Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2018 i The Railway Magazine

THIRTY years ago, on December 12, 1988, a busy commuter train ran into the back of another packed train, which had stopped at a red signal outside Clapham Junction. Moments later a third train hit the wreckage. It was a catastrophe in which 35 people lost their lives and 484 were injured. It’s a day I can never forget as it was also my first wedding anniversary. My pager bleeped around 08.45 and displayed the awful news of a serious train crash. In the subsequent public inquiry report by Sir Anthony Hidden, recommendations included ensuring work was independently inspected, and a senior project manager be made responsible for all aspects of any major, safety-critical project, such as re-signalling work. Very worrying, therefore, was the collision in the throat of Waterloo…

THE first of a fleet of 34‘Flirt’ bi-mode multiple units for Greater Anglia arrived in the UK on November 14. Class 755 No. 755405 was hauled from Ripple Lane to Norwich Crown Point by DB Cargo’s No. 66002 the next day. Rail Operations Group has been appointed as the test operator for the various safety, performance and acceptance tests. The units are being built by Stadler in Switzerland, with 755405 being the launch set at the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin in September. The set is pictured passing Ipswich.…

Southeastern seeks female drivers SOUTHEASTERN is aiming to encourage more women to opt for a career in rail. The company wants to increase female applicants for train driver roles to 40% by 2021 in an attempt to boost the number of women in front-line roles. Currently, only 4.5% of Southeastern’s drivers are female – a figure in line with national statistics. Southeastern wants to break the perception of driving trains being a male-dominated occupation. East West Rail appoints first CEO THE East West Railway Company, an arms-length body of the Department for Transport, has appointed Simon Blanchflower as its first CEO. Mr Blanchflower was involved in the early phases of Crossrail, the delivery of the Heathrow Express, and was programme director for Thameslink project. Blackpool impacted by timetable issues DAY…

BOMBARDIER has had to pay compensation to Transport for London for the late delivery of the eight four-car Class 710 EMUs destined for the London Overground Gospel Oak to Barking service. The payment is believed to be around the £5million mark, and was revealed in a TfL quarterly performance report. The trains should have entered service in the summer of 2017 after the line had been electrified, and nearly 18 months later, there is no planned start date. Services on the Gospel Oak to Barking line suffered a marked deterioration during November after a second Class 172 (No. 172006) was sent to Ilford for refurbishment ahead of its move to West Midlands Trains. This left the line with six units for six diagrams, and on some days during November, unit…

NEW proposals have been published by the Office of Rail and Road that significantly revise guidance for train and station operators to make the railway more accessible for all. There is growing concern that passengers with disabilities have suffered levels of discrimination in such areas as the lack of a working accessible toilet on a train and the availability of platform staff with a wheelchair ramp. The ORR wants to see reforms to the Disabled People’s Protection Policy (DPPP), designed to bring greater quality, consistency and reliability to assisted travel for disabled passengers. Most disabled passengers get the help they requested and are satisfied with the service they received, but a new insight into longstanding problems, particularly the industry systems and processes, often undermine the ability of staff to deliver…

TRAIN operators, Network Rail and many others held events in the lead-up to the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War and Remembrance Day on November 11. Some trains were specially named, notably GWR, with its unveiling of IET No. 800306 giving the names of all 2,545 men who worked for the GWR and died during the war. The Hitachi set was named after two of those who died, Flight Sub-Lieutenant Harold Day DSC, the only railway man to become a flying ace, and Lance-Corporal Allan Leonard Lewis VC, whose name has historically been omitted from the GWR Roll of Honour. Elsewhere on the set were pictures of some of the staff, and descendants of many of the men commemorated attended the unveiling at Paddington station. Other operators’trains…

GREAT Western Railway (GWR) is now operating to Heathrow Airport under contract to Heathrow Express (HEX). Stage 1 of the changeover has seen HEX staff transfer to GWR, with the Class 332 EMUs continuing to operate express services between the airport and London Paddington. Stage 2, planned for the December 2019 timetable change, will see the‘332s’replaced by a fleet of dedicated GWR Class 387 ‘Electrostar’EMUs. Modifications will include new interiors better suited to the intensive airport shuttles and the installation of European Train Control System (ETCS) equipment necessary for working over the airport branch. Porterbrook, which owns the GWR‘387s’, is committed to installing ETCS by December 2019. Discussions are on-going about how this will be achieved. Bombardier has been contracted to refurbish the interiors. The former‘Heathrow Connect’ all-stations services have…

THE European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of improved passenger rights for rail users across Europe. The changes have yet to be approved by EU member governments and will not come into effect until 2019 at earliest. The new rules will apply in the UK during the‘Brexit transition period’– on the basis one is agreed – if they have become law by then. Major changes include increasing compensation from the current 25% to 50% of the ticket price for delays longer than an hour, with 75% for more than 90 minutes delay and 100% for excess of two hours delay, and retaining the current right to continue the journey or use an alternative route. The proposed new rules also mean passengers holding several tickets for one long journey will…

‘A4’ 60010: This had better not be a kick in the teeth! DISPLAYS of apparent ingratitude wouldn’t seem to come much harsher if reports of the treatment meted out to the ‘A4’ Dominion of Canada are anything to go by. In 2012, No. 60010 – in somewhat neglected condition – was shipped back to Britain from Canada and externally restored by the National Railway Museum for the ‘Mallard 75’ anniversary celebrations. No expense was spared in magnificently converting it to LNER blue-liveried No. 4489. Although the Canadian Railway Museum never bought the Pacific (it was donated by BR in the 1960s), there were many in the UK who’d have been happy to see a purchase price paid to keep it here, but the Canadians insisted on…

Rails Across Carlisle Volume 1 By Steven & Jeff Davidson THIS interesting volume of black and white images looks back at the railways in and around the city of Carlisle between 1948 and 1973. Packed with previously unpublished images, it provides a detailed study of the many lines, junctions, yards and sidings that dotted the Border City in the 25 years before the arrival of electric traction. As the authors state, while the city had 40 miles of freight sidings and two busy goods avoiding lines, photographic coverage has always been dominated by the relatively small area around Citadel station. This book, and its companion, seeks to correct that situation and offers a local’s view of a railway city in transition. As you’d expect, there are plenty of ex-LMS ‘Black…

CELEBRATE your favourite railway locations with a large-scale map on your wall. Squark Interiors now offers a bespoke wall art service, using old Ordnance Survey maps (pre-1965) to produce unique decorations for homes or offices The hard-wearing, self-adhesive vinyls are applied like wallpaper, and can be centred on the location of your choice, whether that’s a postcode, a railway station or busy network of inner-city lines. Various sizes are available to suit rooms large or small, and Squark can also produce your selected location as a canvas print. After producing a proof for approval, your artwork is professionally printed and dispatched by courier to your door. Detailed instructions for application are included, along with tips on getting the best from your unique wall art. Prices from £62 for a…

THIS is an excellent, and privileged, look inside seven signalboxes and panels that cover the 18 miles of busy railway from Halton Junction (south of Runcorn) to Liverpool Lime Street. The line is a mixed traffic one, busy with five different passenger operators and six freight terminals. Getting access to the boxes, each one different to the others, provides an insight into the job of the signallers, and so what is required to make the railway run. Some commentary is provided by the signallers themselves, offering an authentic record of railway life. There is also plenty of passing action of trains as seen from the 'boxes. The video quality is good and there are 70 minutes of footage to enjoy. DVD, Produced by Locomaster Profiles, www.locomaster.co.uk…

Fewer seats, more standees? THE story about the debut of the Siemens Class 717 units ( RM Nov) states: ‘The new [six-car] trains have 362 seats, compared to 462 on a pair of three-car ‘313s’, but the ‘717s’ have more standing room’. It’s good the new trains will replace 40-year-old ones, but with 21.6% reduced seating? On a full six-car train of 717s’, an additional 100 passengers will be standing, which is not good for safety, and considering the high cost of travel is simply unacceptable. Tony Martin, Cheadle, Cheshire Thoughts on Barry scrapyard Class 22 THE Year of the Long Knives feature by John Crosse on the demise of the British Railways diesel locomotives ( RM Nov) was most interesting and full of…

A MERCEDES driver narrowly escaped serious injury after failing to stop at a level crossing on the North Norfolk Railway and colliding with a passing locomotive. The incident occurred shortly after 11.20 on November 17 on the un-barriered Sweetbriar Lane crossing in Sheringham, which connects the main A149 Weybourne Road with Sheringham Golf Club. The silver Mercedes GLA had just turned off the A149 into the lane, but the driver failed to heed the audible crossing alarms or observe the red flashing lights, which later tests proved to be working. Unscathed The car reached the crossing at the precise moment Great Eastern Railway ‘Y14’ 0-6-0 No. 564 was passing while working tender first from Weybourne to Sheringham light engine. The 1912-built loco was travelling at between 6-8mph and emerged unscathed,…

THE Churchward County Trust’s (CCT) new-build GWR‘County’ No. 3840 County of Montgomery made the transition from drawing board to physical metal on November 13 with the cutting of the main frame plates by TATA Steel of Wednesfield, West Midlands. The 22ft-long frames were plasma cut according to Swindon drawing No. 43495 from specially rolled 1¼in plate supplied by Liberty Steel of Motherwell. They represent the first significant ‘new’ metal produced for the CCT, and are the first frames produced for a ‘38XX’ 4-4-0 since 1911. Cutting of the steel began at 14.00 and took a little more than 40 minutes to complete. The plasma cutting provides a high degree of accuracy, and the only area where excess machining allowance has been left is in the four…

THE South Devon Railway (SDR) marked the 60th anniversary of the last timetabled train from Totnes to Ashburton on November 1. This decision heralded the birth of the Dart Valley Railway and subsequently the SDR. It was on that same date in 1958 that regular timetabled passenger trains ran for the final time over the 10-mile branch; a final special train running two days later on November 3. Thankfully, this attractive West Country branch had a brighter future in store, and reopened under preservation auspices in 1969. The railway will be celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. To mark the anniversary of the last train, the SDR Trust Museum organised a commemorative event featuring displays of photographs, personal memories and a variety of objects from those early days. Services were…

BULLEID ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacific No. 35028 Clan Line carried a poppy wreath on its smokebox door for a November 9 duty on Belmond’s ‘Surrey Hills Pullman’ from London Victoria to Shalford and return. The gesture was sponsored by the management committee of the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society to remember the large numbers of Clan Line vessels and crew that were lost in the two world wars. No. 35028 is seen at Stewarts Lane prior to departure for Victoria, complete with poppies on its route indicator discs. PAUL BLOWFIELD…

THE return to service of Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries Kitson 0-6-2T No. 29 draws ever closer at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway following the fitting of a new cylinder block. The popular loco (4263/1904) has been out of service since late 2014 when a crack was discovered in its old cylinder casting. Since then the Lambton Locomotives Trust has been working on getting the loco repaired, and the replacement cylinder block being fitted in place on October 2. This followed a considerable amount of work at Grosmont on welding up the lower mounting holes for the cylinder block, as these had worn and corroded. Once the welded areas were ground flat new holes could be drilled. The loco’s leading and driving wheelsets have been receiving attention at Tees Components…

WELSHPOOL & Llanfair Light Railway fireman, 20-year old Megan Charman, is setting up a series of Women Teaching Women events. The events are aimed at encouraging more females to get involved in steam traction and engineering and enable those already in the industry to share their experiences. The first will be held at Perrygrove Railway on June 22-23, 2019, the second day coinciding with International Women in Engineering Day. The Perrygrove event will include the 15in-gauge line’s female drivers offering steam footplate rides and driving experiences and demonstrations of workshop techniques. For further details contact megan.charman62@gmail.com  or see www.facebook.com/WomenTeachingWomen…

THE bogies for Isle of Man Railways’ diesel-electric locomotive No. 21 have returned to the UK for modification following a September trial of the locomotive over the island railway. The bogies were sent to a contractor over a year ago for work, which included replacement wheelsets, and were returned to the Isle of Man in April. After the chassis/body was placed on the bogies the test was curtailed on finding further modifications were needed. On October 16, the chassis was lifted back off the bogies so the latter could be returned to the contractor’s premises. They were expected to be away for six weeks. Testing the bogies under the loco in the Isle of Man was part of the planned recommissioning, being selected as a better option than shipping the…

TICKETS are selling quickly for one of the most eagerly anticipated main line returns of recent years. After a restoration costing almost £1million at Tyseley Locomotive Works, Stanier ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas will make its comeback with the ‘Bahamas Renaissance’ from Oxenhope to Carlisle on February 9, 2019. It will be No. 45596’s first main line passenger run since 1994, and is being promoted by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway (KWVR) – offering a rare chance to travel through from the KWVR to the national network at Keighley. Bahamas was the first of the four ‘Jubilees’ to be preserved, and occupies a special place in railway history as the last steam locomotive to be modified by BR in its attempts to improve the…

TRAVELLERS on the Branch Line Society’s ‘Ruby Vampire’ tour of rare track in north-west England were faced with a wait of several hours after one of the train’s four Mk1 coaches was derailed in Dee Marsh Sidings on November 4. To allow passengers to return home via timetabled services, the train was split and No. 33025 hauled a single coach to and from Wrexham General. Passengers from coaches A and B were moved first, after a wait of three and a half hours, while those from the rest of the train were stranded for six hours.…

2020 launch for Warrington No. 28 RESTORATION of the only surviving Warrington Corporation tram by the Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society has reached the stage where launch dates can be considered. The aim is to have the G F Milnes-built double-deck car finished by early 2020, as the society now has all the components and has completed the bulk of the structural rebuild. New underframe for  Princess Alice A £50,000 appeal by the Fylde Tramway Society to overhaul Blackpool open-top‘Balloon’ No. 706 Princess Alice had almost reached £10,000 at the time this issue of The RM went to press. This amount is only a fifth of the overall target, but the money is enough to finance the construction of a new underframe, which…

THIS year’s Blackpool Illuminations season ran from August 31 to November 4, with an estimated 3.5million people attending over the 66 nights. £2.4million was spent to organise and produce the event. Blackpool Heritage Tram Tours was out in force each night using its vintage fleet and illuminated trams, such as the ‘Western Train’ (Nos. 733 and 734), seen here near Blackpool Tower on a return run to the Pleasure Beach on September 27. The ‘loco’ was built in 1962 using ‘Railcoach’ No. 209 as a basis. NIGEL COCKBURN…

CLASS 33 No. 33021 made its debut at the Churnet Valley Railway’s (CVR) October 19-21 gala following an extensive overhaul and repaint. The event marked the 40th anniversary of the North Staffordshire Railway Co (NSRC), incorporated on November 2, 1978. The charity provided the basis for the establishment of the Churnet Valley Railway, and continues to support the operating company, which celebrated its own Silver Jubilee in 2017. The home fleet steam and diesel event featured ‘Crompton’ No. 33021 in its new Post Office red livery. Previously in BR blue, its Captain Charles name has been replaced by Eastleigh nameplates. The livery is not authentic for a BR in-service loco, but it was carried by this loco from 1997-2002 when first preserved…

THE rail industry is often accused of a lack of innovative thinking, so I take my hat off to Virgin Trains for sticking it’s neck out and removing off-peak ticket restrictions on a Friday afternoon. The result has created a much more even flow of passengers in the afternoon as well as a far greater chance of getting a seat through the resultant reduction in overcrowding, and rather than the cheaper fares reducing revenue, it has very slightly increased revenue. It’s also probably reduced the dangerous concourse stampedes that occur when the platform appears on the departure boards. Passengers are delighted with the change as it can also extend their weekend by several hours, and staff are less stressed, too. Whether other operators make the same move or extend it…

ONE of the original nameplates from‘A3 ’Flying Scotsman was sold for a record £64,500 plus buyer’s premium at the GW Railwayana auction in Pershore on November 17. The buyer was an unnamed online bidder. The hammer price beat the previous record of £60,000 for‘A4’ nameplate Golden Fleece . This plate is from the right hand side and has the number 103, its 1946 LNER number, chiselled into the bottom of one of the mounting webs. The auction also saw the sale of GWR‘King’plate King Henry IV (ex-6020) for £20,000 and a B17 nameplate from No. 61671 Manchester City for £18,000.…

PEAK-TIME ticket restrictions on Virgin Trains services from London Euston on Fridays have been permanently lifted after a successful three-month trial. The restrictions meant passengers using off-peak tickets were unable to travel between 16.00-19.00, and this led to intense overcrowding on services after the peak period ended. By lifting restrictions, passengers with off-peak tickets can travel when it suits them on a Friday. This has had the effect of spreading the passenger flow through the afternoon and early evening, resulting in less crowded trains. The move has also generated extra revenue for Virgin. It said:“While the cheapest tickets are always available in advance, those who decide to travel on the spur of the moment can now secure a cheaper off-peak ticket any time after 09.30 on a Friday, instead of…

VIRGIN group has announced it will become a minority investor in start-up inter-city passenger operator Brightline. Brightline started operation in Florida in January 2018 and will be renamed Virgin Trains USA, with rebranding starting in 2019. Brightline operates its Florida services using 10 new 125mph Siemens-built ‘Charger’ diesel locos, and has five four-car rakes of passenger coaches. The rebranding licensing agreement lasts until 2038. Brightline (VT USA) is currently constructing a new line in Florida between West Palm Beach and Orlando, and has submitted plans to build a new line between Orlando and Tampa, which may include a  station to serve Disneyworld. The company is also planning passenger services between Victorville (Los Angeles) and Las Vegas, again with new infrastructure. Virgin Trains USA has also announced plans for a Nasdaq…

PASSENGERS who have unresolved complaints with train operators are now able to take them to the Rail Ombudsman service. Train operators resolve most complaints, but as from November 26, an impartial and independent ombudsman for the railway will be the final arbiter in an attempt to drive up customer satisfaction. The initial complaint process will still be via the operator, but the free-to-use ombudsman is the ultimate option if the final response from a rail company remained unresolved (often called a‘deadlock letter’), or if a complaint has not been resolved within 40 working days. Formal decisions by the ombudsman will be binding. For more information see: www.railombudsman.org…

GOVERNMENT spending watchdog the National Audit Office (NAO) is investigating causes of the cost increases and schedule delays that have delayed the Crossrail opening through central LT. The NAO will look at the terms of the additional funding needed, and the governance and oversight of the programme, along with steps being taken by Crossrail, Transport for London and the Department for Transport to minimise the impact of the cost increases and delays. In July 2018, the Government announced the overall funding for the project had increased by £600million to £15.4bn, with the DfT agreeing to make £350m of short-term finance available. • Junk food advertising will be banned on the entire TfL network from February 25, 2019, in a bid to reduce child obesity in the capital.…

IT IS with sadness we record the passing of railway photographer Norman Preedy, who has died at his Gloucester home. He was 75. He was born in Newton Abbot in 1943, but in 1956 the family moved to Gloucester, and it wasn’t long before Norman was travelling by train to Swindon to see what rarities were lurking in the works yards. Norman’s photography covered steam, but he was passionate about diesel hydraulics, too. He travelled widely, with Tamworth becoming a regular destination, but – perhaps surprisingly for a West Country lad – the Gresley‘A4s’were to become his all-time favourites, and he made numerous clandestine trips to King’s Cross Top Shed in the hope of seeing them all. After securing a West Coast lineside permit, he splashed out on a Rolleiflex…

SCOTRAIL has contributed £800million to the country’s economy since becoming one of the largest organisations in Scotland to receive living wage accreditation. In addition to the benefits to ScotRail’s 5,000 employees, £250m is also spent each year on the extended supply chain, with all major contracts requiring companies to pay their employees the living wage. ScotRail head of economic development James Ledgerwood said: “ScotRail is committed to operating to the highest social and ethical standards, and a critical part of that is our pledge to be a living wage employer.” Transport Scotland’s director of rail Bill Reeve added: “The ScotRail franchise is a great example of how the Scottish Government leads by example. “It is the largest single contract let by the Scottish Government, and requires not only that all…

Dawlish funding LUKE Pollard, the Plymouth MP for Sutton and Devonport, asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to page 67 of the Budget 2018 Red Book, what funding he has allocated for resilience work at Dawlish. Treasury Minister Robert Jenrick replied: “The Government committed to £15million of funding in November 2016. The essential improvement works are to strengthen the cliffs and protect the sea wall at Dawlish. Further plans for major improvements of the sea wall at Dawlish will be published in the summer of 2019. “Overall, we are investing more than £400million in the rail network in the South West and will continue to work with Network Rail and the Peninsula Rail Task Force to explore the potential for longer-term improvements from summer 2019 onwards.” Bees get…

November 1952 THE station waiting room was cold during the summer months, but now in the late-November evening the cold was penetrating even when wearing the heaviest of coats A fire was burning in the hearth with a weak flame at the head of the room but this gave out little heat Wearing a hat and coat the woman had entered the empty room a few minutes earlier carrying a wicker shopping basket, walking slowly down the room she had sat in her usual position on the bench seat alongside the fireplace From here, through the window she could observe  the station clock, suspended from a cantilever arm and held high above the platform Watching the clock intently she rose from her seat as the big hand did its final…

Ticket To Ride: Europe, Days of Wonder RRP £37 99 IT’S NOT often we get to review a board game in The RM , but this second edition of the award-winning Ticket to Ride series is an ideal Christmas gift for railway enthusiasts or keen armchair travellers. Set in the ‘glory days’ of trans-European rail travel in the early-20th century, when trains such as the ‘Orient Express’ provided fast, luxurious connections for wealthy travellers, this game takes players on an adventure across Europe. The game is simple to grasp and appeals to both families and experienced gamers. The overall goal remains the same as the first edition set in the USA: collect and play train cards in order to place your pieces on the board, attempt to connect cities…

I WAS the BREL project manager for the Railbuses when the ‘R3’ (BR), 141 and Thailand units were built. It should be remembered they were built to serve a desperate need when the Class 210 DEMUs were thought too expensive. All these railbus units ‘as built’ had a first-generation DMU drive train with the reversing mechanism on the final drive, increasing the unsprung weight. The Leyland National bodies rested on four cones on each underframe, and there was the prospect of new bodies being fitted at half life, which did not happen. I commissioned the ‘R3’ into public service on the Bristol to Severn Beach and then when converted onto Coleraine to Portrush services. I also took the twin-coach unit to Bangkok, and with my engineers basically commissioned it in…

OVERHAUL of Severn Valley Railway-based ‘Hall’ No. 4930 Hagley Hall picked up the pace again at the end of October with the return of the wheelsets from Buckfastleigh. All three coupled wheelsets and both bogie sets were sent to South Devon Railway Engineering in July for assessment and tyre turning. They returned to Bridgnorth on October 31 as part of a UK-wide road movement of locomotive components, on the same low loader as a newly pressed boiler doorplate and throatplate for No. 4930. After the wheels had been craned off, the lorry was reloaded with Hagley Hall’s new cylinder castings, together with those of Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd’s ‘2884’ 2-8-0 No. 3850, which were then taken to Harco Engineering in Brierley Hill…

Dean Forest crossings receive £900k upgrade TWO level crossings on the Dean Forest Railway have benefited from a £900,000 upgrade, courtesy of Gloucestershire County Council. One of the crossings is located on the busy A48 Lydney bypass and the other on Harbour Road. Both were more than 20 years old and in need of modernisation. Specialist contractor Schweizer Electronic was engaged to carry out the upgrade, which has included the installation of axle counters. Both crossings are owned by the council, but operated and maintained on its behalf by the Dean Forest Railway. Vale of Berkeley clearance success A MAJOR milestone was achieved at the Vale of Berkeley Railway (VoBR) on November 9 when the first of four 880ft sidings at Sharpness was cleared of undergrowth to allow the passage…

THE Lincolnshire Wolds Railway (LWR) is looking to appoint an experienced person to look after the installation and maintenance of its signalling and telecommunications equipment. The railway currently operates trains from Ludborough to North Thoresby on the former East Lincolnshire Railway from Grimsby to Boston, but has recently started work on an extension of the line towards Louth. Consequently, the LWR is seeking someone to take responsibility for the safe upkeep of the equipment, possibly with a Network Rail or British Rail background. Anyone interested in the role should call 01507 363881 or email contact@lincolnshirewoldsrailway.co.uk…

A YEAR-long project by students at the University Campus of Barnsley College to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War came to fruition on October 31 with the first of a five-day programme of ‘Home From The Front’ special trains at the Elsecar Heritage Railway. A major task was to locate and arrange the hire of a steam locomotive and carriage to represent the 1918 era. This was found in the GWR 813 Preservation Fund’s Severn Valley Railway-based 0-6-0ST No. 813, and the Embsay-based North Eastern Railway clerestory-roofed bogie coach No. 3453, recently seen paired with the newly restored and unique NER Autocar No. 3170. Unfortunately, No. 813 was unable to work all of the services it was hired in for. Concerns over the tight curvature…

Home straight for Bagnall No. 401 OVERHAUL of the North Tyneside Steam Railway’s ex-Longbridge Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 401 (2994/1951) entered the last lap on October 25 with the refitting of the tanks and cab. The last job is the fitting of the new smokebox door before the ‘high-tech’ Bagnall can be steamed and begin running in, subject to a final boiler inspection and sign off. No. 401 is expected to re-enter traffic in early 2019, a decade after it was withdrawn, needing extensive repairs to its firebox. Ring Haw to spend year at Spa Valley THE North Norfolk Railway’s Hunslet 0-6-0ST Ring Haw (1982/1940) will return to the Spa Valley Railway for the entire 2019 season. The former Nassington Quarry loco last visited the…

THE Republic of Ireland’s busiest commuter station, Dublin Pearse, is to have its 1880s-built overall roof renewed as part of a €17million project by Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail (IÉ). The iron-vaulted, glazed structure dates from the construction of the City of Dublin Junction Railway to Amiens Street in 1891, and has been suffering in recent years from excessive corrosion. IÉ has strung protective mesh netting in the worst-affected areas to protect passengers and trains, but the nation’s rail operator has now deemed the roof’s replacement as a crucial safety project. The works will be funded by the National Transport Authority, and will take around 23 months to complete. The roof itself comprises two main areas. The larger of the two is the 28m-wide train shed, which consists of 40 barrelled roof…

THE Fintown Railway’s planned restoration of Fintown station building could cost an estimated €350,000, according to a conservation expert. Sean Brogan, of Tir Connail Conservation, was asked by the Fintown Railway to survey the building in order to estimate what would be needed to return it to operational condition. The building was gifted to the railway by Donegal County Council in May. “The station house was well built of cut stone back in 1895 when the line opened, but it’s been lying out of use for close on 30 years, and now needs to be stripped back to the walls and fully restored for present-day use,” said Mr Brogan. “The roof also needs attention, and we estimate that €350,000 is needed to bring the station back to life.” Seamus McElwee,…

THE locomotives, stock and equipment of Derbyshire Dales Narrow Gauge Railway (DDNGR) are being disbursed to new owners. DDNGR was founded by Henry Frampton-Jones and his wife Mary, with construction of the internal combustion-worked 2ft-gauge line at standard gauge Peak Rail’s Rowsley site starting in late 1998/early 1999. Demonstration trains started running in 2003 and official services began the following year. No DDNGR trains have run since 2014. When Mr Frampton-Jones died in June ( RM July) Mrs Frampton-Jones was minded to continue their narrow gauge activities, which included a projected new line at Strathpeffer. However, following reappraisal, she asked Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) volunteer John Crosskey and book seller and WHHR director Steve Currinn to sell the equipment on her behalf. Mr Currinn had arranged…

RENOVATION and assembly of the bogies and cradle for Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway (F&WHR)‘NG/G16’ Garratt No. 130 is approaching completion at Dinas. Delivery of the boiler from Northern Steam Engineering in Stockton-on-Tees is anticipated imminently. No. 130 is expected to enter service for the 2019 season. The boiler of‘NG/G16’No. 87 has been stripped as this loco’s 10-year overhaul starts. The boiler will be sent away for attention because of other work pressures at Boston Lodge. F&WHR has two other‘NG/ G16’boilers currently away at contractors for overhaul, the objective being for these to be available for use in Nos. 138 and 143 when their 10-year overhauls become due in a few years’time, thus avoiding either Garratt being out of service for an extended period. The boiler probably destined for No.…

SAPHOS Trains’railtour programme for 2019 sees a further expansion in routes and destinations for its steam-hauled trains, the company having made its main line debut in 2018. No specific locomotives are allocated to the trains at this stage, but will be drawn from a pool including rebuilt‘Royal Scot’ No. 46100 Royal Scot , BR Standard 7MT No. 70000 Britannia and rebuilt‘West Country’No. 34046 Braunton . No further tours involving No. D213 Andania , or any of the other Locomotive Services Ltd (LSL) diesel fleet, have been announced so far. While previous destinations such as Stratford-upon-Avon and the Welsh Marches route remain, new tours will also see Saphos visiting Preston, Carlisle (via the S&C or Cumbrian Coast routes),…

THE Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society’s (MTPS) Birkenhead Corporation open-topper No. 20 made its Blackpool debut on October 18. The appearance came 15 months after it arrived on a 12-month loan from its home at the Birkenhead Heritage Tramway/Wirral Transport Museum. The outing marked the completion of a number of repairs to the 1900-built Milnes double-deck car, which has included re-tyring of both wheelsets. The work was completed in early October, with trials taking place on the 16th ahead of its debut for MTPS members two days later. The tour began at Rigby Road depot and ran along to Bispham, then south to the Pleasure Beach before returning to Rigby Road. This was repeated later that evening for a special tour of the illuminations. No. 20 originally reached Blackpool at the end…

A CAMPAIGN by the Folkestone Leas Lift Company (FLLC) to bring the coastal resort’s famous Leas Lift funicular back into operation has received a £500,000 boost from the Folkestone Harbour & Seafront Development Co. The organisation is behind the planned construction of up to 1,000 new apartments on the sea front, and has pledged to donate £500,000 towards the appeal fund before any of its first 80 apartments are occupied. Furthermore, the company has agreed to pay an extra £250,000 towards the Leas Lift before anyone moves into the 50th apartment in the development’s fifth phase. The Grade II-listed lift dates from 1885. It closed in January 2017 after necessary upgrades to its braking system proved too costly for its then operator, the Folkestone Leas Lift Community Interest Company. A…

THE days of the lineside photography permit may be numbered as a number of preserved railways blame rising insurance costs and safety concerns for their decisions to end the issuing of permits to photographers. Lineside passes have traditionally been issued on an annual basis for a set fee. Successful applicants are then supplied with safety handbooks and often given training in Personal Track Safety (PTS) before they are allowed to venture beyond public areas of a railway. Trespass Permits enabled photographers to reach parts of a railway that offer better vantage points away from crowds, and have helped keep trespass figures down both on railway and neighbouring land. Yet incidents of lineside damage and safety breaches, where trains have had to stop owing to the actions of a linesider, have…

FULL-PAGE apologies from Transport for Wales appeared in a number of newspapers in Wales after a shortage of DMUs led to many cancellations and overcrowding. At one point, 36 out of Wales’ 127 trains were under repair, some damaged in floods during Storm Callum, others with wheelset flats or mechanical faults. Extra buses were brought in to supplement the lack of trains. Rail replacement bus services were used on November 24 between Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno Junction, Wrexham Central to Bidston, and Swansea to Carmarthen/PembrokeDock/Milford Haven/Fishguard Harbour to provide stock for passengers heading to Cardiff for the Wales versus South Africa rugby union international, with planned cancellations on other busy routes. TfW commercial manager Colin Lea told BBC Radio Wales: “We knew the autumn would be difficult, especially with an…

A REPORT by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) on a low-speed collision at London Waterloo on August 15 between a passenger service and an engineering train has revealed a number of similarities with the Clapham rail crash that occurred on December 12, 1988. The incident involved the 05.40 Waterloo-Guildford, led by unit 465015, leaving platform 11 and hitting a wagon of an engineering train in a possession on platform 10 at 13mph because the points were not in the correct position, although a green signal was showing for the departing train. The RAIB report said the points were positioned incorrectly because uncontrolled wiring was added to the signalling to help overcome a testing problem. Furthermore, the RAIB said: “The actions of a functional tester were inconsistent with the competence…

VINTAGE Trains (VT) was set to return to full main line steam charter operation as an independent train operating company on November 29 with the first of its new ‘Polar Express’ festive specials from Birmingham Moor Street. The trains are based upon the 2004 film of the same name, and are scheduled to run four times a day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday, and five times on Sunday, every week up until December 23. The experience is described by VT as “full theatrical re-creations of the classic children’s tale”, with train scenes from the movie brought to life on board by a troop of actors, as dancing chefs and waiters serve cookies and hot chocolate to passengers. At the ‘North Pole’ (Tyseley depot) the trains are greeted by Santa, who…

CLASS 455 suburban EMUs released by South Western Railway (SWR) from 2020 could be rebuilt with battery packs to allow their use away from the electrified network. Porterbrook is looking at various options to make its assets more attractive to operators, with momentum increasing to eliminate diesel trains from urban areas, and a large number of electric units due to come off lease in the next few years. SWR’s fleet of 91 Class 455s have received energy efficient new Vossloh-Kiepe AC traction packages in recent years, but are to be replaced by new Class 701‘Aventra’EMUs by December 2020. However, Porterbrook’s engineering team has investigated the potential for adding batteries to the four-car EMUs, and believes they would be even better suited to bi-mode operation than the Class 319s currently being…

THE mechanical coaling plant at Immingham depot has been demolished. The 80ft-high tower, known locally as‘the cenotaph’, was knocked down earlier this year for safety reasons. Its demise means the concrete structure at Carnforth shed is now the only one of its type left in Britain. The Immingham plant was built for the London & North Eastern Railway in the 1930s, and was last used for coaling locomotives on a regular basis in 1966. Unlike the majority of such buildings, it was not demolished by explosives following closure of the steam shed (code 40B) as vibrations caused by its fall would have damaged sensitive scientific instruments in nearby industrial premises. It was also close to major gas and crude oil pipelines. It thus survived as a north Lincolnshire landmark for…

Bob Gwynne takes a fascinating look into the history of pioneering electric and diesel traction and its use by the London & North Eastern Railway (and other companies) up to the formation of British Railways in 1948. When people talk of the London & North Eastern Railway the names Mallard and Flying Scotsman inevitably come up, possibly followed by triumphs like the ‘Silver Jubilee’, flag bearer for the country’s first network of ‘high-speed trains’, which were marketed as such. And all backed by a superb publicity department that was inventing what is now called ‘brand management’ as they went along. Many posters and advertising images survive from this time giving an impression of an elegant world of travel opportunity on the ‘drier side of Britain’. No surprise then the London…

Christmas cards THE Talyllyn Railway is offering two Christmas card designs for 2018, one of No. 7 Tom Rolt banking a train led by No. 1 Talyllyn with snow falling, the other a nocturnal scene at Wharf station. The cards contain bi-lingual Christmas and New Year greetings. Pack of five costs £3.50, plus £2.50 p&p. 2019 Calendar THIS takes the format of a folded A3 calendar with A4-size colour pictures showing a mixture of Talyllyn scenes, many of them highlighting the scenic splendour of the popular Welsh narrow gauge line. Month and day is bi-lingual, bank holidays and other key dates are shown, as are moon phases. Priced £7.50, p&p £2.50. • Order from Talyllyn Railway, on 01654 7111012, or website: www.talyllyn.co.uk or www.talyllynrailwayshop.co.uk…

THE LMS-Patriot Project’s annual calendar has become a popular fundraising tool for its project to build Fowler ‘Patriot’ 4-6-0 No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior . As work on the loco enters the final stages, the images contained within 2019’s offering provide a flavour of what it will be like when a ‘Patriot’ graces the rails in a year or so’s time. Once again the calendar features paintings from some of railway art’s best-known names, including Philip Hawkins, Barry Price, Malcolm Root and Roger Markland. The scenes depict several members of the class at various stages in their careers, from the era of LMS crimson lake through to the days when BR green dominated. In most of the paintings the ‘Patriot’ forms the main subject matter, but in the two Philip…

Travel along the NYMR line behind Union of South Africa (Grosmont to Pickering return) is priced at: Adult £30 Child £15 Family £62 (2 Adults and 2 Children*) Visit: www nymr co uk/uosa  to guarantee your place • Terms & Conditions Apply Children are classed as aged 1-15 years old Under 12 months travel for free, but will have to sit on the lap of a full paying adult NYMR’s 2019 season will operate from April 8-November 3 For more information and to book tickets visit: www nymr co uk…

CLEAR skies and late-autumn sunlight provided perfect conditions for the public debut of the Great Western Society’s near-completed Churchward ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 No. 2999 Lady of Legend at Didcot Railway Centre on November 17-18. Plenty of visitors turned out during the aptly named Black Saint Weekend to get their first glimpse of the loco, albeit static and minus its true identity, carrying unlined black livery. Instead of its own name and number the ‘Saint’ bore the identity of No. 2983 Redgauntlet on one side, complete with red-backed plates, while on the other it carried original plates from No. 2908 Lady of Quality . In many respects it was a case of ‘what if…?’ as the original No. 2983 was withdrawn…

THE Northampton & Lamport Railway (NLR) has been awarded in excess of £60,000 in grant aid to help complete its half-mile southern extension to Boughton Crossing. Daventry District Council and the European Union’s LEADER Fund have awarded the railway £15,000 and £45,160, respectively. The money will cover 80% of the cost of refurbishing a low seven-arch viaduct and construction of a new five-coach platform next to the Windhover public house, which has provided land to make space for a proposed station building. Work on the extension started around 10 years ago, with the track and signalling installed as far as the viaduct, which is the limit of the current operations. Work on its refurbishment will start in early 2019 and, subject to obtaining a Transport & Works Order, the railway…

New chairman for Great Western Society THE Great Western Society has chosen its next chairman. Richard Preston was appointed chairman elect at a GWS board meeting at Didcot on November 17. He will succeed long-time chairman Richard Croucher, who retires at the next board meeting in January. ‘Lizzie’ repairs make progress at Carnforth STANIER ‘Princess Royal’ Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth has taken another step closer to its main line comeback at the West Coast Railway Company workshops at Carnforth. All motion has been refitted and the boiler steamed to the full 250psi pressure, enabling ‘Lizzie’ to make its first independent moves in two years. No date has yet been set for the locomotive’s return. Hot ’box stymies No. 80097 trials TEST running of newly restored…

O&K No.3 cleared for traffic at DCDR … THE Downpatrick & County Down Railway’s ex-Cómhlucht Siúicre Éireann Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0T No. 3 (12662/1935) has rejoined the working fleet, giving the railway two operational steam locomotives. The ‘Sugarpuff’ passed its final boiler exam on November 12, and will now be made available for traffic, possibly making an appearance during the railway’s Christmas operations. …as vandals strike heritage fleet A FORMER Córas Iompair Éireann buffet carriage that was set to form part of Santa’s Grotto at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway was hit by vandals on Halloween night. The hooligans smashed the windows of 1956-built No.2419, causing hundreds of Euros worth of damage. Replacement glass has been donated by Glint Glass of Lisburn, while the RPSI’s Dublin operation also offered…

THE Vale of Rheidol Railway (VoR) is starting a £2.2million reconstruction of its Aberystwyth terminus. The work will transform it into a Great Western Railway-style station with a multi-function display and entertainment facility in the former standard gauge loco shed. VoR is providing 35% of the finance for the Wales to the World project, supported by £1.6m of EU funding through the Welsh Government’s Tourism Attractor Destination programme, led by Visit Wales. “The development represents the largest single investment in the railway since the Great Western owned the line,” commented VoR chief executive officer Robert Gambrill. The project will be undertaken in five phases, beginning this year and due for completion in 2020. The initial stages include relocating the platform 180 metres (200 yards) closer to the car park. The…

THE South Tynedale Railway’s (STR) Hunslet 0-4-2T Green Dragon entered service by taking charge of late-October Halloween trains. It will also work ‘Santa’ trains, which run as Alston to Kirkhaugh shuttles, top-and-tailed with a diesel or battery-electric loco. Delays in Green Dragon’s entry to service related to a pony truck axlebox running hot because of restricted oil supply, necessitating rebuilding the pony truck, and steaming issues during trials. The loco has been rebuilt to utilise wood briquette fuel (a small firehole door prevents the use of coal), and with wood burning at a lower temperature than coal, footplate crews have had to develop new firing techniques to maintain pressure. With Green Dragon now operational, Thomas Green & Company…

THE Welsh Highland Heritage Railway’s project to build a replica Pickering passenger/ brake vehicle to run with its heritage carriage set has been boosted by an offer of sponsorship to finance construction by a contractor. The Pickering Brake Appeal was launched in early 2017 but stalled as funds were slow to come in. The vehicle will externally replicate one of the two Pickering vehicles built for North Wales Narrow Gauge Railway in 1907, which continued in Welsh Highland service until 1937. The plan was for the internal arrangement to be modified to create a centre wheelchair-accessible compartment flanked by a guard’s and two passenger compartments.…