Table of contents for Issue 454 in Steam Railway

If you’re under the age of 25, I hope you’ll read this. While your memories of what wasn’t actually a golden age are non-existent, you do have a fighting chance of celebrating the 100th anniversary of the end of BR steam on August 4 2068, unlike the rest of us. Before then, you’ll have inherited the legacy of what we know as the steam movement. You’ll be charged with the welfare of what’s already been saved, and being sensible about your ambitions. It is frustrating - indeed worrying - to learn of private steam lines’ ten-year plans. Why aren’t there 30-year plans? Presumably it’s because their directors know they may not be around to see anything beyond a decade reach fruition. This is short-sighted nonsense. What’s in store several decades…

BR blue ‘King’ No. 6023 King Edward II took a bow for the public at Didcot Railway Centre’s steam gala on April 30-May 2, as its redesigned blastpipe arrangement was tested. First tried out a week beforehand on April 22, the new blastpipe closely follows the improved BR arrangement first tried on Nos. 6001 King Edward VII and 6017 King Edward IV in 1952. It is needed because the cut-down single chimney, which was necessary to get the Collett 4-6-0 within Network Rail height limits, had been found to affect its steaming characteristics. “It now sounds more like a ‘Castle’,” reckons Great Western Society Chairman Richard Croucher, “but the general opinion is that the new blastpipe does the job much better.” Following the completion of the TPWS and OTMR main…

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Cotswold Festival of Steam Gala on May 28-30 promises to be a jam-packed event with the announcement of a third visiting engine - GWR ‘Manor’ No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor , making its first appearance at the GWSR in preservation. In a remarkable coincidence, the Collett 4-6-0 will pass through its first preservation home of Ashchurch, former headquarters of the Dowty Preservation Society, on its way to the GWSR. It arrived at Ashchurch in May 1974, following its rescue from Barry, before moving to its current home on the Severn Valley Railway. The latest addition to the guest list is highly appropriate for the ‘Swindonbuilt’ themed event, and is appearing courtesy of the Erlestoke Manor Fund. No. 7812 will join classmate and GWSR resident No. 7820 Dinmore…

With the ‘bottom half’ of No. 32424 Beachy Head nearing completion, and work starting on its boiler, the Brighton ‘Atlantic’ group is also turning its thoughts to the building of a tender. The chassis for the LBSCR Marsh 4-4-2’s tender was rewheeled in 2006, but has since been used for storage purposes and is yet to receive its tank, which is expected to be built by a contractor. It is a ‘hybrid’ of LBSCR parts, made up of the frames from ‘B4’ 4-4-0 No. 2063 Pretoria - bought from the restorers of ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34070 Manston - and the wheelsets came from a ‘C2X’ 0-6-0 tender. The latter came from Barry for the replica GWR ‘Single’ No. 3041 The Queen at Windsor, which was broken up in 1999.…

An appeal to save one of the world’s last British-built steam locomotives in everyday service has passed the £5,000 mark - but will need ten times that figure if the engine is to be safely repatriated. RSH-built ‘19D’ 4-8-2 Saiccor No. 3 was one of the last two steam locomotives in regular industrial use in South Africa when it was withdrawn at Sappi Saiccor pulp mill last August. It has been donated to the North British Locomotive Preservation Group, which hopes to ship it back to Britain for display in Darlington. NBLPG Secretary Ken Livermore said: “Although we have not yet set up a formal fund, we have received more than £5,500 in donations, and one member has promised another £5,000 if it achieves charitable status. “We have obtained a…

S&D AT 60 In a year of S&D 50th anniversaries, the Spetisbury Station Project is holding a community event on September 17 to mark exactly 60 years since its station closed in 1956. Steph Gillett will be signing copies of his new book The Somerset & Dorset Railway Through Time. LONG WAY HOME The BR Eastern Region enamel running-in board from Long Melford has returned to the village for display after being advertised on eBay. The station, where the Stour Valley line and Bury St Edmunds branch diverged, closed in March 1967. BARNHAM ’BOX BACK The former Barnham signal box is to be reopened by the Duke of Norfolk on June 24. It has been restored in Chichester as the new home of the Bognor Regis Model Railway Club.…

A fire-ravaged ‘royal’ railway station is set to reopen in December next year - and it will be ‘better than it was before’. Ballater’s Old Royal station was devastated by a huge blaze in May last year, destroying several businesses and a tourist information centre. Aberdeenshire Council’s policy and resources committee has backed plans to restore the station. The B-listed building - used by Queen Victoria on her trips to nearby Balmoral Castle - was described as the ‘centrepiece of the village’. The station’s Victorian waiting room and visitor centre are salvageable, but the rest will have to be knocked down and reconstructed. Councillors have backed plans to use the new-look station as a community facility. The Station Square library will go into the building, which will include a VisitScotland…

AFTER THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway reported 10,000 visitors and £½ million income during the ‘A3’s’ visit in March (SR453), a similar increase in passenger numbers at the East Lancashire Railway has been attributed to the Flying Scotsman - despite the Gresley ‘Pacific’ not being there since January. The publicity generated by the ‘A3’s’ launch at Bury on January 8, says ELR Financial Director David Layland, caused fare revenue to rise in February by 20% on the previous year - and by an enormous 60% for March. “That does include Easter,” he admitted, “but then we’re not really an ‘Easter railway’. It’s a phenomenal figure.” Bookings for dining trains have also increased, while the final revenue from its four days of operation on the ELR in…

Newly arrived Barclay 0-4-0ST W/No. 1219 was the centre of attention at the Pontypool and Blaenavon Railway on April 30. For the locomotive’s first day at its new home, a special ‘Barclay Day’ was organised, double-heading it with 14in-cylindered 0-4-0ST Rosyth No. 1 on the Welsh line’s steep gradients. It was also the first time W/No. 1219 had ever hauled public passenger trains, having recently returned to steam following restoration at the West Somerset Railway.…

AN ARSONIST who caused over half a million pounds of damage to Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway by starting a number of fires has been told he faces a lengthy term in prison. Engineer Benjamin Taylor (24), from Whitehaven, was convicted by Carlisle Crown Court on April 29. The jury heard that he was initially praised for discovering the railway blazes, two of which the fire service suggested arose from electrical faults. A jury found Taylor guilty of starting three fires on the R&ER and two others. The most serious fire caused £500,000 of damage to the railway’s workshop on March 28 2013. A blaze in the R&ER paintshop on December 4 2012 caused another £50,000 of damage, and a further blaze in the canteen was extinguished on December 31 2012.…

Vintage trains on the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway will run in mixed formations this year. Hauled by one of the railway’s Beyer, Peacock 0-6-0Ts, passengers will ride in the replica Pickering carriages. There will be two return trips for mixed trains on four weekends between June and August, the Country Railway weekend, (a new venture) on June 25-26, and annual September 2-4 steam gala Another new venture for the WLLR will take place on June 11 and July 24, when afternoon tea will be served in the restored Sierra Leone Railway carriages. Their low capacity has confined them to the sidelines since 2009.…

Six racks of 1950s telephone carrier equipment from Ffestiniog Railway exchanges at Tany-Bwlch, Tanygrisiau and Blaenau Ffestiniog have gone to the Poldark Mine, near Helston in Cornwall. Until recently, the FR was the operator of the largest Strowger electromechanical installation in the world, but it has now adopted a digital system. Poldark Mine, which says there are no other preserved carrier racks in the UK, will use them in its ‘Uses of tin and copper’ gallery.…

There was a touch of irony about the sale of the nameplate of LMS ‘Royal Scot’ 4-6-0 No. 46153 The Royal Dragoon at Crewe last month as the auction took place only a couple of hundred yards from where the locomotive was cut up in 1963. The nameplate from the 1930 Derby-built engine is still in ex-locomotive condition, and sold for £11,500. The second best selling plate was Tintagel from ‘King Arthur’ class ‘N15’ 4-6-0 No. 30745, which realised £9,100. It had a lightly polished face while the back was in exactly the same condition as when it was unbolted from the engine. A third steam plate to feature was a genuine Crewe product, ex-LNWR Helvellyn from ‘Precursor’ 4-4-0 No. 25187, a curved brass plate carrying its Crewe Works April…

A training facility for youngsters is a valuable new feature at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The official opening of Peter’s Railway Young Engineers Centre on Platform 2 at Pickering station, on April 14, is the culmination of over 1,500 hours of effort from staff and volunteers. It has been put together with the help and expertise of children’s author Chris Vine, who has used his knowledge and understanding of engineering to create exciting and interactive displays through storytelling and technical diagrams. Master of ceremonies was Professor Richard Folkson, president of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers.…

A‘21st century loads book’ should be finalised within weeks, putting an end to inappropriate formations for steam locomotives (SR442). The subject was discussed at the Office of Rail and Road’s second ‘steam summit’, held on May 4 and attended by Network Rail and Britain’s two steam operators, DB Cargo and West Coast Railways. Although not yet signed off, these rulings raise the possibility of longer trains for the biggest engines. That will be a great relief for promoters, who have suffered financially since last year, when they were forced to run shorter trains - and therefore had fewer seats to sell. ORR Deputy Chief Inspector David Keay told Down Main that NR, together with the operators, “has produced benchmark guidance for operations which includes loads and lengths for routes.” In…

Howard Johnston, Editor Engine owner and publishing all-rounder Toby Jennings, Assistant Editor The busy ‘fireman’ feeding the SR furnace Tom Bright, Staff Writer The wordsmith addicted to steam Tony Streeter, Down Main His finger’s on the pulse of main line steam Chris Leigh, Consulting Editor A senior figure in railway journalism Mike Hedderly, Top Link Recording the finest of steam’s performances Jane Skinner, Editorial Assistant Mark Pearce, Industrial News Graham Copestake, Art Editor Richard Hampson, Sub Editor Mandy Brett, Production Manager Peter Johnson, Narrow Gauge Robin Morton, Irish News David Brown, Railwayana Julie Cox, Account Manager Bev Mason, Marketing Manager ALSO SPECIAL THANKS TO... Andrew Fowler Matt Green Simon Shutt Paul Conibeare David Elliott Mark Smith Keith Parkinson Bob Huxtable Len Pullinger Andrew Bratton Barry ‘Mac’ Ben Scott…

The Mid-Hants Railway is planning a gala next summer to mark 50 years since the end of Southern steam. The dates of July 1/2 and 8/9 2017 include the anniversary on July 9. With only two appropriate engines in the home fleet expected to be operational - BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76017 and Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41312 - both original and rebuilt Bulleid ‘Light Pacifics’, a ‘Merchant Navy’, and a BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T, are all on the ‘wish list’. The MHR Preservation Society is sponsoring the gala to mark 40 years since its formation in 1977.…

The Gwili Railway has secured a £13,197 grant towards the construction of an engine shed at Bronwydd Arms, bringing an end to four decades of outdoor storage and maintenance of its operational steam fleet. The grant for the shed, which will be 75ft long by 25ft wide and capable of housing two ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0STs, is from Carmarthenshire County Council’s Target Finance Fund. It adds to funding raised by the Gwili Railway Company and the Gwili Railway Preservation Society. Spokesman Thomas Spain said: “The railway wishes to express its profound thanks to Carmarthenshire County Council for its continuing support.” It comes as the railway strives to complete its long-awaited extension to the outskirts of Carmarthen by the end of the year, adding two miles to the run. The run-round loop at…

In homage to the East Coast Main Line that passes within yards of its Peterborough terminus, the Nene Valley Railway is hosting express passenger engines from its steam and diesel stables this summer. New-build ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado is paying a repeat visit, while ‘Deltic’ No. 55002 Royal Scots Grey (currently masquerading as No. 55007 Pinza) will return to the line where it made its first preservation home in 1982. Dates are still to be finalised, but both locomotives could arrive from August 14, and will be in action for an ‘East Coast Revival’ during the Bank Holiday weekend (August 27-29). Special dining trains and driver experience courses will also be offered. They will be appropriately paired with the NVR’s rake of Mk 1 stock which, by then, is expected…

STOP PRESS West Coast Railway Company has raised concerns about the Rail Accident Investigation Branch report into Wootton Bassett published on May 5. The report details the investigating body’s findings into the incident on March 7 2015, when a WCRC train hauled by ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34067 Tangmere passed a signal at danger and ended up standing across Wootton Bassett Junction (SR439). However, WCRC managing director Pat Marshall told Steam Railway on May 11 that her company believed unspecified elements of the report were wrong: “We believe the report from RAIB contains factual errors which we are discussing with them” she said. In response, an RAIB spokesperson told Steam Railway: “Throughout our investigation, we were in contact with those involved. We received and responded to comments on our draft…

Cambrian Heritage Railways has reached an important milestone with the purchase of the final section of the former Gobowen-Oswestry branch, plus adjacent land vital to the project. It comprises the former bay platform line and sidings at Gobowen station, part of the former coal yard, and about three-quarters of a mile of land and sidings connecting the main line to the section of the branch already under CHR control. Chairman Robert Williams said that the CHR wanted to run a sustainable transport service between Oswestry and Gobowen, with this purchase forming another step forward, but there were still hurdles to overcome. The Gobowen negotiations, headed by Roger Date, were particularly complex as they involved four-way talks with separate land-owning bodies. Mr Date added: “Our current effort is focused on the…

Bromsgrove - home of the Midland Railway Lickey Banker 0-10-0 No. 58100 ‘Big Bertha’ for almost four decades - is to feature a special railway section in its £200,000 museum that reopens on May 28. It marks a harmonious end to a nine-year battle between Bromsgrove Council and collectors of local memorabilia over the building that houses more than 23,000 artefacts, most of them assembled during the lifetime of local collector Dennis Norton. He has admitted his disappointment at only having the whistle housing from No. 58100, and would be keen to know (via Steam Railway) of the whereabouts of other ‘Big Bertha’ items. Where is the smokebox numberplate, and the large electric headlamp it carried, later transferred to its Lickey successor, ‘9F’ 2-10-0 No. 92079?…

Rather like a super-detailed model, Steam Railway appeal ‘Saint’ No. 2999 Lady of Legend is having “fiddly bits” fitted, says Project Manager Peter Chatman. An order has been placed for the fire iron rack on the tender, which is also receiving lamp brackets, vacuum and steam pipes, and water valves. The injectors (one live steam and one exhaust) have been fitted, most of the pipework for the latter being original fittings that remained on donor ‘Hall’ No. 4942 Maindy Hall at Barry. Their pipes to the boiler top feed have also been made, and their cladding is to be produced by the South Devon Railway.…

Plans are being made to renovate a Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway station building in the wilds of Co. Donegal. County Donegal Railway Restoration has applied for planning permission to restore the old station house at Cashelnagore, near Falcarragh. The application also covers the laying of a 100-metre section of narrow gauge track and associated works. The group is based at Donegal Town, where it has a museum but no operational track. Cashelnagore station, on the Burtonport Extension line, opened for traffic in March 1903 and was closed with the line in June 1940. In 1992 it was used as the location for a British drama film called The Railway Station Man, starring Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland, and based on a novel by Jennifer Johnston.…

Hopes of having rebuilt ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair back in steam this summer have been dashed, with the decision that the entire inner firebox must be replaced. The Bluebell Railway-based Bulleid was withdrawn from traffic with firebox problems in 2011, and its boiler sent to LNWR Crewe for repairs, where flaws were discovered in old welding repairs during the replacement of some of the platework. The boiler will now move to South Devon Railway Engineering for the construction and fitting of an all-new, steel inner firebox. Retubing and restaying will be undertaken on its return to Sheffield Park. Roger Cruse, chairman of the owning Bluebell Battle of Britain Group, said: “Clouds often have a silver lining, and SDRE has been able to offer a discount on…

A proposed renaming for Nene Valley Railway stations, to better reflect the ‘international’ line’s British pedigree, has been placed on hold - partly to avoid a clash of identity at its Network Rail interface. As part of a major revamp originally put forward by Acting General Manager John Whitby - to recall the line’s LMS and BR London Midland Region history - Ferry Meadows station was to regain the title of ‘Orton Waterville’ that it bore prior to closure to passengers in October 1942. Orton Mere would become ‘Longville Junction’ after the nearby connection with the ‘Fletton loop’ linking the NVR to the East Coast Main Line. Finally, the eastern terminus of Peterborough (Nene Valley) was to change its name to Peterborough West, in homage to the nearby East station…

It only cost a few thousand pounds to lift the five miles of track between Wadebridge and Boscarne Junction at the end of 1970s. It will cost at least £17.4 million to put it back. There is now widespread support for a northbound extension for the Bodmin & Wenford Railway to be running by 2020. However, Cornwall County Council will be expected to come up with the lion’s share of the money, possibly with help from Europe. A report prepared by consultant Eden Business Analysis (EBA), presented to the authority in mid-April, says that the reinstatement represents “high value for money” because of its potential boost to tourism. It even suggests a commuter service linked the main line franchise, although this would force the rebuilding cost up to £45m. Cornwall…

May 21 The Cathedrals Express - Paddington to Salisbury return via Southampton May 21 Salisbury circular - Hampshire Cream Tea May 25 Ely to Norwich - East Anglian Cream Tea May 28 The Cathedrals Express - Paddington to Bristol May 28 Bristol to Taunton - Somerset Cream Tea June 1 Victoria circular - Chilterns Lunchtime Tour June 1 Victoria circular - Surrey Hills Evening Tour June 4 The Yorkshireman - Victoria to York return June 5-8 Cambrian Coast Express June 11 The Tynesider - Cleethorpes to Morpeth via York and Newcastle June 15 The Emerald Isle Explorer - Euston to Holyhead June 18 The White Rose - King’s Cross to York return June 23 The Emerald Isle Explorer - Holyhead to Euston June 25 The Yorkshireman - Victoria to York…

Friends of popular Severn Valley Railway driver and locomotive owner Frank Cronin have honoured his 50-year commitment to the railway, laying on a surprise anniversary train for him on April 19, following his turn on that day’s ‘Footplate Experience’ course with No. 7802 Bradley Manor. Frank, who will be 70 next February and plans to ‘retire’ in November to the quieter ‘number 2 link’, has driven SVR locomotives at least once a month since 1976 - thought to be an SVR record. Frank and close friend Bernard Crick were both just 20 when they bowled up at the SVR with their proposal to buy a Fowler ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T, back in 1966. They had initially approached the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway - but were rebuffed. “The Worth Valley told us…

The Ribble Steam Railway and the National Railway Museum’s Locomotion site in Shildon are the latest sites to welcome tiny Peckett 0-4-0ST ‘Teddy’. The ‘Yorktown’ class locomotive was the star guest at the Ribble gala on April 16/17, alongside a trio of home-based locomotives: Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 6, Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST ‘Linda’ and Bagnall 0-6-0ST ‘Courageous’. The RSR’s Dave Watkin told Steam Railway: “The gala was very well attended, ‘Teddy’ performed well and everyone seemed happy.” A trip further north followed for ‘Teddy’, as it moved to Shildon to take part in the first May bank holiday weekend. Here it shared duties with one-time industrial Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 20 on brake van shuttles.…

All five surviving Fletcher, Jennings engines are now confirmed for the Talyllyn Railway’s 150th anniversary finale over the weekend of July 1-3. Joining residents 0-4-2ST Talyllyn, 0-4-0WT Dolgoch and the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum’s recently acquired 3ft 2½in gauge 0-4-0T William Finlay (SR447) will be Amberley Museum’s similar Townsend Hook and the Bluebell Railway’s 0-4-0T Captain Baxter. It is their first time together. Standard gauge track will be laid at the TR’s Tywyn terminus for Captain Baxter to run in steam. Like William Finlay and Townsend Hook, it was built for the Dorking Greystone Lime Company at Betchworth, near Dorking. On July 1, as part of the finale event, the TR will acknowledge the part played by Steam Railway readers in funding the construction of Dolgoch’s new boiler in 2010/11…

Twenty-five years after Sonia Rolt named the Talyllyn Railway’s self-built 0-4-2T after her pioneering husband Tom, an anniversary ceremony was staged at Abergynolwyn station on May 2. Tom’s sons Richard and Tim were present, along with John Bate, the engineer who designed the locomotive from a kit of parts, and oversaw its construction over a period of 20 years. The TR also used the occasion to mark the 75th birthday of its Ruston diesel Midlander. Guest of honour Lawrie Ellis is the last survivor of the group that found it in a quarry near Nuneaton and regauged it. He was also the first to drive it after it was delivered to the TR in 1957.…

May 25 is a special anniversary for BR’s ultimate express passenger locomotive, ‘8P’ 4-6-2 No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester. It will be 30 years since the unique locomotive triumphantly returned to steam. To those of us who have been around steam for most of our lives - in my case since school during the 1950s - it is still a remarkable achievement, considering how close its butchered remains came to being cut up for scrap. I recall seeing it passing my school in Wednesbury, in the West Midlands, along the old Great Western main line between Wolverhampton Low level and Birmingham Snow Hill, during its transfer from Crewe to the test plant at Swindon. It still only feels like a few years ago when the possibility of taking the already…

Since many of us are not in the position to own an entire steam locomotive, perhaps the best we can ever hope for is to have a few items that once played their part on the footplate. Brass-cased gauges are an attractive option, and they come in a variety of shapes and sizes. A range of plates, often cast iron, were unique to the footplate and tenders. Occasionally, heavier items such as regulator handles reach the market. One from a ‘V2’ sold for £130 at Crewe on April 23, while a stamped example from ‘Jubilee’ No. 5552 Silver Jubilee went to £220. As any railwayman will tell you, a most important item is the locomotive crew’s enamel ‘Billy’ tea can that usually incorporated the cup as its lid, since working…

The Border Union Railway has won significant political support for its plans to rebuild a large section of the middle section of the former North British Carlisle-Edinburgh Waverley Route from Whitrope Summit to Riccarton Junction. Former Borders MP David (now Lord) Steel, who unsuccessfully campaigned against the closure of the line in January 1969, officially opened the preservation centre on May 1. He saw the exhibits and rode with his family on the half mile of relaid track up to the closed Whitrope Tunnel.…

DOWNPATRICK ATTACKED Vandals wedged an iron bar in a set of points on the Downpatrick & County Down Railway. However, D&CDR Vice-Chairman Robert Gardiner said: “the sabotage was discovered prior to any trains running and remedied immediately. There was no risk to either train crew or members of the public at any time.” BRAKEVAN WINDFALL A fundraising appeal to repair an LMS brake van destroyed in an arson attack at the Caledonian Railway on April 6 has already reached £3,500 - 75% of the railway’s target. The police are still urging anyone with information to come forward. BRIDGE FEARS The Mid-Hants Railway has commissioned a road safety audit for Boyneswood Road Bridge near Four Marks station. MHR chairman Colin Chambers said: “We are having the problem professionally assessed.” One option…

Crewe steam centre owner Jeremy Hosking has been named as the UK’s 328th wealthiest figure in the Sunday Times Rich List, just £10 million behind The Queen. Hosking, who runs a London-based hedge fund and has a range of other interests, has been valued at £330m, a figure unchanged from last year. This is considered a good performance when large numbers of investment-based figures have slipped down the ratings, following the world slump in oil and metals prices. Virgin Trains owner and Flying Scotsman donor Sir Richard Branson ranks 19th in the Rich List, with a £4.42bn fortune, £420m up on 2015, while keen modeller Rod Stewart ranks 640th with £160m in his wallet. He added £10m to it last year.…

419: The driving axleboxes have been trial-fitted prior to rewheeling the Caledonian 0-4-4T at Bo’ness. Its cylinder block has received heavy repairs using special epoxy resins. 3814: The tender of the ex-Barry GWR ‘2884’ 2-8-0 has been moved from the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to Llangollen for its restoration to be completed. 4079: Pendennis Castle has received its first boiler cladding sheets at Didcot. 4253: A replacement front boiler barrel section has been made for the Kent & East Sussex Railway-based 2-8-0T, which is also to receive a new firebox throatplate, outer firebox half sides and front tubeplate. 6989: The boiler cladding for Wightwick Hall has been delivered to Quainton Road, while piping-up is currently focused in the cab, on the blower and lubricator. The construction of the new…

What would have been the first ever visit of a GWR locomotive to the Isle of Wight has been cancelled. Bill Parker’s ‘4575’ 2-6-2T ‘No. LU150’ (5521) was to star at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s ‘Spring Gala’ of May 28-30 - but the ‘Small Prairie’s visit is off due to “unforeseen technical difficulties”. No. 5521 is one of relatively few steam locomotives suitable for running on the Isle of Wight, thanks to its air brakes and the cut-down cab fitted for its Underground trips, bringing it within the IOW’s restricted loading gauge. Top billing reverts to another 2-6-2T, the IoWSR’s newly-overhauled Ivatt ‘2MT’ No. 41298 (see feature on pages 62-66), whose official launch takes place at the gala. To mark this year’s 50th anniversary of the end of…

An Isle of Wight signal box has reached its final resting place - after making its fourth move in a career of just over a hundred years. As part of the resignalling of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s western terminus of Wootton, the former Freshwater, Yarmouth & Newport Railway ‘box has been relocated from its previous position adjacent to the run-round loop, onto the platform. The structure was originally situated at the FY&NR’s Newport terminus, which was built in 1913, after relations with the neighbouring Isle of Wight Central Railway broke down, forcing passengers to walk between the two stations. It closed ten years later when the FY&NR was absorbed into the Southern Railway, but the signal box found a new home at the line’s Freshwater terminus, where it…

The Isle of Wight Steam Railway has rescued another historic item of island rolling stock, with the acquisition of a former IoW Central Railway goods van body. Of Great Eastern origin, its number is unknown, but the GER Society believes it dates from around 1870 - and could be a unique survivor. Discovered on a local farm, it was delivered to Havenstreet on April 28. “We thought we’d got everything left on the island!” quips IoWSR Engineering Manager Bob Huxtable. “There are still coach bodies in use at Thorness Bay holiday camp, including an LBSCR saloon, but it was sold again recently and is back in use as a chalet. “We never turn anything away - and even if it’s beyond repair, we’ll still help to clear it up and…

Like a working locomotive gradually coming to life after its fire is lit, the ‘needle’ on the ‘pressure gauge’ of the boiler appeal for No. 6880 Betton Grange has reached the magic figure that permits movement - namely, the dispatch of the boiler to a contractor for overhaul. As this issue went to press, the £225,000 appeal had reached £122,500 - surpassing the £120,000 minimum required to start the job, and allowing the 6880 Society to invite tenders for the contract. The aim will be to carry out the overhaul in a timescale of 12 to 18 months. With the rest of the Collett 4-6-0 at an advanced stage of construction in Llangollen Works, it now also looks set to have its ‘own’ tender earlier than planned. No. 6880 is…

TYRED ‘NIGHT OWL’ The tyres for the new wheelset of ‘47XX’ 2-8-0 No. 4709 have been acquired, along with those for the donor wheelsets from ‘Large Prairie’ No. 4115. The Great Western Society now needs £30,000 to fit them and turn the journals, and £12,000 for new crankpins. ‘F5’ IN MOTION The motion bracket for Holden ‘F5’ 2-4-2T No. 789 is expected to be cast during May using polystyrene patterns, while its cylinder port faces and the ports themselves have been machined. L&B ECCENTRICITY The eccentric sheaves and straps have been trial-assembled on the driving axle of new Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Baldwin 2-4-2T No. 762 Lyn, following machining by Whiteland Engineering. ‘B17’ BUFFERS UP Two genuine LNER buffers salvaged from Doncaster have been fitted to the bufferbeam of the…

A new boiler for a 112-year-old tank engine in America will be the catalyst for a new-build project to re-create another engine, broken up almost 80 years ago. The 2ft gauge Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna, Maine, has launched a fund to raise $130,000 to build two boilers, one for its 1904 Vulcan 0-4-4RT No. 10, whose original boiler has been declared beyond economic repair. This has boosted longstanding plans to build a replica of the original railway’s No. 7, a 1907 Baldwin 2-4-4RT that was scrapped in 1937. The pony truck wheelset and several more patterns have already been produced for the new engine, to be numbered 11. Nearby Boothbay Railway Village is expected to construct both boilers, with input from WW&F volunteers, beginning with the…

The Bluebell Railway’s appeal for a new locomotive shed is well past the halfway mark - within a month of its launch. Match-funding of £210,000 must be raised in order to obtain a Lottery grant of £840,000 for the ‘Accessible Steam Heritage’ project, which aims to provide improved maintenance facilities and a new exhibition hall at Sheffield Park shed. Launched in mid-April, the appeal has already reached £150,000. The plans include a full-size replica of the railway’s LBSCR ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T No. 55 Stepney, with its cab cut in half and widened to permit wheelchair access - hence the ‘Accessible Steam’ moniker. If the HLF bid is unsuccessful, any money raised will be put towards improvements to the running shed and equipment for the locomotive department.…

‘P’ IS FOR POLY PATTERNS Two SECR ‘P’ 0-6-0Ts are to receive replacement cylinders at the Bluebell Railway, thanks to modern technology. Polystyrene patterns will be used to cast new blocks for Nos. 27 and 178. The former engine’s wheelsets have gone to the South Devon Railway for tyre turning. BOOKING IN AT DUFFIELD The ‘flat pack’ of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s new wooden booking office has been erected at Duffield. It awaits fitting-out and finishing in maroon and cream livery.…

The long-term prospects for steam services from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway running into Birmingham via Stratford-upon-Avon have been boosted by a property scheme that will help pay the bills. CALA Homes, which already has government approval to build 2,400 new homes at the former military site at Long Marston, is now seeking approval to build a further 3,500 houses close to the northern end of the route. The company has publicly repeated an offer of £17 million towards the estimated £50m cost of re-opening the route from the Oxford-Worcester line at Honeybourne. The GSWR is rebuilding 15 miles of the former GWR route from Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway, and there is provision for it to carry on northwards.…

With its overwhelming popularity still on the rise, No. 60103 is to be made accessible to the public during breaks on its upcoming main line charters. Following the news that Network Rail is to deny enthusiasts and the public alike timetable and live update information for the main line trips being undertaken by the ‘Nation’s Engine’, due to the risk of trespass (see Down Main), the planned visits to Crewe Heritage Centre on June 7/8 and 14/15 are certain to prove popular. The announcement came immediately after its last-minute visit to the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway on May 16, which was confirmed with only days to go and saw the ‘A3’ on display during a break in Steam Dreams’ ‘Flying Scotsman’ main line charter. The locomotive was unable to work…

A deteriorating LSWR footbridge is under threat of demolition at Alton station - but the neighbouring Mid-Hants Railway says that it is unable to take on such a major liability. The 1892-built wooden bridge was replaced by a new footbridge and lifts in 2013 at a cost of £1.7 million. The Friends of Alton Station are urging supporters to write to NR Chairman Peter Hendy in protest. But the MHR cannot commit scarce resources to the structure, says Managing Director Colin Chambers: “It’s on NR property above the live rail, so we’d have to get contractors in to work on it - and we haven’t got enough money for existing projects.”…

GRANT RITCHIE CLOSE Grant Ritchie 0-4-0ST W/No. 272 is expected to return to traffic imminently at the Ribble Steam Railway. Former Kinglassie Colliery No. 21 has never steamed in preservation, having been rescued from Muirs scrapyard in Scotland during 2014. It is one of only two surviving Grant Ritchie locomotives, and the only 0-4-0ST. BON ACCORD BACK Side skirt-fitted Barclay 0-4-0ST Bon Accord has passed a boiler inspection at the Royal Deeside Railway following axlebox work, with the safety valves lifting for the first time in five years on May 2. The ex-Aberdeen Gas Works engine will share work with resident Barclay 0-6-0ST Salmon. CHASEWATER COALS The Chasewater Railway is hoping to return its GWR ‘Toad’ brake van to traffic for its coal train event on June 18/19.…

The centenary of the death of Sir Arthur Heywood, who developed 15in gauge railways for commercial use, was commemorated at All Saints Church, Denstone, near Uttoxeter, on April 19. Buried in the churchyard in 1916, Sir Arthur lived at nearby Dove Leys and built his first railways there. The centrepiece for the service was a 15in gauge wagon he built, filled with flowers. Organised by 15in gauge historian James Waterfield, the service was attended by family members including the current baronet, Sir Peter Heywood.…

The Ffestiniog Railway’s Boston Lodge works lost a stalwart with the death on April 20 of Phil Girdlestone, its superintendent from 1983-85. Phil (62) became an FR volunteer in 1970, and joined the staff nine years later. He improved the efficiency of the steam fleet and adapted Hunslet 2-4-0STT Linda to burn coal on the gas producer principle in 1985. He left to join South Africa’s Alfred County Railway, working on locomotive projects for both the ACR and South Africa Railways until the ACR was closed in 1999. He later established his own consultancy.…

“FAMILIES FEEL THEY GET GOOD VALUE, AND SPEND IN THE SHOP” Enthusiasts will always have a part to play in the success of preserved railways, but as the number who remember main line steam steadily decreases, we have to appeal to a wider market. In SR453, Paul Lewin, General Manager of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, highlighted the importance of enthusing the next generation of volunteers. The demographic of our customers is just as important to the steam railway movement, and it is only natural - and good practice - for us to evolve our business. This is not to suggest that enthusiast events are a thing of the past, but how else might we approach this conundrum? Every railway is different, and each has its unique selling points.…

A new two-road carriage shed at the Buckfastleigh headquarters of the South Devon Railway is one of three major projects that require funding. After less than six months in the chair, New South Devon Railway Trust Chairman Barry Cogar is already making his mark with announcements about the future of the railway in which he played a larger role, before becoming the general manager of the Dartmouth Steam Railway. In his announcement of the board’s decisions to the members, Mr Cogar says part of the new carriage building will be constructed over the headshunt at the north end of the site. New sidings are to be laid between the existing yard and the river to provide temporary storage, but they will in turn be covered over by a new maintenance…

The UK’s preserved railways are on the up, according to new data collated by the Heritage Railway Association. Passenger numbers are 8% up year-on-year, while turnover has risen by 6%. Lord Richard Faulkner gave guests a sneak preview of the HRA’s 2014 annual report when he visited the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s headquarters at Whitehead, on April 2, to unveil a plaque marking an award given to the RPSI for its 50th anniversary DVD. He said: “Total visitor numbers are now 11.7 million. We earned £112m, while carrying 8.4m passengers over 568 miles of track from 451 stations.” Lord Faulkner also recalled a 2013 report on the economic value of steam railways, which found that every pound spent brought £2.50 worth of benefit to the local area. During his…