Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2020 i The Railway Magazine

MORE than eight months into the pandemic, and with another massive rise of Covid-19 infection rates last month, it comes as no surprise there has been no improvement in the sparse number of passengers using any form of rail, although more are travelling for leisure than business. The Government is spending billions of pounds to prop up the rail industry, as well as many other sectors of the economy during the pandemic, but the bare facts are the costs are becoming unsustainable. Sooner or later, something will have to give. Government control of franchised train operators is now greater than at any time since Privatisation, so staff numbers and pay levels will be under very close scrutiny at a time when passengers and revenue have plummeted and the income/outcome gap…

MORTONS Media Group, owners of The RM, has added two new titles to its rail portfolio with the purchase of Railways Illustrated and Steam Days from Key Publishing. These two titles join Heritage Railway and Rail Express, as well as the Nostalgia Collection and Gresley Book imprints, in the book division, creating a strong railway publishing business. Ian Fisher, chairman of Mortons Media, said: “Each of the new titles brings something slightly different to our group, and we are very excited at the opportunities they will provide us.”…

A 17-day national coronavirus lockdown in Wales from October 23 to November 9 has led to all of the country’s tourist railways having to close. Travel is confined to essential journeys only following a ‘stay at home’ message being announced by Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford as part of a ‘circuit breaker’ to stem the number of cases. Prior to the national lockdown, 17 areas of north and South Wales were affected by a local lockdown, with people unable to travel outside of their area, along with restrictions on indoor meetings and gatherings. Hardship This move has impacted all heritage railways in Wales, forcing them to close for a second time and just when many had been preparing for half-term and Halloween operations. The loss of income will cause further…

CAPTAIN Sir Tom Moore is the recipient of the first veterans’ railcard to be issued. The 100-year-old former Second World War serviceman gained national and worldwide fame earlier this year after walking around his garden during the coronavirus lockdown and raising £32million for the NHS. The centenarian was presented with his railcard by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps at his Bedfordshire home. The card will be available to 830,000 veterans who may not be eligible for other types of railcards. The card is on introductory offer at £21 until March 31, or £61 for a three-year card (£70 from April 1, 2021). The holder can nominate a companion to get one-third off when travelling with them, plus up to four children travelling at the same time get 60% off. To qualify,…

On first thoughts, the 2-6-2 wheel arrangement does not seem ideal for a passenger tank engine. In either direction, weight on starting is temporarily transferred from the coupled wheels towards the pony truck at the rear, which, of course, becomes the front when the loco is travelling backwards, and adhesion is momentarily reduced. More significant is the ability of the loco to effect quick turn rounds at journey’s end without having to use a turntable and, in theory, to perform equally well in either direction. Why the name ‘Prairies’? Apparently, it stems from the erstwhile Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad which served the western North American Prairie region, and favoured the 2-6-2 wheel arrangement, although most of its locos would have been of the tender type. Back at home, the…

‘Porky’ Lincoln “ALAN started his railway career at Hertford North back in the 1950s. “I would see him regularly through the 1990s and early 2000s. He was a happy, chirpy character with a ‘crafty cockney’ accent. “He had a slightly rotund appearance and everyone would acknowledge him as ‘ah there’s ‘Porky’ Lincoln’. “One day I had reason to ride with Porky on a northbound diverted service via Hertford – a rare occurrence – which leaves the ECML at Alexandra Palace and rejoins at Stevenage. “There was reason for me to contact the signaller and this is where, for whatever reason, his name was required. He could see me struggling… ‘What’s the matter son’? he asked smirkingly. ‘Well respectfully, I only know you as ‘Porky’.. “‘Ah that’s OK son, I knew…

BOOKS The New Railway To Scotland The story of building the Settle to Carlisle Railway from newspapers of  the time By David Occomore HERE is an unusual book with a ‘different take’ on our railway history. David Occomore has produced a very interesting piece of documentary historical research. He uses contemporary local and national newspaper reports to tell the fascinating story of the building of the Midland Railway’s 72-mile-long Settle to Carlisle route to Scotland during the 1870s. At the time this was an enormous civil engineering project given the challenging terrain that the line traversed – entailing the construction of numerous bridges, 14 tunnels and 22 viaducts, including the 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct, which is nowadays the most famous of these structures. The author charts the progress in the construction…

100 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 1920 Edge Hill Light Railway IT IS expected that by the end of the year the Edge Hill Light Railway will be ready for opening. This line will serve a large Oxfordshire ironstone district, and it is anticipated a very heavy traffic will be carried. The Edge Hill Light Railway will connect at Burton Dassett with the Stratford-upon-Avon and Midland Junction Railway. Captured loco returned MIDLAND engine No. 2717, captured by the Germans and eventually re-captured SPOT ON TIME AGAIN AFTER 40 YEARS! In a small, unofficial ceremony at Manchester Piccadilly on September 12, local train driver Mel Thorley marked the 40th anniversary of the departure of the first Crewe-Manchester Piccadilly electric train – to the exact minute, 12.15. Standing by EMU No. 323229, which…

THE group building the ‘new’ GWR ‘County’ class 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery is relaunching its monthly covenantor programme in the hope of attracting a steady flow of smaller amounts. The Churchward County Trust’s (CCT) County for the Cost of a Coffee scheme is seeking supporters of the project to make small, regular donations – the equivalent of cup of coffee a week — over a sustained period. By regularly donating from as little as £10 per month (£2.50 a week), the CCT can better forecast a regular income stream, which in turn will greatly aid its forward planning. Benefits Three donation options are open, which have the following benefits associated to them: ● £10 per month for a minimum of 60 months – donors receive membership of the…

A CAMPAIGN to keep Locomotion No. 1 in Darlington has stepped up a gear with the launch of an official petition. George Stephenson’s original Stockton & Darlington locomotive has spent more than 160 years on display in the town. The move follows plans by the National Railway Museum to relocate the 1825-built pioneer from Darlington’s Head of Steam Museum to Locomotion in Shildon in time for the bicentenary of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in 2025. Here, the locomotive would form the centrepiece of a £4.5million redevelopment of the site, taking place in a new 4,000sq m ‘Building Two’, which will be constructed close to the exhibition hall. Tug-of-war Since the beginning of the year Locomotion No. 1 has been caught in a tug-of-war between the NRM and those wishing…

THE Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust (PRCLT) has been awarded the contract to overhaul Jeremy Hosking’s BR Standard ‘9F’ No. 92212 at its West Shed facility at Swanwick Junction, Midland Railway-Butterley. The Swindon-built 2-10-0 moved to the Derbyshire site after spending several months in store at a private location, following the collapse of a planned contract overhaul at the Llangollen Railway. No. 92212 had moved to Llangollen in March, but left soon afterwards after the railway shut down its contract engineering business. Crewe-based Locomotive Services Ltd (LSL) had elected to contract the overhaul out, rather than carry it out in house, in order to prevent the loco waiting in an overhaul queue. The LSL boilershop is already restoring a spare boiler for the ‘9F’, which had previously been carried by…

Pannier No. 9466 for ‘Santa’ hire JONATHAN Jones-Pratt is offering Hawksworth ‘94XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 9466 for hire during December should any heritage railway require it for ‘Santa Special’ services. The loco has been running at the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, and will do so into November, plus most of next year. The availability is therefore just for the festive season only. The pannier is well suited to lighter services on lines capable of accepting its 19t 5cwt maximum axle load. Any railway interested in hiring the loco should contact jon@jjpholdings.co.uk ‘B17’ tenders reach Sheffield THE B17 Steam Locomotive Trust’s two GER and LNER tenders reached their new home at CTL Seal in Sheffield on September 30. They will eventually run behind new-build Gresley 4-6-0 Spirit of Sandringham. The engineering firm is…

ONLINE auction site Ebay featured a pair of unusual lots during mid-October in the form of two Andrew Barclay 0-4-0STs. Former Yorkshire Tar Distillers No. 1823 Harry was advertised with a guide price of £15,000. The 1924-built loco is often cited as the last steam loco to have worked in UK industry when it was restored and operated by Crossley’s Scrap Merchants at Shipley well into the 1980s. Quarry It was delivered new to the Colzium Quarry Co Ltd, and sold five years later to Yorkshire Tar Distillers, being employed at its Kilnhurst Works in Rotherham. In the 1960s it moved to a sister plant at Cleckheaton, but returned to Rotherham before being withdrawn from service in 1972. That same year it entered preservation at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey…

Preston roof glazing restored PRESTON station’s historic roof has had its gable-end glazing replaced in a £600,000 project to refurbish and replace wooden frames with safer new aluminium frames and polycarbonate glazing. Last upgraded in the 1960s, the wooden frames on the listed building were rotten, making panes of glass liable to fall out in bad weather. Work started in December 2019 and was completed in 24 weeks. Longer DMUs for longer Devon platforms TWO platforms served by trains on the Exmouth branch in Devon were lengthened in late October. St James’ Park in Exeter and Lympstone Commando can now be served by longer DMUs, such as the three-car GWR Class 166s now being cascaded to the West Country. October 25-30 also saw Network Rail replace life-expired track at Exmouth…

A 12-MONTH programme of electrical works, infrastructure upgrades and operational changes between London Liverpool Street and Bethnal Green has been completed by Network Rail. Known as the ‘Golden Mile’, the critical section of railway is the busiest on the Anglia route, and one of the most intensively used in the country. The improvement programme was finished at the end of August, and included the replacement of 300 insulated block joints (IBJs), which allow the signalling system to pinpoint the exact location of trains in the area, with more reliable new components. Engineers are also working on new ways to maintain and clean the IBJs, helping them to continue working reliably. The programme has already improved reliability and punctuality, according to NR, with an immediate reduction in delay minutes caused by…

THE decision by Government not to offer extensions or refunds to holders of all types of railcards is another kick in the teeth for rail passengers. Many holders of senior or disabled railcards have been shielding or trying to isolate, so have been unable to travel as they may have done normally. With passenger numbers at their lowest levels since the 19th century, the decision is counter-productive. Passengers with advance tickets, who then find an area in a local lockdown and have been denied refunds can get now get vouchers - but still no refund This shameful Scrooge-like stance will do nothing to endear passengers to travel by rail once the pandemic subsides and rail desperately needs customers. As I have said before, give passengers encouragement and incentives to get…

BOTH TransPennine (TPE) and Northern have announced recruitment schemes, which together will create 220 jobs. Northern is aiming to improve diversity levels within its workforce, and is recruiting 160 staff for a variety of roles, including station staff, drivers, conductors, engineering and support functions. The company is particularly seeking the next generation of black, ethnic minority, female and younger employees, especially people who have not considered rail as a career. Neil Stephenson, head of learning and talent at Northern, said: “Northern has many career opportunities, and last year alone we had nearly 54,000 applications for 600 vacancies. “As an industry we are keen to deliver a diverse workforce which represents the communities we serve and attract the next generation to rail. “Northern has made progress over the past few years,…

RAIL passenger journeys have slumped to their lowest level since the mid-19th century, statistics from the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) have revealed. Nationally, 35 million journeys are estimated to have been made in the first quarter of 2020-21 (April-June 2020), a decrease of more than 400 million compared with the same quarter last year, highlighting the severe impact of the coronavirus pandemic. More journeys were recorded in London and the South East compared with the rest of the country, with Govia Thameslink Railway recording 7.5 million passenger journeys, the most of any operator. Transport for Wales Rail recorded the lowest number at 369,000. The one million journeys made on ScotRail in the quarter equates to just 4.3% of journeys made in the same quarter a year earlier, and…

UKTV has commissioned two further series of highly acclaimed The Architecture The Railways Built. They will air on the Yesterday channel and are due for transmission in 2021. Tim Dunn, series presenter, railway historian and architecture enthusiast, said: “I was bowled over by our audience’s response to the first series and I am chuffed to bits that we’re able to bring the knowledge and passions of so many experts, friends and our big railway family to the screen again. It’s something delightful to look forward to in 2021.” A feature on the series appeared in The RM’s May 2020 issue.…

LEASING company Porterbrook is donating nameplates from a Class 90 and HST to be sold by auction on November 26 by Great Central Railwayana Auctions. The auction will also include the sale of station signs, timetables dining car linen and crockery, but also include a number of ‘moneycan’t-buy’ items such as cab rides and behind the scenes visits. The confirmed nameplates to be auctioned are: 43048 T C B Miller 43055 The Sheffield Star 125 Years 43068 The Red Nose 43082 Railway Children 47309 European Rail Operator of the Year 47595 Confederation of British Industry 60066 John Logie Baird 86607 The Institution of Electrical Engineers 86608 St. John Ambulance 86612 Elizabeth Garrett Anderson 90001 Crown Point 90002 Eastern Daily Press 1870-2010 Serving Norfolk for 140 Years 90003 Raedwald of East…

Name of Organisation Recommended Grant Award Aln Valley Railway Trust £21,300 Bluebell Railway plc £727,200 Bodmin & Wenford plc £260,000 Cambrian Heritage Railways Ltd £20,000 Colne Valley Railway Preservation Ltd £20,000 Didcot Railway £185,000 Dinmore Manor Locomotive Ltd £26,100 Epping Ongar Railway Holdings Ltd £98,000 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway plc £318,000 Great Central Railway £250,000 Great Northern & East Lincolnshire Railway Ltd £25,000 T/A Lincolnshire Wolds Railway Helston Railway Preservation Company Ltd £76,100 Hollycombe Working Steam Museum Ltd £895,000 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society £231,600 London Transport Museum £1,750,000 Lynton and Barnstaple Railway Community £79,300 Interest Company Mid-Hants Railway Ltd/Mid-Hants Railway £600,000 Preservation Society Ltd (MHRPS) Middleton Railway Trust £79,900 Modern Electric Tramways Ltd (Seaton Tramway) £435,100 North Norfolk Railway plc £360,000 Northampton Steam Railway Ltd £46,000 Name…

HERITAGE railways planning to run festive ‘Polar Express’ services this Christmas have had to inform customers the trains will not go ahead after organisers and licence holders, PNP Events, pulled the plug as a result of the continuing challenges of Covid-19 restrictions. The ‘Polar Express’ experiences are based on the popular Christmas computer-animated film, and have become increasingly popular on preserved lines in recent years, the event being staged on the main line by Vintage Trains. The on-going effects of the coronavirus pandemic have already seen the number of railways hosting the ‘Polar Express’ this year fall to just two, but both the South Devon Railway and Wensleydale Railway were going ahead with the operation until PNP Events announced the cancellation on October 22. The South Devon line was running…

A £300MILLION scheme to build a loop line and station serving Doncaster Sheffield Airport in South Yorkshire has been rejected by the Department for Transport (DfT). Despite support from airport owner Peel Holdings and regional politicians, and claims it could create up to 72,000 new jobs, the DfT did not believe the scheme offered value for money. It is believed the DfT’s concerns centred around the estimated passenger growth figures for the airport. The proposal envisaged a 4½-mile loop diverging from the East Coast Main Line, south of Doncaster, and running under the airport – formerly RAF Finningley – to a junction with the Doncaster to Gainborough line, providing fast links to the airport from South and West Yorkshire.…

A FURTHER enhancement to the information being provided for users of website Real Time Trains has taken place in October. Two more companies have joined the Know Your Train’facility, where the loco or unit number is provided on the web page. The latest additions are Northern and CrossCountry, taking the number of services covered by Know Your Train to 30,000 per week. Know Your Train has pictorial diagrams and facilities information at the top of service pages, together with the number of coaches, along with actual locomotive and unit numbers. In addition, allocations of Class 91s on LNER services have become available, as have ScotRail HST formations, including power car numbers, and also the Highland Caledonian Sleeper. Issues with the Lowland portion workings from Carstairs are in the process of…

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. Welsh Marches for repeat charters? AFTER the success of the Staycation Express on the S&C, there is another route that would be ideal for this type of operation – the Welsh Marches line, which runs for 90+ miles between Shrewsbury and Newport. At each end there is a triangle for turning steam locos and goods sidings (Coton Hill Shrewsbury and East Usk, Newport for servicing). There are a number of spare paths available and a regular service could easily be accommodated; you also have scenery to rival the S&C! Terry Carver…

Open Access jobs PLYMOUTH MP Luke Pollard asked what estimate has been made of the potential job losses among open access rail operators due to the Covid-19 outbreak. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris replied: “Unlike franchised passenger services, open access operators run services without a contractual relationship with Government, and there is no obligation on the Secretary of State under Section 30 of the Railways Act to run those services. “Open access operators were therefore not offered Emergency Recovery Measures agreements. “However, during the Covid-19 outbreak, open access operators have drawn upon business support measures such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. “Other substantial measures, including the Covid Corporate Financing Facility, have also been put in place. “Government also provided support for more bespoke measures, such as applications for extensions to…

THE Kirkby Stephen East-based Locomotive Conservation & Learning Trust (LCLT) suffered a combination of surprise and shock when it discovered its North Eastern Railway bogie stores van No. 5523 is not the vehicle they thought it was. The trust is currently in the process of restoring what it believed was 1902-built ex-NER ‘H2’ stores van No. 5523 in its purpose-built shed at the Stainmore Railway. The restoration is part of a Heritage Lottery funded project that will also see sole-surviving NER ‘J21’ 0-6-0 No. 65033 returned to steam; the work is underway at Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough. Research However, on-going research into the stores van has revealed it is not No. 5523 at all, but is in fact No. 2; one of a pair of ‘H2’ vans built in…

THE LMS-Patriot Project has said up to three of the coupled wheels from new-build ‘Patriot’ 4-6-0 No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior will need to be pressed off the axles in order to re-do weld repairs made nine years ago when the wheelsets were first supplied. No. 5551’s engineering team met with its contractor, the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust, at Swanwick Junction on October 1, where it was agreed to pursue the remedial action following inspection of the wheelsets by a suitably qualified welding inspector on September 4. The wheels affected belong to the centre and trailing wheelsets, which received welded repairs on the centres after an error was made by the contractor when milling the keyways that help prevent wheel movement on the axles. Unfortunately, paperwork to support the…

A SPARE boiler for the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s (A1SLT) Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado is taking shape at Dampflokwerk Meiningen ahead of its projected delivery at the end of the year. The boiler is one of a pair of Diagram 118 boilers ordered by the A1SLT in June last year, the second being destined for new-build ‘P2’ 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. The barrel sections for both boilers have been rolled and welded, and the dome covers have been pressed and machined. The firebox tube plates have been drilled, the foundation ring sections have been forged and the foundation rings welded together. The barrels of the first boiler have been tack-welded together and married up to the inner firebox. Both boilers were ordered with a full set of…

‘F5’ legacy will complete rolling chassis AN UNSPECIFIED legacy to the Holden F5 Steam Locomotive Trust will pave the way for the completion of the rolling chassis of new-build Great Eastern Railway 2-4-2T No. 789. The loco’s frames are under construction at Tyseley Locomotive Works, and costings are being sought for all remaining subsidiary components. The trust hopes any residue left from the legacy after the rolling chassis is completed will be put towards the cost of the boiler. 4110 re-wheeled at Cranmore THE Dartmouth Steam Railway’s ‘5101’ Large Prairie 2-6-2T No. 4110 has had its frames re-wheeled as part of an ongoing contract restoration by the East Somerset Railway. The refurbished frames were lowered back onto the coupled wheelsets and pony/ trailing trucks at Cranmore on October 6.…

THE Tanfield Railway newly restored Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST Horden (1015/1904) made its first independent moves in almost 50 years at Marley Hill on October 21. The former Horden and Shotton Collieries loco was trial steamed and made a number of runs up and down the yard, marking the completion of an overhaul lasting eight years. Horden has been completed to the highest standards that have come to be expected at Tanfield, resplendent in a mid-green with black lining, edged in white. The name has been sign-written on the tank sides, presenting the loco as it would have looked when it left Barclay’s Kilmarnock works 96 years ago. Work on the restoration began in 2012, and has been one of the most challenging loco projects attempted by the railway to date.…

THE Connemara Railway Project’s (CRP) plan to return trains to the Midland Great Western Railway’s long-closed Galway to Clifden branch has taken another step forward with the completion of a temporary 3ft-gauge railway at Maam Cross. The narrow-gauge line has been laid in order for the CRP to return trains, maybe even steam, to Maam Cross for the first time since 1935, and demonstrate that the project means business. However, the site will eventually be restored to its 1930s’ 5ft 3in-layout as funding allows, including rebuilding the signal cabin (with an 18-lever McKenzie & Holland lever frame from Mogeely), restoration of the water tower, goods shed, and cattle dock. “We have been very busy despite very little funding,” said CRP spokesman Jim Deegan. Enthusiasm “However, the sheer enthusiasm shown by…

THE late Andrew Wilson’s 3ft-gauge Ruston & Hornsby ‘48DL’ No. 224337 of 1945 has been bequeathed to Moseley Railway Trust (MRT). The loco is significant in having been owned by the London & North Eastern Railway and subsequently British Railways, being employed at Lowestoft Sleeper Depot from new until May 1964. It later worked at a concrete works before entering preservation. It arrived at the Apedale Valley Railway on September 24 following storage at Mr Wilson’s Leeds home since March 1997, and was displayed in public for the first time at the October 3-4 Smoke without Fire weekend. Other event attractions were visits by a Wingrove & Rogers battery loco from a private collection and Motor Rail diesel 5213/1930 from the 2ft-gauge line at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway.…

THE 10¼in-gauge Watford Miniature Railway had to cancel and early October gala following major flooding at the site. The line had reopened on July 28 following lockdown, and all Covid-19 measures were put in place at Cassiobury Park prior to the October 3-4 gala, which was due to welcome visiting locos. However, disaster struck on the Friday evening before the event, when the nearby River Gade burst its banks and flooded the railway. The level of flooding was completely unprecedented in the railway’s 61-year history. The gala was cancelled and many thousands of pounds-worth of damage was done. A crowd-funding page – Get the Watford Miniature Railway Back on track! – has been set up to help with the costs of repairs. Reopening is planned for the Christmas period, subject…

NETWORK Rail has installed three new lifts at Selhurst in south London, delivering step-free access between the station entrance, ticket office and platforms. The project costed £3.5million, and follows the construction of a new footbridge and lifts at Coulsdon South, which was completed in August 2020. Platform-edge tactile paving and upgrades to the station power supply were also completed. These works are part of the Department for Transport’s Access for All programme, which aims to provide accessible, step-free routes to and between platforms. £350m has been secured to make further accessibility improvements at stations over the next five years.…

THE UK and Scottish Governments have announced additional support for tram and light rail services hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The Department for Transport has allocated £67.8 million to six networks in England, taking the total to more than £160 million since lockdown began. £35.4 million is to cover services in Sheffield, Tyne and Wear, Nottingham, the West Midlands, Manchester and Blackpool over the 12 weeks to mid-January, with £32.4 million for the period to the end of March 2021 subject to local authorities developing suitable plans for more financially sustainable operations. Meanwhile the Scottish Government is providing an extra £4 million of emergency funding for Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams, on top of the £9 million announced in July, which is intended to support services to the end of…

Derwent Valley autumn arrivals CLASS 03 No. 03079 returned to the Derwent Valley Light Railway from an extended visit to the North Tyneside Railway on September 22. Class 08 No. 08528, newly painted in BR green, has arrived from the Great Central Railway. ‘Plastic Pig’ for National Collection ‘WESSEX Electric’ Class 442 EMU DTS No. 77382, from set No. 442401, is at Eastleigh Works, having been set aside for the National Collection. This was the first of 24 five-car sets built in 1988/89, and which was withdrawn in 2016. The other four cars are being scrapped.…

MANY readers are using their spare time to get out and about to photograph trains - very evident from a bulging inbox of pictures at The RM. However, a few of you have reported ‘exchanges of opinion’ with platform staff at some locations, who are adamant ‘you cannot take photographs’. There appears to be a lack of staff awareness for the Guidelines for Rail Enthusiasts, which were launched 15 years ago as a result of such difficulties, and have not been suspended during the pandemic. From a couple of reports I’ve received, I hope it doesn’t signal the start of a new problem. It is a situation not helped when train operators do not have a copy of their guidelines from their website, as Network Rail and the BTP have.…

GOVIA Thameslink Railway (GTR) has managed to double the number of female train driver applicants from 413 in 2019 to 825 in 2020 through a series of dedicated recruitment and marketing campaigns. Zoey Hudson, GTR’s head of talent, diversity and inclusion, commented: “We’ve invested heavily in a recruitment campaign packed full of programmes. "Our campaigns are aimed at debunking the stereotypes associated with careers in the rail industry, and humanising our brands, while demonstrating the huge versatility of roles available, with the intention of attracting a more diverse workforce. “We look forward to being the driving force behind the rail¹s mission to recruit more women.” GTR runs the Southern, Thameslink, Great Northern and Gatwick Express services.…

Caledonian Sleeper appoints new MD SERCO has appointed Kathryn Darbandi managing director of its Anglo-Scottish Caledonian Sleeper operation. She replaces Ryan Flaherty, and will take up her post in January. Ms Darbandi is currently executive consultant (transformation and strategy) at Travel Leaders Group, and previously worked for Tui and Thomas Cook. Innotrans exhibition cancelled until 2022 ORGANISERS of the biennial Innotrans international railway exhibition have postponed the April 2021 event until September 22-25, 2022, because of uncertainty over the pandemic. The Berlin-based show attracts more than 100,000 visitors. EMR changes timetable as more staff fall sick EAST Midlands Railway introduced an amended timetable on its regional services from October 26 following a steep rise in Covid-related absences. The operator aims to provide at least 90% of its pre-Covid timetabled services.…

HIGH Speed 2 Ltd has revealed a number of refinements to its proposals for Phase 2b of the £88billion railway in north-west England. However, the absence of any mention of the eastern leg from Birmingham to Leeds via the East Midlands has intensified fears the Government plans to shelve this section. The latest round of public consultation on the planned route of HS2 in north-west England opened on October 7, focusing on four new or modified elements of the Crewe to Manchester (and Scotland) railway, and how it will integrate with the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) network. By making provision for NPR in the HS2 Phase 2b Hybrid Bill, the Government hopes to increase efficiencies and reduce costs on both HS2 and the £39bn NPR scheme. The revised plans include…

BELGIAN freight operator LINEAS has renewed its deal with GB Railfreight for the haulage of imported kaolin from Calais to the UPM Caledonian Paper mill at Irvine in Ayrshire. GBRf provides a ‘hook-andhaul’ service to the former freight division of Belgian National Railways, which is now privately owned. Each train is formed of 20 ICA bogie tank wagons, carrying up to 1,200 tonnes of product for the paper industry. Two to three trains per month are handed over by LINEAS at Calais, normally on a Tuesday night, and hauled via the Channel Tunnel and West Coast Main Line to Ayrshire, arriving the following evening. Empty wagons for Antwerp are returned to Dollands Moor by Friday evening.…

LOCOMOTIVES have carried names since the early days of railways, but if you follow the railwayana scene, you will be aware nameplates have become a sought after commodity. Many nameplate collectors buy original steam loco nameplates as part of an investment process, but some also sell when they need to raise money quickly or perceive a market decline. It’s similar to how gold would be bought and sold at time of crisis. A noticeable trend has been a surge of interest in cast modern traction nameplates, several of which can sell for more than some steam nameplates. Just a few months ago, the Yddraig Goch The Red Dragon nameplate from No. 47616 sold for £4,500. Even works plates from industrial locos are rising in price. For many, a locomotive name…

Marylebone pronunciation PETER Scott tells us (RM Oct, p49) that the Marylebone station announcers pronounce the name 'Marryb’n’, but that doesn’t make it correct. I agree with him that the Bakerloo Line announcements of ‘Marleybone’ must be wrong. But ‘Marryb’n’ sounds wrong, too: how can it be right to leave out the middle ‘le’? The name originates from the church of St Mary at the (le in French) Bourn (or stream). I was brought up to pronounce it ‘Maryleb’n’, which tries to be more correct (closer to the original) than the other two. Lance Pierson London SW6 INTERESTING take on place names in the October RM. I’ve always pronounced it “Marley-bun”. I’m sure other pronunciations are available. There is a village near me called Ratlinghope, sometimes pronounced Ratchup. It’s a…

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

WORK on the final assembly of the 6880 Betton Grange Society’s re-created Collett ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange has taken another step forward at Tyseley Locomotive Works since work resumed post-lockdown. The new smokebox has been permanently fitted to the boiler, which itself was fitted just prior to the lockdown in March. The effects of the coronavirus have meant hopes of having the ‘Grange’ in steam this year have been dashed, but the project is on course to see No. 6880 make its first independent moves early next year.…

TWO Pullman cars that have served as accommodation and camping coaches at the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway for 60 years are being fully refurbished thanks to a £250,000 grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The joint project between the Ravenglass Railway Museum Trust and the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway will see ex-South Eastern & Chatham Railway Pullman Kitchen Firsts Nos. 135 Elmira and 137 Maid of Kent restored to serve as self-catering holiday accommodation. Both vehicles are currently in a critical state of disrepair at Ravenglass alongside the 15in-gauge station, but this restoration will conserve their structures and preserve original interior features, such as the highly crafted, decorative marquetry panels. Both were built in 1921 on underframes of First World War ambulance coaches, and converted into camping coaches by…

A HUGE drop in revenue of around 50% as a result of the coronavirus has forced the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) to drastically restructure the organisation and make 10 staff redundant in order to reduce the line’s operating costs. Revenue for the period January to August was £1,152,000 compared to £2,408,000 last year; a fall of 52%. Over the past two years the ELR’s revenue has averaged £4.3million, but the estimated revenue for 2021 is only around £2-£2.3m. Such a significant loss of revenue has made it necessary for the ELR to reduce operating costs through what it describes as “an organisational restructure and a squeeze on expenditure”. ‘Reality’ Commenting on his official ELR blog, chairman Mike Kelly said: “It would be irresponsible if the management and the board ignored…

THE General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society’s (GSNLRS) ambitious project to ‘back convert’ Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35011 to its original air-smoothed condition took a step forward recently with the removal of the Pacific’s boiler from the frames. The lift took place at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway on October 2, and marked what is thought to be the boiler’s first removal from the frames since General Steam Navigation was rebuilt in 1959. The lift followed a successful fundraising campaign to cover the cost of the crane hire. GSNLRS volunteers had previously removed the boiler tubes in anticipation of the lift, as well as undertaking other work to facilitate the removal of the trailing truck, which was also carried out that day. Appeal The GSNLRS has launched a crowd-funding appeal…

Fulstow bows out at Lincs Wolds Railway LINCOLNSHIRE Wolds Railway-based Peckett ‘W6’ 0-4-0ST Fulstow (1749/1928) bowed out of traffic on October 25 having reached the end of its 10-year boiler certificate. The former Tarmac, Matlock, loco entered LWR service in 2010 and has been the mainstay of the line’s steam services together with Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Spitfire (1964/1929). Ribble Steam Railway returns BAGNALL 0-6-0ST Courageous (2680/1942) worked the Ribble Steam Railway’s first passenger services since before Covid-19 lockdown on October 10. The return of steam marked the start of three consecutive Saturdays running through to October 31. However, the railway has taken the decision to cancel its ‘Santa Special’ season for this year. Boiler lift for Lindsay JAMES Bunch’s overhaul of Wigan Coal & Iron Co…

THE RPSI made the reluctant decision to close its Whitehead Railway Museum for the second time at the beginning of October in light of the rising numbers of coronavirus cases in Northern Ireland. An online statement issued on October 6 said: “We have decided to close our museum and cancel events scheduled throughout October. “The health and safety of our volunteers, staff and customers is our highest priority. This is a precaution in an effort to slow down the spread in our country and protect some of our more vulnerable volunteers.” Northern Ireland was placed in a four-week ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown on October 16 to try and stem the rapid increase in Covid-19 cases. The museum reopened after the coronavirus lockdown in August, running a string of Steam Saturday open…

Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk ■ LLANBERIS Lake Railway’s Hunslet 0-4-0ST Thomas Bach returned to Gilfach Ddu on September 29 following completion of its overhaul by North Bay Railway Engineering Services (NBRES) aboard a newly constructed (by NBRES) transporter. This novel truck has a deck onto which the locomotive is loaded at ground level, the deck and load then being drawn up onto the back of a four-axle fixed wheelbase lorry by a hydraulic arm. The load deck is fitted with tracks for 3ft, 2ft and 15in gauges, and rails can be added for 2ft 3ins and 2ft 6ins if required. ■ FOLLOWING news that Isle of Man Railway Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T No. 9 Douglas had been decontaminated of asbestos (RM Oct) it is now confirmed asbestos has also been…

■ MANX Northern Railway carriage No. 6 (later Isle of Man Railway No. 45) has been moved to Douglas. The six-wheel Cleminson vehicle, dating from 1879, had been located at the same site in the north of Isle of Man, where Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T No. 14 Thornhill has been kept since being privately bought in 1978. Its owner has restored the carriage to original varnished teak appearance, and it is expected to go on display in the railway’s Port Erin museum. ■ BALA Lake Railway anticipates submitting an application for planning permission for its projected extension to Snowdonia National Park Authority in December. Engineering company Caulmert is finalising designs and an environmental impact assessment for the location of the proposed new three-quarter-mile line from Pen-y-Bont into Bala town. ■ NORTH…

A CARDIFF-based Miniature Railway & Tramway is desperately seeking funds as it continues to struggle during the coronavirus restrictions. An emergency fund is in place with the aim of raising finance to ensure Cardiff maintains its ‘Jewel in the Crown’ – which has been in operation for the last 72 years. Any surplus raised will be allocated to future development of the facilities. The Heath Park site is run entirely by the volunteers of the Cardiff Model Engineering Society (CMES). There are no wages to pay, but the demand for such things as rent and rates, electricity, gas, insurance continue through the lockdown and Covid-19 entry restrictions. The club runs an extensive system of miniature railway tracks of various gauges, raised and ground-level, including 7¼in. There is also a unique…

REPAIRS to the iconic Ribblehead Viaduct have begun. Network Rail is spending £2.1million on the Settle & Carlisle line’s 144-year-old Grade II-listed viaduct, as part of important maintenance to protect the structure and services over it. Brickwork will be repaired, vegetation removed, and damage will be repaired that was caused by plants and weeds. There will also be an upgrade to drainage on its 24 arches, and repainting of metal and pipework. Work is due to conclude in February 2021, with sections of the structure covered in scaffolding. The work is part of the Great North Rail Project. Previous substantial work to Ribblehead, including strengthening of three king piers and the repair of large cracks, was carried out by BR in 1991.…

DARLINGTON’S Skerne Bridge has been tidied up and cleaned to mark its 195th anniversary. Network Rail has cut back vegetation, removed graffiti and repainted sections of the bridge to make it more visible. The Stockton & Darlington Railway-built structure, opened on September 27, 1825, is the world’s oldest railway bridge in continuous use. Darlington-built ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado visited the bridge on September 27 to mark the anniversary and start the countdown to S&DR 200th celebrations, planned for 2025. Three other railway bridges in Darlington will also be cleaned, repaired and repainted later this year in a £60,000 project. Two bridges on Yarm Road will have their crests restored and are due to be repainted to their original green colour.…

Planners unite over parkway stations NETWORK Rail and Highways England have published a joint document outlining ways to improve the development of parkway stations. New Station Guidance will help partners such as local authorities, planners and third-party funders assess whether a parkway station is the right transport solution for their region, and how it might be delivered for the benefit of users. Leeds platform 0 project on track WORK to prepare Leeds station for the opening of the £161million platform 0 continued over the weekend of October 31/November 1 when signalling systems and overhead line equipment were due to be connected. The new platform is due to open in December. Information for all at Victoria TWO new wheelchair accessible Customer Information Points opened at London Victoria on October 7. One…

WORK to build the West Midlands Metro extension from Wednesbury to Brierley Hill is running six months behind schedule because of the impact of Covid-19, according to a Dudley Council progress report. However, the report also states the £450million scheme, which will have 17 new stops, will still open on time in 2023 to help boost the economy in the Black Country. Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@mortons.co.uk Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.…

EAST Lancashire Railway’s ‘Warship’ No. D832 Onslaught has been repainted from BR green into BR blue and is currently running as long-lost classmate No. 818 Glory. It is seen at Heywood on September 26 with owner Malcolm Kirkwood at the controls. There is a close connection between Nos. D818 and D832 because Glory was retained by BR following withdrawal from Laira on January 1, 1972. It was then sent to Swindon Works as a source of spares for Onslaught, which was in departmental use. No. 818 survived as a ‘Christmas tree’ at the works long after all the other ‘Warships’ had been scrapped. Only two Class 42s survive – No. D832, and the SVR’s No. D821 Greyhound, seen above. No. 818 was kept in a presentable condition at Swindon, often…