Table of contents for Issue 283 in Heritage Railway

GLOBALeventsof the past 18months have shownbeyond doubt that far toooftenwetake everyday lifeand the multiple treasures it has to offer forgranted. The same can easilybesaid of our proudheritage railway sector,which boasts rich and varied experiences onmorethan 150 operational lines. Longafterpreservationists took over theTalyllyn Railway 70 years ago, the sectorwas widely regarded as the domain of hardcoreenthusiasts, the shorttrousered schoolboyspotters of the 1950s and early 1960swhonowwantedtoplaywith the full-size version rather than models.Whatever their motives, their decades of voluntaryefforts have bequeathed Britain a legacythat, if only in termsof tourist economies, is second to very few, and hasmuchto offer everyone. Accordingly, the newly-launched LoveYour Railway nationwide campaigntoraise greaterawareness of the sector, andwhich so far is being backed by 38 heritage lines andmuseums, deservesmaximumsupport. Generous grantaid packages have helpedmanyof our lines survivethe lockdownclosureperiodswhen theywere deprived…

THE nine-mile GreatCentral Railway (Nottingham), which aimsto eventually becomethe northern‘half’ofaheritage main line steamhighway between the cityand Leicester, officially changed its nametoNottinghamHeritage Railway in July. A statement said: “The new GCR(N) board has decided to rebrand the railway as the Nottingham Heritage Railway, effective immediately. “We felt it was time to freshen up the railway’s image, and the new name is more inclusive and reflective of our strong links with the City of Nottingham and the Rushcliffe area. “Wewill be asking local schools to participate in a design competition for a new logo, which we will ask Ruth EdwardsMP to judge. “The existing legal and regulatory name will remain unchanged.” However, Michael Gough, managing director of Great Central Railway plc, operator of the double-track heritage line between Loughborough and Leicester North,…

THEWelshpool&Llanfair LightRailway rananhistoric‘ParliamentaryTrain’ to Llanfair CaereiniononJuly 17 as members of the All-PartyParliamentary Group on Heritage Rail visited the line. The group included former Education Secretary Baroness Morgan of Cotes, who set it up in 2011 and is a director of the Great Central Railway, Heritage Railway Association president Lord Faulkner ofWorcester, HRA CEO Steve Oates, and deputy chairman Chris Price. Members visited stations and workshops and met railway staff, and were joined by the leader of Powys County Council, Coun Rosemarie Harris. Lord Faulkner said: “The future of heritage railways lies in the hands of volunteers like Oliver (Edwards, pictured right with his HRA award), and they bring so much to their railways in terms of enthusiasm, drive and understanding of Britain’s unique railway heritage.” TheWLLR also received a highly…

THE relaunch of Llangollen Railway services on Friday, July 9 following its spring crisis hasbeen declared a success. Following approval of the new Safety Management Systemby inspectors from the Office of Rail and Road, a diesel railcar service ran from Llangollen to Berwyn during July 9-11 in a ‘shakedown exercise’. This was to ensure operational arrangements went to plan. More than 450 passengers were carried, generating more than £3000 in fares. Passengers aboard the line’s Class 108 DMU had a 15-minute stopover to viewBerwyn’s Chain Bridge and the Dee Gorge, or to stay longer and walk to the Horseshoe Falls. Llangollen Railway Trust chairman Peter Edwards said: “The ride remindedmany passengers of the early years of the restoration of the railway, and some had memories of childhood visits on Santa…

FORTY years on fromthe formationof GloucestershireWarwickshire Steam Railway plc to restorepartof theGWR Stratford-upon-Avon to Cheltenham route, 12 of thosepioneer volunteers reunited atWinchcombestation. At the informal ceremony on July 20, Colonel Mike Bennett OBE, DL, a non-executive volunteer director with the heritage railway’s plc, presented them with special 40-year pin badges and certificates tomark their continuing voluntary service. Among those first people who arrived on site in 1981 was the railway’s first chairman, TimBazeley. BR closed the line in 1976 and lifted the track three years later, and so the revivalists were faced with a monumental task of rebuilding a railway almost from scratch, along with all the infrastructure and stations, which had closed in 1960. Today, the line has 950-plus volunteers. Enjoyment for all Col Bennett told the dozen:“Weoweso muchto…

NEARLY a century after itwas taken over by the GWR, the Midland&South WesternJunction Railway is to get is ‘own’prairie tank. Bill Parker’s GWR 2-6-2T No. 5521 –which for eight years has run as London Transport No. L.150, repainted inmaroon for the celebrations to mark the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Railway in 2013, and with a cut-down cab to fit inside Underground tunnel clearances – is to be the star guest at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway’s September 10-12 gala. The event will mark the 60th anniversary of the closure of the MSWJR, which ran fromAndoversford via Swindon and Marlborough to Andover. A small section is used by the heritage line, which it is currently extending towards Cricklade. No. L.150 has just completed its 10-yearly overhaul at Bill’s Four Mill…

THEchassisof JeremyHosking’s 9F No.92212 isnowfully strippeddown inside theWestShedatSwanwick JunctionontheMidlandRailway – Butterley followingitsmovefromthe LlangollenRailway’s closedengineering business in2020. Following shotblasting of the frames, some fatigue cracking has been found in various bracketry, so this will be welded up. Due to severe corrosion, the rear dragbox has to be replaced.Work also has to be done on part of the front dragbox, with some platework needing replacement. The next phase of the overhaul will consist of removal of all valve and cylinder liners, due to being lifeexpired. Following shotblasting, the wheels have been found to be in good condition and so these will get ultrasonic testing and repainting. → Busy beehiveButterley: special featureonpages 98-101.…

THE DartmouthSteamRailway has found the perfectway tosay thank-you to volunteer JeanWatson–bynaming a carriage afterher. Jean was born in 1935 and grew up in Paignton. Aged three, her uncle would take her to Newton Abbot station to watch the trains go past. After the SecondWorldWar, she would stand on the old wooden railway bridge at Paignton and watch holidaymakers pour off the trains to start their English Riviera holidays. Jean was also one of the lucky ones to travel behind A3 Pacific No. 4472 Flying Scotsman when it visited the line in 1973 following its repatriation from California by the late Sir William McAlpine. Jean worked in nursing for many years in London and Cambridgeshire, and in 1998 her sister mentioned moving back to Devon. Jean did so and became an…

THE relaxation of Covid lockdown restrictions in England on July 19 has givenhope to the large armyof railwayana collectorswhohave yearned for a returnto liveaudience auctions. As reported in last month’s issue, therewas a belief among many that the auction scene may be edging towards normality, and this has been confirmed within the last fewweeks by leading railwayana specialist auction houses who have told Heritage Railway that they are either on the cusp of reopening their doors or have definite plans to do so in the not-so-distant future. As this issue went to press, Great Central Railwayana was showing signs that it could become the first specialist auction house to hold a live saleroom sale, possibly as early as mid-August. As this issue went to press, Great Central Railwayana was showing…

FOLLOWINGsuccessful trials at the Bure Valley Railway,biocoal is nowbeing tested in road locomotives. As reported last issue, CPL Industries, Europe’s largest manufacturer of smokeless fuels, tested its Ecoal 50 product at the BVR in June. Ecoal consists of 50% biomass, including crushed olive stones–which cannot be disposed of in landfill, because they produce gas when they break down–mixed with coal dust, and produces approximately 30% lower emissions thanWelsh steam coal. Following the BVR trials, the organisers of theWeald of Kent Steam Rally – Kent’s largest such event – contacted CPL to try the fuel in its traction engines, whose boilers are significantly larger than those of the BVR’s 15in gauge locomotives. Successful trials have been undertaken with the Ecoal, with the engines running over a set route. The organisers hope…

THIEVES whostole two large original running-in boards froma restored Bedfordshire station arebelieved to have also stolen anex-BR sack barrow at thesite towheel themtoawaiting vehicle. The thefts occurred at the former Cambridge-Oxford‘Varsity line’ station of Potton, near Sandy, where ex-railwayman George Howe has lived for 57 years. The 79-year-old began his railway career in 1958 as a telegraph lad at Hitchin South signalbox, subsequently became a signalman on the Hitchin-Huntingdon section of the ECML, and retired in 1999 when in management at King’s Cross. He moved into the Potton station building in 1964 as a tenant, and remained there after the station and the Cambridge-Bedford line closed in January 1968. In 1975, he was able to buy the property. No track remains, but the two platforms and the distinctive up platformcanopy…

AREUNION of Bagnall 0-6-0STs Victor and Vulcan, for the first timein over 30 years, is togoahead at the North Tyneside SteamRailway nextMay. Resident No. 401 (Vulcan) will be joined by sister engineWorks No. 2996 Victor, from the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, for the event during the early May Bank Holiday weekend. It will be the first time the pair have been together since 1986. They were the first two steam locomotives to arrive at the heritage -era West Somerset Railway in the early 1970s, but by the following decade had been replaced by ex-BR motive power more suitable for the 20-mile line. Vulcan was sold to Tyne&Wear Archives&Museums for the NTSR in 1986, while Victor departed the WSR in 1988 for the Strathspey Railway, sincewhen it has also been resident…

PRAIRIE 2-6-2TNo.5199 hasbeen paintedinGWRgreenfor thefirst timein the heritage era. TheCollett engine was turned out from the workshop at Minehead on July8with full‘GreatWestern’ lettering, replicating its appearance when new from SwindonWorks in November 1934. It is believed to have been one of the last locomotives to receive this livery, as the GWR changed over to the‘shirtbutton’ logo that year. Later, pictures of the engine rusting in DaiWoodham’s scrapyard at Barry show the‘GreatWestern’ lettering reappearing, as its later coats of BR green and black paintwork eroded away. Since the 5199 Project returned it to steamat the Llangollen Railway in 2003, it has worn BR-linedgreen and plain black liveries, both with the early ‘cycling lion’crest. “We always said from the word go that we’d ring the changes,”said 5199 Project chairman RichardPumphrey, “andamajority of…

NETWORK Rail hascompletedthe purchase of the Dartmoor Line. A heritage line has become part of the national network again, in a reversal of the situation nearly half a century ago when the Ministry of Transport sold what is now the Dartmouth Steam Railway to the Dart Valley Railway Company Ltd on December 30, 1972. The 16-mile Coleford Junction to Meldon Quarry line has been purchased by Network Rail from Aggregate Industries, which acquired it from BR in 1994. BRwithdrew its services from Exeter to Okehampton in 1972, but a summer-only service was introduced in 1997. The company ran freight trains to and from the quarry until 2008, but since then continued to support train operations through a long-term lease to the Dartmoor Railway Community Interest Company (DRCIC), as well as…

THEWythall MiniatureRailway nearBirmingham is to hold its first‘standardgauge’event on August 21, featuring models of full-sizemain line engines. A 5in gauge LMS‘Black Five’and a 7¼in gauge GWR King will be among the star attractions. Other visiting locomotives are expected, including a GWR 2-6-2T and Southern Railway Q class 0-6-0. Elmdon Miniature Engineering Society operate 3½in, 5in and 7¼in gauge locomotives on the fully-signalled line within the grounds of Transport MuseumWythall,Worcestershire, but this will be the first time that members have run their main line models for the public. More details can be found at www.wythall.org.uk and www.wythallsteamrail.com…

STEAMING dateshave been announced for recently overhauled Lancashire&YorkshireRailway 0-6-0ST No. 51456 at the East Lancashire Railway. The Aspinall Class 23 – actually LYR No. 752 but restored in 2020 with the number that it would have carried if it had entered BR service – will work ELR service trains on August 22, September 12, 19 and 26, October 10 and 24, and November 7 and 21. It is owned by the Lancashire &Yorkshire Railway Trust, which also recently moved LYR Hughes Brake Third coach No. 1474 from the Keighley&Worth Valley Railway to the ELR. Once repair work on the carriage is complete, itmay be paired with No. 51456 for some of the service trains, offering a unique opportunity to travel in an LYR coach behind an LYR locomotive on former…

THE slate landscape of north-west Wales–which includes theTalyllyn and Ffestiniog&Welsh Highland Railways –has officially been named as the 33rd UNESCOWorld Heritage Site, it was announcedasweclosed for press. The bid to UNESCO, led by Gwynedd Council, contained six key areas chosen to demonstrate outstanding universal value. They included Ffestiniog’s slate mines and quarries, the ‘city of slates’and the railway to Porthmadog, along with Bryneglwys slate quarry, Abergynolwyn village and the Talyllyn, the world’s first heritage line operated by volunteers. The other four key areas were the Penrhyn slate quarry and Bethesda and the OgwenValley to Port Penrhyn, Dinorwic slate quarry mountain landscape, the Nantlle Valley slate quarry landscape and Gorseddau and the Prince ofWales slate quarries, railways and mill. The decision by the World Heritage Committee places the North Wales slate…

LLANDUDNO’S GreatOrme Tramway isback in action after missing its first year since it opened in 1902 due tothe coronavirus pandemic. Passenger numbers are limited to 24, half the capacity of each carriage, toensure social distancing, and facemasks must be worn on board. Thepopular tourist attraction is running carriages fromVictoria station every 20minutes. There is no pre-booking system in place and all tickets must be purchased fromVictoria station. A statement fromthe tramway said:“The unique way that the tramwayoperatesmeant that navigating the changing restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic was a challenge to say the least! “We’re delighted tohave figured outaway of operating safely within the newguidelines but it means there are a few changes to the way thingswork.”…

FOURTEENlocomotiveswere in steamwhenthe StatfoldBarnRailway celebrated150 years of theQuarry Hunsletataspecialenthusiastweekend. The event, designed to celebrate the heritage of one of Britain’s most famous builders of industrial locomotives, was held a year after the anniversary onJuly 10/11, having been delayed from2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic. About 1500 people attended the gala, which featured three visiting Quarry Hunslets, No. 554 of 1891 Lilla and No. 707 of 1899 Britomart from the Ffestiniog&Welsh Highland Railways, and, on static display, No. 678 of 1898 Jonathan, from the now-private LythamCreek Motive PowerMuseum at Helical Technology in Lytham St Annes. Working life Lillawasbuilt for the Cilgwyn Slate Co. Quarry at Nantlle and boughtby the PenrhynQuarry in 1928 asastandby for its‘main line.’However, it spent most of itsworking lifeatPenrhynasaquarry engine, reportedly on the RedLion Level. Bernard Latham bought…

OFFICIALS’elation at the success of a barnstorming 10-day1400-mile railtour in June byAustralia’s flagship preserved locomotivewas followed by dismay whenfuturetrips had to be cancelled due tonewCovid-19restrictions. As reported in issue 280, streamlinedClass C38 No. 3801 – which was built by Clyde Engineering of Sydney in 1943 for New South Wales Government Railways and entered preservation on withdrawal in 1962 – returned to railtour duty in March after a 13-year overhaul. At the time, Transport Heritage NSW, the custodian of the stateowned Pacific, unveiled a programme for the rest of the year of Sydneybased trips and other state-wide visits, one of which was a railtour to central west NSW fromJune 4-14. Refunds issued Thatwent ahead, but planned trips in July and Augustwere called off due toanannouncementby the state government on July9of tighter…

THEteambehind the project tocreatea replicaofHighlandRailway4-4-0No.2 BenAlder–planned tobethe first steam locomotivetobebuilt in Scotland since 1958–isdrummingupsupportand progressing byworking closely with an existing Drummond-designedengine operatorandanothernewbuilder. Trustee Gavin Johnson said his group is working closely with the Ruddington Transport Heritage Centre-based GCR 567 project, which is also building a replica 4-4-0 in the shape of a Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway Class 2, which later became part of the Great Central Railway’s locomotive fleet as that railway’s No. 567. Bogie modified “Wehavefunding in placefor 50%of Ben Alder’sbogiewheelsandapledgefor a furtherhalf-wheel,”saidGavin.“TheGCR 567Grouphas kindlyagreedforustouse thepatternit hasemployedtohave its bogiewheels cast. “The 3ft 6in diameter 10-spoke wheels matchours and oncewe’ve arranged a hired use of the pattern, we will source prices and have the wheels cast. Our aim is to have as muchof the work done in Scotland as…

GOVERNMENTagencyHighways England(HE) hasbeenorderedtoapply forplanning permissionif itwants to keep its controversial concrete infilling of 159-years-old GreatMusgrave Bridge inCumbria. As highlighted last issue, the work by contractors, which began on May 24, has used about 10,000 tons of concrete toblock a disused trackbed which could one day link twoheritage lines, the Eden Valley Railway and the Stainmore Railway at Kirkby Stephen East, creating an 11-mile route. An EdenDistrict Council spokesman said:“The council is aware that HE has now infilled the bridge at Great Musgrave. In relation to whether these works require planning permission, it is important tonote that HE does have permitted development rights to carry out certain works, without the need for the prior granting of planning permission. The council’s acceptance of Highways England’s Permitted Development Rights does not constitute permission…

ATREASURE troveofnameplates andsmokeboxnumberplates largely fromLMS Jubilee 4-6-0s, collected by a formerPeterboroughNewEngland shed firemanandfoundhidden in his house afterhis death, is to be auctioned in September. Bachelor Kenneth Phillips’ collection includes 16 nameplates withamixture of Commonwealth countries and Navy connections, 20 Jubilee smokebox numberplates, 24 locomotive shedcode plates from sheds where Jubilees were stabled, five express headboards and 10 smokebox numberplates fromother locomotives. It is said to be worth more than £250,000 in total. Neil Booth, the owner of Railwayana Auctions UK Ltd, said: “This is by far the find of the decade in steam locomotive collecting circles, and we look forward to them finding new homes when they come to auction in September.” A special viewing is being arranged on September 4 at Crewe Heritage Centre, in the townwheremost of the…

HERITAGE railway historywasmadeat about 11amonTuesday, July 27,when ‘Black Five’No. 5025emerged in fine fettle–and in originalLMSlivery–from Aviemoreshed, out of the darknessand into the Highland sunshine. The oldest surviving ‘Black Five’was celebrating its return to steam after completion of a £520,000 restoration project, launched almost 20 years ago in 2002. Designed by Sir William Stanier and built by the Vulcan Foundry, No. 5025 was allocated to Perth shed when new in 1934. The engine would have passed though Aviemore frequently, both on the Highland main line and the Strathspey’s route via Boat of Garten (see panel), beforemoving to the north west of England. It was bought in 1968 at the end of BR steam by pioneering Scottish railway preservationist Ted Watkinson, for the then fledgling Strathspey Railway. A regular performer on the…

LANCASHIRE&YorkshireRailway ‘Ironclad’No. 957 is back in steam, in the‘Green Dragon’guise itwore forThe Railway Children filmin1970. The BartonWright Class 25 0-6-0 underwent its steam test at Haworth, on the Keighley&Worth Valley Railway, on July 21 following its 10-yearly overhaul. It last steamed in January 2013 when its previous boiler certificate expired. Mike Curtis is a trustee of the ‘Ironclad’s’owners, the Bowers 957 Trust, and has led the volunteer team carrying out the overhaul. He said: “The test up to full working pressure (140 psi) went well but a number of minor issues need to be tackled before running in can commence. We plan to carry out a steam test for the boiler insurance inspection on August 5, subject to one of the aforementioned issues being resolved (safety valve caps). “We did…

PORTTalbot Railway/GWR0-6-0ST No. 813 is visiting theMid-Norfolk Railway for the summer. The 1901-built Hudswell Clarke engine is based at the Severn Valley Railway, where it has seen extensive use in recent months alongside other resident small engines such as pannier tanks Nos. 1501 and 7714, but is nowgoing on hire as the SVR will be running its larger locomotives during the peak summer period. Meanwhile, the MNR is set to start work shortly on its next track renewal project. The latest in a programme of upgrades, between Wymondham and Dereham, will see the replacement of the down running line north of Thuxton station level crossing with concrete sleepers and flat bottom rail. Themajor track work will be conducted by contractor Sonic Rail Services, with the railway’s own staff and volunteers…

DID theGWRprovide the blueprint for Britain’sworld-leading National Health Service?That isaquestion being posted at twonewexhibitions being staged by STEAM–Museumof the GreatWestern Railway inSwindon. The exhibitions will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the GreatWestern Railway Hospital in Swindon. The first, The Doctor Will SeeYou Now, explores the cradle-to-grave healthcare service introduced by the GWR’s Medical Fund Society. By the 1940s, the GWR Medical Fund was one of the oldest and most successful medical aid societies in the country, encompassing swimming baths, a dentist, optician and chiropodist, and evenamassage therapist. The hospital had capacity for 42 beds, with a new X-ray department and blood donor service. The exhibition also examines how the GWR Medical Fund may have inspired the foundation of the modern-day NHS. The GWR also set up many…

THENational LotteryHeritage Fundhas awarded£33,000 to theTerrierTrust CIO to createaneducational programme forprimaryschool childrenbasedon its 149-year-oldLBSCRA1X0-6-0T No.70Poplar. Poplar’s home, the Kent & East Sussex Railway, is also a partner in the innovative schemewhich complements the line’s existing programme of school activities. No. 70was the first ‘Terrier’ tobe built and like others was named after areas servedby the LBSCR. Today, Poplar is part of the London borough of Tower Hamlets and the initiativewill see project partners Global Learning London work with children in the area to co-create an immersiveNational Curriculum-based programme, resulting in resource boxes for schools. These boxeswill be available nationally through schools library services and are likely to include material relating to historic railway themes, such as commuting in the 1870s. Pupils studying science and geographywill look at sources of energy,…

THETalyllynRailway is investing in a woodland scheme to offset its carbon emissions. It has entered into a partnership with Forest Carbon, a developer of UK nature-based climate projects, to contribute to the creation ofawood at Breckenhill in Northern Ireland. A total of 1688 trees have been planted on the 1.1-hectare site that will absorb 322 tonnes of carbon dioxide over the next 50 years. This works out at 6.44 tonnes annually. In a typical year, the TR consumes 95 tonnes of coal, creating 210 tonnes of CO2; equivalent to 127 people on a return flight from London to Los Angles. However, this was significantly reduced during the Covid-19 pandemic; in 2020, the line burned only 36.5 tonnes of coal, creating 81 tonnes of CO2. The railway ultimately aims to be…

TWOBRdieselswhichwere oncean everyday sight in EastAngliahave returnedto serviceonlocal heritagelines followingmajor overhauls. TheMidland&Great Northern Joint Railway Society’s Class 31 D5631, outshopped in BR green with bodyside stripes and small yellow front panels, returned to service on the North Norfolk Railway after 4½ years on July 24 at the line’s mixed traction weekend. Initially focussing on the badly corroded bodywork, a drawback which plagued the Brush Type 2 class asawhole, the overhaul in the Weybourne workshops of North Norfolk Railway Engineering has also seen the replacement of its No. 4 traction motor and extensive electrical work. To increase operational usefulness on a heritage line with steam-heated stock, it was decided to reinstall a steam boiler with which class members were equippedwhen built. These were removed frommany in the 1970s and 1980s during…

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APIECEof IsleofWight railway history has returned to the islandwith the completion of Ryde Pier tramcarNo. TheDrewry-built diesel railcar arrived at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway on June 25 following a complete rebuild at Alan Keef Ltdof Ross-on-Wye. It was immediately tested on two round trips over the five-mile line, first on its own and then hauling the chassis of its replica trailer No. 10, whichhad already been delivered on June 7 and was ballasted to simulate its eventual weight once its body has been fitted. Original parts The tramcarwill nowundergo further testing and driver training before entering traffic.Howit will be used is yet to be decided, but demonstration runs in thesidings at Havenstreet or off-peak passenger services along the whole line aretwosuggested possibilities. It brings a complete and working…

AFORMERBodmin&WenfordRailway youngvolunteerandpassedfiremanis leadinganewskillsregeneration project whichcouldbringSt Blazey turntable back into use afterseveral years. TheOperation Trevithick project is the first step for newly-formed MPower Kernow (MPKC) CIC to create a unique technical training centre for science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) and construction industry skills in the heart of Cornwall. The project is centred around the restoration of the Grade II* listed turntable and part of the associated DB Cargo railfreight depot, for which a seven-year lease agreement was signed by DB CargoUK and MPKCon June 24. The pioneering schemewill also include clearance of vegetation and debris and the repair of an engineering plant tobe used on site. The turntable has not been used since 2018 and is nowbeing assessed as to the extent of the repairs that are needed to return…

THESevernValleyRailway has paid tributetolong-time supporterand photographer IanMurray,whodied onJune10afterabattle against pancreaticcancer. Ian, 62, submitted photographs to SVR publications over the years, and several are tobe found in the line’s new 2022 diesel calendar, as highlighted inOff The Shelf, page 82. SVR diesel committee chairman Jonathan Dunster said:“Ian was a familiar face along the SVR at stations and on the lineside over the past 30 years, during which time he took many thousands of images of steam and diesel traction. “Ian’s real passion was for the SVR’s diesel fleet and for the Class 50s, so it was fitting that the Class 50-hauled Pioneer services operating on June 11 and 13 carriedawreathhis memory. “Fortunately, Ian’s legacywill live on, as he’s donatedhis entire photographic collection to the SVR and the Class 50 Alliance.” Ian’s…

ALL six driving wheelsonnew-build PatriotNo.5551TheUnknownWarrior mustbereplaceddueto cracking. Thewheel castings – produced by the Boro Foundry in 2010/11 – have been inspectedby British Engineering Services using magnetic particle testing, following the discovery that one of the trailing wheels had “serious and extensive”cracking (HR 280). The LMS-Patriot Project stated:“A report received from BES has confirmed that all five driving wheels that were tested in June have widespread serious cracking. After discussionwith our certification body, Ricardo, and the Princess Royal Class LocomotiveTrust (which is assembling No. 5551 at itsWest Shed workshop at Butterley), it has been determined that all six driving wheelswill need to be replaced. An investigation is continuing with all parties involved, but it is believed that the cracks originate from the casting process.” Heritage Railway has contacted the Boro Foundry…

“Horwich has gone and we’re the lingering embers of the L&Y.” So said East Lancashire Railway general manager and Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway enthusiast Tracey Parkinson, referring to the sad loss of the pre-Grouping company’s great works at Horwich, which was torn down recently by developers to make way for new housing and a road. But she was also referring to the ELR’s determination to keep the spirit of Horwich alive – not just with its resident locomotives that were designed and built there, but carrying on its traditions with a major redevelopment of its Buckley Wells site, including the restoration of another former LYR workshop and possibly even incorporating some small pieces of Horwich Works itself. Agrowing railway Horwich was the last major railway works in Britain to be…

THE fittingofnewoutside cylinder liners toLMSStanier4-6-2No. 6233Duchess of Sutherland on July6raised hopes that the locomotive could returntothe main line in late August. The linerswere fitted inside the Princess Royal Class LocomotiveTrust’s West Shed atSwanwickJunction at the Midland Railway–Butterley, the inside ones having beenreplaced in2016. The linerswere placed intoahalf-full bath of liquid nitrogen to shrink them and manually rotatedtoensure an even temperatureoverall.The bath is not full because otherwise, gloveswouldfreeze whenimmersedtopick up the liners. When downto temperature, the liquid nitrogen stops bubbling and time is of the essence to slide theminto the cylinders. It only takes twominutes for the liner to expand in place, socareful positioning is essential. Each liner costs £6000 including fitting, so it is important to get it right. Watching the engineers liftone onto a trolley adjusted to height and…

LMS JubileeNo. 45699 Galatea has been turned out in the guise of scrapped classmateNo. 45627 Sierra Leone. TheStanier 4-6-0, part of the Carnforth-basedWest Coast Railways fleet, appeared with its new identity to haul the‘Scarborough Spa Express’from York on July8,with replicanameplates and smokeboxnumberplate. The renumbering has been carried out to promote the Sierra Leone National RailwayMuseum, which former National RailwayMuseum director Steve Davies, chairmanof TheA1SteamLocomotiveTrust,was instrumental in setting up in 2004. AfterNo. 45699 has run as No. 45627 foraperiod, one of the nameplates will be auctioned to raise funds for the museum,whichwill receive the other nameplate andthe smokebox numberplate for display. It is the second change of identity for Galatea,which sinceNovember 2019 has been running in the guise of No. 45562 Alberta, the lastmember of the class in BR service in1967.…

THE RailwayHeritageTrustimmediately pledged £500,000 to help restore iconic Troon station after its main buildingwas gutted by fire–but said itwouldcost far morethan that torebuild Almost 130years of historywas destroyedafter a firebroke out in the ticket officeonplatformone and spread to theroof around 12.40pm on July17, the hottest dayof the year up to then. Ahairdressing salonand café at the stationwere also gutted andpartof the building collapsed.Therewere no injuries. Damageto the overhead wires led to suspension of Scotrail services between Kilwinning and Ayr. Special supports were installed on both platforms to allowrepairs to be carried out and newoverhead power cableshave also been installed, and part of the station reopened on July 26.Thecause of the firehad not been established aswe closed forpress. Huge loss Local council chairmanDougie Grahamsaid:“It’sadisaster for the town, especially at this time…

PROGRESS is beingmade with the restoration of locomotives at LocomotiveServices Limited at Crewe. BR Standard Class74-6-2No. 70000 Britannia is nowarollingchassis after beingre-wheeled recently following adjustment tohorn clearances. Thecon rods areyet to be fitted, and the boiler is in the final stages of its overhaul and is nowfully tubed,while the replacement side stays are in the advanced stages of being fitted. Boiler fittings, cladding and pipework have all been fettled ready for fitting on completionof the boiler. Thenew tender tank is nowon the chassis and in the final stages of assembly. Work continues on Peppercorn A2 No. 60532 Blue Peter, with frame alignmentwell underway following permanent fixing to the frames of the three cylinder blocks.Thenewrear dragbox isnowfixed in position, while the brake gear is currently being fitted to the tender following…

THE NorthYorkshireMoors Railway –Britain’smost popular heritage line in termsof annual passenger figures – is the driving forcebehindanew nationwide campaigntoboost public awareness of the sector. The NYMR, which carries more than 300,000 passengers each year and is an educational charitable trust, is collaborating with 37 other heritage lines and venues in the six-week Love Your Railway summer campaign, running from July 26 to September It aims to showcase not only the important work heritage railways do regarding conservation, education and research, but also highlight how they have been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic in terms of reduced capacities and income. NYMR general manager Chris Price said:“We’re optimistic and excited about the summer ahead, but the last 12 months have been like no other year, with lockdowns, reduced capacities due to social…

THENorthYorkshireMoorsRailway has unveiled its £4million carriage shed, oneof the key projects in its£10million Yorkshire’sMagnificent Journey (YMJ) Appeal. The five-track single-storey cantilevered-roofed carriage shed at Pickering will house up to 40 of the carriages, and enable servicing and cleaning tasks tobe completed undercover for the first time. The new facility forms part of the largerYMJ scheme to transformthe railway and secure its future as part of the appeal, which has been funded by grants from the European Union, the National LotteryHeritage Fund, the Department of Environment Farming and Rural Affairs, the Local Enterprise Partnership, and donations from the charity’smembers and supporters. Immersive history It is one of six projects–which also includes the new education coach at Goathland – aimed at helping deliver one of the charity’s key objectives: to improve interpretation…

NEW-BUILDGWRSaintNo. 2999 Lady of Legendand Peppercorn A1No. 60163 Tornado aretoheadline the North YorkshireMoors Railway’s Autumn SteamGala on September 23-26. The Churchward 4-6-0 and the LNER-design Pacific are the first two new-build examples of large standard gauge main line steam locomotives to be completed in preservation (excluding replicas of early locomotives) and this event will bring them together for the first time. They will be joined by LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48305 from the Great Central Railway – the first of its class to appear on the NYMR for nearly 30 years. The only other example to run on the line in preservation, and probably in its history, was the Keighley&Worth Valley Railway’s No. 48431, which paid a brief visit in October and November 1993 for the NYMR’s Wartime Weekend. Along…

THEoldest survivingMidlandRailway locomotive,MatthewKirtley156 class 2-4-0No.158A, hasbeenmovedto Locomotion atShildon after46years at theMidlandRailway-Butterley. On July 6, No. 158A waspulled out of theMatthewKirtleybuilding at Swanwick Junction and towedto Butterleybehind recently restored diesel shunterCastle Donnington Power Station No. 4 inpreparation for its journeynorth. At Butterley it waspushed into the paint shop by Class 11 No.12077 for safestorage, ready for transportation to ShildononJuly 12. It wasbuilt as No. 158 at Derby in 1866 as one ofaclass of 29 for express passengerwork, the suffix being added in 1896. At the time it ran into the railway’s London terminus at King’s Cross twoyearsbeforeSt Pancras opened in 1868. Several rebuilds took place throughout its longworking life and it received a Johnson boiler and cab,aDeeley/Fowler smokeboxand Stanier chimney, but the frames are Kirtley. After 81yearsof service, it waswithdrawn fromNottingham as…

APUBLIC inquiry intothe RotherValley Railway’s extension to linkupwith the Kent&East Sussex Railwaywasunder wayas this issuewent to press. It considers the application by RVR Ltd, working in partnership with the KESR, for a Transport &Works Act Order, titled the ‘Rother Valley Railway (Bodiam to Robertsbridge Junction) Order’. The RVR was formed in 1991 as a separate company, with the support of the KESR, to acquire land for and construct the extension. Since then, it has relaid a half-mile running line eastwards from its base at the main line station of Robertsbridge to Northbridge Street, as well as a further three quarters ofamile of track westwards from the KESR’s current terminus of Bodiam to Junction Road. TheTWAOwould give the RVR statutory powers to rebuild the remaining 2¼ miles of the former KESR…

VINTAGE buses are completing full-length journeysof theWest Somerset Railway. Friday, July 16 saw steam trains running from Bishops Lydeard to Dunster, with a small fleet of heritage buses travelling onwards to Minehead. Two of the vintage buses were open-top types, which proved very popular with visitors given the sunny weather, and another and more modern bus was disabled-friendly. The first is a former DevonGeneral AEC double decker, originally built in 1934with a closed top. Converted to open top in 1955 and operated along Torquay and Paignton seafront, it was withdrawn from regular service in 1961 and moved to South Wales before entering preservation. The second bus is a Bristol VR type which first entered servicewith the Bristol Omnibus Company in 1976 – the same year that the WSR first started…

ROBERTStephenson&Hawthorn 0-6-0STNo.7849 of1955Moorbarrowhas returnedto steamat the GwiliRailway followingits 10-yearly overhaul. The bottom half of the locomotive was overhauled and reassembled in the Carmarthenshire line’s new shed at BronwyddArms, while the boiler was sent toYorkshire firmMcEwens for overhaul. The privately-owned engine will now remain at theGwili for at least two years. Built for the National Coal Board, the locomotivewas first used at BackworthColliery beforemoving toWhittle Colliery, from where it was sold into preservation in 1973. Its first home was the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where it was named Moorbarrow.…

THEManchester SouthJunction& Altrincham Railway is one of those little knownand obscurerailways fromwhich little rolling stockhas been preserved, but tuckedaway at the MidlandRailway –Butterley are twoof its compartment carriages dating back to1931. TheMSJ&AR main line was between Ordsall Lane and London Road but therewas a branch, 8½ miles long, running from Manchester London Road (nowPiccadilly) to Altrincham. Eventually it was connected to the Cheshire Lines Committee at Altrincham and became a through route. The original railway owned its carriages but never owned any locomotives, instead using those from the London&North Western Railway and the Manchester, Sheffield and Lincolnshire Railway. World first In 1931 the Altrincham branch became the world’s first urban passenger railway to be electrified with overhead wires at 1500V DC, this voltage being used to feed the heaters which…

SUPPORTERS of the project to build an example of Britain’s most powerful express passenger steamlocomotiveare beingurged to backa£250,000 scheme to fabricate its cylinder block. The A1 Steam LocomotiveTrust, the builder of new Gresley P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince ofWales, has commissioned Howco Group Plc in Irvine to fabricate the new cylinder block, using steel castings supplied by principal sponsor William Cook Cast Products Ltd of Sheffield. Delivery is scheduled for spring 2022. To fund the component, the trust has launched The Cylinder Manufacturing Club to raise an initial target of £250,000 from 250 supporters each donating £1000 plus Gift Aid. The trust’s engineering team has now completed the considerable amount of work involved in converting the original P2 monobloc casting design into a welded fabrication. This work included Finite Element…

MEMORIESofoneof theBBC’smost acclaimed sitcomswill bring hilarity andlaughter totheSpaValleyRailway inAugustandSeptemberwhenan Australian theatrecompanypays homagetoFawltyTowers. Titled FaultyTowersThe Dining Experience, the interactive production made its debut in 1997 in Australia and has since been performed in 41 countries, with tours in Europe, Asia and its home country. It also appears each year for an extended season at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival and has an ongoing residency in London’s West End. The two-hour show–for which the millionth ticket was recently sold –will take place on the Spa Valley Railway in dining trains on August 28 and September 25. Spa Valley commercial and finance manager Jonnie Pay said: “Passengers will be part of the action as actors playing Basil, Sybil and Manuel serve up mayhem alongside a three-course meal and non-stop laughter. Improvised and interactive “Therewill…

THEIvattDiesel RecreationSocietyis puzzled afterbeing sentaphotograph showingbogies fromLMSpioneer mainlinedieselNo.10000atCarlisle onJuly12,1968.However,No.10000, of which thesociety aims to build a replica,wasscrappedinJanuarythat year. “The question arises–why and howthe bogies made their way to Carlisle?”said society secretary Andrew Hoseason. “The bogies fitted to class D16/1 were very similar to those fitted to Class EMR2 and the Class 600 Warships, but there are small detail differences which let us confirm that thesebogies are indeed from Nos. 10000/1. Given thatwehave aphotograph of No. 10001 in a scrapyard with its bogies in the summer of 1968, we can be certain that theseare from10000. “It has been suggested that theywere there tobeused as accommodation bogies, or in connection withWorkington steelworks. However, information is scarce. “If any reader has information about this, the IDRSwould be grateful to receive it.” The societycan be contactedby…

CORNISH company Railholiday is celebratingaprestigious national title, havingwonthe accolade of Self CateringAccommodation of theYear in the iPaper’s Staycationawards. Dave and Lizzy Stroud began their venture in 1998with a small carriage in their trackside garden. They have since expanded their fleet to include five beautifully converted carriages at two Cornish sites, St Germans and Hayle, and are currently restoring a coachmade by the GWR for Queen Victoria. Sophie Lam, iPaper’s travel editor, said:“What a lovely place to stay.We were really impressed by Railholiday’s focus on the local environment and sustainability initiatives, as well as its welcoming outlook – making a historic train carriage accessible proves that self-catering accommodation can be, and should be, inclusive.” Historic TPO Thesiteat StGermans station includes aGWRTPO which formedpartof the ‘OceanMails’special fromPlymouth to Paddington headed byGWR4-4-0 No.…

TWOrailwaystations areonthe market inDevon–one next toaheritage line and theother completewith a vintage carriage. The lease on Torrington station includes The Puffing Billy restaurant, tea room and café, and is being offered for £119,500. Built by the North Devon Railway and opened on July 18, 1872 to serve trains to Bideford, it was operated by the LSWR. It closed to regular passenger services in 1965 under the Beeching Axe. However, due to both local china clay and milk train traffic, freight trains and the occasional passenger special, the line remained in use until 1982. After full closure, the station building was converted to a public house and then to its present form, a restaurant/licensed café. It stands next to the TarkaValley Railway, which has a separate office and hopes to eventually…

AUSATC S160 2-8-0 was set to appearatDidcot RailwayCentrefor major celebrations tomarkthe 60th anniversaryof the GreatWesternSociety. Visiting from the Churnet Valley Railway, No. 6046 was due to star in part one of the Diamond Jubilee Gala on July 31/August 1, recalling the days when six of the type were allocated toDidcot in 1943 and 1944. The centre’s head of visitor experience and marketing, Graham Hukins, said:“The class is one of the few that were based at Didcot in GreatWestern days that has not made an appearance in the preservation era.” The society is planning part two of the gala in October once the results of the Government’s easing of lockdown restrictions are assessed. That event will showcase the society’s first carriage, auto trailer No. 231, and GWR diesel railcar No. 22.…

SUNDAY, July 18 wasanotabledate for SteamDreamswhendouble chimney Jubilee4-6-0No. 45596 Bahamas worked its first passenger train out of LondonsinceBRdayswith the High Commissioner for the Commonwealth ofTheBahamas on board. Temperatures soared into thehigh 20s, helping HisExcellencyEllison E GreensladeQPMfeel as though he might be backhome intheWest Indies. Almost everycarriage toplightwas wide open, creating some relief for passengers and despitethe heat, the tripwentwell. Onarrival at Salisbury, theusual local crowdturned up on platform four to getaclose-up of Bahamas while passengers, including the High Commissioner and his entourage, left the train to discover citysights, with somepayingavisit to thecathedral. Onceclear of passengers, the trainwas cleanedand prepared for the afternoon ‘CreamTeaSpecial’which ranthrough parts ofWiltshireand Hampshire. Therelationship between the locomotive’sowner, the Bahamas LocomotiveSociety, and the Bahamas Tourist Office, in particular the High Commissioner, began in 1967when it receiveda£25 donation…

UNIQUE BR 8P No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester is well on the way to becomingaPacific again, with the reassembly of its driving wheels. Thedrivingwheelsets of the 4-6-2 are at South DevonRailwayEngineering, where the crank axle has been replaced and the cannon boxes (roller-bearing axleboxes) overhauled–both jobs requiring the wheels to be pressed off the axles. All six wheels and the overhauled cannon boxeswere returned to their axlesbymid-July, with the next stage being to machine the wheels in preparation for new tyres. Once these areprofiled, it is hoped to have the wheelsback under No. 71000’s frames at its home base,Tyseley Locomotive Works, for that venue’s open weekend on October 23/24. Modifications to the locomotive’s front end to reducepiston ring wear areexpected tobecompleted during early August. These include attaching the slidebars to…