Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 461 i Steam Railway

Two new main line steam operators could be launched in 2017 It follows confirmation that both Vintage Trains and the grouping around Jeremy Hosking are pressing ahead with applications to run. VT has already lodged an application for a Safety Certificate with the Office of Rail and Road. If successful, the two organisations would be able to directly run steam-hauled passenger trains on Network Rail, adding to the existing train operating companies DB Cargo and West Coast Railways. Tyseley’s trips currently take place through West Coast (with which it says it will continue to plan trains); while Jeremy Hosking’s Locomotive Services Ltd has not been a major promoter in its own right, its locomotives running with both WCR and DB. In a separate development, Mr Hosking has acquired Statesman Rail,…

The Euston Arch - the massive stone monolith at the entrance to the London terminus whose demolition 54 years ago is still regarded by many as the worst-ever act of railway vandalism - will be rebuilt if Transport Minister John Hayes sticks to his promise. A transcript of a speech by MP Mr Hayes, issued by the Department for Transport on November 2, stated: “We will make good the terrible damage that was done to Euston… I support the Euston Arch Trust’s great ambition to see those stones stand once again.” While not giving precise details of what the Government’s involvement will be, or whether it will provide money, Mr Hayes does say that it will be “a revolt against the cult of ugliness. We can and will turn back…

Controversial artist Roger Hiorns is to explain his much-criticised ‘train crash’ art to the people of Birmingham on December 14. The former Turner Prize nominee will set out the thinking behind his proposed sculpture of an apparently overturned ‘Duchess’ 4-6-2 in a keynote lecture at Birmingham City University. In August, Steam Railway revealed the sculpture had been shortlisted for a £2 million grant for display near the revived Curzon Street station, a hub on the new High Speed 2 line (SR457). Mr Hiorns’s pair of giant sculptures closely resembles Stanier ‘Pacific’ No. 46242 City of Glasgow, wrecked in the 1952 Harrow & Wealdstone accident in which 112 people died. The design is based on sister engine No. 46235 City of Birmingham, preserved in the city’s museum. The work would feature…

THIS YEAR’S spectacular commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset system has won two railways an equal share of the prestigious Steam Railway trophy for excellence at the Heritage Railway Awards. The galas, organised by the West Somerset Railway and S&D Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton, captured the spirit of 1966, enthralled thousands of visitors and captivated photographers, who submitted some of their best work for publication. The joint honour will be presented at the HRA’s awards dinner, the most prestigious event of its kind in the annual steam calendar, which takes place at Wolverhampton Low Level station on Saturday February 11 2017. Network Rail Chairman Sir Peter Hendy has been invited to give the keynote address and make the…

SAVE UP TO 10%* WITH STEAM DREAMS! Steam Railway and Steam Dreams have joined forces to offer you the chance to enjoy Holidays by Steam to Ireland and the Isle of Man, Devon or the Yorkshire Dales and Moors - at a massive 10% discount. Stay in top-rated hotels* and visit castles, distilleries and stately homes. June 14-22: ‘Emerald Manx Explorer’. Nine days of steam. Across to the Isle of Man (Pullman dining), Belfast, Dublin, Tralee, Westport and Ballina. £1,795-£2,950. 5% DISCOUNT WITH STEAM RAILWAY. QUOTE CODE: PR54 June 14-22: ‘Emerald Isle Explorer’. As above, but all nine days are spent in Ireland. £1,795-£2,950. June 13 option: Flying Scotsman to Chester. 5% DISCOUNT WITH STEAM RAILWAY. QUOTE CODE: PR54 July 6-9: ‘Devon Belle’. It’s been 50 years since the end…

The first rails have appeared at the Llangollen Railway’s new western terminus of Corwen Central - with volunteers working eastwards to lay the first track panels through the station site. Starting from the headshunt at the site’s western end, four panels had been laid by mid-November, with four more needed to complete the formation along the Down side of the eight-coach platform. The island structure, whose Up side will take six coaches, awaits a grant application. The next track panel will reach the site of the eastern turnout for the run-round loop - but then the embankment needs to be rebuilt at this point. The formation is breached by an access road to Welsh Water’s nearby treatment plant, but a new road will cross the Ruthin branch trackbed instead. LR…

THE ISLE of Man is famous for its high-speed TT motorcycle race, but a far more sedate form of transport will take centre stage on its roads at Easter - a steam locomotive being hauled around the island by traction engines. For 2017, the ‘Rush Hour’ event that has traditionally opened the Isle of Man Railways’ operating season is to be incorporated into a ‘Festival of Steam’ on April 17-23, featuring steam-powered cars and road locomotives. The spectacular climax will be the ‘Heavy Haulage’ part of the event (April 20-23) in which a road train consisting of three Fowler road locomotives - Atlas, The Duke of York and The Great North - will haul Isle of Man Steam Railway 2-4-0T No. 8 Fenella on a tour taking in some of…

After a detour of over 300 miles into GWR territory, the frames of replica ‘P2’ No. 2001 Cock O’ The North have returned to Doncaster, with a move to a new home at the South Yorkshire Air Museum. The frame plates, which were cut by Tata Steel at Scunthorpe in 2014, have since been stored at Didcot Railway Centre, on an apple green-liveried bogie bolster wagon. But in late October, they became the first of the two sets of new-build ‘P2’ frames to venture onto the main line, when the wagon was moved over Network Rail metals to the loading point at Didcot West Yard, for collection by haulier Allelys. Arriving at the air museum on November 3, the wagon has been placed on a track panel acquired from Hird…

A series of presentations on the ‘P2’ project will be given by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust along the length of the East Coast Main Line next year, including the Edinburgh-Aberdeen section that was the original stamping ground of the Gresley ‘Mikados’. The events run from 11am to 1pm on the following dates: January 14: London Transport Museum February 18: Great Northern Hotel, Peterborough March 18: Doncaster Museum & Art Galley April 22: York Railway Institute May 13: Darlington Locomotive Works June 17: Newcastle Mining Institute July 1: Edinburgh Jury’s Inn October 14: Dundee Heritage Trust Discovery Point November 25: Aberdeen Jury’s Inn…

The boiler for replica ‘County’ No. 1014 County of Glamorgan is all set to come together during 2017, with the Great Western Society having placed the order for the rolling of the barrel. The go-ahead has also been given for the smokebox and saddle (including the smokebox door, sponsored by Steam Railway). The firebox from ‘8F’ No. 48518 is expected to be completed at LNWR Crewe by the end of the year. The tender is also making good progress, with the brake gear ready for assembly and the bottom plate expected to be finished in early 2017, ready for the tank to be assembled. However, rather like the recent experience of another reincarnated GWR 4-6-0 (No. 6880 Betton Grange) the ‘County’s’ wheelsets will have to be removed again in the…

DECEMBER 30742 CHARTERS Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway, No. 1369 and box vans. £60. 3P20 PARCELS GROUP Foxfield Railway, ‘Austerity’ Whiston (as Hurricane). £50. JANUARY 2017 TIMELINE EVENTS Great Central Railway, No. 70013 and mixed goods. £70. JAN/FEB 2017 TIMELINE EVENTS Five days on Harz narrow gauge lines (in conjunction with Tanago Railfan Tours). €1,650. FEBRUARY 2017 30742 CHARTERS Bristol Harbour Railway, evening shoot with Avonside Portbury and Bristol lorry. £30 (proceeds to overhaul of Peckett Henbury). TIMELINE EVENTS Didcot Railway Centre, photographic, digital and printing workshop in conjunction with Permajet Print Academy. £295. South Devon Railway, evening shoot with Nos. 1369, 1420, 3205 and 6412 plus guest engine TBC. £45. MARCH 2017 30742 CHARTERS East Somerset Railway, two days with No. 41313 on mixed and milk trains.…

A unique opportunity has arisen to acquire three vintage South Eastern & Chatham Railway Pullman carriages far from home in the North East - before the site they occupy is cleared for new development. Parlour Firsts Nos. 43 Sapphire and 99 Padua, and Kitchen First No. 102 Rosalind - built for the SECR in 1910, 1920 and 1921 respectively, and latterly used as Southern Region holiday coaches after withdrawal in 1960 - have been part of a restaurant on the seafront at Seaburn since 1988, along with BR Mk 1 Tourist Second Open No. 4328. The Pullman Hotel, Bar & Restaurant is described as being at the end of its useful life, and the freehold has been acquired by Sunderland City Council as part of a major redevelopment of the…

‘Plandampf’ returns to its traditional October slot for 2017, as the heavy freight event in Germany’s Werra valley celebrates its 20th anniversary. The Eisenach-based institution is expected to call on four engines; locally based 2-8-2 No. 41.1144 returns after its absence this year, being joined by 2-10-0s Nos. 52.1360 and 52.8154, and ‘Pacific’ No. 03.2155. It is expected that the latter will be used on photo-passenger trains. Long established as one of the 21st century’s largest steam spectacles, the Werratal ‘Plandampf’ is to run from October 19-21.…

The Bala Lake Railway Trust has published a revised route for its proposed extension into its main town. Instead of constructing a new bridge over the river Dee, the Welsh Highways Agency has agreed to track being laid over the existing B4391 road bridge, tramway-style, and like the Welsh Highland Railway at Porthmadog. This means a considerable saving for the BLR, and on the town side of the crossing, it will resume the proposed route on the lake foreshore. Close to the bridge, a second road crossing required over the B4403 will make use of the disused bridge on the bypassed section of the Llangower road, although both will probably be worked together to minimise disruption to road and rail traffic. To better understand the extension’s economic impact, passengers and…

After many months of delay, Network Rail has given the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Trust clearance to take over the small plot of land needed for its new £1 million museum plans. A £488,700 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund, along with match-funding from the Cumbria Community Foundation, will allow the enlargement of the existing museum in the old Furness Railway platform waiting shelter. It can also develop its displays, and put more historic relics, including a 3ft gauge carriage body, on display. The work should be completed next June. Restoration of one of the most significant exhibits is close to completion. Heywood 0-4-0T Katie was steamed at Station Road Steam, Metheringham, near Lincoln, for the first time on November 9. Built by Sir Arthur Heywood in 1896 for the…

The Downpatrick & County Down Railway aims to have both its 1935-built Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0Ts in traffic next year for its 30th birthday party. No. 1 is currently in traffic, while the DCDR hopes that No. 3 will be back in action by December 2017, the 30th anniversary of the commencement of operations at Downpatrick. No. 3’s boiler was despatched last January to Heritage Engineering Ireland, the RPSI’s engineering subsidiary, for overhaul. It has now passed its out-of-frames hydraulic and steam tests, and was due in mid-November to be transported back to Downpatrick for its return to the frames. Robert Edwards of the DCDR said it was impossible at this stage to say how long reassembly might take, as the railway now operates on more than 60 days a…

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway is already feeling the benefits of the major legacy that it received four months ago, with £10,000-worth of track materials purchased, and both locomotive and carriage projects moving forward. The line was left stunned in August by the news that its supporting charity, the EVR Association, was to receive an undisclosed but substantial sum from the estate of local farmer Sam Winfield (SR458). The £10,000 that has already been spent on track materials will increase before the end of the year, in order to take advantage of bulk purchases, while drawings have been obtained for the new steam running shed at the line’s Wirksworth headquarters. With a visiting steam locomotive being sought for 29 operating days in 2017, a forklift with a bucket has been acquired…

A rare brass locomotive crest from ‘Black Five’ No. 45154 Lanarkshire Yeomanry was among the items recently discovered in a Southport attic. The Merseyside haul includes locomotive worksplates, and smokebox numbers, shedcode plates, totems and other items, but the crest is the major find. With just four class members named (after Scottish regiments) during their LMS/BR working life - No. 45154’s nameplates being removed on withdrawal from service in 1966 - the crest was subsequently separated from its nameplate. “The crest is in ex-locomotive condition as removed,” says Neil Booth of UK Railwayana. ‘It’s a great opportunity for it to be reunited with its nameplate after 50 years.’ The crest will appear at the next Stafford auction on January 14, 2017. • www.ukrailwayana.com…

“He slumped down on to the footplate, striking his head on the water scoop handle as he fell” In the days of steam, what could go wrong on the footplate? Quite a lot actually, even if only occasionally - bursting boiler tubes and gauge glasses, firebox blowbacks, asphyxiation in tunnels, fire irons striking overbridges… it’s all happened. A new type of mishap I had not heard of before was recounted to me recently by a former Western Region fireman, and his unusual experience is worth re-telling. I am a volunteer at the Great Western Railway Museum in Coleford, Gloucestershire, and talking to a visitor a while back, it turned out that he was Ron Giles, who had been a fireman at Swindon shed in the 1950s. Ron told me about…

Let’s hope I didn’t put the kibosh on things when I said last issue you could ‘never have too many panniers’ - because November 12’s ‘Rambler’ didn’t quite include as many 0-6-0PTs as hoped. What started out as a pannier-pairing ended up with just Dennis Howells’ No. 9466, helped by Tyseley’s two-tone green diesel No. 47773, after concern over an overheating trailing axlebox on Tyseley’s own No. 9600. Vintage Trains’ Ben Mason said the issue came to light during routine inspection at Stratford-upon-Avon, after the pannier pair had run ‘top and tail’ from Tyseley on the first leg of the tour. A trailing ’box, Ben says, “was a bit hot - enough to necessitate further inspection. It was OK to get it home. The stop at Tyseley was for water…

Time was when runpasts were a regular part of steam trips, but now the closest you’re likely to be able to get to the engine during a run is at a water stop. That’s assuming it takes place at a station, rather than with you peering through the buddleia in a yard. So the Railway Touring Company’s Nigel Dobbing reacted with dismay when Virgin Trains East Coast objected to the long-running practice of stopping at Retford on safety grounds. Rather than being replenished with hoses at the platform, the refilling of Duchess of Sutherland on the return York-London leg of October 29’s ‘White Rose’ went to the loop just north of the station. “Nobody can get out or anything,” said a frustrated Nigel. “These people are stuck on the train…

Belmond: 0845 077 2222 or 0207 805 5099 Compass by West Coast: 0844 850 3137 Great Railway Journeys of Britain: 01305 832906 London Transport: 0207 565 7298 Pathfinder Tours: 01453 835414/834477 PMR Tours: 01773 743986 RPSI: 028 9024 6609 (Belfast) or 00 353 148 00553 (Dublin) Railway Touring Company (RTC): 01553 661500 ScotRail: Bookings through Steam Dreams SRPS: 0131 202 1033 Statesman Rail: 0345 310 2458 or 0345 310 2489 Steam Dreams (SD): 01483 209888 Torbay Express: 01453 834477 UK Railtours: 01438 715050 Vintage Trains: 0121 708 4960 West Coast: 0844 8504685 Note: All details correct at time of going to press. Tours are subject to alteration or cancellation at short notice.…

Howard Johnston Editor Engine and station owner, publishing all-rounder Toby Jennings Assistant Editor The busy ‘fireman’ feeding the SR furnace Tom Bright Staff Writer The wordsmith addicted to steam Tony Streeter Down Main His finger’s on the pulse of main line steam Chris Leigh Consulting Editor A senior figure in railway journalism Mike Hedderly Top Link Recording the finest of steam’s performances Jane Skinner Editorial Assistant Mark Pearce Industrial News Barry McLoughlin Contributing Writer Mandy Brett Art Editor Richard Hampson Sub Editor Peter Johnson Narrow Gauge Robin Morton Irish News David Brown Railwayana Julie Cox Account Manager Lynne Fairburn Marketing Manager ALSO SPECIAL THANKS TO... Paul AppletonBradley BottomleyHelen DouglasAndy Hardy Bob HuxtableLiam MillerJon PainMike Pease Chris PriceJo RoesenMark SmithPeter Vail…

JOHN COILEY AWARD  (Engineering project, typically a locomotive restoration) • BR Standard 2-6-0 No. 78018 - A competent demonstration of restoration achievement. • BR Standard 2-6-0 No. 76084 - A painstaking transformation of a Barry wreck into a main line performer. • Sentinel 0-4-0T No. 7109 (Midsomer Norton) - For restoration of an industrial engine to a near-Somerset & Dorset replica. • 0-4-0ST Georgina (North Bay Railway, Scarborough) - For re-creating a lost Bagnall design to begin a new production line. SPECIAL AWARD FOR MERITORIOUS PROJECT • Gresley Society Trust - The King’s Cross station statue brought national recognition for Sir Nigel Gresley, designer of Flying Scotsman and Mallard, and an ‘N2’ 0-6-2T back to Platform 8. • Vintage Trains - For its state-of-the-art steam engineering workshop at Tyseley. •…

• DARLINGTON MEMORIES Darlington’s ‘Head of Steam’ museum hosted a gathering of former employees from North Road works on November 10, marking this year’s 50th anniversary of the closure of the works. The museum has set up an online archive of memories as part of its ‘North Road Works 1863-1966’ project. • LAUNCESTON EXTENDED The Launceston Steam Railway has nearly completed an extension to its locomotive shed, and will then move on to the re-roofing of its main workshop during the winter. • ‘T9’ MEMORIAL The smokebox numberplate from ‘T9’ No. 30724 has been presented to the Bluebell Railway’s museum by Anthony Mallinson in memory of his father Graham, who died in the Shoreham Air Show disaster.…

➧ GOBOWEN STATION BID A community group is campaigning to take over the station building at Gobowen for use as a café, ticket office and function room. The station, on the Chester-Shrewsbury main line, will eventually become the junction for a preserved steam line when the Cambrian Heritage Railways reopens the disused line from Oswestry. ➧ SWINDON GOOCH TRIBUTE The Duchess of Cornwall unveiled a plaque at Swindon station on October 20 in honour of the ‘founding father’ of Swindon - Sir Daniel Gooch. The station forecourt has been named ‘Sir Daniel Gooch Place’, in tribute to the legendary GWR CME. ➧ READING EXHIBITION Items from the Great Western Trust’s collection at Didcot Railway Centre have been used in an exhibition at Reading Museum, telling the story of the town’s…

Born on August 6 1816, in Broadstairs, Kent, Crampton became an assistant to Daniel Gooch in the Great Western Railway’s drawing offices at Swindon, where he produced drawings for the ‘Firefly’ class. It was here that Crampton decided to apply the advantages of broad gauge locomotive design and performance to standard gauge. The result was the ‘Crampton’, which combined a low-slung boiler positioned between the frames for a low centre of gravity, 7ft driving wheels on an axle behind the firebox, outside crank axles and cylinders, short steam passages and large heating services. Famously, one of Crampton’s locomotives built for the LNWR, 6-2-0 Liverpool , won a gold medal at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Although various locomotives were built to Crampton’s design for use in Britain,…

The first complete set of BR ‘Clan’ frames since 1952 are to be constructed during 2017, as the Standard Steam Locomotive Company takes its biggest step yet towards building No. 72010 Hengist. Following a meeting on October 21 with Riley & Son (E) Ltd - the contractors for the frame assembly - the decision has been taken to carry out the job in one go. The original intention was to add the rear frame extensions (which support the firebox) and the rear dragbox in the second stage, but these will now be combined with the building of the main frames. The SSLC stated: “This decision should obviate the need for a potential three-month lead time before ‘Phase II’ could commence. Combining these processes will ensure that the project’s momentum is…

Steam Railway appeal ‘Saint’ No. 2999 Lady of Legend will be authentic in every detail when it steams - even down to the correct Churchward cylinder drain cocks. Changes are required to donor ‘Hall’ No. 4942 Maindy Hall, explains Project Engineer Peter Chatman: “Unlike the later design (fitted to most preserved GWR locomotives) which is bolted to pads on the cylinders and features spring-loaded valves, the Churchward design screws into a cast boss on the cylinder and is lever-operated, so the mechanism at the cylinder end is quite different to that of No. 4942. It also means we will have to remove the bogie to fit it.” Other recent work has included slight ‘cut and shut’ modifications to the running plates for the new cylinder cladding, while further vacuum brake…

The American new-build project aiming for the world steam speed record is getting ready to assemble the ‘face’ of its locomotive, Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-4-4 No. 5550. Where 126mph ‘A4’ Mallard has its ‘cod’s mouth’ smokebox door, the shape of the US machine’s streamlined prow earns it the nickname of the ‘shark’s nose’. Having obtained the necessary drawings from the Pennsylvania State Archives and converted them into CAD diagrams, the T1 Trust has begun cutting metal. It is not the first component to be made for the $10 million project since its launch in 2014 (SR435). One of the Boxpok driving wheels was cast in February, and the group is also hoping to build the cab within six months. Made from aircraft-grade aluminium, like much of the streamlined casing, it…

The breach of copyright dispute over the contents of a children’s book about a North Wales ‘Quarry Hunslet’ has been settled without going to the High Court, with judgement in favour of author and journalist Cliff Thomas. He has won the case against Bala Lake and North Norfolk Railway chairman Julian Birley, who must now pay undisclosed damages. Copies of Alice The Little Welsh Engine remain on sale in bookshops. Mr Thomas successfully claimed to the Royal Court of Justice that the book, about Mr Birley’s repatriated 0-4-0ST W/No. 780 Alice, used extensive extracts from his own story entitled Alice the Little Engine from Wales. Author Pauline Hazelwood and Mr Birley (who financed the project under Saddletank Books) undertook to sign a statement acknowledging that their book infringed copyright.…

“Everyone is optimistic that they will make the January 1 start,” says Howard Jones, speaking about preparations for revived scheduled steam from Poland’s Wolsztyn shed. Steam-hauled timetabled trains ceased in March 2014; the new timetable is expected to feature steam on the Wolsztyn-Leszno and Wolsztyn-Zbaszynek routes Monday-Friday, and between Wolsztyn and Poznan at weekends. Although work to source suitable rolling stock is ongoing, the Polish depot is now in a relatively comfortable motive power position: 2-8-2 No. Pt47.65 and 2-6-2 No. Ol49.59 are operational, while No. Ol49.69 is expected to receive a donor set of wheels from classmate No. Ol49.100 by the end of the year. A major event is planned for June 14-19, marking 20 years of The Wolsztyn Experience. It includes parallel running, a steam-hauled freight, and two…

The boiler of Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Wimblebury has been re-tubed at Caverswall Road on the Foxfield Railway, and awaits a steam test. The NCB locomotive is expected back in traffic in a fresh coat of blue in spring 2017. Hot on its heels are a pair of 0-4-0STs, with Bagnall Hawarden’s rear axle fitted following the completion of axlebox repairs. It is expected that the 1940-built locomotive will be re-wheeled within weeks. Valve gear is being assembled before work moves on to lubrication pipework and axlebox pads, and the boiler is receiving a new doorplate with forming and welding under way, while new crown stays are also due to be fitted imminently. Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns ‘Eustace Forth’ (W/No. 7063 of 1942) is receiving firebox work. The focus of attention…

➧ NO. 49 BOILER LIFT SOON The boiler of Tanfield Railway-based Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 49 was due to be lifted from its frames in late November. The popular National Coal Board-liveried locomotive is to receive firebox repairs before a return to steam. Formerly based at Backworth Colliery in Northumberland, the forthcoming overhaul will be the 1943-built machine’s third in preservation. ➧ SMALL ENGINE GALA The Nene Valley Railway-based Small Loco Group have announced the date for their annual industrial gala next year. Three home-based steam locomotives, plus two diesels and a guest locomotive, are expected to be in action on May 13/14 2017, working a mix of passenger and freight trains. The group held its first event in 2016. ➧ ‘DUKE’S’ RODS FETTLED Bagnall ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST…

Temporary structures at the Welsh Highland Railway’s Caernarfon station site were cleared in November to allow groundworks for the new building. While it is being built (see SR458), operations will be based in the old Age UK building on the opposite side of St Helen’s Road at the Dinas end of the station. It will come into use next March, and in the meantime, Christmas services and February half-term trains will run from Dinas. The new building should be ready in March 2018. With WHR services cut back to the 5½-mile run between Porthmadog-Hafod y Llyn until December 8 and also in March, a ground frame was commissioned at Hafod y Llyn on November 2. As this section has almost no gradients, smaller FR locomotives can be rostered. Post-Christmas and…

• NO. 1213 ENTERS SERVICE Under its new guise of No. 1213, the third of the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s 2-6-2Ts, formerly No. 9 Prince of Wales , entered service on November 5. Features restored include GWR-style brackets to take side-mounted lamps, and the cab handrails restored to their original positions. • MICHAEL’S THE MAN In SR460, the credit due to Michael Schumann for supporting the Ffestiniog Railway over many years was transferred to Dafydd Gwyn. We regret the error.…

The contrast in the railway world on the Isle of Wight could hardly be greater. On the one hand, there is Island Line - the run-down, 8½-mile remnant of its erstwhile 55-mile network, operated by virtually life-expired Tube trains, and described by more than one observer of the industry in our sister title RAIL as “a financial basket case”. On the other side of the coin, there is the Isle of Wight Steam Railway - the five-mile preserved line, operated by even older, but beautifully restored, Victorian steam locomotives and rolling stock. Fifty years after the end of steam on the island, this veritable ‘living museum’ has preserved all the rustic charm that has always made its railways such a time warp - and a magnet for enthusiasts. The IoWSR…

The West Somerset Railway is undertaking an internal investigation into an exceedingly rare instance of a locomotive becoming partially detached from its tender while on the move. GWR ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6960 Raveningham Hall was ascending Washford Bank with a Minehead to Bishops Lydeard train on October 23, when what was described as “a loud noise and surge between the locomotive and tender” took place. Inspection on Bishops Lydeard shed revealed that the nut securing the tender clevis to the main drawbar was missing. It was later found at the location of the incident. WSR General Manager and footplateman Paul Conibeare further explained that the tender drawbar had been contained within the drag box, the released nut securing the clevis to the tender drag box. The WSR stated: “Detailed examination…

The determined buyer of Dawlish Warren holiday park has yet to declare what he will do with the eight camping coaches that were part of the £261,000 sale. The winning bid, which was more than twice the guide price at the auction at St Mellion, Cornwall, on November 3, secured a site of 0.32 acres, including six Mk 1s heavily modified for camping coach use, and two former LMS inspection saloons. The site closed at the end of the summer season, and planning permission is needed from Teignbridge District Council to redevelop it.…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Heidi Mowforth has been a Bluebell volunteer for 35 years, working as a fireman and member of the Maunsell Locomotive Society. She is a regular driver and fireman at the Kent & East Sussex, North Norfolk and North Yorkshire Moors Railways, and regards being Britain’s first woman to have driven more than 130 different steam engines as her greatest achievement. Heidi and her husband Mick Blackburn have two grown-up children and a grandson. The Line to the Stars is published by the Bluebell Railway, priced £10. Leafing through it, the most heard comment is: “I didn’t know THAT was filmed there”. DO YOU RECOGNISE THEM? 1: A Beatle at the Bluebell. ‘Thomas’ narrator Ringo Starr poses with young fans and No. 55 Stepney…

Tyseley is not the only potential new operator - the grouping around Jeremy Hosking is also working on one, and also expects to run next year. Spokesman Peter Greenwood said in November that the project was “progressing well... there’s an awful lot of paperwork, but I think we’re nearer the end than the beginning.” Just as with Vintage Trains, the Hosking ‘family’ now collectively includes locomotives - and most other things needed to run charters: Crewe Diesel Depot reopened last year after refurbishment (SR452), more coaches have arrived, and work has started on a new carriage shed. Through the purchase of Statesman Rail (see separate story), a promoter is now part of the family, too. Engines in the Hosking fleet have run with both West Coast and DB Cargo -…

DECEMBER SAT 3 ‘The Cathedrals Express’ Southend East-Winchester-Willesdenby No. 6201. Steam Dreams. SAT 3 ‘The Lindum Fayre’ King’s Cross-Spalding-Lincoln-Newark-King’s Crossby No. 46233. RTC. SAT 3 ‘The Lyndum Christmas Fayre’ Tyseley-Lincolnand returnby No. 4965. Vintage Trains. SAT 3 ‘Santa Special’ Dublin-Greystonesand return(x3) by No. 4. RPSI. SAT 3 ‘Santa Special’ Belfast-Whiteheadand return(twice) by No. 85. RPSI. SUN 4 ‘Santa Special’ Dublin-Greystonesand return(twice) by No. 4. RPSI. SUN 4 ‘Santa Special’ Belfast-Whiteheadand return(x3) by No. 85. RPSI. TUE 6 ‘The Cathedrals Express’ Horsham-Ely-Willesdenby No. 6201. Steam Dreams. TUE 6 ‘The Christmas Sussex Belle’ London Victoria-Eastbourne and Hastings-London Victoriaby Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC. WED 7 ‘Belmond British Pullman’ LondonVictoria-Staines-Guildford-Shalford-Redhill-LondonVictoriaby No. 60163. Belmond. THU 8 ‘The York Yuletide Express’ Norwich-York & returnbyNo. 46233.RTC. SAT 10 ‘The Cathedrals Express’ London Victoria-Bath-Bristoland return by No.…

West Coast says it expects to host Irish crews for training - a separate development to its current programme for its own staff (SR460). MD Pat Marshall said it would “probably” take place in “the early part of the year.” Galatea has continued to be involved with the existing programme; following on from October’s ‘engine and van’ moves. In mid-November, the ‘Jubilee’ was out with six Mk 1s on consecutive days, on circuits from Carnforth encompassing Hellifield and Preston.…

The ‘Train from Spain’, the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’s latest addition to its locomotive fleet, made moves under its own steam for the first time in 84 years on November 22. The 15in gauge 4-6-2, built by Krauss (W/No. 8457) in 1929 for the Ibero-American Exposition in Seville, Spain, was acquired by the RER in January 2016. Originally running as Pinta, it was laid up in 1932 and is effectively still new. Appeal spokesman Keith Herbert says: “The first steaming went well, providing the chance for us to work on valve settings and weigh the locomotive, as well as showing it off in its partly restored state. “The engine is unfinished but it moved successfully under its own power. The biggest job will probably be building a new tender, using…

Anti-HS2 campaigners have adopted the Birmingham station sculpture controversy as a symbol of their battle against Britain’s proposed new high-speed rail route. They have branded it “a train crash sculpture for a train crash of a project”. On its website, the vociferous STOP HS2 group ( http://stophs2.org ) cited Steam Railway’s highly critical leading article (SR457) and readers’ reactions in the following issue. “ Steam Railway has said the engine it was based on is the sister locomotive of City of Glasgow that crashed at Harrow & Wealdstone station in northwest London in 1952, in which 112 people died. “Apparently, the artist had never heard of the train crash, which would be…

• CYCLE CLASH The Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway has cancelled its 1940s weekend in 2017, because Velothon Wales takes place that weekend. Due to be held on July 8/9, road closures for the cycling event would make it impossible for visitors and volunteers to access the railway. The 1940s event will return in 2018. • TETTENHALL RE-OPENS The goods shed at Tettenhall, just outside Wolverhampton city centre, has become the Tettenhall Transport Heritage Centre, with an ‘OO’ gauge layout of the station in the 1930s.…

As part of its ongoing partnership with Tyseley Locomotive Works, for the overhaul and ongoing maintenance of No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester , the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust is sponsoring one of the apprentices recruited by the Birmingham works. Edward Robinson Peach (17), who is also attending a day release course at the local college, has been welcomed as an honorary member of the trust during the three-year period of his apprenticeship to work on the Riddles ‘Pacific’, alongside his other tasks, and become familiar with its unique maintenance requirements. His training will fulfil one of the charitable aims of the trust - to encourage young people to work in railway preservation and ensure that the skills necessary to maintain steam locomotives are passed on to future generations.…

The Holden F5 Locomotive Trust has made a U-turn with the plans for its new 2-4-2T, with the decision to fit Stephenson rather than Joy valve gear. It announced earlier this year that its replica No. 789 would receive Joy valve gear, as originally fitted to the GER Class ‘M15s’ when they were introduced in 1884 (SR458), which would have been cheaper to manufacture. However, after researching the drawings, the decision has now been taken to go for the Stephenson gear with which the class was modified by James Holden. However, good progress is being made towards the ‘rolling chassis’, with plans drawn up by Tyseley Locomotive Works to erect the frames, and the axlebox hornguides being cast.…

3P20 Parcels Group: 3p20.parcels.gp@gmail.com 30742 Charters: mail.30742@btinternet.com 75H Charters: jon.bowers@lineone.net Ben Oliver Railway Photography: www.benoliverphotography.com Compo Club: 07850 982849 In Search of Steam: insearchofsteam@outlook.com Lure of Steam Photographic Events: andrew_fowler@me.com Matt Allen & Warwick Falconer: warwick.falconer@hotmail.com Rural Urban Steam Scenes: 07831 217061 (9am-5pm only please) Matt Fielding Photo Charters: 07875 556615, mattfielding84@gmail.com Steam Recreations: 01823 490952, www.donbishop.co.uk/photo-charters Steamscenes: 01594 837038, steamscenescadeco@btinternet.com Timeline Events: 07770 227625, neilcave@me.com, www.timelineevents.org…

The South Devon Railway has revealed its proposal for a £157,000 carriage shed at its Buckfastleigh headquarters that will bring its valuable fleet of GWR coaches under cover for the first time. Plans submitted to Teignbridge Council show a simple steel-framed structure, but in Great Western colours - and with a similar appearance to the canopy erected over the West Somerset Railway’s locomotive yard at Bishops Lydeard, modelled on a wartime GWR ashpit shelter. Partially funded by a £72,000 grant from Viridor Credits and the Landfill Communities Fund, and £55,000 from the SDR Association, the shed is to be built over the headshunt north of the station. Its location will not affect the long-term aspiration of extending the SDR to Ashburton.…

AGREEMENT FOR the Snowdon Mountain Railway to host a guest from Switzerland’s Brienz Rothorn Bahn (BRB), the railway upon which the SMR was based, was reached in November. The visit, by the BRB’s 0-4-2T No. 2, plus a carriage, is being sponsored by Switzerland Travel Centre and Switzerland Tourism, and will take place in August and September 2017. En route to Llanberis, the train will be displayed outside the London Transport Museum in Covent Garden. At Llanberis, several days of testing will take place before the train goes into service on September 9. Running three trips a day, six days a week, the BRB train will operate between Llanberis and Waterfalls (half a mile). Beyond this point, the SMR’s rack rail is equipped with guard rails to prevent a repeat…

The boiler of former Birmingham Museum of Science & Industry resident Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’ 0-4-0ST Lorna Doone was steamed successfully at the Amerton Railway on October 19. Repairs had been carried out at the Statfold Barn Railway, and the boiler was placed in the frames. Lorna Doone was transferred to the Amerton Railway on loan in February 2003, and the restoration of the least-altered of the preserved Kerr Stuart ‘Wrens’ was started four years ago. On the line, another section of 35lb rail has been replaced with 48lb steel, and rails have been laid out for a turning triangle.…

The RPSI’s new railway museum and interpretative centre, due to open in the spring, has already won praise from two members of the Heritage Railway Association. HRA vice-chairman Mark Smith and board member Steve Wood were given a preview of the site in October, when they visited Belfast to participate in the RPSI’s No. 131 dinner event. Mr Smith described the development to date as a “fantastic achievement”, comparing the facilities at Whitehead with similar centres in Britain, such as Jeremy Hosking’s workshop at Crewe South Diesel depot. The RPSI has announced that the opening date for the museum, which is expected to attract more than 15,000 visitors a year, has been brought forward from mid-April to March 1. Contractors have finished work on the site, and fitting-out of the…

“Route extensions bring a very substantial step up in day-to-day costs” Preserved railways are much smaller concerns than any of the main line rail companies, but the Bluebell Railway, with an annual turnover of around £3.5 million and about 180,000 visitors per year, is a serious business. It fits firmly into the small to medium enterprise category, and in my view needs the same management effort and good governance as any other business of a similar size. For well over half a century, the Bluebell Railway, which pioneered standard gauge railway preservation in the UK in 1960, has given pleasure to many thousands of visitors every year since. Its name is not only familiar to steam enthusiasts but to people throughout the south of England and beyond as a much-loved…

The East Lancashire Railway is investing £25,000 in providing dedicated facilities at Bury Bolton Street station for footplate experience courses. Described by Financial Director David Layland as a ‘footplate suite’, the new building will act as a meeting room to introduce course participants and provide the initial safety training, and will include a drinks facility. Previously, explains David, the groups were accommodated “all over the railway”, in locations including Bolton Street’s buffet and Trackside bar - but because the courses run on non-operating days, the former would often be closed: “A lot of the steam courses are bought as gifts - so we’re trying to make it a better experience.” The shell of the building is already complete, and it is expected to be fitted out by March. It was…

A DERBY product stole the headlines at the Crewe Railwayana Auction at Crewe Heritage Centre on October 15, when The Life Guardsman was launched on the assembled bidders. Lot No. 300 arrived just before the lunch break and the face-restored brass plate from the May 1930-built LMS ‘Royal Scot’ No. 6150 made its appearance. While it was the first of the later Derby-built batch, the ‘Scot’ did have Cheshire connections as its allocations included three spells at Crewe North (1955-56, 1957-59 and again in 1963). Complete with supporting paperwork, the nameplate sold for £11,800. Not too far behind, price-wise, was the cast aluminium double-liner The Territorial Army 1908-1958 from ‘Britannia’ 4-6-2 No. 70048, that came in just under the five-figure mark at £9,800. The matching pair…

‘MOGUL’ GOES SOUTH Some preserved locomotives were permitted onto the main line during the last years of BR steam. Gresley ‘K4’ class ‘Mogul’ No. 3442 The Great Marquess , which had spent its life in Scotland, visits the Southern, in 1967. CRANLEIGH CLOSURE A ‘Last Day’ special, organised by the Railway Enthusiasts Club, is at Peasmarsh Junction, before two views on the line where Bulleid ‘Charlie 6’ (SR Class ‘Q1’ No. 33006), is at the head of a three-coach Bulleid set. MERSEYSIDE RAILTOUR It’s the ‘Merseyside Railtour’ of June 9 1959, which featured a number of ex-LNWR ‘Super D’ goods engines on a tour around Liverpool. Four ‘Super Ds’ were used - but which one (or ones)? Over to you…! To watch the video clips above, visit…