Table of contents for Issue 460 in Steam Railway

For probably the first time in a couple of years, it doesn’t seem to be all sackcloth and ashes for steam on the main line. Since early 2015, there’s been one setback after another, starting with a SPAD on the main line, talk of shorter, less profitable trains, less ambitious itineraries, London becoming a no-go area for steam, gauging complexities, and the controversial yet frequent last-minute substitution of diesels and electrics. That’s just for starters. At the worst moments, we’ve been left wondering whether the game’s up, if the time had come for operators to scale things right back and run over just a handful of secondary lines, or simply pack it in altogether, and retire to their armchairs to reflect on those glorious legislation-free 1980s and 1990s. But now…

THE ISLE of Wight Steam Railway has decided to carry out an ‘in-house’ restoration of its LBSCR ‘E1’ 0-6-0T - and make the major improvements to its engineering facilities that will be needed in order to do so. Following the outshopping of ‘Terrier’ No. W11 Newport in 2014, the return to service of Ivatt ‘2MT’ 2-6-2T No. 41298 this year, and the current overhaul of ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 198 Royal Engineer, mounting interest in overhauling the ‘E1’ has prompted the submission of a business case to the railway’s board. Initial investigation work on the locomotive has also been undertaken during the last month. “With other pressures, we had to put the ‘E1’ to one side,” says IoWSR General Manager Peter Vail, “but we always had our eye on it after…

Having enjoyed an “exceptionally good” year in 2016, the Isle of Wight Steam Railway is to put itself on a strong footing for the future, with dramatic improvements to both the public and engineering facilities at Havenstreet. A new visitor entrance, and an upgraded workshop, are two proposals first put forward in the railway’s ‘Strategic Vision’ of 2009, which will now go ahead in what IoWSR General Manager Peter Vail describes as a ‘Grand Plan’ for the line’s headquarters. The new entrance building will incorporate a booking hall, toilets and a shop, as well as the railway’s administrative offices - thereby replacing the temporary building that currently houses the latter. On the footprint of this structure, it is planned to create an exhibition, display and educational facility, while other plans…

PAUL WHITEHOUSE, the former Chief Constable of Sussex, and one of the leading lights in the 2015/16 campaign to reform the West Somerset Railway Association, is the new chairman of the association. He was elected to the post by his eight fellow trustees, who won their seats on the WSRA board at the association’s AGM on October 22 - the first ‘normal’ AGM of the West Somerset Railway’s members-and-volunteers organisation, after three years of hostilities. Since February this year, he has served as the association’s company secretary. He succeeds Frank Courtney as chairman. The Minehead signalman was one of four Reform Group members supposedly ‘expelled’ from the WSRA in June last year by the association’s now-deposed ‘old guard’ trustees, on the grounds that his continued membership was ‘prejudicial to the…

The latest new metal to appear on the frames of re-created BR ‘2MT’ tank No. 84030 provides the key to the fitting of its pipework, as steady progress continues towards the wheeling of the Bluebell-based locomotive. Produced as a laser-cut ‘flat pack’ by local firm Pentacraft, the driver’s brake pedestal has been tack-welded together and had some of its parts fitted, including the blower valve handle and door hinges. It provides a central point of reference for the pipework that is now being fitted, with the steam sanding valve and steam brake lubricators mounted here, as well as the driver’s vacuum brake valve. The locomotive’s frames are now ready to be placed on the wheels, following the correction of a misalignment in the trailing axlebox horn faces. The reason for…

Following a hiatus while the Severn Valley Railway ‘rearranged the furniture’, the construction of the boiler for ‘3MT’ 2-6-2T No. 82045 is moving ahead once again, with the barrel sections brought together for riveting. Space constraints at Bridgnorth, while other boilers were moved in and out of the workshops, had put the Riddles tank on the back burner for a period - but during October, a milestone was reached as the front parallel barrel was inserted into the larger tapered section, ready for drilling and riveting. The locomotive is also closer to being wheeled, with all of the axlebox horn guides now machined using the equipment hired from the West Somerset Railway. Engineering Officer Tony Massau said: “We hope to get the chassis onto its wheels before the start of…

A German ‘Pacific’ has become one of the last locomotives to run over Holland’s historic boat train route before it is closed - to become a tramway. The 24km (15 mile) line between Schiedam Central and Hook of Holland is to be vacated by NS (Nederlandse Spoorwegen) in March 2017. It will then be converted to light rail operation as part of the Rotterdam Metro (RET), in a €318 million project. A series of steam charters ran between Rotterdam Central and Hook of Holland on October 1, with Class 01 4-6-2 No. 01.1075. Run by Dutch preservation group and main line operator Stoom Stichting Nederland, the trains were organised to coincide with a harbour festival held in Maasluis.…

You can guarantee that the throatplate has never been disturbed BOB MEANLEY, TYSELEY CME Nose-to-tail on the same road inside Tyseley Locomotive Works are two named, double-chimney, express passenger 4-6-0s undergoing overhaul. Both became celebrities towards the end of their working lives; both their double blastpipes represent a last throw of the dice for steam on their respective regions; and both are preservation pioneers, being among the few locomotives chosen by BR to haul the series of trial ‘Return to Steam’ specials in 1972. Next year, both will be back on the main line, to remember significant anniversaries in their post-BR history. One is Tyseley’s own ‘Castle’ No. 7029 Clun Castle, which in 1967 had already been a preserved locomotive for over a year, but was enjoying a final…

The Talyllyn Railway’s General Manager Tracy Parkinson has set a target of attracting eight extra passengers a day over the next five years to help turn the finances round. She has warned of the dangers of complacency, and stressed the importance of increasing income by 5%. The Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society provided £87,000 worth of support in 2015 (SR459). Members at October’s AGM heard that initiatives already in place have brought about a 1% increase in passenger numbers this year. Richard Rolt, son of Talyllyn pioneer Tom Rolt, has been appointed vice-president, along with Roger Whitehouse, a long-standing traffic volunteer with an in-depth knowledge of its timetable requirements. Jane Garvey, society chairman for the last three years, has retired. On December 16, the TR will conclude its 150th anniversary celebrations…

The overhaul of Steel Company of Wales Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 401 has entered the home straight at the North Tyneside Steam Railway. The ‘Super Bagnall’ has been out of traffic since 2009, but is expected back in steam in the not-too-distant future. The boiler of the 1950-built machine, W/No. 2994, is currently at Weybourne on the North Norfolk Railway, where significant firebox repairs have been carried out. The fitting of crown stays and boiler tubes is now under way as the work approaches completion. Back at the NTSR’s Middle Engine Lane base, the chassis was being stripped in October to remove the wheelsets. These will receive new tyres, for which an extra £4,500 has been raised. Known as Vulcan during its days with the Austin Motor Company and later the…

Nearly 23,000 steam locomotives entered service on Britain’s railways between 1901 and 1960 - but hundreds more were also authorised at one time or another, and so temporarily ‘existed’ on paper at least, only to be cancelled for a variety of reasons. Some of these were repeat orders for existing classes, allocated higher running numbers that would never be reached. In other cases, entirely new designs were involved, unfortunately destined never to see the light of day, although the active construction of at least one of these actually commenced. During the 1920s, and on two different railways, the unusual situation arose of scheduled large passenger tank locomotives being changed during construction to become tender engines instead. Chop and change Britain’s larger railways predominantly built their own locomotives, and before 1923…

It’s not often you see items associated with the opening of railways on the open market, as they tend to be tucked away in museums or prestigious private collections. However, there was an exception when a very special wheelbarrow appeared at a Halls of Shrewsbury country house auction on September 28. The oak silver mounted wheelbarrow and spade was presented to Mrs Dugdale of Llwyn, Llanfyllin by contractor Thomas Savin to mark her cutting the first sod of the Llanfyllin Railway on Friday September 20 1861. It sold for a hammer price of £4,100. The Llanfyllin Railway opened from Llanymynech via Llansantffraid, Llanfechain and Bryngwyn in 1863 to allow access to limestone quarries and the main line from Oswestry to Newtown. Savin was a controversial Victorian entrepreneur and former mayor…

The Avon Valley Railway was one of the earlier railways in the preservation movement, but more than 40 years on, there are many who have never visited us. It’s high time you did! Although we are situated between two significantly large cities - Bristol and Bath - the sad fact is that we do not run into either of them, because redevelopment of much of the trackbed took place soon after the Midland Railway’s suburban line via Mangotsfield closed on March 6 1966, the same day that enthusiasts were observing the last rites of the nearby Somerset & Dorset main line. We used the 50th anniversary to unveil a plaque at Avon Riverside station declaring our intentions to extend the line to Newbridge on the outskirts of Bath. We hope…

Will the future bring more ‘blend operations’ - the kind of trip that combines both preserved railway and main line running? A1 Trust chairman Mark Allatt believes it will, and this is part of the thinking behind putting a new ‘V4’ 2-6-2 to the top of the planned ‘what next’ list after the ‘P2’. For although thoughts of a future ‘Bantam Cock’ have been in play for a while, it was only confirmed at the trust’s October convention that what would be only the third ‘V4’ ever would take priority over other options. “We’d already announced what they’d be,” explains Mark, “but not the order.” The term ‘blend operations’ is Mark’s - used to mean things like the Whitby trains (North Yorkshire Moors Railway) or Cromer dining trains (North Norfolk).…

Heard the one about the ‘King’ with the quadruple chimney? No? Well, there isn’t one - but it does have a four-nozzle blastpipe. That novel move is to compensate for the 4in shaved off No. 6023 to make the Collett engine Network Rail-friendly; the GW was happy to run its big 4-6-0s at 13ft 5in (progress, eh?). While you and I might concern ourselves about the aesthetics of King Edward II with trimmed down cab, safety valve bonnet and single chimney, more pressing is whether it actually steams. An unwelcome side effect of squeezing the four-cylinder engine down in height has been upsetting the draughting dimensions. Hence the new arrangement, developed in conjunction with Dutch steam expert Jos Koopmans; you can maybe think of it as something similar to a…

By the time you read this the ‘Jacobite’ season will be over - but the wait for the next one should be shorter than in previous years. West Coast Railways MD Pat Marshall says that not only is the start of Fort William-Mallaig trips to be brought forward a week to the beginning of May, but that Easter ‘Jacobites’ are planned too. That means four days of steam on the ‘Road to the Isles’ from Good Friday to Easter Monday (April 14-17). There’s already been an expansion of the season this year, through the extension of the second (afternoon) train from the end of August through to September 9 (SR458), though Pat says that was, in part, to compensate in other areas, such as the landslide that blocked the line…

The run was a masterpiece by the crew A‘Royal Scot’ over Shap is guaranteed to create excitement, and I am pleased to report on a magnificent recent performance that would not have disgraced a larger and more powerful ‘Pacific’. It is five issues since this column ventured north, but I can remedy this now with details of the fine run by No. 46115 Scots Guardsman from Preston to Carlisle on September 3, heading the RTC’s ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ (Table 1). It was documented by my correspondent Sandy Smeaton. The booked engine, ‘Jubilee’ No. 45690 Leander, was not available, so No. 46115 deputised, hauling an 11-coach train of 425 tons gross. Taking over in rainy conditions from a pair of Class 47 diesels, the 4-6-0 made a cautious start up the…

The Strathspey Railway’s hopes of getting ‘Caley 828’ back into traffic for its Christmas and Hogmanay trains have been scuppered by the delivery of replacement tender tyres of the wrong size. The steel tyres, manufactured in Germany and initially promised for delivery in 20 weeks, took nine months to arrive at the Speyside line’s Aviemore workshops - and then SR engineering staff discovered that they were too big for the McIntosh ‘812’ class 0-6-0. No. 828, the railway’s much-loved mascot, has been out of traffic since July 2013, following the discovery of a fractured horn casting on the left side of the centre driving wheels. When the wheels were dropped out of the frames, previously unseen frame cracks were also found. Strathspey chief engineer Colin Vaughan took the opportunity to…

THE NATIONAL Railway Museum is not disclosing whether it is setting money aside for the overhaul that its flagship money-spinner ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman will need, if it is to be hauling main line excursions in 2023 - its centenary year. This significant date is one year after the expiry of its current boiler certificate. Private owners often set aside six-figure sums for the next major repair, which is why engines such as ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35028 Clan Line return so quickly. ‘Scotsman’ is generating large sums from main line excursions, public appearances and merchandising, but it is unclear how this money is banked. A number of NRM engines, including LNER ‘A4’ No. 4468 Mallard and GCR ‘Director’ No. 62660 Butler-Henderson, only ran for one…

‘Battle of Britain’ class No. 34072 257 Squadron has finally been reunited with its boiler, as the protracted overhaul of the Bulleid ‘Light Pacific’ enters its final stages. The Swanage Railway stalwart received its freshly overhauled boiler on Thursday October 20 at the line’s Herston Works where, after the fitting of the ashpan, the whole assembly was lifted onto the 4-6-2’s frames before being joined to the new smokebox. The boiler had passed its hydraulic test at Adam Dalgleish Engineering in Stockton-on-Tees on October 7, and passed its steam test on October 14. 257 Squadron has spent the same time out of action as it did in steam during its last ticket. It was restored to running condition in 1990 and withdrawn in January 2003. It has spent the last…

The Scottish Railway Preservation Society is now within £10,000 of securing Stanier ‘8F’ 2-8-0 No. 45170 for its collection at Bo’ness, having raised over £100,000 within two years of launching its purchase appeal. The acquisition of the former Turkish State Railways engine will allow the society to begin accruing funds for its overhaul to main line standard, expected to cost over £250,000. In the meantime, cosmetic restoration of the North British-built locomotive continues to make good progress, with its motion cleaned and awaiting reassembly. It was described as ‘95% complete’ when it was repatriated from Turkey in 2011, although one of the injectors was missing and the remaining one was in poor condition. Two replacements have now been acquired, along with a new pair of motion brackets to replace the…

‘Manor’ No. 7820 Dinmore Manor could return to the railway that it called home for the whole of its first ten-year ‘ticket’. Agreement in principle has been reached between the West Somerset Railway and Dinmore Manor Locomotive Limited (DMLL) for the Collett 4-6-0 to return to Minehead, for four months from June 2017. Currently based at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, No. 7820 has spent this summer on loan to the Dartmouth Steam Railway. For its WSR jaunt, it will take the place of ‘Hall’ No. 4936 Kinlet Hall on the roster for the line’s peak summer season, the latter having been moved to Tyseley by road on October 13 for overhaul. The WSR also requires cover for its own ‘Manor’ No. 7828 Odney Manor, which is having its boiler lifted…

As it prepares to place the orders for its locomotive’s bogie wheels and coupling rods, the LNWR George V Steam Locomotive Trust is already turning its thoughts in earnest towards the biggest component of all - the boiler. The annual dinner of the LNWR Society, to be held in Crewe on November 19, is to be the setting for the launch of a ‘Boiler Barrel Club’ for the Bowen-Cooke 4-4-0, No. 2013 Prince George. To raise the necessary £10,000, the trust is seeking ten donors pledging £1,000 each, which can be paid in instalments. “Steam Railway readers are invited to take part!” said trustee Paul Hibberd. Write to 62 High Street, Buntingford SG9 9AH or email GeorgeVtrust@gmail.com Following the generous donation for one of the coupling rods in July (SR457),…

THE SPIRIT of the Somerset & Dorset was alive in Hampshire and Purbeck in October, as both the Swanage and Mid-Hants Railways hosted S&D-esque galas. With a ‘7F’ and ‘Battle of Britain’, the latter days of the revered Bath-Bournemouth line were recalled at the Swanage Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala on October 14-16. The S&D atmosphere would have been even stronger, had BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4T No. 80104 not been out of action. The locomotive, recently returned from Tyseley after a ‘bottom-end’ overhaul, required new cylinder liners, which are on order. Over 2,300 flocked to the six-mile railway where S&D stalwart ‘7F’ No. 53809 was the star of the show. Also in steam were the second visitor, unique Southern-built ‘8F’ No. 48624, ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34070 Manston , ‘U’ class 2-6-0…

TAKING FULL advantage of its new-found freedom to bring in guest locomotives by road, the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway hosted a GWR ‘Manor’ and rebuilt Bulleid ‘Pacific’ for its ‘Autumn Steam Spectacular’ on October 7-9 - and was rewarded with an increased number of visitors through the gate. With the lifting of the ban on low-loader movements at Ingrow, imposed following an incident with ‘West Country’ No. 34092 City of Wells, one of the first engines to arrive was another Bulleid - ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34053 Sir Keith Park. It was joined by ‘Manor’ No. 7822 Foxcote Manor, following its appearance at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway the previous weekend. But this Bulleid caused different problems when it was discovered that its sanders were not working, the light-footed…

FEARS ARE mounting that Norfolk & Western ‘J’ class No. 611 could be retiring from main line service, barely a year after returning to traffic. Returned to steam in May 2015, the unique locomotive has spent the last year hauling main line excursions, most recently on May 7/8, when it worked a series of tours from Roanoke, the city where it was built in 1950. According to Jeff Hunsaker, a volunteer with the Nashville Steam Preservation Society, the problem facing No. 611 is two-fold: “Norfolk Southern railroad’s steam excursion policy, which allows private companies to run steam over NS tracks and pull passengers in revenue-earning service, ended on July 31. “Nobody has half a million dollars to foot the bill for a renewed insurance policy that would allow No. 611…

The RPSI celebrates a special anniversary this Christmas, the 25th year of main line ‘Santa’ steam. The seasonal specials - believed to be the first main line steam ‘Santa Specials’ in the British Isles - have been running annually since 1991. The society tested the market twice, in 1981 and 1982, when now-mothballed ‘J15’ 0-6-0 No. 184 ran a pilot series of trains from Mullingar. The ‘Santa’ season is now one of the most intensive periods of main line steam operation in Ireland, with 14 trains booked this year. In the Republic, the season kicks off on December 3 with a series of trips behind ‘WT’ 2-6-4T No. 4 from Dublin to Greystones. In Northern Ireland, the trains will be hauled by Great Northern Compound No. 85, primarily between Belfast…

The restoration of the South Tynedale Railway’s Hunslet 0-4-2T Green Dragon has been completed by North Bay Railway Engineering, Scarborough, and the engine will be unveiled at the AGM on November 12. Work carried out has included the manufacture of a new boiler, tanks and cab. Imported to the UK from South Africa and acquired by the STR in 1998, the engine worked on the Umtwalumi Valley sugar estate. Built in 1937, it is the same design as the North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway’s 1940 Chaka’s Kraal No. 6. It ran on the STR for ten years from 1990. Green Dragon, previously known as Carlisle in STR fleet lists, will burn biomass carried in a tender to be constructed under a separate contract. The name Carlisle has been transferred to…

Five apprentices will be recruited by the Ffestiniog Railway next spring to work at Boston Lodge, on the track and improving the site from spring 2017, FR shareholders were told at the company’s annual meeting on October 7. They also heard that future AGMs will be held in May because of changes to accounting regulations for unregistered companies. Dafydd Gwyn has stood down as a director after ten years, and become an FR & WHR trustee in the place of Michael Schumann, who is retiring. Dafydd designed the FR’s deviation from Gelli Wiog to Tanygrisiau, and oversaw its construction. He was also key to the Welsh Highland Railway reconstruction, and most recently paid for the restoration of Minffordd goods shed and reinstatement of a slate roof. Jeremy Martin’s petite Belgian-built…

A NEW preserved line in South Wales with a unique claim to historical fame is looking for help to return its first steam locomotive to working order. Avonside 0-4-0ST Desmond is the first steam locomotive for the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway at Cynheidre, which is aiming for regular public opening from May 2017. The historic route can trace its origins back to 1802 and the Carmarthenshire Tramroad, which claims to be the first railway to operate under an Act of Parliament, beating the more famous Surrey Iron Tramway by a whisker… despite receiving its Act slightly later. Desmond was bought to serve the Lysaght’s Orb Steelworks in Newport in 1906. Founder of the works John Lysaght had strong links to Bristol, so it was hardly surprising that the firm…

The Avon Valley Railway brought together four very different industrial locomotives for its gala event on October 15/16. Visiting Kent and East Sussex Railway-based Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST Charwelton and Bristol Harbour Railway Avonside 0-6-0ST Portbury joined Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST WD No. 132 ‘Sapper’ and Polish ‘TKh’ Class 0-6-0T No. 4015 ‘Karel’. The eclectic mix of industrial machines provided a rare chance to see British locomotives ordered for service during two world wars. Portbury was ordered by the War Office in 1916 for the Inland Waterways and Docks Board, while ‘Sapper’ was built for the War Department in 1944.…

Over 400 miles at an average speed of 70.1mph. Whichever way you look at it, that’s a staggering achievement. Eighty years ago this month, LMS ‘Princess Royal’ No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth set a record for steam traction that has never been bettered. It’s a feat that often gets overlooked, especially when stablemate ‘Princess Coronation’ No. 6220 Coronation took the LMS top speed crown a year later. It shouldn’t be forgotten that Princess Elizabeth’s record-breaking non-stop run between Euston and Glasgow on November 16/17 1936, which raised the bar for sustained high-speed, non-stop running, re-ignited the greatest rivalry in British railway history and ushered in an era of record-chasing. A year after the LNER ‘A4’ No. 2509 Silver Link ruffled feathers by breaking the world steam speed record - attaining 112mph…

“The Bahamas Locomotive Society’s museum is like a TARDIS - it looks small from the outside, but it’s huge when you step inside.” That description of the unassuming Midland Railway goods shed at Ingrow West was coined by former National Railway Museum director Steve Davies, around the time that the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway was being put forward as an official ‘outstation’ of the NRM. But it’s a metaphor that could just as easily be applied to the KWVR itself. This preservation pioneer from the 1960s has only ever been one of the movement’s shorter lines - just a few chains shy of five miles - yet it seems to defy the laws of physics. With five stations and a halt, two tunnels, and a viaduct packed into that…

As General Manager of the Severn Valley Railway, I am incredibly proud and satisfied. We have just benefited from the visit of two famous ‘Pacifics’: ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman and ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado, which operated over six days, from September 21-26. The opportunity for us to host ‘Scotsman’ came about through undertaking some contract work on the locomotive, and because we are home to one of (if not THE) best rake of teak carriages in the country. Alongside the North Yorkshire Moors Railway - another teak coach haven - it was announced that we would be one of the first steam railways in the UK to host the National Railway Museum’s current main line flagship engine. Since then, there have been many twists and turns on the journey,…

Go back to November 1966 - 50 years ago this month - and weeds are now growing profusely through the rusting track and decaying sleepers on the Somerset & Dorset network, some eight months after the lights went out following the final steam-hauled special excursions. The demolition teams are getting themselves organised, the crowds that bid their fond farewells are long gone, and dereliction is beginning to set in. The closure of the Bath-Bournemouth main line and its branches, from Monday March 7 1966, seems a distant memory, and the BBC and ITV cameramen who jostled with local and regional newspapers to report on the final trains are covering different stories. All I have now are memories of those final days. I recall seeing film of the station staff at…

NOS. 6023 King Edward II and 6024 King Edward I - the Great Western top link pair consigned to Barry scrapyard over half a century ago - could both be back on main line express duties in 2017. As the reassembly of Jeremy Hosking’s ‘KEI’ gathers pace at the West Somerset Railway, the Great Western Society has announced another determined attempt to get its blue ‘KEII’ into service in the coming months. By coincidence, it is also earmarked for trials on the WSR before being released onto Network Rail metals. Time is not on No. 6023’s side because the engine is halfway through its boiler ticket and, so far, it has only run trials on preserved lines, notably the Great Central and…

The Churnet Valley Railway has vowed to have a new Carriage & Wagon workshop up and running by Christmas - after the existing facility was wrecked in a disastrous fire on the evening of September 24. Estimated by Operations Manager Greg Wilson to have caused around £250,000 worth of damage, the blaze wrote off BR Mk 1 First Open No. M3095, which had only just arrived on loan from the Cambrian Heritage Railways at Oswestry. The CVR was due to keep the vehicle until 2019, in return for restoration work. Power tools, stocks of paint, wood and furnishings were all damaged, along with compressed air canisters electricity supplies, and four carriage lifting jacks. Welding work is believed to have caused the fire, which took hold three hours after staff had…

Preservation’s newest station was graced with Flying Scotsman’s presence for its opening on October 13 - then closed until the New Year. The East Lancashire Railway’s Burrs Country Park Halt was declared open by the Mayor of Bury, Councillor Mike Connolly, when the Gresley ‘A3’ called with the 8.45am Bury-Rawtenstall. Funded by Bury Council and the Caravan Club, the £225,000 platform and its Lancashire & Yorkshire-style shelter were built to serve Burrs caravan park. But no train will be calling there for the rest of this year, as the stop had not been written into this year’s timetable. It will open for passengers on January 1 with the advent of the ELR’s new off-peak ‘green’ timetable. Fears that the station would destroy the ELR’s classic photographic location have not been…

A humble Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway freight locomotive cheekily attempted to steal the national limelight from Flying Scotsman in October, as the celebrity Gresley ‘Pacific’ made its return visit to ‘Red Rose’ country. Having made its debut on ELR metals in January at the end of its £4.5 million rebuild (in temporary LNER black), the Gresley ‘A3’ returned for a further four days’ duty on October 13-16. It was also steamed on October 12 for an episode of Noel Edmunds’ Deal or No Deal, on Channel 4 later in the year. It pulled in a further 10,000 visitors for the ELR - but some were confused as to which locomotive they had come to see, after L&Y ‘A’ 0-6-0 No. 12322 was adorned with a ‘Flying Scotsman’ headboard. Although the…

The Mid-Hants Railway has launched an urgent fundraising drive for ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35005 Canadian Pacific, following the discovery that the locomotive requires a complete new inner firebox. Stripping of the Bulleid ‘Pacific’s’ boiler at Ropley Works has revealed it to be in a far worse condition than anticipated, and serious corrosion means that the steel inner ’box needs replacement - at an estimated additional cost of £120,000 - along with around 2,200 stays. Although the overhaul has been supported by a grant of £895,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund, a ‘Sponsor a Stay’ scheme has been set up, with a number of incentives. Stays can be sponsored at £25 each, and for each stay up to seven, the donor’s name will be entered into a draw to win an…

FUNDRAISING FOR one of the most ambitious projects in preservation has finally begun, following the launch of a £2.5million share issue to fund the Severn Valley Railway’s development of Bridgnorth station. Two-and-a-half million shares went on sale on November 1, priced at £1 each, and will be available for 12 months. The money will be used to improve the 16-mile railway’s northern terminus, a neo-Jacobean style station, built in 1862. As reported in SR458, the Bridgnorth Development Programme is in three distinct phases, and the first is expected to be completed by Easter. A new GWR-style single-storey building will become a refreshment room and toilets, with the shop relocated to allow the reinstatement of the original booking hall and waiting room. The Railwayman’s Arms pub will be enlarged. In Phase…

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, which kickstarted the new-build steam trend with No. 60163 Tornado , will still be building new steam locomotives in 2040 and beyond - as it plans to reincarnate three more lost Gresley designs after ‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales . Having announced that its next projects will be a ‘V4’ 2-6-2 and a ‘V3’ 2-6-2T, the trust confirms that it intends to follow these with a ‘K3’ 2-6-0 - which would take its new-build activities up to circa 2044, although constructing two in parallel is not being ruled out. “We don’t want to leave a really big gap between the ‘P2’ and ‘V4’,” said Chairman Mark Allatt, outlining how 3D Computer Aided Design work on the latter will start within the next 12 months,…

Following the milestone of wheeling the frames for replica ‘County’ No. 1014 at Didcot in August, the focus of attention has now shifted to completing its tender chassis - resurrecting more parts from ‘Barry Ten’ 4-6-0 No. 7927 Willington Hall in the process. The brake linkages from the donor ‘Modified Hall’ are now being cleaned and painted, with the two vacuum cylinders to be overhauled next. Project Manager Dicky Boast said that the aim is to have all the brake gear assembled before the fitting of the tender’s bottom plate, which is currently being welded. All the steel plate has already been acquired to build the Hawksworth 4,000gal tank, whose design was unique to the ‘Counties’ at 8ft 6in wide - 6in more than the Hawksworth tenders used behind the…

“THE CHASSIS is powering ahead.” Those were the words of LMS Patriot Project Chairman David Bradshaw in October, summing up the latest progress on No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior . And while there’s still a long way to go before the three-cylinder engine is ‘powering ahead’ under its own steam, the group expects to have the full kit of parts for the Fowler ‘5XP’s’ ‘bottom half’ next May. Similarly, it was hoped that all of the key parts for the boiler would be brought together by the end of this month, with the delivery to LNWR Crewe of the four pieces for the firebox throatplate, formed by Tyseley Locomotive Works. The foundation ring is complete at Crewe, and awaiting non-destructive testing of its welds. David admitted…

Having taken a step backwards in recent months with the enforced dismantling of its ‘bottom half’, GWR ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange is striding forward again - with its cylinders and bogie in place, the inside motion fitted, and a boiler soon to go on top. “It’s back to where it was - and beyond,” commented Publicity Director Paul Appleton in late October, describing how the 6880 Betton Grange Society is now pulling out all the stops to have a ‘complete’-looking ‘Grange’ on show at the NEC on November 26/27, for the Warley Model Railway Exhibition. With the misalignment of the axleboxes now corrected, the cylinders are permanently fixed in place, and the bogie has been refitted, along with the vacuum brake reservoir from ex-Barry ‘Hall’ No. 5952 Cogan Hall.…

Not everything ran to script at the West Somerset Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala, with both guest locomotives changed at the eleventh hour. After the ‘S&D 50’ bash in March, the October 6-9 event was always set to be a lower-key affair - but a celebration of West Country branch lines had been in the offing, with ‘M7’ 0-4-4T No. 30053, former Taunton pannier tank No. 4612, and ‘Small Prairie’ No. 5542. With just a week to go, the Swanage Railway was unable to release the Drummond tank, while the Bodmin & Wenford Railway opted to send ‘64XX’ No. 6435 in place of No. 4612, because the latter’s greater power was still required during a busy autumn. However, with No. 6435 making its WSR debut, the line has now played host…

Fifty years since it ended its BR career working over former Cambrian metals from Shrewsbury shed, BR Standard ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 78018 found itself among a Western Region gathering to mark its preservation debut. The Riddles ‘Mogul’ entered revenue-earning service at the Great Central Railway’s Autumn Steam Gala of October 6-9, following a 35-year restoration by the Darlington Railway Preservation Society and Loughborough Standard Locomotive Group. First moved under its own steam on August 17 (SR458), No. 78018 made a loaded test run to Leicester North on October 5, the first train that it had hauled since withdrawal at Shrewsbury in November 1966. Afterwards, said LSLG Company Secretary Andy Fillingham: “It ran ‘straight out of the box’ for all four days of the gala with no major issues, so we’re…

THE RPSI’S newly installed 60ft turntable at Whitehead (SR458) has been in service for the first time, turning 0-4-0ST No. 3BG Guinness and heavyweight No. 85 Merlin . However, it took a team of ten people to push it round. Its debut turn came on October 15, just two days after the trackwork connecting the spur to the rest of the site had been completed. While No. 3BG rotated relatively easily, it took some re-positioning to balance the 103-ton Compound. RPSI locomotive officer Peter Scott explained: “In its previous location at Central Services Depot in Belfast, the turntable was operated by manual handles and a chain drive system. “It had to turn DEMU power cars, which were substantially heavier at the engine…

The story of how the BLS acquired Bahamas straight from BR service at Stockport Edgeley shed is well documented (SR385, February-March 2011, for instance) but how many know that an attempt was made by the society to rescue another celebrity Stanier 4-6-0 at the end of steam - No. 45156 Ayrshire Yeomanry? Feted as the last survivor of the four named ‘Black Fives’, No. 45156 was withdrawn from Rose Grove on August 3 1968 and sold for scrap to T.W. Ward of Beighton, Sheffield, eight weeks later - but not before the BLS had tried to save it. The Society’s minute book records on September 20 1968 that a meeting was to be held with Glossop Council on September 24 to discuss the possibility of obtaining the necessary finance -…

Steady progress is being made to restore the War Office Locomotive Trust’s Hunslet 4-6-0T No. 1215, which is nearing completion. The bogie is now in place, and the engine has been lowered to the ground for the first time since 2012. The cab has been fitted and the pistons, slidebars and valve gear are being assembled. The motion is being erected, while the connecting rods, radius rods and lifting links have been machined by a subcontractor. The smokebox door has been assembled and the boiler cladding crinolines mounted. Fitting the cladding to the corners of the Belpaire firebox has proved to be particularly tricky. Donations to help complete this significant project are still welcome - see www.warofficehunslet.co.uk for more information. Bagnall gets to work Bagnall 4-4-0 Charles Wytock…

The oldest surviving Borrows well tank, former Wallsend Slipway No. 3 (E. Borrows W/No. 37 of 1898) has been reassembled at the Tanfield Railway in preparation for movement. It is understood that it is to be overhauled at the Flour Mill in the Forest of Dean, which is also home to Kerr Stuart 0-4-0WT W/No. 3063 of 1918, built to the original Borrows design. Wallsend No. 3 last steamed at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway where it left in 1981, and is owned by a private group.…

The Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s plan for a major development of its catering facilities at Oxenhope has been temporarily shelved - in order to protect itself from unwanted development at the next station up the line. Bradford Council had granted planning permission for a new car park and a 100-seat café to replace a Mk 1 coach, but groundworks pushed the cost up to nearly £900,000. The railway now needs cash to bid for the fire station site at Haworth. Built on part of the former goods yard after the closure of the branch, and last used by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue in 2014, the fire station is on the market for £275,000 after proposals to retain it for emergency use or as a community asset failed to…

Tornado’s builders could celebrate ‘Shildon 200’ in 2025 from their own depot in Darlington - a home for the ‘A1’ and ‘P2’ plus train, and cradle for a third main liner. That’s not me saying that - it’s the A1 Trust itself. It was half a century ago, on March 26 this year, since the last Darlington steam shed closed and, interestingly, ‘A1’ No. 60124 Kenilworth was one of the last engines to leave. It had rarely been given any work, and it stood around for a couple of months before being towed to Draper’s yard at Hull for breaking up. The ‘A1’ organisation’s annual get-together on October 1 amounted to the moment when No. 60163’s builder moved publicly and decisively along a path away from a ‘single (or even…

“Imagine the significance when the BR ‘Mogul’ passes the site of the former 24D it called its first home” It was on October 30 1980 that I first saw No. 76084. We’d set off early from North London: my dad, his mate Les, myself, and a former engineman whose name I sadly forget. We were on a pilgrimage, and Les was soon pointing his imported Datsun towards South Wales. The ‘4MT’ was at the front of a row at Barry - distinctively salmon-coloured after someone clearly painted it to fend off the Bristol Channel’s salt-ridden air. Red-brown and rusty, ‘8F’ No. 48173 and ‘Black Fives’ Nos. 44901 and 45491 stood alongside. None looked like they’d steam any time soon - if ever - and none of that other trio yet…