Heritage Railway Issue 298

➜ An extra tour for Clun Castle announced as Heritage Railway closed for press is ‘The Merchant Venturer’ from Solihull to Bath Christmas market or Bristol on December 6, picking up at Widney Manor, Dorridge, Warwick Parkway, and Banbury. MAY I begin by expressing our deepest sympathies and condolences from the Heritage Railway team to the Royal Family for the loss ofThe Queen, a remarkable lady who served her country with unswerving duty and matchless dedication. She is widely credited with providing a presence of stability from the years of postwar austerity through a richly evolutionary period of social and technological change that is unsurpassed in the proud history of our nation. The Queen’s reign spanned virtually the entire era of the volunteer-led preservation sector, the core subject to which…

EDITORIAL Editor Robin Jones rjones@mortons.co.uk Staff Writer Owen Hayward OHayward@mortons.co.uk Senior Contributors Geoff Courtney, John Titlow Contributors Hugh Dougherty, Tim Hobman, Pete Kelly, Roger Melton Designer Tim Pipes Production editor Lucy Wood Publisher Tim Hartley Editorial address Heritage Railway magazine, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Website www.heritagerailway.co.uk ADVERTISING Advertising representatives Craig Amess 01507 529537 camess@mortons.co.uk Fiona Leak 01507 529573 fleak@mortons.co.uk Group advertising manager Sue Keily skeily@mortons.co.uk CUSTOMER SERVICES General Queries & Back Issues 01507 529529 Monday-Friday 8.30am-5pm Answerphone 24H help@classicmagazines.co.uk www.classicmagazines.co.uk DISTRIBUTION & PRINTING Distribution Marketforce (UK) Ltd, 3rd Floor, 161 Marsh Wall, London E14 9AP 0203 787 9001 Printing Acorn Web Offset Ltd, Normanton, West Yorkshire. MORTONS MEDIA GROUP LTD Sales and distribution manager Carl Smith Marketing manager Charlotte Park Commercial director Nigel Hole…

ALONG with the rest of the United Kingdom, the heritage railway sector was stunned by the death of The Queen, Elizabeth II, at Balmoral Castle onThursday, September 8, at the age of 96. The president of the Heritage Railway Association, Lord Faulkner of Worcester, said:“Everyone at the HRA, and within the heritage rail community as a whole, are deeply saddened by the news. Our thoughts are with the Royal Family at this traumatic time. “The Queen has reigned throughout almost the entire existence of the railway preservation movement and has continued the longstanding royal tradition of train travel. During that time she has met with many people in the heritage railway world, her warmth, compassion and engaging nature being universally admired.” Paying tribute Within hours of the news of her…

THE relaunch of Hagley Hall marked a double Severn Valley celebration in three days – as the £475,000 major project to upgrade Bridgnorth Shed was officially completed. After four months, the works on the roof and inside the shed are now finished, the last task for the contractors having been to complete the insulating and cladding on the western wall. It had taken months of planning and emptying before the contractors moved in to start work in May, with the SVR Charitable Trust having to raise the necessary funding. Before the heritage era, Bridgnorth did not have a locomotive shed. In the early days of preservation, the goods shed was originally used for locomotive maintenance, but it was far too small and unworkable. The present shed is made up of…

SEVERNValley Railway flagship GWR 4-6-0 No. 4930 Hagley Hall hauled its first passenger train in 36 years after being officially returned to traffic on September 9. There were many unexpected delays towards the end of its £1.4 million overhaul, including Covid-19 and then the upgrade of Bridgnorth Shed works in the latter stages. After No. 4930 returned to steam, a period of running in trials took place around the end of August, with several light engine full-line trips. Then, after overnight rain, two full-line return loaded test runs took place on August 25 and 26 using six Mk.1 carriages with a load of 204 tons. Testing times Further setbacks occurred when it came to the final running in, the recent extremely dry weather having left vegetation tinder-dry, to the point…

THE overhaul of the boiler of Peckett Yorktown class 0-4-0ST No. 2012 of 1941 Teddy, one of the smallest standard gauge locomotives ever built, has been boosted with a grant from the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust. Veronica is the daughter of the late Reverend Wilbert Awdry, author of the Thomas the Tank Engine stories, and her trust was set up in 2005 to support charitable organisations and individuals, primarily in and around Devon. Funds donated come from the royalties received from the stories. Teddy is named after the Reverend Teddy Boston, who was a close friend of Wilbert, and thus it is rather fitting that the trust has supported the overhaul of the 1941-built locomotive. The £1500 grant will go towards the overhaul of the boiler, for which the contract…