Table of contents for Issue 328 in Heritage Railway

THE simple concept that was the January 1WhistleUp, as highlighted in our Headline News Special on pages 8-13, spearheaded by the Heritage Railway Association, was nothing short of a stroke of genius that will go down in history on its own account. The event, which saw steam, diesel and electric railway locomotives big and small, plus the occasional traction engine, sounding off in unison around the UK – and indeed in continents beyond – may well have set new records in the sector for mass participation. It was certainly a beyondbelief perfect start to Railway 200, which is celebrating one of Britain's greatest ever achievements: the reshaping of the world through the development of self-propelled traction. Despite the murky and windy weather which battered the country on New Year's Day,…

ON January 1 at precisely midday, BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No. 75069 sounded its whistle on Platform 2 at Bridgnorth station on the Severn Valley Railway to mark the start of Railway 200, reports John Titlow. Despite it being New Year's Day, the 10am service out of Kidderminster was crowded, with only a few seats available. I joined the train at Highley expecting to get a seat, but fewer passengers than is usual got off to visit the Engine House visitor centre; most headed straight for Bridgnorth to record the start of Railway 200. Upon arrival, the headboard made especially for the event was transferred from the tender to the smokebox before running round. The locomotive then headed into the shed yard for coal and photographs of the crew on…

DIMINUTIVE Peckett 0-4-0T Marcia, the Kent & East Sussex Railway's smallest locomotive, made a triumphant return in the Whistle-Up celebrations after not having hauled a passenger train for more than 40 years, writes Geoff Courtney. The much-loved 1923-built locomotive, which was donated to the railway after its withdrawal in 1962, is now owned jointly by model train manufacturer Rapido Trains UK and the company's general manager, Andy Hardy, a volunteer KESR driver. With a tractive effort of just 3870lb-ft, Marcia has limited opportunities to haul passenger trains, but on New Year's Day it joined the Whistle-Up with a twocoach set of vintage carriages and Andy on the regulator as it ran shuttles between Tenterden Town and Rolvenden stations, a return journey of three miles. The 12-ton engine was unable to…

DARJEELING Locomotive Tank Trust chairman Jeremy Davey has announced that the new boiler for Sharp Stewart B class 0-4-0ST No. 19B is now complete and away for certification. “This is a vital step forward, because once this has been certified as a safe and appropriate design, the 19B Trustees can next turn their attention to arranging the new boiler construction,” he said. Formerly owned by the late Chiltern Railways chairman Adrian Shooter CBE, on June 21, 2023, No. 19B – the only Darjeeling Himalayan Locomotive outside India – was purchased at auction for £250,000 by the trust and relocated with two matching carriages to the Statfold Barn Railway. The boiler design has been carried out by the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways team of Bob Yates and Jon Whalley. “The…

A DRIVER who took diesel trains to Swanage in the dying years of the Purbeck branch in the late 1960s and early 1970s has driven a steam train out of the terminus on the 53rd anniversary of the last BR trains to the resort. Mel Cox started out as a teenage steam locomotive cleaner at Bournemouth station in 1964. By the end of the decade, he was driving three-car Hampshire DEMUs on the 10-mile branch from Wareham. After a four-year battle to close the line – which opened in 1885 and was operated with steam locomotives until 1966 when diesels took over for the final five years of its operation – BR ran its last passenger trains on the single-track branch Swanage on Saturday, January 1, 1972. On January 1,…

FOOTPLATE experiences offer a chance for those unable to commit to regular volunteering to sample life of an engineman. Those looking for a unique experience will have such an opportunity in March as the Bluebell Railway has released a small number of taster courses aboard new-build H2 Atlantic No. 32424 Beachy Head. These taster courses are designed to be an introduction to the footplate role, offering a scaled-back version of similar experiences whereby participants get control of the locomotive for an hour, and will take place within the station limits of Sheffield Park working light engine. As such, these sessions are ideal for those who are perhaps daunted by the prospect of having to brake a heavy train coupled to the locomotive. During that time participants will get to sample…

THE East Lancashire Railway has been awarded £1.3 million in grant aid to help carry out essential repairs to one of the bridges along the 12½ mile line, ensuring that the structure remains fit for purpose for years to come. Built in the 19th century to carry the extension of the original East Lancashire Railway from Clifton Junction, the Higher Woodhill viaduct in the Irwell Valley sits on the edge of Burrs Country Park – one of the most photographed locations on the heritage line – and sits adjacent to the site of the former Higher Woodhill Mill. Despite its age, the last major repair work to have been carried out on the structure was done in 1932, with the line formally closed by BR in 1982 before heritage services…

THE Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway has pressed the rarely-used 1896 vintage 0-4-0T Katie into service hauling track maintenance trains in preparation for its 150th anniversary year. Katie was built for Sir Arthur Heywood's estate railway at Eaton Hall in Cheshire and was sold to Ravenglass in 1916, when it hauled works trains. In 1919, Katie was sold again to run at Southport and then at Fairbourne, and was dismantled in 1929. The remains were donated by the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at Tywyn and returned to Ravenglass, where it returned to service in 2018 following a 25-year-long restoration. Owned by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Preservation Society Trust, Katie is usually kept as a static display in the Ravenglass Railway's museum and is brought out and steamed only for special events.…

A PLATFORM built to serve Leicester's first railway has been restored by the city council as part of a wider £1.8 million facelift of its locality. The Leicester & Swannington Railway was built to link the west Leicestershire collieries to the city, where there was great industrial demand for coal, and it opened in 1832. The engineer for the railway was Robert Stephenson, with the assistance of Thomas Miles, while George Stephenson raised part of the capital for the line from businesspeople in Liverpool. The line ran from West Bridge, in Leicester, at a location alongside the navigable River Soar, with the intention of transferring the coal to water transport. Leicester's second line was opened by the Midland Railway in 1840 and it then acquired the L&SR in 1847. The…

WITH its boiler ticket expiring in early January, WR 4-6-0 No. 7820 Dinmore Manor performed faultlessly during its last week in service on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. Built in 1950, it was named Dinmore Manor after the Knights Hospitaller preceptory in Herefordshire and is one of nine surviving Manors from a class of 30. Withdrawn in 1965 from Shrewsbury, it was transferred to Barry scrapyard. Saved in 1979, it moved to the Gwili Railway for restoration, but the overhaul was eventually done at the Birmingham Railway Museum, now Tyseley Locomotive Works. Once ready, No. 7820 was transferred in 1995 to the West Somerset Railway, where it ran for nearly nine years until its first boiler ticket expired in 2004. The previous overhaul took place at Tyseley and was completed in…

FOUR 0-6-0DM shunters are set to be reunited in Wales – on the same line for which they received modifications to operate during their BR working lives. Class 03 locomotives were a common sight around the UK, covering duties such as station pilot turns and shunting at the numerous yards and depots the network offered. Their short wheelbase also enabled them to work lines with tighter curves than could be handled by larger locomotives, with one such line being the Burry Port & Gwendraeth Valley line in Carmarthenshire, which connected a plethora of collieries to Burry Port. However, the route also had several low bridges, further precluding the use of full-height locomotives. To work the branch when steam was displaced, BR modified nine of its Class 03s by reducing the…

THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway received a welcome early Christmas present when it was told on December 23 that it is in line to receive £410,000 in grant aid to help it save an endangered building which it owns adjacent to its Llanfair Caereinion headquarters. The building comprises three industrial units erected by the local council in the 1970s, and which house two museums, the railway's archives and stores – all of which faced being made homeless as demolition had been considered. Two of the units are in very poor condition, with the roof having failed leading to water ingress. The unit housing the line's primary museum displays Llanfair Connections, which tells the story of railway heritage and world-wide links with places such as Austria, Hungary, Taiwan and Sierra…

There was much of a Great Western flavour to its January 3-5 winter steam gala, with three different locomotives from the region covering three different liveries covering just as many eras of GW history. But the annual event at the South Devon Railway did not quite turn out as intended, with a visiting locomotive being failed at the very start of the event and sadly having to sit the whole thing out. Despite this, the railway persevered and put on a successful weekend of steam that saw its resident 0-6-0PT No. 6412 bow out of service pending overhaul. Built at Swindon in 1934, it was withdrawn in November 1964 and arrived at Buckfastleigh with classmates Nos. 6430 and 6435. Following restoration, it hauled the then Dart Valley Railway's first train…

PATHFINDER Tours will take in some rare metals with the chance to ride behind two Class 57s on Saturday, March 15, on a tour titled ‘The Thames Valley Wanderer.’ Making an early start from Derby with the locomotives in top-and-tail formation, the tour is expected to head south on the Cross Country Route to pick up additional passengers at Burton-on-Trent, Tamworth, Birmingham New Street, Worcestershire Parkway and Cheltenham Spa. From there, the tour is scheduled to take the Golden Valley Line to pick up the final passengers at Stroud and Swindon. Once on the Great Western Main Line, the next destination is Didcot to visit the Appleford Freight Terminal. Making a reverse move, then leaving the terminal, the tour is planned to take the Didcot West Curve to enter the…

LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas is set to haul Vintage Trains’ ‘The Shap Mountaineer'to Carlisle on Saturday, March 29. The trip is planned to start dieselhauled from Birmingham New Street and head north along the West Coast Main Line, with additional pick-up points of Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Preston. To the north From Preston, the train will head north, passing Lancaster before stopping at Carnforth for a locomotive exchange. Here, diesel will be exchanged for steam, ready for the run north via Oxenholme and over Shap summit to Carlisle. Passengers will have just over three hours in Carlisle before the return journey, this time via the Settle to Carlisle route. Leaving Carlisle in the mid-afternoon, there should still be enough daylight to enjoy the scenery of…

THREE O-gauge models produced by Sunset Models of California were the top sellers ina Vectis sale on December 13, led by Southern Pacific ‘cab forward’ AC-4 class 4-8-8-2 No. 4103, one of a limited edition of only 75 models, that went under the hammer for £560. In pursuit was another Southern Pacific locomotive, AC-6 class 4-8-8-2 No. 4138, which fetched £460. This was another‘cab forward’ engine, in which the driver'scab is at the front with the fireman on the footplate at the rear with the tender. Members of the AC-6 class weighed 290 tons and hada tractive effort of 124,300lb-ft, more than three times that of any of the UK's‘Big Four'high-profile flagship express locomotives. Completing the Sunset Models’ triple success was a model of preserved Pennsylvania Railroad Class GG1 streamlined…

AN exhibition standard 5in gauge live steam model of Britannia No. 70012 John of Gaunt made by John Adams of Poole was the clear winner in a model trains and railwayana sale held by Special Auction Services of Newbury on December 10/11 when it went under the hammer for £8500. Behind at £6500 was American outline clockwork 4-4-0 No. 2350 made by Carette of Germany in gauge one, while the same manufacturer also produced in gauge one a Berlin underground railway (U-Bahn) two-car three-rail electric set that sold for £3000, and also from a European manufacturer was a gauge one ‘inter-urban’ threecar tram set made by Twerenbold of Switzerland (£2000). A Bing of Germany gauge one live steam continental outline 4-4-0 also weighed in with a realisation of £1200. Moving…

MOST of the narrow-gauge heritage railways that are frequently featured in the railway press are open to the public for a significant portion of the year. An important example, situated in rural Kent, roughly halfway between Staplehurst and Headcorn, is the Richmond Light Railway, a 2ft gauge real gem that is normally opened to the public only once a year. The rare opening is for the annual charity gala which normally takes place on the second Saturday in August. The railway's history goes back to April 2007 when Richmond Farm, which had hitherto been used as a piggery, was acquired by Jeremy and Jenny Martin. Jeremy had always been interested in railways having grown up with his father's 7¼in gauge line (Wayside Light Railway) but for him 2ft gauge has…

CLARKS Railworks, the sister firm to retailer Ellis Clark Trains, has showcased two of its highly anticipated OO gauge products, with one now due for release in the New Year and the second reaching an advanced stage of the production process. In November 2023, it announced that it would be producing the WD Austerity 2-10-0s for its first venture into locomotives for the scale. The models were designed after studying examples on the North Norfolk and Keighley & Worth Valley railways and have now reached the engineering sample stage. The model has been fully designed and engineered in the UK and will feature a high-quality coreless motor and a high-quality gear train, alongside catering for left and right-hand drive variants, and a range of liveries will be produced. All three…

In order to set the scene, this article is based around a quirky and unusual set of circumstances highlighted by a ‘light bulb moment’ while looking up some information on Danish State Railways’ Frichs F class 0-6-0T No. F665, which is located at the Veteranbanen-Bryrup-Vrads (VBV), a Danish heritage line in the Bryrup region. This was the result ofa visit on July8 last year duringa cruise ship stop at Aarhus on the Jutland peninsula. Six weeks later I visited the Nene Valley Railway duringa day when the rostered engine was anotherF-No. F656. Already there is some quirkiness in play with the numbering of these two locomotives which forma sort of numerical anagram. Both were built toadesign of Otto Busse by Frichs of Aarhus in 1949, before starting their working lives…

DECEMBER 31, 2024, was a day of celebration and triumph in Staffordshire as the Churnet Valley Railway saw the first passenger train run to Leek almost 60 years to the day after the station was closed by BR. The achievement came as the result of a multi-million pound project, in the presence of supporters who were invited to travel aboard the historic service. The market town's original station was built in 1849 for the North Staffordshire Railway and remained open until January 4, 1965, when BR ceased passenger services along the line to Uttoxeter. As with many lines, freight continued to be run for several years until this too ended in 1970. Despite attempts by preservationists to save it, the station was demolished in 1972 and the site is now…

THE Railway 200 year was launched at every size and gauge of railway in the UK on a wet, cold and windy New Year's Day–including the Milton Keynes-based Caldecotte Miniature Railway, which hosted the inaugural Railway 200 team members Emma Roberts, project sponsor, project manager Sharna Smith, and Phil Marsh. LMS-liveried Achillies design 0-6-0T Wolverton was steamed specially for the Whistle-Up at the multigauge line. Owned and driven by Ben Cox for the event, following his apprenticeship at Wolverton Works commencing in 2017, he is now an engineer there. CMR operations manager Bob James began his railway career in 1958 at Nine Elms and has only just given up driving duties at the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway after 65 years on steam. He trained Ben asasteam driver, who in…

THE Whistle-Up at the Tanfield Railway featured five steam locomotives and three diesels. General manager David Watchman said:“It's fantastic to be part of the Railway 200 Whistle-Up and to represent the North East's rich industrial railway heritage. “Locations like Tanfield played a pivotal role in the development of the modern railways. Starting as a wooden waggonway, Tanfield soon became one of the busiest in the world, fuelling the Industrial Revolution. Railways changed the way we live, and this event marks a truly momentous occasion for us all to enjoy.” The Whistle-Up also marked the beginning of Tanfield 300, a year-long celebration of the line's tercentenary, which will include festival-style events.…

VISITING from the Dartmouth Steam Railway, GWR 2-8-0T No. 4277 Hercules took centre stage in North Norfolk Railway's Whistle-Up event. The departure of its scheduled noon mince pie special from Sheringham was delayed by three minutes to allow the locomotive to participate. Volunteer driver for the day Edmund Crosthwaite is also operations manager for the Railway 200 mobile exhibition train, named Inspiration. As reported, the train will criss-cross the country from this summer for 12 months to promote STEM subjects and careers in the railway industry. He said:“It's great to see heritage railways like the North Norfolk leading the industry in the Whistle-Up to mark the start of Railway 200.” The train hauled by Hercules immediately after the event was a sell-out.…

CAMPAIGNERS battling to reopen the Wisbech to March line did not have a railway locomotive present to join in the Whistle-Up but, undeterred, still managed a steam presence at March station. Andrew Goakes and his family attended with his traction engine Jimmy to perform the honours at the noon sound-off organised locally by the Bramley Line Heritage Railway and the Friends of March Railway Station. Rob Able and his Friends colleagues opened their rooms up on the middle platform at March for people to view the community railway model of March station and associated sidings. Peter Wright, leader of the Cambridgeshire and Fens Group of the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust, attended on its behalf.…

IT has been a popular locomotive with both visitors and crew and worked one of the first trains when the former London Underground branch reopened as a muchimproved heritage venture in 2012, but on December 11, 2024, the Epping Ongar Railway bid a sad farewell to Class 37 D6729 as it set off on its journey to its new home in Wales. A regular performer over the years, the locomotive was stopped in 2022 in need of both engine and bodywork repairs and following a review of the line's diesel fleet was put up for sale in 2024. Managing director Wesley Tierney said: “Following a review of future requirements for diesel traction and noting the planned return of Class 25 D7523 and the return to traffic of Class 45 No.…

THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway has launched a £150,000 appeal to fund the restoration of one of its two original locomotives in time for its 125th anniversary. Beyer Peacock 0-6-0T No. 823 Countess, which was built in 1902, was withdrawn from service in 2021 after its 10-yearly boiler certificate expired. The railway aims to have Countess back in steam so it can run alongside sister No. 822 The Earl to celebrate their anniversaries in 2027. A WLLR statement said:“Our engineers have already dismantled Countess to see what needs to be done. The cost of the overhaul has been estimated at £150,000. Our paid staff and volunteers have already started some of the work in-house and the rest will be contracted out to trusted partners. “Little or no grant support…

IT will be a case of one in, one out in Margate as BR(M) 7P 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot is set to take up residence at the One:One Collection early in 2025 as its boiler certification comes to an end – with it set to take the place of streamlined A4 Pacific No. 4644 Bittern that begins its own journey back into service once more. Royal Scot was last seen with an empty stock movement from Crewe to Southall on December 2, ahead of working ‘The Chairman's Train’ the following day, a private charter for guests of Locomotive Services Ltd's owner, Jeremy Hosking. Departing London Victoria, the trip took in a circular loop of Kent, travelling out to Dover Priory via Canterbury following the route usually associated with Belmond's…

THE sole-surviving locomotive from the original Welsh Highland Railway, Hunslet 2-6-2T Russell, will be withdrawn in April for overhaul after almost a decade of service, with a farewell outing scheduled to see the locomotive venture all the way to Caernarfon. Built in 1906, Russell spent its working life on the WHR and neighbouring Ffestiniog Railway, receiving a cut-down cab to enable it to fit within the clearances of the latter following the FR's takeover of the WHR in 1924. In 1937 the WHR closed, and Russell ran the final through train before being left stored in the sheds at Dinas. Following several years passing between owners, it first returned to steam at the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway's Gelerts Farm Works in 1987, then again in 2014. During its recent ticket,…

LEADING figures in the heritage sector have been awarded with MBEs in the King's New Year's Honours List. Brell Ewart was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire for service to the community in Derbyshire, while Philip Benham, chairman of the Friends of the National Railway Museum, was honoured for service to railway heritage. Frank Galvin, deputy chairman of the Bahamas Locomotive Society, received the honour for his contribution to heritage in Greater Manchester, primarily for his role with Elizabeth Gaskell House, where he recently retired as chair of trustees. Trust founder – and more Born in Derbyshire to a working-class family, Brell Ewart's voluntary work has been central to preserving the history of the county, of which he is Deputy Lieutenant, and supporting its people for…

THE boiler of the Worcester Locomotive Society's former Stewarts & Lloyds Kitson 0-6-0ST No.5474 of 1934 Carnarvon is to be overhauled at Williton Works on the West Somerset Railway. Bought by the society in 1969, it spent the following winter on Severn Valley Railway works trains, before moving to Bulmers Railway Centre in Hereford in 1970, and it last steamed in 1989. Now located on the South Devon Railway, Devon firm Leaky Finders is restoring the chassis. Society chairman Michael King said that its other locomotive, GWR 0-6-0PT No. 5786 (L92), is awaiting its 10-yearly overhaul at Buckfastleigh and he looked forward to both running together again as they did at Bulmers.…

YET to turn a wheel back on the national network since completing its overhaul, new-build A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado has already secured a third heritage line appearance following appearances at the Great Central and Nene Valley railways in 2024. It will soon head north to Bury to join an exNVR resident for a gala at the East Lancashire Railway. Following the success of its March 2024 Legends of Steam weekend, the ELR is hoping for a second bite of the cherry with the event, which is kicking off its enthusiast calendar over the three-day weekend of March 14-16. Tornado is set to appear alongside Battle of Britain light Pacific No. 34081 92 Squadron which has relocated to the railway, as reported last issue. Repairs being made The A1 made…

THE North Norfolk Railway has announced a major restructuring of the Poppy Line's administration as it celebrates its half centenary. On December 12, North Norfolk Railway plc announced that it will ask shareholders to approve a new governance model which will see it work more closely with its supporting charity, the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society. When much of the former Midland & Great Northern system was closed by BR in 1959, the society was formed to save part of the network. The society created the plc as a suitable body to hold the Light Railway Order that is effectively the organisation's licence to operate trains. The two organisations have existed in parallel ever since and already work closely together; the society owns nine of the steam and…

A £10,000 appeal to restore the world's only operating steam monoloco back to working order has been launched by the Tanat Valley Light Railway. The 0-2-0 monoloco was invented by the late narrow-gauge collector Rich Morris, who set up the former Gloddfa Ganol museum collection, near Blaenau Ffestiniog, and also ran a miniature railway at Colwyn Bay. Rich developed an interest in industrial monorail systems and over 30 years bought about 120 such locomotives. He acquired the manufacturing rights of Metalair Ltd of Wokingham, Britain's only commercial monorail builder, in 1983. Rich drew rough sketches of his dream project, and project engineer John Vineermade several adjustments to make the monoloco a reality. Standing at 6ft high and 11ft long, it was built by the engineering company Century Millwrights on Platts…

VOLUNTEERS shared the spotlight with royalty on December 5 when the Princess Royal visited Amberley Museum, the West Sussex tourist attraction that is home to the most varied and comprehensive collection of different gauge locomotives in the country. Princess Anne was at the working museum near Arundel to officially open a newly-restored bagging shed and loading bay, and in true royal style took the opportunity to chat to several of the museum's 350 active volunteers, including some from the railway department. In her speech officially opening the restored building, which was the heart of the busy former chalk pit and limeworks during its Victorian and later working days, she congratulated the museum for its recent King's Award for Voluntary Service recognition and praised the role of the volunteers who she…

NO fewer than 11 bridges within the five-mile Spa Valley line from Tunbridge Wells West to the national network station of Eridge, coupled with numerous culverts, drainage, embankments, cuttings, retaining walls, and buildings, mean that engineering expertise is placed alongside all the other demanding requirements of running a heritage railway in the 21st century. For 10 years, Graham Cole has been the Spa Valley's civil engineering consultant, but he has now retired, and following an request for qualified people to apply for the role, the railway confirmed on January 7 that it had appointed Alan Cudlipp, who runs Apex Rail Consultancy Ltd., as the new position-holder, bringing with him more than 43 years of experience in civil engineering and permanent way engineering, and he is a chartered engineer in both…

For the year in which Railway 200 is celebrating the bicentenary of the world's first modern railway, the Severn Valley Railway's January 4/5 Winter Steam Gala proved itself as a great start – with much more expected. Furthermore, the event was also a magnificent way to start the SVR's 60th anniversary year. All six locomotives in steam came from the Bridgnorth-based home fleet: recently returned to the line GWR 0-4-2T No. 1450, minus its tankside logo; GWR 0-6-0PT No. 7714; LMS Stanier mogul No.13268; BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No. 75069; flagship GWR 4-6-0 No. 4930 Hagley Hall; and GWR 4-6-0 No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor. A problem arose the week before the gala when the brick arch of No. 7714 collapsed, leading to fears that it would not be able to…

UK Railtours’ tour to the Locomotion museum at Shildon and Weardale, scheduled for Saturday, May 31, will see a return to the main line of the High Speed Train set owned by the 125 Group and based at the Midland Railway – Butterley. The trip is planned to start from King's Cross, with additional pick-up points of Potters Bar, Stevenage, St. Neots and Peterborough, from where it will head north along the East Coast Main Line. Just north of Darlington, the train is scheduled to take the Tees Valley Line, through Heighington, to the first stop of Shildon. At Shildon, passengers will have the opportunity to alight and explore the Locomotion Museum. Entry to the museum is free, but customers will have the option of booking a ride on a…

January 17 ‘Emperor of the North’ Crewe, Carlisle and return. Locos: 45118 The Royal Artilleryman, 50050 Fearless. IC 18 Mick Tester Memorial Tour Hastings, Winchester and return. DEMU: 1001. HD 18 ‘The East Anglian Freighter’ Rare tracks tour from London Liverpool Street. Locos: 2x Class 20, Class 37 TBA. UKRT 24 ‘West Highland Pullman’ Day 1 St Albans City, Fort William. Loco: Midland Pullman HST. MP 25 ‘West Highland Pullman’ Day 2 Fort William, Mallaig and return. Loco: Midland Pullman HST. MP 26 ‘West Highland Pullman’ Day 3 Fort William, St Albans City. Loco: Midland Pullman HST. MP February 1 ‘The Master Cutler’ Leeds, St Pancras and return. Loco: 45118 The Royal Artilleryman. IC 1 ‘The Cumbrian Mountain Express’ Euston, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled between Carnforth (outward) and Preston (return).…

AS reported in last month's column, the top realisation in Talisman Railwayana's November 30 auction at Newark was £5700 for a Thornaby totem, trumping even the sale's nameplate selection, which peaked at £5200 for Dante from LNER A2 Pacific no. 60513. This month the spotlight turns on other four figure realisations, and we start with three steam locomotive items, comprising the smokebox numberplate from Arthur Peppercorn-designed BR-built A1 Pacific No. 60157 Great Eastern (£3200), the chime whistle from LNER A4 No. 60031 Golden Plover (£2400), and from France, an ‘S.N.C.F. 241.P.32’ cabside numberplate from a Class P 4-8-2, which also sold for £2400. Heritage modern traction came close behind this Gallic representative when a cabside numberplate from Class 84 electric locomotive E3045 (later No. 84010), which entered traffic in March…

The Swanage Railway's evocative Winter Warm Up weekend featuring four historic locomotives spanning from the 1890s to the 1960s saw both steam and diesel passenger trains service the Isle of Purbeck – and included the nostalgic recreation of the freight services of yesteryear. The 1960s heritage diesel hauling some of the trains was the last locomotive to run from Poole to Broadstone and Wimborne when the Victorian line that linked Southampton with Dorchester closed to freight trains back in May 1977. Taking place on January 4/5, the Winter Warm Up was the first Swanage Railway event to take place at the start of the nationwide Railway 200 celebrations and saw three steam locomotives and one diesel locomotive on services that were well-patronised despite indifferent weather. It was also the first…

READY-TO-RUN O gauge has flourished in recent years, with the likes of Dapol's LBSCR ‘Terriers’ and Ruston 4WDM variations from both Accurascale and Heljan offering handy, smaller locomotives for newcomers to the scale with space restrictions, while Ellis Clark's LMS ‘Black Fives’ have raised the bar for larger examples. More recently, Lionheart Trains (a sister company to Dapol) has provided medium-sized tank engines with the GWR small prairies and the BR Standard 3MT 2-6-2Ts, the latter of which hit shelves just in time for Christmas. These cover both BR black and green variations, with lined and unlined examples of the latter. Unnumbered versions are also available for those looking to customise their newest acquisitions to suit their personal layout needs. Keeping to the same wheel arrangement, the manufacturer has also…

THE celebratory noise of whistles heralded the start of a very special occasion for the world's oldest continuously-working railway and what, in June 1960, became the first standard gauge line to be taken over and operated by volunteers. At noon prompt on New Year's Day, Leeds councillor Paul Wray, who represents the city's Hunslet and Riverside ward, sounded the whistle to officially start Railway 200 during The Middleton Railway's annual mince pie special run at the Moor Road site. Keeping to tradition, Leeds-built Manning Wardle's steam locomotive No. 1210 Sir Berkeley, which is owned the line's partner organisation, the Vintage Carriages Trust, and its young volunteer crew and driver Mark Calvert journeyed along the former quarry line to Middleton Park. In response to Sir Berkeley‘s whistle, the horn was sounded…

AT Bishops Lydeard, the West Somerset Railway took part in the Whistle-Up with WR 4-6-0 No. 7828 Odney Manor and Class 33 D6566 sounding off. Bob and Liz Ellis, who were celebrating more than 20 years of service at the railway, pulled the whistle on No. 7828, while the line's youngest volunteer, 14-yearold Elliott Freegard, blew the horn on D6566. The whistle sounded for a full minute in front of a large crowd. The cast of the West Somerset Railway pantomime was also present, ready to board a train to Williton two hours later. A service went to Williton, where the line's longest-serving volunteer, Steve Martin, was given the whistling honours on WR 2-6-0 No. 9351, celebrating 52 years of service to the day. Volunteer Liz Ellis said:“The Whistle-Up was…

AT noon on January 1, the crew of the Swanage Railway Trust's unique LSWR T3 4-4-0 No. 563 blew its whistle as it departed Swanage station hauling a passenger train to Norden. The young crew comprised volunteer driver Billy Johnson, from Swanage, and volunteer fireman Aidan Strand, from Poole. “It was great to participate in the Railway 200 Whistle-Up, as was being a part of history and the legacy of railways as a whole,” said Aidan. “I doubt that two centuries ago those initial entrepreneurs, or the public, would have even considered railways powered by steam locomotives still being around 200 years on.” Swanage Railway Trust chairman Frank Roberts added:“Railway 200 celebrates the past, the present, and the future of rail. “We are delighted that our two museums– the museum…

THE modern-day main line standard gauge replica of the train which opened the Stockton & Darlington Railway on September 27, 1825, became the subject of a free exhibition at the award-winning Hopetown Darlington attraction in the immediate period after WhistleUp. The 1975-built working replica of George Stephenson's Locomotion No.1, the newly-built passenger carriage Experiment, and three chaldron wagons were displayed in Grade II-listed Carriage Works at Hopetown on January 2-12, kicking off the celebrations for the bicentenary festival. On January 4, Steve Davies MBE, from the International Railway Heritage Company, held a questionand-answer session about the replica. At the climax of Railway 200, on September 26-28, the replica train will run over the S&DR route from Shildon to Stockton-on-Tees.…

THE oldest-surviving locomotive built to the design of Sir Nigel Gresley returned to the North Norfolk Railway to complete its overhaul – and a new fundraiser for £100,000 has been launched by the Gresley Society, which bought 1921-built GNR N2 0-6-2T No. 1744 in September 1963. On loan to the Poppy Line, the only surviving Gresley tank engine – which revisited King's Cross on April 5, 2016, for the unveiling of a statue of Sir Nigel – was withdrawn from traffic in late 2018 for an overhaul, which began in 2019 but was soon impacted by the Covid-19 lockdown and the war in Ukraine which affected both the timescale and costs. “Even more significantly, once the locomotive was stripped down, it became evident that far much more work was needed…

WHILE heritage railways have taken Railway 200 to heart by starting the year with the big Whistle-Up around the nation on New Year's Day, the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland team have gone a step further and repainted its flagship double Fairlie 0-4-4-0T No.10 Merddin Emrys in an historic colour scheme. The sparkling green livery dates back to 70 years ago when the railway first ran trains under its new heritage era administration – and will spark happy memories for many who visited and worked on the line in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. General manager Paul Lewin said: “The work to repaint the loco for these celebrations has been carried out entirely by our volunteers. “The FfWHR family would like to thank them for this extra effort, which is very…

TRIBUTES have been paid around the world to Britt Allcroft, the creator of the hugely popular children's TV series Thomas & Friends, who has died aged 81 in Los Angeles on December 27. Her death was announced by filmmaker Brannon Carty on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on December 3. Born Hilary Mary Allcroft in Worthing on December 14, 1943, aged 16 she changed her first name to Britt as her career in British radio and television gathered pace. She created a series of programmes for the BBC and ITV in the 1970s and 1980s, including Moon Clue Game, Dance Crazy and Keepsakes. Mothers By Daughters, produced for Channel 4, was broadcast in the USA, and a theatrical career saw her staging shows in Drury Lane and the…

NEW-BUILD LBSCR Atlantic No. 32424 Beachy Head, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's Bridge 27 reconstruction and the flood-hit Downpatrick & County Down Railway are among more than 50 projects, people and achievements that have made the shortlist for the Heritage Railway Association Annual Awards 2025. Two railways – the North Norfolk and Severn Valley – have been nominated in four separate categories. Judges in the ‘Oscars’ of the heritage sector have whittled down the largest-ever field of entries (up 25% on 2024) to a shortlist in 12 categories covering restorations, new projects and personal achievements. The panel, chaired by National Railway Museum senior curator Anthony Coulls, met in the York museum on December 5 to discuss the nominations and put forward those selected for the awards event at the…

QUARRY Hunslet 0-4-0ST No. 873 Una has moved to the Ffestiniog Railway's Boston Lodge workshops for its longstalled overhaul to be completed. Built in 1905, Una worked at the Pen-Yr-Orsedd slate quarry in the Nantlle Valley, Gwynedd. Withdrawn in 1960, it was sold to the National Museum of Wales in 1977 and returned to service the following year at the National Slate Museum in Llanberis. Having been out of service for several years, an overhaul was started but then stalled. However, with the slate museum being closed through 2025 for a major renovation of its own, the opportunity has been taken to send the locomotive away for work to be completed in the hope that it will be finished in time for the reopening in 2026. A museum statement said:…

THE story of the new-build 81st GWR Grange is set to come full circle, with the recent exchange of contracts meaning No. 6880 Betton Grange will become a long-term resident on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway – nine months after it made its public debut there. The result of a project that started more than a quarter of a century ago, No. 6880 had been tested only on a short stretch of line at Tyseley Locomotive Works (where the construction had been completed) last April prior to its move to the GW/R ahead of the line's annual Cotswold Steam Festival, which took place over May 25-27, as highlighted in Heritage Railway issue 320. The event saw more than 4500 passengers travelling on the line over three days, many travelling especially to…

THE Purbeck Mining Museum at Norden, on the Swanage Railway, has achieved accreditation from Arts Council England for the high standard of its management and visitor engagement and the care it takes to protect and preserve local mining heritage. The accolade comes after museum visitor numbers soared by 50% during the past year. Museum chairman Peter Sills said: “It has been a truly exceptional year. From its conception, the museum has been entirely dependent on the enthusiasm, commitment and hard work of a dedicated and growing team of volunteers. The whole team is immensely proud to receive such recognition. “It's all the more gratifying to be awarded accreditation in a year that has seen such a significant increase in both visitors and donations, as well as the introduction of a…

CLASS 14 D9525 returned to service at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway in December following extensive repairs that included an engine swap from classmate D9537 Eric, which was withdrawn after the line's July 25-28 Diamond Jubilee gala for the class, as featured in Heritage Railway issue 323. Last operational in 2009, D9525 had been close to a return to service ahead of the gala, which saw an impressive six operational examples gathered for the occasion, but during testing in April the power unit seized relegating the locomotive to static display. With Eric earmarked for withdrawal for overhaul, the opportunity was taken to swap the power units over to enable D9525 to return to service as cover. This exchange was carried out on September 30, the unit was subsequently connected up, and…

THE Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway has received £111,800 in grant aid to make its services more accessible for disabled people. The funding follows a successful application by the line's operator, the Yorkshire Dales Railway Museum Trust, to the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, which is administered in the county by North Yorkshire Council. The money, combined with the railway's own funds, is enabling the renovation of two 1950s BR carriages at a total cost of more than £220,000. The coaches will be fitted out with accessible seating, widened doors and ramp access, along with other restoration work befitting of the era when they were made. Work on one of the coaches has been completed and it entered service before Christmas as part of the railway's Polar Express services. Services…

THE face of London's underground network has changed dramatically since its inception, with steam locomotives giving way to electric examples which were then displaced by units themselves. While the 38TS unit has been the only heritage stock operating trips anywhere on the network in recent years, at the London Transport Museum's Acton depot restoration of a second heritage consist has been quietly progressing in recent years, with one of the driving trailers recently sent to a contractor for electrical work to be carried out. The London Underground Q series was introduced in 1924 after the London Passenger Transport Board took over operation of the District Line from the District Railway in 1933. These sets comprised converted motor cars from existing units which had been upgraded to be fitted with electro-pneumatic…

A LISTED former Great Central Railway waiting room is to undergo a major refurbishment in the coming months. Dating from 1874, the Mermaid Café building on the North Promenade, Cleethorpes, was constructed for the then recently opened Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway and now forms part of the listed buildings at the seafront main line station. Over the years the building has been used for various food and beverage businesses, and most recently as a fish and chip café and takeaway. As part of the Discover Cleethorpes Heritage Townscape Heritage Programme, financed via the National Lottery Heritage Fund, it has been identified as one of the eligible properties to be able to bid for grant-funding to help with external restoration work. The programme has already seen several ornate balconies and…

The funeral of wartime leader and former Prime Minister Winston Randolph Churchill took place 60 years ago on January 30, 1965. The gun carriage bearing Sir Winston's coffin left Westminster Hall at 9.45am and passed through crowds of mourners lining the streets to pay their respects around Whitehall, Trafalgar Square, the Strand, Fleet Street and Ludgate Hill to St Paul's Cathedral for the funeral service, as the country joined in sorrow to say farewell to the man voted the greatest-ever Briton. By decree of Queen Elizabeth II, his body had lain in state at Westminster Hall for three days from January 26. From St Paul's Cathedral following the service, he was taken to Tower Steps and transported by water along the River Thames to Waterloo station, accompanied by military salutations.…

THE railways were built on trade, and while it is easy to focus on the various industries which inspired this trade, the enormous systems designed for managing its rapid and efficient dispatch are not to be ignored. Large marshalling yards would operate constantly, echoing with the clatter of loose-coupled wagons and the barks of small industrial steam engines hauling them where they were needed. The NER was no exception. Working on the docksides in the North East were a fleet of 0-4-0STs from Manning Wardle, a popular locomotive manufacturer. These tank engines had worked hard but became worn out. It was into this environment that TW Worsdell considered the need for engines to replace those industrial types which had long been the mainstay of docks and yards. The challenges were…