Heritage Railway Issue 300

EDITORIAL Editor Robin Jones rjones@mortons.co.uk Staff Writer Owen Hayward OHayward@mortons.co.uk Senior Contributors Geoff Courtney, John Titlow Contributors Hugh Dougherty, Tim Hobman, Pete Kelly, Roger Melton Designers Tim Pipes, Fran Lovely, Charlotte Fairman, Holly Furness Production editor Lucy Wood Publisher Tim Hartley Editorial address Heritage Railway magazine, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Website www.heritagerailway.co.uk ADVERTISING Advertising representatives Craig Amess 01507 529537 camess@mortons.co.uk Fiona Leak 01507 529573 fleak@mortons.co.uk Group advertising manager Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk CUSTOMER SERVICES General Queries & Back Issues 01507 529529 Monday-Friday 8.30am-5pm Answerphone 24H help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk DISTRIBUTION & PRINTING Distribution Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP 0203 787 9001 Printing Acorn Web Offset Ltd, Normanton, West Yorkshire. MORTONS MEDIA GROUP LTD Sales and distribution manager Carl Smith Marketing manager…

WHILE black clouds have been looming overhead for the past three years, firstly in the shape of Covid-19 and then the energy and fuel crisis sparked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the heritage sector has, in many places, been reduced to seemingly clinging to survival by its fingertips and, where available, welcome grant aid support. However, the sterling efforts of our sector never cease to provide beacons of hope. Given the right product in the right place, heritage railways will, wit seems, forever grip the public imagination. That was only too evident on the Swanage Railway in October, when almost 7000 people travelled behind A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman during its five days of trips during a three-week visit. Many of our railways have reported brisk ticket sales for…

ROLLING stock leasing company Porterbrook has struck a £2.5 million sponsorship deal with the National Railway Museum for its new Railway Futures Gallery – akey component of the museum’s Vision 2025 masterplan. The gallery, a multi-dimensional and interactive experience which explores and imagines the role of the railways in the transport system of tomorrow, is planned to open in 2025 to coincide with the museum’s 50th birthday and the 200th anniversary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway. It will be a key feature of Central Hall, a new building to be located between the Great Hall and Station Hall. Central Hall will be a cornerstone of Vision 2025, the museum’s bid to become the ‘World’s Railway Museum’ with 1.2 million annual visitors. The deal was announced by museum director Judith…

THE Dartmouth Steam Railway & River Boat Company made £1.36 million profit before tax in a year hit by the Covid-19 pandemic and its lockdowns. A rationalisation of boat services at a time when fewer visitors were coming to Torbay and a strategic reallocation of resources allowed the business to remain cashflow positive. No redundancies or wage decreases were made because of the pandemic. Managing director John Jones said that the profit for the 2021 calendar year was the biggest in recent years, largely as a result of the changes made to cope with the crisis. The figures were announced to shareholders at the firm’s annual general meeting on November 9. “We decided to turn the situation into an opportunity,” said John. “We were not going to sit around feeling…

FOLLOWING thesuccessfulinstallationof an air pump for braking on a B1 4-6-0 for the very first time, No. 61306 Mayflower was tested with air-braked stock at the SevernValley Railway. The air pump is located completely out of view between the frames and the centre driving wheel. The first fire was lit soon after the installation at Mayflower’s home base of Crewe on the evening of October 24 to warm the locomotive through gently, in preparation for a light main line test run to Chester on October 27. This was scheduled to be followed by a loaded run the following day around Crewe’s test circuit to Shrewsbury, Stafford, and return. However, neither took place, so the locomotive instead headed to Kidderminster and the Severn Valley Railway under light steam on Saturday, October…

WR Manor 4-6-0 No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor could be running in time for Christmas at the Severn Valley – as its return to steam reached a significant milestone on November 9. Following completion of reassembly work at Tyseley Locomotive Works, the first warming fire since 2017 was lit to raise steam, which enabled No. 7812 to make trial movements under its own power around the yard. A boiler insurance exam was due to take place as Heritage Railway closed press. If passed, the Manor will then be transported to the SVR before the end of November for test runs and mileage accumulation prior to full acceptance by the line to see it re-enter service. The owning group, Erlestoke Manor Fund, was hopeful that it will be rostered to some Christmas…