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FIFTY years ago, steam trains disappeared from our national network, apparently never to return. At the time, several people who could were rushing around trying to buy locomotives out of service and save them not only from the scrapyard, but for the benefit and enjoyment of future generations. The late Morecambe GP Dr Peter Beet is one of the names that comes quickly to mind – through his actions several ‘Black Fives’lived to fight another day. Compare 1968 with a similar period of traction mass extinction – the end of Brunel’s broad gauge in 1892. Locomotives and rolling stock which ran on 7ft 0¼in gauge had no practical purpose after then, and so were cut up, with only North Star and Lord of the Isles retained to recall this important…
MARKET-LEADING heritage steam and diesel charter operator, West Coast Railways, stepped into the breach after problem-hit operator Northern Rail cancelled all of its services on the Oxenholme to Windermere branch, delivering an unexpected bonus of a loco-hauled shuttle service. Passengers across the north of England have endured thousands of cancellations and delays on services run by the Arriva UK subsidiary since a new timetable was introduced in May. Northern has laid the blame for the disruption at the door of delayed engineering works and a shortage of trained drivers. Carnforth-based West Coast Railways, which last year ran the Swanage Railway’s award-winning trial‘real train’ service from the resort to Wareham using heritage diesels in top-and-tail mode, stepped in and has provided trains on the 10 mile Lakes Line, after none had…
WELSHPOOL & Llanfair Light Railway passengers – especially those who suffer from mobility issues – are now enjoying the benefits of a £42,500 project. In May 2016 the line won a £42,500 Government grant to improve access to its trains for wheelchair-bound visitors. Portable platform lifts were purchased for stations at both ends of the line, while the two most heavily-used bogie carriages, built in the 1950s for the Hungarian State Railways, were modified to improve wheelchair access. Meanwhile, on June 11, the Vale of Rheidol Railway held a launch event for one of four accessible carriages that will enable wheelchair users to ride in them for the first time. Special guests including Ben Lake MP, Elen Jones AM and SimonThomas AM, plus councillors, trustees and local businessmen.…
THE Talyllyn Railway clocked up several feats at its Anything Goes gala on June 16, pulling in the crowds both on the ground and online with a special live broadcast on social media. The line’s marketing co-ordinator Daniel King said:“For the first time in many years, all of our available steam and diesel engines were in working order. Therefore, we thought it would be a wonderful idea to have a day when everything moveable was operating on the railway before No. 1 Talyllyn was withdrawn for its 10-yearly overhaul on June 18.” In recent weeks, No. 3 Sir Haydn and No. 4 Edward Thomas have returned to service and Baguley diesel No. 11 Trecwn has entered traffic following the fitting of air brakes by the team at Pendre, joining fellow…
TWO members of the rock band Guns n’Roses made a surprise appearance at Leicestershire’s 10¼in gauge Stapleford Miniature Railway’s Models and Miniatures Weekend on June 9-10. Lead vocalist Axl Rose waved to fans as he left the grounds of the estate by private helicopter following a stay at Stapleford Park Hotel, while bass guitarist Duff McKagan bought a ticket to ride. Railway spokesman Nigel Spencer said: “Aside from it being a brilliant weekend it was topped off by this great surprise.”…
➜ A4 Pacific No. 60009 Union of South Africa will be visiting the Bluebell Railway alongside B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower for its October 12-14 Giants of Steam autumn steam gala. ➜ DAVEY Paxman 2-8-2 River Esk returned to service on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway on June 15 following a five-year overhaul. ➜ THE boiler of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No.78022 has arrived back at Haworth after overhaul and has been craned into the chassis. No. 78022 is set to return to traffic this summer. ➜ MEMBERS of the Llangollen Railway’s Corwen station development team welcomed their latest VIP visitor, the Welsh Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport, Lord Elis Thomas AM, on Monday, June 18. He said: “The completion of this project…
