followed by a tour of the locomotive engine room and a start-up procedure demonstration. Afterwards, you will travel in the cab, driving for eight miles, then acting as secondman. The return is spent in the rear cab of the locomotive. Behind the scenes Included is a tour of the award-winning Kidderminster Diesel Depot, which is normally off-limits to the general public. Morning and afternoon sessions are available, limited to four people per trip and costing £600, and the price includes bringing up to 10 guests. There is the option of spending an additional 32 miles travelling in…

THE NorthYorkshire Moors Railway has reintroduced its popular steam footplate and diesel cab experiences, with booking now available for April 2 until November 3. The Steam Footplate Experience includes a 36-mile return footplate ride between Pickering and Grosmont and a souvenir certificate signed by the locomotive’s driver. This experience starts from and returns to Pickering station, departing at 10.55am and returning at 1.50pm. The cost is £430. The Diesel Cab Experience includes a 36-mile cab ride and a signed souvenir certificate. It operates on various dates throughout the year: during the gold timetable, the service starts at 9.55am from Pickering (return departs Grosmont at 1.30pm); and during the silver timetable (Sundays), the service starts at 2.30pm from Grosmont (return departs Pickering at 4pm). The price of the experience is £250.…

THE Strathaven Miniature Railway, Scotland’s oldest railway in its category, is celebrating notching up three-quarters of a century of running round in circles on its 7¼in gauge track at Strathaven Park in South Lanarkshire. The SMR opened on Saturday, May 14, 1949, when its first train was pulled by 2-6-0 Margaret. On Tuesday, May 14, 2024, the same locomotive will haul an anniversary special to mark the historic event. Strathaven Model Society secretary Ian Samson said: “We realised that when Kerr’s Miniature Railway at Arbroath closed in 2020, we had fallen heir to the title of Scotland’s oldest miniature railway. “In heritage railway terms, when you think about it, we actually predate the Talyllyn and the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, the UK’sand Scotland’s first heritage railway respectively. The B&K didn’t…

THE East Anglian Railway Museum is holding a special weekend to celebrate the 175th anniversary of the landmark Chappel Viaduct. Spanning the Colne valley, it was built by the Colchester, Stour Valley, Sudbury & Halstead Railway under the direction of engineer Peter Bruff, who was also instrumental in the development of both Clacton-on-Sea and Walton-on-the-Naze as resorts. The first train ran across the viaduct on Monday, July 2, 1849. On entering the branch line, the engine’s chimney became entangled with the triumphal arch that had been erected, causing the arch to fall onto the engine, which continued to Sudbury adorned with foliage and woodwork. As part of the commemoration, a new exhibition by renowned Chappel-based artist Wladyslaw Mirecki will be staged at the museum Goods Shed between June 15 and…

UNIQUE BR 8P Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester is to be based at Crewe under a new 10-year operating agreement signed with the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust. Once its current overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works is completed in June or July, the agreement with the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust will see No. 71000 initially move to the Severn Valley Railway for testing and commissioning before moving to Crewe, from where it will undergo loaded test runs, then becoming available to main line tours, interspersed with periods of operation on heritage lines. No. 71000 will be operated primarily by Locomotive Services (TOC) Limited and will haul Saphos Trains trips. The Duke will become a key member of the high-profile fleet of locomotives based at Crewe, including…

STEAM Dreams is to run a trip on Saturday, April 27 under the title of ‘Shrewsbury in Springtime’, with a variety of off-train options. Starting from Paddington, the tour will head west along the Great Western Main Line to pick up passengers at Slough and Reading, before heading north to Didcot Parkway and Oxford. From here, the train plans to take the Cotswold Line to Shrewsbury. It is hoped that the outward journey will feature some rare metals, such as the Royal Oak carriage loop, Hinksey Yard reception road, and the Down Bescot goods loop, but these are ALL subject to Network Rail approval. At Shrewsbury, there is the option of just exploring the town or taking one of the off-train options. The first of these is a cruise of…

HASTINGS Diesels’ second excursion of the 2024 season will see DEMU No. 1001 head to Exeter Central under the title of ‘The Cogload Climber’ on Saturday, April 6. Starting from Hastings, the tour will pick up passengers at St. Leonards Warrior Square, Crowhurst, Battle, Etchingham, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, and Bromley South en route to London for another pick-up at Kensington Olympia. The tour will then join the Great Western Main Line for a final passenger pick-up at Reading. After leaving Reading, the excursion is planned to take the Berks and Hants Line past Westbury to Cogload Junction, which gives the tour its name. From Cogload Junction, the train will head past Taunton to Exeter, before climbing to Exeter Central. There will then be just over four hours to explore Exeter.…

TABLE ONE: PLYMOUTH TO EXETER TABLE TWO: YATTON TO TAUNTON I START with the final section of the ‘Royal Duchy’, from Plymouth to Exeter and Bristol on Sunday, September 24, 2023. I am grateful to Sandy Smeaton for the details, which are shown in Table One, and he comments as follows: “We stopped in Plymouth’s Platform 8 in 54m 13s from Par, booked for 55 minutes. No. 45596 came off the train to water from the hydrant on Platform 7 and with 55 minutes allowed for this, we got away on time. “Somewhere between dusk and darkness, we accelerated to 63mph before Plympton, falling off to a comfortable 16 at the 1-in-42/75 gradient change and passed Hemerden (MP239¼) at 27½. Totnes was passed at 65, falling to 49, recovering to…

SALES of general railwayana – items that don’t make it into mainstream flagship auctions – have been expanding in recent years due to the number of collections now coming onto the market. Great Central’s sales at Bloxham were among the trailblazers in this category, and such is the popularity of this genre and the huge number of items that are available, an auction spread over two days is no longer a rarity. Thus, Great Central’s next ‘Bloxham’ auction will be a two-day affair on April 4/5, when 1200 lots will go under the hammer. Selecting ‘general’ memorabilia for inclusion in a preview such as this is often a subjective exercise, but one or two pieces or categories that made an early entry into the sale deserve a mention. Wagonplates will…

A COLLECTION of 139 Metropolitan Railway, GWR, and Metropolitan & Great Central Joint Committee luggage labels sold for £680 at a specialist 160-lot postal auction held by Paddington Ticket Auctions that ended on January 26. The runner-up was a selection of 480 Caledonian Railway labels that fetched £450. A second specialist postal sale held by the same auction house, which is division of Great Central Railwayana, ended a week later on February 2 and contained railway, platform and other transport tickets from the UK and around the world. The highest price was £1200 for four Canton-Kowloon Railway tickets sold as a single lot, followed by another four-figure realisation of £1050, for a Launceston & Western Railway of Tasmania ticket dated December 27, 1901, for a first class Launceston to Railton journey. On…

MODELS of two locomotives built in very different eras of UK steam sold for £2100 and £1200 in a collectors’auction held by W&H Peacock of Bedford on February 2. The higher-priced of the duo was a 3½in gauge live steam Britannia class No. 70004 William Shakespeare, a Standard Pacific that was outshopped by Crewe in March 1951 and achieved a following by becoming a regular on the Southern Region’s ‘Golden Arrow’ boat train when working out of London’s Stewarts Lane depot (73A) from October 1951 to July 1958. The second model, in 5in gauge and also live steam, was of an altogether more humble locomotive, a 1928-built Class 2F 0-6-0T in LMS livery but carrying its BR No. 47163. Both prices exclude buyer’ premium of 17½% (+VAT).…

ONE of the Gresley A4 Pacifics that enjoyed an Indian summer working the three-hour Glasgow to Aberdeen expresses will be in the limelight in Great Northern’s auction on April 3-13. It is No. 60027 Merlin, the smokebox numberplate from which will bea star feature in the online sale. Built at Doncaster in March 1937 (works No. 1851), No. 60027 was a Scottish-based member of the class throughout its 28 years in service, which included not only the Glasgow-Aberdeen expresses late in its life, but also earlier the non-stop Edinburgh-London ‘Elizabethan’, which it was able to operate due to a corridor tender that allowed a crew exchange en route without stopping. The Pacific was withdrawn from the Edinburgh shed of St Margaret’s (64A) in September 1965. Jubilee nameplates have been a…