Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 567 i Steam Railway

During a break in the proceedings at the Heritage Railway Association conference in Torquay in November, I found myself talking with Malcolm Holmes – the genial CEO of the Great Central Railway. Now, I have a soft spot for the GCR – it was where I started volunteering many moons ago, so when Malcolm asked me if the magazine would support the restoration of the ‘O4’ I readily agreed. Luckily, he didn’t mean pay for the entire thing out of the magazine’s coffers, but he did ask if we would help launch the railway’s appeal to get the venerable 2-8-0 back into steam again, and you can see the first fruits of that request in our lead feature in this issue. So why does the ‘O4’ deserve our backing? To…

THE CHURNET Valley Railway operated its first passenger train to Leek on December 31 – and commissioned the only complete triangle on a standard gauge heritage line in the UK into the bargain. The inaugural train was flagged away by recently retired former HM Principal Inspector of Railways Steve Turner with resident US Army Transportation Corps ‘S160’ 2‑8‑0 No. 6046 at the head. The afternoon departure from Cheddleton via Froghall completed the ground‑breaking journey with around 400 invited guests on board. The temporary terminus at Leek sits close to the northern end of a triangle of lines at Leekbrook Junction, formed by the coming together of the main Churnet Valley line with the route to Ipstones – also part of the CVR. The Churnet Valley line was originally part of…

NORTH NORFOLK Railway-based BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76084 will not be recertified for main line running during its next ‘ten-year’ overhaul, says owning group 76084 Locomotive Company Ltd. Restored to working order from Barry condition in May 2013, the 1957-built Riddles Standard Class 4 ‘Mogul’ first returned to the main line in August 2016, hauling NNR dining trains to Cromer via the ‘Poppy Line’s’ Network Rail connection at Sheringham, as well as railtours on the wider national network prior to the expiry of its boiler ‘ticket’ in December 2023. However, while its owning group is gearing up to overhaul No. 76084 for a second preservation-era stint in service, it is not intending to recertify the 2-6-0 for main line operation. In outlining its reasons for abandoning its main line ambitions…

STEAM COULD return to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway this year, if the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland agrees to release the locomotive that helped inaugurate steam-hauled services on the railway. The D&CDR has written to the RPSI to request the loan of 1919-built Hudswell, Clarke 0-4-0ST Works No. 1152 ‘Guinness 3BG’ to help mark the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Downpatrick & Ardglass Railway Company Ltd – as the D&CDR was then known – in August 1985. It would be an appropriate homecoming for the Whitehead-based locomotive, which was loaned in December 1986 to the fledgling railway, whose volunteers restored it “from a near-derelict condition” in July 1989, in time for the commencement of steam operations. ‘Guinness 3BG’ ran at the D&CDR until 1996 when it…

LUCK WAS not on the South Devon Railway’s side at the start of the new year, with its Winter Steam Gala on January 3-5 plagued by a major locomotive failure, delayed trains, and challenging weather conditions. The star guest at the event – which constituted Collett ‘64XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 6412’s final days in traffic before the expiry of its current boiler ‘ticket’ – was supposed to have been Bristol Harbour Railway-based Peckett 0-6-0ST Works No. 1940 Henbury, making its first visit to another heritage line since 2013. However, despite having passed its gauging tests on the Buckfastleigh-Totnes line, as the 1937-built locomotive was being steamed up on the Friday morning, a weeping boiler plug was discovered, necessitating fellow visitor Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway-based ‘28XX’ 2-8-0 No. 2807 taking over Henbury’s…

NEWLY OVERHAULED Collett ‘14XX’ 0‑4‑2T No. 1450 made a welcome return to the Severn Valley Railway for its Winter Steam Gala on January 4/5. The event lived up to its name, with snow on the ground all weekend. Doubleheaded throughout with ‘57XX’ 0‑6‑0PT No. 7714 as part of the autotank’s ongoing running‑in trials, the gala also marked No. 1450’s first runs at its SVR home since the completion of its overhaul last autumn, having last steamed at on the Bridgnorth‑Kidderminster line in December 2020 prior to withdrawal. It was also the 1935‑built locomotive’s second gala appearance under its current boiler ‘ticket’, having debuted at the Avon Valley Railway’s End of Season gala in November 2024 (SR565). As per its appearance at that event, No. 1450 also ran at the SVR…

BAGNALL 0‑4‑0ST Works No. 2133 Woto debuted at its new Apedale Valley Light Railway home on December 28, during the 2ft gauge line’s ‘Winter Warmer’ event. The 1924‑built locomotive – which was sold to the Moseley Railway Trust by former owner Patrick Keef in October last year (SR564) – was one of four AVLR steam locomotives in action at the event. In action alongside the ex‑Callender’s Cables machine were a pair of Penrhyn slate quarry veterans – Avonside 0‑4‑0T Works No. 2066 Ogwen and Kerr, Stuart ‘Tattoo’ 0‑4‑2ST Works No. 2395 Stanhope – and 1912‑built 50HP Orenstein & Koppel 0‑4‑0WTT Works No. 5662. Ogwen and Stanhope were also due to be in steam for an informal event marking 60 years since the end of steam at Penrhyn quarry on January…

THE REVIVAL of one of preservation’s most obscure locomotives – ex‑South African Railways ‘NG15’ 2‑8‑2 No. 120 – is getting under way in Sheffield, following a change of ownership. Built in 1949 by Société Anglo‑Franco‑Belge as Works No. 2667, No. 120 originally worked on the Otavi Railway in Namibia, but transferred to the Avonturr branch from Port Elizabeth in South Africa in 1960. Imported into the UK in 1994 by Welsh Highland Railway Ltd members, the restoration of No. 120 originally began in spring 1997. The boiler cladding, dome, and superheater elements were removed and the boiler lifted from the frames. It was hoped the restoration would take 24‑30 months to complete, but stalled owing to the death of the owner and a shortage of funding, as well as the…

THE SPA Valley Railway is aiming to raise £300,000 to replace one of its life-expired bridges. Built in the 1890s, the steel-built Broom Lane Bridge, which carries the SVR over an unclassified road between High Rocks and Groombridge, has been subject to speed restrictions following the discovery of corrosion on its main girder flanges. While monitoring, enhanced inspections and load testing of the bridge have enabled it to remain open to traffic, the railway has come to the conclusion that outright replacement is the most cost-effective way forward. The railway has already commissioned a company to design a new bridge, with this initial phase – estimated to cost £30,000 – aimed for completion in the first quarter of 2025. Phase 2, the construction and painting of the new bridge, is…

SEVERAL “VITAL” infrastructure improvements have been completed by the North Norfolk Railway, thanks to a grant funding worth £34,427 from the Rural England Prosperity Fund. The grant has assisted with the installation of new LED lighting throughout the engineering facilities at Weybourne, as well as the construction of a new coal bunker and oil store, while a further £5,000 grant from Future Skills NOW has been used towards training staff in a range of safety-critical tasks. These include working as a banksman and slinger, as well as woodworking, chainsaw use, and abrasive wheel machinery. NNR general manager Graham Hukins said: “We are delighted to have received this support, which will allow us to improve not only our current infrastructure but also the skills and understanding of our team. These improvements…

The New Year was kicked off in style with the nationwide ‘Whistle-Up’ to start Railway 200 celebrations. One of the most active on January 1 was the Tanfield Railway in County Durham. It turned out eight locomotives to take part in the whistling, five of them steam, and managed to secure a slot on BBC Breakfast news. For Tanfield, the year 2025 isn’t about a 200th anniversary – but its 300th anniversary. What’s more, it’s not just a big birthday party being planned for ‘Tanfield 300’, as General Manager David Watchman told us, it’s a wholesale programme of work designed to change perspectives about railway history centred around this milestone anniversary. “It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” says David. “We do want to look back at the end of…

TWO INDUSTRIAL locomotives moved to their new home at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway within a day of each other in December. The first is 1927-built Avonside 0-6-0ST Works No. 1973 Dora, which arrived at Haworth yard on December 19 following an extensive contract overhaul at Riley & Son (E) Ltd’s workshops in Heywood, Lancashire. It is something of a homecoming, as the KWVR was Dora’s first preservation home. “I don’t believe it was ever used in service,” Matthew Durkan – a Riley & Son locomotive engineer, KWVR driver, and Dora’s caretaker – told Steam Railway. “They did get as far as steaming it one weekend, however, and after the locomotive committee meeting had finished, they decided to go for a play up and down Haworth loop with it.…

TWO OF the Ffestiniog Railway’s most emblematic locomotives have been repainted into a classic 1950s livery to celebrate 70 years of passenger services in the preservation era. Double Fairlie No. 10 Merddin Emrys and ‘Small England’ 0‑4‑0STT No. 2 Prince have both been repainted into the historic ‘Garraway green’ colour scheme in homage to the liveries worn by FR locomotives during the early years of the railway after its reopening by enthusiasts. For Prince, the livery is a throwback to the very first year of public services on the revived FR, having been painted in the same lined green livery (with black tank top) when it inaugurated steam‑hauled services on August 3 1955, just weeks after the railway reopened to passengers. The 1863‑built locomotive carried variations of this livery –…

THE OVERHAUL of 1905-built Bagnall 2-4-0T Works No. 1781 Polar Bear is progressing well at its Amberley Museum home. Withdrawn for overhaul in October 2022 (SR539), a major milestone was reached in July 2024 with the frames of the former Groudle Glen Railway locomotive being re-wheeled. Since then, new running plates have been cut to fit and holes drilled by using the old plates as templates in order to mount all the major components. In late December, the rear of the cab and the water tanks were trial fitted prior to the rest of the cab and other items undergoing similar procedures, to ensure that everything will fit together upon final assembly. The overhauled boiler, which returned from attention at Bennett Boilers Ltd of Highbridge, Somerset, in October 2023, is…

IN YEARS gone by, I used to get pretty annoyed with magazines such as this one and the emphasis placed on certain elements of the heritage railway scene. I would watch as teams of folk put years of effort into rebuilding a locomotive. Weekend after weekend, hours and hours spent, funds raised the hard way rattling collection tins and running raffles. For the teams involved it was often like climbing personal mountains, and the result might be the achievement of a lifetime. But all of that time and effort might be reflected in just a page or two in one edition and then struggle to even be seen in future issues. However, should you break out the paintbrush to change the colour of a loco, or even just threaten to,…

STAR LETTER Proper PPE is paramount for protection Three cheers for Ray Churchill for his recommendation that firemen should wear gloves! There is, surely, no argument against it. A risk assessment of firing a steam engine scores highly on both likelihood and severity when it comes to the possibility of being burnt and injured severely, and can be reduced significantly only by the use of PPE. It’s self-evident that we can’t do much without our hands being in good condition and yet why is it that on a visit to most heritage railways you’ll find the fireman working barehanded as if she/he is immune to heat? A polite enquiry as to whether or not wearing gloves is considered proper leads to a quizzical look as if the questioner is mad.…

This is an account of events that took place 60 years ago on February 28 1965 – just two weeks before my 18th birthday. I had started my footplate career at 55C Farnley Junction as an engine cleaner in April 1962, earning £3‑12‑0 shillings for a 42‑hour week. However, it wasn’t about the money; it was about fulfilling my schoolboy dream and emulating those footplatemen in the tales of Ransome‑Wallis, O.S. Nock and so on. To further my footplate ambitions, I left Farnley Junction early in 1963 to move up the ladder from passed cleaner to fireman at the legendary Nine Elms shed, on the Southern Region. I was now firing Bulleid’s ‘Pacifics’ on the types of services that O.S. Nock – whose ‘Locomotive Practice and Performance’ column in The…

MAIN LINE DIARY FEBRUARY SAT 1 ‘THE WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS’ London Euston-Watford Junction-Milton Keynes-Northampton-Rugby-Nuneaton-Crewe-Preston-Carlisle and return. (RTC) SAT 8 ‘THE WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS’ Manchester Piccadilly-Wigan North Western-Preston-Carlisle and return. (RTC) SAT 15 ‘THE VALENTINES WHITE ROSE’ London King’s Cross-Stevenage-Huntingdon-Peterborough-York and return. (RTC) SAT 22 ‘THE WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS’ London Euston-Watford Junction-Milton Keynes-Northampton-Rugby-Nuneaton-Crewe-Preston-Carlisle and return. (RTC) MARCH SAT 1 MARCH ‘THE MANCUNIAN’ Manchester Piccadilly-Stockport-Llandudno Junction-Holyhead and return. (RTC) Booking information 21st Century Steam Ltd (A1SLT): 01325 488215 www.a1steam.com/a1-rail-tours/home Belmond: 0845 0772 222 www.belmond.com Pathfinder Tours: 01453 835414/834477 www.pathfindertours.co.uk RPSI: + 44 28 9358 6200 www.steamtrainsireland.com Railway Touring Company (RTC): 01553 661500 www.railwaytouring.net Saphos Trains: 0800 038 5320 https://saphostrains.com/# SRPS: 0131 202 1033 www.srps.org.uk Steam…

The smallest of the sheds built by the Cheshire Lines Committee, Northwich was nonetheless a busy depot. It began life in 1869 as a simple two-road brick-built and dead-end affair complete with basic facilities including a somewhat undersized turntable. It was located in the centre of Cheshire’s industrial heartland, being surrounded by some 20 factories, plus sundry other chemical and limestone plants. In 1873, Midland Railway engines from Belle Vue shed began to be serviced here, although the system was not a joint one such as that seen at Trafford Park or Heaton Mersey, and was on a much smaller scale. The site doubled in size in 1877, when the existing building became four roads and a more satisfactory turntable and coaling facility was added at the same time. This,…

AFTER MONTHS of speculation, Flying Scotsman’s first plans for 2025 have finally be confirmed, with a visit to the Nene Valley Railway in February and March. The National Collection ‘A3’ will run on three weekends over the Wansford-Peterborough line, on February 22/23, and March 1/2 and 8/9. In addition, on days when No. 60103 is not operating (February 24-27, March 3-7 and 10/11), visitors can visit the Gresley ‘Pacific’s’ footplate and walk through the corridor tender into one of the NVR Travelling Post Office Carriages. Another highlight of Flying Scotsman’s visit will be its participation in a pair ‘Scotch Goods’-themed daytime and evening photo charters on February 28, organised by the NVR Wagon Group. These will pair the ‘A3’ with the NVR’s restored van train, recalling similar photo charters No.…

HOLYHEAD PROVIDED a fitting bookend to rebuilt Stanier ‘6P’ No. 46100 Royal Scot’s first stint on the main line in preservation, as the LMS 4‑6‑0 finally bowed out for overhaul on January 13. The three‑cylinder machine hauled a private charter exclusively for Locomotive Services Group employees from Crewe to Holyhead as its final run on the main line prior to the expiry of its boiler ‘ticket’ in March. It was a fitting farewell, as the route along the North Wales Coast was where Royal Scot made its preservation-era main line debut on February 6 2016 – its first revenue‑earning public railtour since 1962, following its extensive rebuild to main line condition at Crewe. The run to Holyhead was also a regular ‘Royal Scot’ duty during LMS and BR days, “so…

BATTLE OF Britain’ No. 34067 Tangmere became the first air-smoothed Bulleid ‘Pacific’ to work north of the border into Scotland for the first time in 76 years on December 21. The West Coast Railways locomotive was at the head of the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Edinburgh Christmas Market’ railtour, from York to the Scottish capital and return – the first time an air-smoothed Bulleid 4-6-2 has operated in Scotland since No. 34004 Yeovil worked over the Highland main line between Perth and Inverness in July 1948 as part of the Locomotive Exchange Trials that year. It was also the first time that an ‘unrebuilt’ Bulleid ‘Pacific’ has worked on the East Coast Main Line north of York, as No. 34004 travelled up to Perth via Crewe and Carlisle. One person who…

DESPITE A LINE-UP consisting of both the oldest and newest operational Great Western locomotives, newly overhauled ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Fred was arguably the star guest at the Battlefield Line’s Winter Warmer gala on January 11/12. The gala was the first time the 1945 Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns-built locomotive (Works No. 7289) had hauled public passenger services since it was withdrawn from traffic at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in 1978. As reported in SR566, following the completion of its rebuild at Tyseley Locomotive Works in the autumn, the former Walkden colliery locomotive will reside at the Battlefield Line. A trio of GWR locomotives completed the line-up. Visiting from the South Devon Railway was ‘1366’ 0-6-0PT No. 1369, alongside 1905-built Churchward ‘28XX’ No. 2807 and 2024-built ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange.…

CORRIS RAILWAY volunteers began the second ‘ten-year’ overhaul of the line’s 2005-built Kerr, Stuart-design ‘Tattoo’ 0-4-2ST No. 7 in December, following the expiry of its latest boiler ‘ticket’. Having covered 3,978.5 miles during its last ten-year stint in service – primarily on the 0.7-mile Corris Railway, as well as a couple of hundred miles on the Talyllyn Railway – work to strip No. 7 down for overhaul began between Christmas and New Year. The saddle tank, cab, coal bunker, boiler cladding, steam fittings and pipes, and the motion were removed within a couple of days. The boiler will be re-tubed at Maespoeth and the boiler metal and welds will be inspected and measured to ensure that they meet the necessary safety requirements to pass certification for the next ten years.…

ONE OF the whistles from Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway 0‑6‑0T No. 823 Countess was used to announce the launch of a £150,000 appeal to complete the overhaul of the 1902‑built Beyer, Peacock tank. The W&LLR joined in with the nationwide whistle‑up signalling the start of the ‘Railway 200’ in 2025 festivities, with one of Countess’ whistles being fitted to classmate No. 822 The Earl to signal the launch of the appeal. Withdrawn in February 2021, the overhaul of Countess got under way at the W&LLR in December 2023. With the strip‑down of No. 823 complete and the scope of work assessed, the railway has estimated that the cost of the overhaul will be around £150,000. “Our paid staff and volunteers have already started some of the work in‑house, and…

TWO-TRAIN OPERATION is finally in prospect on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, if it can raise £25,000 to complete the construction of a signal box at Birkhill station. A signal box at Birkhill has long been an ambition of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, as not only would it allow two-train operation on the B&KR for the first time, but it would also increase operational flexibility for special events, special trains, and movements to and from the national network at Manuel. Construction of the box began the week commencing January 6, with £55,000 already raised towards its completion. However, the SRPS needs to raise the outstanding £25,000 to “ensure that we can complete the full signal box build this winter before the railway reopens in the spring,” the society said.…

I’VE BEEN struck (again!) this month by the parallels between some of the massive global headlines recently and some of the goings-on in heritage rail. The social media mud-slinging by those associated with the incoming President of the United States has hit not just the UK, but other countries like Germany, and even Greenland. Most of what’s been thrown around are purely viewpoints or opinions based on a particular bias, but often ‘presented’ as fact. Whether intentionally or not, to the recipient it can feel like an attack, cause distress and risks tarnishing reputations in a lasting way. You might find it amusing. You might find it seriously concerning. But can you honestly say you haven’t seen something similar happen to heritage railways on social media – often on a…

GWR & CONSTITUENTS 2807 Following its appearance at the Battlefield Line’s Winter Warmer gala (see News), the oldest operational Great Western Railway locomotive will return to Toddington for winter maintenance and then go on loan to the West Somerset Railway from March 24 until May 6. The WSR was “keen to keep it longer but that wasn’t an option because of our commitment to the GWSR gala in May,” its owning group said. 2857 The 2857 Society has launched an appeal to raise £285,000 to complete the overhaul of No. 2857, which last steamed in January 2023 at its Severn Valley Railway home. Although the society already has around £200,000 in reserves, spending £185,000 towards the overhaul would leave it with just £15,000 – its minimum threshold. With the overhaul…

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 1Collett ‘Castle’ [7002] in Wiltshire (7) 5 ‘City of’, Bulleid WC 34012 (5)8 Small tool in Bradshaw lexicon! (3)9 Lover of Pelleas and name of engine 73085 (9)10 70018 by Wagner is an example (5) 11 LMR MPD with 21C code (8)14 See 5 Down 19 Language spoken in country of ‘Jubilee’ Class 45574 (5) 21 ‘Coronation’ Princess named on Stanier Pacific 46224 (9) 22 Explosive initials! (1,1,1)23 Member of…

Building locomotives from scratch is not for the faint-hearted. For every new-build project that has reached completion, dozens more have fallen by the wayside – often without ever having made any physical progress. If we are to properly assess Britain’s various new-build projects, we should also examine those which have come to nothing. Now, we could probably fill an entire magazine with the myriad new-build schemes that have been proposed over the years – anything from an LBSCR ‘E2’ 0-6-0T and a replica LNWR ‘Claughton’ to various Midland ‘2Ps’, a North Eastern Railway ‘Z’ class ‘Atlantic’ and a Caprotti ‘Black Five’, and countless others besides. Almost all never progressed beyond a Facebook page or basic website, outlining their ideas and ambitions without any concrete fundraising or construction plans. They garnered…