Sommaire pour Issue 322 de Heritage Railway

OPINION CORNISHMAN RichardTrevithick’s invention of an effective self-propelled vehicle in the form of railway locomotives sowed the seeds that changed the globe, but long after he died penniless. His invention was widely taken seriously only with the outbreak of the NapoleonicWars, when colliery owners suddenly found an urgent need to replace the huge number of working horses that were taken for military service. Several decided to giveTrevithick’s invention more than a second glance. Phase three took place in 1825 when, 21 years after Trevithick gave the first public demonstration of a steam railway locomotive on the Penydarren Tramroad in South Wales, they were used to haul public passenger trains on the Stockton & Darlington Railway – and the concept went on to reshape public transport the world over. The S&DR…

NOT only a new and unique locomotive, but also the first of a new class, battery-electric Bo-Bo No. 60 Electra has been launched in Essex. It was unveiled at the Audley End Miniature Railway on Saturday, July 20 to mark the popular 10¼ in gauge line’s 60th anniversary. The railway was built by Lord Braybrooke and opened on May 16, 1964, by racing driver Sir Stirling Moss. It runs for 1½miles through woodland adjacent to Audley End House, the former home of the Braybrookes, which is now in the ownership of English Heritage. The line has two tunnels and crosses the rivers Cam and Fullen. The bridge across the Cam retains the original Second World War pillbox. In recent years, the railway has operated with four locomotives; two steam and…

LARGE England 0-4-0STT No. 4 Palmerston successfully passed its final boiler examination on July 23 at the Vale of Rheidol workshops after a rapid overhaul that lasted only two months. Having arrived in Aberystwyth during March for contract overhaul and spending a short time on display in the museum, the 1864-built locomotive entered the railway’s workshops in May and was quickly disassembled for inspection. With its overall mechanical condition deemed to be very good, it was a case of a simple boiler retube with some patch and stay replacements that ultimately led to the swift turnaround. Palmerston (pictured on page 5 on its July 24 test run) will be working a lunchtime round trip to Devil’s Bridge every Friday until August 23, before it plays a starring role in the…

The Great Central Railway has submitted its planning application to Charnwood Borough Council for the reunification scheme to link it to its northern counterpart the GCR (Nottingham) – and supporters of both are being urged to show their support. The reconnection will create an 18-mile line from the north of Leicester to the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre at Ruddington. It will also give the GCR at Loughborough a main line connection, further boosting the regional economy through the arrivals and departures of charter trains from around the national network. The lines now occupied by the two heritage railways were divided in 1969 when about 500 yards of track were removed. Three parts of the reunification project have already been completed and millions of pounds raised. However, to build more of…

FORMER Barry scrapyard Scottish Region ‘Black Five’ No. 45163 could return to its former home ground, with a main line restoration plan in partnership with Ian Riley. Owning group 45163 Ltd, which has been restoring the Stanier 4-6-0 from Barry scrapyard condition at the Colne Valley Railway, has signed an agreement with the Lancashire-based engineer and main line operator that will see the locomotive return to Network Rail metals in 2027. Under the deal, 45163 Ltd will retain ownership of the engine it has owned 30 years, and Riley & Son (E) Ltd will complete its restoration – paying for the fitting of air-braking and main line electronic equipment – in return for a long-term loan for 23 years, with an option to extend it to 25 years. This period…

THIS autumn, the gala spotlight will shine on the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway’s Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41241, which will be visiting two different events just a week apart. Built by BR in 1949 at Crewe Works, No. 41241 was preserved in 1967 at the KWVR, where it was repainted into a striking crimson lake livery with KWVR lettering owing to privately-owned locomotives being forbidden from operating at the time in BR’s colours. The livery choice was partially inspired by the locomotive’s LMS heritage, the original design having been introduced by George Ivatt in 1946. Following the completion of overhaul in September 1980, No. 41241 returned to its authentic BR black, which was retained until 2018 when, with the KWVR’s 50th anniversary approaching, the crimson was reapplied, and it…

THE founders of tour operator Steam Dreams 25 years ago have launched a new company to run holidays by steam overseas and have announced the firm’s first trip. It was in 1999 that Steam Dreams was established by enthusiast Marcus Robertson with the aim of running midweek day trips from London on the Southern Region, despite the fact that sceptics thought that regular steam on the third rail network would not last. The first Steam Dreams trip, the ‘Wessex Belle’ behind BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No. 73096, carried more than 150 passengers from Waterloo for a day out in Salisbury on December 16 that year, as reported in Heritage Railway issue 10. In December 2018, The Steam Dreams Rail Company was acquired by locomotive owner David Buck, who in June…

FOREVER proud of its connections to Thomas the Tank Engine stories, the fourth annual Awdry Extravaganza once again broke records at the Talyllyn Railway on July 20/21. While appearances of the titular blue tank engine and his companions at heritage railways can divide the opinion of enthusiasts, since the first event in 2021, the Talyllyn’s celebration of the works of the Rev Wilbert Awdry has grown to deliver great financial return. The debut event was the most successful event day in five years for the line, followed by the 2022 weekend boasting the single busiest days recorded for Tywyn Wharf station café and shop. In 2023, revenue was boosted by more than £15,000 – the event alone financing half of the railway’s annual coal bill – while this year’s event…

NEWS THE Tanfield Railway’s June 21-23 annual Legends of Industry gala brought many of its steam and diesel locomotives hailing from several industrial sectors to the forefront. Industrial locomotives were at the dawn of the world’s steam railways revolution.A staple of the rail industry, keeping commercial and private freight yards moving, shunting collieries and working naval dockyards, even in early preservation days many of them played vital roles in workinga new heritage line’s first services. While many lines have strayed away from them as core motive power, some still rely on them as part of their story and the Tanfield, from the outset, specialises in industrial types. Visiting from the Foxfield Railway, WG Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2623 of 1940 Hawarden was built in 1940 for the Shelton iron and steel…

IT was no secret that Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 5 'Lanky Tank' 2-4-2T No. 1008 had been earmarked to move to the Bury Transport Museum on loan, having first been mooted more than a year ago, but the question on everyone's lips was 'when'? That question was finally answered on July 1, when the locomotive touched down on Lancashire metals once more. The first locomotive to be built at Horwich Works in 1889, No. 1008 is the sole survivor of a 330-strong class of locomotives designed by John Aspinall. Minor modifications were made to the class over the years, with later locomotives utilising smaller diameter cylinders to improve tractive effort, different patterns of slide valve gear and increased coal capacity, to name but a few examples. The design of…

BARRY Railway carriage No. 163 returned to Wales on June 14 after languishing in an unconnected siding at Hampton Loade on the Severn Valley Railway for 32 years. Built by Ashbury Carriage and Wagon Company in Manchester in 1895, it was a first and second class composite coach on six wheels. Unusually for the time, it was fitted with electric lighting, and has solid brass window frames reflecting the prosperity of the railway. Disposed of in 1928 by the GWR minus its wheels and underframe, it became a summerhouse in the Clent Hills near Bromsgrove until 1992, when it moved to Hampton Loade. Once there, it was attached to a modified four-wheeled underframe. Over the following years, extensive research and repairs have been carried out by a small band of…

GRADIENT signs that were thrown down embankments more than half a century ago during track-lifting following the closure of the Ashbourne to Buxton line have been restored by volunteers and are providing unique information to hikers now walking the ancient trackbed. They are being refitted at their original locations on the popular Tissington Trail, which runs 13 miles north from Ashbourne to Parsley Hay, near Hartington. The trail is based on part of the trackbed of the former line from Ashbourne to Buxton, in Derbyshire, which was opened by the LNWR in April 1899 and closed by BR to regular passenger services in November 1954, and then completely when freight operations ceased in October 1963. In addition, a signal post and mileage marker have been restored and refitted on the…

Hopetown's charity partner organisation, the Darlington Railway Preservation Society, which was founded in 1981, boasts the town's biggest collection of locomotives. Until 2023, it was based in the 1833 Goods Shed, which was redeveloped as the entrance to Hopetown. The society then moved to the 1861 Shed in Whessoe Road, half of which is also houses part of the collection of the North Eastern Locomotive Group, another charity partner. The 1861 Shed, a surviving part of North Road Locomotive Works (and which has now taken that name), is part of the Hopetown site not normally open to the public, as it is a live workshop where volunteers overhaul and maintain the society's collection. Pictured inside is the group’s 1928-built GEC four- wheel electric locomotive, which spent its working life at the…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s flagship GNR(I) S class 4-4-0 No.171 Slieve Gullion is approaching the end of its long-running overhaul. On July 6, No. 171, which was built by Beyer Peacock at Gorton Foundry in Manchester in 1913, was coupled to its tender for the first time in 20 years on the turntable at the RPSI’s Whitehead base in Co Antrim. The locomotive and tender were then hauled by newly-overhauled Córas Iompair Éireann General Motors Class 142 diesel B142 to the weighing station. The S class replaced the Q class as the GNR(I)’s most powerful passenger locomotives, a position they held until the introduction of the V compounds in 1932. In 1937, it was decided that all of the S class needed a heavy overhaul and were taken…

PROTOTYPE electric Class 89 No. 89001 Avocet moved for the first time in a quarter of a century after taking power on all six traction motors on July 3. The unique locomotive was completing its 25kV commissioning tests at UK Rail Leasing in Loughborough. The next step is for it to move to the Locomotive Services Group depot at Crewe for driver training and electromagnetic compatibility testing. A statement from its custodian, the AC Locomotive Group, said: “There is a considerable amount of work still to be done until No. 89001 is given the green light for main line operation. “We are very grateful to UK Rail Leasing for its work on the locomotive and the provision of facilities during its extended stay at Loughborough, and also to DEU for…

NETWORK Rail’s £3.4 million project to futureproof the world-famous Glenfinnan Viaduct has started a key phase. Rope access technicians have been ascending and navigating the 1901-built structure, which sits 100 feet above the River Finnan 17 miles from Fort William on the West Highland Extension, the route of West Coast Railways’‘The Jacobite’. This technique, known for its efficiency and minimal environmental impact, allows workers to reach and restore areas of the Grade A-listed structure, one of the last major constructions of the Victorian railway revolution, that would otherwise be inaccessible. During this year-long restoration project, which began in April, engineers are assessing the condition and strength of the viaduct before completing concrete repairs. They are also making improvements beneath the track to keep the stone ballast in place. Network Rail’s…

August 3 ‘The Cumbrian Mountain Express’ Euston, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled between Carnforth (outward) and Preston (return). Locos: Steam: TBC. Electric: 86259 Les Ross. RTC 3 ‘English Riviera Express’ High Wycombe, Kingswear and return. Steam-hauled between Taunton (outward) and Bristol (return). Loco: TBA. ST 4 ‘The Waverley’ York, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled throughout. Loco: TBA. RTC 6 ‘Pendle Dalesman’ Lancaster, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled throughout. Loco: TBC. WCR 7 ‘The Kentish Belle’ London Victoria, Faversham and return. Loco: 45596 Bahamas. RTC 8 The Golden Age of Travel by Steam Circular tour from London Victoria. Loco: 35028 Clan Line. BEL 8 Chester excursion Southend Central, Chester and return. Steam-hauled London-Chester only. Loco: 46100 Royal Scot. SD 8 ‘The Dalesman’ York, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled from Hellifield. Loco: TBA. WCR 10 ‘The…

HISTORICAL German live steam model train constructors Carette, Schőenner and Bing were in the spotlight in a sale of O-gauge and larger models held by Special Auction Services of Newbury on June 25/26, with first place going to Great Northern Railway 4-2-2‘single’ No. 776 built circa 1902 by Carette in gauge three (2½in gauge) that sold for £6500. Following at £4400 was gauge four South Eastern & Chatham Railway Class D 4-4-0 No. 734, constructed by Schőenner, a relatively obscure toy company that built model trains from 1887 until about 1910, and another gauge three model, of Midland Railway Class 4P 4-4-0 No. 2631, built by Bing for Bassett-Lowke, that fetched £2700. Between the line-up of German models was a 1922-built gauge three Great Northern Railway C1 class 4-4-2 No.…

HEADLINE NEWS PEPPERCORN A2 Pacific No. 60532 Blue Peter pulled its first main line train in almost 23 years after a formal rededication at King’s Cross station on July 13. Following the ceremony, the A2 undertook a demonstration run between King’s Cross and York, with the trustees of its owner, the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust, and other invited guests travelling behind to celebrate its return The trust’s founding chairman, Jeremy Hosking, said:“I would like to thank my fellow trustees for bringing this seven-year £5 million project to completion and to our engineering colleagues at Crewe. “The modern railway has an enormous role to play in continuing to serve the nation, so it’s important to pay homage to our transport heritage, including the 150-year steam era, without which we…

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway has announced a series of free events and opportunities as part of the national Heritage Open Days on September 6-15. Many of the activities planned for the festival celebrating England’s history of invention, industry and innovation are not usually available to the public. New activities on offer for 2024 include the Volunteer Voices Exhibition, unearthing stories behind the market-leading heritage railway, spanning five decades of camaraderie, dedication and shared passion for preserving a bygone era. On the Goathland Station Tour on September 6 and 11, visitors will learn about its history accompanied by an NYMR volunteer. The LNERCA Atkins Building Tour on September 6, 8, 10 and 13 will facilitate visits to the Pickering home of the detailed carriage restorations of the LNER Coach Association.…

ITS April 2022 visit to the Spa Valley Railway saw that line have its most successful enthusiast-based event ever. Now, the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s-Caledonian Railway 439 class 0-4-4T No. 55189 is heading back south for a return visit to Sussex – with a stopover in Oxfordshire too. The visit of No. 55819 (as No. 439 at the time) to the SpVR’s April 2/3 Scottish-themed steam weekend saw it run alongside Caledonian Railway 812 class No. 828, which has continued to reside there on extended loan. The visit of two locomotives so far from their normal respective homes at the Bo’ness & Kinneil and Strathspey railways attracted more than 2700 people over two weekends, the duo having only been previously paired once before at Bo’ness in 2018 and each having…

IT has not run in passenger service for five years, but plans are now afoot to bring the Class 205 DEMU that ran over the Mid-Hants line on its final day before closure by BR back into traffic on that same route. Built as a three-car unit between December 1959 and February 1960, No. 1125 was first recorded on the line between Alton and Alresford on April 21, 1960, and 13 years later it would be one of two units coupled together to form a five-car set to run the same route on February 4, 1973, the last day of BR services after which the line was closed. Reduced to a two-car set in April 1998 and withdrawn in February 2004, it was aptly sold to the MidHants Railway, where…

A RURAL parish in East Sussex is seeking a new priest-in-charge who, apart from all the usual qualifications, ideally has a passion that would be a real bonus – an interest in heritage railways. The parish of Ewhurst Green, 10 miles north of Hastings, has two churches, Grade I-listed St James the Great, dating from Norman times, and 12th century St Giles’ Church in the neighbouring village of Bodiam. The latter is known for its impressive 14th-century moated castle, but another attraction in the village that is enjoyed by residents and visitors alike is its station on the Kent & East Sussex Railway. Former banker David Nibloe is a trustee of the railway and a volunteer guard who moved to Ewhurst Green with his wife Suzy in 2017 after a…

BRITISH railway historian, TV presenter and travel editor Tim Dunn visited the South Devon Railway to help raise awareness of its £3 million share issue campaign aimed at safeguarding the heritage line’s long-term future. Tim was guest speaker at an exclusive event on July 15 hosted by the SDR which outlined the crucial role current and prospective shareholders play in preserving the line. Known for his enthusiasm and dedication to railways worldwide, Tim has presented several popular TV shows including The Architecture the Railways Built and Secrets of the London Underground. Describing the SDR as“a perfect rural GWR branch line,”he encouraged people to back the campaign to “fund some smart 21st century improvements.” “This railway has survived closures, takeovers, and now it’s surviving yet again,”he said.“You are trying to renew…

ONE of many benefits offered by narrow gauge is the relative ease of transporting locomotives by road compared to their larger standard gauge counterparts, and the Talyllyn Railway made full use of this on July 15 by opting to send out one of its locomotives as a roving ambassador for the recently-launched 75 Appeal. No. 6 Douglas was withdrawn in February pending commencement of its overhaul, which is being purposefully delayed to spread out locomotive withdrawals over a decade, with Nos. 1, 2 and 4 having returned to service within an 18-month period already. Rather than have the locomotive hidden out of sight, TR management opted to look at ways to use it to the line’s benefit, and so it has now gone to the Severn Valley Railway’s Engine House…

A HIGHLY controversial scheme to build a 2000-acre solar farm – to be named after LNER A4 Pacific No. 4468 Mallard which set the 126mph world steam speed record nearby on July 3, 1938 – has been given the green light by new Labour Secretary of State for Energy and Net Zero Ed Miliband just three days after he took office. More than 3000 people signed a petition to oppose the Mallard Pass scheme, near the village of Essendine, announced three years ago, and many local residents displayed signs demanding that it should not be allowed to go ahead, arguing that it would take up prime farmland. Mallard Pass is to be developed by Windel Energy, which is based in Blyth, Northumberland, in conjunction with Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of…

THE public can now book a short stay in a Grade I-listed building on the site of the world’s oldest-surviving passenger railway station. A project led by the Landmark Trust, in partnership with the Science and Industry Museum, has seen the restoration of the Station Agent’s House on the site of Liverpool Road station in Castlefield, Manchester, part of what is now the Science and Industry Museum. The restored property, which since 2023 was leased by the trust from the museum, is now accessible to the public and can be enjoyed as a residence for the first time in a century – welcoming everyone for self-catering short stays as a new holiday property, plus annual free open days. A four-night midweek break for up to eight guests costs from £780.…

THE revived Llangollen Railway’s steam locomotive fleet is to receive a notable addition to its roster in the coming years following the arrival of currently unrestored GWR 4-6-0 No. 5967 Bickmarsh Hall for its rebuild to continue. Built in 1937, No. 5967 initially worked out of Chester shed – less than 30 miles away from its new home – before moving progressively south to Oxley and then Banbury. In 1955 it was reallocated to Newton Abbot, where it could be found on holiday expresses and relief services bound for destinations across Devon and Cornwall. Its final years saw it based at Westbury and Old Oak Common, with a return to the former after overhaul in 1961 and its location for withdrawal in June 1964. Although it was rescued from Barry…

THE Dartmouth Steam Railway carried the flag for the life-saving National Coastwatch Institution during the organisation's 2000-mile station-to-station relay to mark its 30th anniversary. On July 10, the 5ft by 3ft flag was carried on a special train headed by WR 4-6-0 No. 7827 Lydham Manor from Kingwear to Paignton Queen's Park as part of the relay's leg from its Froward Point lookout station at Kingswear to the next NCI station at Daddyhole Plain, Torquay As highlighted last issue, the relay set off from the NCI Fleetwood station in Lancashire on June 3, travelling anti-clockwise to each of the charity's 60 coastal watch stations, and is scheduled to end its journey at the most northerly station on the east coast in Filey, North Yorkshire, in September. More than 2700 highly-trained…

ONE of the youngest volunteers on the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway, 20-year-old Matthew Forman-Clark, has just qualified as a driver of diesel locomotives in time for the main summer season. Matthew, from Skegness, qualified as a train guard two years ago and is now thought to be the youngest qualified diesel train driver in his home county of Lincolnshire. His ambition now is to train and qualify as a driver of the LCLR's flagship, Peckett 0-6-0ST No. 1008 of 1903 Jurassic. "It's something I have always wanted to do," he said. "The railway's diesels are between 80 and 104 years old, so it is a real privilege to to drive them - especially as the carriages are 100 or more years old. "There's a real sense of history and heritage…

THE Branch Line Society has announced plans to commemorate 50 years of Drax Power Station with three tours over the weekend of August 17/18. The first tour, under the title of ‘The Cooling Tower Choppers,’ is set to feature a pair of Class 20 locomotives due to their association with the ‘merry go round’ coal trains; the ‘red stripe’ Railfreight pair has been requested from Locomotive Services Limited. Starting from Derby behind a Class 69, the train is scheduled to run to Leicester for a reversal, and then the Class 20s will take charge over the cross-country route to Peterborough and on to Lincoln via Spalding. A further reverse move at Boultham Junction should then see the tour take the Pyewipe Curve, Beckingham Down goods Loop, and Down Lincoln Flyover…

Anything Goes has become a fixture of the events calendar for the Talyllyn Railway. Starting off in 2018 when there was rare but brief window that saw all six of the line’s steam locomotives in operation at the same time, it is gradually developing into an event that allows its volunteers to play with all available traction and run some service patterns you might not normally be able work into other special events. The service pattern offered is, in a way, vital to success. One of the limiting factors of the railway is its 2ft 3in gauge, meaning that unlike the big events of lines like the Great Central and Severn Valley railways, options for guest locomotives are limited – almost nil. There is, however, one line just a few…

THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway followed up its hugely successful Cotswold Festival of Steam in May with a notable notable Summer Diesel Gala on July 12-14. About 1400 tickets were sold, a marginal increase on the same event the previous year. Nine locomotives, plus line’s resident Class 117 DMU, were in operation, offering a wide variety of options including double-heading and top-and-tailing. A particular star was Class 26 No. 5310, visiting from the Llangollen Railway. Another key attraction was the nose-to-nose combination of Class 20s Nos. 20137 and 20228, the latter only havig recently returned to operation – and this was its debut event. Four coaching sets, plus the DMU, were in use. The remainder of the line-up comprised Class 24 No. 5081, Class 37s No. 37215 and D6948, Class 45…

THEY’VE been a staple of station yards and freight termini since the 1950s, and in model form they’ve progressed through the decades too. Now, Bachmann have revealed that the iconic ‘Gronks’ will be receiving an all-new tooling for the OO gauge range that will cater for both classes 08 and 09 variants. The Class 08 has been a part of the Bachmann range since 2000 when the new Branchline models were released under the then embryonic ‘Blue Riband’ title which adorned models that set new standards for their time. However, in the two decades that have followed, Bachmann has been at the forefront of introducing new technologies, innovations, and even higher levels of detail with each new model it has produced, and so it was high time that a new…

PERHAPS one of the most eagerly anticipated model releases for 2024, eyes turned to Accurascale in July when decorated samples of the new OO scale LNER J67/8/9 ‘Buckjumpers’ arrived at the firm’s headquarters, with several revisions noted before they entered final production. These decorated samples also show the vast array of detail differences across each locomotive, particularly when it comes to cabs, tanks and chimney options alone. Accurascale estimates that it might just be the biggest tooling suite ever created for a tank locomotive, or certainly one of the biggest, at least. The number of parts and variations to make up this class is simply staggering, and it has taken a long time to get them all correctly proportioned and have them fit together in a manner that gives a…

A3 Pacific No. 60163 Flying Scotsman the star attraction in the first four weeks of the Summer at Locomotion festival at owner the National Railway Museum’s Shildon outpost. On July 18, the world’s most famous steam locomotive was hauled by a Class 37 from York to Shildon for the six-week gala. Schoolchildren from the local Timothy Hackworth Primary School were treated to a ride behind the A3 ahead of the start of the festival, which runs until September 1. The crew was even able to give a teacher a retirement gift to remember as she took a ride inside the cab on her final working day. Flying Scotsman steam rides are now available to book, including an exclusive cab ride experience, the chance to ride in a brake van hauled…

THE debut of new-build Brighton H2 Atlantic No. 32424 Beachy Head draws near and following its first movements within Sheffield Park station limits on the Bluebell Railway, as reported last issue, another key moment in the locomotive’s timeline was set on June 27 when it undertook its first trip along the entire length of the line. Residents of and visitors to East Grinstead were pleasantly surprised when the 4-4-2 turned up at the heritage line’s station outside the main town a few hours ahead of the arrival of the day’s first public service train as the railway’s engineering department commenced running-in trials of the locomotive. Following its trip to the line’s northern terminus, it then headed back south, pausing at Horsted Keynes for all the bearings to be checked and…

A 46ft-long solid steel work of art depicting the Severn Valley Railway’s flagship GWR 4-6-0 No. 4930 is now in place at Kidderminster main line station – the result of years of planning and determination by local woman Sue Langley. Sue, who lives in Arley, formed the Wyre Forest & District U3A Station Adopters group in 2021 and with her colleagues set about smartening up the station, tending to the gardens, and working with local heritage attractions to reflect the rich history of the town to passengers. She felt that the SVR should form a key part of the heritage interpretation that the group was working on. Her grandfather was a steam engine driver for British Rail and, as an SVR volunteer herself, she knew how important the heritage line…

TWO of Britain’s top heritage railways have given their interim managers their jobs on a permanent basis. Laura Strangeway is now permanently leading the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Having been acting chief executive office since the resignation of Chris Price, the NYMR Trust Board has chosen Laura as the best person for the job. “She has been with the NYMR for nine years, has a wealth of experience in tourism and heritage management, and a passionate commitment to preserving and enhancing the Moorsline’s cultural legacy,” said a Moorsline statement. Since 2015 she has worked on a huge rebrand for the line, TV and filming projects, the introduction of a new ticketing system and the launch of the huge Yorkshire’s Magnificent Journey initiative. She also helped the award-winning attraction navigate the…

The private standard gauge East Wressle & Brind Railway, near Howden, in the East Riding of Yorkshire, held a rare open day on July 14 as part of the National Garden Scheme Open Day. Inspired by the light railways of Col Holman F Stephens, the line was the work of the late Colin Shutt and his wife Elizabeth when, in 2004, he decided to build a replica Ford railbus to enter into a competition, as reported in issue 246. Since Colin’s death in 2016, the 300-yard line has been maintained and improved by his widow and a dedicated group of volunteers. The event attracted the crowds, having been featured on BBC1 a fortnight before. On prominent display in the station was the line’s sole motive power, Ruston Hornsby 48DS 0-4-0DM…

WHEN Dave Mosley, former head of education at the National Railway Museum, first saw Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways operations director Matt Ellis at the York Museum as a young boy, he never thought that this very same youngster would one day become his boss – but that is exactly what happened. As a boy, Matt would visit the NRM, playfully taking over tours and telling the audiences all about the locomotives. “I was happy to let him get on with it, as it was obvious he was destined for a job in steam,” Dave said, pleased to encourage the young Matt’s enthusiasm. Some years later, Matt started working for the museum properly. Dave, meanwhile, had taken early retirement from his role but remained involved by driving locomotives on the…

THE Midland Railway – Butterley has launched an appeal to raise £40,000 to undertake essential repair work to the Matthew Kirtley Building, which houses some of its historic collection. If the repairs are not addressed now, it will result in ‘costly restoration work’ in the future. Named after Matthew Kirtley, the Midland Railway’s first Chief Mechanical Engineer from 1844 to 1873, the building at Swanwick Junction houses locomotives, carriages, wagons and other railway related assets and had, until 2020, been open to the public. However, as the building’s condition has deteriorated, it has not since reopened. Water pours through the decaying roof during heavy rain and as a result, some of the collection housed inside is now beginning to show signs of deterioration too. The framework of the building utilises…

THE UK’s heritage railway sector has received a timely and much-needed boost following the unveiling of the 2024 Travellers’ Choice awards by Tripadvisor. The awards, which have gone to more than 40 heritage lines, museums and tour operators, place the recipients among the top 10% of Tripadvisor’s worldwide listings of places to visit. Such is its following that even those railways in the sector that have not received the award should benefit from the positive vibes bound to be felt throughout the movement. They are based on genuine feedback from visitors who have left an authentic, first-hand review in the past year on the travel guidance platform. John Boris, Tripadvisor’s chief growth officer, said: “The awards honour businesses that consistently demonstrate a commitment to hospitality excellence. It means they have…

FORMER Dinorwic Slate Quarries WG Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 1760 of 1906 Sybil made its debut in West Lancashire Light Railway service on July 7. Sybil worked for half a century at the North Wales quarry system. It was purchased for preservation in 1965 by James Evans for use on his family’s private Inny Valley Railway, at Trebuillet, near Launceston. After closure, its steam locomotives and carriage went to the Launceston Steam Railway In February 2023, the LSR sold the locomotive as a kit of parts minus a boiler to the newly-formed Sybil Locomotive Trust. Following the completion of its lengthy overhaul at the WLLR, Sybil steamed for the first time in 40 years on October 8, 2023. Its final sign-off and commissioning was completed on July 6. Its first day in…

THE Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway received a very welcome birthday present from Network Rail in the shape of 400 yards of track panels for the heritage line’s extension towards Princes Risborough. This year marks the railway’s 30th anniversary of its first heritage services being run between Chinnor station and the former Wainhill Halt site, about two thirds of a mile to the north-east on August 20, 1994. Its extension to Thame Junction was just two years later, before reaching Princes Risborough station using track leased from NR in 2016 but which can be run over only when not in use by NR; the C&RR is currently laying its own track adjacent to the leased metals. On July 9, the railway took delivery of the donated track panels via its…

NEWS THE Wensleydale Railway has launched a £30,000 appeal to restore passenger train services to Redmire. The section of line between Leyburn and Redmire village has been closed to the public since 2020 due to the deteriorating condition of the track and infrastructure on this section. Some of the track is life-expired and dates back to before the First World War. The railway previously raised more than £50,000 from a fundraising appeal in 2022. The line from Leyburn to Redmire was then surveyed, all defects noted, and an action plan produced to bring the line back up to passenger standards again. Work started west of Leyburn in 2023, changing sleepers, removing trees and sorting out earthworks and drainage. This section of the line is in a deep cutting and the…

HAVING experienced a resurgence itself in recent years, the Llangollen Railway is lending its aid to help another railway revival slightly further afield. At the end of June, the LR welcomed a delegation from the Hejaz Railway, in Jordan, who were keen to better understand the UK’s approach to heritage railways. The original Hejaz Railway opened in 1908 and was planned and funded by the Ottoman Empire to support Muslim pilgrims performing the Hajj, a religious pilgrimage to Mecca. However, the railway clearly had significant strategic potential in a region where long-distance travel across inhospitable lands was challenging. The line was built to 1050mm (3ft 5¾in) gauge and is the single railway line remaining in Jordan today. It is most famous for being the main target for attacks by Cpt…

GLASGOW'S Riverside Museum became home to Metro-Cammell 4ft gauge Glasgow Subway motor car No. 128 on June 14, when it left Broomloan Depot for the last time. It was taken by Reid's heavy haulage tractor and trailer to the museum for public display. Transport and technology curator John Messner said: "We first got in touch with Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) when we heard that the fleet, which dates from the reopening of the line after modernisation in 1979, was to be replaced and put in a claim for a motor car. "We already have three carriages from the original subway fleet, in service from 1896 to 1977, and Car No. 128 brings the subway story up to date. It's our newest rail exhibit and is already attracting attention from…

SEVERN Valley Railway managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster has praised the team which has been restoring LNER Gresley teak carriage No. 43612 to showpiece condition. A total of 25 volunteers have dedicated more than 6000 hours to the restoration of the 1934 wooden-bodied carriage, which has been receiving extensive repairs and attention for the past two-and-a-half years. On July 3, it was rolled out of the paintshop at Bewdley. A crowd of more than 50 guests gathered for the occasion, which included many of the volunteers involved in this meticulously executed project, SVR directors, and SVR Charitable Trust trustees. The trust owns the carriage and has contributed funds from a supporter’s legacy to the cost of its restoration. Gus said: “It looks amazing and is a credit to the team…

ON Friday, September 27, Vintage Trains will run a special double-header with Castle 4-6-0s Nos 7029 Clun Castle and 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. Starting from Birmingham New Street diesel-hauled, the tour, under the title of ‘The Mayflower,’ is set to recreate the short-lived Western Region express of the same name from the end of steam. Picking up additional passengers at Bromsgrove, Worcester Parkway and Cheltenham, the tour is scheduled for two Class 20s to be hauling the train in both directions – heading over the Lickey Incline – with a pause in Bristol to exchange motive power. Further passengers will be collected from Bristol Parkway and Bristol Temple Meads, before the double-headed Castles take the train via the Bristol to Exeter Line and then the Exeter to Plymouth Line…

Steam Dreams is to run a tour behind BR 7P Pacific No. 70000 Britannia to the Goodwood Revival and Chichester on Sunday, September 8. The tour is planned to start steam-hauled from Paddington and head west along the Great Western Main Line for a further passenger pick-up at Slough. After leaving Slough, the tour is scheduled to head south towards the Sussex coast and the first stop of Bosham for passengers who have chosen the off-train option of attending the Goodwood Motor Circuit to alight. The train is then planned to continue to Chichester, where guests can explore the city or visit either the Weald and Downland Museum, known as the location for the BBC programme The Repair Shop, or Arundel Castle, the historic home of the Dukes of Norfolk.…

MERCHANT Navy Pacific No. 35028 Clan Line is booked to haul the Railway Touring Company’s ‘The Cotswold Venturer’ on Saturday, August 24. Starting from London Victoria, Clan Line is scheduled to head through the London suburbs via Hounslow to Staines for the first passenger pick-up, then on via Ascot to Reading for more passengers. Taking the Great Western Main Line to Didcot, the tour is planned to collect further passengers here, before taking the Golden Valley Line at Swindon. Heading northwest through Kemble and Stroud to Standish Junction, the tour is scheduled to head to the first destination of Cheltenham Spa, where those choosing to alight here will have just over four hours to explore the town. For those passengers not wishing to leave the train at Cheltenham, the final…

BETWEEN Friday, August 16 and Sunday, August 18, Midland Pullman is offering travel to the Highlands of Scotland with the three-day ‘West Highland Pullman.’ Starting from Romford, the luxury High Speed Train set in the familiar blue and white livery of the 1960s Midland Pullman is scheduled to pickup additional passengers at Shenfield, Chelmsford, Colchester, Ipswich, Stowmarket, Bury St Edmunds, Ely, March and Peterborough before heading north towards Scotland. Once over the border, the train is planned to head through the Scottish Lowlands to Glasgow and along the banks of the River Clyde to pick up the West Highland Line. Heading for Fort William, the train will pass Loch Long and Loch Lomond, and then cross Rannoch Moor to arrive in Fort William for the evening and overnight stay. The…

THE modern-day Great Western Railway is inviting passengers in Somerset, Wiltshire and Dorset to travel back in time as part of an archive film project. Inspired by the 1936 film Great Western Approaches, Dorset-based charity the Windrose Rural Media Trust has used footage from 1909 to the 1990s to craft short films relevant to 24 stations on routes from Westbury to Salisbury, Weymouth, Bath, Swindon, Bedwyn and Taunton, plus Taunton to Bristol. Each film explores local life in decades past, allowing passengers to travel into the past via a QR code link on posters displayed at stations, which can be scanned by mobile phones while passengers wait for their train. The trust, which was founded in 1984, uses TV, radio and the internet to portray the past of rural communities…

EARLY declared runners in Great Central’s quarterly flagship auction on September 7 include a GWR pre-Grouping‘combine,’ and nameplates from a GWR-designed, BR-built Hall, a SR King Arthur, and a Standard Britannia Pacific.There is also an LNER A3 class smokebox numberplate and worksplates from three LNER named locomotives. The combined name and numberplate is from No. 4129 Kekewich, an Atbara class 4-4-0 that was outshopped by Swindon (works No. 1836) as No. 3383 in July 1900, renumbered in 1912, and was withdrawn from Shrewsbury in November 1928. It was named after General Robert Kekewich (1854-1914), who led British forces in the defence of Kimberley during the Boer War in February 1900, thus making it a highly topical and current name at that time for a locomotive. Indeed, several classmates also took…

RAILWAYANA PUBLICITY material issued by a number of Victorian era pre-Grouping railway companies and subsequently the ‘Big Four’was the major theme of a Transport Auctions of London sale held on June 29. Representing an enthusiast’s lifetime collection of brochures, pamphlets, leaflets and other literature covering holidays, excursions, ferry services and much else, the material was sold in a number of lots, with the highest realisations being £4200 – more than 15 times middle estimate – for 250 Southern Railway items and £1000 for 120 items issued by Cambrian Railways and the GWR. Other railway companies whose material went under the hammer from the collection at prices up to £800 included the LNWR, Caledonian, Glasgow & South Western, Highland, North of Scotland, North British, Great Northern, North Eastern, LMS and LNER.…