Innholdsfortegnelse for April 2021 i The Railway Magazine

NETWORK Rail has opened a public consultation into its planned resignalling of lines across a large area radiating from Cambridge. Proposals include the replacement of 1980s signalling systems, an upgrade for Cambridge power signalbox, and improvements to seven level crossings. The area stretches from Meldreth and Elsenham to Ely and Thurston and will cover 125 miles of lines in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk. Signalboxes at Bury St Edmunds, Dullingham and Chippenham will close.…

UP TO 650 Civil Service jobs could be created outside London after the Department for Transport (DfT) unveiled plans to open a second headquarters in Birmingham and a regional office in Leeds. The move is part of the Government’s commitment to diversifying the Civil Service, to ensure decisions are rooted in the communities it serves, and reduce the current imbalance towards London. Up to 22,000 jobs could move out of London by 2030. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris said: “Having hundreds more roles based outside London will not only bring an economic boost for Birmingham and Leeds, but also ensure we are delivering the changes people want.” The Birmingham headquarters will include new ministerial offices, with Government ministers expected to spend a significant amount of time in the city. According to…

OVER 50 recommendations have been made by experts studying Network Rail’s processes for handling extreme weather events. The taskforces were commissioned after the tragic Stonehaven derailment in August 2020 and led by weather expert Dame Julia Slingo and civil engineer Sir Robert Mair. The wide-ranging reports, published on March 17, provide an independent analysis of current practice, and expert guidance on how to improve network resilience, safety and performance in a changing climate (see The RM, January 2021). Acknowledging that it is not practicable for Network Rail to rebuild up to 200,000 separate earthworks structures across 20,000 miles of railway, the Mair report commends NR’s progress to date, and notes that investment in resilience work has more than doubled over the last decade. Many recommendations focus on the considerable progress…

FULL devolution of local services is listed as the ‘number one priority’for rail in a £6.8 billion North East Transport Plan published on March 16. Regional leaders view the establishment of a locally-managed rail concession within the next five years as crucial to delivering improvements and creating an integrated network. While electrification of the entire North East rail network is an ambition, the plan sets out alternatives such as hydrogen and battery-powered trains. It has a five-year target to secure funding for a more environmentally-friendly fleet, working in conjunction with current operator Northern. More than 240 transport schemes are set out in the 15-year strategy. Short-term improvements include simplified local rail and Metro fares and ticketing, contactless payment on the Metro and an upgrade to Regent Centre Interchange. Transport North…

AFTER much speculation, Rail Charter Services has confirmed that the ‘Staycation Express’, the regular charter service operated very successfully over the Settle–Carlisle line in the summer of 2020, will return this year, but with a difference… and with a new train and livery. The 2021 service builds on lessons learned in the first year with a change in the rolling stock and a different service pattern; a dedicated 2+5 HST set belonging to Locomotive Services Ltd sporting a new livery based around British Racing Green. Following feedback from passengers and analysis of loadings, the main daily journey will now be a return run between Skipton and Carlisle. Appleby Stabling and overnight servicing of the train will remain at Appleby and so services will start with a southbound journey from Appleby…

RAIL Minister Chris Heaton-Harris officially unveiled the Government’s Project SPEED approach on February 26, challenging the rail industry to halve the time and reduce the cost of delivering infrastructure projects. Rail Project SPEED (Swift, Pragmatic and Efficient Enhancement Delivery) was jointly developed by the Department for Transport and Network Rail in 2020. It is identifying new methods of working, innovative construction techniques and streamlined planning processes to deliver projects more quickly. One project already benefitting from these principles is the Newcastle-Ashington reopening scheme, where Northumberland County Council, DfT, Network Rail and AECOM have worked collectively to identify opportunities to slash months off the schedule and deliver efficiencies to save millions of pounds. Mr Heaton-Harris called on the supply chain for creative ideas to help reduce the cost of delivering infrastructure…

THERE has been much discussion during the development of the InterCity Express Project concerning the provision of bi-modal power. There was a balance to be drawn between extra electricity and time costs for transporting unused diesel engines under electric wires against the lack of flexibility possessed by pure electric units. The matter was finally resolved in favour of ‘bi-modes’. The lack of ‘infill’ electrification over regular diversionary routes in Britain and the frequency of overhead line failures were two of the deciding factors. Commentators who preferred a strategy of switching from all-electric units to large diesel loco haulage where the wires ended never really addressed the locos’ probable lack of productivity between turns. By now we should have been relishing the prospect of the full East Coast timetable delivering the…

“Rules were strictly enforced. The penalty for trying to go on a Trip train using someone else’s ticket could be dismissal, as Timothy Hartley found out in 1856.” THE old railway quarter in Swindon retains a few vestiges of its industrial past amid the shopping centre and apartments, notably in the STEAM Museum. What started as a repair works in 1843 went on to become one of the largest railway factories in the world, at its peak employing 14,000 people. Life in the factory was hard, but one perk the workers could look forward to was the annual ‘Trip’. Great Western Railway (GWR) built a line between London and Bristol, on which it needed a site for a repair works. The small town of Swindon was chosen partly because it…

IT was great to see mention of record breaker No. 43102. When I found out that they were painting the loco into the livery it wore when it reached 148.5 mph, I knew what picture I wanted to take of it. Where I live backs onto the Midland Main Line and I have grown up with HSTs passing by, so it is going to be a huge wrench when they disappear. Having travelled on IETs a number of times on the LNER and GWR, with their hard riding, window seats with no windows and bolt upright hard seats, I’m dreading their introduction on the MML in 2023. However, for the last few months I shall cherish the sight and sound of the last remaining HSTs passing my bedroom window and…

MORE of the UK’s preserved railways have announced details of when they plan to reopen and how their services will look once the lockdown restrictions are eased. As reported in the March issue, heritage lines have been formulating their reopening strategies since the Government laid out its roadmap to freedom in late February, which should see the first wave of restrictions lifted on non-essential retail and certain hospitality venues on April 12. Several railways have elected to commence 2021 operations at that time, albeit to a more restricted timetable. They are also sticking rigidly to the advanced booking, social distancing and hygiene measures introduced during last year. Other lines are waiting until after May 17, when the Government hopes to relax restrictions on hospitality and most other businesses, as well…

THE 6880 Betton Grange Society has reached an agreement in principle to relocate all of its assets – including new-build ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange and unrestored ‘Hall’ No. 5952 Cogan Hall – to a new permanent home at Tyseley Locomotive Works (TLW). The decision comes after Llangollen Railway Plc, operator of the Llangollen Railway where the society was previously based, called in the receivers (see Headline News), casting doubt over the future of the railway. In announcing the planned move to Tyseley, the 6880 Betton Grange Society said that it wished to put on record its appreciation to the Llangollen Railway for providing a home for the project during its earlier stages, and wished the railway well for the future. Llangollen return In a statement, it said: “We look…

WEST Somerset Railway trains will initially operate between Bishops Lydeard and Williton only when the line reopens on May 22, with services being extended towards Minehead as Government restrictions ease. Trains will operate ‘out and back’ from Bishops Lydeard to Williton only, and all intermediate stations will be closed until further notice. Social distancing measures will remain in force and passengers will travel in pre-booked and pre-allocated seats. They are required remain on board for the entire return journey. In order to enhance the experience, however, a range of at-seat catering options will hopefully be made available on Wednesdays and Saturdays, such as food and drink choices on different services, and morning tea, coffee and cake, lunchtime fish and chips, and afternoon cream teas. Carriage sets will be internally cleaned…

THE classic sight of a Western Region auto-train will again grace the remaining section of the Watlington branch this summer as part of the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway’s 2021 operation. An agreement has been struck with Hugh Shipton to bring Llangollen Railway-based GWR auto-trailer No. 167 to the Oxfordshire line for much of this season, which gets underway on April 15. The 1929-built coach will be paired with on-hire Collett ‘64XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 6412 from the South Devon Railway, and the auto-train is expected to see regular use throughout the season. The railway is planning to run auto-train services on select days, running to a timetable as close as possible to the Watlington to Princes Risborough one from 1928. Details will be released on the railway’s website, www.chinnorrailway.co.uk,nearer the…

LOCAL authority grants totalling £15,000 have given the overhaul of the Dean Forest Railway’s (DFR) pioneer locomotive a welcome boost as the railway prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Peckett ‘R4’ 0-4-0ST Uskmouth 1 (W/No. 2147) was one of a pair built by the Bristol manufacturer for the British Electricity Authority (later CEGB) in 1952. It was among the last steam locos to be built by Peckett, which only turned out another 14 engines after No. 2147 between 1952 and 1958. Together with sister loco Uskmouth 2 (No. 2148), ‘No. 1’ was employed at Uskmouth ‘A’ power station near Newport where it worked until displaced by diesels in early 1971. It was subsequently acquired by members of the DFR’s original preservation society and worked the fledgling line’s first brake van…

AS THESE pages went to press, although narrow gauge lines were preparing to reopen, many had yet to announce when. The Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch, Kirklees, Scarborough North Bay, Evesham Vale, Sherwood Forest, Perrygrove, and Lappa Valley railways (all 15in gauge) plan to reopen on April 12, subject to Government advice. Evesham Vale Light Railway says its July 10-11 Summer Gala and Historic Vehicle Weekend will run, probably with a visiting engine. Bressingham also plans to start train operations on April 12. The Leighton Buzzard Railway is looking at reopening on April 18 while the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway anticipates reopening in April, but at time of writing had not confirmed a date. Statfold dates Statfold Barn Railway has postponed its March Enthusiast Day (150 years of the ‘Quarry…

THE Friends of Thorpe Light Railway (TLR) have launched a £2,000 appeal to restore the last remaining building from the 18in gauge incarnation of the Sand Hutton Light Railway near York, which closed almost 90 years ago. The Bossall station shelter building survived as a garden shed and subsequently stored on a farm, and then acquired by the 15in gauge railway. It now comprises a set of walls requiring attention and needs a new roof. The surviving components are original, with graffiti scratched into the framework by former passengers. It is conjected that a set of ‘SW’ initials might be those of Sir Robert Walker’s former wife, Synolda, after whom he named his 15in gauge locomotive, now in the care of Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway Museum Trust. The Friends hope…

HS2 impact on Crewe CREWE and Nantwich MP Dr Kieran Mullan asked what plans the Government had to support the realisation of the Crewe Hub vision. Transport Minister Andrew Stephenson said: “Crewe is a vital railway asset and a strategically important location on the rail network, but as the existing infrastructure is complex, the solution has to be right for the arrival of HS2. “In March 2018, the secretary of state confirmed the Government’s support for the Crewe Hub vision. He announced that plans for HS2 Phase 2a will include 400 metre platforms at Crewe to allow for the splitting and joining of HS2 services. “In addition, a more efficient design is proposed for the platform on the Manchester independent lines and a change to the design of the southern…

CFPS ‘Whistler’ to stay on main line CLASSS 40 Preservation Society’s No. 40145 is staying with Locomotive Services Ltd for a further year. It will have a new look for 2021, to match Shaun Wright’s No. D213 Andania, which will be joining it at Crewe. Ed. Murray leaves Brownhills ED. MURRAY & Sons Ltd of Hartlepool has had a base on the Chasewater Railway for almost five years, but this was terminated at the end of March. Diesel shunters from its hire fleet have been maintained in the Brownhills West shed. S&D at Midsomer Norton events announced THE Somerset & Dorset Railway at Midsomer Norton plans to reopen on May 22-23, followed by amixed traction event on July 2-4.…

THE 125 Group has purchased Class 43 power car No 43044 from Porterbrook Leasing. This has been made possible thanks to two long-serving group members who have generously funded the purchase. No. 43044 has been stored at Leeds Neville Hill for more than a year and is missing many parts. It was not originally on the list of possible acquisitions by the group, as vehicles in the best condition were being sought, but power car owners have been holding back on disposals. Those sold have gone to main line operators at what the group considered ‘eyewatering’ prices. All VP-powered cars coming available have been identified as having potential homes, except for No. 43044. It is fundamentally complete, with the missing parts easily replaced. Since No. 43044’s VP185 power unit became…

COMMEMORATING the anniversary of the end of Southern Region steam every July 9 has become something of a tradition for the Railway Touring Company, and this year looks to be no different. This year’s special will leave London Waterloo station at around 08.45 with West Coast Railway’s Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ 4-6-2 No. 35018 British India Line ‘up front’. The outbound route includes pick-ups at Woking and Basingstoke, but leaves the ‘South Western’ at Worting Junction and follows the West of England Main Line to Andover and Salisbury. The train then continues through Gillingham, Templecombe and Sherborne, before continuing with the train to Yeovil Junction, where No. 35018 will be serviced at Yeovil Railway Centre. Adiesel will take the train on towards Dorchester and journey’s end at Weymouth, where passenger will…

NETWORK Rail has unveiled its proposed design for the extension of an existing rockfall shelter over the Exeter-Newton Abbot line between Dawlish and Holcombe. On March 19, the Department for Transport confirmed funding of £37.4 million for the project, allowing construction to start in August, taking around one year to complete. The shelter is part of work to increase the resilience of the sea wall line between Dawlish and Teignmouth. This also includes the upgrading of the sea wall in Dawlish and major modifications to the railway and beach access at Holcombe Beach. The 209m long extension of the shelter north of Parsons Tunnel will help to protect the railway from rocks falling from the crumbling sandstone cliffs above. Parsons Tunnel was extended about 100 years ago for similar reasons…

ALMOST a mile of track was replaced on the Stourbridge Junction-Stourbridge Town branch during a seven-day blockade between March 6 and 13. The project took just eight weeks from planning to completion, a process that would normally take 18 months. The steeply-graded Stourbridge Town line is just 0.8 miles (1,287m) long. As well as being the shortest branch in Britain, it is thought to be the shortest in Europe.…

THE terms ‘levelling up’ and ‘decarbonising’ have been banded around quite a lot. So a decision in Rishi Sunak’s Budget to freeze fuel duty for vehicles for the seventh consecutive year, along with a proposal to cut air passenger duty for domestic flights, simply flies in the face of logic and decarbonisation goals. It’s neither levelling or decarbonising. While the plan for the Oxford to Cambridge expressway road project has been cancelled, the announcement of spending £507 million on road improvements between Bedford and Cambridge – money that could be far better used for electrification (and therefore lower emissions) – also beggars belief. Add in the recent 2.6% fare rise for rail passengers, and any encouragement to use rail as a fast, clean and efficient form of public transport is…

THE West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) leaders have approved the final £20 million slice of funding to reopen the Camp Hill Rail line in Birmingham. It means the £61 million project to reopen stations Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell is fully funded and on track to reopen to passengers in 2023. Work has already started in Moseley, where the station site is being cleared ready for full construction to begin later in the year. The Camp Hill line stations closed to passengers during the Second World War, and the line is currently only used by freight or through services. Reopening will provide commuters from Hazellwell with a 14-minute journey into the city centre by rail compared to a peak time journey by car of up to 45 minutes.…

A FURTHER £33 million of emergency coronavirus funding was announced to support the operators of light rail and tram operators during the pandemic. The money covers the next 11 weeks and takes the total support for Nottingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Blackpool, Manchester and Birmingham light rail systems to nearly £200 million. Meanwhile, Transport for London has agreed a further emergency funding package offered by the Government covering the period from late March to mid-May. The figure is close to £500 million and covers bus, train, tram and tube services. It takes the total support for TfL during the pandemic to around £3.9 billion. TfL’s has seen revenue plummet by 90%. The Scottish Government will provide a further £7.5 million of emergency funding for the Glasgow Subway and Edinburgh Trams.…

Reasons for two locomotives, but with the same number YOU posed a question in March’s RM after Mervyn Pritchard’s letter: Is there a simple explanation for there being two ‘KDL11’ locomotives with the same number (699.01)? Well, yes there is –though it’s not that helpful. The engine now known as Sir Drefaldwyn on the Welshpool & Llanfair was allocated to the late lamented Salzkammergut Lokalbahn (SKGLB) by US Occupation forces in January 1946. The SKGLB formally bought the loco in 1950 but only kept it in service until 1952. It lay out of use until 1955, when it was sold to the Steiermärkische Landesbahnen (StLB/Styrian Local Railways). There were already ‘KDL11’ locomotives in service with the state railways (ÖBB) on a number of its narrow gauge lines, and these were…

100 YEARS AGO APRIL 1921 Mystery white posts TRAVELLERS on the suburban lines of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway have recently had their curiosity excited by the number of white posts they have been erected on the railway track. These posts have been put up in connection with the working of suburban traffic during the peak hours, with a view to increasing the carrying capacity of the line. Each post is located at the end of a certain distance beyond the signal, viz, at the treadle of the section at the rear of that signal. This is the point which the first wheel of an engine of any train must pass over before the next following train can be accepted to pass the second effective signal to the…

The new season will feature a move for the Bodmin & Wenford Railway’s Collett ‘64XX’ 0-6-0PT No. 6435, which is to star at the Mid-Hants Railway’s Spring Steam Gala on April 30 to May 3. The pannier will join the S&D Trust’s recently-arrived Peckett 0-4-0ST Kilmersdon and a third visitor, understood to be the South Devon Railway’s Small Prairie No. 5526. For more information visit watercressline.co.uk. No. 6435 is pictured at the Severn Valley Railway’s Bewdley station with a northbound auto-train on March 27, 2014.…

THE situation at the Llangollen Railway has also impacted on the Foxcote Manor Society, owner of ‘Manor’ No. 7822 Foxcote Manor, which has decided to find an alternative base for the BR(W) 4-6-0 for at least the next five years. As a consequence, the FMS has reached an agreement with the West Somerset Railway (WSR) that will see No. 7822 based on the railway for the remainder of its 10-year boiler ticket. This is due to expire in March 2026, which gives the WSR the use of the ‘Manor’ for the next five years. No. 7822 was a long-time resident at Llangollen and despite spending the past few years away on hire, it still technically called the Dee Valley line home. It first moved there in 1985; the FMS constructing…

SOME of the so-called ‘legacy’ motion acquired for use on new-build ‘Patriot’ No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior is to be replaced owing to the hidden risk of potential failure. Following discussions with the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust (PRCLT), the contractor employed to complete the new-build Fowler 4-6-0, the LMS-Patriot Project has decided that using the legacy motion parts could cause problems in the future. The team obtained a number of secondhand ‘original’ LMS/ BR motion parts early on in the build, including the ex-‘Jubilee’ coupling rods, one outside and one inside connecting rod, and various parts of the motion and valve gear. However, it has since been discovered that one of the radius rods has a previous repair, which has weakened the part to the point of being unsuitable…

AN Autumn Steam Gala will act as a double celebration for two members of the North Norfolk Railway’s operating steam fleet. The event, on September 3-5, will be used to welcome back the Gresley Society’s ‘N2’ 0-6-2T No. 1744, which is nearing the end of an extensive overhaul at Northern Steam Engineering in Stockton-on-Tees. The Great Northern Railway-built locomotive is expected at the NNR later this year after progress on the overhaul was delayed by Covid-19. The weekend will also mark the last gala appearance for LNER ‘B12’ 4-6-0 No. 8572, now nearing the end of its current extended boiler certificate. Both locos will line up alongside other members of the line’s steam fleet, including ‘4MT’ 2-6-0 No. 76084, ‘WD’ 2-10-0 No. 90775, ‘9F’ No. 92203 Black Prince and GER…

AFTER months of waiting, and more than a year in some cases, heritage lines relying on ex-industrial locomotives as their primary motive power are getting ready to welcome passengers aboard their trains once more. First up is the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway, which plans to reopen for the 2021 season on April 13. The Yorkshire Dales line will operate steam services every Saturday, with dining services resuming from May 18. April 14 is the date on which the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre will reopen. However, visitors will only be able to access the outside areas to begin with, with the shop, sheds and Rewley Road visitor centre remaining closed until mid-May. Return to steam The Chasewater Railway’s operations commence on May 22 and 23; trains running every weekend from then…

■ THE Isle of Man Steam Railway’s Beyer, Peacock 2-4-0T No. 4 Loch, which had been undergoing overhaul in Douglas works, successfully hauled test trains in early February. At the end of the month it went into the paint shop for full painting and lining out. ■ BALA Lake Railway Trust’s urgent £50,000 appeal exceeded its target, raising £71,000 in a month. The money enables the trust to commit to Natural Resources Wales the £277,000 required to include an extended route for the railway in flood defence upgrades alongside Bala Lake. This section will form part of the trackbed of the line’s extension to a new Bala Town terminus. ■ A 622-METRE section of disused Lynton & Barnstaple Railway trackbed between Bratton Fleming and Wistlandpound, which Exmoor Associates (EA) hoped…

THE infrastructure of the new passenger railway being developed by Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green was passed and signed off by the railway inspector at the end of February. Updating some paperwork will be followed by a further inspection when the coronavirus lockdown ends which, hopefully, will pass the railway to commence passenger carrying operations with opening in late spring/early summer anticipated. An old standard gauge ventilated van body is to be restored to form a ticket office.…

HALESWORTH to Southwold Narrow Gauge Railway Society volunteers have completed the first phase of their Blythburgh station project by stabilising and restoring the goods shed which had fallen into a parlous state. This is the sole surviving original building of the Southwold Railway, which closed in 1929. The 16-month project, financed entirely by donations, has also seen the surrounding area cleared, parts of two 3ft gauge sidings laid, and the site enclosed by a timber fence of the original design. Work has already commenced on phase two, which includes provision of a history display inside the building. Having unearthed one corner of the long-lost foundations of the main station booking hall and waiting room at Blythburgh, which was demolished during the Second World War, the foundations are being excavated to…

TRANSPORT for London and Siemens Mobility have unveiled the detailed design of the replacement train fleet for the Piccadilly Line, which will be the first Tube trains to have proper air conditioning. Features include wider doors and walk-through carriages with 10% more passenger capacity. They are said to be significantly lighter than existing designs to improve energy efficiency and reduce damage to the tracks – mainly through the use of articulated bogies. They also have regenerative braking. The ‘Inspiro London’ trains will be introduced from 2025, with around half the fleet built at the new Siemens factory in Goole, where ground works began in March. The current Piccadilly Line fleet will be gradually withdrawn from passenger service and the frequency of trains in peak hours will rise from 24 to…

JUST as Britain’s preserved railways are preparing to reopen after the lockdown, some of our heritage tram operators are also cautiously getting ready to engage the trolley poles once more. At the time of writing in mid-March, just four of the nine principal mainland tramways had announced their reopening dates. ■ Crich Tramway Village: The home of the National Tramway Museum plans to reopen its outside areas only from April 12, which will include the woodland walk and children’s play areas. The site will then open Saturday to Thursday inclusive from 10am to 4.30pm (last admission at 3pm) up to and including May 16. The indoor exhibitions and tram depot will remain closed during this period, while numbers in indoor areas such as the shops will be restricted. However, there…

THE Railway Touring Company (RTC) has postponed its nine-day ‘Great Britain’ railtour for the second year running as the coronavirus pandemic continues to affect the travel and tourism sector. The ‘Great Britain’ has become a major fixture in the railtour calendar since its inception in 2007 but, being a multi-day excursion, its operation is reliant on the hotel and hospitality industry providing accommodation for passengers during the course of the journey. No alternative This year’s tour, dubbed the ‘Great Britain XIV’, was scheduled to run between April 16 and 24, but the Government’s roadmap to freedom announced in February will not see hotels reopen fully until May 17 at the earliest. RTC was left with no alternative but to call the tour off. The King’s Lynn-based operator did investigate the…

LUXURY train operator Northern Belle is to recreate the romance of the Southern Railway’s famous ‘Bournemouth Belle’ Pullman this July by running a special commemorative train to the Dorset resort 90 years to the day since the service was inaugurated. The original train first ran on July 5, 1931, leaving Waterloo at 10.30 and running non-stop to Bournemouth Central. The timetable was later amended to include a stop at Southampton, and also extended from Bournemouth Central to Bournemouth West. The service ran until 1967, with Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacifics dominating in the post-Nationalisation era. The Northern Belle recreation will leave London Victoria at 08.45, and work its way through Clapham Junction and along the former LSWR main line towards Weybridge and Woking for a pick-up before proceeding to Bournemouth, where…

ON March 6, the eastern bore of Gasworks Tunnel saw its first train for 44 years when GB Railfreight’s No. 66726 Sheffield Wednesday worked through with an engineering train. The previously disused bore of the three parallel tunnels immediately north of London King’s Cross has been renovated and now features modern concrete slab track and pointwork. Overhead line and signalling equipment is being installed as Network Rail prepares the tunnel for reopening on June 7. At the peak of work on March 1, more than 25 GBRf locomotives were on site moving trains of new materials in and removing waste for processing and recycling. Between February and May, GBRf will operate more than 100 engineering trains to and from Network Rail’s Local Distribution Centres (LDCs) at Doncaster and Whitemoor in…

PASSENGER trains could return to the Isle of Grain in north Kent as part of a major new housing development backed by the Government. A new station at Hoo served by half-hourly trains to and from Gravesend, reinstated passing loops and electrification of the line (currently freight-only) at 750V DC have been proposed by Medway Council. Thousands of new homes are planned for the area to help ease a housing shortage in the south-east of England, and the Government has pledged £170 million from its Housing Infrastructure Fund to improve rail and road links for commuters into London and the Medway towns of Rochester, Strood and Chatham. In the longer-term, an east-to-south curve is proposed at Hoo Junction to permit a direct Hoo-Medway service. The branch is currently used by…

A MEMORANDUM of understanding has been signed between the Scottish Government and a number of partners in respect of the construction of a log stacking and timber loading facility on Rannoch Moor on the West Highland Line. Rural Economy Secretary Fergus Ewing said: “Over the next 10 years there is forecast to be up to 50,000 tonnes of timber due to be moved every year from Rannoch Forest. This timber is important as it will boost the economy and safeguard jobs, but we need to extract the timber in a way that minimises the impacts on local people and the environment. ‘Modal shift’ “The new rail facility should help achieve these goals and is a good example of the modal shift to using rail as a viable means for transporting…

S&D Trust Peckett moves to Mid-Hants THE Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust’s 1929-built Peckett 0-4-0ST Kilmersdon has moved to the Mid-Hants Railway as part of the trust’s ongoing exodus from its former base at Washford on the West Somerset Railway. The Peckett was moved to Hampshire from the Helston Railway in Cornwall on March 15. ‘Q6’ passes boiler test at Grosmont works THE boiler of the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group’s ‘Q6’ 0-8-0 No. 63395 passed its out-of-frames steam test at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Grosmont works on March 22. The boiler will now be lagged and refitted the frames, with the loco expected to return to service later this year.…

PASSENGERS and freight look set to benefit from upgrades to the congested Hope Valley route between Sheffield and Manchester after the Government confirmed its backing for the scheme. The £137 million project will increase capacity on the key trans-Pennine route by adding long loops between Bamford and Hathersage and redoubling the single line connection between Dore West and Dore Station Junctions. A second platform will also be reinstated on the Manchester line at Dore & Totley. The work will restore capacity lost when this section of the line was rationalised by BR in the 1980s. Aggregate trains Freight loops between Bamford and Hathersage will allow a third fast train per hour to operate between Sheffield and Manchester, a key element of the ‘Northern Powerhouse Rail’ strategy. The loops will accommodate…

FRACTURED rail fastenings and ineffective asset management led to the derailment of an intermodal train at Eastleigh on January 28 last year, according to a Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) report. The main line from Basingstoke to Southampton and Weymouth was severely disrupted for several days after the derailment of the Freightliner-operated train on a crossover at Eastleigh West Junction. RAIB’s investigation discovered that fastenings holding the rails to the concrete sleepers were fractured below the surface, causing one of the rails to move outwards under the weight of the locomotive, derailing it and four loaded wagons. RAIB discovered that the local track maintenance team had not identified any relevant faults prior to the derailment, as the failures were not apparent during visual inspections. Despite previous faults of a similar…

MY late sister-in-law was employed as a tracer in the offices of Birmingham Railway Carriage &Wagon Co when the first of these locos was out on trial on Sunday, February 21, 1954. Here is an official photo arranged by the Company. I`m not sure of the locations, but photos were taken between the factory and Banbury, as your article says. Reece Atkiss By email Corris Railway says a big thank-you to mystery benefactor ON behalf of the Corris Railway, I’d like to pass on our thanks for two donations we have received from a person who has provided no contact details, meaning we cannot formally thank them directly. I believe these donations may have followed publicity in your pages. We have a name, plus a suspicion that they live in…

THE January 2021 edition of the Railway Observer contained a comprehensive report on the chaos caused at Bradford Exchange station by an out-of-control fire close to Mill Lane Junction, where the ex-GNR line to Leeds and the ex-L&YR route to Low Moor via Bowling Tunnel diverge. The fire broke out in November, when a large number of stored used tyres ignited on what had been a former go-kart circuit. Once well alight, columns of black, acrid smoke spread quickly over swathes of south Bradford and engulfed the main routes out of Bradford Exchange. With the signalling compromised, this brought about many cancellations. Among the trains diverted were the hourly Leeds to Chester, York to Blackpool, which brought Class 195 diesel-multiple units to the Dewsbury and Brighouse line. The Huddersfield to…

THE Science Museum Group (SMG) and Darlington Borough Council (DBC) have reached an agreement over the controversial decision to relocate George Stephenson’s historic Locomotion No.1 to Locomotion in Shildon after 163 years on display in the town. As a consequence, the 1825-built Stockton & Darlington Railway (S&DR) pioneer moved to its new home in early March, but will return to the Head of Steam museum for a six-month loan during the first half of 2025 – the bicentenary year for the S&DR. The agreement also allows for two further six-month loans of the locomotive to Darlington between 2026 and 2030. In the meantime, the NRM’s 1975-built replica of Locomotion No. 1 has moved from Shildon to Head of Steam to replace the original. Further loans The agreement is part of…

THE Churchward County Trust’s (CCT) new-build ‘County’ 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery is expected to be based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) once it is completed, following the signing of a new agreement. This supersedes an earlier ‘agreement in principle’ between the GWSR and the CCT, and gives the railway first option to be the home base of the ‘County’, where it would become part of the line’s operating steam fleet. The original 40 ‘Counties’ had a particular association with the Stratford-upon-Avon to Cheltenham route, over 14 miles of which the GWSR today operates today between Broadway and Cheltenham. The class were regular performers on express services between Wolverhampton and Penzance, owing to a weight restriction over the Midland Railway’s Stonehouse Viaduct which, at the time, precluded…

MORE than £15,000 in donations and share purchases will allow the Erlestoke Manor Fund (EMF) to continue work on its two Collett ‘Manor’ 4-6-0s, Nos. 7802 Bradley Manor and 7812 Erlestoke Manor. Both locomotives are currently at Tyseley Locomotive Works, where No. 7812 is undergoing overhaul and No. 7802 is being repaired after suffering major cylinder damage while in service at the West Somerset Railway in 2019. The EMF subsequently launched the ‘2 for 2020’ appeal, with the aim of raising about £25,000 to help pay for new cylinders for Bradley Manor and get ‘Erlestoke’ back in one piece. Boost In early March, the EMF announced that in excess of £15,000 had been received, which, with Gift Aid on the majority of donations, will further boost the value of the…

LONG-LOST Bulleid ‘West Country’Pacific No. 34095 Brentor is to be recreated at the Spa Valley Railway for one weekend only this summer, when ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34053 Sir Keith Park assumes its identity. The railway and No. 34053’s owner, Southern Locomotives Ltd, were approached last year with a proposal to rename and renumber the Pacific for a private charter. After some consultation it was duly agreed, and Brentor will be reborn for just two days on June 26 and 27. The original No. 34095 spent most of its career allocated to Bournemouth, transferring to Nine Elms in January 1956. It lost its original air-smoothed appearance and chain drive in 1961, and was again reallocated to Eastleigh in September 1964. From there, it was finally withdrawn in July 1967.…

THE Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society has announced dates for its first postlockdown tours around the Scunthorpe steelworks site. The dates for the socially-distanced brakevan tours are: ■ April 24 ■ May 15 ■ June 12 ■ July 17 Site tours depart at 12.00 and last for around four hours, with resident Avonside 0-6-0ST Cranford (1919/1924) booked to haul the trains that cover about 120 miles of track throughout the steelworks site. All brakevan tours must be pre-booked by calling 07889 297271. For further information, visit www.afrps.co.uk/new_page_2.htm…

FORMER National Museums of Wales-owned Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Victory (2201/1945) is to be restored to working order following a change in ownership and departure from the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway. The semi-dismantled locomotive was temporarily put back together at Furnace Sidings on January 13 as preparations for the move to its new home got underway. It finally departed South Wales for the Avon Valley Railway’s Bitton headquarters on March 4. Two weeks later on March 18 the boiler was lifted at Bitton for assessment. The move is believed to be the first time the loco has left Wales since it arrived new at Stewart &Lloyds’ works in Newport. After withdrawal, it became part of the National Museums of Wales collection and placed in the care of the Caerphilly Railway Society,…

FOLLOWING delivery of the frame and stretcher plates for near-replica Hunslet 0-6-4T Single-Fairlie Gowrie, produced at C T L Seal Ltd of Sheffield in December (RM, January), the angle sections required to enable drilling and assembly of the power bogie frame and main carrier frame have now been ordered. These components will be delivered as soon as lockdown restrictions, which have caused suspension of all work at ‘Workshop X’, are lifted. Sponsors sought Construction of Gowrie is being undertaken by the Gowrie Locomotive Trust, which has announced that further components are now available for sponsorship by supporters. These comprise a coupled wheel pattern (£1,200), coupled wheel castings (six at £900 each), coupled wheel tyres (six at £1,000 each) and coupled wheel leaf springs (six at £1,400 each). The trust next…

STEEPLE Grange Light Railway’s (SGLR) plans to reopen appear to have been frustrated by a rockfall. Having run no public services during 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic, SGLR aimed to resume passenger operations on June 6, subject to guidance. However, on February 16, stone blocks which had fallen from the rockface on the cutting side a little way below the sidings at Darklane Quarry were discovered on the trackbed. The previous weekend had seen sub-zero temperatures and it is assumed accumulated water within the rockface had frozen, forcing rocks apart sufficiently for them to slide when the ice melted. Neither the track nor an ex-South Kirkby Colliery display wagon were damaged, although some recently purchased – and expensive – gritstone pillars were shattered. SGLR faces a serious and potentially expensive…

WORK has begun on the phased rebuilding of the Tyne and Wear Metro’s depot at Gosforth. The former main line depot dates back to 1923, but it will be demolished and replaced by a new £70 million building for the fleet of 42 trains on order from Swiss firm Stadler. Crews began pulling down the south east side of the depot on March 8, with excavators being used to dismantle the roof and brickwork. It is expected to take another two and a half years for the depot to be fully transformed, during which time the temporary depot at Howdon will help out servicing and maintaining stock. Some of the disused track and equipment recovered from Gosforth has already been donated to the Tanfield Railway.…

Ffestiniog to construct ‘Railcoach’ underframe… THE Ffestiniog Railway (FR) has completed the design work on a new underframe for ex-Blackpool Brush ‘Railcoach’ No. 298 (635), which is being restored to its original 1930s condition at Crich thanks to a £373,000 initiative between the Tramway Museum Society, the Blackpool Railcoach Fund and the Tramcar Sponsorship Organisation. The designs were inspected and approved by the project team at Crich at the end of January, and since then the steel has been ordered and work started on the construction at the FR’s Boston Lodge works. …as Glasgow 488’s saloon is completed BOSTON Lodge has also recently completed the restoration of the lower deck of 1903-built Glasgow Corporation double-deck car No. 488 for the East Anglia Transport Museum. The saloon with move to Lowestoft…

THE second-built Class 47, No. D1501 (later named Gateshead and given TOPS number 47402), has been in operation on engineers’ trains on the East Lancashire Railway during the Covid-19 lockdown. Track relaying in Lumb Woods, near Irwell Vale, was already scheduled for the winter and was able to go ahead, with work complying with coronavirus restrictions. No. D1501 is seen at Ramsbottom on March 5, about to couple up to Class 09 No. 09024 for return to Bury. ■ Our thanks to contributors: Peter Briddon; Josh Brinsford; Alistair Grieve; David Mee (LMMR); Daniel Nash (LTTG); and Wensleydale Railway. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Call: 01507 529589 email: classic.traction@btopenworld.com…

THE London Transport Traction Group (LTTG), which has acquired former Island Line Class 483, LT 1938 Stock, Nos. 483006 and 483008 (RM Feb. p68), has encountered a few problems while the stock remains on the island. It is confident these matters can be resolved and the project to preserve them on the mainland is still on track. SWR informed the group on February 16 that car No. 226, of unit 006, had been attacked with graffiti, the entire east side being covered, with some also applied to the cab end of the car. It is hoped resources will be made available for the unit to be cleaned up by the time it is delivered to its new home. Alternative home Following further negotiations, the Epping Ongar Railway (EOR) has said…

AUGUST 28 is the latest date for UK Railtours’‘Merchant of Norfolk’ tour, which will take Bulleid ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35028 Clan Line from London to Norwich for the first time. The tour is one of many that have suffered at the hands of the Covid-19 pandemic, having originally been scheduled to run on April 18 last year and subsequently re-dated twice. King’s Cross The route was planned to take the Southern Region Pacific from King’s Cross to Norwich, but following its rescheduling to April 24 this year, the departure point was changed to London Victoria owing to engineering work taking place at King’s Cross at that time. However, the rescheduling to August means that it’s back to ‘Plan A’, and No. 35028 will depart from King’s Cross as originally planned;…

STANIER ‘Princess Royal’ 4-6-2 No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth is to haul a series of excursions on the scenic Settle to Carlisle line this summer for luxury train operation Northern Belle. The first of the ‘Settle & Carlisle Steam Specials’ is scheduled to run on May 27, with more following on May 29, June 26, July 3, 30 and 31, August 8, 11 and 18, September 11 and 25, and October 2 and 16. Origination points for the services include Birmingham, Coventry, Crewe, Glasgow, Grimsby, Liverpool, Newcastle, Nottingham, Telford and York, with the LMS Pacific taking over for the Carnforth-Carlisle-Preston legs. The trips include champagne receptions and five-course meals, and as such are priced from £390 per person. See www.northernbelle.co.uk for details.…

Clearance work for MML wires FOLLOWING the completion of electrification work on the Midland Main Line between Bedford and Kettering, attention has now turned to the section between Glendon Junction and Market Harborough. Vegetation clearance started on February 22 and will continue April 16, creating space at the lineside for the installation of overhead line equipment. Crick Tunnel repairs REPAIRS to Crick Tunnel on the West Coast Main Line were brought forward in March, with a five-day complete closure on March 15-19, saving approximatley £7.5 million over the 12 months of planned weekend and overnight possessions. The 1881-built tunnel was prone to flooding and has caused considerable disruption to WCML services over the last decade. Drainage has been improved to carry away water leaking through the tunnel lining more effectively.…