Indholdsfortegnelse for Issue 321 i Heritage Railway

OPINION THROUGHOUT the intensive coverage of the buildup to the general election, among the incessantly repetitive discussions about manifestoes, policies and various alleged misdemeanours, all of which would surely have taken pride of place in a parrot menagerie, I failed to pick up from any of the parties or their candidates the slightest mention of help for the arts and heritage sector. I cannot complain about such an absence, when the UK’s health service is facing beyond unacceptable patient waiting lists, and also when many ordinary people are despondent about the cost-of-living crisis. Yet, all of the parties kept repeating the word ‘growth’ as the key solution to our current predicament. Indeed, during the past weeks, we have witnessed growth in local tourist economies thanks to a series of landmark…

JUNE saw numerous diesel galas taking place, and each event brought about unique marketing points or guest locomotives for visitors. At the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on June 20-23,a six-strong guest line-up was enhanced by a Class 37 makinga comeback followinga period of maintenance – witha new livery to boot. With railway history ever changing, liveries once considered modern are rapidly starting to appear on our heritage lines; EWS colours are no stranger to the sector, having been worn by class 31s and 47s before. For Vince and Guy Minto, this was the scheme of choice for their Class 37 No. 37250 at the Wensleydale Railway. Over the course of the last few months, the ‘tractor’ has been in and out of the shed at Leeming Bar for bodywork…

THE North Norfolk Railway’s June 7-9 Rails & Ales 2024 event proved to be a major success, attracting nearly 1900 people with a 10-locomotive line-up every day, including visitors. Guests were Class 25 D7659, owned by the Waterman Rail Heritage Trust, Class 37 D6581 Flopsie, from Locomotive Services Limited, Swanage Railway-based Class 33 D6515 (No. 33012) Lt Jenny Lewis R.N., Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer, from Hanson & Hall Rail, and London Underground’s 4TC set based at West Ruislip, the latter three arriving as part of a railtour on June 6. Visiting for the 2024 season and making its first gala appearance on the line was Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 3844 of 1956 United Steel Company No. 22, from the Appleby-Frodingham Railway. Visitors took advantage of day rover unlimited travel,…

DIDCOT Railway Centre welcomed Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s great-great-great-grandson, Jim Noble, and Jim’s son Zeb, to lay one of the first plinth stones for a reconstructed station building on June 12. Jim was considered the ideal person to perform this role for a Brunel-inspired 1850s station building. Heyford station building is a typical early GWR structure, based on Brunel’s design for the station at Box, near Bath, in Somerset. These early stations feature a recessed section on the platform side, a substantial booking office porch and a canopy running all around the building. The cast canopy brackets are attractive items of Victorian ironwork capped with a lion’s head mask filling the depth of the valance. Such buildings feature at Aynho, Kidlington and Heyford. Heyford station was donated to the centre in…

THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Class 24 Bo-Bo No. 5081 will be withdrawn from traffic for engine repairs after the line’s July 12-14 Summer Heritage Diesel Gala. The 64-year-old privately-owned locomotive, a regular performer on the line, was outshopped from Crewe Works on March 19, 1960, and allocated to March 31B depot on the Eastern Region. Last day In October 1980, No. 24081 participated in a joint BR/Steamport exhibition at Southport. Sadly, it was failed at the event due to flat batteries and subsequently retired. It was officially withdrawn on October 5 that year and was the last remaining Class 24 in service – and it had been the sole operational class member for the previous 18 months. It was preserved in 1981 and underwent a bogie refurbishment in recent years.…

AWAY from galas, it is rare to see a heritage railway with regular lorry movements coming to and fro, but through May and into June the Talyllyn Railway saw several busy days at its main Tywyn Wharf terminus as stock new and old arrived. May 8 saw the first lorry deliver an entirely new bogie ballast hopper that had been constructed at the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s workshops in Aberystwyth. With permanent way maintenance and repair a constant battle, and several large relay projects having taken place in recent winters, as well as planned for future ones, the TR recognised the need to provide a vehicle with sufficient capacity to support the rake of smaller hopper wagons that were either acquired from Winchburgh Sahale Oil works in 1961 or built…

A WOMAN died after standing too close to a railway track in Mexico while trying to take a selfie with a passing main line steam special. Mother-of-one and teacher Dulce Alondra García Hernandez, 29, was in collision with Canadian Pacific HiB 4-6-4 No. 2816, also known as 'The Empress,' on June 4. The locomotive was hauling its 'Final Spike Steam Tour' from Calgary which began on April 24 and ended on June 7 in Mexico City. A video showed that seconds earlier she had told her son to stay away from the train as it passed through Nopala de Villagran, 60 miles north of Mexico City. Shortly before the tragedy occurs, a voice can be heard warning people to stay far away from the passing train. Witnesses said she had…

THE Sibiu-Agnita Railway in Transylvania, which first turned a wheel in 1896, continues to make progress as a heritage line. At the beginning of June it ran full trains with its visiting Manning Wardle for two days, helping to fund the transportation of its own locomotive to Britain for overhaul. Despite closure in 2001, the 4.3-mile section of the Sibiu-Agnita Railway between the traditionally Saxon villages of Cornatel and Hosman has seen steam trains at least once a year since 2010, with the exception of 2019 and 2020 ironically, not because of Covid-19, but due to problems with permits to operate. Until last year the steam engines were hired from Georg Hocevar, an Austrian who runs an engineering business and has been largely responsible for keeping narrow gauge lines running…

THE West Somerset Railway's highly successful Summer Diesel Festival on June 6-8 saw an increase in sales of 10% compared to last year's event. The annual gala sees visiting and home fleet locomotives haul services to an intensive timetable, maximising mileage and providing opportunity for passengers to experience rarely- used sections of the track between Bishops Lydeard and Norton Fitzwarren. Visiting locomotives this year were Class 20s No. 20142 Sir John Betjeman and No. 20189, Class 24 D5054 Phil Southern, Class 46 Peak D182 (46045), Class 50 No. 50033 Glorious and the late addition of a Great Western Railway High Speed Train. These were supported by the Williton-based Diesel and Electric Preservation Group-owned Class 03 D2133, Class 09 D4107, Class 14 D9526, Class 33s D6566 and D6575 and Class 35…

CORNWALL'S Lappa Valley Railway celebrated its half century with a timetable of special services featuring the line's entire roster of working main line locomotives and visiting steam and traction engines on June 14-16. Top of the bill was Severn Lamb 0-6-4T Zebedee, the 15 in gauge line's first locomotive when it was opened by Eric Booth on June 16,1974, and which, rebuilt from an 0-6-2T in 1990, returned after a three-year overhaul absence. The Friday night of the event saw a special celebration for staff, friends, family and supporters, who enjoyed exclusive use of the park, food and drink, and a fireworks display at the Grade II-listed 19th-century East Wheal Rose mine engine house. On the Sunday morning, exactly 50 years to the minute, the team recreated the first-ever service…

A PAIR of Class 43 power cars will be among the highlights of the Mid-Hants Railway's July 12-14 diesel gala - in a first for the steeply-graded Watercress Line. The High Speed Train power cars, supplied by Rail Adventure UK Ltd, represent a class that entered service in 1976 and includes what is officially the fastest diesel locomotive in the world, having achieved 148.5mph on a special trial, and regularly running in service at 125mph. They will star alongside Class 50 No. 50008 Thunderer, visiting courtesy of Hanson & Hall Rail Services Solutions Ltd. Also operating will be the Class 438 4TC set comprising No. DTSO 76324, TBSK 70823, TFK 71163, DTSO 76297, courtesy of Transport for London Engineering. The 4TC will allow the railway to operate visiting air-braked locomotives…

WHEN heritage YouTuber Lawrie Rose heard that a Ruston & Hornsby locomotive was potentially facing scrap at the Colne Valley Railway, he felt he simply could not sit by and watch it meet its fate and decided to launch an appeal to raise the money to save it. However, nobody could have believed that the target would not only be met in just under 80 minutes, but it would also go on to more than double within 12 hours! With the CVR having instigated a review of its collection and stored assets, both items from its own asset list, along with privately-owned stock, have recently been offered for disposal, with some facing scrap if buyers could not be found. Already owning R&H 48DS No. 294266 at the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway,…

EMPLOYEES from UK Power Networks Services have lent their aid to the Kent & East Sussex Railway in its 50th anniversary year by making use of a company scheme that allows its staff two days of paid leave to support voluntary projects. With more than 50 years' experience supporting aviation, rail, logistics, government, and numerous other industries, UKPNS's Donate A Day arrangement allowed 12 of its employees to visit the heritage line for the second year in a row. There, they undertook restoration work on a railway worker's cottage and cleaned carriage windows at Northiam station. Senior project engineer Stuart Hall said:“We work on electricity infrastructure for private companies and one of our customers is Network Rail. Due to our railway connections, we were looking for a challenge that our…

MAIN LINE NEWS THE Scottish Railway Preservation Society (SRPS) and the Royal Scot Locomotive and General Trust have announced a new long-term partnership for running heritage trains in Scotland. The SRPS has spent the last year overhauling its fleet of Mk. 1 coaching stock to bring it up to the required Office of Rail & Road standards for continued main line operations. There has been significant investment in terms of volunteer and financial resources, which has recently been boosted by arrangements with third parties to expedite this work, with some carriages recently travelling to Barrow Hill. The first of the overhauled carriages were expected to return to the SRPS base at the Bo'ness & Kinneil Railway in July, which will then see the organisation able to recommence main line operations.…

UNDER the title of'The Grampian Highlander' Pathfinder Tours has laid on a weekend of heritage traction with two Class 50s between Saturday, August 24, and Monday, August 26. Starting out from Taunton with Mk. 2 carriages behind a GBRf locomotive, the train is scheduled to head north, picking up passengers at Yatton, Bristol Temple Meads, Bristol Parkway, and Gloucester. At Gloucester, the locomotive will be exchanged for two 50s courtesy of The Class Fifty Alliance. There will then be additional passenger pick-ups at Cheltenham Spa, Worcestershire Parkway, Birmingham New Street, and Stafford. Heading north on the West Coast Main Line, there will be a short break at Carlisle, before continuing into Scotland. Crossing the country to Stirling, Perth and Dundee, the train will then run along the coast to Aberdeen…

LMS Jubilee4-6-0 No. 5593 Kolhapur is set to return to the main line in the future after West Coast Railways chairman David Smith confirmed that he has bought it. Kolhapur, which was built by the North British Locomotive Company in Glasgow in 1934, was withdrawn by BR in October 1967 and the following year was purchased by 7029 Clun Castle Ltd, which founded the Standard Gauge Steam Trust, and which acquired a long-term lease on part of the Tyseley depot site, which evolved into today's Tyseley Locomotive Works. In the 1980s, Kolhapur was restored to LMS crimson lake livery, becoming a regular railtours performer, but it last steamed in 1997 when its boiler certificate expired. It has been stored at Tyseley awaiting an overhaul, which was expected to cost about…

RAILWAYANA LMS Jubilee nameplate Tobago from No. 45635 is a late entrant in Talisman's July 13 auction, where it joins Hogue from classmate No. 45683. A November 1934 Crewe product, No. 45635 had a service life of just under 30 years before being withdrawn from Carlisle Kingmoor (12A) in September 1964. Other recent additions include the smokebox numberplate and one of the Darlington 1949 worksplates (works No. 2067) from Peppercorn A1 No. 60148 Aboyeur, and the whistle from Britannia Pacific No. 70043 Lord Kitchener, which was a London Midland Region locomotive its entire life. Also joining the sale are seatbacks from the Eastern Region stations of Stratford and Tottenham, and from further afield come a Newton Abbot totem and the nameboard from Newton Abbot East signalbox that opened in April…

AS A young man, did I realise I was about to capture a piece of railway preservation history? The clear answer is an emphatic 'no'. In those days I travelled around on a Honda 250cc motorcycle, my interest in steam railways slowly being rekindled after it finished on the main line. I was discovering preserved railways, which were starting to reopen closed lines. It had been advertised in Railway Magazine that the KESR was beginning to reopen the line from Tenterden to just beyond Rolvenden and that June 1,1974, was to be the official first publictrain service. At the time I lived at Stoke Newington, North London, and it was a glorious late spring day - perfect for being out on the motorcycle. I had never visited this area of…

IT might just be another run-ofthe-mill 2-6-0 to some, but for the volunteers behind the return to steam of Ivatt 2MT No. 46464, it was a moment of celebration as the locomotive’s overhaul finally drew to a close after it worked its first passenger trains on June 22. This particular Ivatt had hauled the very last passenger train from Arbroath to Forfar on August 2, 1952, along with the final working over the Carmyllie branch on May 19, 1965. The Carmyllie Railway was built in 1855 to enable the transportation of stone from the area to markets, at a time when the material was highly sought-after for urban developments. It covered 6 1/2 miles, joining the Dundee & Arbroath Railway at Elliot Junction station, with passenger services commencing in 1900.…

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway has launched an all-new film to showcase the world-class films and TV series that have featured the heritage line as an incredible location. The new film trail, Lights, Camera, Traction, launched on July 1 and is a permanent addition to the NYMR experience for movie buffs and rail enthusiasts alike to visit places where some of the most famous blockbusters in cinematic history were filmed. The trail features a map (which can be downloaded before visiting) highlighting the locations that can be spotted on the big screen and guiding visitors to those spots while at the attraction. The NYMR has been an iconic backdrop in hugely successful films including Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (as the setting for Hogsmeade station), Indiana Jones and the…

FOLLOWING the Severn Valley Railway’s successful steam and diesel galas, June 15/16 featured a mixed traffic event, recounting the days of the changeover period when modern traction was taking over on BR. In addition to the gala action on the line, a beer festival inside the Engine House at Highley offered a wide range of beers and ciders and did a very good trade throughout the weekend. A busy timetable was in place on the Saturday, with eight full returns. Trains started from Kidderminster at 8.40am and finished at 7.12pm. From Bridgnorth, it was a 9.45am departure, and the last arrival was at 6.38pm. Also on the Saturday was a wedding special for one of the volunteers on four carriages hauled by BR Standard 4MT 4-6-0 No. 75069, which was…

IAN Wright, a founding father of the country’s successful railwayana movement and over many years one of its most influential members, has died at the age of 81. As an auctioneer he will be long-remembered for his favourite catchphrases as he wielded the gavel from his dais, his schoolmasterly admonishments to the audience if someone interrupted his flow, and his astonishment if a piece of memorabilia that he considered ‘choice’failed to attract the level of bids he believed it deserved. He will also be remembered for his enthusiasm, and his knowledge of virtually any item of railwayana and his willingness to impart that wisdom to whoever asked him for advice. He didn’t suffer fools, gladly or otherwise, but he would be warm and supportive of anyone he thought warranted his…

NEWS THE June 15 Corris Railway gala was a particularly significant day for its own story in more ways than one, as three steam locomotives came together to run services for what is believed to be the first time since the line's inception in 1859 and the displacement of horses in 1878. The railway was constructed to serve the slate quarries at Corris, Corris Uchaf and Aberllefenni, but the gauge (2ft 3in) chosen and cited in the initial bill for the tramroad put before parliament resulted in the use of locomotives being forbidden - hence it initially operating with horses. A later bill for an extension to the iron ore mines at Tir Stent saw the tramroad converted to a railway and locomotive usage finally allowed. The locomotives ordered came…

THE public will be invited to take a trip by train back in time to the World Cup-winning year of 1966 when the Great Central Railway stages its Railways At Work 2024 event on August 10/11. The weekend will build on the success of last year's popular occassion, when re-enactors recreated the Beeching era of 1963 - and carried off the 2024 Heritage Railway Interpretation Award, sponsored by Heritage Railway magazine. The theme for this year is 1966 - A New Era and will focus on the transition from the old to the new and look at how British Railways started reinventing its image in the mid-1960s. The event will feature a mixed steam and diesel line-up of locomotives typical of the mid-1960s. An intensive passenger train service will utilise…

THE Guild of Railway Artists is to hold two exhibitions this summer in the Alresford station goods shed on the Mid-Hants Railway over the weekend of July 20/21, followed by its flagship annual Railart event at Kidderminster Railway Museum from August 17 to September 29. About 30 paintings will be on view at Alresford, several of which will not have previously been on public display. In addition, there will be two works of art featuring No. 34070 Manston, which were painted during an event at Ropiey that gave guild members the opportunity to put the Battle of Britain Pacific onto canvas. One of the paintings on display will be by guild fellow Malcolm Root and features another SR Battle of Britain locomotive. No. 34065 Hurricane, heading the Up 'Statesman' Pullman…

LONG severed from the current main operational Kent & East Sussex Railway route, the spotlight turned on the Rother Valley Railway at Robertsbridge on May 31 when celebrations for the KESR golden anniversary got underway in spectacular fashion. Local MPs, Network Rail officials and volunteers new and old arrived in Kent to celebrate the landmark occasion, which was marked in two very special ways. Over the last few years, the RVR team has focused on several projects, but perhaps the most notable has been the installation of what was once London's Hither Green depot turntable, which will now allow for the KESR and RVR's rolling stock to be turned if required for maintenance and operational requirements. Additionally, as the station is main line-connected, it makes Robertsbridge an optional servicing and…

THE Wensleydale Railway has bought Class 47 No. 47714 from the Harry Needle Railroad Company. The line is currently home to Class 03, 14, 33 and 37 diesels and a growing collection of industrial types. Fundraising and marketing manager Nick Keegan said: “Acquiring the Class 47 compliments our excellent heritage diesel collection. Enthusiasts will have seen the recent news of our resident Class 37 receiving a stunning EWS livery. Our team will be considering a new livery for the Class 47 too, but a final decision has yet to be made.” Martin Cleaver, WR pic director and member of the general management group, added:“The purchase of this locomotive improves our operational capabilities. “It has electric train-heating capacity which will allow us to heat our carriages during the cold winter months,…

NEWS THE Bodmin & Wenford Railway turned the clock back to the 1950s when it held its May 25/26 Branch Line Gala, its first such event since before the Covid-19 pandemic. In action over a weekend blessed by superb weather were consecutive-numbered GWR prairies: home-based No. 5552, which in BR days was shedded at Truro, and Pete Waterman's No. 5553, which had been based at nearby St Blazey depot, visiting for the season. However, on static display but taking pride of place was LSWR Beattie 2-4-0 WT No. 30587, one of two iconic survivors of a trio that were sent to work china clay traffic over the Wenfordbridge branch long after their class has been declared redundant on the rest of the works. The well tank was the centrepiece of…

RENOWNED for its double Fairlies and George England locomotives, the Ffestiniog Railway is also home to an array of smaller locomotives - such as Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0STs including Hugh Napier, Britomart and Lilia - that are not suitably powered for main day-to-day services. These are now coming into their own, however, thanks to the railway's new Flow They Work courses, which offer hands-on experiences. With the Heritage Lottery Fund-financed Boston Lodge redevelopment nearing its end, the workshops will be open for pre-booked tours four days a week from July 22. Additionally, the introduction of the courses will enable small groups to learn about what work goes into maintaining the steam fleet from drivers and fitters with in-depth first-hand knowledge of the field. The course includes a hands-on session helping to…

THE National Railway Museum has appointed a new custodian for LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman. A contract with Stockton-on-Tees-based Northern Steam Operations Limited (run by Northern Steam Engineering Limited) to manage and maintain the world's most famous locomotive and its day-to-day operations began in June and will run until January 2032. The contract includes responsibility for the provision of a future mechanical overhaul to enable the A3 to continue operating on the main line rail network. The previous agreement with Riley & Son (E) Ltd ended on December 31 and a tender to find the next custodian opened in March. The tender included the provision for the locomotive to be converted to a single chimney locomotive and a livery change if reguested. The successful bid from Northern Steam…

THE former Caledonian Railway's St Rollox Works, better known locally as The Caley, is set to return to train manufacture and maintenance following the launch of ambitious plans for the Grade B-listed site by Gibson Engineering Ltd. Closed to railway maintenance in 2019, the site was bought by Optical Express tycoon David Moulsdale, who said that it was his intention to bring back railway work to Springburn, the traditional home of railway engineering in Scotland. Now, train maintenance company directors, the father-and-son team of Dougie and Fraser Gibson, have joined forces with David, and are actively recruiting skilled workers and apprentices to restart work at St Rollox. Fraser said:“As a premier train manufacturing and maintenance and repair firm, we pride ourselves in our commitment to excellence, technological prowess and dedication…

July 6 ‘North Wales Coast Express’ Euston, Llandudno and return. Steam-hauled between Crewe and Llandudno. Locos: Steam: TBA. Electric: 86259 Les Ross. RTC 6 ‘English Riviera Express’ Northampton, Kingswear and return. Steam-hauled between Taunton and Kingswear. Loco: TBA. ST 6 ‘The Westbury Wizzo’ East Midlands Parkway, Westbury and return. Loco: D1015 Western Champion. UKRT 6 ‘The White Rose’ Birmingham New Street, Scarborough and return. Loco: 7029 Clun Castle. VT 7 ‘The Waverley’ York, Carlisle and return. Steam-hauled throughout. Loco: TBA. RTC 9 ‘Torbay Riviera Pullman’ York, Paignton and return. Locos: Midland Pullman HST. MP 9 The End of Southern Steam London Victoria, Yeovil Junction, Weymouth and return. Diesel-hauled from Yeovil Junction to Weymouth. Loco: 35028 Clan Line. RTC 11 ‘The Golden Hind’ Milton Keynes Central, Plymouth and return. Steam-hauled between…

LEST WE FORGET From the outset, Britain’s railways were to be a key backbone of Operation Overlord, or D-Day, the Allied liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe. The railways proved vital in transporting troops, military hardware and equipment en masse to ports on the southern coast on England in readiness for the largest seaborne invasion in world history. It began shortly after midnight on the morning of June 6 with extensive aerial and naval bombardment, after an armada of 3000 landing craft, 2500 other ships, and 500 naval vessels, escorts and bombardment ships had begun to leave the English ports the day before. Under conditions of utmost secrecy, UK railway companies had been preparing well in advance for the day. Restaurant cars were withdrawn from service on April 5,1944, as part of…

WHILE Derrick Martin is, of course, entitled to his view on Flying Scotsman, as expressed in issue 320, I’m afraid I cannot agree. It should not be forgotten that Sir Nigel himself realised that there was room for improvement to the original A1 locomotives, resulting in a redesign to the A3 specification. As is well-known, this redesign entailed an increase in boiler pressure from 180lb to 220lb and the introduction of long lap, long travel valves, slightly smaller cylinders and improved superheating. Flying Scotsman itself received this modification in 1947 and subsequently gained further improvements with the installation of the Kylchap chimney and German type smoke deflectors. Not everybody agrees that the Witte smoke deflectors are an improvement from the aesthetic point of view, but there can be little doubt…

SOUTH EAST Amberley Museum 2ft gauge, ¼ mile. Arundel, West Sussex. Tel: 01798 831370. Open: Weds-Suns. Bluebell Railway Standard gauge, 11 miles. Sheffield Park, East Sussex TN22 2QL. Tel: 01825 720800. Running: Weds-Suns, sch hols. Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway 2ft gauge, ½ mile. Bredgar, Sittingbourne, Kent. Tel: 01622 884254. Running: Weds + Thurs & Fris from July 24 + July 7. Chatham Historic Dockyard Standard gauge, one mile. Chatham, Kent. Tel: 01634 820800. Open: Daily. East Kent Railway Standard gauge, two miles. Shepherdswell, Kent. Tel: 01304 832042. Running: Suns. Eastleigh Lakeside Railway 10¼in & 7¼in gauge, 1¼ miles. Running: Daily. Exbury Gardens & Steam Railway 12¼in gauge, 1½ miles. Exbury, Southampton. Tel: 023 8089 1203. Open: Daily. Hayling Light Railway 2ft gauge, one mile. Hayling Island, Hants. Tel: 07902 446340. Running: Weds, W/Es, sch hols. Hollycombe Steam…

THE Severn Valley Railway-based 82045 Steam Locomotive Trust has announced a milestone in its project to create a new example of the BR Riddles Standard 3MT 2-6-2. On the morning of June 3, in what was described by the trust as a“very momentous occasion,”the boiler was lowered gently into place on the chassis to check its fit. The boiler fitted very well, needing only a little adjustment before being removed from the frames for further work including drilling and reaming rivet holes in preparation for riveting the boiler barrel to the firebox. There will be the front tubeplate to fit, main internal steam pipe, regulator assembly, tubes, and riveting of the smokebox to the barrel. All the tubes are on site, and they were intended to be fitted towards the…

IN May, the Flour Mill workshops at Bream in the Forest of Dean completed the heavy general overhaul of Phil Steer’s Borrows 0-4-0WT No.48 The King, built in 1906 for the United Glass Bottle Company, and in June was running in at the Avon Valley Railway, in Bristol, after which it will return to its home base at the Ribble Steam Railway. The Preston venue is also home to a larger Borrows, works No. 53 Windle, built for Pilkingtons in 1909. It had been hoped to run in The King, in a warm green livery, with its other larger sibling, Kerr Stuart No. 3063 of 1908 informally known as Willy the Well Tank, which went new to the National Shipyard in 1918 and was painted Midland(or Midland and South Western…

JUNE was undoubtedly dominated by Bulleid locomotives, and while Swanage was stealing the show with its record-breaking gathering of the late chief engineer of the Southern Railway’s Pacifics, (see feature, pages 48-55), just a week later the Bluebell added another to the roster of operational examples when No. 34059 Sir Archibald Sinclair was formally launched back into traffic. Despite having worked over the festive season of 2023, concluding in a well-attended gala on January 1, No. 34059’s launch on June 15 saw the locomotive rejoin the railway’s roster after spending the start of the year at Horsted Keynes for finishing-off. In order to be available for the winter, it ran with final livery (including numbering and nameplat) yet to be applied. During the winter shutdown, it was towed to Horsted…

THE Isle of Wight Steam Railway had double the reason to celebrate -after historic Smallbrook signalbox returned to its site following renovation and its new café opened. The ’box stands at the junction where South Western’s Island Line from Ryde Pier and Shanklin meets the heritage line. The rebuild and renovation project was largely funded by £40,000 from the South Western Railway Customers and Communities Improvement Fund. In 1926, the then Southern Railway established a junction with signalbox at Smallbrook to speed the flow of trains heading to Cowes and Ventnor from Ryde. The ’box was used only in the summer seasons when traffic levels were higher due to the influx of holidaymakers on the island. The line to Newport and Cowes closed in February 1966 and the ’box was…

THE oldest and newest standard gauge steam locomotives currently in service will headline the West Somerset Railway's 150th anniversary celebratory gala on July 16-21. Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 20, which was built by Sharp Stewart in 1863, will visit from the Ribble Steam Railway to join new-build GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange, which, as highlighted last issue, impressed on its public debut at the Cotswold Festival of Steam on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway in May. A third visitor will be Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST No. 3581 Marston, Thompson and Evershed No. 3, from the Foxfield Railway. The event will mark 150 years since the Watchet to Minehead section of the Minehead Railway was opened on July 16,1874. The line was operated by the Bristol & Exeter Railway, which was amalgamated…

PRESERVED 0-4-0T Marcia is to return to its long-time Kent & East Sussex Railway home following its sale by a Devon traction engine specialist. The 1923-built Peckett was donated to the KESR after its withdrawal in 1962, and remained there when it was bought three years later by member Richard Beckett, who died last year. His family asked GW Railwayana to put the engine up for auction at the end of April, but there were no bidders. The family then arranged for it to be taken by low-loader on a 225-mile journey to Berrybrook Steam & Classics at Exminster, near Exeter, arriving there on June 6, and put it up for sale with a price tag of £26,000. It was the first time Berrybrook Steam had ever been involved with…

NEW-BUILD GWR Saint 4-6-0 No.2999 Lady of Legend has returned to the Severn Valley Railway to haul regular services for an extended stay. Didcot-based Lady of Legend arrived on the SVR in June and was rostered for the popular June 29/30 and July 6/7 Step Back To The Forties weekends, after which it will stay on until the autumn steam gala, with further operating days to be announced. Lady of Legend made its first heritage railway appearance away from Didcot at the SVR's Spring Steam Up in 2021. Dubbed the 78th Saint, it proved to be such a crowd-pleaser then that the SVR arranged a return visit for the 2022 Spring Steam Gala and platinum jubilee celebrations. “It's wonderful to be welcoming back this popular visitor,” said Jonathan'Gus'Dunster, the SVR's…

AN exhibition is showcasing the days when the Hampshire town of Ring wood was part of the national network. Following an earlier trial run in the town's community centre, the Ringwood Society has set up its Memories of the Railway in Ringwood display at the Ringwood Meeting Flouse and History Centre, with arefacts and photographs covering more than a century. In particular it highlights the importance of the 'Castleman's Corkscrew' railway, the first line to pass through the New Forest which opened on June 1,1847. Promoted by Wimborne solicitor Charles Castleman and weaving its way through locations such as Redbridge, Ringwood, Wareham and Moreton, its winding route led to the affectionate nickname it became known by. The exhibition had been partly financed by a £44,000 grant awarded by the National…

KERR Stuart Wren 0-4-0ST No. 4256 Peter Pan has travelled far and wide since its construction in 1922, with its latest trip involving a return visit to Belgium four decades after its first appearance there in 1984. Over May 4/5, the Stoomtrein Maldegem-Eeklo (Belgium Steam Museum) ran its annual opening festival event which saw four standard and two narrow gauge steam locomotives in operation around the museum's base at Maldegem and along the 6.2 miles to Eeklo. The event saw Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 3796 Errol Lonsdale joined by the steam and diesel locomotive's from the museum's home fleet to operate passenger services, while the grounds at Maldegem hosted displays of railway equipment and vintage vehicles from the 1950s and 1960s in what is an annual celebration of heritage to…

This year has seen a succession of ground-breaking galas on our heritage lines. In March, the Great Central Railway and the Great Central railway (Nottingham) linked by packed vintage London Routemaster busses to commemorate the 125th anniversary of the GCR’s London Extension, as featured in issue 318. Late May saw a heritage era first, with three new-build standard gauge locomotives starring in the Cotswold Festival of Steam at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, as highlighted last issue. Another heritage sector ‘first’ - the gathering of eight operational Bulleid Pacifies - was staged on the Swanage Railway in early June, and more than 4700 passengers travelled in what was the Purbeck line’s biggest-ever special event. Strictly Bulleid II took place on June 7-9, with a preview taster day on Thursday, June 6,…

THE planned return to the main line of new-build Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 has fallen behind schedule. As reported last issue, Tornado was due to make its comeback following a £1 million overhaul which has lasted more than two years at the head of builder and owner The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust's'The Ribblehead Ramble'from Leicester to Carlisle on Saturday, June 29, but it was not ready in time. Trust chairman Steve Davies MBE said: The team have worked hard to have the engine ready in time for planned trains this summer; however, it is now clear that Tornado will not be complete in time. “The recommissioning of the locomotive systems after the significant works undertaken, including the world's first European Train Control System fitment and the certification process, has…

UK Railtours is to run two different 'Off the Beaten Track' tours this summer. The first offering on Sunday, July 28, under the title of'The Waterside Wanderer', aims to have a Class 33 leading the train out of Fenchurch Street and a Class 66 bringing up the rear. The tour is expected to take a slightly unusual route out of London via Gas Factory Junction and Bow Junction to join the Great Eastern Main Line for a passenger pick-up at Stratford. Heading north away from the capital, the next stops are expected to be Chelmsford and then Colchester to pick up the final passengers. After Colchester, the train is scheduled to divert away from the Great Eastern Main Line at Manningtree and follow the Mayflower Line past Mistley to Harwich…

HERITAGE MODELLER NEWS WITH June 6 being the 80th anniversary of D-Day and Operation Overlord, it proved an ideal time for RapidoTrainsto reveal what was 'classified information'until then:the details for its new OO gauge USATC SI 60 2-8-0 locomotives. Designed by Major JW Marsh, from the Railway Branch of the Corps of Engineers, this all-American loco had to fit the more restrictive loading gauge of the UK. Their design had to be easy to build, quick to repair, and reliable. Taking inspiration from its predecessor the S200, and the British WD Austerity 2-8-0, the S160 lacked the finesse of many of the British locomotives it would work alongside, but other than a few teething problems and operational challenges it met its brief perfectly. Constructed in the United States in multiple…

ENJOYING another visit to the Welsh Highland Railway recently, we booked tickets on The Harbourmaster service from Porthmadog to Caernarfon, with the Beyer-Garratt 2-6-2+2-6-2 No. NG130 providing the motive power. I grew up in East Africa and South Africa, so as a child I knew the Garratt engines well. When I was nine years old, I spent some time in Port Shepstone, on the south coast of (kwa-Zulu) Natal; to my delight, I learned No. NG 130 had served on the Port Shepstone-Harding branch line, then known as ‘The Banana Express,’ so it is very likely I had ridden behind this very engine. The fireman seemed a bit surprised that I was eager to get up on the footplate; you have to be agile enough to climb up there. It’s…