Sommaire pour Issue 319 de Heritage Railway

OPINION THIS issue, we proudly celebrate 25 years since the first edition of Heritage Railway appeared on the shelves in May 1999. Since then, we have aimed to give 100% support to the sector from which we took our title and celebrate its many magnificent landmarks as they happen by bringing them to the attention of an eager public. Our anniversary month has also coincided with the latest major achievement – the appearance of new-build GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange to haul its first passenger trains, albeit within the confines of Tyseley Locomotive Works. Members of the 6880 Betton Grange Society and their invited guests were afforded the extremely rare honour of being the first to ride behind what appeared every bit to be an out-of-the-box full-size standard gauge…

A PROJECT to dismantle a ‘lost’ country station brick by brick and move it for reconstruction as an entrance to the Nene Valley Railway’s Peterborough terminus and the adjacent Railworld Wildlife Haven has begun. Built midway between the villages of Sutton, Wansford and Upton to the west of Peterborough, Wansford Road station served the Stamford & Sibson branch of the Stamford & Essendine Railway, which was said to have suffered badly from the effects of the 1926 General Strike and closed in 1929, then becominga private residence. Having been built ina cutting, it slowly became obscured from Sutton Heath Road by a belt of mature trees. When National Highways drew up plans in recent years to turn the busy two-lane A47 between Wansford and Sutton into a dual carriageway, it…

A BLUE plaque has been unveiled at Didcot Railway Centre in recognition of the restoration of its Grade II-listed water tank, which dates from 1932. On April 10, Andy Savage, chairman of the Railway Heritage Trust, was joined by its executive director, Tim Hedley-Jones, and Ann Middleton, from Didcot Railway Centre, for the unveiling. The trust contributed towards the refurbishment efforts, along with Great Western Society members. The restoration also received a Highly Commended certificate at the National Railway Heritage Awards 2023. It is the only original water tower in the UK still used for its original purpose. The Great Western Trust also received a wall-mounted table chronicling the contribution of the 18 chief civil engineers of the GWR/ WR up to 1992, when the WR ceased to exist.…

THE £35 million Hopetown Darlington railway heritage centre is set to open in mid-July in time for the school summer holidays. As highlighted in issue 313, the Northgate venue encompasses both purpose-built and heritage buildings, including North Road Station Museum (formerly the Head of Steam Darlington Railway Museum) into a major family attraction which is expected to bring more than 300,000 visitors each year. Onsite partners include The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, which is already occupying the new custombuilt Darlington Locomotive Works, and in which visitors can see staffand volunteers at work. The Darlington Railway Preservation Society and the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group have also moved into the newly-restored 1861 shed. The museum will highlight the history of Stockton& Darlington Railway through traditional and brand-new immersive interpretations, interacting with…

LINCOLNSHIRE Coast Light Railway officials blew the whistle on a series of football and rugby specials due to safety grounds. The specials, a first for the 2ft gauge line, were timetabled to run during April and May to convey matchgoers to both the ESF 2024 Youth Football Festival and the Rhinos Challenge Rugby League Festival, which saw thousands of supporters, and players and their families, descend on Skegness. The games were played in the Skegness Water Leisure Park grounds, which sit adjacent to the railway’s Walls Lane station. To cater for the influx of visitors, the specials were timetabled for April 20/21, May 4/5, 11/12, and 18/19, with heritage diesel locomotives hauling ex-War Department and Ashover Light Railway passenger carriages. However, a problem arose on the first weekend when young…

KENT & East Sussex Railway general manager Robin Coombes hailed the railway’s first diesel gala in nearly 15 years asa“phenomenal success,”with enthusiasts flocking to witnessa star line-up of locomotives on the light railway route. Held on April 12-14, the first major event of the KESR’s 50th anniversary year saw enthusiasts fill platforms and lineside locations and attracted about1100 passengers, a figure that far outstripped expectation. Catering and shop sales also saw takings booms. Six locomotives were in action, with the Heavy Tractor Group’s Class 37 No. 37714 Cardiff Canton visiting from the Great Central Railway and Diesel Traction Group’s Severn Valley Railway-based Class 17 D8568 topping the billing. Resident Class 03 0-6-0DM (D2023), Class 14 0-6-0DH D9504 (working its first public trains in four years followinga comprehensive overhaul), and long-term…

AN anonymous benefactor has ensured that the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway has met its £30,000 appeal target for essential work to tackle the landslip which has blocked the line at Duffield. The slippage followed embankment damage that began in April 2023, but was exacerbated by Storm Babet in October. Through no fault of the railway, it found itself in the position where the main line interchange at Duffield was cut off. A team of engineers at the railway drew up plansa to realign the track away from the landslide by moving it onto the unused side of the formation, allowing trains to run into Duffield station again. However, a new trackbed to accommodate the line must be constructed, hence the appeal. EVE chairman Neil Ferguson-Lee said: “To our amazement and delight,…

GALAS are usually approached with some trepidation, particularly in the current economic climate, but for the Llangollen Railway, the added fact that the April 12-14 branch line weekend would be its first large scale gala since recovering from the administration of the plc in 2021 also meant that it would be monitoring the outcome very closely. However, it became obvious almost immediately that any concerns were easily overcome when visitors flocked to Denbighshire, proving the case for the return of gala events to the line. Since the line was acquired by the LRTrust after the administration of the previous plc, the railway has focused on becoming both financially stable and viable to secure its long-term survival. Although small-scale diesel galas have since been run, only a maximum of two steam…

A DEAL to convert WD 'Austerity'2-10-0 No. 3672 Dame Vera Lynn from coal burning to oil firing has been agreed by the North Yorkshire Moors Railway with US-based railroad engineering and mechanical contractor FMW Solutions. As reported in issue 311, both the railway's former CEO, Chris Price, and director of mechanical engineering, Paul Middleton, visited Florida to witness a similar-sized liquid-fuelled locomotive in operation, and FMW has been identified as the professed contractor to convert Dame Vera Lynn. The project will be the first full-sized steam locomotive oil conversion in the UK since the end of BR steam and is seen as a crucial step forward in 'future-proofing' the busiest heritage railway in the country. Paul said: "This is a great opportunity to develop oil-burning systems on our locomotives. This…

HAVE you ever dreamed of becoming a locomotive driver or moving to the seaside? The Lappa Valley Railway, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is offering the chance to do both. The multi-gauge railway based in the old mine workings of East Wheal Rose Mine at St Newlyn East, near Newquay, is looking for a full-time driver to work on its three lines. The railway carries more than 100,000 passengers a year and runs steam, diesel and battery electric locomotives. Operations manager Ben Harding said: “Jobs like this genuinely don’t come around very often. As well as driving regular services throughout the year, the successful applicant will also help maintain our fleet of 13 locomotives, 23 passenger carriages, various wagons, and more than 2.5 miles of railway. “We are…

NEWS THE Avon Valley Railway celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special gala on April 4-7 featuringa two-train operation over all four days. The event highlighted how the Bitton-based heritage line grew from 100 yards of track in 1974 to three miles today, with further plans for expansion on the horizon. The route now occupied by the AVR was part of the Midland Railway’s Bristol-Mangotsfield-Bath line which linked to the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway at Bath Green Park, over which the legendary ‘Pines Express’ ran until September 8, 1962, and which closed in 1966. Local people including MP Robert Adley formed the Bristol Suburban Rail Society in 1972 with the aim of restoring commuter trains and a weekend steam presence to the route and the Mangotsfield-Yate line. Bitton station…

THE Railway Touring Company has announced a rare opportunity to travel to Swanage ona railtour from the main line over the link from Wareham on Wednesday, June 26 with ‘The Swanage Belle’. The tour is planned to be hauled by Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas from London Victoria. The route will see the tour cross the Thames at Battersea and Barnes, then pass through Feltham to stop at Staines to pick up additional passengers. From here, the tour will again cross the Thames to join the South Western Main Line at Byfleet Junction, followed by another passenger pickup at Woking. There is planned to bea water stop at Winchfield before the final passenger pick-up at Basingstoke. At Worthing Junction, the tour will head towards Winchester, then Southampton, Bournemouth, Poole, and…

EIGHT MPs from across the political spectrum have signed a letter to Rail Minister Huw Merriman MP to support West Coast Railways’ bid to continue using its slam-door carriages during its ‘The Jacobite’ services on the West Highland Extension. West Coast has operated the service for more than 30 years, and for nearly 20 of those years, the Office of Rail and Road has granted it an exemption to operate with hinged-door carriages on the main line. During this time, no serious injury has been attributable to the lack of central door locking (CDL), but the ORR is now insisting that all of its coaches used for the service are so fitted. To operate this year’s programme, WCR has again applied to the ORR to renew its long-term exemption certificate…

THE Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s railtour division aims to resume main line excursions later this year following a period of inactivity on the network over the last 12 months while its carriages have undergone extensive repair works. Early in 2023, SRPS Railtours announced it was pausing its programme of main line excursions while vital work was undertaken on its fleet of Mk. 1 carriages to ensure they would continue to be fit for service. Part of this scheme has vehicles fitted with central door locking, a system that has beena hot topic in main line circles, with operators likeWest Coast Railways applying to the Office of Rail and Road for extensions to exemptions to their stock. The SRPS launcheda £500,000 fundraising appeal to help finance the work required, which has…

Locos: 33012 Lt. Jenny Lewis RN, 50008 Thunderer. BLS 6 ‘The Dalesman’ York, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled between Hellifield and Carlisle. Loco: TBA. WCR 8 Skegness Excursion Hastings, Skegness and return. DEMU: 1001. HD 8 Settle&Carlisle Steam Special Coventry, Carlisle and return. Steamhauled between Carnforth (outward) and Preston (return). Loco: 34067 Tangmere. NB 8 ‘The Tynesider’ King’s Cross, Morpeth and return. Steamhauled between York and Morpeth. Loco: Steam: TBA. Electric: 86259 Les Ross. RTC 8 ‘The Lakelander’ Leeds, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled between Preston and Carlisle. Loco: TBA. ST 8 ‘The Blythe&Tyne’ Finsbury Park, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and return. Loco: Class 43 HST. UKRT 8 ‘The Ffestiniog Express’ Dorridge, Blaenau Ffestiniog and return. Diesel-hauled between Llandudno Junction and Blaenau Ffestiniog. Loco: TBA. VT 9 ‘The Cromer Crompton’ Sheringham to Water Orton only. Locos:…

HEADLINE NEWS A NEW chapter in Great Western Railway history began in April when the 81st Charles Collett Grange 4-6-0, No. 6880 Betton Grange, ran for the first time at Tyseley Locomotive Works – before hauling a series of passenger trains on an internal siding following its official launch at a private ceremony 16 days later. As first reported on the special www.heritagerailway.co.uk/18671/ bettongrange webpage Heritage Railway set up for the occasion, No. 6880 first steamed on Thursday, April 11 in the presence of officials from the 6880 Betton Grange Society and Tyseley staff, before undertaking short solo runs. While No. 6880 had been booked to appear at the Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Steam Gala (see pages 50-55), as reported in issue 317, further work was still outstanding and it could…

HEADLINE NEWS THE April 27 target for the completion of the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society’s overhaul of Bulleid 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line was one that was the group could not afford to miss – as the date marked the 50th anniversary of its first main line railtour in the heritage era. Built in 1948 at Eastleigh Works, Clan Line worked many prestigious expresses during its career, including the ‘Golden Arrow’ and ‘Night Ferry’ trains, and was unofficially timed at reaching 104mph at Axminster while pulling an ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ in 1961. Its BR career ended on July 2, 1967, with a farewell special out of Waterloo bound for Bournemouth, although it was not formally withdrawn for another week. With BR banning privately-owned steam locomotives from operating on the…

A2 Pacific No. 60532 Blue Peter successfully completed its testing and crew training on the Severn Valley Railway, and its final day was on April 17 – the day before the Spring Steam Gala. During the gala, it was on display in the dock at Kidderminster Town station. Ian Walker, head of steam locomotive engineering at London and North Western Railway Heritage Co Ltd and SVR volunteer driver, said: “The loco is performing well and is proving to bea very strong and capable locomotive. There have been no major faults with the loco, only minor niggles, which is what testing is all about”. Testing with six Mk. 3 carriages anda one Mk.1 support coach went very well and about 1000 miles was covered, which was expected. No. 60532 departed on…

NEWS Its first visit toa preserved line in the region saw crowds flock to Hampshire to see LMS Jubilee No. 45690 Leander at the Mid-Hants Railway’s annual spring steam gala, which took place on April 26-28. With its boiler certificate’s May expiration date fast approaching, Leander was making its penultimate stop ona farewell tour, having travelled south from the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway in Cumbria at the end of March (as reported last issue). Having put ina surprise few days of general services the weekend before the event, the Jubilee went on to perform a spectacular show over the three-day steam event, tackling the MHR’s gradients (the steepest of which is nicknamed‘The Alps’) with ease. During the weekend, the Jubilee carried a wreath on the smokebox in tribute to volunteer…

THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s July 25-28 Class 14 60th anniversary gala event, 14s@60, has been bolstered following the addition ofa seventh locomotive to the previously-announced line-up – and one that unfortunately missed out on a similar event 10 years ago. Following on from the very successful event in July 2014 at the East Lancashire Railway, where 10 examples of the class were gathered, Wensleydale Railway-based D9523 will now also be attending the EVR’s celebration of the diesel hydraulic locomotives. This particular locomotive was also present at that ELR event but ran for only three miles before an engine failure saw it sidelined for the remainder of the celebrations. Its appearance in Derbyshire this summer will see it havea second opportunity at working services to celebrate the anniversary of the introduction…

THE Severn Valley Railway’s May 1619 Spring Diesel Festival had added further guests, with up to 18 different locomotives and units now due in service. Colas Rail has agreed to its Class 43 High Speed Train set being in service during the event. It will comprise power cars Nos. 43301 and 43303, plus three coaches. The set is coming to the SVR for storage as part of a commercial contract. Another pair of Class 43 HST power cars, Nos 43468 and 43480, are also now set to appear, courtesy of Rail Adventure UK Ltd. They are a different pair to the two that appeared at the corresponding event last year. SVR managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunster said: “These proved to be very popular at our last spring diesel event. Then,…

RETURNING for its second series, Channel 5’s The Big Steam Adventure once again features John Sergeant, Peter Davison and the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s director of mechanical engineering, Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton, travelling the UK using only vehicles powered by steam. After their epic trip from London to Scotland in 2023, in the new series, which started on May 3, the trio will explore the Lake District, The Highlands, Dorset and the Isle of Wight, getting around using only the power of steam. Viewers will see them ride in everything from luxury narrow gauge steam trains to steam vans with no seats. Paul said: “It was great to be back with the team again for another series of laughs and steam adventures. “Of course, there were trials and tribulations along the…

IT only opened on March 23, along with the adjacent heritage line commencing its 2023 operating season, but the Vale of Rheidol Railway ’s museum collection at Aberystwyth has already had a reorganisation to change exhibits – some of which are being seen for the first time in more than four decades. With Ffestiniog Railway George England 0-4-0STT No. 4 Palmerston and Welsh Highland Heritage Railway’s Baldwin 4-6-0T No. 590 being transferred to the railway’s workshops for assessment ahead of respective overhaul and repair works, five new vehicles have been moved into the museum, with some coming from the extensive collection of the late Peter Rampton, of which theVOR is custodian. Representing international steam, Couillet 0-6-0T Sabero Railways No.1dates from 1895 and worked on the Hulleras de Sabero railway, an…

FOLLOWING months of speculation, Swanage Railway’s 563 Locomotive Group has confirmed it is to overhaul LSWR T9 ‘Greyhound’ 4-4-0 No. 30120. As highlighted in issue 312, the group returned 1893-built LSWR T3 4-4-0 No. 563 to working order last October so it could haul a passenger train for the first time since 1945 followinga six-year £650,000 project almost completely funded by donations from enthusiasts and the public. The overhaul of theT9 will similarly be carried out in conjunction with Victorian locomotive restoration experts at Bill Parker’s Flour Mill workshop at Bream, in the Forest of Dean. Varied career Built at Nine Elms during 1899,T9 No. 30120 spent its career after the SecondWorld War hauling trains in Devon, Dorset, Hampshire and Surrey, before being withdrawn by BR at Eastleigh in Hampshire…

THE North Norfolk Railway’s event to commemorate 60 years since the surviving Sheringham to Melton Constable section of the Midland& Great Northern Joint Railway was closed by BR proveda success. More than 1000 visitors travelled during the 60th Anniversary of Closure weekend on April 6/7, whena special timetable was introduced to recreate services as they would have been before the closure. GWR 2-8-0T No. 4277 Hercules, visiting from the Dartmouth Steam Railway, lined up alongside home fleet members GERY14 0-6-0 No. 564 hauling the Quad Art set, Class 31 D5631, anda DMU comprising the line’s newly-restored Class 104 set and the Class 101. Regular passengers and staff were just like their counterparts throughout the UK during the Beeching era, disappointed at the closure of the line on April 6, 1964,…

THE age-old sporting rivalry between the UK and Australia was at the heart ofa steam gala Down Under on the weekend of April 13/14– and victory went to Britain. It was the Great Train Race,ahighlight for thousands of visitors to the Hunter Valley Steamfest in Maitland, New South Wales, north of Sydney. The race on April 14 featured UK-built Beyer-Garratt 4-8-4+4-8-4 No. 6029 and NSW Government Railways C35 class 4-6-0 No. 3526 running alongside each other on a 22-mile route between Newcastle and Maitland with trains full of enthusiasts and families, but witha twist–above also in the race wasaveteran de Havillan dTiger Moth biplane, and it was this example of aeronautical history that brought home the spoils for Britain. Victorious In an event that attracted national media attention, No. 6029…

THE Great Central Railway has launched a new £500,000 appeal for funds to help in complete the 'missing link' to its northern neighbour, the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), as it prepares to imminently submit a planning application for the proposed urban viaduct section of its reunification scheme. In the wake of the successful groundbreaking gala held jointly by the GCR and the GCR(N) on March 16/17 to mark the 125th anniversary of the opening of the London Extension, as featured last issue, a new image of the proposed viaduct linking the heritage line has been released. To the future The project will create an 18-mile heritage line stretching from the north of Leicester to the south of Nottingham, centred on Loughborough, and linked to the national network. GCR general manager…

VILLAGERS in the East Sussex village of Barcombe are celebrating after a plan by National Highways to infill a 140-year-old railway bridge with nearly 2000 tons of concrete was scrapped. Instead, National Highways, which manages Historical Railways Estate structures on behalf of the Department for Transport, has transferred ownership of Church Road bridge to East Sussex County Council, which will now look to refurbish it. Designed by civil engineer Frederick Banister, the bridge was built in the early 1880s as part of the Lewes to East Grinstead line, the northern part of which is now occupied by the Bluebell Railway. National Highways wanted to infill the bridge due to fractures appearing over time and concerns due to its strength. However, nearly 200 villagers signed a petition against the plan on…

THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway project to repair its century-old Stanway Viaduct has been shortlisted in the category of Historic Bridge Project of the Year in the New Civil Engineer Bridges Awards 2024. The first phase of work on the iconic 220-yard 15-arch structure, one of the largest viaducts on any heritage railway, began in November last year, and was completed on March 7 - in time for regular trains to run over it between Toddington and Broadway on Good Friday, as reported last issue. Partnership working The engineering project was carried out by a team consisting of David Symonds Associates, Walsh Construction, Lampitt Rail Services, and staff and volunteers from the railway. The awards ceremony is due to take place in London on July 18. G/WR civil engineering director Dr…

EARLY in 2023, the Foxfield Railway signed a non-exclusive deal with YouTuber Lawrie Rose, believed to be the first such partnership between a heritage line and an independent content creator for the online platform, which helped promote the Potteries venue’s Knotty 100 celebrations last July, and additionally bringing awareness of the railway to a new audience. Now, both parties have renewed that agreement to carry on through 2024. Lawrie’s YouTube channel, known as Lawrie’s Mechanical Marvels (LMM), is the UK’s biggest heritage channel and community and initially partnered with the Foxfield in a nonexclusive tie-up back in March 2023. The railway’s marketing team felt this provided excellent value in an age of video-first internet users. Not limited to railways, Lawrie’s content covers heritage road traction and more. The owner of…

IN what looks set to be a heritage sector first, the Aln Valley Railway is holding a Pacer Festival on Saturday, May 18. The event will be dedicated to the operation of its two Class 144 Pacer DMUs, both as individual units and in multiple. Designed around a Leyland National bus body mounted on a rail chassis, Pacers first appeared in 1984 as a short-term solution to a shortage of rolling stock, with an expected lifespan of no more than 20 years. However, they were regularly criticised for being of poor quality and uncomfortable. Instead of the bogies on DMUs, Pacers use a basic four-wheel two-axle configuration which often results ina ride that is noisier and rougher than other trains offer. Decades of service As modernised replacements were lacking, the…

A DRONE is taking flight over the closed railways of Donegal to record them for posterity through Donegal Railway Heritage Museum, which has purchased a professional piece of kit thanks to Failte Ireland Digital. Following training provided by Big Wheel, museum staff will go into action to create a unique archive of the course of the County Donegal, Londonderry & Lough Swilly and Great Northern Railway of Ireland lines as they presently exist. “We believe that we are one of the first railway museums or heritage railways to take this approach to creating an aerial archive,” said museum manager Niall McCaughan. “Being able to shoot drone footage of the closed railways in their environment and surrounding landscape will create a unique resource that we will be using on our revamped website,…

A £50,000 appeal for funding towards essential repairs to the East Lancashire Railway’s Higher Woodhill Viaduct has been launched. The railway is seeking help with contributions towards match-funding requirements for a £1 million bid through the Community Ownership Fund for the repairs to the viaduct at Burrs Country Park, which carries the railway up the Irwell Valley. Maintenance work is required to the viaduct in the next 12 months to ensure that it continues to deliver on the experience enjoyed by visitors and generations of the local community on board trains as they pass through the Irwell Valley. Regular inspections are carried out on the structure and while there are no question marks around its safety, repairs are required to allow for the continued level of use of trains across…

ON April 21, BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76017 worked its first public trains since the Bluebell Railway’s October 14-16, 2022, Giants of Steam gala. Previously resident at the Mid-Hants Railway, it became wholly owned by John Bunch following the death of a fellow shareholder and was subsequently taken to Southall, where it remained until April 2, when it arrived at the Kent & East Sussex Railway at the beginning of a minimum year-long hire to the line. No. 76017 will soon be joined by another of John Bunch’s moguls, with SR U No. 31806 visiting the railway (sponsored by model railway manufacturer Rapido Trains) for its June 1/2 50th anniversary gala. The roster includes the Bluebell Railway’s 0-6-0 SECR O1 No. 65. As reported last issue, over the same…

Once again, the Severn Valley Railway excelled itself with its spring gala, with Stanier mogul No. 13268, newly resplendent with its gold leaf, as highlighted last issue, and in its full LMS lined livery being the undoubted star of the show. About 4700 passengers travelled over the four days and numbers were especially high on the Saturday, while the railway reported that secondary spend was also very good. However, the build-up to the gala was far from straightforward, partially to the nonappearance of new-build GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange, which was not ready in time to be delivered from Tyseley Locomotive Works, as reported on our special webpage, www.heritagerailway.co.uk/18671/betton-grange, after we closed for press last issue. The winter gala was intended to be Bulleid West Country light Pacific No.…

NETWORK Rail has beguna £3.4 million project to repair the 123-year-old Glenfinnan Viaduct–a trademark feature of the West Highland Extension anda magnet for Harry Potter fans. Along with principal contractor AmcoGiffen, engineers will assess the condition and strength of the viaduct, while carrying out work to protect it from water erosion, completing concrete repairs and making improvements beneath the track to keep the stone ballast in place. The repairs to the longest concrete viaduct in Scotland, scheduled to take just undera year to complete, are part of Network Rail’s ongoing maintenance programme and will help futureproof the landmark, which sits 100 feet above the River Finnan, 17 miles from Fort William. There will be no disruption to rail services during the work and no change to the appearance of the…

LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46464 -which has not hauled trains for more than four decades – is nearing the end of a lengthy overhaul and has made its first moves under its own steam. Since 2000, a small team of dedicated volunteers from the Carmyllie Pilot Company Ltd (CPCo) have progressively undertaken the locomotive’s restoration work, which included creating a new lower tender dragbox, smokebox, running plates, cab sides and roof, with much work initially carried out beneath tents at Brechin on the Caledonian Railway where the locomotive was moved to in 1989. After the boiler was sent away to Northern Steam Engineering Ltd in Stockton-on-Tees in 2019, CPCo concluded that a more suitable location was required to reassemble the locomotive and building on the long-standing relationship between the…

FRIDAY, April 26 was not only the start of the Mid-Hants Railway’s spring steam gala (see News, pages 12/13), but also its flagship locomotive, SR Merchant Navy class 4-6-2 No. 35005 Canadian Pacific, finally returned to Alresford after more than a decade in the former SR works buildings at Eastleigh depot. Having initially arrived in 2011 for dry storage, work to overhaul the chassis commenced there in 2013, and a Heritage Lottery Fund grant being was awarded to the project in 2015. With the boiler being overhauled at Ropley, recent attempts to bring the chassis home were thwarted following a weight restriction imposed on a bridge over the adjacent main line that needed to be crossed to exit the depot. Alternative options were explored, including departure through a different part…

GWR pannier tank No. 6435 has arrived at its new home on the West Somerset Railway after being sold, along with it accompanying Hawksworth auto trailer third No. 232, by the Bodmin& Wenford Railway to WSR plc chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt. As reported in issue 316, the BWR sold the pannier, which last ran in 2022 and needs an overhaul, after reviewing its finances. Bodmin Railway Preservation Society chairman Nick Wood said that the line needs to get Bagnall Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 2766 back into service as soon as possible in order to avoid costly locomotive hire fees. Attention will then turn to GWR 0-6-0PT 4612, which needs a significant overhaul, and GWR prairie No. 5552 will by then need a midterm exam. “All of which means that we would be…

A GREAT tradition was invoked on St George’s Day when the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway had the honour of carrying the first round of asparagus – or‘gras’ – cut in the Vale of Evesham for the new spring growing season. April 23 isa special day for the asparagus growing industry in Worcestershire, which claims to produce the most gras – in the world. Traditionally, the first ‘round of gras’ was cut amid much celebration, marking the start of the British Asparagus Festival. In times past, hundreds of tons of the precious green spears were once despatched by train from Broadway and Toddington stations to market during the spring growing season. The day saw the first 100-round of gras, comprising bundles of 15 spears, amounting to 120 (not 100!) spears, transported from…

OUT-OF-TICKET BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92203 Black Prince is to go on display at Bressingham Steam Museum for the next two years. The North Norfolk Railway and the museum have announced a partnership which will see the 9F, saved for preservation by the late wildlife artist David Shepherd, become one of the star exhibits at Bressingham. The Poppy Line’s interim general manager, Graham Hukins, said: “This is an excellent arrangement for both the NNR and Bressingham. We need to store BlackPrince until workshop space and funding are available for its overhaul, and the steam museum has room in its standard gauge exhibition hall. “We anticipate this exciting initiative being the start of a mutually beneficial collaboration between the two organisations.” Museum trustees chairman Chris Leah said:“We at Bressingham are…

NEWS FINE dining services such as ‘Golden Arrow’ have offered a first class silver service experience that is highly sought after by many, and now the Bluebell Railway has opened up its own trains to a new demographic of customers – thanks to the completion and launch into service of its new accessible Pullman carriage. Outshopped in 1923 as a third class kitchen car but rebuilt in 1937 as a brake vehicle, Car 54 has undergone an extensive eight-year restoration costing £600,000 that has seen it become wheelchair accessible thanks to an electric lift in the double doors of the luggage compartment, as well as widened internal doorways. It is believed that this is therefore the first accessible Pullman carriage of its type in the world. Attention to detail The…

NEWS SECURITY is being stepped up at heritage venues after three railways were subjected to criminal attacks in early spring. An arson attack badly damaged a Mk.1 BSK coach used for storage purposes at the Rushden, Higham & Wellingborough Railway at about 6pm on April 17. Based at the Midland Railway’s Rushden station, the short line forms part of the Rushden Transport Museum that homes a collection of vehicles, includinga Class 121 ‘bubblecar’anda pair of Class 142 pacer units. A statement issued by the Rushden Historical Transport Society, the museum’s supporting charity, said: “Members of the public called the emergency services and by 8pm the fire was extinguished. “After liaison with the trustees, the police and fire brigade remained on site overnight and into the morning to ensure the site…

AS daylight hours increase and the weather entices people outdoors, the Spa Valley Railway is gearing itself up for a busy June which will see a programme of special trains running on three weekends of the month. The first is the‘Superhero Express’ on June 1/2, which will feature Radtastic Man, the eponymous hero whose clumsiness has led to him losing all his powers. The fun will begin at Tunbridge Wells West station, where the hero has lost his powers. There, passengers will board the train forafive-mile journey to the national network station of Eridge, during which the hero will distribute activity packs. On arrival at Eridge, passengers will witness Radtastic Man battle with his arch nemesis, and then it will back to Tunbridge Wells as the hero hands out treats…

CLASS 55 Deltic No. 55009 Alycidon, currently running as No. 55013 The Black Watch, will be stealing the show attwo heritage lines following its recent gala visitto the GreatCentral Railway (see feature,pages 94-95). The Deltic was scheduled to operate driver experience courses on selected days in May at the Nene Valley Railway, before starring in a Giants of the East Coast gala weekend on May 25-27, when it will operate alongside visiting A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado, with the pair double-heading one service together each day over the bank holiday weekend. The Deltic will then travel north and will be one of three guests to appear in the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s June 1416 diesel gala. The locomotive was originally introduced to traffic in 1961 and named Alycidon, maintaining the…

MEMBERS of the Southern Six group of heritage lines met at the MidHants Railway on April 10 to continue their collaborative approach to heritage rail management. Representatives of the railways that formed the Southern Railway Company meet regularly to share ideas and challenges and to provide support as the heritage sector finds a path through the cost-of-living crisis. Everything from motive power to marketing and standards to Santa trains was discussed by the group to share best practices, generate ideas, and minimise cost and duplication. Mid-Hants CEO Rebecca Dalley said:“The Southern Six was a lifeline for me whenI started. To be so welcomed and discover such openness and honesty in the face of adversity across the sector was remarkable. “I was delighted to be able to host our colleagues this…

NINE locomotives are due to be in steam for the Colne Valley Miniature Railway gala on May 18/19. The 7½in gauge line, part of the Colne Valley Railway at Castle Hedingham, is hosting guest engines for the event; one, a Holmside locomotive, is attending on the Sunday only, and a 5in gauge railway will also be visiting. The 45163 Restoration Group will be offering guided tours of the shed housing its ex-Barry scrapyard LMS 'Black Five' 4-6-0, and visitors will also be able to view progress on neighbouring classmate No. 45293, being restored from Barry condition by the British Enginemen Steam Preservation Society. Trains will run on the CVR's standard gauge line, signalbox visits will be available, and the model railway will be in operation. ➜ For more details, contact…

SPOIL from the construction of a new road bridge is being used by the Corris Railway to rebuild an embankment that will carry the line over a stream. In the past, heritage railway building extensions have sought to get rid of extracted spoil; the Corris has instead found itself importing such materials from a substantial engineering project up the road. The new bridge has been constructed to carry the road over the River Dyfi outside Machynlleth, but with water flow varying considerably due to the unpredictable Welsh rainfall, hard standing had to be constructed to allow heavy machinery to be used. With this project completed, the materials are being removed to allow nature to re-establish itself. The result is tons of extracted spoil travelling down to the Corris extension site,…

A 112-YEAR-OLD French-built 0-4-0T is to become Amberley Museum’s first guest steam locomotive for eight years when it joins resident 0-4-0ST Peter at a rail gala on July 20-21. The West Sussex working museum, located in a 36-acre former chalk quarry in the heart of the South Downs National Park, near Arundel, is home to one of the country’s most comprehensive collections of different gauge locomotives, and it also has a half-mile 2ft gauge steam and diesel-operated line with three stations, and a standard gauge demonstration track. The locomotive that will end the museum’s eight-year wait for a steam visitor is Lily, which will make the 80-mile journey to the museum from its home at the private Richmond Light Railway in Headcorn, Kent. Built by Decauville in 1912 for the…

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway has announced its 2024 offering for schools and pupils to experience the heritage line with its learning programme, which provides hands-on learning opportunities and engaging workshops. The free cross-curricular workshops are designed to ignite curiosity and foster a deeper understanding of both railway heritage and wider social history. Led by experienced and enthusiastic staff and volunteers, students can delve into steam engine mechanics, Victorian life along the railway, and the impact of railways on local communities. Through hands-on activities, immersive demonstrations and guided tours, students will engage with artefacts and stories from the past, bringing history to life in a dynamic and memorable way. Whether they are studying history, science, or design and technology, the workshops aim to offer rich and immersive learning experiences for…

NEWS VISITING from the Middleton Railway, Manning Wardle Class L 0-6-0ST No. 1210 of 1891 Sir Berkeley – which appeared in BBC TV’s 1960s serialisation of The Railway Children – became the star of the show again at the Beamish, The Living Museum of the North at the Wheels of Industry gala on April 6/7. The event saw Sir Berkeley haul dumb-buffered waggons for the first time since 1935, when it was sold out of contracting service by Logan & Hemingway, for which it helped build the Great Central Railway’s London Extension that opened 125 years ago. Owned by the Vintage Carriages Trust, Sir Berkeley, which when hired out acts as an ambassador for both its owning group and its home line, was booked to remain in action at Beamish until…

THE Railway Touring Company, in partnership with Riley & Son E Ltd Locomotive Engineers and West Coast Railways, has again pulled off a hugely successful nine-day tour with ‘The Great Britain XVI’, covering 2047 miles. Starting from London Victoria on Saturday, April 13, LMS ‘Black Five’ No 44871 took the train through South London, passing through Herne Hill, Bromley, and Rochester, before pausing at Newington. Continuing on past Faversham, there was a water stop at Whitstable before the train passed Herne Bay and Margate, along the coast to Ramsgate. Taking the Kent Coast Line, the tour then passed Sandwich and Dover, before following the white cliffs to Folkstone and Ashford. Picking up the Maidstone Line at Ashford, No. 44871 steamed through Maidstone East and Swanley, before once again taking the…

A tour to Skegness on board a 125 High Speed Train under the title of ‘The Return of the Jolly Fisherman 125 Special’is to be run by UK Railtours on Saturday, June 22. In partnership with the 125 Group and Rail Adventure, UK Railtours will provide something a little bit different in terms of the look of the train, with the power cars being provided by Rail Adventure. Painted in two-tone grey, they are usually employed in moving empty stock around the country. This arrangement means that passengers will have a rare chance to ride behind the locomotives in a passenger train. Starting from St Pancras, the train will collect additional passengers at Luton Airport Parkway, Kettering and Leicester, before diverting from the Midland Main Line at Nottingham and heading…

Since the first issue of Heritage Railway was published in spring 1999, steam on the main line has seen dramatic changes. There is considerably more open access with steam running on lines we never thought possible, and more railtours than we could have ever imagined. The Folkstone Harbour branch closed in 2014, while the Great Western main line and the North London lines have been electrified. Tours are organised less for the enthusiast and more for people who want to wine and dine in luxury, and there isa greater number of mid-week dining trains. The railtour sector has become very upmarket, especially with market leader Locomotive Services Group using its own rakes of carriages anda superb fleet of steam and diesel locomotives. A revolution in information technology has played a…

EM 18mm gauge models of LMS Class 6P5F 2-6-0 No. 2706 and Class 7F 0-8-0 No. 9547, built by James Beeson, who to this day is universally regarded as one of the greatest model train makers ever, sold for £7000 each at a live online auction held by Gildings of Market Harborough on March 27. Willesden-born Beeson (190690) had links to the film industry, including making model trains for the 1932 movie Rome Express and the 1938 Alfred Hitchcock classic The Lady Vanishes. The two models that went under the hammer were commissioned in 1966 by Leonard Bramson, who designed film posters and advertising leaflets for Columbia Pictures. Beeson’s models are referred to as the Fabergé of model trains due to the unsurpassed metalcraft he achieved using jeweller’s tools. In…