Innholdsfortegnelse for September 2019 i The Railway Magazine

CONTROVERSIAL as it is, the plans to build HS2 are now subject to a review relating to its benefits and costs. As a key infrastructure project, HS2 has certainly polarised public opinion, but as a project it is still surrounded by outright lies, coupled with misinformation, which has been picked up and presented as ‘fact’ by the mainstream media. It’s a situation which has not been helped by the relatively silent HS2 PR teams, although they are improving with their messages. The latest thinking to be aired from the so-called ‘railway experts’ is the re-use of the abandoned Great Central (GC) main line to create the additional capacity, instead of building HS2. Most readers will be aware that in the 50 years since the last section of the line was…

Southeastern franchise competition cancelled THE DfT has confirmed it has cancelled the competition to bid for the SouthEastern Railway franchise. Instead, Govia has been given a direct award, which will run until April 2020, and allow any recommendations of the Williams Rail Review to be considered. Eurostar trespasser jailed for 12 months A MAN who stood on the roof of a tunnel near King’s Cross station has been jailed for 12 months. Terry Maher, 44, of Cubitt Street, London, was found guilty of malicious obstruction of the railway. His 13-hour protest disrupted the travel plans of 22,000 passengers on Eurostar and ‘Javelin’ trains. Detective Sergeant Dean Percival said: “This has been described as the single most expensive incident in the history of high-speed rail in Britain. “Maher’s selfish actions profoundly…

THREE of the four teenage boys who went on a wrecking spree and vandalised the Market Deeping Model Railway Club display at Welland Academy in Stamford, Lincolnshire, on May 18, were given 12-month referral orders at Lincoln Youth Court on August 19. The boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, shared a bottle of vodka as part of a‘pre-exam night out’before embarking on the vandalism, which was estimated to have cost £30,000. Damage to one layout alone was said to be in the region of £15,000. The boys’parents have been ordered to pay £500 compensation each to the club. A fourth boy will be sentenced on September 2. News of the damage to what was a life-time’s work for many of the club’s members led to £107,000 being raised…

FRENCH national railway operator SNCF, the biggest shareholder in Eurostar, has publicly said it is possible Eurostar services will have to cease operation, or be restricted, if the UK leaves the EU without agreeing a withdrawal deal. Until now SNCF had been clear Eurostar would continue despite Brexit, but that was on the assumption there would be an agreement, covering in particular immigration and customs rules. Without an agreement both the UK and French governments expect long delays to be possible at border controls. When French customs officers at Paris Gare du Nord ‘worked to rule’ in March – claiming they “simulated post Brexit arrangements” – there were three-hour queues for passengers, and Eurostar was forced to cancel around half of its trains. Under normal circumstances the majority of Eurostar…

May1969 - The Down ‘Night Aberdonian’ IT WAS an ordinary spring evening at King’s Cross station on May 7, 1969, as passengers joined the sleeper train to Aberdeen, complete with its brakevan loaded with parcels, perishables, flowers and even a live pig in a crate. The motive power for the train was one of the Class 55 ‘Deltic’ locomotives, No. D9011 The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. The ‘Deltic’, together with its 11 coaches, weighed a total of nearly 506 tonnes, was 262 yards in length, with a reporting number of 1S60. The braking power was 382 tonnes or 75.5% of the train’s total weight. The oldest vehicle in the consist was 12 years old. All the coaches were coupled with the buckeye system except between the ‘Deltic’ and first coach, the…

POSSIBLY not all readers will have heard of The ‘Clan’ Project, one of the many new-build steam projects currently being worked on. We are building a new ‘Clan’ class locomotive to help complete the story of the British Railways Standard class locomotive designs, as sadly none of the original locomotives survived into preservation; the last one was withdrawn in 1966 after a working life of just under 14 years. The ‘Clans’ were the smallest of the three classes of BR Pacific locomotives, being rated at a power classification of ‘6’, whereas the ‘Britannia’s’ were rated Class 7, with the sole representative of Class 8 being No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester. Progress Rated as a Class 6 locomotive means a ‘Clan’ has excellent route availability, giving it the ability to go…

The history of these special charter trains, utilising Southeastern High Speed Class 395 ‘Javelin’ trains’, dates back to 2011, and followed a meeting of the Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LCGB) at the Ashford branch in Kent, where the speaker was Richard Dean, the then passenger operations director of Southeastern Trains. Some time prior to that meeting UK Railtours had expressed a desire to charter a ‘Javelin’ train for a railtour around the area, visiting some lines and stations that they don’t normally visit. However, after many attempts, there was no real progress, plus it was suggested there was no spare capacity in the diagramming of the sets – or perhaps it was there was no knowledge of what charters involved and it preferred to avoid the issue! The 2012…

MANY enthusiasts doubtless consider photographer Colin Gifford – he of ‘Each a Glimpse’… ‘and Gone Forever’ fame – to be exclusively steam in his tastes, but this talented cameraman was also fascinated by the newer forms of traction invading his beloved industrial landscapes in the 1960s. Consequently, he has been able to delight us with a new book in the same genre as his now legendary predecessors. This addition to the catalogue is no mere batch of remainders thrown together as a ‘pot-boiler’, but a carefully chosen selection of more than 250 powerful and largely unseen images laid out by Colin himself. A press release from the publishers tells us some of the modern traction aspects are implied rather than evident, and that’s certainly true of a few for which…

SECRETARY of State for Transport Grant Shapps announced recently First/ Trenitalia UK will be taking over the WCML franchise. This company will be responsible for the development of HS2 until 2026 and the running of it until 2036. His decision beggars belief on a number of points. A review on the whole concept of the current franchise system has been undertaken and the report is due to published soon. The bidding for the Southeastern has been postponed until the outcome is known, as has CrossCountry. Virgin Trains and Stagecoach have had a request for a High Court review accepted. Then, on August 21, Mr Shapps announces a review of HS2, with cancellation having not been ruled out. Passengers have complained about the cost of some Virgin Train tickets, but with…

YEARS AGO  SEPTEMBER 1919 ON AND from Tuesday, August 5, and on Mondays to Thursdays thereafter during August, seat reservation has been instituted by the Great Eastern Railway in regard to trains from Liverpool Street station serving east coast resorts. Application has to be made to the stationmaster at Liverpool Street not less than three days before travelling. ANEW series of London and North Western Railway 4-6-0 passenger engines (‘Prince of Wales’ Class) will shortly be turned out from Crewe. Nos. 444, 497, 501, 522, 601, 783, 924, 1125, 1290 and 1307 replace 0-6-0 shunting tanks, which have been renumbered 3656-3665 respectively. Of the thirty 2-8-0 mineral engines acquired from the Government, and which are now in the course of delivery from the makers, nine have been received and numbered…

THE Great Western Society (GWS) has turned its attention to the provision of a Collett 4,000-gallon tender for its re-creation of a Churchward ‘47XX’ 2-8-0 No. 4709. As work to get the locomotive’s frames wheeled presses ahead at the Llangollen Railway, the GWS has launched a £120,000 funding campaign to provide the locomotive with its all-important coal and water carrier. ‘Lamentable’ A suitable 4,000-gallon tender – No. T2885 – already exists at Didcot Railway Centre, although its condition is described by the 47XX Project as “lamentable”. The tender saw service with preserved 4-6-0s No. 7828 Odney Manor and 5967 Bickmarsh Hall pre-preservation, but has suffered the effects of standing in the open for six decades. The tank is badly corroded, to the point where it is beyond any kind of…

Railway Children green for L&Y ‘Ironclad’ THE Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s L&Y ‘Ironclad’ 0-6-0 No. 957 will carry the fictitious livery it carried for the filming of The Railway Children when it returns to steam next year. To mark the 50th anniversary of the hit film, the locomotive will once again bear Great Northern & Southern Railway green as it did when portraying the ‘Green Dragon’ during the 1970 production. GCR completes ‘County’ 4-6-0 smokebox THE Great Central Railway has finished the manufacture of the smokebox for the Great Western Society’s new-build Hawksworth 4-6-0 No. 1014 County of Glamorgan. The assembly will soon be taken to Didcot Railway Centre for trial-mounting on the loco. No. 75069 derails at Severn Valley A FALLEN tree between Country Park Halt and Highley…

THERE will be a Great Eastern Railway flavour to the Spa Valley Railway’s annual Real Ale & Cider Festival on October 18-20, thanks to the presence of ‘Y14’ 0-6-0 No. 564 from the North Norfolk Railway (NNR). The 1912-built locomotive is owned by the M&GN Joint Railway Society, and is expected to stay at Tunbridge Wells West until early January 2020. It joins another NNR resident – Hunslet 0-6-0ST Ring Haw – which has been on hire to the Spa Valley line since late last year. Both locomotives will take part in the railways ‘Santa Special’ season during December, as well as the Winter Steam Up! event on December 28-19.…

THE Llangollen Railway’s new station at Corwen Central will be accessible to wheelchair users and those with limited mobility thanks to the installation of a £25,000 chairlift. The chairlift has been installed in the stairwell of the subway passage, rising 30ft from a vertical depth of 14ft to the island platform above. Funding for the facility has come from the Llangollen Railway Trust. Ramp access and level pathing has also been provided for users of the temporary booking office, which is being prepared as a waiting room for the formal entrance to the station using the subway to reach the platform.…

THE Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust’s unique Aspinall ‘23’ class 0-6-0ST No. 752 could steam next spring if the current overhaul progress is maintained at the East Lancashire Railway. The locomotive passed its steam test at Bury on August 12, just weeks after the overhauled boiler was returned from H A McEwen in Keighley. The saddle tank has been trial fitted, but will not be properly fitted until the boiler is lagged and clad. No. 752 has not steamed since 1984, but the trust has indicated a return to service could be made at the ELR in March. This would maintain the locomotive’s life-long exclusive links with the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, as the trust believes it has never strayed outside the counties’ boundaries. Throughout its Lancashire & Yorkshire…

TWO of the UK’s smaller heritage steam operations have been served with prohibition notices that limit aspects of their operation. The development come inspection visits by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). South West Main Line Steam Company (SWMLSC), the operator of Yeovil Railway Centre, was given its notice as a consequence of an incident on May 19 when a locomotive-propelled coach ran past a stop board and collided with a stationary goods van. The prohibition notice was issued as the ORR inspectors felt SWMLSC had“not made a suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks potentially arising from the operation of the transport system – and additionally have not implemented the findings of such a risk assessment”. Restricted As a consequence, propelling (push-pull) operations have been restricted, and Yeovil…

THE restoration of the Cavan & Leitrim Railway’s Avonside 0-6-0T Nancy is officially complete after 22 years’ work and £160,000 investment. The former ironstone loco returned to steam at Alan Keef’s Ross-on-Wye workshops in March, but was delivered to Dromod without its brass dome cover as this was still being manufactured by The Dorset Copperfish. The new dome was finally delivered by Alan Keef on July 27, and C&L volunteers wasted no time fitting it to Nancy as a final finishing touch (pictured). C&LR…

THE frame structure for the Ffestiniog Railway’s new large carriage shed is being supplied by J Lloyd a’I Fab of Ruthin. The shed is the next phase of the Boston Lodge Redevelopment Plan (RM Feb 2018). The new building follows extension of the old carriage shed at Boston Lodge, and is being constructed on nearby reclaimed land, seaward of this structure. Basic completion is projected for early September, although it will not come into use until track laying and installation of lighting is undertaken. When plans for the major redevelopment of Boston Lodge were announced the projected cost was around £4.5million. This has now grown to the region of £6m, with funding seemingly unlikely via the Welsh Government. However, grant assistance from National Heritage Lottery Fund towards restoration and conservation…

September  7 Statfold Barn Railway, enthusiasts’ day 14-15 Crowle Peatland Railway, open days 14-15 Kirklees Light Railway, steam and diesel gala 14-15 Vale of Rheidol Railway, Forgotten Engines 2 20-22 Perrygrove Railway, gala 21-22 Apedale Valley Light Railway, Moseley Railway Trust 50th anniversary 21-22 Crowle Peatland Railway, open days 28-29 Lynton & Barnstaple Railway, gala October  4-6 Ffestiniog Railway, Victorian weekend 5-6 Leighton Buzzard Railway (LBR), centenary steam gala…

■ WORK to extend the East Suffolk Light Railway at the East Anglia Transport Museum has started with construction of a flat crossing over a tramway siding and reconstruction of the road surface. Extending the 2ft-gauge railway follows the granting of planning permission last year to expand the museum onto a five-acre site to the west of the current premises. Rail from the closed Eastriggs Munitions depot is being employed for the 150-metre extension. ■ THE Lynton and Barnstaple Railway (L&BR) anticipates having four resident steam locos in operation for its September 28-29 gala: re-created Baldwin 2-4-2T No. E762 Lyn, Bagnall 0-4-2T 3023/1953 Isaac, 0-6-0T Axe and John Uphill’s 0-4-2T Faith. Three diesels could also be in action. The gala will feature the debut of L&BR’s newly completed carriage No.…

THE new £21million transport interchange in South Shields opened on August 4, with the first Tyne & Wear Metro train departing at 07.00 that day. The station replaces the previous South Shields Metro stop, which closed on July 7 (RM August). It is at the end of the Metro’s Yellow Line from Pelaw on the south bank of the Tyne, and is expected to be used by 7.5 million passengers a year. The copper-clad building features bus stands at street level and a single Metro platform on the first floor, connected by lifts and escalators. A large concourse includes a Nexus TravelShop and a cafe. The interchange is described as a ‘striking point of arrival’ into South Shields for residents and visitors to the town, as well as enhancing connectivity…

THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch has made four recommendations in its final report about the fatal collision between a pedestrian and an Edinburgh tram near Saughton stop on September 11, 2018. Bus depot worker Carlos Correa Palacio, 53, was using a footpath crossing near the tram stop when he was hit by a tram travelling at 33mph (53km/h) from the city centre to the airport. He was seemingly unaware the tram was approaching when he walked onto the crossing. The evidence indicated he would have had a clear view of the approaching tram, but was not looking out for it. He may have looked earlier, but would not have had a clear view of approaching trams from the footpath. The tram driver used the bell to sound repeated warnings on…

SHIPPING company Maritime Transport has launched two new dedicated trains from DP World London Gateway, near Thurrock, to Trafford Park and Wakefield. The daily train pairs are the fifth and sixth UK intermodal services to start since the company launched its partnership with DB Cargo UK in April. They have been running since June 24, and are powered by Class 66s, decorated in Maritime’s corporate blue livery. With the capacity to move up to 76 20-foot equivalent units (TEU) in each direction, the trains run Monday to Friday on export services, and Tuesday to Saturday on imports, providing improved rail links between DP World London Gateway and Northern England. The trains complement services running to and from Felixstowe and Southampton. DB recently outshopped a fifth locomotive in Maritime colours –…

NEW Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has thrown the future of High Speed 2 (HS2) into doubt with a new review that will challenge the £56billion project’s scope, design and affordability. Doug Oakervee, a retired engineer, former HS2 Ltd chairman ,and ally of Prime Minister Boris Johnson, will lead the review, assisted by Lord Tony Berkeley, former chairman of the Rail Freight Group and vocal critic of the project. The quick-fire review is expected to last just a few weeks, with a final report due in the autumn. Based on the report’s conclusions, the Government will then make a decision on whether and how to proceed before the end of the year. Terms of reference for the review include the ability of HS2 Ltd to deliver the project effectively, the project’s…

SCOTLAND’S West Highland line was closed on August 4 after heavy rain caused serious landslips at Glen Falloch, south of Crianlarich, which left the track in mid-air. There was also a ballast washout near Tyndrum Lower, with heavy rain flooding the line at Arrochar. After Network Rail had carried out a detailed geo-technical  and aerial survey of the damage between Ardlui and Crianlarich the initial view was the line would remain closed until August 22. Remote location Because of the remote location, engineers needed to move 3,000 tonnes of rock to the site to allow the embankment to be rebuilt and the track reinstated. Teams worked around the  clock to repair the damaged sites, strengthening embankments and enhancing drainage where possible, and before rebuilding the track-bed and reinstating the railway.…

VIRGIN Trains is placing another batch of Class 390 ‘Pendolino’ nameplates for sale, along with some nose crests. This follows the success of a sealed-bid auction of nameplates at the June 8 Crewe open day, which raised £17,000 for the Rethink charity, The nameplates to be sold will be displayed at the Engine House, Highley, on two days – October 4-5 – during the Severn Valley Railway’s diesel gala, which runs from October 3 to 6. The plates will be in an as-removed condition, with sealed bids or emailed bids. Money raised will again go to charity. Virgin has indicated around 12 plates, plus nose crests, will be on display, with bid forms being available at the venue. The plates to be sold will be known in mid-September and promoted…

AROUND 1.2 million 16 and 17 year olds can now benefit from half-price train fares after the Department for Transport (DfT) launched its new ’16-17 Saver’ railcard. The card costs £30 and is now available to buy online at www.16-17saver.co.uk. It offers a 50% discount on most rail travel, including peak and season tickets in England and Wales. DfT says the offer will save the average user £186 per year on rail tickets, allowing greater access to education, training and work.…

A BID by the Department for Transport to have High Court legal challenges from Stagecoach, Virgin, SNCF and Arriva blocked in connection with rejected franchise bids has failed. A full hearing is expected later this year. The franchisees claim the cancelling of their bids and disqualification from future bids was unlawful because the DfT “breached its statutory duties”. The complaint hinges around the DfT’s insistence that rail companies that win franchises take on the liabilities for the Railways Pension Scheme, reported to have a deficit of around £7billion. The bidders have also lost millions of pounds during the failed bid process. Arriva alone is seeking £200million in damages. Stagecoach was disqualified from the East Midlands and South Eastern franchise bids, and Stagecoach/Virgin and SNCF from the West Coast Partnership bid,…

The yellow-liveried test trains of Network Rail, or ‘Infrastructure Monitoring’ (IM) trains to use the correct description, feature regularly in the Operations section of The Railway Magazine. Their varied motive power and unusual operating schedules certainly make them an attractive target for photographers. But the work they actually carry out is perhaps not so well understood. The equipment fitted to each of them varies so there is a degree of overlap between what certain train sets can achieve, but I will attempt to summarise the current situation. Over the years, the remit of IM trains has extended from one of simply checking the alignment of the track to a range of processes to assess the wider railway. Track geometry (or alignment) was originally checked and maintained by lengthmen, using gauge…

The critical element that arose from the 1969 Morpeth accident was Col Robertson’s determination that Advance Permanent Speed Restriction (PSR) warning boards should be installed on lines with speed limits of 75mph and over, and where the speed reduction required was 33% or more Crucially an AWS permanent inductor was to accompany the advance PSR boards, and these would be installed 200 yards before the boards The AWS would sound a horn in the cab of any train requiring cancellation by the driver to avoid automatic application of the brakes Col Robertson worked with the British Railways Board (BRB) concerning the development of these alternatively coloured boards, and even delayed his report into the Morpeth accident until December 1972 Robertson was pleased the BRB had accepted his recommendations, and work…

In the August issue I took advantage of the 125th anniversary of the West Highland line to discuss steam performance between Glasgow and Fort William. Supporting the article were summaries of two runs recorded by Alastair Wood in 1961, a year of transition. Crossing Loch Leven by the Ballachulish ferry in early September that year, a fellow ‘Freedom of Scotland’ ticket holder assured me he had just travelled from Glasgow to Fort William by the early morning train hauled by a pair of Class 5 4-6-0s. So it seemed steam was secure, at least for the time being. I had reckoned without the summer/winter timetable change. Two days later, on Monday, September 11, it was not a ‘Black Five’ backing on to the six-coach 3.46pm Glasgow-Mallaig at Queen Street but…

Peter John Rampton, born in 1934, passed away on July 3, 2019. His name is well known in narrow gauge circles in connection with saving a major collection of locomotives and carriages, as well as for his links to Brecon Mountain and Vale of Rheidol Railway’s, but few truly knew much about him. The son of Eric and Phyllis Rampton, he was born into a family that owned the successful catalogue sales company, Freemans. The seeds for his fascination with trains were planted early when he cycled, often with his sister Ann, the mile from home to Surbiton station to capture the numbers of passing locomotives. Inevitably, a model railway in the loft of his family home followed with a live steam Bassett Lowke ‘Mogul’ roaring round hauling Exley coaches,…

DAILY › UNTIL OCTOBER 4› ELR50 Visitors’ Centre, Batemans Brewery, Wainfleet, Lincs. This event commemorates 50 years since the East Lincolnshire Railway and its branches closed. This is largest display of surviving railwayana from the East Lincolnshire lines plus a range of events. See website www.ELR50C.co.uk and Facebook page east lincolnshire railways 50 for details. DAILY › UNTIL SEPTEMBER 16› Cambridge Railway Circle 50th anniversary exhibition Cambridge Museum of Technology, Newmarket Rd. Displays, artefacts, models, including 61671, the Royal Locomotive. 10-5pm. See museum and CRC websites. SATURDAY ,  SEPTEMBER 7 Burgess Hill Model Railway Club Exhibition Burgess Hill Girls’ School Keymer Road, Burgess Hill, West Sussex RH15 0EG (close to station). www.burgesshillmrc.org.uk 10.00-17.00. Adults £5 child £3, family (2+2) £13. 15 layouts. SATURDAY ,  SEPTEMBER 14 Kettering & District Model Railway Society…

Minehead connections LORD PATTEN asked Her Majesty’s Government in the House of Lords what assessment has been made of the possibility of re-connecting Minehead station to the rail network. Transport Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said:“Great Western Railway is planning a limited weekend service this summer to Bishops Lydeard, providing a direct connection between the national network and the privately operated West Somerset Railway, which operates train services to Minehead. “Any development of a year-round regular direct national rail service to Minehead would need to follow the principles set out in A Strategic Vision for Rail, published in November 2017, in which the Secretary of State said ‘the challenge to our partners is to work with Government and the industry to develop compelling proposals for the next generation of rail…

I AM constantly depressed by the lack of vegetation control on our national network, as highlighted in your Readers’ Platform this month (RM August). On a recent visit to St Mary’s crossing near Stroud I was shocked by just how bad things have got. Not only were there weeds growing between the track but small shrubs too. Clearly nothing has been done for several years, and the track resembled  some long abandoned byway, apart from having shiny rails. While I was there a van driver using the crossing enquired if the line was still used! Richard Chandler By email THE disgraceful state of the tracks at platforms 1 and 2 at London King’s Cross (RM August) are not alone in this respect. The track approaches to Glasgow Central station were…

SINCE the founding of the RCTS back in 1928, house magazine The Railway Observer has recorded changes of livery for locomotives. In ‘Big Four’ times the specified colours used on locomotives and rolling stock changed little, although various engines might exchange one of the standard colours for another. More prevalent in that era was the positioning and style of both the locomotive numbers and the company crest or letters, but in most cases these would only be updated on an engine when it became due for a heavy general overhaul. Even renumbering schemes seemed to take a while to be completed, but the events were covered in the RO. At the dawn of the British Railways era a plethora of different styles in the application of both the words British…

VOLUNTEERS at the Bodmin & Wenford Railway (B&WR) are mourning the passing of their friend and colleague Tony Hallworth, who died after a long illness at his home in St Mabyn on August 1. He was 74. Mr Hallworth was generally regarded as a‘legend’among both his B&WR peers and the wider enthusiast community as a whole. As a veteran of Wadebridge shed (72F), what he did not know about the operation of the National Railway Museum’s Beattie 2-4-0WT No. 30587 at its spiritual home, and‘T9’4-4-0 No. 30120, was not worth knowing. He was also the B&WR’s traction inspector, and was always willing to share the benefit of his experience with the line’s up-and-coming footplate crews, along with stories from the‘old days’, too. Tony joined the Wadebridge line as a teenager,…

WORK on the overhaul of Severn Valley Railway flagship ‘Hall’ No. 4930 Hagley Hall has progressed to the ‘detail’ stage. This means the focus has turned away from the larger components to the refurbishment and replacement of the myriad smaller, vital parts. The bogie is currently on trollies for overhaul and examination, the horns receiving attention in readiness for axlebox fitting, metalling and machining. New dragbox Motion parts are being similarly treated, the expansion links having recently returned to Bridgnorth after grinding by an external contractor. Drilling of the positioning holes in the new cylinders has begun ahead of them being permanently installed within the frames, while between the  frames the 30in vacuum cylinder has been completely refurbished. A new dragbox has been fabricated and fitted, along with a new…

VANDAL attacks on UK preserved lines show no signs of abating after carriage windows were smashed on three railways during July and August. On August 5, the Bahamas Locomotive Society’s (BLS) Learning Coach (ex-LMS No. DM395470) suffered damage to windows at Ingrow station at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. Damage was limited to smashed glass, and none of the computer equipment, sponsored by Mortons Media (publishers of The RM), was stolen. However, the youths, who were caught on CCTV, also laid a sleeper and other equipment across the line in what the BLS described as “a deliberate attempt to derail a train on the heritage railway”. Less than a week earlier the East Lancashire Railway had the windows of its disabled access Mk1 Brake Second Corridor broken, while the…

THE first new components for the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s (A1SLT) third new-build locomotive – Gresley ‘V4’ 2-6-2 No. 3403 – have been delivered to Darlington Locomotive Works ahead of the project’s formal launch next year. The £4,320 order for 12 tender spring hooks was placed with Unilathe of Stoke-on-Trent as part of a larger order placed by Network Rail for replacement parts for its snowplough fleet that are based on LNER 4,200-gallon tenders. The order was also shared with the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust, thereby considerably reducing the unit costs. Wheel pattern The new components join a growing list of parts already acquired for the ‘V4’, including a complete set of fully certified tyres for all of the loco’s wheelsets, an appropriate chimney, and two BR Class 08 shunter…

UNION of South Africa will be returning to the East Lancashire Railway again this autumn to take part in the line’s Autumn Steam Gala on October 18-20. The gala will reunite the Gresley ‘A4’ with the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Maunsell ‘Schools’ 4-4-0 No. 926 Repton just three weeks after the pair starred together at the NYMR’s own autumn gala. Nos. 60009 and 926 will share the East Lancs gala roster with Bulleid ‘West Country’ No. 34092 City of Wells, BR ‘4MT’ 2-6-4Ts Nos. 80080 and 80097, L&Y ‘A’ class 0-6-0 No. 52322, Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0ST No. 32 Gothenburg, and ex-Hunslet ‘Austerity’0-6-0 No. 2890. Full details of the event can be found at: https://tinyurl. com/y3275acu ■ It will be a busy few weeks for Repton, which after the NYMR’s Autumn…

‘Austerity’ 3193 ready for service HUNSLET ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 3193 has entered passenger service at the Nene Valley Railway. Norfolk Heritage Steam Railway Ltd’s (NHSRL) 1944-built loco has been undergoing trials at the Peterborough line since arriving on June 19, but required attention before entering traffic. Further tests were carried out in early-August, and the loco made its passenger debut on NVR services on August 24. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine…

OPERATORS of the national rail networks on both sides of the Irish border are formulating plans for post-Brexit future operations of cross-border train services. Since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement in 1998 border checks have been consigned to the history books, and free movement has been the norm for the last two decades. However, in spite of the border remaining a matter of diplomatic sensitivity for both governments, neither wants to see a return to physical checks or infrastructure at the border frontier. ‘Backstop’ This is where the controversial Northern Ireland ‘backstop’ comes in, which would maintain a seamless border between the two nations, but would require the UK to retain a close relationship with the EU for an indefinite period – something many MPs are opposed to.…

ONE of Northern Ireland’s best-known former stations has been put up for sale, opening up the opportunity to own a real piece of Irish railway history. Bundoran Junction, in Kilskeery, Co Tyrone, was a popular interchange on the Great Northern Railway’s (GNR(I)) Irish Northwest line between Enniskillen and Omagh. It was originally opened by the Londonderry & Enniskillen Railway as Lowtherstown Road in August 1854, but was renamed Irvinestown in March 1863 and again as Irvinestown Road three years later. It became a junction when the Enniskillen & Bundoran Railway opened its line to the coastal resort of Bundoran on June 13, 1866, and was subsequently renamed again to reflect its new status. It came into GNR(I) ownership in 1883, and survived until October 1957 when the line closed. The…

MOSELEY Railway Trust will celebrate the 50th anniversary of an occasion that effectively led to its birth between September 21-22. In 1969, a horse named Tim pulled a makeshift tram car (converted from a brick works wagon), carrying passengers along a temporary railway at a school fete in Cheadle, Manchester. This inspired the construction of a railway that operated between 1970-1998 in the grounds of Margaret Danyers College at Cheadle Hulme, formation of what became today’s trust and eventual setting up of Apedale Valley Light Railway. Yaxham Light Railway-based Bagnall 0-4-0ST Kidbrooke (2043/1917) will be visiting and John Sutton’s 2017-built three-ton Decauville 0-4-0T Edgar will make its passenger service debut. Passenger rides, for this weekend only, will also operate on the Field Railway, subject to approval. Negotiations are in progress for…

A VISIT by Narrow Gauge Railway Society members to the 10¼in-gauge Newby Hall Railway on May 12 found No. 4433 Ivatt Atlantic (David Curwen & Edgar Newbery 1965) recently arrived from the Audley End Miniature Railway, Essex, via a March 12 auction (RM May, p84). The 4-4-2 did not appear to have entered service yet and trains were worked by long-time resident No. 6100 Royal Scot (S Battison 1953), steamed specially for the occasion. The 1,000-yard-long line runs alongside the River Ure and consists of two balloon loops with the station in the middle.…

TRANSPORT for London is in discussion with mobile network operators to offer 4G phone services after the installation of hundreds of miles of cabling across the network. The eastern half of the Jubilee Line should be the first to go live in March 2020, with the rest of the network following in stages by the mid-2020s. The trial section will cover the platforms and tunnels between Westminster and Canning Town stations, and will allow passengers to check news, social media and emails as part of their journey. It will build on the free wi-fi service offered by TfL at more than 260 London Underground and TfL Rail stations. The service will also cover ticket halls and corridors within stations along this section of the Jubilee Line, with the exception of…

FREIGHTLINER’S trial run of a Mendip Rail ‘jumbo train’using a Class 70 diesel has been hailed as an outstanding success by the operators. No. 70003 hauled a train weighing 4,624 tonnes between Merehead Quarry in Somerset and Acton Yard in West London on July 17. These trains are currently the heaviest in the UK and are normally powered by Mendip Rail’s fleet of Class 59/0 and 59/1 heavy haul diesels. The trial run was in preparation for the start of Freightliner’s bulk haulage contract with Mendip Rail, a joint venture between Hanson UK and Aggregate Industries. Diagnostic testing was carried out throughout the journey by General Electric on behalf of Freightliner, with the booked four-hour journey completed ahead of schedule. Bulk commercial director for Genessee & Wyoming UK/Europe Region (Freightliner…

DIRECT Rail Services (DRS) is now operating three more intermodal trains linking Scotland’s Central Belt with southern England. Since June 28 it has been running a weekly train for Forth Ports and Eddie Stobart between Grangemouth, near Falkirk, and the Port of Tilbury, carrying retail goods, food and drink northbound and export goods such as fresh food, spirits and chemicals southbound. Class 88 bi-mode locomotives are used between Grangemouth and Daventry, with Class 66s on the southern leg to Essex. DRS has also won a contract to run two train pairs, six days per week, between Daventry and P D Stirling’s terminal at Mossend, near Glasgow. These trains are also‘88’-hauled and are operated on behalf of logistics company J G Russell. The publicly owned operator is aiming to reduce the…

ELECTRIFICATION and quadrupling of the line between Huddersfield and Dewsbury are part of Network Rail’s planned upgrade for the trans-Pennine route in West Yorkshire. The infrastructure owner is now consulting local communities and businesses about its proposals, which will see eight miles of the Manchester to Leeds via Standedge Tunnel route quadrupled between Huddersfield and Westtown in Dewsbury. NR is also proposing a grade-separated junction at Ravensthorpe, near Mirfield, where the Leeds and Wakefield lines diverge. Reinstated tracks Major rebuilds of Huddersfield, Deighton, Mirfield and Ravensthorpe stations will also be necessary to accommodate the reinstated tracks. This section of the route had four tracks until the 1960s when it was rationalised by BR. Heaton Lodge Junction – where the Standedge and Calder Valley lines diverge – was further rebuilt in…

THE annual fare increase to take effect in January will be 2.8% – the figure being based on the July retail price index. The much-promised new trains are beginning to filter onto the network, but passengers remain unhappy that the overall cost of train travel has risen by 46% since 2009. Transport Focus director David Sidebottom said: “After a year of more stable, but still patchy, rail performance many rail passengers will be mystified rail fares should be going up at all, let alone by 2.8% next January.” Both the Rail Delivery Group (RDG) and the DfT defended the rises, with rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris saying it was tempting to suggest fares should be frozen, but if we stop investing in our railway then we will never see it improved.…

THE Office of Rail and Road has confirmed deadlines for changes to Mk1 and Mk2 heritage stock on the mainline as well as for Mk3 carriages. This development follows the £1million fine imposed on Govia Thameslink Rail for health and safety failings after a passenger lost his life when his head struck a lineside object on the Gatwick Express in August 2016. By March 31, 2023, all heritage stock on the main line has to be fitted with internal door handles and lockable windows. Mk1 and 2, or older stock are prevalent on heritage and tourist railways, and even with the 25mph maximum speed, the ORR will insist on every line conducting a risk assessment and then taking any appropriate action, including moving lineside structures such as signal posts. There…

A £25MILLION contract to deliver medicines from mainland Europe to the UK by express freight train has been put out to tender by the Department of Health and Social Care. The trains will start to operate after the UK leaves the European Union on October 31, and will deliver small parcels of medicines or medical products on a 24-hour basis, with additional provision to move larger quantities of palletised products on a two- to four-day basis. Temperature-controlled products must also be conveyed in suitable vehicles if necessary. Successful bidders will be notified this month, with testing starting just a week before the UK leaves to EU on October 24. The 12-month contract can be extended for a further 12 months if necessary.…

THE first major structure to be built at Euston as part of HS2 has received planning permission from the London Borough of Camden. The eye-catching London Underground (LU) ventilation shaft and substation –nicknamed the ‘sugar cube’– will be covered with more than 13,000 glazed white terracotta tiles, drawing inspiration from historic LU stations, such as nearby Great Portland Street. The four-storey cube has been designed by architects Weston Williamson + Partners, with William Matthews Associates. It will contain a substation, electrical equipment and a ventilation shaft for the Northern Line. The new shaft will be on Stephenson Way, behind Euston Road, on the site of Wolfson House, which is currently being demolished.…

The author, Andrew Royle, has written about his time as an On-Train Technician for Network Rail in Yellow Trains, published by Crecy. You could win one of three signed copies of the book by answering this question correctly: How many Class 43 power cars are in the Network Rail fleet? Entries can be emailed to RMcomp@mortons co uk or by posting your answer to The Railway Magazine, Railway Book Competition, PO Box 99 Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JZ Closing date is October 4, 2019. For full T&Cs visit: www railwaymagazine co uk ■ Winners will be chosen at random and contacted, UK entrants only. There is no cash alternative.…

■ MARCH 25, 1877: Edinburgh to London King’s Cross derails at Morpeth curve The train was travelling at 25mph Five people were killed ■ NOVEMBER 11, 1902: Edinburgh to King’s Cross mail train collides with wagons of a goods train being shunted from a Down loop line There were no injuries ■ MAY 7, 1969: London King’s Cross to Aberdeen sleeper – the Down ‘Night Aberdonian’, hauled by ‘Deltic’ No 9011 The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, enters the curve too fast The train derails, killing six people and injuring 21 ■ JUNE 24, 1984: Aberdeen to London King’s Cross sleeper – the Up ‘Night Aberdonian’, hauled by No 47452, enters the curve too fast, derails and injures 35 people ■ NOVEMBER 13, 1992: Collision between two freight trains Class 56 No…

1 A Borsig 0-4-0WT 5913/1908–1ft 11 5/8in (600 mm) ex-Sobemai N V Maldegam 2 Société Anglo-Franco-Belge SAR NG15 2-8-2+tender 2668/1951 2ft (610 mm) 3 De Winton 0-4-0 VBT 106/1877 Kathleen 1ft 10 3/4 in (578 mm) ex-Penrhyn 4 Decauville 0-4-0T 1027/1926 ‘Progress 5T’ type 1ft 11 1/2in (597 mm) 5 Falcon ‘NG6’ Class ‘Lawley’ F4 Type 4-4-0+tender 265/1897 2ft (610 mm) ex-Beira Railway 6 Falcon ‘NG6’ Class ‘Lawley’ F4 Type 4-4-0+tender Lisboa 266/1897 2ft (610 mm) ex-Beira Railway 7 Fowler 0-6-0+tender 10249/1905 1ft 11 3/4in (603 mm) ex-CSR Fiji 8 Fowler 0-4-2T 11938/1909 1ft 11 5/8 in (600 mm) ex-Sena Sugar 9 Fowler 0-6-2 T 15515/1920 1ft 11 5/8 in (600 mm) ex-Sena Sugar 10 Hudswell, Clarke 4wDM D564/1930 2ft (610 mm) ex-Beswicks Lime Works 11 Hunslet 0-4-0ST 605/1894 Margaret…

Western Chronicles Series: D1000 and D1001 By Adrian Curtis THE author has an immense knowledge about the ‘Western’ diesel hydraulic locomotives that worked on the Western Region of BR from 1961 to the late- ‘70s, and his own publishing company has embarked on an impressively ambitious project to document the life and times of each of the 74 class members within its own book. The first two of the self-contained books in the series cover No. D1000 Western Enterprise and No. D1001 Western Pathfinder. The books each begin with a piece of ‘Western’ loco history – the D1000 volume looks at the background to design and development, while D1001’s covers testing – before going into detail about the specific loco. Both books cover works’ visits for repairs, depot allocations, notable…

Improvements needed to a ‘grossly thermally inefficient’ mode of transport IT WAS inevitable heritage railways would become the target for the attentions of global warming protestors. The Heritage Railway Association has put up sound arguments for retaining steam operation, citing the benefits to employees, volunteers and for UK tourism. By comparison, while pressure has been applied to vastly cleaner modern road vehicles, classic older ones are free to emit their unknown levels of pollution on the same ‘minimal usage’ platform. There is a problem though for steam traction because steam locomotives are grossly thermally inefficient meaning relatively large amounts of coal are burnt for quite short distances. There are many people actively campaigning for the restoration of derelict locomotives (some of which are of older and even less efficient design),…

Porterbrook – at the heart of UK Rail for 25 years www.porterbrook.co.uk…

RIDDLES and Ivatt ‘4MT’ 2-6-0s will be open for comparison at the Severn Valley Railway (SVR) later this month when resident ‘Flying Pig’ No. 43016 is joined by the Mid-Hants Railway’s BR No. 76017 at the September 19-22 Autumn Steam Gala. No. 76017 is the first ‘Standard 4’ Mogul to visit the SVR since classmate No. 76079 took part in the line’s spring gala in 1998. The class was a BR adaptation of George Ivatt’s LMS design, of which No. 43106 is the sole survivor, so having the two types together for evaluation will be of great interest, as will the contrast between No. 76017 and its slightly larger ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 brethren No. 75069. Like No. 75069, No. 76017 spent its working life on the Southern Region, having been completed…

‘SCHOOLS’ class 4-4-0 Cheltenham has emerged from the Mid-Hants Railway’s (MHR) Ropley workshops as No. 30925, resplendent in British Railways’ lined green. The repaint of the National Railway Museum locomotive was completed by Heritage Painting with assistance from MHR volunteers, transforming it from Southern Railway malachite green into the guise the loco carried during its final years in BR service. It was financed jointly by the MHR and photographic charter specialist Timeline Events. The revitalised 4-4-0 is expected to take part in the MHR’s October 18-20 Autumn Steam Gala, before taking part in a string of Timeline Events charters during November. It is pictured at Ropley on August 13. BOB ORCHARD…

MANAGEMENT at the Llangollen Railway (LR) is dealing with what it describes as a “difficult financial position” after the railway incurred a £330,000 loss during 2018. The loss has been largely attributed to issues within the line’s contract engineering department, but deemed severe enough for Llangollen Railway Trust chairman Liz McGuinness to issue a letter to members in July asking for donations. “2019 is proving to be a year filled with challenges, the trust’s income is low,” Mrs McGuinness told members. She added: “Llangollen Railway plc usually put money back into the trust, but in 2018 they were unable to do this, which meant our income is seriously depleted.” A subsequent press release explained the situation in more detail, revealing the scale of the loss, and how it “did not…

Maunsell coach returns to Swanage service MAUNSELL third open No. S1381S is back in service at the Swanage Railway after extensive restoration at Barrow Hill Roundhouse. The 1930-built coach has been rebuilt by Rampart Engineering Ltd, having been taken out of Swanage traffic back in 1991. It made its Purbeck Line return on July 20. September move takes Rocket to  York THE Science Museum Group will transfer Robert Stephenson’s original 0-2-2 Rocket to its new home at the National Railway Museum in York on September 26. The 1829-built engineering icon is currently on display at the Museum of Science & Industry in Manchester, just yards from the Liverpool & Manchester Railway’s original Liverpool Road terminus. Extension frames for 2-8-0 No.  3850… DINMORE Manor Locomotive Ltd has…

ONE of the last steam locomotives to work commercially in the UK – Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. S134 Wheldale – is on the steam comeback thanks to the fundraising efforts of the locomotive’s support group. The Friends of Wheldale has raised in excess of £130,000 towards the cost of overhauling the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway loco, which is expected to cost well over £200,000 to complete. However, the funds from the Friends will cover the cost of the bottom-end overhaul at the Statfold Barn Railway, and on June 6 a sorry-looking Wheldale was moved from open-air storage at Bolton Abbey, and taken to Embsay, where the overhaul has begun. Stripping of the loco was completed throughout July and August. The tank was removed on July 16 and the boiler…

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s‘go anywhere’2-6-4T No. 4 is back in traffic following the fitting of a full set of new tyres at the society’s Whitehead base. The LMS-NCC‘WT’emerged from the workshops on June 8 after six months’work, during which time the new South African tyres were machined and fitted‘in house’. It was the first time such an operation has been carried out in Northern Ireland since the 1960s. After a trial run to Lisburn in early-July, No. 4 returned to its former LMS-NCC stamping ground in August for the RPSI’s‘Portrush Flyer’season, as well as hauling the ‘Steam & Jazz’special from Belfast on August 23. The Derby-built loco will return to the Republic of Ireland during September to work Steam Dreams’ ‘Emerald Isle Craic’on September 7. The loco will…

THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (WLLR) is hiring newly overhauled U-class 0-6-2T No. 2 Zillertal from Austria’s Zillertalbahn line. It is expected to arrive for WLLR’s August 30-September 1 Steam Gala, and will stay for around two years. With just Beyer, Peacock 0-6-0T Countess and Kerr, Stuart 0-6-2T Joan operational, the hire alleviates WLLR’s steam shortage (RM July). Overhauling S F Belge 0-8-0T (ex-No. 699.01) No. 10 Sir Drefaldwyn is unlikely to be completed before the end of 2019, and Beyer, Peacock 0-6-0T No. 822 The Earl is at Vale of Rheidol Railway for overhaul, with completion anticipated in mid-2020. Hiring Zillertal will also cover the start of overhauling WLLR’s former Sierra Leone Railway Hunslet 2-6-2 No. 85, which should start as soon as Sir Drefaldwyn is completed. Zillertal…

HAYLING Railway (formerly Hayling Seaside Railway) has been advertised for sale. The mile-long, 2ft-gauge line opened on Hayling Island seafront in 2003, and is owned by Bob Haddock, who has decided to retire. Sale details published by ETS Corporate say annual turnover has hovered between £55,000-£60,000, with a profit of around £20,000. The assets are valued at around £220,000, including cash in bank, locomotives, rolling stock, the station/depot at Eastoke Corner, and all track. Freehold price is listed as £300,000, leasehold £59,995.…

MARKING of the 125th anniversary of Manx Electric Railway (MER) services to Laxey during the July 24-28 Manx Heritage Transport Festival included trams running ‘as’ Nos. 3, 4, 8 and 24 – four original trams destroyed in the 1930 Laxey shed fire. The event also featured the return to service of trailers Nos. 37 and 49, following overhaul, and No. 54, following restoration, it having last run in 1971. Celebrations on the Douglas to Port Erin steam line included the 125th anniversary of Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T No. 8 Fenella entering service and the 140th anniversary of the (long-closed) Manx Northern Railway opening. Groudle Glen Railway officially launched new-build locos Bagnall ‘Sipat’ 0-4-0ST Otter and Bagnall 2-4-0T Brown Bear (RM August, p4-5) into service on July 28.…

REVACK Miniature Railway at the Highland Heritage and Cultural Centre, Grantown East station, which opened last autumn, has seen the former Great North of Scotland Railway station restored as a craft and visitor centre incorporating a pair of standard-gauge coaches (RM Nov, p98). Trains run every day (10.30-15.30) on the 450m-long, 7¼in-gauge line, which is to be extended later this year to about 1,000m. Initial motive power was loaned Station Road Steam (SRS) ‘Feldbahn’-type 0-4-0T Lady Susan, but this was only able to haul one carriage on the challenging track, which has 1-in-50 gradients. The 0-6-0T‘Feldbahn’FC7 BS2-type on order from SRS has been delayed so a replacement for Lady Susan was supplied in time for Easter. This is an 0-4-4T ‘Tinkerbell’- type built by A Manktelow and J Berriman in…

MORE than 1,000 staff in railway-related roles have received safety training from Victa Railfreight since 2013. Drax power station employee Martyn Kilner was the milestone candidate, passing the course on July 17 with seven of his colleagues. Victa’s Rail Safety Awareness (RSA) training course is designed for staff whose duties take them near railway infrastructure in freight depots, yards, terminals and sidings across the UK. As well as classroom training, candidates visit a protected rail siding for a practical assessment to demonstrate that they have a clear understanding of safety on or near railway lines. Alongside the RSA course, Victa provides a range of other training and development courses that aim to enhance safety and operational expertise relating to rail freight activities.…

NEW and expanded stations, electrification schemes and capacity for an additional 3,000 trains a week are all highlighted as successes in Network Rail’s 2018/19 annual report. The year to March 31, 2019, saw £7billion invested in targeted improvements to the British rail network, and although many of those were delayed, the benefits of various major projects are now being felt. NR points to the completion of the London Bridge rebuild, part of the massive Thameslink enhancement, new stations at Meridian Water, Maghull North and Newton-le-Willows, expansion at Waterloo, and the completion of electrification between Glasgow and Edinburgh, Walsall and Rugeley, Stirling and Alloa and on the Grangemouth branch as positive developments over the last year. Successful remodelling schemes at Derby and Liverpool Lime Street have also helped to improve punctuality…