Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 558 i Steam Railway

Returning to form We’ve talked a lot about risk in these pages in the last few months, and to be honest it’s been a hot topic in the heritage sector. Many railways have had to perform a juggling act while trying to balance the books and increase footfall at the same time. One of the riskiest activities of all is staging a gala, especially given the general shortage of engines currently in circulation, and also the associated costs needed to put on an event of that size. It’s pleasing to see then, that recent events at railways such as Llangollen, Severn Valley and West Somerset have proved to be successful – attracting visitors from far and wide. So, contrary to many people’s expectations, large events do still have their place.…

VISITORS TO Didcot Railway Centre will now find it easier to access the former Great Western Railway shed, after the opening of the new entrance ramp on April 26. The new ramp, along with a new, wider, staircase, replaces the original steps-only entrance to the site, enabling wheelchair users and parents with buggies to more easily access the centre from the subway that runs from Didcot station underneath the platforms. Construction of the ramp started in September 2023, initially with contractors digging a large hole, inserting piles to support the structure, then pouring reinforced concrete for the walls and floor of the ramp. There are still some details to complete the project, but it was open in time for Didcot’s ‘Steam Into the 40s’ event on May 4-6. The ramp…

TWO LOCOMOTIVES and two carriages from the fabled ‘Collection X’ have been put on public display inside the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s new museum in the former standard gauge engine shed at Aberystwyth. Hidden from public view for decades, the new arrivals include 1895-built Société Anonyme de Couillet 0-6-0T Hulleras de Sabero No. 1 Sabero (Works No. 1140) – one of three identical locomotives built for hauling coal on the Hulleras de Sabero industrial railway in Spain, all of which were imported into the UK by the late Peter Rampton in 1969. Stored out of sight since then, Sabero is identical to 1900-built Couillet 0-6-0T No. 3 (Works No. 1318), which was sold from ‘Collection X’ to Pairi Saiza – a privately owned zoo and botanical garden in Hainaut, Belgium…

PART OF the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway will close for up to four weeks in September while it replaces Bridge 27 near Haworth. Services on the Haworth to Oxenhope section of the KWVR will be suspended while the work to replace the 135-year-old structure over Bridgehouse Beck is ongoing, which is expected to take between three to four weeks. Trains between Keighley and Haworth will, however, continue to run during this period. Built in 1889, the current bridge comprises two parts, with one connecting the railway to Haworth yard and the other carrying the main running line. It is this section that will be replaced – funded by a £1 million grant from the Government’s Community Ownership Fund (SR550) – owing to the poor condition of the supporting abutments,…

AN 1850s Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway-built wagon lift on the site of the former Leeds Central station opened on May 15 as Leeds’ newest railway museum. Opened in 1854 as a joint venture by the Lancashire & Yorkshire, London & North Western, and North Eastern railways, Leeds Central closed in 1967 and, apart from the single wagon lift, was completely demolished. Once one of a pair serving the high and low-level yards at Central, the Grade II-listed wagon lift is now the centrepiece of ‘Wellington Place’ – named after Leeds Wellington station. The museum celebrates Leeds’ rich industrial heritage, and includes objects telling the station’s history, including photography and specially created films capturing the memories of those who once used or worked at the station. Paul Pavia, Head of Development…

NORTH EASTERN Railway seven-compartment Luggage Composite bogie carriage No. 818 was re-launched into traffic at the Stainmore Railway on May 4, following major refurbishment. The 1903-built clerestory vehicle has been based at Kirkby Stephen East since May 2021, on a five-year loan from Beamish Museum. Originally restored in the 1980s, the carriage has spent many years stored in the open air, and therefore needed considerable renovation work. The work has included the almost complete renewal of one of the lower roofs, which was found to be rotting from the inside; a new canvas to one of the lower roofs and repairs to the clerestory roof canvas; the replacement of rotten timber in the compartment bulkheads; renewing the upholstery on the seat squabs, backs and armrests; replacement exterior panelling and mouldings;…

Doing a ‘180’ – with no turntable IF YOU’D asked about a month ago if it was possible to conduct a full U-turn, pretty much on the spot, with a ‘Black Five’ and a rake of carriages; I’d have said no. Having seen the latest twist in ‘The Jacobite’ 2024 plot however, I’ve changed my mind! Having suspended all of its flagship Fort William to Mallaig trains indefinitely on March 20, on April 12 West Coast Railways announced that, just three days later, the first ‘Jacobite’ of 2024 would be running. It wasn’t exactly a return to business as usual though. It also definitely wasn’t the end of the central door locking saga. West Coast still does not have the exemption it’s looking for that would allow the use of…

PRESERVED STEAM IN THE HIGHLANDS The year 1984 was an ‘annus mirabilis’ for steam in Scotland. For long enough, the Scottish interests in steam transport had discussed the possibility of joint promotional activity. The well‑known ‘Great Little Trains of Wales’ posters and leaflets had caught people’s eyes and that promotion was deemed a notable success. Joe McKendrick of the Waverley Steam Preservation Society and I had spoken about the possibility of doing something similar in a Scottish context on many occasions. In the preceding autumn, the nettle had been grasped. We called a meeting in Glasgow of potentially interested parties. All had to be offering steam‑powered transport for public enjoyment – it was recognised that there were extra constraints on those groups that attempted this, for instance, such matters as…

It was a sight worth seeing… ‘A4’ ‘Pacific’ No. 60019 Bittern rounding a curve with ‘The North Briton’ express in tow and a good head of steam on her. Finally, journey’s end was reached, and after the fire had been dropped over the ash pit and the boiler was cold, she was bodily picked up and placed gently in the back of an estate car before heading for home. This is Gilling East, a miniature railway operated by the Ryedale Society of Model Engineers near Helmsley, North Yorkshire, and one that is just as valid as its bigger counterparts nearby. With 80 full-time members, it’s a thriving line with an incredible attention to detail, and probably the only place you can see a ‘Standard 4’ tank, ‘Duchess’ and ‘A4’ all…

GET IN TOUCH Got an event you want to be included? email steam.railway@bauermedia.co.uk JUNE 1 AMBERLEY MUSEUM: Goodwood Road Racing Club. 1 GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY: Railways at Night. 1/2 BLUEBELL RAILWAY: Southern At War. 1/2 GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY: Steam to Mountsorrel. 1/2 HOLLYCOMBE STEAM MUSEUM: Steam Rally. 1/2 ISLE OF WIGHT STEAM RAILWAY: 1960s Weekend. 1/2 KENT & EAST SUSSEX RAILWAY: 50th Anniversary Gala. 1/2 PEAK RAIL: Road & Rail & Vintage Gala. 2 BREDGAR & WORMSHILL LIGHT RAILWAY: 1940s Steam Event. 2 MID-SUFFOLK LIGHT RAILWAY: Steam Day + Vintage Tractor Club. 2 WHITWELL & REEPHAM STATION: Steam Sunday. 7-9 AVON VALLEY RAILWAY: Bitton Beer Bash. 7-9 SWANAGE RAILWAY: Strictly Bulleid II. 8/9 ALN VALLEY RAILWAY: Vintage & Classics Weekend. 8/9 PONTYPOOL & BLAENAVON RAILWAY: Model Railway Weekend. 8/9 RAVENGLASS…

THE GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY When it comes to Reunification, much focus is naturally placed on the Great Central Railway, particularly as it is leading the charge to ‘Bridge the Gap’. But we shouldn’t overlook the ‘other’ GCR: the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) Ltd. Despite enduring challenging times in recent years, the GCR(N) is now taking great strides forward into a bright new future. That was never more obvious than on March 16/17, when the two GCRs held a joint event celebrating the 125th anniversary of the opening of the ‘London Extension’, with rail replacement buses ferrying visitors between both heritage lines. Not only did the event give a flavour of what a reunified Great Central Railway might look like when rails once again link Leicester and Nottingham, it also epitomised…

THE SWANAGE Railway Trust 563 Locomotive Group has launched an appeal to raise an initial £50,000 to help return ‘T9’ No. 30120 to steam for its 130th birthday in 2029. Following the success of its restoration of ex-National Collection LSWR ‘T3’ No. 563, the group has been liaising with the National Railway Museum – which owns the ‘T9’ – about overhauling the 1899-built ‘Greyhound’, which last steamed at Swanage in July 2020 when it was withdrawn with broken firebox stays. The group has now reached an agreement with the NRM to assess the condition of the Drummond-designed 4-4-0 ahead of a hoped-for commitment to return the locomotive to steam. The current appeal will help fund the dismantling and assessment of No. 30120 at The Flour Mill – which restored No.…

TALYLLYN RAILWAY 0-4-2ST No. 1 Tal-y-llyn was reunited with its fellow Fletcher, Jennings & Co. stable mate, 0-4-0WT No. 2 Dolgoch, for the first time in six years on May 4. The original TR locomotives took part in a mini gala to mark the launch of the railway’s ‘75 Appeal’, with the event heralding Tal-y-llyn’s official return to service following the completion of its overhaul, having last steamed in 2018. Both locomotives took part in a photo charter during the morning, hauling the TR’s original carriages up the line and taking water at the reinstated Ty Dwr watering point – the first time either locomotive had topped up their tanks there since the 1940s. The pair then double-headed a train for a complete round trip that afternoon.…

PENDENNIS CASTLE SHOWED that it had lost none of the class’s hill-climbing abilities when it visited the Churnet Valley Railway in May. The 1924-built ‘Castle’ No. 4079 was the star of the CVR’s Steam Gala on May 4-6, appearing alongside BR ‘4MT’ No. 75014 ‘Braveheart’ – on loan from the Dartmouth Steam Railway since January – and CVR resident ‘S160s’ Nos. 5197 and 6046. All four locomotives worked over both the CVR ‘main line’ between Kingsley & Froghall and Cheddleton, and the branch to Ipstones, with both Nos. 4079 and 75014 acquitting themselves over the steeply graded route, which features gradients as steep as 1-in-40. CVR Director, Chris Meadowcroft said the gala went “brilliantly as a whole”, adding that “revenue for the event was up 40% on our last gala…

Narrow Gauge ALL FOUR of the Bure Valley Railway’s ‘ZB’ class locomotives – arguably the world’s most powerful 15in gauge steam engines – were in action on April 27 to celebrate the type’s 30th anniversary. When the BVR opened in 1990, the line initially relied on hired-in motive power from the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway. It wasn’t until 1994 that the railway had its own bespoke steam locomotives, in the form of a pair of 2-6-2s built by Winson Engineering, Nos. 6 Blickling Hall and 7 Spitfire. The design was loosely based on the Indian Railways 2ft 6in gauge ‘ZB’ class engines, thus the BVR engines became known as ‘ZBs’. These were followed by a pair of tank engine variants – 2-6-2T No. 8 ‘John of Gaunt’ and Leek…

KERR, STUART ‘Wren’ 0‑4‑0ST Peter Pan starred at Stoomcentrum Maldegem’s annual steam festival on May 4/5, 40 years since it first attended the event. The 1922‑built locomotive (Works No. 4256) is a frequent visitor to the Belgian festival, having first visited with its owner Graham Morris in 1984, and was one of six steam locomotives – four standard gauge and two narrow gauge – in action over the early May weekend. To mark the occasion, a small ceremony was arranged with the Flemish Minister of Finance and Heritage, Mattias Diependaele, who presented Graham with a signed certificate and then drove Peter Pan, under Graham’s watchful eye, as far as the museum shed. “The minister was very enthusiastic about what he saw in Maldegem and told Graham that he had visited…

THE MID-HANTS Railway blew away the winter cobwebs with its successful Spring Steam Gala over April 26-28, bringing an intensive timetable of passenger and goods trains to the Hampshire heritage line. Four trains were in operation over the ten-mile route during the three-day event, with three passenger sets worked by visiting and resident locomotives, plus a mixed goods train offering ‘Queen Mary’ brake van rides. In addition, Peckett & Sons ‘R3’ 0-4-0ST Kilmersdon was in steam at Ropley offering driver experiences in the yard sidings. Headlining the event was ‘Jubilee’ No. 45690 Leander, on the penultimate leg of its ‘farewell tour’ before its boiler ticket expires in May. Visiting courtesy of the Beet family and operator West Coast Railways, this was its first trip to the ‘Watercress Line’ in preservation.…

NEWLY REPAINTED Stanier ‘Mogul’ No. 13268 was arguably the star of the show at the Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Steam Gala on April 18‑21. The 1934‑built 2‑6‑0 made its public debut in its newly applied original LMS livery at the event, the first time the locomotive has run as No. 13268 in preservation. The freshly applied lined black paintwork was only finished days before the gala, with the ‘Mogul’ rolling out of the paintshop for official photographs on April 16. Newly completed ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange was originally supposed to have starred at the four‑day event, and although it moved under its own power for the first time at Tyseley on April 11 (SR557), it was too late to organise transport and sufficient loaded testing at the SVR to…

A NEW, accessible toilet block will open at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington – home of the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) – during 2024. Expected to cost around £65,000 in total, the new building, which will feature disabled toilets, baby changing facilities and a shower, has been part-funded by a £40,000 grant from Rushcliffe Borough Council through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund. An appeal has been launched to raise the remainder, details of which can be found at www.lnergctrust.org ● For more on what’s happening at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), see pages 6-14.…

THE LLANGOLLEN & Corwen Railway held its first proper steam gala for five years on April 12‑14. Over 1,400 passengers attended the three‑day ‘Branch Line Weekend’, which heralded the welcome return to service of Collett ‘2884’ 2‑8‑0 No. 3802. Out of action since October 2022 for a full ‘bottom end’ overhaul, the re‑entry into traffic of the 1938‑built heavy freight locomotive gives the L&CR two resident Great Western engines once more, alongside 1930‑built ‘57XX’ 0‑6‑0PT No. 7754. Although returned to steam for the first time since 2004 last summer, the North British‑built pannier tank – which has been outshopped in early BR livery in GWR green with GWRstyle ‘British Railways’ lettering – was formally rededicated into service at the gala. Completing the line‑up at the event was resident Kitson 0‑6‑0ST…

LIKE ALL heritage railways, the one I work for is slowly disappearing under a mountain of things that might come in handy one day. Being someone who has above‑average years of service now, I can remember some of this stuff being donated, and 40 years on there is quite a lot that was once thought to be important but nobody around today has any idea why. As the person assigned to moving some of this stuff out to get at the building to do essential repairs, I feel compelled to share with you some of the treasures found along the way. First off were dozens of fire extinguishers. I remember them arriving in a Transit van. They had come from some commercial buildings in a big city and one of…

GET IN TOUCH Steam Railway, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA steam.railway@bauermedia.co.uk or www.facebook.com/steamrailway STAR LETTER The NYMR replies Having read Andrew Murray’s Star Letter in last month’s issue of Steam Railway (and the news story in the previous issue), we felt it was necessary to set the record straight around a number of facts regarding the North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR). Mr Murray commented that ‘it doesn’t help when a railway falls out with its volunteers’; this was a handful of individuals whose conduct was not in line with the NYMR’s values and code of conduct, hence why they were disciplined, and necessary action taken. We have over 1,000 dedicated and valued volunteers, who give us between 300-500 hours of support every day to bring the railway’s story to…

8E SHEDCODE Special The story of Brunswick shed involves not one, but three sheds – two of which were erected by the Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) – with all being planned and built within a 15-year period. First off the ground was a small wooden building for the Garston & Liverpool Railway, which was probably of three roads, although this is not confirmed. Its location is also sketchy, although it seems likely it was built on the curve adjacent to the lines heading to Liverpool Central. It was most likely dismantled by 1893, by which time a second wooden shed – also of three-road width, had been erected by the CLC in 1874. This was christened ‘No. 2 shed’ and within four years had been leased to the Midland Railway…

FIVE VISITING locomotives from across the motive power spectrum helped make the West Somerset Railway’s Spring Steam Spectacular a success. Headlining the May 3‑6 event was ‘B1’ No. 61306 ‘Mayflower’, visiting courtesy of the Locomotive Services Group, while making a rare visit to the south‑west was Keighley & Worth Valley Railway‑based LNWR ‘Coal Tank’ No. 1054, attending courtesy of the Bahamas Locomotive Society. The line‑up of guest locomotives was completed by ‘Modified Hall’ No. 6990 Witherslack Hall (from the Great Central Railway), ‘56XX’ 0‑6‑2T No. 6695 (from the Swindon & Cricklade Railway), and Hunslet 0‑6‑0ST Works No. 1873 ‘Jessie’ (from the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway). It was something of a homecoming for No. 6695, which was a WSR resident from March 2015 until December 2019, when it moved to the…

THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has launched a new fundraising scheme to raise £300,000 for the final major component needed to complete its ‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales – the Lentz-Franklin rotary valve gear. Since its launch in 2013, most of the major components for the new-build Gresley 2-8-2 have been completed, with the latest being the modified fabricated cylinder block, which was delivered to the trust’s Darlington Locomotive Works headquarters in October last year (SR551). The trust has now turned its attention to the manufacture and testing of the Lentz-Franklin valve gear – the last significant piece of the puzzle required to complete the new-build LNER ‘Mikado’. Lentz rotary cam poppet valves were fitted to original ‘P2’ No. 2001 Cock O’ The North, as they promised more power,…

TEAM GB Paralympian Fabienne André launched the Bluebell Railway’s new wheelchair-accessible Pullman carriage, Car No. 54, into service on April 24. Acquired by the railway in 1984, the restoration and conversion of the 1923-built Third Class Pullman carriage began in autumn 2016, partly funded by a £75,000 Department for Transport grant to enable wheelchair access. This has involved fitting electric lifts in the double doors of the luggage compartment, widening the internal doorway into the passenger area, and raising the table height, while leaving the exterior unaltered. In addition, while most of the seating in Car No. 54 is fixed, there are three loose chairs to provide flexibility for accessibility. It is believed to be the first wheelchair-accessible Pullman car in Britain. Overall, the restoration and conversion has cost around…

IVATT CLASS 2 ‘Mogul’ No. 46464 returned to steam for the first time since 1979 in April, at the Strathspey Railway, following the completion of its 20-year-plus rebuild. Purchased for preservation directly from BR by the late Ian Fraser of Arbroath, No. 46464 was later loaned to the Strathspey Railway and holds the distinction of having hauled the line’s first scheduled public passenger train, on July 22 1978. However, it was withdrawn the following year after its firebox was damaged. The 1950-built 2-6-0 was subsequently moved to the Caledonian Railway at Brechin in November 1989, where it remained in limbo for over a decade until July 2000, when the Carmyllie Pilot Company Ltd – named after the Carmyllie branch line on which No. 46464 hauled the last train prior to…

BRITAIN’S NEWEST 15in gauge steam locomotive ran alongside one of the oldest at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’s gala on May 4‑6. The headline visitor was 2023‑built 0‑6‑0ST Mr Hallworth from the Perrygrove Railway, making its first ever visit away from its Forest of Dean home. The North Bay Railway Engineering Services‑built locomotive contrasted with the RER’s 1896‑built ex‑Eaton Hall Railway 0‑4‑0T Katie, 127 years Mr Hallworth’s senior. Also visiting was Exmoor Steam Railway‑built 0‑4‑0TT St Egwin (built in 2003) from The Valley Railway Adventure, formerly the Evesham Vale Light Railway. There were eight locomotives in action at the gala, with the line‑up being completed by 1912‑built Bassett Lowke 4‑4‑2 Synolda, 1923‑built 2‑8‑2 River Esk, 1929‑built Krauss 4‑6‑2 ‘Whillan Beck’, 1966‑built 2‑8‑2 River Mite, and 1976‑built 2‑6‑2 Northern Rock.…

THE ‘WATERCRESS Line’ has officially opened its latest signal box, with a power system replacing the old mechanical one at Medstead and Four Marks station. The new cabin, situated beyond Platform 2, was launched on April 23 by former government minister Lord Kamall. It upgrades the area’s signalling to modern standards and safety, with over 200 relays and 5,000 metres of wire, and was designed and installed by ‘Watercress Line’ Signalling & Telegraph volunteers, all of whom are qualified railway signal engineers, with assistance from Network Rail engineers. The old mechanical box on Platform 1, originally situated at Wilton South, has reached the end of its serviceable life after almost 40 years of heritage line operation. “We are extremely fortunate to have a team of professional signalling engineers working here…

A £14.2 MILLION restoration project has commenced at the Science & Industry Museum, Manchester, located in the former Liverpool Road Station. Opened in September 1830, it is the oldest surviving purpose-built passenger railway station in the world. The project will involve work taking place on two essential parts of the site. The first is the 1830 viaduct, which carries the railway at high level from Water Street, through the station to the Power Hall, which was built in the 1850s as a goods shipping shed. This work will mean the temporary lifting of the track to allow surveys to place; drainage of water trapped in the viaduct; and installation of a new waterproof membrane prior to the track and ballast being returned. Also earmarked for restoration is the 1880s electric…

THE TANFIELD Railway’s latest rolling stock project is the restoration of former North Eastern Railway four-wheel First Class saloon No. 1173. Built in 1870, the wooden-bodied vehicle ran in service until 1897, when it was re-purposed as an Officers’ Saloon, with seating for ten; one end of the carriage had three windows and, at the other end, an attendant’s compartment with a small gas cooker and gas ring. No. 1173 was later allocated for the use of NER superintendent and later General Traffic Manager Mr P. Burtt, until 1911. The carriage was subsequently allocated to the district engineer and, for 30-plus years, was a common sight alongside Platform 1 at Hull Paragon station. Its next claim to fame was starring in the 1970 cinematic adaptation of The Railway Children. Based…

The HRA view METAPHORICALLY, IT never seems to just rain. It pours! You get past one challenge, but steaming straight up behind is the next. And the next. And the next! All piling up on top of each other. We’ve had Covid, coal, and the cost-of-living crisis, but already this year the hot topic is looking like another ‘c’ – climate. The weather these past few weeks and months has been the latest challenge for many, with a soaking February and March, and last month the UK experienced 55% more rainfall than an average April, with sunshine also in short supply… and that all impacts on tourism. While it’s definitely not a case of everyone being in the same boat, a good proportion of railways we speak to are seeing…

GWR & CONSTITUENTS 2807 Work is currently under way on de‑rusting the tender of the ‘28XX’ and giving it a coat of protective paint. This includes the prepping of the coal load area and application of a bituminous layer, whenever the currently unpredictable weather allows. 3814 The wheels of the ex‑GWR ‘2884’ have returned from having new tyres fitted at Buckfastleigh on the South Devon Railway and been reunited with the rest of the locomotive at Northern Steam Engineering Ltd, where it is being restored. They’ve now been placed back under the main chassis, with new lubrication pads and felts installed on all the axleboxes. The pony frame has also been assembled and horn stays fitted. 4561 The boiler from the West Somerset Railway‑based ‘Small Prairie’ was dispatched to Riley…

NUMBER 42 Crossword aficionado and railway enthusiast Alan Frost has come up with the perfect way to spend ten minutes (if you are quick) or a couple of hours (if research is required). The Steam Railway crossword is back – just for fun. No need to send in your answers – just test yourself and find the answers here next issue. ACROSS 1G.G. Scott designed Hall in Notts. named on Collett engine 5904 (6)4 W.R. Castle in South Wales named on Collett engine 7035 (6)8 Person with a train ticket and a destination (9)10 Flowers bedecking LMR 24B MPD? (5)11 Area of Poland formerly major supplier of coal in Europe (7)12 Worked on the staff of any of the places on Maunsell ‘V’ class engines (7)16 Football team named on…

While there were precursors to the ‘Alice’ class of ‘Quarry Hunslet’ 0‑4‑0STs, the perfect balance was arguably struck with the design and construction of Velinheli in 1886. Weighing in at six tons, to a compact design with 7in by 10in cylinders, the design that Hunslet arrived at was not only very efficient but also looked just right, a splendid piece of Victorian engineering where form and function were equally valued. The design and variations on it continued to be produced for 50 years, although some of the Victorian elegance was eroded in later versions. On arrival at Dinorwic slate quarry, Velinheli was immediately put to work on Duffryn level, a thousand feet above sea level where it worked for the first 15 years of its life. There are few photos…