Sommaire pour Issue 326 de Heritage Railway

OPINION AS exclusively featured in this issue, the concept of railway heritage has broken a scarcely believed massive acreage of new ground in the past month with the successful staging of an autumn steam gala – in the town of Haivoron, in war-torn Ukraine. October's gala excelled in defying all odds in bringing together not just local transport enthusiasts, but also all of the corners of a community which remains unjustly under siege from its country's super-power neighbour. The steam demonstrations and rides, together with the varied array of fundraising stalls and activities at the town's railway depot and station, offered the spirit of hope to families, many of whose lives have been ravaged by this utterly pointless war, but who are determined to show they will not be beaten…

SOUTHERN Locomotives Ltd has confirmed that West Country light Pacific No. 34072 257 Squadron will be returning to take up residency on the Swanage Railway in March following the decision to fit out classmate No. 34028 Eddystone for main line running. In 2022, SLL held discussions with the Spa Valley Railway that resulted in No. 34072 moving there that December, the relocation prompted by a planned decrease in timetabled services at its previous Swanage home for 2023. With classmate Eddystone and Battle of Britain 4-6-2 No. 34070 Manston also residing in the Purbeck, as well as SRU class 2-6-0 No. 31806 and the approaching completion of LSWR T3 4-4-0 No. 563 at that time, the reduction in demand for locomotives there saw SLL opt to move 257 Squadron to Kent,…

THE Ribble Steam Railway has lost its commercial bitumen traffic after 20 years. The contract was unique for a heritage line and it was the railway’s relocation from the former Steamport at Southport, where it was originally set up in the seventies, to its Chain Caul Road site in Preston that led to the approach to discuss the possibility of returning regular freight traffic back to the docks to support the Tar Refinery which has been part of the Preston Docks since the 1920s. The partnership with the company, now owned by TotalEnergies, led to the diversion of more than 1000 tons of bitumen from roads to rail from Haverton Hill in Teeside to Preston. However, the contract ended at the end of November. Mike Bailey, director and company secretary…

TO celebrate this year’s 125th anniversary of the opening of the original Great Central Railway, a photograph of its Loughborough station staff was taken on October 18. The picture recreated an archive image taken in 1900 from the same spot on the platform shortly after the station opened. Organised by David Barnett and taken by Paul Mayo, the image features 18 staff members, including some of the line’s welcome hosts and the station restoration team.…

NEW-BUILD A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado was completing its preparations for a return to the main line after successfully hauling Nene Valley Railway public services in October and undertaking driver experience course sessions. As this issue closed for press, Tornado was still at Wansford as arrangements were being made for it to leave by rail, along with its support coach, for Tyseley Locomotive Works, from where it will undergo main line test runs. A spokesman for The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said: “At present, Tornado is completing final brake test certification following the extensive overhaul and European Train Control System fitment. This is all but complete, with only one document now in its final stages. “We are currently assessing the plan that will follow the completion of the paperwork…

HISTORIC main line equipment destined for the scrapyard has been saved by three groups of enthusiasts in Northumberland, including the Woodhorn Narrow Gauge Railway. As part of the multi-million upgrade of the Northumberland Line – which will see passenger services restored to the line for the first time in more than 60 years between Ashington and Newcastle – signalling will no longer be controlled from lineside signalboxes but instead from a state-of-the-art centre in Newcastle. While kit that could be used for spares in other locations was sent safely into Network Rail storage, many other old pieces of equipment were destined to be lost. Thanks to a close partnership working with Northumberland County Council, the Woodhorn Railway, Northumberland Line Heritage Community Group and Choppington Parish Council all jumped at the…

THE conversion of a Class 08 ‘Gronk’ to battery power has shown promising results following a period of testing at a main line freight yard – and could very well be a sign of things to come. With railways all too aware of the challenges of running heritage traction while striving to be environmentally-friendly, the subject of converting locomotives to run on cleaner fuels and battery power is not new to many, although such conversions will not come cheap. On October 19, 2023, Positive Traction unveiled a heavily modified 08 (now classed 08e) at Barrow Hill as part of a project involving rail industry experts and renewable energy expertise to meet the challenge of lower carbon emissions. Old 'Gronk', new tricks The locomotive was been constructed on the frames of…

A LIFELONG steam enthusiast who last month won the country’s premier accolade for railway artists has revealed that his winning painting was inspired by a visit to Carlisle Upperby and Kingmoor sheds more than 60 years ago. As reported last issue, Stephen Warnes won the prestigious Lawrence Hammonds Award at the Guild of Railway Artists’annual Railart exhibition that ended on September 29 after his painting titled‘Almost ready for the off’was voted visitors’ favourite work of art on display. In doing so he became the first artist who is not a fellow of the guild to win the award’s engraved silver bowl in 27 years, and only the second ever. The painting featured D30 4-4-0 No. 62428 The Talisman waiting to access an unidentified shed’s turntable, and speaking from his home…

THE Erlestoke Manor Fund has announced that its GWR 4-6-0 No. 7802 Bradley Manor, nearing completion of its major overhaul, will become its resident locomotive on the Severn Valley Railway on its return to service in early 2025. Meanwhile, its other serviceable locomotive, sister No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor, will resume regular operation on the West Somerset Railway from next May until the end of 2027. An EMF statement said: “Following extensive discussions with both the SVR and the WSR, the trustees of the EMF believe that this offers the best prospect of ensuring that supporters can see both Manors in regular operation over the next few years and ensuring that sufficient income is accrued to support the overhaul of prairie No. 5164 and the next overhauls of both 7802 and…

NEWS THREE visiting locomotives helped boost the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway’s Autumn Gala. The October 26/27 steam and diesel gala welcomed Exmoor Steam railway-built pair 0-4-0ST+T St Edwin, from the Valley Adventure Railway (formerly the Evesham Vale Light Railway), and 0-6-2T Anne, from the Perrygrove Railway, which also sent quarter-sized replica Baldwin US Switcher 0-4-0, which was constructed by Joe Nemeth Engineering Ltd. Soony, which is owned by friends of Perrygrove, is too small to handle the Forest of Dean line’s passenger trains but occasionally makes appearances at weddings and other events. At the RHDR, Soony proved popular with its station limit rides, and among the many other highlights of the gala was the well-filled 28-mile non-stop journey on the Saturday afternoon, after dark for much of the route,…

THE East Lancashire Railway-based 3P20 Parcels Group staged a photographic charter with returning BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92134, its visit from its North Yorkshire Moors Railway home having been extended for a few weeks after the Autumn Steam Gala, as featured last issue. The sole-surviving single-chimneyed 9F was coupled to a rake of 17 mixed wagons from the ELR collection. Starting out from Burrs Country Park, run-pasts were staged at locations between Bury Bolt Street and Rawtenstall Built at Crewe in June 1957 and withdrawn on New Year’s Eve 1966, it became the 116th locomotive to leave Woodham Brothers’ Barry scrapyard in December 1980, bound for the NYMR In 1999 it was bought by the Churnet Valley Railway director Howard Self and his wife Heather. Its restoration was mostly…

THE last-surviving Manchester & Milford Railway station building is available for holiday lettings. Derry Ormond station, on the Pencader to Aberystwyth line, which opened on August 12, 1867, and was taken over by the GWR in 1906, served the Ceredigion hamlet of Betws Bledrws, near Llangybi, and the mansion and estate of Derry Ormond. The line was closed to passengers in February 1965 and remained open for milk traffic until 1970. The corrugated-iron station building, which served as the waiting room and ticket office, have been little altered since GWR days and carries the company’s colours. Described as “a unique blend of heritage and tranquillity,” it is a “one-bedroom gem” which “beautifully preserves its historical essence while providing a cosy modern retreat.” It has a quarter-acre of land attached, which…

Aweekend steam gala in Ukraine on October 26/27 with two broad (Russian)-gauge and two narrowgauge steam locomotives was too good an opportunity to miss, andIhad several weeks to arrange my visit. I flew east to Chisinau in Moldova on October 24, well aware of the rarity of a national railway system anywhere in the world running public steam galas, let alone in the middle of a war, and anxious to show support to my friend Dmitry Babarika, who works closely with Ukrainian Railways (UZ) to make sure that such events run smoothly. Moldova was in the midst of a contested election, but there was no evidence of that on arrival, and indeed, unlike in February last year, the bus to Odesa was waiting for me outside the terminal. Five hours…

MERCHANT Navy Pacific No. 35028 Clan Line is set to haul ‘The Sherborne Christmas Carol’ tour on Wednesday, December 4 for the Railway Touring Company. Starting from London Victoria, No. 35028 is scheduled to take the route via Clapham Junction and cross the River Thames at Barnes Bridge, before picking up the Reading Line for the first passenger collection at Staines. Taking the South Western Main Line at Byfleet Junction, there is planned to be further passenger pick-ups at Woking and Basingstoke. From there, Clan Line will take the West of England Main Line at Worting Junction, passing through Andover and Salisbury, then skirting the edge of Salisbury Plain to pass through Tisbury and Gillingham. Crossing Gillingham Viaduct and passing through Buckhorn Weston Tunnel, the train is planned to pass…

THE glory days of British railway posters will be brought into sharp focus in a live online auction being held by Onslows on November 29 which will include works by artists who were at the top of their game in the interwar years as the‘Big Four’railway companies used their artistic skills to entice travellers throughout the country. From the GWR comes an Exeter Cathedral poster by Fred Taylor (1875-1963) issued in 1930, and a joint GWR/ LMS example from 1935 by Leonard Richmond (1889-1965) promoting Wales, while two posters by Leslie Carr (1891-1965) issued by the SR in 1929 and 1931 feature Canterbury and Southampton Docks. In addition to the poster issued jointly with the GWR, others from the LMS include Holyhead by Norman Wilkinson (1878-1971) issued in 1930 and…

WITH calls for an all-new Warship growing in recent years, the last model being first released way back in 1980, Heljan has responded with one that will set new standards for detail and high-end features. Developed thanks to the manufacturer’s popular O gauge models, they will offer a similar level of detail, complete with light and sound. Retailer Rails of Sheffield has also commissioned an exclusive run of the first 13 examples of the class to have been built – another first for the scale – with D800-D812 having been initially built with nose-mounted frames to carry GWR steam era-style train reporting numbers. These exclusive versions will include a set of magnetic plates to allow modellers to easily add their own headcodes to suit their individual needs. Engineering samples have…

THE authors of these two newcomers from Great Northern Books have a strong geographical link, as well as each being knowledgeable railway enthusiasts, writes Geoff Courtney. Both were born in Doncaster – John in 1950 and Peter three years later – and both have historical ties with Doncaster Rovers, John having been its chairman between 1998 and 2013 and Peter its media consultant from 2000 to 2002. Peter has strayed some miles from home for his contribution to this railway book review double-header, to Wales, the West Midlands, and the South West. Aided by a selection of fascinating photographs, many from his own collection, Peter takes the reader on a GWR journey from the era of the 7ft broad gauge to preand thence post-Grouping standard gauge, and onto carriages, buses,…

HEADLINE NEWS THE modern replica of the Stockton & Darlington Railway's opening day train of September 27, 1825, has been assembled at the Hopetown Darlington attraction as a key component of celebrations of the line's bicentenary as the world's first modern railway - and will form the centrepiece of a new Christmas event. As reported last issue, Northern Heritage Engineering of Darlington was contracted by Darlington Borough Council to build replicas of Experiment, the pioneer train's passenger carriage, and three chaldron wagons. The four were delivered to Hopetown on November 8, along with the 1975-built replica of George Stephenson's Locomotion No. 1, which has been overhauled at Locomotive Maintenance Services Ltd in Loughborough. With the locomotive and vehicles equipped to modern main line running standards, the replica train will run…

AS WE closed for press, nearly 50 venues had signed up for the Heritage Railway Association's New Year's Day Whistle Up event to mark the start of Railway 200. The first international railway to get involved in the event, which will see locomotives sounding their whistles at noon, was Veluwsche Stoomtrein Maatschappij (Veluwe Steam Railway Company) in The Netherlands, and others were thought very likely to be joining in. The event is not restricted to steam: one of the other organisations which signed up quickly was Crich Tramway Village. Are you a user of online professional networking website Linkedin? If so, follow the recently launched Heritage Railway magazine page on Linkedin at www.linkedin.com/company/heritage-railway-magazine/…

AFTER many years languishing in the sidings at Horsted Keynes, a Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST with an historic connection to the Bluebell Railway has embarked on a cosmetic restoration thanks to a group of locomotive department volunteers. Built in 1877, No. 641 Sharpthorn was delivered to contracting firm Joseph Firbank at West Hoathly, where it was employed on the construction of the Lewes & East Grinstead Railway – part of which the Bluebell Railway operates over. The locomotive took its name from the nearby village of Sharpthorne. Although spelt without the final letter, places names are known to have changed spelling over time, with an 1874 map even identifying the village as Sharp Thorn. From 1888, No. 641 was found at Dagenham Dock under the ownership of Samuel Williams & Sons,…

THE Battlefield Line has added GWR outsidecylinder pannier tank No. 1369 to its Winter Warmer Gala on January 11/12. The 1934-built veteran of the Weymouth Quay and Wenfordbridge clay branches will be visiting from the South Devon Railway. It will run alongside new-build GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880, which is on loan to the Norfolk Railway until November 17, and will be moved to the Battlefield Line to haul its festive season services which will start at the end of the month. For details, visit www.battlefieldline.co.uk Details of other visiting locomotives for the gala were still to be announced.…

A UNIQUE locomotive has arrived back at Tenterden and is set to play a role in events being planned at the Kent & East Sussex Railway in 2025. Sentinel 0-4-0VBGT No. 6807 Gervase was originally built as a Manning Wardle H class saddle tank in 1900, when it was delivered to a lime works near Croydon. Following years of heavy use, Sentinel undertook a conversion in 1928 that saw it fitted with a vertical boiler but retain the four coupled wheels; most sentinel conversions were chaindriven. On June 14, 1962, it arrived on the KESR which was establishing itself to reopen the closed line between Tenterden and Bodiam. Gervase became the first locomotive to be steamed there by revivalists and played a pivotal role in working engineering trains and shunting…

RESIDING in an old station house– let alone one with steam trains on the doorstep– isadream for many, but one seldom achieved. However, that dream could become reality as the Epping Ongar Railway is advertising to fill two job vacancies on its payroll, with one successful applicant being offered the opportunity to move into the station house at NorthWeald, in the heart of the line’s activities. Following the retirement of the previous holder of the position, the EOR is seekinga new operations manager. The position will further be responsible for ensuring maintaining safety and compliance, while fostering a strong culture around these pivotal areas. Depending on the level of experience, the successful applicant will benefit from an annual salary of between £30,000 and £45,000. Furthermore, they will also be offered…

THE Isle of Wight Steam Railway‘s Barclay 0-6-0T Ajax is to have a new home on the Northampton & Lamport Railway, where it will be returned to steam. No. 1605 of 1918 has been on the island for more than 50 years and although it was once used as part of the fleet, it has beenamainstay of the Train Story Rail Discovery Centre. The IoWSR owns 13 steam locomotives, of which eight are in its operational fleet. Of the others, two are already on loan to other heritage organisations, while the remaining three are available for display. The 13th, Stephenson 0-6-0T No. 2309 of 1979 Haydock, donated by the National Trust from its collection at Penrhyn Castle Industrial Railway Museum, is a recent arrival, leaving Ajax surplus to requirements and…

THE Vale of Rheidol Railway has successfully refurbished its ballast wagon No. 33, originally acquired from the South African Railway. This significant upgrade, carried out in-house at the railway’s workshops, included a comprehensive overhaul and the installation of an unloading mechanism designed to enhance operational efficiency. The updated system now allows ballast to be discharged both along the rails and outside the track, providing greater versatility and precision. Capable of transporting 17 tons of ballast, No. 33 is set to play a critical role in the railway’s track maintenance efforts, particularly during the winter season when essential infrastructure work is undertaken. The new unloading system will facilitate faster and more efficient ballast distribution, contributing to the continued upkeep of the railway’s track and ensuring a smooth, safe journey for passengers…

LONDON Transport Museum has unveiled a new Hidden London tour, Dover Street: Alight here for Green Park, which will begin on January 22, giving visitors the chance to explore a station which hides within a station. The tour will take visitors to secret parts of Green Park Tube station and into the expansive ventilation system which overlooks the Jubilee and Victoria line platforms. Named after Dover Street – the name for the station which was built to serve the Great Northern, Piccadilly and Brompton Railway (the Piccadilly line as we know it today) before it was retitled in 1933 – the tour will take visitors deep underground to explore the former passageways and lift landings of the original 1906 station, complete with vintage signs and tiles that were last seen…

FOLLOWING the completion of essential track repairs, the Wensleydale Railway is aiming to reopen its 5½-mile section from Leyburn to Redmire by next September – to coincide with the Stockton&Darlington Railway bicentenary celebrations. The section has been closed to public services since 2020 due to the deteriorating condition of the permanent way and infrastructure; some of the track was laid during the First World War and is life-expired Work began in mid-September on a three-quarters-of-a-mile section of track at Wensley, close to the site of the former Wensley station, halfway between Leyburn and Redmire. The earthworks which carried the railway along the foot of the cliffs below Leyburn Shawl had eroded and material fell into the adjacent fields. Some sleeper ends were left exposed and unsupported. The railway hired specialist…

WHILE lauding what he described as a memorable golden 2024 for the Kent & East Sussex Railway, retiring chairman Simon Marsh told members at the heritage line’s annual general meeting on November 2 that there would be considerable challenges to face in the future if it was to thrive. The railway’s 50th anniversary celebrations earlier in the year delivered increased revenue and the highest passenger numbers for some time, he said, and praised what he described as the “tireless hard work and dedication” of staff and volunteers, many of whom were unseen behind the scenes. Successes included two galas, a collaboration with international artist Mr Doodle (as reported in issue 323), and fundraising efforts for a range of projects, but he warned that challenges to be faced by the KESR…

THE Rural Life Living Museum – home of the Old Kiln Light Railway – has been saved from closure after raising £150,000 in three months. The museum in Tilford, near Farnham, began in 1968 as the unique collection of discarded buildings, implements and objects of everyday life built up Madge and Henry Cole, who opened their back garden to the public in 1973. The Old Kiln Museum Trust, a registered charity, was formed in 1984 to protect and continue their legacy. Formerly known as the Old Kiln Agricultural Museum and the Rural Life Centre, it now totals 20 buildings, including a wartime bomb shelter and a schoolhouse, and houses 40,000 objects from farming and rural life - and the 2ft gauge railway. The museum receives no external funding for operational…

THE long-awaited carriage shed at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) has been commissioned, with operational passenger vehicles moved inside. The shed has been built at the Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre in Ruddington, which will one day be the northern terminus of the GCR when the two sections of the line are reunified. The project took many years to complete, with money drying up through the Covid-19 pandemic, only to be reactivated by a grant from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund allocated by Rushcliffe Borough Council and a fundraising appeal. The shed will ultimately house four carriages, although currently only one of its two sidings is connected. A mezzanine floor is planned to provide extra storage space. The polished concrete floor has been laid level with the top of the rails,…

THE image of railwayana collecting is that the high-profile locomotives usually prove the most alluring, yet it was an industrial 0-6-0ST whose nameplates caught one auction house’s attention during the cataloguing of one collection – resulting in them being returned to the engine from which they came after more than half a century apart. At the beginning of October, Keith Butler, marketing manager of Nottingham-based Arthur Johnson Auctioneers, was tasked with cataloguing a late collector’s railwayana trove ahead of it going under the hammer on November 8. As he sorted through the various station totems, tail lamps and other paraphernalia, he came across a pair of cast plates bearing the name Newstead - something which stood out from the majority of the other items present. Researching the name, he instantly…

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s October 26-27 Autumn Showcase did exactly what it said on the tin– by presenting a mixture of its home fleet motive power, steam and diesel, in an intensive timetable. Nothing ever goes easy at times with steam locomotives, but it is how situations are handled when things do go wrong that counts. For example, on October 12, the week before the Autumn Showcase, GWR 2-8-0 No. 3850 suffered an axlebox problem and entered Toddington’s works the same day. Remedial attention immediately began by detaching the tender and removing the rods in preparation for lifting the locomotive off the problematic axle. A valiant effort was put in by staff, with the work completed in time for the showcase. Four steam locomotives were in action during the weekend,…

INTERCITY Tours is offering ‘The Capital’s Scot’ behind Class 87 No. 87002 Royal Sovereign over both the West Coast and East Coast main lines on Friday, January10. Starting from Euston, the train is scheduled to run to Watford Junction, Milton Keynes Central, Nuneaton and Crewe to pick up additional passengers at each. From Crewe, the tour is expected to continue north on the WCML, passing through Preston, Oxenholme and Carlisle. After crossing the border into Scotland, the route is planned to be via Carstairs South Junction and Haymarket, before arriving at the destination of Edinburgh Waverley. After a break of just over two hours in the city, the return journey is scheduled to be via the ECML, crossing the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-upon-Tweed and then through Newcastle, Durham, Darlington…

BR Standard Class 8 Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester is expected to move to the Severn Valley Railway in the coming weeks for testing and initial running-in by late November or early December, as the unique locomotive’s return to the main line moves one step closer. The overhaul for main line operation continues to progress at Tyseley Locomotive Works, and it is expected that No. 71000 will move to the SVR by road. A 10-year partnership agreement was announced earlier this year between the Royal Scot Locomotive & General Trust and the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust for the operation of No. 71000. By the time it arrives at the SVR, it is expected to have become part of Locomotive Services Ltd’s steam pool, hauling Saphos Trains’ railtours,…

MIDLAND Pullman has begun to advertise the tours for its 2025 season, with the first three being a winter take on its three-day ‘West Highland Pullman’ from earlier in 2024. Under the title of the ‘Winter West Highland Pullman,’ this first excursion runs from Friday, January 24 until Sunday, January 26. Starting from St Albans, the luxury High Speed Train set in the familiar livery of the Midland Pullman is scheduled to pick up additional passengers at Luton, Bedford, Wellingborough, Kettering, Leicester, Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Derby, Belper and Chesterfield, before heading north to 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,…

November 23 ‘Edinburgh Festive Explorer’ Gloucester, Edinburgh Waverley and return. Diesel hauled between Gloucester and Crewe. Loco: 86259 Les Ross, 86401 PT 23 ‘The Cheshireman’ Euston, Chester and return. Loco: ‘Black Five’ TBC. RTC 23 ‘Edinburgh Christmas Market’ York, Edinburgh and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: TBA. RTC 23 ‘The White Rose’ Barrow-in-Furness, York and return. Diesel hauled between Barrow and Warrington. Loco: TBA. ST 27 ‘Edinburgh Christmas Pullman’ Hull, Edinburgh Waverley and return. Locos: Midland Pullman HST. MP 27 ‘Cardiff Christmas Express’ London Victoria, Cardiff and return. Loco: ‘Black Five’ TBC. RTC 27 ‘The White Rose’ Coleshill Parkway, York and return. Loco: 7029 Clun Castle or 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. VT 28 ‘York Christmas Market’ Kings Cross, York and return. Loco: 70000 Britannia. SD 30 ‘Chester Christmas Whistler’…

RAILWAYS from all four home nations feature in a six-day online auction being held by photographs, slides, negatives and paperwork specialist JustaClickAgo, ending on November 24. Among the photograph selection are just over 100 black-and-white prints in a single lot taken from 1958 to 1961 by an unknown photographer of mainly Scottish railtours over closed branches, but also at a variety of sheds including Haymarket, St. Margaret’s, Bathgate, Parkhead and St Boswells. A collection of 41 large-format glass negatives taken by Henry Casserley in the 1930s of Kent & East Sussex Railway locomotives and stations are also in the auction, as are seven reels of cine film of such locations as York, Chester, Shap, Perth, the Isle of Wight, Clapham Junction and Ireland in 1968-70. Three colour slides being sold…

UNDERGROUND poster maps dominated the headlines in aTransport Auctions of London live online sale on October 26, with the undisputed star being a 1941 wartime edition that went under the hammer for £4000. In his catalogue notes, TAL boss Michael Wickham said Harry Beck, the creator of the ground-breaking diagrammatic map that was featured on the poster, was required to duplicate or triplicate the names of interchange stations, and also to use the same colour for the District and Metropolitan lines, both of which were against his better judgement. Runner-up was another London Underground poster map, a pre-Beck issue from 1930 that went for £1700, behind which at £1100 was a 1933 first edition Beck pocket map and a poster map, one of the last pre-Beck issues dating from 1932,…

TWO out-of-ticket locomotives have arrived at Bill Parker’s Flour Mill workshop at Bream in the Forest of Dean for exploratory work pending overhauls. GWR large prairie No. 5199, which had been running on a six-month extended boiler ticket, performed its last duties of its year-long loan to the Battlefield Line on October 13 and was taken by road to the Flour Mill for its 10-yearly overhaul on October 29, arriving there the next day. LSWR T9 4-4-0 No. 120 has also arrived at the Flour Mill from the Swanage Railway. The project to overhaul the T9 will start with an assessment of the locomotive to confirm what work is necessary, that the restoration work is viable, and that there is the necessary financial support available before a commitment is made…

A PAIR of dragons delighted viewers young and old when they landed on Welsh channel S4C last October in a new children’s television series that was filmed exclusively at the Talyllyn Railway. A year on, the cheeky puppets hit screens for a second series that saw them branch out to visit the nearby 12¼in gauge Fairbourne Railway, and producer Phil Higginson has hinted that with a third series being commissioned, more Welsh lines may be set to appear. Dreigiau Cadi follows the adventures of engine driver Cadi, whose day-to-day life on the railway is often chaotic thanks to the antics of Bledd and Cef, two dragons who turn up one day in the carriages of her train. Throughout the series, storywriters mix fun and adventure with railway settings and practices…

NEWS DIGNITARIES and guests gathered at the Middleton Railway to welcome home a Leeds-built locomotive as it was formally handed over by the National Trust on October 26. Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST Hawarden is one several locomotives which are part of the line’simpressive collection located in its Moor Road museum close to the firm’s works in Hunslet where it was built in 1899. Hawarden’s journey to the world’s oldest continuously running railway began earlier this year when it arrived after being transferred from the National Trust Railway Museum at Penrhyn Castle and Garden into the care of the Bahamas Locomotive Society (BLS), which operates a workshop and museum at Ingrow on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. After spending most of its working After spending most of its working life at…

THE South Devon Railway ran the ‘SDR Explorer’ on October 26, using four of its diesel fleet, visiting sidings and loops not normally traversed by the normal passenger services and involving four return trips from Buckfastleigh to Totnes. These extra services were run to fit in with the regular steam-hauled passenger trains. The first service was hauled by Class 33 No. 33002 and departed at 8.30am forastraight run from Buckfastleigh to Totnes Riverside to pick up the passengers from the three public stations, also including Staverton. No provision was made for anybody to board or leave the train at any other points. The first return service with No. 33002 on the front ran to Staverton, where Class 04 D2271 was attached to the rear the tow the train to the…

THE West Somerset Railway has paid off £210,000 to clear itself from the hire contract for Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0 No. 53808. The locomotive is owned by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust, the former long-term tenant of Washford station, and for six years was regular performer on the WSR, which had entered into an obligation to maintain it without paying hire fees. WSR plc’s accounts for the financial year showed losses of £422,690, rising from £216,300 the previous year and reducing cash reserves by £77,413, with the £210,000 payout being for an exceptional item. However, chairman Jonathan Jones-Pratt said that since 2018, the management team has been cleansing all the risk in the business, and freeing the railway from the 7F contract was the last part…

A BID to demolish much of the historic Brush locomotive factory in Loughborough has been deferred by Charnwood Borough Council over fears that the proposed new buildings might detract from the site’s significance to heritage. Falcon UK MLI Property Unit Trust, the owner of the Falcon Works industrial estate in Nottingham Road, once a major employer where trains and other heavy engineering products were built, is seeking consent to flatten several of the buildings and erect replacements for general industrial, storage and distribution, and research and development use. Parts of the plant have been closed or sold off in recent years, along with the loss of hundreds of jobs. Important local asset The iconic yellow Brush sign at the front of the Turbine Hall, a prominent landmark which can be…

THE Apedale Valley Railway-based Moseley Railway Trust has confirmed that Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2133 of 1924 Woto has joined the line’s resident fleet following its acquisition from Patrick Keef in October. Built by WG Bagnall to 3ft 6in gauge at Stafford Works in July 1924, Woto worked at British Calendar Cables in Kent. In 1988, the locomotive was purchased by Patrick Keef, managing director of Alan Keef Ltd, who regauged it to 2ft gauge and earlier this year decided to pass on its ownership to others. “After 36 years of ownership, and with Woto reaching 100 years old, I felt the time was right for it to have a new lease of life,” Patrick said. “With the ever-increasing cost challenges for visiting engines, it felt only right that it should…

THE Middleton Railway’s October 5/6 autumn gala saw four locomotives, two steam and a pair of diesels, in action on the Leeds premier industrial heritage line. Crowds gathered on the station platform in Moor Road, Hunslet, for the first journey to Middleton Park on the Saturday, headed by Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST No. 1210 of 1891 Sir Berkeley. Built at Boyne Engine Works, Leeds, Sir Berkeley was built for contractor Logan& Hemingway and helped with the building of the Great Central Railway’s London Extension which opened 125 years ago. One of only two Class Ls in the country – the other being No. 1601 of 1903 Matthew Murray, which is also based at Middleton – Sir Berkeley later worked for the Cranford Ironstone Co at Kettering and transferred to the associated…

THE Scottish Railway Preservation Society has announced its return to offering main line railtours with a trip across southern Scotland and northern England on Monday, December 30 –and has confirmed an itinerary for tours throughout 2025. The SRPS has a long history of main line operations, with 2025 marking its 55th anniversary of doing so. However, its fleet of Mk.1 coaches has been undergoing a major overhaul and modifications to futureproof it for main line running and has subsequently been out of action for the past 18 months. In June, the SRPS announced a new long-term partnership with the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust (RSLGT) for running heritage trains in Scotland. RSLGT, which owns six main line locomotives, is part of Crewe-based Locomotive Services Limited. LSL operates luxury railtours…

A NEW mosaic dedicated to the memory of preservation powerhouse Alan Pegler OBE FRSA – the man who saved the Ffestiniog Railway and then bought A3 Pacific Flying Scotsman from BR – has been unveiled at Retford station, on the East Coast Main Line. Installed in the booking office, the mosaic was formally revealed by town major Coun David Naylor on September 14 – Retford Heritage Day. Honouring one of the town’s prominent former residents, it was commissioned by the Friends of Retford Station. Chairman Jim Anderson said: “I am delighted that we have been able to celebrate Mr Pegler. He was man dear to Retford, who played a leading role is preserving two remarkable pieces of British railway history.” “In 1946, Alan joined his family firm, the Northern Rubber…

NORTHERN Diesel Photo Charters held another railway industry charity photographic shoot in aid of Martin House Hospice, Halton Hospice, the Armed Forces Veterans Breakfast Club and the RSPCA at Nantwich. The October 25 event, which raised £5000 and was attended by 65 photographers, was hosted by Locomotive Services Limited at its Crewe depot and featured its Inter City electric fleet, including the unique prototype Class 89 No. 89001 Avocet, Inter City-liveried Class 47 No. 47828 and Nos. 86101, 87002, 90001 and 90002 as a celebration of the 50th anniversary of the completion of London to Glasgow West Coast Main Line electrification in 1974. It recreated scenes from the late 1980s and early 1990s. NDPC’s Chris Gee said: “It’s another shining example of how the railway industry can pull together to…

With September and October having been prime gala time for enthusiasts, November has in the past tended to be a month with little else happening for those looking for a steam fix. In recent years that has changed with some lines planning events to avoid clashing with some of the hefty competition from around the UK. On the north side of the river Severn at Lydney, the Dean Forest Railway’s own gala was poised to be a celebration of Great Western steam, with residents 5700 0-6-0PT No. 9681 and 4575 2-6-2T small prairie No. 5541 being joined by one of this year’s roaming gala regulars – 5600 0-6-2T No. 6695, which in 2024 has been seen away from its Swindon & Cricklade home at both the West Somerset Railway (May…

ALTHOUGH we know them as the Class 14s, they were never in service long enough under BR to gain their TOPS title. They were known from their inception as ‘Teddy Bears’ with Swindon Works’erecting shop foreman George Cole apparently saying: “We’ve built The Great Bear, now we’re going to build a ‘Teddy Bear’!” As produced, they were Swindon’s take on a Type 1, a low-powered diesel designed almost exclusively for tripfreight workings. In typical fashion, the ex-GWR staff were inclined to produce something entirely different to any other region. Not even in BR service long enough to wear their assigned TOPS numbers, the Class 14s are often overlooked in the history of British Railways. Their story, however, is one filled with unique fascination. Bare necessities The Western Region was what…

READERS’ LETTERS AT THE HEART OF THE HERITAGE RAILWAY SCENE I WRITE to express my appreciation of and thanks for the herculean efforts by Vintage Trains staff to produce the triumph that was ‘The Mayflower’ railtour of September 27, 2024. Despite the fact that I only made it as far as the waiting list for tickets and did not manage to get on the train, the whole day was a wonderful achievement, andI wonder whether it can ever be bettered? From the two engines pausing at Dorridge on the outward positioning move to their eventual return to Tyseley some 40 hours later, the actual railtour was only a fraction of the working hours expended, particularly so if the diesel crews, fire raisers, ontrain staff, support staff and so on are…

WHY should enthusiasts who enjoy our heritage railways so much pay to sit in a beautifully restored Victorian carriage hauled by Victorian locomotive disguised as a BR machine – we have said it many times. Still we see many like the new-build Atlantic H2 and the Adams radial tank masquerading as BR locomotives instead of their original splendid paint job; just look at the way the T3 pulls the crowds at Swanage. However welcome to the model world, here I notice the manufacturers have stepped up and are producing high-quality OO gauge models displaying their pre-Grouping liveries. I am sure that not only the model fraternity will be interested, but also the collectors will be filling their show cases displaying these highly detailed models.…