Heritage Railway Issue 263

NOT only has the UK experienced a mild winter but it has also been deluged by periods of freak rainfall, and over the festive season I noticed new leaves sprouting on several species of plants around the garden that would normally lie dormant until late March. At the same time, world leaders are generating headlines through their apparently lukewarm stance towards climate change. “Enthusiasm and sheer passion for railways can never be enough – difficult business decisions need to be taken...” However, positive signs of early green shoots which are more than welcome appeared at the meeting of West Somerset Railway shareholders before Christmas. After a loss of more than £800,000 in the previous financial year, early indications are that following drastic measures taken in time to remedy a dire…

THE Dartmoor and Weardale railways have been offered for sale by their owner British American Railway Services (BARS). The company, a subsidiary of Iowa Pacific Holidays, which went into receivership last year, has also placed locomotive spot hire company RMS Locotec on the market. Iowa Pacific CEO Ed Ellis told Heritage Railway as we closed for press: “During the past 11 years, Iowa Pacific supported BARS financially. I made the decision to put Iowa Pacific into receivership last fall and concluded that it’s time to find new owners for the assets of BARS. “Unlike in the US, very few operating railways are bought and sold in the UK, so it’s not really possible to name a price, but the market will shortly answer that question.” The 18-mile freight-only surviving section…

➜ THE Yorkshire Wolds Railway marked the doubling of its 300ft line at Fimber Halt neat Wetwang on January 4 by running its GEC Traction 165hp 0-4-0DH No. 5576 of 1979 Sir Tatton Sykes on a low-speed test run over the newly-connected extension. The completion of the extension included the installation of railway gate posts donated by an East Riding farmer. The new track was awaiting ballasting as this issue went to press. ➜ KEIGHLEY & Worth Valley Railway-based 1899-built Taff Vale Railway O2 0-6-2T No. 85 is to star in the Bluebell Railway’s April 3-5 Branch Line Weekend. ➜ THE restoration of Peckett W6 Special 0-4-0ST No. 1935 of 1937 Hornet is expected to be completed in time for the Ribble Steam Railway’s March 28-29 spring gala. The former…

A CLASS 55 Deltic will be visiting the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway for the first time when it holds its March 27-29 diesel gala. The Deltic Preservation Society’s No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier will also be taking part in driver experience courses on March 24-25. The other guest locomotive will be Ian Mandley’s Class 33 No. 33201 from the Spa Valley Railway. The pair will run alongside the home fleet of Nos. 97205, 37227 and 08825/97808. Cab rides will be offered on each service of an intensive timetable, and there will be brake van rides behind the Network South East liveried No. 08825/97808 hauling the Shark brake van running up Risborough South Siding 1 between departures and arrivals at Princes Risborough. Trains will be calling at platform four at…

THE Battlefield Line followed up its 50th anniversary celebration in 2019 by not only staging its first-ever winter steam gala on January 4-5, but it had three locomotives from the Swindon empire providing the mainstay of traffic. WR 4-6-0 No. 6989 Wightwick Hall, from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, where last year it became the 150th out of 213 locomotives saved from Barry scrapyard for heritage purposes to re-steam, was joined by South Devon Railway-based GWR 2-6-2Ts No. 5542 and a late arrival, No 5526. Trains were well patronised and the event provided a superb launch pad for the 2020 season, which will see more trains thanks to a new passing loop at Market Bosworth.…

HERITAGE lines that followed in the footsteps of the Dartmouth Steam Railway and ran US-style illuminated festive season trains have reported that the ventures were hugely successful – and that they are set to repeat them next time round. The Severn Valley Railway had more than 8500 people travel on its all-new Steam in Lights services. A spokesman said: “We received a lot of positive feedback and plans are already in place to repeat the event this year with one or two tweaks. “It was a fantastic addition to the Christmas services this year, as well as ensuring Bridgnorth at Christmas was back with a bang after a number of years of no Santa services there.” The Great Central Railway had total passenger figures for Christmas specials of 25,850, of…