Innholdsfortegnelse for October 2020 i The Railway Magazine

CONFIRMATION electrification of the Midland Main Line north of Market Harborough could actually happen was revealed in House of Commons on September 17. Nottingham North MP Alex Norris asked whether the commitment of Prime Minister Boris Johnson to electrify the entire Midland Main Line was just another broken promise to the East Midlands? Andrew Stephenson, Minister of Transport with responsibility for HS2, said: “Further electrification of the Midland Main Line is currently at an early stage, but it is being examined by Network Rail. “The department will continue to work closely with Network Rail on the development of a proposal, including approaches to advancing the delivery of electrification across the route.” Midlands Connect director Maria Machancoses said:“I’m cautiously optimistic this could be a massive boost for the region, but I…

DURHAM County Council’s Cabinet has approved a £2.1million grant for the Weardale Railway following a request for financial support from the line’s new owners, The Auckland Project (TAP). TAP is a charity formed through the development of Auckland Castle as a tourist destination, with the group confirming its purchase of the railway in March as part of ambitious plans to create jobs and make more of the area’s vast railway heritage. Ownership of assets passed to Weardale Railway Ltd, a subsidiary of TAP. It superseded Weardale Railways Community Interest Company (CIC), of which British American Railway Services was the majority shareholder. The council grant is due to be spent on repairs to bridges phased over three years. A Durham County Council report says TAP will invest £1.5m over the same…

THE Heritage Railway Association (HRA) has described a Government decision to refuse permission for the creation of a new coal mine in Northumberland as “massively disappointing” and a “hammer blow to UK heritage rail”. The HRA announcement came after Robert Jenrick MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, refused the Banks Group’s planning application for its proposed new Highthorn surface mine on September 8. The decision brings to an end a planning battle which began almost five years ago. “It makes no sense,” said HRA chief executive Steve Oates. “The UK needs five million tonnes of coal every year, for steel and cement production. “The decision to end coal production in the UK is driven by CO2 reduction targets. “However, the CO2 generated by importing coal from…

AN ENHANCEMENT to information provided by Real Time Trains now provides improved live train running information as part of the ‘track your train’ service. The update provides in real time the signal aspect for the train service being viewed, where the train is, which route has been set, and whether it is following another service. The enhancements draw on signalling data and has taken RTT creator Tom Cairns around three years research and development. Also included is whether the train is preparing to depart or ready to depart. While this information is currently only available on the Great Eastern Main Line other lines could follow. Mr Cairns told The RM that RTT has around 1million users per month, of which 75% are non-enthusiast, with the website traffic having returned to…

Class 314 will be Scottish hydrogen train test bed MOVES to create a hydrogen-powered train for Scotland has taken a step forward with the issuing of a tender notice to convert a surplus Class 314 EMU. Scottish Enterprise and Transport Scotland is leading a zero emission train project, and is aiming to have the train built, certified and operational as a demonstrator at the 26th UN Climate Change Conference, COP 26, to be held in Glasgow in December 2021. The concept design for the conversion to a fuel cell train has already been completed by Brodie Engineering, Kilmarnock, in association with Arcola Energy, a leading specialist in hydrogen and fuel cell technologies. GTR appoints suicide prevention manager GOVIA Thameslink Railway (GTR) has become the first train operator to appoint a…

THE Association for Industrial Archaeology (AIA) has awarded an £18,000 restoration grant to the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway to help return its 1906-built Avonside 0-4-0ST Desmond to steam. Restoration of the former Orb Steelworks locomotive will give the L&MMR its first operational steam presence at its Cynheidre base, near Llanelli. To date the railway has spent more than £70,000 on restoring Desmond, including £50,000 from the National Heritage Lottery Fund. Much of the work was carried out at the Llangollen Railway. The loco transferred to the Flour Mill Workshops in the Forest of Dean on September 23, where an assessment of outstanding work required to complete the restoration will be carried out. The hope is to have the loco back in steam as soon as possible.…

AN EXTENSION of the Borders Railway south from Tweedbank through Hawick and onto Carlisle as a hub for HS2 services could facilitate three-hour journeys between London and Glasgow, Edinburgh and the Borderlands, according to Jim Steer, director of the High Speed Rail Group. Writing in the Campaign for Borders Rail’s (CBR) latest newsletter, Mr Steer says with HS2, Carlisle to London journey times reduced to a little more than two hours, and the Borders Railway fully reinstated, journey times from the Borders towns to London as well as to other major cities in England could be dramatically shortened. Confidence Mr Steer adds having a usable alternative route north of Carlisle to reach the freight terminals in Scotland’s central belt would be a real boost to market confidence in the railfreight…

NEW safeguarding measures to improve help provided under the passenger assistance scheme have been issued by the Office of Rail and Road (ORR). Around one million requests for passenger assistance are received each year. The new rules apply to all train and station operating companies, and follow a successful trial by Network Rail, GTR and South West Railway. The changes focus on improving the way staff communicate and co-ordinate passenger assistance between stations. Train and station operators must now have: ■ A dedicated assistance telephone number for every station ■ A ‘Responsible Person’ for every station, who will ensure calls to those numbers are answered ■ A handover protocol to ensure when calls are answered essential information needed to coordinate the assistance delivery is provided. These new requirements follow extensive…

Rail Atlas of Great Britain & Ireland 15th Edition By S K Baker THIS atlas is one of the staple reference books for enthusiasts and also many rail professionals. It was first published in 1977 under the OPC imprint – and is still being produced under the authorship of Stuart Baker, more than 40 years later. Just released is the eagerly anticipated 15th edition, which has been fully revised and updated to reflect changes since the last edition in 2015. The popular style and layout is retained, and the maps cover main and branch lines, junctions, electrified routes, heritage lines, LRT systems, industrial and private lines, as well as all existing and proposed stations (at the time of printing). The maps also show how the route for HS2 lies in…

SIGNIFICANT progress was made on the Llangollen Railway’s new terminus station in Corwen in early September as the railway pushes forward with plans to open the station next year. On the Monday (7th) a team from Barnett Engineering arrived on site to erect the internal steelwork of the new waiting room. By the end of the day, four tons of steel was in place, forming an oblong box 15m x 4m within the foundations of the building. The ground around the final pair of canopy columns has been reinstated, and the area rolled and drainage inserted. Two days later (September 9) Wrexham Paving was on site to begin the block laying of the platform surface. Rapid progress was made, so that by Saturday morning (11th) the eastern ends of platforms…

THE frames of new-build BR ‘Clan’ Pacific No. 72010 Hengist were moved from the assembly shop to the machine shop at CTL Seal’s factory in Sheffield on September 11 in readiness for the hornguides to be machined. Milling was underway five days later after the frames had been set up on CTL’s large machining station. It marks another milestone in the construction of the ‘Clan’, and follows the completion of riveting work on the frames by Varley Boilers at the end of August, as well as orders being placed for the bogie cannon box casting pattern and two pony or trailing truck wheels. Geoff Turner, ‘Clan’ project engineering director, said: “We’re all delighted to see the frames being successfully moved into the machine shop. “I’d like to thank Varley Boilers…

THE LMS-Patriot Project is hopeful its new ‘5551 Club’ will help raise essential money needed to complete major work on the motion of new-build ‘Patriot’ No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior. The project is seeking 500 people to join the club for a single donation of £55.51. If all 500 places are taken, the appeal will have received £27,755, which with Gift Aid could potentially net just shy of £35,000. To encourage people to join, members are being offered the chance to win a seat on No. 5551’s first train, something that is ordinarily only available to donors of £1,500 or more. The names of all 5551 Club members will be added to a draw, and a winner selected once the 500 members target has been reached. Inspect and report The…

‘Austerity’ returns to North East HUNSLET-BUILT ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST No. 69 (3785/1953) has returned to the North East after more than 40 years in the Yorkshire Dales. No. 69 arrived at the Stephenson Steam Railway (Stephenson Railway Museum) on August 26 from the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway, where it had been based since entering preservation in the late-1970s. It had previously worked at South Hetton Colliery in County Durham, which later became the Hawthorn Combined Mine. The locomotive remained in active use on the Hetton system until 1973, when it was relegated to standby duties. It finally made the move to Embsay in 1977. The railway plans to begin work on No. 69’s restoration next year, once it has completed the overhaul of 1939-built Peckett 0-6-0ST Ashington No. 5. Colin…

RAIL freight operators look set to benefit from a new alternative fuel plant being built at A V Dawson’s port facility in Middlesbrough. Waste Knot Energy has chosen the rail-connected site as the location of its first fuel pelleting plant, which will transform non-recyclable waste – otherwise destined for landfill – into alow-emission bulk alternative to coal and pet-coke for industries such as cement and steel. Once complete, the plant is expected to manufacture in excess of 240,000 tonnes of fuel pellets per year, which will be transported by rail to customers in the UK or exported by sea from a nearby quay.…

DB CARGO UK’s new CEO Andrea Rossi started work on September 1, stating his immediate priority as “mitigating the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on colleagues, the company and its customers”. Mr Rossi said despite a sudden and significant drop in traffic during the pandemic, DBC had continued to deliver industry-leading levels of service to its customers, and announced several major contracts with Royal Mail, Drax and Tarmac, which he said would provide a solid platform on which to rebuild. He added: “We’re by no means out of the woods yet, but we’re already seeing the green shoots of recovery in key markets such as steel and construction. “There’s no question that our diverse portfolio has been a strength that will see us through this.”…

TYNE & Wear Metro owners Nexus has announced its largest ever driver training programme. This follows reports there will be service cuts this winter because of a crew shortage. Thirty new drivers are being taken on after the training programme was halted earlier this year because of coronavirus. Training across the UK rail industry had been stopped while national assessment centres were unable to run the required aptitude tests. The new intake will be ready to start work in spring 2021, but the delay means there will be an estimated shortfall of train crew of 10% in December and 13% in January. A revised timetable will be announced in October. Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive…

SO, AFTER 24 years, franchising has finally ended. Train operators will now have to work under tough new contracts known as Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements or can go down the road of negotiating their exit from the rail market. Since Covid-19 took hold, life for everyone, including how we undertake the simplest tasks, has changed – possibly forever. Under the proposals in the Williams report, the preference was a move to concession, where a fixed fee is paid. However, the new emergency agreements come with far tougher terms and penalties for late or dirty trains. Such agreements give the operator far less latitude than hitherto enjoyed, and raises a question as to how many current companies plan to stay in railways for a measly maximum of 1.5% of the cost…

IMPROVED forecasting and more widespread use of technology to monitor vulnerable earthworks are the two key recommendations of Network Rail’s interim report into the impact of extreme weather on the resilience and safety of the railway following August 12’s tragic derailment at Carmont. NR’s report is not intended to pre-empt the findings of the formal investigations by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB), Office of Rail and Road (ORR) or the police, but sets out immediate and long-term action to improve resilience to extreme weather events. Sensors It highlights the need for greater deployment of technology such as movement sensors and CCTV to predict failures, and investment in better forecasting to enable local decisions for imminent weather events. Rules for reporting and responding to heavy rainfall will also be improved,…

REGIONAL leaders in the East Midlands will have a more influential role in shaping their rail services thanks to a new deal agreed with the Government on September 3. The DfT and Transport for the East Midlands (TfEM) are jointly funding two locally based officers who will work with the department and stakeholders to review and address performance issues, influence decisions and promote service enhancements, working closely with East Midlands Railway (EMR). The agreement will last until the end of Abellio’s franchise in 2027, with a 12-month notice period on either side. However, DfT will retain its role in monitoring and managing the delivery of the contract, and all financial responsibility and accountability for the franchise.…

THE severe impact of Covid-19 on the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways (Ff&WHR) could lead to redundancies among its staff and impact other tourism-related businesses. The Ff&WHR is one of North Wales’ leading tourist attractions, and normally turns over nearly £6million per year. However, this year the railway is predicting income of around £1m because of lockdown and subsequent pandemic restrictions, with trains running with reduced capacity over only part of the line. Normally, the railway and its visitors help the local economy to the tune of £25m annually. To help it through the crisis, members have donated more than £500,000, and grants have been provided by the National Lottery Heritage Emergency Fund and the Welsh Government. However, the Ff&WHR has warned staff of possible redundancies when services cease in…

THE internet was alive with speculation during August after a mysterious 4-6-2 bearing an uncanny resemblance to a British Railways ‘Britannia’ Pacific appeared on the Great Central Railway (GCR) for testing. So striking was the locomotive’s likeness to a ‘Britannia’ that enthusiasts questioned whether the black-liveried 4-6-2 was in fact No. 70000 Britannia or No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell in disguise. GCR officials remained tight-lipped over the loco’s presence owing to a confidentiality clause in the contract for its testing. However, it has been revealed that the mysterious Pacific is in fact due to appear in the forthcoming film Mission: Impossible 7, starring Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. The locomotive has been built using BR ‘7MT’ drawings and appears to be an extremely accurate reproduction. However, it is meant to represent a…

THE Conwy Valley Line, between Blaenau Ffestiniog to Llandudno, was due to reopen on September 28 after the completion of Network Rail’s £2.2million project to better protect the branch line from extreme weather and flooding. The scenic and popular line has been washed away twice in the past two years, firstly for five months for repairs in 2019 after Storm Gareth, then most recently in February this year after Storm Ciara, when ballast was washed away by floodwater at several sites. The storm has also damaged fencing and level crossings at several locations. Network Rail (NR) has installed 16,000 tonnes of rock armour alongside the line between Tal-y-Cafn and Llanrwst. This will help improve the resilience of the railway during the ever more frequent flooding events in the valley. NR…

IN A bid to boost confidence on the London Underground a deal between Transport for London and the manufacturers of Dettol will lead to 800 hand sanitiser units made available for passengers throughout the network. TfL points out that key interchanges are cleaned frequently and all regular touch points are regularly wiped with a strong disinfectant. There is continuous UV cleaning of escalator handrails and trains are also cleaned with a long-lasting anti-viral spray. Additionally, another 210 sanitiser units dispensing a different brand are available at bus stations, tram stops and other locations across the TfL network. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan said:“It is vital that we all play our part in making public transport as safe as possible by using hand sanitiser points, wearing a face covering unless you…

NETWORK Rail has acquired the iconic Grade I-listed Temple Meads building designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel as Bristol’s first railway station. It was opened in 1840 as the western terminus of the Great Western Railway, and remains one of the oldest surviving railway buildings in Britain. The building’s acquisition from Bristol City Council brings it back into railway ownership for the first time since the mid-1990s. It has been disconnected from the railway network since the 1960s, but is currently home to a number of small start-up business and is used as an events space. NR plans to maintain and restore the listed structure and retain it for commercial rather than railway use, as mooted a few years ago.…

NORTHERN has carried out a U-turn on services to Rose Hill Marple, saying it will be providing three services a day to the station. The company had previously announced services to Rose Hill Marple would be suspended from September 14 because of a shortage of drivers. So‘last minute’was the news it was actually announced by Rail Minister Chris Heaton-Harris in a House of Commons adjournment debate, when he told MPs:“Literally moments before this debate commenced, Northern informed me it intends to introduce two trains in the morning, Monday to Friday, with an afternoon service to meet school demand.” Northern has since announced plans to reinstate a 90-minute frequency service all-day from October 26, and also retain the bus replacement service introduced from September 14. A vigorous campaign had been launched…

LEIGH Gration has been involved with the development of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway for more than 16 years, beginning as a volunteer in 2004 and becoming the line’s commercial manager in 2015. ■ NF: Tell me about a part of the railway’s operations that we may not know about already. ◆ LG: “We do a reasonable amount of testing work for the ‘big railway’. We’re ideally suited to that because of our large yard at Wirksworth and our decent running line length. “One of the vehicles currently at the railway for testing is a former London Underground tube train, testing an independent wheel movement system designed to reduce tyre wear.” ■ NF: The railway has a number of partnerships with other organisations. How do these benefit the railway? ◆ LG:…

“WHEN I started in 1979, we were initially issued with practical denim-style over jacket and trousers. We’d fill in the uniform clothing order, and wait a short time before it arrived. A portacabin was used because of the massive volume of uniform in those days. Freddy Davis, who later would be my first aid team captain, had everything for me to collect: a giant cardboard box of uniform items awaited me, two of which I wouldn’t be ordering again. “The BR driver’s hat is stylish, but some heads are not designed for the style used, and this includes me. My hat blew off shunting a parcels’ train at Redbank, Leeds. I could have retrieved it but didn’t bother. There were a few secondmen that wore this version, but there were…

Send your letters to: The Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. email: railway@mortons.co.uk NB. Publication of a letter does not imply that the Editor or staff of The Railway Magazine necessarily agree with its contents. Unfulfilled projects go back 70-plus years THE comments in your editorial (RM Sept) about the plethora of unfulfilled projects over the last 20 years only reflects what seems to have been a constant issue over the last 70 years. With the extra time afforded me by the current lock-down regulations, I have been looking through The RM since 1949, (the year of my birth) and I have currently reached 1959. The pages are just full of Government announcements of ambitious plans, the vast majority of which are never mentioned again. What…

Compiled by Andrew Royle ANDREW Royle has gathered a superb collection of black and white images that feature the fascinating transition period of modern traction that was in service on BR during the 1950s and 1960s. This was a time when most serious railway photographers concentrated on recording the soon-to-be-withdrawn steam traction. Thankfully, a substantial number of excellent quality images were captured of a-soon-to-vanish era of railway operation which featured these early and prototype locomotives and units. Sadly, many had a very short period in service on the rapidly changing railway network. The book is organised logically by power classification, and includes sections on Prototypes, DMU’s, EMU’s, Shunters, and Electric and Gas Turbine locomotives. Captions are detailed and very informative and the photographs are reproduced to a very high standard.…

Panorama is brought to you in association with Porterbrook – delivering a sustainable and reliable railway www.porterbrook.co.uk…

THE project to build all-new Gresley ‘B17’ 4-6-0 No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham is relocating to the Ecclesfield engineering works of CTL Seal Ltd, near Sheffield. The move follows the decision by the Llangollen Railway to shut down its contract engineering operation in a bid to stave of going into administration. CTL Seal is no stranger to the new-build locomotive scene, having made great strides in the construction of the Standard Steam Locomotive Company’s BR ‘Clan’ No. 72010 Hengist since the project moved to Sheffield in the spring of 2018. The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust therefore felt that CTL Seal would be the best choice to continue the construction of No. 61673, with both projects benefiting from the flexibility of skilled resources corresponding with either available funding or work programme…

A QUESTION mark hangs over the future of Barnsley’s Elsecar Heritage Railway (EHR) after the line’s custodian, the Elsecar Heritage Railway Trust (EHRT), handed back the lease of the mile-long line to the local council. The sale of the EHRT’s 1954-built Peckett‘OQ’0-6-0ST Mardy Monster during June raised concerns over the trust’s financial situation, coming less than a year after the group bought it from previous owner, Harry Stenton. Mr Stenton sold the loco to the EHRT in the hope it would complete the overhaul he started, but could not afford to complete himself. The Peckett was sold through AES South Yorkshire, which had been looking after the railway interests at Elsecar for the trust. The new owner has yet to be formally identified, but it is known the powerful loco…

THE Foxfield Railway has secured a grant of £81,500 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s‘Heritage Emergency Fund’to help cover its expenses following its enforced closure owing to Covid-19. The award will also help offset the loss of the railway’s popular and lucrative‘Santa Specials’, which will not run this year owing to the difficulties of social distancing, reduced capacity and the safety of its volunteers. “This is a tremendous boost to the railway which has come at a critical time,”said acting Foxfield chairman, Dave Scragg. “I want to personally thank the directors and heads of departments involved in the application, in particular the efforts of Richard Warren and Jane Bate, for the hard work put in to achieve this outstanding result.” The Foxfield Railway Society has been running an emergency appeal…

DEVON’S Seaton Tramway used the ideal conditions of August 28 to celebrate 50 years of operation over the former Southern Region branch line. All 13 of the tramway’s operational fleet were in action at various times throughout the day, with a full timetable linking Seaton and Colyton. The trams in action included all three of Seaton’s heritage cars – No. 14, the 1904-built former Metropolitan Electric Tramways ‘A’car (No. 94); No. 16, the former 3ft 6in-gauge Bournemouth Corporation Tramways car No. 106; and Exeter Corporation Tramways No. 19, originally built in 1906, also for the 3ft 6in-gauge. During the course of the day the scaled-down Blackpool‘Boat’No. 4 was brought out for a midday departure, which was shared‘live’ on Facebook, while Bournemouth-inspired open-topper No. 8 re-created the first passenger service it…

THE Bath Area Trams Association has announced it is in detailed discussions with US-based transport firm TIG/m and consultants TenBroeke Engineering. BATA has surveyed 11 possible lines, and a study by W S Atkins is said to have found at least four that are likely to be viable. Tenbroeke believes a further favourable feasibility study will allow it to arrange private funding. TIG/m can supply, install and operate a complete tram system of track and trams that is free of overhead wires. The company has already installed similar tram systems around the world. Such a‘turnkey’approach avoids the need for an expensive and time-consuming procurement process, but also means there is no financial risk on local residents. The trams would be powered by hydrogen, which means there is no need to…

THE Vale of Rheidol Railway (VoR) isn’t running trains during 2020 because of the coronavirus pandemic, but is offering a range of unique behind-the-scenes opportunities in an on-line auction, with money raised aiming to help it through the Covid-19 crisis. Top of the eye-catching offers are two guided tours of‘Collection X’, which has 40 locomotives assembled by the late Peter Rampton (RM Sept 2019) stored out of public sight in Surrey. Also offered are days touring the sheds at Aberystwyth and Capel Bangor, the latter including access to the two sheds housing other Collection X locomotives normally inaccessible to public view. Other one-off opportunities open to bids include two all-day experiences on the footplate of a VoR 2-6-2T, a full-line return journey on a Permaquip p/way vehicle for two people,…

THE frames and tanks of Isle of Man Railway Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T No. 9 Douglas were relocated to Port Erin carriage shed in mid-August. The move followed No. 9 being sandblasted and receiving a coat of red oxide, after it was decontaminated of asbestos. The work included lifting the boiler, which remains stored at Douglas. For the last decade, No. 9 Douglas (and No. 5 Mona) had been stored in a polythene asbestos containment ‘tent’ in the main carriage shed at Douglas, having been long out of service. The presence of asbestos in the locos was one of the factors which led to Nos. 5 and 9 being transferred into IoM government ownership in 2011. They had previously been part of the collection owned by the Isle of Man Railway…

FFESTINIOG Railway (FR) has started a 10-year overhaul of National Trust-owned Hunslet 0-4-0ST Hugh Napier a year early. The tubes were thin and Hugh Napier was unlikely to see much use in 2020 because of Covid-19. Having been stripped down no boiler work other than replacement tubes was found necessary, with an hydraulic test anticipated by the end of September. The chassis has required attention to the wheelsets, horns, slidebars, crossheads and rod ends. Hugh Napier could operate at FR’s October 9-11 Bygones Weekend and during autumn works trains.…

THE body of the Talyllyn Railway’s ex-Corris bogie carriage No. 17 returned to Tywyn on August 12 following extensive refurbishment at Stanegate Restorations in Haltwhistle. The body will be returned to its bogies and details completed at the TR. The lorry delivering the carriage body to Tywyn was in the area, so the Corris Railway took the opportunity of relocating the boiler and smokebox for its new-build 0-4-2ST ‘Falcon’ No. 10 from display at Maespoeth Junction to Alan Keef Ltd’s works near Ross-on-Wye.…

THE Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) restarted passenger services following Covid-19 lockdown on August 18. Operation was limited to one return trip between Caernarfon and Beddgelert on four days a week up to October 1, with no running between Beddgelert and Porthmadog. West Lancashire Light Railway restarted steam-hauled passenger trains on August 23. Leighton Buzzard Railway started passenger operating on September 19, with trains to run on Sundays through to November 1, together with selected other days during October. All 2020 special events have been cancelled but ‘Santa’ trains are planned for December. Old Kiln Light Railway resumed operation on August 23. Crowle Peatland Railway, which does not yet offer passenger rides, held public open days during September when its operational locomotives were demonstrated. The lower gallery of the Narrow Gauge Railway…

TRANSPORT Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed on September 21 franchising has officially ended after 24 years. The coronavirus pandemic has played a big part in hastening the end of how Britain’s railways were operated. As passengers slowly begin to return to rail, new contracts known as Emergency Recovery Measures Agreements (ERMAs) have been introduced and will last until March 2022. The ERMAs are an extension of the Emergency Measures Agreements introduced from March 23. North of the Border, the Scottish Government said it has extended its support for ScotRail and Caledonian Sleeper operations for another six months. Open access operators are unaffected by the changes. Stepping to the transitional ERMAs is part and parcel of preparing the ground for the likelihood of concessions for a fixed fee rather than a franchise.…

VEGETATION clearance work and site surveys are underway as part of efforts to reopen the Levenmouth branch in Fife. Network Rail Scotland engineers and contractors are removing decades of vegetation from the line, and undertaking site surveys and geological investigations to assist in planning and construction of 19 single-track kilometres of reinstated railway and two new stations. Work will continue until early-2021. Environmental and ecological surveys have already been completed to identify species, roosts and habitats of animals that will need to be protected along the route.…

EUROSTAR has withdrawn station calls at both Ebbsfleet and Ashford International from its timetables until 2022. Services stopped calling at both on the intermediate stations on HS1 when the national lockdown began in late-March. Passenger bookings nosedived by 90% as quarantine restrictions kicked in. A Eurostar spokesperson said: “Given the uncertain outlook, it is crucial we adapt and take action to reduce our costs to protect our business for the future. “In 2021, we will reduce our timetable, focusing only on our core routes and destinations where we see the highest demand.” The decision has been criticised by both passengers and rail unions.…

TYNE & Wear Metro operator Nexus has told The RM three potential rail reopening schemes are being considered for submission to the next round of the Department for Transport’s Restoring Your Railway Fund. The South of Tyne & Wearside Loop would serve the town of Washington and the 370-acre International Advanced Manufacturing Park, which is in the early phases of development on Wearside. It could see part of the disused Leamside Line utilised for a circular Metro service from South Shields. Connections to the Metro network would be made at Pelaw and South Hylton. The freight line from the Durham Coast Route to Tyne Dock could be adapted to complete the circular route. Sunderland City Council has confirmed it is in the early stages of assessing suitable locations for a…

AGGREGATE and cement company Tarmac has renewed its contracts with both GB Railfreight and Freightliner. Freightliner has been awarded a new contract with Tarmac to haul stone from the Tunstead site in Derbyshire together with quarries in Somerset. Under the new contract, the Genesee & Wyoming subsidiary will operate around 50 trains each week for use in regional and national infrastructure projects. GBRf has a five-year contract to December 31, 2025, to move aggregate from the Arcow and Swinden railheads in North Yorkshire to destinations, including Leeds, Hull and two sites in Manchester. GB will also supply a new hopper and box wagons for the services.…

Approval for HS2 Birmingham Airport interchange SOLIHULL Metropolitan Borough Council has given its backing for High Speed 2’s station, transport interchange and automated people mover. The station will be in the top 1% of buildings in the UK for eco-friendly credentials, making use of renewable technologies, natural ventilation and daylight, harvested rainwater and solar energy. The 2.3km Automated People Mover will link to the NEC, Birmingham International station and Birmingham Airport, carrying up to 2,100 passengers per hour in each direction, with a shuttle every three minutes. Train naming for Gurkha VC hero GREAT Western Railway (GWR) is honouring Gurkha VC hero Tul Bahadur Pun by naming an Intercity Express Trains after him. He was one of 13 Gurkha soldiers awarded the Victoria Cross. Most of Tul Bahadur Pun’s platoon…

PLANS for a new station at Moseley on the Camp Hill line have been approved by Birmingham City Council. It is a major step in plans to reopen the line to passenger services, along with planning approvals for stations at Kings Heath and Hazelwell. Moseley station includes platforms with a canopy, stairs and lifts, a forecourt drop off/pick-up area, covered cycle storage, and will see lighting and CCTV installed. Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street said: “The community was overwhelmingly supportive of reopening the Camp Hill line to passenger services for the first time since the Second World War. “The new station will provide residents with easier and faster connections to Birmingham city centre and the wider West Midlands.” Completion is planned in time for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.…

THE Stourbridge branch was served by Stourbridge shed, which predated the opening of the branch by many years, having been built to serve the Oxford, Worcester & Wolverhampton Railway. About a quarter of a mile north of Stambermill Viaduct, the shed was located on the west side of the line, close to where the 1859 incline branch met the main line. The original 1870 construction was a four-road shed, constructed in local brick and home to a mix of R &W Hawthorn, Stephenson, Fairbairn, and Beyer, Peacock locomotives. The Dean locomotives and other saddle tanks that worked the branch were also stabled here. In 1926 – superseded by a new roundhouse – this shed was used to house diesel railcars, gradually falling into disrepair. Notably, the new roundhouse, built around…

It is hard to live up to expectations if you label a group of trains ‘Superfast’. Great Western Railway has used the title to describe its innovative extra trains from London to Bristol Temple Meads and Cardiff booked non-stop from Paddington to Bristol Parkway and vice versa. The distance to Parkway is 112miles with a typical gross schedule, for example that of the 12.45 from Paddington, being 69min at an average speed of 97mph. We were originally promised two such trains an hour each way but delayed electrification and uncertainties over IET delivery, then reliability, resulted in a conservative approach to implementation with only partial introduction in December 2019 and the full complement being delayed until May 2020. Then Covid-19 intervened to ensure this did not happen. Looking at the…

THERE have been countless characters that Mick has met through his 42 years driving on the ECML. These are just a few. “Joe Bonner was a real joker and was famous for a‘white-stick’ routine played out to unsuspecting passengers at places like King’s Cross. In full uniform, complete with BR cap, Joe would tap the white stick from side to side in front of him and ask for assistance. “Someone always came to his aid, whereupon Joe would say ‘can you take me to the platform for the train to x please’. “The kind person would scurry across to the departure screen to find the train’s platform and then go back to Joe. They would then arm link him to the platform. “Joe would then say: ‘Is this the driving…

IT MAY well be you have seen this advertisement in the newspapers: this one (right) appeared in The Daily Telegraph last week. It is advertising ‘Bristol Awaits’ for a short break in the city. I am very surprised HM Government has sponsored such an advert, which in my opinion is totally irresponsible. I am not familiar with all the railway lines in and around Bristol, and I certainly do not know this location, but to publish a photograph which glamorises walking between railway lines is totally unacceptable. This appears to be a siding, but it is no excuse (even if it is redundant). A few years ago clothing manufacturers photographed their models standing in the ‘four-foot’; having not seen such photographs for some time, I thought the practice had died…

Williams Rail Review delay SAM Tarry (Ilford South) asked the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to publish the Williams Rail Review. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris replied:“The Department for Transport (DfT) remains committed to delivering wholesale reform of the rail industry to put the priorities of passengers first. “Our ambition is unchanged – we are committed to building on the detailed, evidence-based priorities Keith Williams set out. “We want to create arailway where passengers know who is in charge, that delivers value for money and that the UK can be proud of. “The Williams Rail Review was in the final stages of drafting at the outbreak of Covid-19. “The Government views the purpose of the reforms as important as ever, but further work needs to be done now…

100 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1920 Great Central memorial locomotive IN ADDING to the ‘Lord Faringdon’ class of 4-6-0 locomotives, Mr J G Robinson has fittingly inaugurated the new series by constituting the first memorial engine, appropriately named Valour. No. 1165 bears the nameplate description “In memory of G.C.R. employees who gave their lives for their country, 1914-1918”. The engine is a duplicate in all respects to No. 1169, “Lord Faringdon,” excepting that the cab is fitted with side windows. 50 YEARS AGO OCTOBER 1970 American tour of Flying Scotsman REPORT of the American tour of Alan Pegler’s Pacific, LNER No. 4472 Flying Scotsman, gives detail of ‘Mission III’ from the National Railroad Museum at Green Bay to Toronto, Montreal, Detroit, Chicago, and back to Green Bay.…

THE first phase in the manufacture of the cylinders for Churchward‘County’4-4-0 re-creation No. 3840 County of Montgomery has been completed with the production of the sacrificial patterns for casting. The two polystyrene patterns for the twin 18in x 30in cylinders have been produced for the Churchward County Trust (CCT) by Premier Patterns in Smethwick. They are the first GWR cylinder patterns featuring inside steam pipes to be made using the polystyrene method, and once inspected are due to be sent to Russell Ductile Castings in Scunthorpe for the actual casting to take place during October. “The completion of the cylinder patterns marks another major milestone in the production of No. 3840’s bottom-end,” said CCT chairman Gary Boyd-Hope. “I’d like to thank those who have already joined our Cylinders Club for…

THE chairmen of the West Somerset Railway’s three supporting/operating organisations have united in their condemnation of what they describe as a “hostile takeover campaign”, after a small group of railway volunteers and supporters came together to implement a restructure of the railway. On September 4, the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust (WSSRT) received papers proposing to appoint 14 named additional trustees to its board, with the overall aim of pushing through a merger between the trust and the West Somerset Railway Association (WSRA). This would create a new controlling charity, with West Somerset Railway plc as its subsidiary operating company. As a direct consequence the WSSRT postponed its Annual General Meeting (scheduled for September 19) in order for the trust to take legal advice. The 14 individuals in question, since…

‘Scotsman’ visit to Mid-Norfolk postponed A VISIT by the National Railway Museum’s ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman to the Mid-Norfolk Railway this autumn has been postponed by 12 months. The Gresley Pacific was originally booked to star at the MNR’s 25th anniversary celebrations this month, but the Covid-19 crisis has resulted in the visit being put back to October 2-18 next year. Toddington 2-8-0’s wheelsets return THE wheelsets of Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway-based GWR ‘28XX’ 2-8-0 No. 2874 have returned to Toddington following re-tyring at the South Devon Railway. All four coupled wheelsets have been so treated, together with the pony wheelset, with all also having their axle journals turned. £10,000 equipment theft at Churnet Valley THE Churnet Valley Railway lost an estimated £10,000 of signalling equipment during the weekend of…

THE National Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has thrown Crich Tramway Village what it describes as a “lifeline” after the Derbyshire museum received £250,000 in emergency funding to help it cope with the challenges faced by the national Covid-19 crisis. Crich’s income has been severely affected as a result of the coronavirus lockdown, leaving the organisation no choice but to request help and sfrom Tramway Museum Society members and the general public. The £250,000 grant has come from the HLF’s Heritage Emergency Fund (HEF), which is specifically aimed at keeping heritage businesses running through the post-lockdown period. The museum has received an additional £25,000 from Amber Valley Borough Council’s Local Authority Discretionary Grant fund, which together with the £41,000 raised in-house will help the popular attraction keep its doors open.…

FREIGHT and passenger operators will benefit from a £36million resignalling scheme on the former Cheshire Lines Committee (CLC) route west of Manchester by autumn 2021. Work to resignal the line between Flixton and Manchester city centre started in August and will continue for the next 12 months. Improvements will also be made to signalling at Freightliner’s container terminal and the Trafford Park Euro Terminal served by DB Cargo and GB Railfreight, and within the Trafford Park depot estate, allowing more frequent and longer freight trains to be operated. Neil McNicholas, Freightliner’s managing director for rail services, said:“Freightliner welcomes the proposed delivery of the signalling upgrade in the Trafford Park area.“Crucially, this upgrade will support the running of longer trains from our terminal, improving productivity and efficiency.” Call: 01507 529589 email:…

RADIOACTIVE waste traffic returned to the Sharpness branch in Gloucestershire in August after a gap of five months, and is expected to operate on a monthly basis. DRS Nos. 68005 Defiant and 68018 Vigilant visited on September 3 with a single container flat to collect waste from the Magnox loading compound of the closed Berkeley power station. October 25, 2020, marks the 60th anniversary of the closure of the line as a through route when the Severn Rail Bridge was struck by two barges and damaged beyond economic repair.…

LIFT facilities at 12 stations on the Irish Rail network will be upgraded this year as part of a €3.3million investment programme to improve the reliability of lift systems and accessibility of the rail network for customers with reduced mobility. The 12 stations are located within Dublin city and county: Balbriggan, Bayside, Clonsilla, Clontarf Road, Donabate, Dun Laoghaire, Malahide, Raheny, Rush & Lusk, Salthill & Monkstown, Skerries, and Tara Street. Work at Malahide and Donabate was already well underway at the time of writing. All 12 stations will receive new lift control systems, including recabling of lift control equipment and sensors, while Skerries, Balbriggan and Dun Laoghaire will also see the installation of new heavy duty stainless steel electric traction lifts. In total, 52 stations across the network will see…

LUTON’S £225million Direct Air-Rail Transit (DART) scheme has submitted an application for aTransport and Works Act Order to the Department for Transport. The order would grant powers to safely and efficiently run the service after its construction is completed. It began in April 2018. It would cover the ability to issue tickets and levy penalty fares, banning dangerous items, dealing with bad behaviour and working with the police. The DART will connect the Airport Parkway station to the airport in under four minutes. The link is scheduled to open in 2021 and allow a combined journey from St Pancras to the airport terminal in 30 minutes. It will use a cable-driven, double-shuttle people mover capable of operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.…

THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (WLLR) extended operation of two of its four Wednesday and Saturday trains through to Welshpool Raven Square from September 9. The WLLR is operating five days a week (no Monday or Friday trains), with other services being only to Castle Caereinion and back to Llanfair. It had restarted running over just the Llanfair Caereinion to Castle Caereinion section on August 1. In common with most lines that have reopened, social distancing means the railway is carrying fewer passengers than normal, however August saw more than three-quarters of the available ‘bubbles’on trains booked. Revenue is about 40% of what would have been anticipated for August, but nevertheless valuable income. The Talyllyn Railway (TR) sold out most of its trains during August, which had reduced capacity…

WELSHPOOL & Llanfair Light Railway’s (W&LLR) appeal to fully finance the overhaul of Beyer, Peacock 0-6-0T No. 822 The Earl has reached its target. The loco was sent to Vale of Rheidol Railway (VoR) in June 2019 for overhaul thanks to a substantial legacy, but with income drying up because of Covid-19 there was concern The Earl may have to return to W&LLR uncompleted. The initial success of the appeal enabled W&LLR to approve reassembly of the chassis (RM August). It has now been able to give VoR the go-ahead to fully complete the overhaul at Aberystwyth. The Earl should return to operation for the majority of next season.…