Table of contents for Issue 336 in Heritage Railway

HAVING ascended the first of the twin peaks of Railway 200 to be mesmerised by the exhilarating sights from the summit, Britain has been left owing an enormous debt of gratitude –not just to Alstom and its ground-breaking unique combination of partners from the main line and heritage sectors who made The Greatest Gathering one of the most successful events of its kind of all time, but also those who are responsible for the entire national Railway 200 programme. Winners all! Its multitude of events, big and small, have switched large swathes of the public on to the sheer importance of the 200th anniversary of the world’s first modern train movement, when passengers rode behind George Stephson’s Locomotion No. 1 in the carriage Experiment in a rake of chaldron wagons…

A Grade II-listed footbridge on the Dean Forest Railway was severely damaged in an incident involving an engineering train which is believed to have struck it on August 14. The bridge, which carries a public footpath over the line at St Mary’s Halt, partway between Lydney Junction and Norchard on the 4¼-mile line, is believed to be the last-surviving piece of infrastructure from the Severn & Wye Junction Railway. It was built in 1892 to prevent possible accidents being caused by people crossing the line ahead of trains. It was closed in 2007 after concerns were raised about its condition. A diversionary route was in place for 11 years before funding from the Rural Development Programme for England was secured to enable repairs to take place, and it reopened in…

HERITAGE diesel locomotives of multiple classes and size have been moving about the UK this summer, with some paying visits to galas while others have taken up residence at new homes – with more movements set to come as autumn rolls in. Affectionately nicknamed ‘Spoons,’ examples of BR’s Class 47 design have been the mainstay of such movements, with the Mid-Norfolk Railway alone having seen two examples of the design type depart during August. No. 47580 County of Essex on August 4 headed for the Spa Valley Railway for that line’s summer diesel gala on August 8-10, becoming the first example of its class to run between Tunbridge Wells West and Eridge. It joined resident Class 31 No. 31430 Sister Dora and Class 207 ‘Thumper’ No. 1317, which has now…

A FOUR-LOCOMOTIVE gala line-up in Derbyshire was headlined by the visit of LNWR coal tank 0-6-2T No. 1054, which had arrived on the line just days beforehand following its appearance at Alstom’s The Greatest Gathering the weekend before. Built for the LNWR at Crewe works in 1888, the veteran locomotive joined Peak Rail’s resident fleet of industrial locomotives for two days of steam-powered action between Rowsley, Darley Dale and Matlock. No. 1054 was the oldest in the line-up, with Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST No. 750 Waleswood the next youngest, having been built in 1906, followed by Peckett works B3 class 0-6-0ST No. 2000 (1942) and finally Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No. S102 Cathryn (1955). Though steam took charge of the passenger workings, there was a small diesel presence, with two locomotives (Andrew…

MEMBERS of the Severn Valley Railway Company Limited have voted to support the next stage of the line’s ambitious One Railway restructuring project. At its annual general meeting at Kidderminster Railway Museum on August 9, they voted overwhelmingly in favour of its merger with Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) Plc, following the latter’s conversion into a Charitable Community Benefit Society (CCBS). It was a legal requirement that at least 50% of votes cast needed to be in support of the amalgamation for the resolution to be passed. Severn Valley Railway (Holdings) Plc is the owning and operating company of the railway, now celebrating its 60th anniversary, and its shareholders voted overwhelmingly to support its conversion to a CCBS at their annual meeting in June this year. The process to enact the…

A MAJOR milestone was passed at Shillingstone station on the North Dorset Railway when a 1312ft extension was joined to existing track with the customary insertion of a ‘golden spike. Joining the tracks with a regular screw painted gold was the culmination of a project which started several years ago, when the NDR applied for planning consent to carry out engineering and landscaping work to reinstate the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway trackbed and extend the line northwards from the station. The application was supported by 11 reports, including construction and environment management plans, ecological reports, tree surveys, and a biodiversity plan. Sensitivity for the environment was always going to be paramount – an issue which would not have slowed up the original builders when they created the 18-mile link…

THE Basildon Miniature Railway has officially reopened after a £50,000 refurbishment following a six-year closure. Volunteers restored the mile-long 10¼in gauge line at Wat Tyler Country Park in Pitsea, Essex, and the first passengers rode on July 27. On Sunday, August 10, a grand reopening took place, with civic dignitaries cuttinga cake and ribbons. Basildon Miniature Railway company owner Daniel Harrison, 51, who works in financial services, told the BBC: “When I took it over, it was in a deplorable state; you could hardly see most of the track. It was overgrown and there were lots of rotten sleepers – there was quite a lot to do!” He said that he began volunteering for the previous owners when he was 12 years old. As a teenager in the 1980s, he…

THE Severn Valley Railway had an extra double reason to celebrate its 60th anniversary – when 4300 visitors rode behind A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman as it hauled services for the full length of the line between Kidderminster Town and Bridgnorth for the first time this season. As featured on the website www.therailwayhub.co.uk, the A3 hauled the official reopening train on July 25, marking the completion of repairs to the January 29 landslip at Mor Brook Bridge which had isolated Bridgnorth, The first light engine movement over it ran on July 16, followed by a full-length diesel-hauled test train on July 22, as reported in Heritage Railway issue 335. Many thousands more attended the railway’s Swinging Sixties event on July 26/27, at which the A3, fresh from its recent…

JANUARY 1965 saw the final steam workings run over the complex network of lines at Penrhyn Quarry in North Wales, following which many of the locomotives were sold off and found new homes elsewhere. Sixty years on, two of those locomotives were reunited for the first time since their quarry days as part of a summer gala at the private Great Bush Railway, next to Hadlow Down, in Sussex. Built in 1912 by Orenstein & Koppel in Germany, 0-4-0WT No. 5668 Eigiau of 1912 was originally sent to Cheshire contractor CL Warren for use during the construction of Port Sunlight village in Merseyside, then four years later was bought by the Aluminium Corporation of Dolgarrog for use on the Llyn Cowlyd tramway. Having been replaced by a petrol locomotive in…

HERITAGE classification is constantly changing, with what was classed a modern DMU in the 1980s becoming the latest traction to join the Mid-Hants Railway stock list after it announced the acquisition of a Class 150 ‘Sprinter’ as it looks to improve its service offering, while simultaneously showcasing another part of the railway story. The announcement came at the start of The Greatest Gathering in Derby (see feature, pages 44-49), where unit No. 150231, which has been donated to the railway by Porterbrook, was displayed, having been freshly turned out in its original 1987 livery. It is the first of its type to enter preservation and the latest from BR’s second generation of DMU to do so, with various designs of ‘Pacers’ already present at a number of lines. The Great…

HERITAGE railways may be given the chance to obtain examples of the PCA wagons which have just made their final journey after hauling alumina Port of Blyth to ALVANCE British Aluminium’s Fort William plant. PCA wagons are pressure-discharge vehicles which feature a distinctive inverted ‘V’ shape. During their decades of use, they mainly transported dry bulk materials such as cement, alumina and various chemicals. On July 9, GB Railfreight hauled the last PCA rail wagon from Fort William behind Class 66 No. 66302. After a brief stop at the Port of Tyne, the train reached its destination at the Port of Sunderland, where the wagons are now being decommissioned. After 37 years and more than 50 million miles, the PCA rail wagons have travelled the equivalent of 2000 laps of…

A LISTED building at Cleethorpes station has undergone a full restoration and interior refit and has been repainted in the original colours of the Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway. The Mermaid Café was constructed in 1874 as a waiting room for the station. Over the decades since, it has been used for various food and beverage businesses and is now a fish and chip shop. The work on the exterior of the building cost £395,000 and was partly financed by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Railway Heritage Trust, with the leaseholders paying for the interior of the building to be restored. Conservation work was carried out to the Victorian cast iron framework, as well as full restoration and conservation of the timber parts of the building. The cafe…

A ONE-OFF Christmas railtour is to run from Hexham to London for the first time to mark the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer will head its namesake, the ‘Festive Capital Thunderer,’ on December 6, stopping at Stocksfield, Prudhoe, Wylam, Blaydon, Newcastle, Chester-le-Street, Durham, Darlington, Northallerton, Thirsk and York on the way from the Northumberland market town. Pasengers will have about five hours to explore London and its Christmas markets, light displays, shops and theatre before returning home the same evening. Luke Allan Holmes, CEO of Excursions By Rail, said: “To offer a direct train from towns like Hexham, Prudhoe and Wylam all the way to London in the year of Railway 200 with a rare Class 50 traction is exactly the sort…

Less than three years after the East Grinstead-Lewes line was closed by British Railways, preservationists had revived a short section of the route for heritage operations – and this became the Bluebell Railway. The first train departed Sheffield Park on August 7, 1960, running to a specially-constructed halt 100 yards to the south of Horsted Keynes station, which was still in use by BR for third-rail electric services running towards Ardingly and into Haywards Heath. From those humble beginnings, the heritage line has flourished and become synonymous with Southern steam, and renowned for its strong focus on pre-Grouping era stock. In the six-and-a-half decades since, the Bluebell has built up a strong fleet of locomotives and carriages, including new-build steam and unique survivors, expanded its undercover facilities, and extended to…

REGARDING the sale by GW Railwayana of a nameplate from Battle of Britain No. 34110 66 Squadron – the only member of the class not to carry crests. I researched this subject back in 2014, when the company that made the original Bulleid Pacific crests, Burnham Signs, closed down, with No. 34081 92 Squadron receiving the last set to be produced. There is strong evidence that not only were crests made for No. 34110, but that they probably still exist. In a March 2014 Railway Magazine article titled ‘Naming the Battle of Britain Class,’ Jeff Dacombe wrote that he saw the 66 Squadron crests on display at two consecutive open days at Eastleigh Works in the late 1950s. Also, Ian Wright of Sheffield Railwayana Auctions, stated he too had seen…

A YEAR-LONG series of events will mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of legendary locomotive designer Sir Nigel Gresley. The Gresley Society Trust, founded in 1963 to honour the life and works of the designer of LNER icons including Flying Scotsman, Cock O’The North and Mallard, has arranged a series of commemorative events under the banner A Legacy of Innovation, Speed and Elegance. They will be held in collaboration with Doncaster City Council and other partner railway organisations, and an application has been submitted to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for support. The centrepiece will be a symposium and gala dinner on Saturday, June 20, 2026, at the Mansion House, Doncaster, featuring presentations by esteemed speakers exploring Gresley’s personal history, professional achievements, and his enduring influence on modern railways.…

MAIN line tours and heritage services continued to suffer as heatwaves baked much of the UK, with cancellations and alterations required as soaring fire risks led to concerns for surrounding landscapes. A substantial fire at Harwood Dale on August 12 saw the North Yorkshire Moors Railway – which travels through much of the national park on its way from Pickering to Grosmont – withdraw steam services once again, with diesel traction taking over until a suitable change in weather reduced the fire risk once more. Accordingly, the planned services featuring visiting Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado on August 15-17 were cancelled. A Moorsline statement on August 13 said: “Due to the prolonged hot weather and recent fires elsewhere in the county, which have meant firefighting resources have been more…

ENTHUSIASTS will be hard pressed to pick their galas this autumn as a plethora of steam locomotives are set to travel the nation over the next few months to star at these events. Having returned to service only in April, GWR 4-6-0 No. 5029 Nunney Castle (picture, Main Line News, page 56) has spent the summer shedded at Bishops Lydeard on the West Somerset Railway to work main line tours bound for Paignton, but it will now run over the full line to Minehead when it stars at the October 17-19 steam gala. The WR express locomotive will offer a comparison to the previously announced pre-Grouping veteran that is LSWR T3 4-4-0 No. 563, which will be making its second trip away from Swanage since returning to steam. Elsewhere, the…

WHILE it may predominantly be one of the few standard gauge lines to run steam-only passenger services, the Dartmouth Steam Railway has outshopped a second Class 37 to support railway operations, the ‘Tractor’ having undergone a remarkable transformation that has seen it returned to service carrying Railfreight coal sector livery. Built in 1962 at English Electric’s Vulcan Foundry and entering service as D6767, it was rebuilt in 1986 into the sub-class 37/7 for use on heavy freight work, being given additional ballast for weight and altered gearing for traction to manage the loads. In 1990/91, it was repainted into the two-tone grey colours and allocated to Cardiff Canton depot, being used to haul lengthy rakes of merry-go-round coal hoppers like those preserved on the Chasewater Railway. Further repaints and reallocations…

THE first appearance of a newly cosmetically restored Quarry Hunslet was just one of the attractions for those attending this year’s annual Charity Steam Fair at the Richmond Light Railway in Kent on August 9. Built in 1899, No. 704 Nesta was once among many locomotives to be found working at Penrhyn quarry in North Wales before being sold and exported in the 1960s, first to the USA but ultimately ending up in Puerto Rico, where it was recovered from a swamp and repatriated by Robert Gambrill. Until recently, Nesta was on display in the Bala Lake Railway’s heritage centre at Llanuwchllyn station. Last year it was announced that conservation work would be carried out by the Ffestiniog Railway at Boston Lodge Works, and earlier this summer the now cosmetically…

POLICE were investigating two vandal attacks on the Fancott Miniature Railway in which items were stolen or damaged. CCTV cameras monitoring the 7¼in gauge ¾-mile-long volunteer-run railway at the Grade II-listed pub The Fancott, in the hamlet of Fancott, near Toddington, in Bedfordshire, showed young children entering the grounds – on both occasions accompanied by an adult – despite the locked gates and camera warning signs. Footage shows an adult helping the children back over the fence. The damage occurred on August 3, when six children were recorded by the camera trepassing, and on August 8. During the incidents, the tea hut was vandalised, with obscenities written on it in indelible marker pen ink, a sign was pulled off a tree, displays were moved and donated cameras stolen. On the…

A VICTORIAN Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway coach body has been recovered from a back garden and taken to the North Dorset Railway at Shillingstone for eventual restoration. The Prussian Blue-liveried six-wheel type TZ carriage was likely to have been built in the 1880s and withdrawn from service around 1930. In the 1970s, the body, still in its form as a five-compartment third-class carriage, was used as a tennis court pavilion in Mark, Somerset, until some time during 1989. Minus two of its five compartments, it was moved to a private garden in Cannington, Somerset where it was used as a shed. The property previously belonged to the late train enthusiast Michael Hodge, and was bought two years ago by Sarah Cripps and George Pike. They decided to donate it…

THE Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society, which aims to recreate Britain’s first main line diesel electric locomotive, has taken a significant step forward with the purchase of two English Electric 16SV power units. The units were offered by a contractor which was dismantling a military base in Lincolnshire. One was seen running and has run for 1500 hours while the other, which has not been commissioned from rebuild, has a total of 74 hours. A society statement said: “These units give us the long-wished-for goal of having a reserve historical unit and many spare parts, and both units are now in dry storage. There is another 16SV in a separate military base which we continue to pursue. “We were able to afford this purchase thanks to the regular donations. We need…

TWENTY miles from where The Greatest Gathering was being hailed at the world’s largest railway festival, one of the smallest was taking place at the same time – and also aimed to set a record. In the goods yard at Quorn & Woodhouse station on the Great Central Railway on August 2/3, the Portable Railway Club laid 1476 feet of temporary 7¼in gauge track for its annual Miniature Railway Spectacular event. Six miniature railway track owners from around the UK joined forces to create the longest line of its type seen in decades. The event, staffed and organised by volunteers, attracted more than 1000 visitors, most of whom had day rover tickets, thus giving about 4000 train rides in total. The Portable Railway Club, which is based in Kirkby In…

THE Nene Valley Railway has partnered with Amey to mark Railway 200 with a major project to restore a carriage so it can house a bigger generator to power special events. Project Octopussy, a nod to the James Bond film Octopussy which was partly filmed at the NVR in 1982, has seen volunteers from Amey and its supply chain regularly attending the site to assist with the scheme involving four-wheeler CCT DB94796. So far, 70 volunteers have signed up to help, with support, materials, and resources being contributed by more than 30 rail companies. The restored carriage is due to be unveiled at an event hosted by Speedy Hire this November. With the bigger generator, it will enable the NVR to host bigger and better events such as Christmas at…

THE Wensleydale Railway hosteda team from BBC Countryfile at Leeming Bar and Scruton stations for one day of filming. Presenter John Craven visited the volunteer-led railway in May to learn about the line’s rich history and meet some of the dedicated volunteers. The episode was broadcast on August 3 at 6.20pm on BBC One. WR marketing and fundraising manager Nick Keegan said: “It was our pleasure to host John and his production crew. We enjoyed having the opportunity to showcase our railway’s rich heritage, stunning scenery and the passionate volunteers who keep the railway alive for thousands of visitors to enjoy every year. “Our railway has featured in a number of television productions, including an episode of crime drama Vera and Michael Portillo’s Great British Railway Journeys. “From our award-winning…

THE centenary of the opening of the last standard gauge steam-operated branch line to be built in England was celebrated with the presentation of a plaque on July 27. Running from Torrington to Halwill Junction, the North Devon & Cornwall Junction Light Railway was intended to connect towns in north Devon with the lines from Okehampton to Bude, Launceston, Wadebridge and Padstow. It opened in 1925, 100 years after the historic first modern train run on the Stockton & Darlington Joint Railway. The route incorporated that of the narrow gauge Torrington & Marland Railway, built to serve the area’s ball clay workings at Meeth and Marland. Its construction was partly government-funded in a bid to provide employment in a depressed economy following the end of the First World War, and…

MAIN LINE operator Hull Trains is supporting a miniature railway which runs through the grounds of a National Trust property. The 500-yard 7¼in gauge line at Lincolnshire’s Belton Estate, which has drawn visitors for more than 20 years, has launched an appeal for a significant upgrade to make it bigger, more accessible, and to power it by electric locomotives for the first time instead of diesel. Hull Trains, which serves nearby Grantham station, was part of the inspiration for the upgrade, with its state-of-the-art bi-mode trains which are powered by electricity when it’s available on their route. It secured the services of legendary Yorkshire broadcaster and meteorologist Jon Mitchell to create a video to raise awareness of a fundraising drive for the upgrade. The video can be accessed at www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxrnSYhIlwo…

THEY may be small in stature, but three diminutive 0-4-0 saddle tanks provided big entertainment to families and enthusiasts alike at Amberley working museum’s annual rail gala on July 19/20. The trio comprised 1918-built Bagnall Peter, a long-time resident at the West Sussex visitor attraction, and two guest locomotives, Woto, a fellow Bagnall dating from 1924, and the youngster of the pack, Jennie, a replica of the Kerr Stuart Wren class constructed by Hunslet Engine Co in 2008. Mix of ages Woto was built by Bagnall for operating on the Callender Cable Co’s 3ft 6in gauge internal railway near Erith, Kent. It cost £875, and its distinctive name was derived from the initials of the company’s founder, William Ormiston, and his son Thomas Octavious. On withdrawal in 1968, it was…

WEST Coast Railways has cut short its operating agreement with The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust reached in March for running new-build Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado on the main line. An A1 Trust statement said: “Since our return to the main line in the spring, we have enjoyed operating a variety of tours, many helping to cover for the current shortage of available steam locomotives. Indeed, we have run an additional eight railtours, covering more than 2000 miles, to assist the Railway Touring Company and West Coast Railways, in addition to already-planned tours. “The A1SLT team have been content with the operating arrangements thus far, enjoying working with the WCR crews, and finding the agreement reached with RTC and WCR to be both fruitful and balanced. Parting ways “However, WCR…

VINTAGE Trains’ ‘The Shap Mountaineer’ from Birmingham to Carlisle and over the famous incline will be headed by one of its Castle 4-6-0s. On Saturday, September 27, the train will call at Birmingham New Street and at Wolverhampton, Stafford, Crewe, Warrington Bank Quay and Preston (alighting at Blackburn on the return journey). The train will be diesel-hauled to Carnforth, where a Castle will take over. Both on the outward run via Shap and the return over the Settle and Carlisle line, the Castle will be unassisted by a diesel. On the return, the train will be diesel-hauled from Hellifield back to Birmingham New Street. A Tourist Enthusiast ticket is being offered, allowing holders to sit in the first passenger carriage behind the locomotive in at least one direction. For more…

August 30 Settle & Carlisle Steam Special Hull, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled between Carnforth (outward) and Preston (return). Loco: TBA, NB 30 ‘English Riviera Express’ Bedford, Kingswear and return. Steam-hauled between Taunton and Kingswear. Loco: 5029 Nunney Castle. ST 31 ‘The Royal Duchy’ Bristol Temple Meads, Par and return. Loco: TBA. RTC 31 – ‘The Shakespeare Express’ Birmingham, Derby, Leicester or Worcester to Stratford-upon-Avon. Loco: 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe or 7029 Clun Castle. VT September 2 ‘Pendle Dalesman’ Lancaster, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled throughout. Loco: TBA. WCR 3 ‘The Fellsman’ Blackpool North, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled throughout. Loco: TBA. ST 4 ‘The Dalesman’ York, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled between Hellifield (outward) and Carnforth (return). Loco: TBA. WCR 5 ‘The Cambrian Coast Express’ Cardiff Central, Pwllheli and return. Locos: 2x…

AMECCA for heritage enthusiasts the world over, the Isle of Man’s annual transport festival took place on July 22-27 and once again showcased the best the island has to offer, for where else can you travel aboard steam, two different electric tram routes, literal horse power and even a bus network all under one fare? This year, focus was directed to the Snaefell Mountain Railway which, having been opened in 1895, was celebrating its 130th anniversary. The only electric mountain railway in the British Isles, it travels only five miles in distance, yet it climbs nearly 2000ft fas it works its way around the isle’s only mountain from its starting point at Laxey. The line was first surveyed by George Noble Fell, son of John Barraclough Fell, who invented the…

EXCLUSIVE THE Glyn Valley Tramway Trust has announced plans to build a new steam locomotive. The trust now owns the rolling chassis of a Kerr Stuart Tattoo 0-4-2ST that will become the revived tramway’s flagship once built. The chassis was donated by the family of enthusiast Christopher Castro, who had been building the locomotive as a metalworking project and sent the wheels to the Statfold Barn Railway workshops to be profiled. Sadly, he died last year. The family advertised the frames – the component which gives a locomotive its identity – and wheels on Facebook Marketplace for free of charge and the GVTT took up the offer. The family wishes the locomotive to be completed in his memory and it shall be named Christopher at their request, numbered five to…

UNIQUE Port Talbort & Docks Railway Co. 0-6-0ST No. 813 will temporarily adopt its NCB identity for its return to service at the Severn Valley Railway’s upcoming steam gala following the arrival of its new saddle tank at Bridgnorth works. Built by Hudswell Clarke in 1901 for the PTR as No. 26, it became No. 813 in 1922 when the line amalgamated with the GWR, although the number was not carried until two years later, having spent 17 months undergoing modifications at Swindon Works. Sold off in 1934, it eventually passed into National Coal Board ownership in 1950 and was allocated to Backworth Sheds to serve the Northumberland coalfields. There it became No. 11 and entered service after having first been given a new boiler by Hudswell Clarke, with a…

A STALWART of the Mid-Hants Railway steam fleet in recent years, Urie S15 No. 506 has returned to service following extensive repairs and now carries its later BR identity of 30506 as its owning group sets the stage for a potential start and end of career comparison. At the start of April, the Urie Society-owned locomotive was pulled from service after leaks in the firebox were discovered. Further investigation revealed that there was also cracking to the copper plating in this area, with repairs necessitating the lifting of the boiler from the frames to access the affected areas. In less than four months, the required work (which has involved the replacement of about 70 firebox stays) has been conducted, completed, and the locomotive reassembled to bring it back into service,…

AUGUST 1 was a momentous day for the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway when, after years of perseverance and hard work, its 550-yard extension was opened for public passenger services, thus doubling the length of the line previously available for operation. Running on what was once a route that came about thanks to efforts in opening up central areas of Suffolk to both county and country, the seeds of the revived MSLR began in the 1990s with the formation of the preservation society and the first open days at Brockford station over the August bank holiday of 1991. The site was gradually restored and track laid down for 550 yards to Doverbrook, which was the heritage line’s terminus until this summer. Ambition realised While any major extension is fraught with challenges, the…

THE sole-surviving Peckett E class 0-4-0ST, No. 1351 of 1914 Lion, is back in service on the Lincolnshire Wolds Railway after a major overhaul. Lion was delivered new from Peckett’s Atlas Locomotive Works in Bristol to the Royal Arsenal at Woolwich and worked alongside its sister Tiger, pulling gun sleds and ammunition wagons on the extensive internal railway system. It was here that Lion acquired its large back cab windows to aid with shunting. In 1950 it moved to the Wallsend Slipway and Engineering Company, working on the River Tyne quayside, and was converted to oil-firing in 1959. In October 1974, Lion entered preservation at the Chasewater Railway, before relocating to the Foxfield Railway in January 1975. In early 1998, it moved to the LWR to become the first steam…

THE future of a unique piece of transport history is hanging in the balance after work to dismantle experimental high-speed hovertrain Research Test Vehicle (RTV) 31 began at Railworld Peterborough in July, following concerns about the supporting beam on which it has stood for nearly 30 years. RTV 31 was developed as part of plans to produce a functional train system that could reach speeds of 250mph, combining the technologies of both the hovercraft and the linear induction motor (LIM). It was hoped the resulting method of transport would provide an inter-city service with lower capital costs than other proposed solutions. The LIMs were devised to create a magnetic field that would give the vehicles motion and levitation, reducing the need fora wheel-to-rail contact that, at the time, was known…

THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch has issued a Safety Digest after a Gartell Light Railway staff member sustained serious injuries when he tried to get off a low-speed maintenance train. The incident occurred on Thursday, April 17, at about 9.35am, when the 2ft gauge line was closed to the public and the diesel-propelled three-wagon train was heading to a worksite at Common Lane level crossing. The two leading wagons carried materials, tools and equipment for a maintenance task. Next to the locomotive was a well wagon regularly used to convey volunteer staff, which was carrying five people at the time. Witnesses stated that the train was moving slowly and was slowing down in readiness to stop. The volunteer seated on the leading end of the well wagon alighted from the…

A MENU of cream teas, fish and chips, and a selection of local cheeses and gin is being dished up on Spa Valley Railway services as the rays of summer turn into autumnal hues. Afternoon teas will be available on steam-hauled return trips from Tunbridge Wells West to Eridge on September 6 and five dates in October, while cream teas for two with a bottle of Prosecco will be served on September 7 and 14, and on September 13 and on three dates in October a selection of local cheeses will be on offer. That quintessential English dish of fish and chips will be the on-board lunch offering on September 13 and 20, and the taste buds of gin lovers will be tempted on September 27 and October 11 by…

THE Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust has created a new multi-site trail and displays of rail-related monuments and objects from its collections to celebrate Railway 200. For Making Tracks: Celebrating 200 Years of the Modern Railway, specialist artefacts from its collection are being displayed at seven of the trust’s museums – Blists Hill Victorian Town, Coalbrookdale Museum of Iron, Coalport China Museum, Enginuity, Jackfield Tile Museum, the Museum of the Gorge and the Old Furnace – until December 31. The Ironbridge Gorge UNESCO World Heritage Site is widely regarded as the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, where Abraham Darby I perfected the technique of using coke instead of charcoal to smelt iron ore, laying the path to large-scale manufacturing and engineering feats. These included the construction of the world’s first iron…

PRINCE Richard, Duke of Gloucester, visited Didcot Railway Centre at the conclusion of a day-long tour of Oxfordshire on July 24 and boarded the footplate of repatriated GWR 4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis Castle for a short trip along demonstration line. His tour included stops at the University of Oxford’s vaccine research labs and the Bee House at Milton Park. A patron on the Severn Valley Railway, the duke, first cousin to the late Queen Elizabeth II, was welcomed to the centre by Great Western Society members who spoke to him about the educational work the railway centre undertakes, including its school outreach and interpretive displays linking young audiences with the story of steam travel. Long-time volunteer Kevin Dare gave him a guided tour of the site and its extensive collection…

UK Railtours will be running a tour along the Barton-upon-Humber branch, with the chance to visit Immingham freight terminal or spend time at the seaside in Cleethorpes on Saturday, October 25. ‘The Brick and Tile’ aims to recognise the part that Barton-upon-Humber played in the history of British brick and tile manufacturing following the abolition of the brick tax in 1850 and the subsequent boom in production. The train will start from Finsbury Park behind Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer and a classmate supplied by the Class 50 Alliance. Heading north on the East Coast Main Line, the first passenger pick-up point is booked to be Potters Bar, followed by Stevenage, St Neots, Peterborough, and Newark Northgate. From there, the tour will take the line towards Lincoln, passing through Collingham,…

NETWORK Rail has applied for permission to repair the Grade II*-listed footbridge in Bath’s Sydney Gardens, which crosses the Great Western Main Line. Dating from 1841, it is the only remaining Brunel cast iron footbridge on the line from London to Bristol. In 2022, Network Rail undertook masonry repairs on the parapets and abutments, and shortly afterwards Historic England added the bridge to its at-risk register due to the surface rust on the span. Bath & North East Somerset Council has been considering Network Rail’s application for listed building consent to carry out more repair and maintenance works following a structural assessment. The proposed scheme includes the replacement of the deck with one that is more durable, along with grit-blasting and painting the footbridge, which will be painted in the…

NETWORK Rail has set up a new free exhibition on railway photography and history at Liverpool Street station. The exhibition space has been created as part of Railway 200 and can be found on the upper level, next to the Leon restaurant. Created in partnership with Landscape Photographer of the Year, the exhibition features 17 railway images from around the country. Network Rail has a long partnership with Landscape Photographer of the Year, and many passengers will have seen the award-winning pictures on show at major main line stations. However, the unique display at Liverpool Street, called Lens on the Line, is the first ever such exhibition to be dedicated to the railway, with the photographs having been selected from previous years of the competition. An exhibition on the history…

INSPIRED by my visit to the excellent Mid-Hants Railway diesel gala on July 12, primarily for Western Region diesel hydraulics D821 Greyhound and D1015 Western Champion, I looked back through my notebooks for the many modern traction-hauled runs I had on the Western Region, mainly at my time of two spells at Paddington and working on diagram analysis for the 1968 grant claims; in those days, the railway knew how much each line cost to run. But my interest in ‘God’s Wonderful Railway’ (the GWR) went back much further to my early days visiting Paddington, where some of my earliest railway photographs were taken in 1960, and later in 1963, when many days were spent linesiding on the Paddington to Reading stretch. Even then, I included the diesel hydraulics in…

A live steam 7¼in gauge model of GWR No. 4082 Windsor Castle with an estimated selling price of up to £50,000 is set to go under the hammer in a two-day auction being held by Harper Field of Stonehouse, Glos., on October 8/9. It was constructed by world-renowned modelmaker David Aitken, one of whose models sold for £100,000 in 2015, and will be accompanied in the auction by a second Aitken model built to the same gauge, of GWR 2-8-0 No. 3822, which will carry a top estimate of £40,000. Two other GWR models, of 0-4-2T No.1466 in 5in gauge, and a 3½in gauge No. 7918 Rhose Wood Hall, will also feature, while a second 3½in gauge model, of Class 6P5F 2-6-0 No. 13246 (BR No. 42946), will bring a…

The South Devon Railway has a particularly rustic charm to it. Following the River Dart between Buckfastleigh and Totnes, this seven-mile branch passes through some of the region’s finest scenery and has for many years been in a strong position whereby it has ably afforded to assist other heritage lines by loaning out some of its locomotives for lengthy spells. Yet while there are many challenges it shares with its contemporaries, its position in the geography of the country does come with unique ones. With Devon being a very tourist-centric demographic, to encourage people to visit away from that market often requires convincing them to drive past other heritage lines. Despite this, general manager Ernie Ellsworth-Wilson reports that a slight increase in passenger numbers has been experienced. “It’s been a…

At an early stage, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway announced that three Class 37s would run at its July 25-27 summer diesel gala, with the National Railway Museum’s pioneer English Electric Type 3 D6700, normally resident on the Great Central Railway, booked to operate in a timetable that included home-based green-liveried D6948 and blue No. 37215 - leading to the rare prospect of a triple-header being accomplished. Later, it was announced that Class 50 No. 50021 Rodney was to make a return visit by courtesy of Paul Spracklen and his team. Affectionately referred to as Dave from the sitcom Only Fools & Horses, it was the first main line diesel locomotive to arrive at the formative G/WR in 1992, later moving to the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. Following a failure, it…

I ATTENDED the recent Railways At Work weekend at the Great Central Railway for the first time and I must say that I was impressed with everything I saw going on, with activities at every station transporting me back in time. I could have easily spent more of my visit just sitting at Quorn & Woodhouse watching the loading and unloading of wagons as goods trains came and went, while a steady stream of steam and diesel services passed through the platforms. One particular highlight was the crane demonstration. There are many heritage lines which have a crane of some sort as part of their collection, yet seldom do you see them actually being used, let alone in a public setting. All this activity meant you were never waiting long…