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OPINION THE official presentation of an MBE toTalyllyn Railway pioneer John Bates on October 26, awarded inThe King's Birthday Honours, was a glowing tribute to the entire heritage railway sector. In 1951, during the latter days of post-Second World War austerity, John and a group of likemined visionaries set about rescuing a remote narrow gauge line in a far-flung corner of mid-Wales, making regular trips from their homes across the border in England to undertake the necessary hard slog purely on a voluntary basis. Swimming against a tidal wave of seemingly insurmountable odds, the world's first heritage railway came into being – and set the blueprint for others to follow. Had it not been for the members of that group who were prepared to give up their spare time to…
A £450,000‘Save Your Railway’ appeal has been launched by the Swanage Railway Trust to combat rising operating costs and declining passenger numbers. The appeal is aimed at boosting the financial reserves of the Purbeck Line through the early months of 2024 before the main trading season resumes in the spring. Meanwhile, the Swanage Railway Company, which operates trains on behalf of the trust, has set its own target of cutting operating costs by £350,000, while also working on an initiative to attract more visitors next year. Trust chairman Frank Roberts, a volunteer on the line for nearly 40 years, said: “We are well aware that the cost-of-living crisis is affecting very many people, but every pound donated to our Save Your Railway appeal will help the Swanage Railway. “Since the…
WHILE it has been celebrating its half centenary this year, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway is not letting up on safeguarding its future with the launch of a new £50,000 fundraising appeal. With its director of mechanical engineering and TV star Paul ‘Piglet’ Middleton as its face, this fundraiser is an appeal with a difference. One of the stars of Channel 5's Yorkshire Steam Railway and Big Steam Adventure programmes, Piglet has worked tirelessly at the railway since he was 16 years old. With base costs to run the railway spiralling ever upwards, now more than ever it needs help to ensure that it will continues to entertain visitors for the next 50 years. To run daily services across its 18-miles, steam locomotives require three tonnes of coal each per…
A BRITISH traveller was reported to be in hospital in intensive care after a special tourist steam train in Argentina completely derailed and toppled onto its side, dragging its carriages down an embankment, on November 11. The tour was organised by American company Trains and Travel International LLC, under the title of ‘The Old Patagonian Express – The Final Chapter’, with tickets costing from $7595 (£6200) for the basic package. It was running over the scenic 249-mile 2ft 51/2in gauge line between Esquel and Ingeniero Jacobacci via El Maitén in the foothills of the Andes Mountain range when the incident occured. The trains are commonly known by two names, the Old Patagonian Express and, in Spanish, La Trochita, meaning ‘little gauge’. A total of 53 passengers were on board when…
THE Nene Valley Railway is advertising for a new general manager to join its payroll and lead the line through its next phase of development. The successful candidate will be responsible for managing all the various functions needed to support the day-to-day operation of the 7½mile line and its further development. The ideal candidate will be able to ensure that the railway is safe to operate and commercially successful, while being an inspirational leader with commercial intelligence, and who can manage a team of paid and volunteer staff, said an NVR statement.The postholder will work with the railway's trustees to help define and refine the NVR's strategic goals and then lead the management team to achieve them, reporting to the chairman of the NVR Ltd's board of trustees. A proven…
EXCLUSIVE ONE of the world's largest private collections of GWR railwayana, including no fewer than 37 nameplates, 47 brass numberplates, and‘combined’ name and worksplates that are regarded by many as the ‘Holy Grail’ of GWR memorabilia, is to go under the hammer at auction in the USA on November 30. The sale, which is being held by Leonard Auction, of Addison, Illinois, is set to excite the vast army of GWR aficionados in the UK, many of whom may have been unaware of the collection's existence. It was amassed over decades by the late Tom Jones, who was born and brought up in northern England and developed a love of trains from an early age. He progressed from collecting model trains to railwayana, and this lasted for much of his…
