Innholdsfortegnelse for July 2021 i The Railway Magazine

AS a result of the cracks in the Hitachi trains, the Office of Rail and Road is undertaking a safety review to understand the lessons the industry can learn. Both the Hitachi Class 800 and 385 series trains were affected, with 252 sets needing inspection. The review – which covers safety and passenger impacts – will work with Hitachi Rail and all relevant parties to find the root cause of cracks in the jacking plate and on the mount for the yaw damper bracket, and include design, manufacture and maintenance aspects. An initial technical report on the cracking will be published by September, covering the history, withdrawal and reintroduction of the rolling stock, with a final report once the long-term rectification programme has been established. Clarity On June 25, the…

THE number of passenger journeys on the National Network between April 2020 and March 2021 fell to the lowest figure since records began in 1872, according to the Office of Rail and Road. As the pandemic took hold, just 388m journeys were made in the 12 months to April 2021, representing just 22% of the 1.739 million journeys made in 2019-20. Overall revenue fell from £10.4 billion in 2019-20 to just £1.9bn, with the Government pumping money in to support operators taking such a hit on the fare box. Unprecedented Just three operators – TfL Rail, London Overground and c2c – recorded 30% of journeys made in 2019-20, with ScotRail reporting 14.9% of passengers compared to the previous year, and Transport for Wales 15.8%. Not surprisingly, Heathrow Express carried just…

HS2 has released details about the Tunnel Boring Machines (TBMs) Cecilia and Florence, which have commenced work excavating the Chilterns to create the Up and Down lines respectively. Florence began operations on May 7 as Cecilia was still being assembled for a planned start date later in June. They will create two parallel 10-mile (16km) tunnels from the south portal at West Hyde, which is on the Hertfordshire/Buckinghamshire border north of Denham. The tunnels are also just to the north of the two-mile (3.3km) Colne Valley Viaduct that is contained within the same worksite. Together, this part of the HS2 project is known as Area C1, and is being worked by a joint venture between Bouygues Travaux Publics, Volker Fitzpatrick and Sir Robert McAlpine that totals 13.5 miles (21.6km) of…

In 2000 Mark was working for Railtrack, in a role that involved liaising with franchise bidders, so he assumed that his call to a meeting with First North Western (FNW) MD David Franks in November of that year would be to discuss the refranchising of Wales and Borders, but it soon became clear that David had an ulterior motive. Having been won by Great Western Holdings and then bought by First Group, FNW was in trouble; service delivery was poor, cancellations were rife and at one point the Oldham Loop line had no services at all for several days. The franchise was on the brink of being terminated and David Franks had been brought in to turn the business round. Having worked with Mark at Reading some years earlier David…

FOR over 90 years, the Railway Observer has recorded the chronology of the railways of Britain, and to a lesser extent of those abroad, through the eyes of its membership – covering the minutiae of day-to-day running and allocations, through to headline-making events. Unfortunately among these events are the accidents, minor and major, that have occurred from the earliest days of the passenger-carrying railway when on September 15, 1830 Stephenson’s Rocket fatally injured William Huskisson MP on the opening day of the Liverpool & Manchester Railway. Railway accidents more often than not are the result of human error, a driver or fireman missing a signal, a signalman momentarily forgetting where a train is in his section of line, a guard not ensuring sufficient brakes are applied on a loose-coupled freight,…

THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s (A1SLT) new-build Gresley ‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales project is aiming to raise at least £50,000 with its new Injectors Club from 50 supporters each donating £1000 plus Gift Aid (in up to four payments of £250). This will fund the acquisition and manufacture of the live and exhaust steam injectors. To remain on schedule to complete No. 2007 within the next three years, both injectors need to be ready for installation at Darlington Locomotive Works (DLW) in 2022. The A1SLT is manufacturing a new Davies and Metcalfe class K exhaust steam injector using patterns borrowed from No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester and also measuring an example borrowed from No. 70000 Britannia. All the interior components have been drawn as 3D CAD models by…

THE West Somerset Railway (WSR) has launched an emergency ‘SOS’ funding appeal for £1 million to see it through to next May. It follows the rejection of two appeals after the line’s bid for £432,200 in the second round of the Government’s Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage was turned down – plus an expected 2021 trading revenue shortfall for the truncated operating season due to fewer trains running and a reduced capacity resulting from Covid-19 restrictions. A further blow is the news that the modernised Seaward Way level crossing in Minehead is unlikely to reopen to passenger trains before October. The level crossing operates for passenger trains under a legal Level Crossing Order (LCO). Authorisation There has been one in place for the last 30 years, and once the crossing…

‘T3’ boiler progress WORK continues on the boiler of the Swanage Railway’s LSWR Adams ‘T3’ 4-4-0 No. 563 at the Flour Mill workshops in the Forest of Dean. The foundation ring has been installed at the bottom of the inner firebox, while the girder stays are now being fitted to the top of the firebox. The angle ring for the front of the boiler has arrived from South Africa and it will soon be offered up alongside the front tubeplate, which is currently being worked on. Discussions are ongoing about the manufacturer of the stays and other parts needed to finish the boiler. Although progress on the boiler has been good, it is anticipated that the work will continue on this until the end of the year. Visit www.563locomotivegroup.co.uk for…

Horden enters traffic at Tanfield… NEWLY restored Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST Horden (1015/1904) formally entered Tanfield Railway traffic on June 13, working its first ever revenue-earning passenger trains in the process. The 117-year-old veteran was also rostered to work on June 19/20 and 26/27, and again on July 4. …as ‘Cochrane’ facelift begins at Marley Hill TANFIELD Railway volunteers have begun work on a refurbishment of its stalwart RSH 0-4-0ST Sir Cecil A Cochrane (7409/1948). The former Redheugh Gas Works, Gateshead, loco is to have a new tank fitted and undergo a full repaint into the attractive RSH lined works livery. By June 6, the old tank had been removed, coupling and connecting rods taken off, and the paint work rubbed down. Keighley No. 2 returns to Yorkshire ANOTHER Tanfield Railway…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. THE Talyllyn Railway’s (TR) May 14, 1951 train was the first in the world to be operated by a preservation society. Bill Trinder, chairman of the Talyllyn Railway Company and then newly formed Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society (TRPS) cut a ceremonial ribbon and the train proceeded from Tywyn Wharf to Rhydyronen. The 70th anniversary of this event was marked on May 14, 2021 when the original tape (also used in 2001 during 50th anniversary celebrations) was cut again by John Bate, a pioneer volunteer from 1951, TR’s chief engineer between 1963-1994 and now an honorary TRPS vice-president. Five original 1951 TRPS members rode on the commemorative train hauled by Fletcher Jennings 0-4-0WT…

THE collection of ex-Eclipse/ Fisons Peat Works narrow gauge equipment at Washford station is being relocated to Westonzoyland Pumping Station Museum on the Somerset Levels where it was once employed. A Lister Railtruck, a peat wagon chassis and two complete replica peat wagons were moved on May 18. Further equipment to be collected includes track, points and wagon turntables which comprise the demonstration line at Washford and more wagons. The equipment, owned by the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust (S&DRT), is on long term loan to Westonzoyland as the S&DRT departs the Washford site on the (standard gauge) West Somerset Railway. Development of the railway at Westonzoyland continues with construction of a turntable outside the recently erected locomotive and rolling stock shed.…

THE National Railway Museum (NRM) has permanently transferred 3ft gauge Hudswell Clarke 0-4-0ST 573/1900 Handyman to the Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust (SNGMT). The semi-dismantled loco was moved to Statfold at the end of May and was displayed during Statfold’s June 12/13 Trangkil 50 event. Originally built for the Burton Ironstone Company in Northamptonshire, Handyman’s working life ended in 1963 at Scaldwell Quarry. It entered preservation under private ownership but was never fully restored. Acquired by the NRM in 2008 its intended purpose never materialised, hence the NRM invited expressions of interest from organisations wishing to become its custodians (RM, September 2020). Handyman, will now be cosmetically restored for display.…

■THE replica Pickering brake carriage constructed at Ffestiniog Railway’s (FR) Boston Lodge for Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) was delivered to WHHR on May 23. The FR’s England 0-4-0STT Welsh Pony initially hauled it to Minffordd, then back across Porthmadog to Pen y Mount where it was handed over to WHHR’s 0-4-0DM Emma to complete delivery to Gelert’s Farm. ■ EVESHAM Vale Light Railway’s (EVLR) July 10/11 Annual Railway Gala & Historic Transport Show will feature a visit by Lappa Valley Railway’s David Curwen/Berwyn Engineering 0-6-0T Muffin. Built in 1969 for Longleat Safari Park, Muffin moved to the Lappa Valley line in 1976. The visit will reunite Muffin with Martin Shepherd’s 1970-built Severn Lamb 0-6-2 Dougal, which also worked at Longleat in the early 1970s. ■ CLEETHORPES Coast Light Railway…

NOTE: all subject to Covid-19 restrictions in force at the time. Please check with railway before travelling. JULY  10-11 Apedale Valley Light Railway (AVLR) classic diesels and steam 10-11 Evesham Vale Light Railway (EVLR) annual gala 10-11 Statfold Barn Railway (SBR) 150 years of Quarry Hunslets 17-18 Amerton Railway steam gala 24 Welsh Highland Railway ‘The Snowdonian’ 25 Ffestiniog Railway ‘The Snowdonian’ 31 Bala Lake Railway (BLR)R A day with Alice AUGUST  7-8 AVLR military trains 14 Richmond Light Railway, Kent charity steam fair 28-30 BLR steam gala 30 AVLR cars and steam trains SEPTEMBER  TBC Alan Keef open day 4-5 Corris Railway No. 4 100th anniversary 11 Amerton Railway Everything goes 11 Poppleton Community Nursery Railway, York railway day 11-12 SBR Road, rail and ale 11-12 Talyllyn Railway No.…

■ THE boiler from Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway’s Garratt NG/G16 No. 143, which went out of ticket at the beginning of this season, was lifted on May 24 preparatory to assessment. The boiler from ex-SAR NG/G16 No. 129, which has already been overhauled by Locomotive Maintenance Services, will go into the frames of No. 143. ■ RESTORATION of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway’s Chelfham station to its original 1898 appearance was further enhanced on May 26 when a load of road planings was spread and compacted over the Up platform surface. This work followed removal of the post-1935 extensions to the station building in April (RM, June). ■ GROUDLE Glen Railway’s replica battery-electric Polar Bear returned to the Isle of Man on May 19, following overhaul at John Fowler…

THE long-running saga of the 10¼in gauge Poole Park Railway, Dorset, appears to be nearing a successful conclusion. The railway closed in 2017 following an unsuccessful season of volunteer operation. The local authority considered complete renewal of track and infrastructure was called for. A press release on June 15 stated: "Following successful tender bids for the track and engine shed, the new train and carriages will be sourced, with volunteer training to make the railway operational taking place later in the year."…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. AN appeal has been launched to raise £1m for a new roof at Blackpool’s Rigby Road tram depot, the last working example of its kind in the country. The building, which dates from 1935, is the maintenance and restoration base for the fleet of around 20 trams that are used on heritage tours. It is managed by Blackpool Transport’s Heritage Team, which includes a workforce of over 60 volunteers. Until the system’s modernisation in 2012, which included the introduction of a fleet of Bombardier Flexity 2 trams and the construction of a new depot at Starr Gate, Rigby Road was the base for Blackpool’s entire tram fleet. Blackpool Transport says that replacing…

RECORD producer and railway enthusiast Pete Waterman launched the first tram back into service on Manchester’s Heaton Park Tramway at its reopening on Saturday, June 5. The return of tram services, which were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic, followed the news that the Manchester Tramway Museum Society had been given the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. Pete Waterman is pictured at the controls of Stockport Tram No. 5, which operated the first service on June 5 following a seven year overhaul, with Manchester Transport Museum Society chairman Phillip Heywood (left) and Manchester Tramway Museum Company chairman Keith Whitmore (right).…

APPROVAL by Highland Council has been given for a new station to serve Inverness Airport. The Scottish Government has committed £14m towards the two platform station with step-free access on the Inverness-Aberdeen line, with the provision of 64 car parking spaces including charging for 10 electric vehicles, four disabled spaces and cycle parking. A nearby level crossing at Petty will close. At present no start or projected completion dates have been outlined.…

NETWORK Rail has confirmed a £33m investment to provide a new train depot with staff accommodation facilities within the existing Cadder railway yard, between Bishopbriggs and Lenzie. The investment will include the construction of three new service platforms and night-time accommodation for six HSTs and a building to accommodate up to 250 staff. The new service platforms will be complemented by the installation of a new cleaning facility and refuelling unit which will be used during night-time cleaning, servicing and maintenance periods. Operational activities will start from the end of June 2021 with the full facility in use by December 2021.…

A PROJECT to document on film the wide range of British signalling practices, equipment and buildings with the people carrying out the job has now covered more than 160 locations. Funding has been provided by the Railway Heritage Trust and the Friends of the National Railway Museum. Other partners in the project are the Institution of Railway Signalling Engineers (IRSE), Institution of Railway Operators (IRO), National Railway Museum (NRM), Heritage Railway Association (HRA), Retired Railway Officers’ Society (RROS) and, the Signalling Record Society (SRS). With semaphore signalling being replaced by rail operating centres, FARSAP (Film Archive of Railway Signalling & People) began documenting the ‘boxes seven years ago to create a free, publicly available permanent record for generations to come. Apart from the national railway and heritage locations covered, the…

NETWORK Rail has begun a £7.5m renovation project to refurbish and repaint the northern approach spans to the iconic Forth Bridge from North Queensferry. The project, which commenced in February 2021, has now moved to the grit blasting stage to remove layers of old lead paint from the approach to the 130-year-old structure. Contractor Balfour Beatty has created an encapsulated zone to remove the old paint before repainting it with a glass flake expoxy-based system, just as the main cantilever sections were treated some years ago. The paint will mean repainting will not be needed for a further three decades. Network Rail has engaged with the local community who have property under or close to where the work is taking place, which will run into early 2022. Rail services are…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. PRIVATELY owned Class 37 No. 37263 operated its first passenger trains in preservation on June 13 at the Telford Steam Railway. It worked a series of top-and-tailed trains with Class 08 No. 08757 for the Branch Line Society’s ‘Gronk and Growler’ event. Three round trips were undertaken with Mk.2 stock, running from Horsehay & Dawley to Spring Village via Lawley Village, as well as photographic run pasts.…

Wensleydale launches ‘Pacer’ appeal THE Wensleydale Railway has acquired a Class 143 to complete the set of three ‘Pacer’classes, already having examples of 142 and 144. This is likely to be the only railway to be able to make such a claim. The latest example is set No. 143623 (DMS No. 55664 and DMSL No. 55689), a former Tyne & Wear PTE unit. Having been unable to run a fundraising railtour due to Covid-19 restrictions, an urgent appeal to raise the cost of transport of the vehicles to the railway was launched. There is also the Help a Poorly Donkey appeal to pay for tarpaulins to cover the vehicles. See website wensleydale-railway.co.uk/pacer-donation/…

NIGERIAN President Mr Muhammadu Buhari opened the 150km Lagos-Ibadan standard gauge line on June 10, 2021. The double track line, which also has a 7km branch, forms the southernmost section of the planned 1343km line from Lagos to Kano. The new railway, which is being built in sections, will replace the 1067mm gauge line that was completed by British companies in the 1920s. The extension of the new line north into neighbouring Niger is planned and Portuguese construction firm Mota-Engil was awarded a $2 billion contract to build the 284km cross-border Kano-Maradi line in February. Network The first 187km standard gauge section to open in Nigeria in July 2016 from the Nigerian capital Abuja to Kaduna was an entirely new route but will be connected to the new Lagos-Kano line…

SIEMENS Mobility has agreed a five-year contract extension for maintenance of ScotRail’s Class 380 electric multiple units at Shields depot in Glasgow. The agreement also covers modifications, overhauls and spares supply, as well as ensuring the safety and reliability of the 38-strong fleet, which has covered almost 50 million miles since being delivered by the German firm a decade ago. Kilmarnock-based Brodie Engineering has been awarded a time-based contract for the overhaul of ScotRail’s 21 Class 318 EMUs. Due to begin in November, it includes the overhaul of traction equipment, doors, heating and ventilation systems and re-livery of the trains.…

THE substantial downturn in passenger numbers throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, allied with the heavy financial support for passenger services of around £800m per month from the Treasury, is likely to lead to cuts in services and cuts in staff. While the fixed costs of running the railway have remained roughly the same, passenger revenue via the fare box has fallen by 80%, leaving a massive and unsustainable funding gap. Having made it clear Government support will not be unlimited, representatives from across industry – the four rail unions, Network Rail and the train operators who form the Rail Industry Recovery Group – have agreed to work together to address a future with fewer passengers. The aim is to make cuts of around £2bn. If and when passenger numbers begin to…

TRANSPENNINE Express accepted its final new train on June 16, as the last of the ‘Nova 3’ CAF Mk5a sets joined the fleet. The sets have been commissioned at the former Manchester International Depot, built for the aborted Regional Eurostar project and used for the acceptance of several train fleets. The handover marks the end of the programme to change the make-up of the TPE fleet, first announced when the new franchise began in 2016 with a focus on long-distance services. The delayed entry into service of the CAF Mk5a will be sped up with full fleet operation expected by May 2022. Currently the sets are restricted to three diagrams between York and Scarborough other than moves across the Pennines for servicing and to rotate the stock. Changes Whilst this…

T HE very mention of steam locomotives in mid Wales conjures images of antique-appearance 4-4-0 ‘Dukedogs’ hauling short trains along the Dovey estuary, or ‘Manors’ clinging to the cliffs above Llangelynin with the Pwllheli portion of the ‘Cambrian Coast Express’. The only remaining railway lifeline from the formerly industrial West Midlands to the attractions of the mid Welsh seaside now cleaves through the Cambrian Mountain and then has a peak to climb at Talerddig before reaching the riparian run into Aberystwyth. Before reaching the university town, trains often divided at Machynlleth, and in fact still do, with a portion heading north for Barmouth and beyond. Modern travellers from London are used to this routing but their ancestors and cousins from the conurbations of Manchester and Leeds had an alternative way…

THE above titled article (June 2021 issue) resonated with me in that the two runs with them were both mentioned. First up (page 23) was No. 58017 on the 17.40 Paddington to Wolverhampton (pictured). It was a regular ‘pay day’ outing from our Waterloo office, and having selected Reading (the trips were only ever to loco-hauled destinations), upon turning up at Paddington No. 58017 lured some of us away from the non-enthusiast members of the group and headed for Banbury (the comatose one is of me enjoying the rare ‘Bone’ mileage). We caught up with the others having taken No. 50002 to Reading, all of us then taking No. 50042 back to Paddington. The other journey with a ‘58’ was on Saturday, December 21, 1991 (page 27) when somehow some…

Porterbrook – delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable railway www.porterbrook.co.uk…

The Public Inquiry (PI) into the proposed Rother Valley Railway (Bodiam to Robertsbridge Junction) Transport &Works Act Order was due to start on July 6. The order is being applied for by the Rother Valley Railway Limited (RVR), working in partnership with the Kent & East Sussex Railway (K&ESR) which runs the existing heritage line between Tenterden and Bodiam. The project is to replace the missing link between Bodiam and Robertsbridge, a station on the Tonbridge to Hastings main line. A pre-inquiry meeting was held on May 19 to enable all concerned to discuss procedural matters relating to the PI, which is largely due to be held in a virtual format on the Microsoft Teams platform. Inspector Ian Jenkins confirmed he will preside over the PI. After Highways England (HE)…

Image tuition on the North York Moors PHOTOGRAPHY courses have resumed at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. Led by professional landscape photographer, author and teacher John Potter, the one-day workshops are designed for photographers of all abilities, and so are offered at a beginners and an intermediate level. The courses cost £125 per person, which includes train travel and refreshments. Book at www.nymr.co.uk/digital-photography-workshops ‘D49’ progress THE Scottish Railway Preservation Society continues to progress the overhaul of LNER ‘D49’ 4-4-0 Morayshire. The driving axle, both bogie wheelsets and the tender wheelsets have gone to South Devon Railway Engineering in Buckfastleigh to have the journals skimmed and polished. The driving crank pins also require attention on the quartering machine. The trailing drivers are in good condition, however. Donations can be made online…

July  17 Mid-Norfolk Railway: Summer Craft Fair 17-18 Bluebell Railway: Road Meets Rail Working Steam Festival 17-18 Spa Valley Railway: Summer Steam Up! 18 Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway: Diesel Enthusiast Day. 18 Epping Ongar Railway: Dinosaurs at the Railway 22-25 Great Central Railway: Beer Festival and Vintage Weekend. 24 Epping Ongar Railway: Real Ale Train 24 Nene Valley Railway: SteamEnGin Express 24-25 North Norfolk Railway: Mixed Traction Weekend 31-Aug 1 Bluebell Railway: Model Railway Weekend 31-Aug 1 Didcot Railway Centre Diamond Jubilee Gala – Part 1 August  1 Mid-Norfolk Railway: Vintage Bus Day 7-8 Mid-Norfolk Railway: Railway at War 7-8 Severn Valley Railway: Vintage Transport Extravaganza…

TWO Peckett-built locomotives based at the Northampton & Lamport Railway (N&LR) are being offered for sale by their owner, Nick Gilbert. Mr Gilbert, who also co-owns GWR ‘Hall’ 4-6-0 No. 5967 Bickmarsh Hall and ‘2884’ 2-8-0 No. 3802, said that a change in focus and a re-evaluation of his projects has prompted the decision to part with part-restored ‘B2’ 0-6-0ST Westminster (1378/1914) and cut-down ‘R4’ 0-4-0ST No. 2104 Westminster has yet to run in preservation, having started its career at the Larkhill and Fovant Military Railways before finding employment with Associated Portland Cement Manufacturers (APCM). It was officially withdrawn from APCM’s Kidlington works in April 1971 and eventually moved to the N&LR in 1998 via a number of temporary homes. Status Westminster is currently in a dismantled state and will…

■ FFESTINIOG & Welsh Highland Railway (Ff&WHR) submitted its second round bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) for the Boston Lodge Redevelopment & Interpretation Project on May 27. The £4.2 million project secured a first round pass last year (RM, February 2020). A decision on the second round application is anticipated in early September. ■ FULFILLING a 30-year ambition, Lancashire Mining Museum at Astley Green’s new passenger carrying 2ft gauge railway was officially opened on May 30, by the Mayor of Wigan. The railway presently runs to Whitehead Lane with plans to extend to the Salford boundary. ■ THE Isle of Man Steam Railway’s Dubs 0-6-0T No. 15 Caledonia hauled the first train to pass under a newly constructed bridge between Ballawoods and Ballahick crossings on May 24.…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. WEST Midlands Metro (WMM) services were suspended for four days in June, following the discovery of cracks on the underframe structure during maintenance inspections on its 'Urbos 3' trams. The 21 CAF-built trams, which make-up the system’s entire operational fleet, were withdrawn for checks on June 11. WMM said the manufacturer had been unable to assure that the cracks did not represent a safety issue if they continued to operate. Sufficient trams had passed inspections to resume operation of a 10 minute service between Wolverhampton St Georges and Bull Street from June 15. WMM added that repairs to the remainder, on which the fault had been found, were already underway. It intends…

PRESTON Trampower (PT) director Lincoln Shields has said he’s “very confident” that work will finally start later this year on a demonstration line for the city’s proposed tram route. It is over a decade since PT revealed its plans for a£25m privately-funded route linking the University, the city centre and commercial areas on the northern edge of the city. The firm has bought Ribbleton station house on the former Deepdale branch for use as its headquarters. It intends to use a 200 metre stretch of the route between Skeffington Road and West View Leisure Centre for demonstrations, once an agreement has been reached with Network Rail.…

Nottingham artefacts donated NOTTINGHAM Express Transit operator Nottingham Trams Limited has donated buffers from the Old Station Street tram stop and old signage to the National Tramway Museum at Crich. The museum is looking to display the signs as part of an exhibition telling the story of the city’s trams. The buffers are now in use at the Glory Mine end of the Crich system. Success for Seaton SEATON Tramway held its second annual online ‘Tramathon’ on June 5/6, with the live streaming of a full 24 hours of tram journeys along the system, presented by volunteers and guests, to raise funds towards its continued operation. June 1 was the tramway’s busiest day for visitors since services resumed in April, with trams Nos. 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12,…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. A NEW through platform and west entrance have been announced for Oxford as part of a £69m plan to improve capacity and journey times. Funding is being provided by the Department for Transport and work could begin in 2022. A new track and an additional platform will be created alongside the existing platform 4 on the west side of the station complex, along with a new western entrance from Botley Road. The extra platform will also provide additional new capacity for East West Rail services from 2024. Within the £69m budget, money has been allocated to replace the 13ft (4m) overbridge adjacent to the station on Botley Road while at the same…

IN preparation for rebuilding the rail link to Levenmouth, 16,000 new sleepers have been delivered to Thornton Junction yard over a four-week period. Work to deliver the five mile line from Thornton will begin in earnest next year, clearance of the old track, along with vegetation has been taking place. The Levenmouth project will create new stations at Leven and Cameron Bridge with the provision of two trains per hour into Edinburgh with one via Dunfermline the other via Kirkcaldy. Reopening is expected by 2024.…

GEO-intelligence and asset integrity provider Fugro has been awarded a contract to survey Scotland’s entire rail network and provide Network Rail with a holistic gauging database that includes clearance data from the track to lineside structures, platforms, objects, and the train-to-train passing interface. The routewide gauging project will support the continued safe operating of the network and facilitate the introduction of new rolling stock. The project started at the end of April and will survey approximately 1700 route miles (2750 route km), spanning 93 different route sections and 638 station platforms. The use of Fugro’s train-mounted RILA (Rail Infrastructure aLignment Acquisition) monitoring system will remove the need for surveyors to be on or near the track during data collection, providing a great safety benefit. It will also afford unrivalled speed…

A NEW ticket hall at Ealing Broadway station opened on May 27, with new lifts which will enable step-free journeys on TfL Rail, London Underground (District and Central lines) and Great Western Railway. The station will be a key one on the Elizabeth Line when it opens in full, and Network Rail has completed a significant transformation to build a large new ticket hall, with more space for customers. A glass frontage makes the entrance brighter with a longer gateline replacing the previous cramped entrance previously used to enter and leave the station. The extended platforms are capable of accommodating the longer nine-car Crossrail trains, which are more than 200m long. The station also benefits from improved lighting, signage, and customer information screens, providing an overall better customer experience. The…

‘ED’ for Cambrian Heritage Railways CLASS 73 No. E6036 (73129) arrived at Cambrian Heritage Railways, Oswestry on June 15. The former Gloucestershire & Warwickshire Railway electro-diesel has recently changed ownership. WSR’s Class 47 North Star heads north THE Diesel & Electric Preservation Group on the West Somerset Railway has agreed for Class 47 No. 47077 North Star to be based on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on long-term hire. It was due to be moved in late June. Brake van rides on offer at Barry THE Barry Tourist Railway, now mainly a rolling storage facility, is running brake van rides and has announced dates to the end of July. These run from the Good Shed, Hood Road for a couple of hundred yards hauled by Class 08 No. 08503, or…

Last ‘Pacers’ withdrawn, but more are saved FINAL main line operations of ‘Pacers’ on the national network occurred on May 29, when Transport for Wales withdrew the last Class 143s from the South Wales valleys lines. The much-delayed demise of the type was brought to a conclusion by set Nos. 143601 and 143609, with the units coming off-lease from Porterbrook on May 31. Set Nos. 143606 and 143607 have passed to the Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway. The long-term future of No. 143607 is to become a ticket office, shop and cafe. Until then, it and No. 143606 will complement No. 142006 in the operational fleet. It is hoped to be able to hold a ‘Pacer’ Gala Day prior to the retirement of No. 143607. Both Class 143s will go…

ALL but one of Northern’s Class 195 and Class 331 units had returned to service by the middle of June after checks, repairs and modifications to its yaw damper mounting brackets had been completed, writes Tony Miles. A number of sets were taken out of service in early April following the discovery of cracks in the ‘T’ sections, where the yaw damper brackets were fixed to the underside of the bodies. To test the stresses involved and find a solution, CAF engineers fitted instrumentation to set No. 195002 which then ran empty over anumber of routes to collect data. Resume As a result CAF concluded that the problem was only affecting powered bogies on the DMUs and there were no similar stresses on Class 331 EMUs. Modifications will involve fitting…

THIS year, the Phoenix Railway Photographic Circle, founded by Wyn Hobson in 1971, celebrates its 50th anniversary. Wyn created the Circle partly to encourage and promote innovative styles of railway photography, using a variety of approaches to composition and techniques, and to expand and develop these through experimentation and discussion among like-minded railway photographers. Fifty years on, Phoenix remains very much alive and well, creating imaginative photographs of the modern railway scene. Recent technological advances in both camera and processing technology have certainly opened many new avenues for members to explore. In recognition of this significant milestone, to celebrate the occasion a book is being published that presents a representative selection of the work of members present and past. Of the 850 photographs submitted, there was space for 179 between…

An air-con con? YOUR response to the email from Gordon Bell regarding air conditioning (Readers’ Platform, May issue) gave me pause for thought. I am in agreement with Gordon regarding the effectiveness of any air filtering, and would suggest that filtering capable of removing any residual Covid germs would certainly not be fitted in a conventional air conditioning unit. The main reason for recirculating the air is one of cost (and profit), as the units are deliberately designed taking into account the recirculation, thus enabling the units to be relatively effective with smaller heating and refrigeration capabilities than would be required if the units were dealing only with fresh air. At one time, though, wall units were popular because they were made in Spain and other countries for amarket where…

TUESDAY, JULY 6 RCTS (Watford branch). Zoom meeting at 19.30. ‘That was the Year that was 1962’: Jeff Plumb. Send an email to watford@rcts.co.uk to register your attendance. FRIDAY, JULY 9 Slough Railway Society. Zoom meeting at 19.30. TBA. To register, send an email to info@swrs.co.uk. MONDAY, JULY 12 RCTS (Croydon branch) Zoom meeting at 19.30. ‘Mounted Exhibition Prints of the late Malcolm Ranieri FRPS’: Tony Bowles. Send an email to croydon.web@rcts.org to register your attendance. Southern Electric Group (Sussex branch). Deall Room, Southwick Community Centre, Southwick BN42 4TE (close to Southwick station). 19.30. ‘A look at the Railways of Mid Sussex’: Colin Burnham. TUESDAY, JULY 13 RCTS (Hitchin branch). Zoom meeting at 19.30. ‘Scottish Steam in the 1950s & 60s’: David Kelso. Send an email to dandjelsdon@waitrose.com to register…

100 YEARS AGO JULY 1921 Lake District proposal A SCHEME for a light railway between Ambleside and Keswick has been submitted for the approval of the Westmorland County Council. It is proposed to run the railway between the head of Windermere Lake and the Keswick Station on the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway by way of Grasmere and Thirlmere. The length of the line will be 16 miles, and the estimated cost of construction is £150,000. Five lakes would be seen en route, plus some ofthe finest scenery in the Lake District. Petrol-electric engines would be employed, and there would be no smoke and little noise. 50 YEARS AGO JULY 1971 York site confirmed for museum LORD Eccles, Paymaster-General and Minister responsible for the Arts, announced on May 11 that…

Preparations for Bahamas AHEAD of its travels in the South of England, LMS ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas has been fitted with a replacement brick arch in the firebox. As reported last month, the 4-6-0 is booked to haul 11 main line charters in the coming months, starting on July 18 with a Steam Dreams London Paddington to Salisbury excursion. It is also due to operate on the Nene Valley Railway on August 21/22 and 28-30. Parts in partnership THE overhaul of ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T Sutton at the Spa Valley Railway is being helped by a joint project with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway. Both parties need a new air brake valve for their respective engines (Sutton and E1 Yarmouth) and want something prototypical. With the use of 3D scanning, a…

AN ONGOING project to restore lost fixtures and fittings to sole-surviving Peckett ‘Yorktown’ 0-4-0ST Teddy (2012/1941) has been boosted by a £1500 grant from the National Transport Trust (NTT). The project was selected to receive the NTT’s Alan Moore Award for 2021; the money being used to return the 80-year-old locomotive to as close to original ‘as built’ condition as possible, as part of its impending 10-yearly overhaul at the Chasewater Railway. The project will see a number of lost and/or missing original features restored to the loco such as the original cab sandpots and equipment, and four genuine Peckett buffers of the correct pattern to replace the ex-brakevan ones it currently carries. Pipework will also be rerouted back to its original position, returning the whistle to the cab roof…

HAVING reopened the Welsh Highland Railway between Caernarfon and Beddgelert (RM, May), Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway trains between Porthmadog and Beddgelert commenced on May 30. After remaining closed through 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Vale of Rheidol Railway restarted passenger operations on May 24 while the Brecon Mountain Railway hoped to reopen on July 1. The Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at the Talyllyn Railway’s Tywyn Wharf fully reopened on May 17 following Covid-19 safety work aided by grants totalling £49,630 which covered installing a new picture window facing Neptune Road and the employment of staff to supplement volunteer attendants. The Corris Railway’s new carriage No. 23 entered service on May 30, when the line reopened after not operating during 2020. The Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway recommenced…

NATURAL Resources Wales secured planning permission from Snowdonia National Park Authority on May 19, to upgrade flood defences around Bala. The project will incorporate additional work financed by Bala Lake Railway Trust (RM, April) to allow laying an extended Bala Lake Railway on top of the north shore lake defences. This section covers about one third of the projected 1200 metre extension to a new Bala Town station. The trust will now seek planning permission for the extension. Hunslet 0-4-0ST Winifred worked passenger trains over a length of temporary track at the planned new Bala station site over June 12/13.…

■ NEW Welsh Highland Railway carriage No. 2048 was launched into traffic on May 31 with a ceremonial ribbon cutting by Peter Campbell, who financed its construction. ■ AMERTON Railway will steam five locos over July 17/18. Home-based Bagnall 0-4-0ST Isabel, Hunslet/Kerr Stuart 0-4-0ST ‘Wren’ Jennie, Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’ 0-4-0ST Lorna Doone and Phil Mason’s Kerr Stuart 0-4-0T Diana will be joined by Graham Morris’ visiting Kerr Stuart 0-4-0ST ‘Wren’ Peter Pan. With Peter Pan now finished in Devon County Council (DCC) livery this will be the first time ex-DCC locos Lorna Doone and Peter Pan have steamed together in their original liveries for over 70 years. ■ TWO 1937-built 15in gauge ‘Dusseldorf’ bogie carriages have been acquired by Bressingham from Bure Valley Railway (BVR). Prior to arriving at the…

Normal Edinburgh Trams service resumes EDINBURGH Trams ran a normal service for the first time in almost 16 months on June 7 as Covid-19 restrictions eased. Ticket inspections have resumed. Penalty fares of £10 will be issued to those travelling without a valid ticket. Tram option for Poulton-le-Fylde THE former Fleetwood and Poulton-le-Fylde railway could be reopened either as an extension of the Blackpool tram network, a hybrid tram-train route, or as a conventional rail link. The three options are included in a business case prepared for Lancashire County Council.…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. THE 10¼in gauge Wells Harbour Railway (WHR) at Wells-next-the Sea, Norfolk, is to be sold as soon as buyers can be found for the stock and equipment. The line will continue to run until then. The 1200-yard-long WHR was opened in 1976 by the late Lt Cdr Roy Francis, and runs alongside Beach Road to Pinewoods Holiday Park near the beach. It has been operated by Gary and Alison Brecknell since 2003, who now plan to retire. Their lease of the land on which the railway runs expires in 2022, and they wanted to renew this for another 10 years so the railway could be sold as a going concern. However, the…

£6m for Hither Green station refurb A £6m refurbishment of one of London’s busiest suburban stations, Hither Green has been undertaken by Network Rail. Work undertaken includes upgrade of the platforms, rewiring all the electrics in the station and replacing all the lighting, removing and replacing the old timber canopy on Platforms 2 and 3 with a tubular steel and glass one, as well as work to improve the station buildings and footbridges. Free wi-fi at Temple Meads THE installation of anew, free wi-fi network at Bristol Temple Meads station has been completed. London Paddington, Victoria, Euston and London Bridge stations have already introduced free wi-fi and this rollout is part of Network Rail’s plans to make free wi-fi available in all of its major stations by the end of…

THE multi-storey car park at Leeds station, which has been closed since May 2019 to accommodate the construction of the new Platform Zero, reopened on June 1 with the addition of electric vehicle charging points. Operated for Network Rail by APOCA, the car park has 307 pre-bookable spaces and, in two phases, 56 electric charging points will be installed, making Leeds the first major station to receive them. Thirty went live from June 1, the remainder will do so in the autumn. Network Rail wants to install electric vehicle charging at its managed car parks by March 2024.…

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. A THREE-DAY railtour, covering in excess of 1200 miles, organised by the Branch Line Society (BLS) has raised £24,500 for The Railway Children charity. Each year, the charity operates a fundraising event, sponsored by Porterbrook, to transport walkers by rail between the mountains of Snowdon, Scafell and Ben Nevis. Capacity is normally restricted to team participants only. However, the decision in February to postpone the main event to September 2021 presented an opportunity for enthusiasts to enjoy a mammoth itinerary with double-headed LSL Class 37 haulage from the comfort of a Mk.3 Inter-City liveried first class carriage. “Because the train was still available, we were offered the chance to make use of…

Note: all subject to Covid-19 restrictions in force at the time. Please check with railway before travelling. July  10/11 Chasewater Railway diesel gala 24/25 Heritage Shunters Trust, Peak Rail diesel shunter gala August  6-8 Spa Valley Railway diesel gala 21 West Somerset Railway Class 33 60th birthday running September  3-5 Great Central Railway diesel gala 10-12 KWVR mixed traction gala 10-12 Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway diesel gala 16 East Somerset Railway DMU day 17/18 East Lancashire Railway (ELR) diesel gala 25/26 Chasewater Railway coal train days 25/26 Mid-Norfolk Railway diesel gala 31-Oct 3 Severn Valley Railway diesel gala October  10-12 Nene Valley Railway diesel gala (tbc) 16/17 S&D at Midsomer Norton end of season gala 17 Isle of Wight Steam Railway Ryde Pier tram debut…