Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 561 i Steam Railway

One man’s triumph I am, by nature, an avid reader – not because it comes with the job – but because I just love books, and normally I have four or so on the go at any one time. I’ve also realised that I have a 20‑year or so backlog to plough through, so quantity is always a good thing. Normally, at least one of these is a railway‑related tome, and one of the last was O.S. Nock’s excellent biography of Sir William A. Stanier. As you may imagine, there’s an entire chapter devoted to the ‘Black Five’ 4‑6‑0s. It features the wonderful line: ‘There are, however, no refinements needed in handling these willing, hard‑working machines; they are real drivers’ engines, responding happily to varying methods of working, yet giving…

KING’S CROSS was the perfect backdrop to the start of Peppercorn ‘A2’ No. 60532 Blue Peter’s first railtour since 2001, on July 13. The 1948-built 4-6-2 was formally rededicated at the former Great Northern Railway terminus in London to celebrate the completion of its overhaul, which took seven years and cost an estimated £5 million. After the ceremony, the BR blue ‘Pacific’ hauled a special train of trustees of the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust and other invited guests from London to York. Trust founder and chairman Jeremy Hosking said: “Today marks the return to main line service (after a 22-year absence) of locomotive 60532 Blue Peter, one of the most powerful steam locomotives ever built in this country. I would like to thank my fellow trustees at Royal…

THE LYNTON & Barnstaple Railway has formally unveiled plans to extend its running line towards Parracombe. The railway aims to extend 0.6 miles from its current Killington Lane terminus to a halt at Cricket Field Lane, near to the village of Parracombe. Building the extension would require a new bridge at Killington Lane (Bridge 65) and reinstating the overbridge on Parracombe Lane (Bridge 63), as well as a cattle creep (Bridge 64). The new halt will consist of a basic platform and run-round loop. In its proposal documents, the railway said: “There will be no parking for passengers at Cricket Field Lane halt; the focus of operations and the passenger experience will continue to be on Woody Bay station site where there are parking facilities, refreshments and where tickets are…

CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND its control forced the Spa Valley Railway to alter its plans for its Summer Steam Gala on July 13/14. The event was due to have featured the line’s resident Bulleid ‘Battle of Britain’ 4‑6‑2s – Nos. 34053 Sir Keith Park and 34072 257 Squadron – running together on the Tunbridge Wells‑Eridge line for the first time, but road transport issues affecting both locomotives prevented them from participating. In No. 34053’s case, the rebuilt ‘Light Pacific’ had been due to be moved from the Swanage Railway – where it had starred in the line’s recent ‘Strictly Bulleid II’ event following the completion of its latest overhaul – to the SVR on July 4. However, after the lorry booked for the job broke down, the SVR contacted another haulier to…

JULY WAS a busy – and successful – month for the Talyllyn Railway, as it hosted two successful special enthusiast events. The first was its ‘Anything Goes’ gala on July 6/7, which featured as its star guest the Corris Railway’s new-build Hughes ‘Falcon’ 0-4-2ST No. 10. The newly completed 2ft 3in gauge locomotive was reunited with its 1878-built ancestor, No. 3 ‘Sir Haydn’, at the gala, following the latter’s visit to its former Corris stamping ground the previous month. Almost every operational locomotive was in action across the two days, with the ‘Falcons’ joined by Fletcher, Jennings-built Nos. 1 Tal-y-llyn and 2 Dolgoch, and 0-4-2T No. 7 ‘Tom Rolt’, as well as Hunslet 0-4-0DM No. 9 ‘Alf’ and Baguley-Drewry diesels Nos. 11 ‘Trecwn’ and 12 ‘St Cadfan’. Next up, on…

WELSH HIGHLAND Railway Pullman carriage No. 2115, better known at Bodysgallen, returned to service on July 7 following a comprehensive rebuild at the Ffestiniog Railway’s Boston Lodge workshops. Originally built in 1998 by Winson Engineering to provide a Pullman‑style carriage for the embryonic WHR, it was named after a Tudor mansion and hotel near Llandudno, the owner of which sponsored the vehicle’s construction. The carriage last ran in October 2019, when it was taken out of service for a rebuild following the completion of WHR Pullman observation carriage No. 2152 Gwyrfai. Sponsored by Peter Campbell, the rebuild has included attention to various areas of the bodywork, a re‑profiled roof (to match the rest of the train and be easier to maintain than its old, domed profile), new carpeting, re‑upholstery of…

THE CHINNOR & Princes Risborough Railway now has all the track it needs to complete its ‘independent line’ into its main line connection at Princes Risborough. Since C&PRR trains started running into Princes Risborough in August 2018, they have had to run over an adjacent Network Rail siding – built on the trackbed of the former GWR branch to Thame and Oxford – when it is otherwise not in use. This is because the final half-mile section of the former Watlington branch into Princes Risborough was not acquired by the railway until March 2017, by which time it was derelict, having not been used since 1989 when freight services over the branch ended. The railway has since lifted the old, life-expired track and prepared the trackbed for new rails and…

The HRA view WHEN JOE Biden announced he was withdrawing from the race to be President of the United States, it inevitably hit the headlines the world over. It even knocked a Heritage Railway Association story out of one of the tabloids! But that’s not why it resonated with me as relevant to our sector. It’s easy to forget that someone with such a huge place in the world – arguably the most influential man on the globe – is still a mere mortal. Despite all of the advisers, media circus and speculation, the decision to call it a day must still have been a deeply personal one – and actually quite an honourable one, praise for which has been widespread. Because how many people, when sat in the top…

GWR & CONSTITUENTS 4079 Pendennis Castle will be one of the guest locomotives at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Annual Steam Gala on September 26-29, courtesy of Didcot Railway Centre. It will join USATC ‘S160’ No. 2253 ‘Omaha’ at the event, in which up to 11 engines will be in steam, with a third guest locomotive expected to be announced in due course. SR & CONSTITUENTS 72 Bluebell Railway-based ‘Terrier’ Fenchurch has been announced as the first visiting locomotive for the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala on October 4-6. 563 After the ‘T3’ accidentally started some lineside fires on the Swanage Railway, it is due to be fitted with a spark arrestor and ashpan grates to help minimise future occurrences. The brake ejector has also proved quite problematic…

NUMBER 45 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 1 Scottish association for ER 60065, ‘Knight of’ (7)5 ----- Darwen, LMR MPD with 24D code (5)8 --- Oak Common, WR MPD with 81A code (3)9 Minor Scottish Region MPD with 63A code (9)10 Mont, through which Alpine tunnels begun in 1880s (5)11 County of Hawksworth’s WR Class numbered 1017 (8) 14 Archibald, after whom ER ‘A1’ 60118 named (8)19 Mistake in clue! (5) 21 Collett WR 5026 appropriately a Welsh castle (9)22 Sound of a cow in 56F…

AUGUST 17 LINCOLNSHIRE COAST LIGHT RAILWAY: Steam Day. 17/18 CHASEWATER RAILWAY: 1940s Weekend. 17/18 EPPING ONGAR RAILWAY: Vintage Steam Weekend. 18 AMBERLEY MUSEUM: Commercials & Communication Day. 23-26 ISLE OF WIGHT STEAM RAILWAY: Island Steam Fair. 23-26 SOUTH DEVON RAILWAY: Rails and Ales. 24 LINCOLNSHIRE COAST LIGHT RAILWAY: Steam Day. 24 PEAK RAIL: Cheese & Wine. 24-SEPTEMBER 1 NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY: A Festival On Rails. 24/25 APEDALE VALLEY LIGHT RAILWAY: Leafers at t’Pit 24/25 CALEDONIAN RAILWAY: Days Out With Thomas. 24/25 CORRIS RAILWAY: Model Railway Exhibition. 24/25 TELFORD STEAM RAILWAY: 1940s Weekend. 24-26 ALN VALLEY RAILWAY: Beer Festival. 24-26 BALA LAKE RAILWAY: Steam Gala. 24-26 HOLLYCOMBE STEAM MUSEUM: Fairground Extravaganza. 24-26 MIDLAND RAILWAY – BUTTERLEY: Victorian Trains to the Seaside. 24-26 VALE OF RHEIDOL RAILWAY: Steam Festival. 25 TALYLLYN RAILWAY:…

Who would want to be the general manager of a heritage railway right now? For lines big and small across Britain, times are tough, with rising operating costs, stagnating passenger numbers, ageing volunteers, and increasingly expensive infrastructure. The East Lancashire Railway is no exception. The ELR is having to balance several competing priorities, not least two hefty infrastructure appeals and the six-figure rebuild of one of its most iconic locomotives. The person responsible for tackling all this is Lee Kenny, the ELR’s recently appointed general manager, who has taken up the hot seat during what is a challenging time for the railway. He may be new to the job, but Lee is not new to the railway. He first started as a volunteer at the age of 12 in 1987…

HOPETOWN, DARLINGTON’S £37 million attraction celebrating the history and legacy of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, opened its doors to the public on July 16. The main hub of the site is the 1833-built former goods shed near Darlington North Road station. Formerly home to the Darlington Railway Preservation Society, the Grade II*-listed building has been transformed into the main entrance point for visitors to Hopetown. Meanwhile, the nearby Head of Steam Museum at North Road has been refurbished, featuring a wooden replica of S&DR pioneer Locomotion; other locomotives on display include the 1845-built 0-6-0 Derwent and North Eastern Railway ‘E5’ 2-4-0 No. 1463, as well as DRPS-owned Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 0-6-0T Works No. 6947 No. 39. Elsewhere, the former Hopetown Carriage Works – previously the joint home of…

UNITED STATES Army Transportation Corps ‘S160’ No. 2253 ‘Omaha’ will become Britain’s first oil-fired standard gauge locomotive in a generation, when it undergoes conversion at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway this winter. The 1943-built 2-8-0 will be converted to burn oil with the assistance of USA-based FMW Solutions, which is also helping the NYMR to convert War Department ‘Austerity’ 2-10-0 No. 3672 ‘Dame Vera Lynn’ to oil-firing. The conversion “will help not only enhance the railway’s overall sustainability strategy, including reducing particulate emissions, but will help bring resilience during hot weather periods,” explained NYMR director of mechanical engineering, Paul Middleton. “In recent years, domestic sources for high-quality steam coal have dried up in the UK and sourcing coal from across the world is extremely expensive. Pre-pandemic, we were paying £165…

COLLETT ‘56XX’ 0‑6‑2T No. 6695 will make preservation history when it departs from Quainton Road station’s Platform 1 at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre in August. The 1928‑built locomotive, visiting courtesy of the Swindon & Cricklade Railway, is appearing at the BRC for its ‘Auto Fest’ event on August 26, during which it will venture down the former Metropolitan/Great Central Joint main line towards Aylesbury which, until recently, divided the BRC site in two. In January this year, Network Rail engineers in‑filled the brick bridge carrying Station Road across the railway to the immediate west of the centre to make it safe for road traffic, blocking the former freight‑only NR line from Aylesbury to Calvert which, until recently, was used by ‘Binliner’ trains serving the nearby landfill site. While the in‑filling…

BRITAIN’S OLDEST operational steam locomotive, Furness Railway 0‑4‑0 No. 20, played a starring role at the West Somerset Railway in July, as the line celebrated the 150th anniversary of the opening of the branch from Watchet to Minehead. Visiting courtesy of the Ribble Steam Railway and the Furness Railway Trust, the 1863‑built locomotive was one of three guest engines at the July 16‑21 event. Also running at the sesquicentenary celebrations were Foxfield Railway‑based Hawthorn, Leslie 0‑4‑0ST Works No. 3581 Marston, Thompson & Evershed No. 3, and new‑build ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange – 161 years No. 20’s junior. No. 20 and the Hawthorn, Leslie hauled top‑and‑tailed shuttles between Minehead and Williton throughout the event. The WSR became the second heritage line to host Betton Grange, after the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam…

A VETERAN First World War locomotive has become the latest exhibit to go on display at the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s museum in Aberystwyth. 1916 Maffei-built ‘Brigadelok’ 0-6-0T+T Works No. 4766 was built in Germany for use during the First World War. Acquired by the VoR at auction in 2002, the locomotive went on temporary public display during the railway’s ‘Forgotten Engines 2’ event in September 2019, but this is the first time in over 20 years that the ‘Brigadelok’ has been on permanent public display. Meanwhile, Ffestiniog Railway ‘Small England’ 0-4-0ST+T No. 4 Palmerston returned to steam at the Vale of Rheidol in late July, following the completion of its contract overhaul. Withdrawn for overhaul in November 2022 and based at the VoR since February, Palmerston last ran at…

THERE WERE six locomotives in steam for the official re-launch of Bagnall 0-4-0ST Works No. 2090 Pixie at Jeremy Martin’s private Richmond Light Railway in Kent on July 6. Local rector, the Reverend David Jones, smashed a bottle of Kentish cider over Pixie’s buffer to formally rededicate the locomotive back into traffic after an extensive overhaul, in front of an audience of specially invited guests. One of those guests was Malcolm Bell, a close friend of the late Reverend ‘Teddy’ Boston who acquired Pixie in 1962 and ran it for many years at his Cadeby Light Railway. Malcolm was one of Pixie’s regular drivers at Cadeby, and was married to his wife, Katherine, by ‘Teddy’ Boston on Pixie’s footplate in 1971. Somewhat poignantly, Malcolm passed away just a couple of…

EX-GREAT NORTHERN Railway (Ireland) ‘S’ class 4-4-0 No. 171 Slieve Gullion returned to steam for the first time in two decades at the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Whitehead headquarters on July 27. Last steamed in July 2002, the overhaul of the 1913-built locomotive originally began in January 2014 when it was sent to Railway Restoration North East Ltd in Shildon. However, No. 171 returned to Ireland after the company ceased trading in February 2015, and it was temporarily re-assembled for display inside the RPSI’s Whitehead Railway Museum. Work resumed in September 2019, when it was moved to the RPSI’s Dunleath workshops. The society said: “We now need to work our way through 30 minor defects and other matters identified during the test. And there are also two major items…

GRAHAM HUKINS has been appointed as the North Norfolk Railway’s full-time general manager. Hukins has been on the ‘Poppy Line’s’ senior management team since August 2021 when he was appointed commercial manager, but for the last few months has been in the post of interim general manager. NNR chairman Steve Allen said that since joining the railway, Hukins had “demonstrated a clear understanding of the particular challenges associated with the heritage railway sector and the NNR in particular and has provided the leadership and stability needed in recent months as Interim GM. He is the right person for the job.” Hukins’ appointment comes as the NNR’s managing director, Hugh Harkett, has decided to step down from the role after 17 years. Harkett was taken ill earlier this year and is…

‘BLACK FIVES’ at 90 The 842 ‘Black Five’ 4‑6‑0s were built over 17 years by three railway workshops and two private builders, Vulcan Foundry and Armstrong Whitworth. At first glance, all except the 22 engines built with Caprotti valve gear look the same but, although there was generally uniformity within each batch as built, subsequent batches incorporated improvements and modifications to boilers, motion, frames, tenders, wheels and fittings. This article describes the main changes made to the design and Table 1 shows the principal variations of the engines when built. Boilers The most important change came within two years of the first engine entering service, when the original vertical throatplate domeless boiler was replaced by the redesigned sloping throatplate type. The first boilers had two‑row, 14‑element superheaters but after fewer…

We often muse over recollections and nostalgia for the days of steam or, perhaps, the diesel era of our youth. Such emotions have formed the basis from which grew the success of our heritage railway industry. However, rarely is this attribution proffered to a lost venue, one created specifically for the preservation of those days of old. The Dinting Railway Centre, however, is one such location. Its closure in 1990 has left some observers wistful over past memories of attending with family or friends in, what was then, the rarefied atmosphere of steam. The growing fondness for Dinting tends to manifest itself as ‘chat’ on various media sites. Some propose that the centre should be revived, while others express conjecture as to the reasons for its closure, or astonishment at…

1 A SHEDCODE Special The Longsight engine shed story begins in July 1841 when the Manchester and Birmingham Railway drew up plans for a ‘General Depot’ that incorporated both a shed and works, for the princely sum of £14,000. As drawn up, the shed had a wooden roof, although it was requested that ‘an Iron Roof be substituted for the Wooden Roof specified for the Engine House’ prior to construction. Originally a geometric roundhouse holding 12 engines, by 1860 the structure mainly in use was a straight affair with four roads of which only two had pits, much to the chagrin of LNWR chief engineer John Ramsbottom. He recommended both the installation of pits on all roads and windows added to the shed sides. During 1865 the shed was extended…

A RETURN TO action for the world’s most famous steam locomotive could be delayed further after the National Railway Museum revealed that the key contract for operating of Flying Scotsman has still not been signed, nearly two months after it was announced. The 1923-built ‘Pacific’ has not hauled a train since mid-December 2023 after the previous contract with Riley & Son (E) Ltd for the maintenance and operation of No. 60103 came to an end. In March, a competitive tender process was started to find a new custodian and, on June 4, the National Railway Museum announced that Northern Steam Operations had been selected as the new custodian in a contract to begin that month. But in early August, the contract had still not commenced. A spokesperson for the National…

BLACK FIVE’ No. 45163 is set to be running on the main line in just three years, thanks to a long-term loan agreement with Ian Riley. After more than 30 years restoring the ex-Barry scrapyard Stanier 4-6-0 at the Colne Valley Railway, owning group 45163 Ltd has concluded an agreement to hire it to the fellow ‘Black Five’ owner and engineer. It is due to return to steam in 2027, 62 years after it was withdrawn from Carlisle Kingmoor shed in the week ending May 15 1965. With its frames having been re-wheeled on June 22 (as reported last issue), this part of the engine is due to move to the works of Riley & Son (E) Ltd at the beginning of September, while the volunteers of 45163 Ltd will…

DOUBLE-CHIMNEY ‘JUBILEE’ No. 45596 Bahamas made history in July by becoming the first Stanier ‘5XP’ to work over what was the former Midland Main Line between Matlock and Buxton since 1967. The 1934-built 4-6-0 was on short-term loan to Peak Rail, which operates between Matlock and Rowsley on the former main line route through the Peak District, and made its passenger-carrying debut at the line’s 1940s Weekend on July 6/7. ‘Jubilees’ were a frequent sight on the line in steam days, often at the head of St Pancras-Manchester expresses. Although local services on the Buxton-Matlock part of the route ceased in March 1967, through services continued into 1968. Bahamas remained at Peak Rail throughout July, hauling both regular service trains as well as dining trains and driver experience services, and…

BAGNALL 4‑4‑0T Works No. 2819 has returned to steam at the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway after overhaul, with a new ‘ticket’ and a new name – ‘Sir George Newnes’. Originally named Charles Wytock, the 1945‑built ex‑Tongaat Sugar Company locomotive has been based at the L&B since 2014, but has been out of action since 2016 over concerns about the condition of its boiler. Subsequently, the 2ft gauge locomotive was sold, in 2019, to Bagnall 2819 Co. Ltd, which was set up by a group of volunteers and supporters to buy, restore and operate it on the L&B. Following an extensive overhaul, the locomotive passed its steam test on July 2 before undertaking light engine running‑in turns on July 8, and hauled its first passenger trains in eight years the following…

IT WASN’T just traction engines in action at the Welland Steam & Country Rally near Upton-upon-Severn on July 26-28 – railway locomotives also got in on the act. Running on the 2ft gauge ‘contractors line’ at what has become the largest steam rally in Britain, was Alan Keef-built replica De Winton 0-4-0VBT Taffy. Built in 1990, the locomotive contains over 30% original De Winton material, with the cylinder block and much of the motion coming from ex-Penmaenmawr 0-4-0VBT Penmaen, as covered in SR559. Another locomotive in action at Welland was standard gauge Bagnall 0-4-0ST Works No. 2842 Kent Electric Power Co. Ltd No. 2, which provided passenger shuttles on the rally’s 4ft 8½in gauge demonstration line paired with the GWR cattle wagon.…

2024 SEEMS to be the year of the Bagnall 0‑4‑0ST, and nowhere was this better highlighted than at the Threlkeld Quarry & Mining Museum’s annual gala on July 27/28. Arguably, the star of the show was newly restored Bagnall 0‑4‑0ST Works No. 1760 Sybil from the West Lancashire Light Railway, making its first appearance at another heritage line following its official launch into traffic at Hesketh Bank earlier in the month. It was joined by another pair of visiting Bagnalls, Works Nos. 1491 Isabel from the Amerton Railway and 2067 Peter from Amberley Museum. As a former granite quarry, Threlkeld was an appropriate setting for the long‑overdue reunion of these two locomotives, which are the only steam survivors of the former Cliffe Hill granite quarry in Leicestershire. Isabel worked at the…

THE GREAT Central Railway has applied for planning permission for the next stage of its ambitious Reunification project. The GCR is seeking permission from Charnwood Borough Council to build a viaduct linking the previously restored bridge over the Grand Union Canal, just north of its Loughborough terminus, with the bridge over the Midland Main Line. The planning application, submitted on July 10, also includes reinstating the embankment between the northern side of the MML bridge and the existing trackbed of the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), laying track on the reconstructed section of railway, and flood mitigation works. Since April 2024, when the railway formally unveiled its plans to build a viaduct instead of reinstating the embankment between the canal bridge and Railway Terrace, an additional £50,000 has been raised towards…

A LOT OF vacancies have been advertised at heritage railways over the past few years, including some pretty senior positions. Things are tough, with nearly all railways wondering how to make ends meet yet, and all the while the ORR seems to be tightening its grip on railway safety. This is understandable. With incidents on heritage lines niggling away and refusing to reduce year on year, management of competence is so very important. Management of competence also means competent managers and the expectations of (and demands on) senior management grow. Try recruiting someone with the right skills and the chances are they are already in a role of equal standing, but almost certainly earning quite a bit more than the heritage sector can offer. For most, it is by far…

GET IN TOUCH Steam Railway, Media House, Lynchwood, Peterborough PE2 6EA steam.railway@bauermedia.co.uk or www.facebook.com/steamrailway STAR LETTER Time to rescue ‘ideal’ locomotive for Gwili, and do the right thing for No. 10? Having read the interesting feature on the Gwili Railway in SR560, I feel compelled to make two observations. The first is that it is sad that it cannot be connected to the main network (I believe that a crucial bridge at least has been lost) as this would greatly enhance its status as a de facto national museum of Welsh standard gauge railways. The second is that a locomotive is rusting in the open at Blaenavon that would be ideal for this line. It is, of course, P.D. No. 10 (Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0ST Works No. 544 of 1900), which…

‘BLACK FIVES’ at 90 Nos. 45163 and 45293In the WORKS Visitors to the Colne Valley Railway who come to view progress on the restorations of ex-Barry scrapyard ‘Black Fives’ Nos. 45163 and 45293 generally have three Frequently Asked Questions: “When are they going to steam?” (We’ll answer that, at least for one of them, in due course.) “What are two ‘Black Fives’ doing in the middle of Essex?” (Again, all will be explained.) And: “Are you two groups rivals?” Well, 45163 Ltd, and the British Enginemen Steam Preservation Society (owners of No. 45293 and ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35010 Blue Star) are entirely separate and very different organisations, the former being a company while the latter is a registered charity – but we work closely together, freely share expertise and drawings, double…

NAIROBI RAILWAY MUSEUM While the main objective of a recent trip to Africa was a two‑week safari in Tanzania and Kenya, there were opportunities to visit various heritage sights and attractions not only in Kenya, but also during the add‑on time in the Western Cape of South Africa. Having flown in to Nairobi and having a few hours to spare, a brief visit was made to the Nairobi Railway Museum, an interesting taxi ride away from my hotel through the chaos of Nairobi traffic. The museum was set up in 1971 by the East African Railways and Harbours Corporation, primarily to display items of memorabilia and rolling stock from the now defunct East African Railways. The admission charge for non‑residents amounts to about £9, which includes an additional charge for…