Heritage Railway Issue 302

INTHE depthsofwinter, Cornwallhasbeengenerating international headlines – not this time for its stunning summer landscapes, its temperatures and sunsets, its Atlantic surfing waves and cream teas, but as the location of Britain’s first rocket launch into space. Roads were gridlocked as locals and visitors alike flocked to Newquay Airport to glimpse a converted Boeing 747 jet named Cosmic Girl take off from Spaceport Cornwall on the evening of January 9 at the airport and cruise up to 35,000 feet to release the 24-tonne LauncherOne rocket carrying nine satellites from seven civilian and defence customers to head into orbit. Sadly, the rocket did not burn sufficient fuel to reach the right altitude, failed to release the cluster of satellites, and burned up on re-entry into the atmosphere – a mission failure! Nonetheless,…

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, Roger Melton Designer Tim Pipes 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 Acorn Web Offset Ltd, Normanton, West Yorkshire Printing Seymour Distribution Ltd, 2 Poultry Avenue, London, EC1A 9PU Enquiries Line: 0207 429 4000 MORTONS MEDIA GROUP LTD Sales and distribution manager Carl Smith Marketing manager Charlotte Park Commercial director Nigel Hole Publishing director Dan…

EXCLUSIVE NEWLY-REPAINTED LNER streamlined A4 Pacific No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley is to steam on the NeneValley Railway for Easter – provided that the main line connection is upgraded in time. It will be the first visit to a heritage line that No. 60007 will make following its repaint into BR express blue livery. The locomotive will haul regular passenger trains, and the public will have the opportunity to access the footplate via the corridor tender for a pre-booked supplementary fare while the train is in motion. There will also be two LNER-themed evening dining trains, the ‘Silver Jubilee’ and the ‘Coronation’, as well as an evening photographic opportunity hosted by the NVR Wagon Group. However, its arrival depends on the completion of work to repair and reopen the Fletton…

THE 100th anniversary of what may be the world’s most famous steam locomotive, Flying Scotsman, is being marked by the Royal Mint in its 2023 commemorative coin collection. Gresley’s A3 Pacific will feature on the reverse of one of the first batches of coins to also bear the portrait of King Charles III. Available initially as part of a set, with individual release to follow later in the year, the new £2 coin depicts the profile of the front half of the locomotive on the rear, accompanied by the words ‘Flying Scotsman LNER 4472 1923- 2023’. A fitting edge inscription reads ‘Live for the Journey’. The design was produced by John Bergdahl, who said: “One of the challenges with creating a design for Flying Scotsman is that the locomotive has…

THERE were celebrations on the Isle of Wight on December 31 – but not just those welcoming in 2023. Long-serving Isle ofWight Steam Railway volunteer Pete Jardine was awarded an MBE for services to railway heritage in King Charles III’s first NewYear Honours list. Back in the 1970s, the railway began collecting grounded carriage bodies from around the island, where they had seen use as beach huts, garden chalets and farm stores. In 1981, Pete and his team of volunteers started work on the first of these, Isle of Wight Railway No. 46, which was originally built for the North London Railway in 1864. When it entered service in 1986, it was celebrated for the quality of its restoration. Responsible for masterminding the grounded body restorations, Pete has been a…

THEWest Somerset Railway was starting emergency repairs and taking legal action after its running line was severed by a landslide following heavy rainfall before Christmas. The collapse of the embankment occurred on the morning of Tuesday, December 20 at Tribble Bridge alongside the A358 near Combe Florey, a short distance from Bishops Lydeard. It left the line covered in mud and a large portion of potato crop from a field alongside, with drainage channels blocked. The A358 was closed for more than hour while flooding and debris was cleared. Several local residents also found their back gardens filled with mud. However, the railway was left with a major engineering challenge, resulting in experts being hired to assess the whole area near the bridge. Change of plan The landslip occurred during…