Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 324 i Heritage Railway

OPINION THE Welsh Highland Railway’s Super-Power gala in mid-September witnessed the public appearance in steam debut of South African Railways NG15 2-8-2 No. 134 (see pages 70/71) following 25 years of hard graft to restore it to running order by the project team members who have given us the UK’s latest addition to its steam fleet.We are also seeing new-build LBSCR H2 Atlantic No. 32424 Beachy Head in regular public service on the Bluebell Railway and can now look forward to GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange hauling festive trains on the Battlefield Line. Two or more decades ago, might we have believed that accomplishments like these could be forthcoming in such a short space of time? Yes, there has been disappointment from the cancellation of A1 Peppercorn Pacific No.…

THE railway sector has been in mourning for David Buck, a steam fan from early childhood who went on to achieve far more than any ordinary enthusiast’s wildest dreams. Surrounded by family members, David, who became a pivotal figure in the heritage movement, died peacefully at his home near Windsor on August 24 following a long illness. He was 80 years old. David grew up in the Ipswich of the 1950s during the last great days of steam, with Britannias, B12s, B17s J15s and Claud Hamilton 4-4-0s running on the East Suffolk line to Lowestoft near his home. His father had an office next to Ipswich station, and he would spend school holidays enthralled by the traction passing through. He moved to London in the 1960s and became a hugely…

GWR 4-6-0 No. 4953 Pitchford Hall, from the Epping Ongar Railway, became a late replacement for No. 4079 Pendennis Castle at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s September 26-29 Annual Steam Gala. Pendennis Castle was exported to Australia in 1977 and repatriated for the Great Western Society in July 2000, as reported in Heritage Railway issue 16. Following overhaul, it returned to steam at Didcot Railway Centre on April 2, 2022, but had to be temporarily withdrawn from service on September 2 to investigate an ongoing issue that saw water being carried over into the cylinders. A GWS spokesman said: “During the summer operation here at Didcot, we have noticed some issues with possible boiler water carry over into the cylinders of Pendennis Castle. These issues were kept under strict observation,…

WIGAN Council is to invest £380,000 in reopening the 15in gauge Haigh Woodland Railway at one of the district’s most popular visitor attractions. Haigh Woodland Railway Supporters’ Association’s volunteers been working to restore the mile-long railway which has not run public services since 2020. The line, which has two stations, runs through the upper plantations at historic Haigh Woodland Park at Haigh Hall, the origins of which date back to 1295, with the present hall built between 1827 and 1840. In 1945 the hall and plantations were purchased by Wigan Corporation and opened up to public access in 1947. The entire woodland park is now undergoing a £31.5 million makeover, being supported by £20 million of Levelling Up funding. Coun Chris Ready, Wigan’s cabinet portfolio holder for communities and neighbourhoods,…

FOLLOWING an investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, the cause of a collision at Aviemore on the Strathspey Railway, where visiting A3 pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman reversed into stock used on GB RailFreight’s ‘Royal Scotsman’ charter services, was concluded to have been a multitude of factors, including a misunderstanding of responsibility of roles in the locomotive’s cab – which was conveying more people at the time than permitted in the railway’s rulebook. As reported in issue 312, on September 29, 2023, Flying Scotsman was nearing the end of a three-week visit to the railway, its first operational visit to a Scottish heritage line in the heritage era, when the incident occurred. Video footage captured by onlookers showed the locomotive failing to stop as it approached the leading carriage…

STEAM and real ale have over the decades been a popular combination for heritage railway enthusiasts. For those who attend Spa Valley Railway’s annual real ale festival that will run from October 18-20 there is an added dimension – it will be held in the heritage line’s 1891 depot at Tunbridge Wells West, the only former LBSCR engine shed still in railway use. In addition, there will be bars at the line’s Groombridge and Eridge stations, while several of the steam and diesel-hauled trains that will run over the three days will also have real ale and cider literally on tap. New for this year is a preview evening from 6pm to 10pm on October 17 at Tunbridge Wells West station, although no trains will run that evening. The event…

NEWS PASSENGER services have returned to the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) after a four-year absence. During a special running event at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre Road, Rail and Ale festival in Ruddington on September 6/7, for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic passengers boarded hourly shuttle trains for the mile-long journey to 50 Steps Bridge, the site of the junction where heritage services will one day join the Great Central Main Line and run towards Loughborough. The three-coach shuttles were hauled in push-pull formation by Class 08 No. 08784. Queues formed in the ticket office and local TV crews attended. The event was held in conjunction with the September 6-8 diesel gala at the Great Central Railway in Loughborough. As was the case with the groundbreaking joint gala…

A CLASS 117 three-car DMU currently running on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is up for sale to a new home. Owning group Cotswold Diesel Railcar Ltd is inviting offers for the purchase of Class 117 set No. L425, comprising Driving Motor Brake Second No. W51363, Trailer Composite Lavatory No. W59510 and Driving Motor Second No. W51405, due to a “difficult decision by the shareholding to reduce the fleet to a manageable level.” What is the group’s main operational set was bought in October 2011 and was said to have worked almost faultlessly on the line for 13 years. Currently fully serviceable, it will have further FP and A-exams carried out until the end of October. It was said to have four good engines, gearboxes and final drives, a full set…

THE return to service of WR 4-6-0 No. 7802 Bradley Manor has been given a substantial boost following the signing of an agreement between owning group the Erlestoke Manor Fund and the 2857 Society. The agreement will see the tender of GWR 2-8-0 No. 2857 run behind No. 7802 while the latter’sown new tender is completed. In July 2019, Bradley Manor suffereda broken piston rod while in service at the West Somerset Railway, which caused damage to the cylinders and other components. The EMF opted to withdraw the locomotive in order to repair and overhaul it. The front half was moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works, where it has been worked on both by workshop contractors and EMF volunteers. At the end of June, the locomotive’s frames were rewheeled following axlebox…

THE Seaton Tramway has placed an historic miniature tram built by its founder Claude Lane on public display after it was returned to the company he set up. Car 23 was built in 1948/49 at Lane’s Lancaster Electrical Company workshops in Barnet and played a pivotal role in the early days of Lane’s tramway ventures. His first tram, it was based on an ex-Darwen tram from the Llandudno & Colwyn Bay tramway, where he wasa seasonal driver. The 15in gauge tram was originally constructed for his own amusement and could even travel through his workshop. On July 2, 1949, Car 23 made its public debut at the Hadley House fete in Barnet. In the summer of 1951, operations moved to St Leonards, Sussex, followed by six successful seasons at Rhyl…

A £1.1 million project to develop the Weardale Railway and boost both the line’s fortunes and that of Bishop Auckland’s blossoming tourism industry has begun. Construction works have started near the 18-mile line’s Bishop Auckland West terminus, creating new visitor parking facilities while improving access to the town and the Durham Dales via the railway. The Durham Dales Gateway development will comprise 88 car parking spaces, six electric vehicle charging points, five new cycle racks and a new ticketing system. This new infrastructure will enable the Weardale Railway to accommodate increased visitor numbers and also provide training, employment and learning opportunities, adding significantly to the local economy. Demolition of the site's Escomb Road annexe building was completed in June and works for the new development are expected to be completed…

THE Wensleydale Railway management has deemed its firstever industrial diesel locomotive event held over the August 24-26 bank holiday weekend so successful that plans are already underway to repeat the event in 2025. The railway operated its entire diesel shunter fleet, and six different diesels ran services between Scruton and Leyburn during the well-attended event. WR rolling stock and engineering director Tim Williamson said: “This was the first time we have held an industrial diesel locomotive event. “Events like these are predominantly aimed at railway enthusiasts and we wanted to gauge visitor interest. “From the feedback that we have received, visitors really enjoyed it, and we have already started planning next year’s event.” The line’s marketing and fundraising manager, Nick Keegan, added: “The event was a series of firsts for…

AT the conclusion of a 10-year restoration project costing about £500,000, London County Council tramcar No. 1 ‘Bluebird’ was officially launched at Crich Tramway Village, home of the National Tramway Museum, at a ceremony for invited guests and members on September 13. The tramcar was initially launched in London on May 5, 1932, and was formally designated as LCC No. 1, entering service one month later on June 10. Press reviews heralded “a tramcar revolution” and spoke of RollsRoyce levels of passenger comfort. One of the most distinctive features of the new tramcar was its striking royal blue and ivory livery, which accentuated its streamlined appearance and set it apart from the rest of the LCC fleet, leading to its nickname of Bluebird. However, within five years No. 1 had…

Pre-dating the likes of Swindon and Crewe locomotive works by three years, the roots of Brighton Works were established under the London & Brighton Railway. By the time of closure in 1957, more than 1200 locomotives had been built there under the London, Brighton & South Coast, Southern, and British Railways companies. Among these was H2 Atlantic 4-4-2 No. 32424 Beachy Head; outshopped in 1911, it was withdrawn and cut up in 1958 about a year after the closure of its birthplace. Fast-forward to August 23, 2024, and that very same lost locomotive was once again found gracing the rails down in the south following the conclusion of a successful new-build project, as reported last issue. With a 10-day block of daily running scheduled, spanning the final weeks of the…

TO see two northbound steam excursions climbing Shap the same day may happen once or twice a year – and when it does, their timings are usually up to an hour apart. The difference on Saturday, August 31 was that two steam excursions from widely different starting places, Hereford and Hull, were scheduled to make the ascent of Shap within 10 minutes of each other. Being aware of the numerous factors which can occur with steam train excursions, the question was: would it happen? The weather was perfect for this last day of August, and as if in almost equal response, there came the sounds and sight of the first excursion, Saphos Trains’‘The Lakelander’ from Hereford – on almost exact scheduled time – headed by SR West Country Pacific No.…

LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas is set to haul its first main line train of 2024 by hauling the ‘Shakespeare Express’ from Deby to Stratford-upon-Avon. On Sunday, October 27, following the success of the inaugural run of the ‘Shakespeare Express’ from one of its new departure points, Vintage Trains will be bringing the trip’s route back for a second time. The tour will follow the same route as its initial run back in May, picking up passengers from Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth (High Level) and Coleshill Parkway before heading for Stratford. Passengers will have the opportunity to alight and spend several hours exploring the streets of Shakespeare’s home town, before rejoining the train for the return to Derby in the afternoon. Bahamas will take over duties from Vintage Trains’ usual roster…

UNIQUE HISTORY Next year, Britain will be celebrating the 200th anniversary of the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, which became the world’s first steam-hauled passenger line in 1825. However, it can be said that the global transport revolution which followed it its wake had its origins in Cornwall and its mining industry It was on a site near Fore Street in Camborne in 1801 that Cornish mining engineer Richard Trevithick built a steam-hauled road locomotive, Puffing Devil, and on Christmas Eve that year he successfully demonstrated it by carrying six passengers up Camborne Hill. Had it been successful, such vehicles would have been engaged to haul wagons of mineral ore down to local harbours, replacing equine traction. During further tests, the locomotive broke down three days later after…

THE extensive programme for the eagerly-awaited nine-month international Stockton & Darlington Railway 200 Festival marking the bicentenary of the world’s groundbreaking first steam-hauled passenger line was announced at the Darlington Hippodrome on September 19. The festival in County Durham and Teeside– set to be one of the biggest railway heritage events ever staged anywhere–opens with a large-scale visual spectacle in Bishop Auckland, including a light projection show on March 29, 2025, charting 200 years of rail travel and revealing the global impact that railways have had since 1825. The major highlight of the landmark celebration will be the recreation of the first journey on the S&DR on September 27, 1825, which will see the newly-overhauled replica of George & Robert Stephenson’s Locomotion No. 1 (originally called Active) travel from Shildon…

PEPPERCORN A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado has undergone 60mph test running on the Great Central Railway since returning to steam at Loughborough. Outstanding jobs, however, led to its main line tours itinerary for the rest of 2024 being cancelled, including the planned ‘Ribblehead Rambler’trip on September 21. Tornado was due to be moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works on October 1, and from there it will undertake main line test runs before running by rail to Wansford for its rearranged visit to the Nene Valley Railway, where it will haul passenger trains on October 19/20 and 26/27, as well as‘The Fenman Tornado’ fish and chips service on the evening of the 19th. For more details, visit nvr.org.uk As pictured last issue, Tornado’s return to steam began on August 12 when a…

LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 5025 restaged its landmark first passenger train 90 years to the day on the Strathspey Railway on September 5. Its owner, the WEC Watkinson Trust, discovered that No. 5025 not only headed the first passenger-hauled service by a ‘Black Five’ over the original Highland Main Line, but that it was also the first of the class to be released into traffic (Vulcan Foundry’s ‘Black Fives’ were in traffic before the first batch from Crewe, and Vulcan held No. 5020 back for the official photographs). Furthermore, No. 5025’s first passenger train ran from Perth to Inverness via Forres over what is now the Strathspey Railway, from Aviemore North towards Grantown on Spey. This train left Aviemore, heading for Forres, on September 5, 1934, at 3.03pm, from the…

THE Nene Valley Railway successfully hosted the GB Railfreight charity weekend on September 7/8 with a host of the company’s locomotives, including Nos. 08632, 47727, 57303 66799, 66312, 69003 and 69009 passing over the Fletton branch main line connection from its Peterborough depot. Class 08 No. 08632, working with Class 14 No. 9529 to provide a brake translator, was the star of the event, with shuttles along the branch full. The GBRf depot tours were fully sold out, with passengers travelling on Stagecoach shuttle buses from Peterborough Nene Valley to the main line station and depot. All advance travel tickets were sold out too, with very brisk on-the-day sales and more than 1500 passengers riding on the heritage line. The event began on September 6 with a sold-out driving experience…

A PAINTING of Flying Scotsman by Terence Cuneo will be among major works in the David and Pam McCleave collection of modern British art to be auctioned by Sworders on October 1. Friendships, the love of art, and the thrill of the chase were the three elements that led David and Pam McCleave to collect. David’s keen interest in art was encouraged by the personal relationships he developed with some of the late 20th century’s most recognisable names. When living in Surrey, Terence Cuneo was close by, and a telephone call – followed by a glass of sherry – led to friendship. David, who developed a successful London property portfolio in the 1970s, regularly visited the artist’s studio to watch him paint, and bought works from him directly and at…

A DIESEL which has been restored to working order over several years by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland at Whitehead Railway Museum was officially launched back into traffic on August 31. The ceremony involved Alderman Beth Adger, the Mayor of Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, Patricia Perry, the High Sheriff for County Antrim, and musician Jim Corr, of The Corrs, an ardent enthusiast and longestablished RPSI member. The freshly-repainted Bo Bo No. B142 was built in 1963 by General Motors in the US for CIE. It was withdrawn in Dublin in 2010, at which stage it was privately preserved and presented to the RPSI. It is now used for shunting duties within the Whitehead site To mark the successful completion of its restoration project, the 67-ton locomotive was…

FOLLOWING the debuts of LBSCR Atlantic No. 32424 BeachyHead and GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 BettonGrange this year, a £150,000 appeal has been launched to complete the project to build GWR Hawksworth 4-6-0 No. 1014 County of Glamorgan. In the wake of the project to build the new GWR Saint 4-6-0 No. 2999 Lady of Legend at Didcot Railway Centre, the plan to recreate a Hawkworth County was first conceived in 1997 and began in 2005 when Great Western Society acquired the chassis and bogie of Modified Hall 4-6-0 No. 7929 Willington Hall and the boiler from Stanier 8F No. 48518, both Barry scrapyard hulks. The GWS aims to leave the boiler in the frames while all the key components such as cladding, backhead fittings and piping are acquired and trial-fitted…

THE Severn Valley Railway’s August 31 event was called Super Saturday – but maybe Super Friday and Saturday morning would have been a better description. During August 30/31, the railway played host to the early arrival of LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas, which worked over the two days. It had been more than 30 years since the Jubilee last visited the SVR. Courtesy of the Bahamas Locomotive Society, No. 45596 arrived under its own steam with support coach on Friday, July 23 from Matlock after visiting Peak Rail, as reported last issue. The move was in preparation for the SVR’September 19-22 autumn steam gala. Designed by William Stanier, the Jubilee was built in 1935 by the North British Locomotive Company at its works in Glasgow as LMS No. 5596…

NEWS THE North Norfolk Railway ended its peak summer season ona high note witha nine-day Festival on Rails, includinga gala during the August bank holiday weekend. There were six locomotives in action each day during the gala, followed by a special service featuring four every day from Tuesday, August 27, until Sunday, September 1. The daily lineup of locomotives and mix of carriages sets in action varied throughout to provide visitors with the opportunity to seea range of combinations. More than 7600 passengers travelled during the event, making good use of the line’s day rover tickets to hop on and off and ride behind several locomotives. Poppy Line general manager Graham Hukins said “The event provided a welcome boost at the end of the summer season, and it was a…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s flagship Great Northern Railway (Ireland) S class 4-4-0 No. 171 Slieve Gullion will haul its first public passenger trains for 22 years on October 12. No. 171, which was built by Beyer Peacock in Manchester in 1913, will offer short rides within the RPSI’s Whitehead Railway Museum base during the afternoon. Tickets can be booked online at steamtrainsireland.ticketsolve.com or bought from the Visit Belfast Welcome Centre (9 Donegall Square North, BT1 5GJ), and also include admission to the museum’s five galleries. As reported last issue, No. 171 moved under its own power on July 27 following overhaul, its boiler ticket having expired in 2002. On September 13, the RPSI hosted a royal visit when the Duke of Gloucester and his son, the Earl of Ulster,…

MYSTERY surrounds the identity of a photographer responsible for a previously unknown collection of railway glass slides and negatives that was unearthed by Nick Booker, chairman of the Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group, during the flat clearance of one of his wife’s relatives. Maggie Gathercole, the ‘hippy’ cousin of Nick’s wife Jill, died last December at the age of 81, leaving behind in her flat in Camden, north-west London, a vast hoard of thousands of negatives and prints and no fewer than 18 shoeboxes of postcards, as well as much else that has taken many months to clear and continues to do so. Describing Maggie as a ‘collector of things,’ Nick said she was an artist with an eye for the quirky and unusual. “She obtained a degree in fine…

THE North Norfolk Railway celebrates a special milestone on September 14, marking 30 years to the day since D6732 arrived to become the first Class 37 to work in preservation. It has since been a regular performer, and to mark the anniversary it will haul five special rounds trips. The locomotive was saved in the early 1990s by a small group of East Anglian enthusiasts who were passionate about preserving an example of the type which had been staple power on passenger services in the region. The group's tender was accepted, and at the end of June 1994 the group became the proud owner of D6732 (37032), which had been withdrawn with a failed main generator but was otherwise substantially complete. Following talks it was agreed that the Poppy Line…

MEMORIES of a fondly-remembered and idiosyncratic railway in Cambridgeshire crossed the border into Essex over the August Bank Holiday weekend, with the debut at Mangapps Railway Museum of a 1952-built diesel that saw service on the Wisbech & Upwell Tramway. This six-mile line was opened by the GER in August 1883 to carry mainly agricultural produce, although passenger trains were run until December 1927. Being, unusually for the UK, a roadside tram railway, its locomotives were fitted with sideskirts and cowcatchers, and with their wooden bodies they resembled brake vans, although 1950s trainspotters were less kind and described them as looking like mobile sheds. From the early 1900s, trains were operated by James Holden-designed Class C53/LNER J70 0-6-0Ts, 11 of which were inherited by BR and numbered in the 682xx…

A NEW gallery in Greenock, opened appropriately on the site of the Glasgow & South Western Railway’s Princes Pier station, is paying homage to Clydeside’s steam locomotive building. The Wyllieum celebrates the life and work of industrial artist George Wyllie, who made his name in 1987 with his life-sized sculpture‘The Straw Locomotive.’ Closely related to an LMS ‘Black Five,’on May 4 that year it was hoisted aloft by the famous Finnieston Crane, which, in its heyday, loaded literally thousands of Glasgow-built steam engines on to ships for export all over the world. Wyllie, a self-taught artist, wanted to mourn the collapse of locomotive building in Glasgow, and the 12-ton chicken wire and straw sculpture was suspended by the crane until it was taken to the site of the former North…

BEST laid plans come to mind regarding Saphos Trains’ fully-booked ‘Welsh Marches Express’ tour on September 4. The train started at Bournemouth at 5.33am but left 16 minutes late at 5.49am, diesel-powered by D1935 and 57311 and running via Southampton, Salisbury, Bath and Bristol Temple Meads, where B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower was to take over. The B1 was prepared and had passed its fitness-to-run exam for the tour at Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway, and the crew were ready. Tragically, an incident had taken place near Taunton station just before 7am. A British Transport Police spokesman said that following reports of a casualty on the tracks, officers and paramedics attended, and a person was pronounced dead. “The incident is not thought to be suspicious, and a file…

A FUNDRAISING appeal to upgrade Bulleid West Country light Pacific No. 35028 Eddystone so it can run on the main line has been launched by owning group Southern Locomotives Limited. The group has been approached by two major railtour promoters about the Swanage Railway stalwart, owing to a shortage of Class 7 and 8 motive power on the national network, especially in southern England, said SLL chairman Simon Troy. “Since Swanage’s U class No. 31806 was passed for main line running, we have often been asked whether an SLL loco could do likewise. We’ve declined this hitherto because of the added responsibilities of main line operation,” he said. “However, times and circumstances change, and we are now seriously looking at the possibility of venturing out on the network in association…

THE National Railway Heritage Awards 2023 BAM Nuttall Partnership Award for the restoration of the Grade II*-listed turntable at the former depot site at St Blazey by the MPower Kernow Community Interest Company was unveiled on August 30. As reported in issued 306, A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman became the first locomotive to use the newly-restored 65ft Cowans Sheldon turntable on April 30. Attending the ceremony from the NRHA were Andy Savage MBE, Gavin Johns (chairman of adjudicators and trustee), Malcolm Wood and Simon Gyde. The party were accompanied by Bill Reeve (director of rail, Transport Scotland) who had presented the award to the MPower Kernow CIC representatives as the guest of honour at the NRHA awards ceremony in London on December 6 (issue 314). BAM Nuttall, as award…

POP music mogul and avid heritage railway supporter Pete Waterman OBE saw his contribution to the rail industry recognised on September 11 when one of main line operating company Freightliner’s fleet of Class 90 locomotives, No. 90041, was named in his honour at Crewe station. Loving the experience of travelling on trains, he wrote his first lyrics while sitting on Rugby station which inspirated him, and he held his first job aged 14 working for BR. In 1994 he established the Waterman Heritage Railway Trust which cares for a fleet of locomotives he purchased, such as GWR small prairie No. 5553, currently on loan to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, and Class 25 D7659, which resides at Peak Rail where the trust is based. The naming ceremony was organised by…

ON Wednesday, October 23, Midland Pullman is giving the chance to travel from Essex to Carlisle on board its distinctive High Speed Train under the title of the ‘Settle to Carlisle & Tyne Valley Pullman.’ Starting from Romford, the tour is scheduled to pick up at Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Stowmarket, Bury St. Edmunds and Ely. At Ely, the tour is planned to turn west on the Peterborough line for the final passenger pick-up at March. Continuing to Peterborough, the train is expected to head across the country and through the Yorkshire Dales to pick up the Settle to Carlisle line, crossing Ribblehead Viaduct before descending into the Eden Valley to the destination of Carlisle. At Carlisle, customers will have about two hours to explore before the trip home via a…

A SELECTION of 5in gauge coal-fired live steam models was among the leaders in a railwayana and model trains auction held by Lacy Scott & Knight of Bury St Edmunds on August 23, led by LNER Class D16 No. 62546 Claud Hamilton, which sold for £2800. Behind with a realisation of £1700 came GWR No. 1505, representing a small class of Hawksworth-designed, BR-built 0-6-0PTs that was a regular sight for we steam era trainspotters working on empty stock at Paddington, and at £1350 was an unnumbered 0-6-0T in BR livery. This 5in gauge coal-fired trio did not have everything its own way, however, as two gauge one (45mm) spirit-fired models built by Aster of Japan also got a slice of the action thanks to Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73051 at…

AHEAD of the S&DR200 festival, the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway has opened pre-orders on a new celebration of the pioneering line in its bicentenary year. The Stockton & Darlington Railway: A Pictorial Journey is a lavishly illustrated hardback book featuring photographs by Darlington photographer Peter Giroux, highlighting the remaining features of the railway and providing a unique record of it. The text is by archaeologist Caroline Hardie, who has spent more than a decade researching the railway and its surviving historic landscape. There are additional contributions by musicians, artists and poets to create visual and audio extras, some of which are accessible through QR codes. The limited print run is funded through pre-order subscriptions. Those received before the end of October will receive an individually numbered book…

THE Bala Lake Railway has been granted planning permission by the Snowdonia National Park planning authority to build its long-mooted 1300yard extension into Bala town centre – 16 months after the scheme was blocked. Subject to several conditions being met, the 2ft gauge railway will be allowed to extend from its current remote terminus at Pen y Bont to a new terminus just off the High Street, in a prime position next to the A494 and a major route for holidaymakers. The decision was made at the authority’s meeting on September 4. A railway statement said: “After more than 10 years of speculative work on extending the railway, the dream of being able to build the railway into Bala has become a reality. “Having overcome the disappointment of being refused…

LMS Stanier ‘Black Five’ No. 45163 arrived at Ian Riley’s workshops on September 5 ahead of its full restoration to working condition following an agreement being signed between Riley & Sons Engineering and the 45163 Restoration Group, as reported in issue 322. The departure from the Colne Valley Railway at Castle Hedingham came following a substantial clearance of rolling stock in recent months, combined with the need to slew some of the track to reconnect the line leading to locomotive’s previous home in a shed at one end of the site, access to which was being hindered by unrestored Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35010 Blue Star, which itself had been moved onto the siding earlier in the year from further across the site. Having been loaded onto the lorry, No.…

DURING recent years numerous railways have improved accessibility for wheelchair users on their services, with Mk.1 and even vintage carriages being sympathetically modified for the purpose. Now, thanks to a £111,800 grant, the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is set to add two such converted carriages to its fleet. In a 12-month project, the railway’s leading carriage restorers and volunteers are fitting wider doorways and adapting seating areas to a pair of BR Mk. 1 coaches. The grant funding comes as part of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, in this instance being distributed by North Yorkshire Council. Both vehicles currently being restored have previously been out of use, so their return to service will significantly increase the numbers of visitors the railway can welcome aboard its services each year.…

THE sale of unrestored WR 4-6-0 No. 7027 Thornbury Castle for use in the Great Western Society project to build a new Churchward 47XX ‘Night Owl’ 2-8-0 was completed at the end of August, it has been revealed. Controversy raged when it was revealed in 2022 that the private owner of No. 7027, who was said to have bought it with the intention of restoring it in its own right, had sold it to the 4709 Project, which intends to use GWR No. 8 boiler in its new-build scheme, as reported in issue 297. The locomotive, the 23rd to be rescued from Barry scrapyard but which has never run in the heritage era, was then moved from its previous base at Loughborough to Tyseley Locomotive Works, where a boiler inspection…

FOLLOWING the Second World War, many of the Southern Railway’slight Pacifics were named in honour of RAF squadrons and other figures connected to the Battle of Britain. With so many people having fought for our country, it proved impossible to honour them all and many went unrecognised. However, on September 1, Southern Locomotives Limited righted one particular wrong when it temporarily renamed No. 34059 Sir Keith Park to pay tribute to a group of unsung heroes of British wartime history. 303 Squadron was one of several which comprised mainly Polish aircrew, with a small number of Czechs, who were commanded by Squadron Leader Ronald G Kellett. It was formed in July 1940 in Blackpool, before deployment to RAF Northolt on August 2 as part of an agreement between the Polish…

DESCRIBED by many as the heart of GWR preservation, occupying what was once a genuine locomotive depot, age has caught up with Didcot Railway Centre’s 1932 engine shed, the roof of which now needs to be completely replaced. The museum is centred around this impressive shed, with each of its four roads providing 200 feet of valuable undercover space to store the extensive collection of locomotives under the custodianship of the Great Western Society. Described as Didcot’s ‘Cathedral of Steam,’ it is a window to the days when steam reigned supreme. Complete with smoke hoods and servicing pits, authentic shed scenes have regularly been recreated within its walls during photographic charters. Indeed, the shed is one of just a few such structures in the country still fulfilling its original function…

A STEAM-FOCUSED new Wild West journey of a lifetime is being offered by the Railway Touring Company next September. The 16-day journey through California, Nevada and Utah will involve visiting 10 of the legendary historic railroads of the western USA. Running on September 14-29, the 'Wild, Wild West Rail Adventure'sets out from San Francisco after a free day to explore the city and a visit to Alcatraz Island. It is home to one of the largest Chinatowns in the world; Chinese workers who settled in San Francisco played a crucial role in building the Transcontinental Railroad through the Sierra Nevada mountains, so an authentic Chinese lunch is a fitting start. Travelling north through Napa Valley, the journey will be broken witha stop at the picturesque Peju Winery, followed by a…

MORE than £65,000 has been raised for the Nene Valley Railway’s emergency £300,000 appeal launched in May to keep it running in the face of stark financial challenges – meaning it is now not in danger of immediate closure. "These challenges came about due to a combination of Covid-19 leaving a deficit over a two-year period and also operating costs rising sharply," said a statement. As reported in issue 322, family-founded grant-maker the Garfield Weston Foundation has allocated £20,000 towards NVR's core costs, including overheads and non-capital spending, after the railway applied to several benevolent organisations. "The railway is not in immediate danger of closing," the statement said. "We are running as normal and will continue to do so. "The £300,000 fundraising target is there to refill our reserves. It…

THE Railway Preservation Society ran a special tour on September 9 to mark its 60th anniversary. The ‘RPSI@60’ railtour was headed by 1901-built Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Q 4-4-0 No. 131 from Dublin Connolly to Dundalk and return, with a second run from Dundalk to Drogheda and back. The RPSI was formed in 1964 to preserve Irish steam locomotives, carriages and rolling stock, and to operate them on the Irish railway network for everyone to see, appreciate, enjoy, and travel on. The society currently has about 1000 members worldwide and depends on its volunteers to keep its trains operational. For details of tours, visit www.steamtrainsireland.com/trainsevents…

ON September 10, West Coast Railways’ LMS ‘Black Five’ 44932 departed its home base of Carnforth for the Severn Valley Railway. No. 44952 has seen little use this year on the main line; being vacuum-braked, it cannot haul air-braked carriages. It left Carnforth with its support coach on time at 10.40am for a journey up the West Coast Main Line to Crewe for a service stop. Leaving two minutes early, there was only one other stop at Rickerscote for pathing. It was then non-stop all the way to Kidderminster, finally crossing over onto SVR metals at 3.27pm, 29 minutes early. Passing Blakedown, the final station before Kidderminster in deplorably rainy conditions, it was clearly running fast at line speed. After handover and a crew change, it watered at Kidderminster Town…

September 27 ‘The Mayflower’ Birmingham New Street, Bristol Temple Meads, Plymouth and return. Diesel-hauled between BTM and Plymouth. Locos: 4079 Clun Castle & 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. VT 28 ‘The Atlantic Coast Express’ Waterloo, Exeter and return. Loco: 35028 Clan Line. RTC 28 Exeter excursion Paddington, Exeter and return. Diesel-hauled between Paddington and Taunton (outward only). Loco: 61306 Mayflower. SD OCTOBER 2 ‘The Golden Arrow’ Peterborough, Canterbury and return. Steam-hauled between London and Canterbury. Loco: TBA. ST 3 ‘The Dalesman’ York, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled from Hellifield. Loco: TBA. WCR 4 Ben Nevis & Lochaber Pullman Lancaster, Fort William and return. Loco: Midland Pullman HST. MP 5 Central Scotland & Fife Push-Pull (Day 1) Crewe, Edinburgh Waverley. Loco: 47712 Lady Diana Spencer. IC 5 ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ Euston, Carlisle…

DECADES IN THE MAKING The WHR Super-Power event returned in style this year with not only a visit from pioneer Tasmanian Beyer Peacock Garratt 0-4-0+0-4-0 No. K1, but also the long-awaited launch of NG15 No. 134. Friday, September 13 saw a special train hauled by No. K1 laid on for Welsh Highland Railway Society members, with emphasis on the team that returned it to service in the early days of the WHR revival. In a partnership arrangement, No. K1 resides at the Statfold Barn Railway, with occasional visits back to Wales. Over the last 25 years, several different teams have worked on the NG15, Franco-Belge No. 2684 of 1952. The locomotive's origins date back to 1931, when 115/8in gauge NG15 2-8-2s similar in design to the existing Hd and NG5…

IN recent years, pre-Grouping locomotives and their ornate liveries have fostered a strong following, something that has transcended into the model railway sector too, and the return to service of LSWR T3 No. 563 last autumn had modellers asking when that particular class would be replicated in a smaller scale. A question of ‘if’ and not ‘when,’ on September 7 Bachmann Europe revealed at its members day that the T3 was well and truly on the way to joining its EFE Rail range of OO scale models less than a year following the comeback of No. 563 at the Swanage Railway. The EFE Rail model has been developed with the help of the South Western Circle – the historical society for the London & South Western Railway – which has…

HERITAGE MODELLER RAILWAY HERITAGE IN MINIATURE WHEN William Stanier was brought in as CME from Swindon Works, he knew he had to change the way in which people thought about locomotives. Double-heading was needed on express trains that ran between London and Glasgow, often with engine changes along the way. From the off, he was thinking bigger. One of the first steps made by Stanier was to propose an express passenger engine for trains on the West Coast Main Line. The Princess Royal came first; it drew heavily on Stanier’s work on the GWR Kings and was the first LMS Pacific. In all, 12 were made. They were very big and powerful but were a servicing nightmare. E A Langridge, who worked in the design office at Derby Works, said…