Innholdsfortegnelse for November 2021 i The Railway Magazine

AFTER almost 20 years in limbo, the end is nigh for Class 45/0 No. 45015 (D14), which is stored in a siding at Market Bosworth on the Battlefield Line. Having long been the subject of discussion, the ‘Peak’ – which has never operated in preservation – is finally set to be removed from the grip of mother nature and will be broken up. A Battlefield Line spokesman told The RM: “There have been a lot of conversations with the former owner this year, which has resulted in the Battlefield Line seizing the loco. We have had an asbestos survey recently done and the small amount found is due to be sorted as soon as possible.” He said breaking up the loco was the only realistic option. “Anyone who is serious…

Track monitoring trial DB ESG has announced a project with Network Rail to trial a continuous track monitoring system called CTM2.0. The equipment will be installed onto aMk.3 driving van trailer, which will operate on Chiltern Railways passenger services between Birmingham and Marylebone. The trial will enable Network Rail to assess the suitability of the system in helping to reduce the number and impact of service-affecting failures. Neville Hill takeover NORTHERN has confirmed it has taken over full control of the Neville Hill depot in Leeds. The depot, which currently employs around 550 engineers, technicians and train presentation operatives, is a key element for rail services in the North and had previously been jointly managed by Northern and East Midlands Railway. All former EMR employees have transferred to Northern as…

Tenders invited for enabling works SIX bidders –BAM, Galliford Try, John Graham, Kier, Laing O’Rourke and Skanska – have been invited to tender for a major two-part enabling works contract for Phase 2a of HS2 between the West Midlands and Crewe. The three-year contract, with a base price of £240 million, will involve tasks such as environmental mitigation, creation of site compounds and preparing atrace of the route, ahead of the start of main civil works in summer 2024. Bintou wins Apprentice of the Year award A PROJECT management apprentice with HS2, Bintou Keita, was named Apprentice of the Year 2021 in the transport and logistics category at the BAME Apprenticeship Awards. Having completed her apprenticeship in September, she is now project coordinator for HS2’s interchange station at Solihull The…

Traction costs rise GATESHEAD MP Ian Mearns asked the Department for Transport (DfT) to assess how much Network Rail (NR) has increased its electricity charges to operating companies. Transport Minister Chris Heaton-Harris replied: “Network Rail does not set traction electricity charges for train operators. NR procures traction electricity on behalf of the rail industry, which is then charged to operators at the price that NR pays. This means that NR does not set the price or make a profit or loss in this process. If market electricity prices change, the risk or benefit rests with train and freight operators. “Each train and freight operator has its own strategy for securing future traction electricity prices. These strategies are then enacted by NR according to the Traction Electricity Rules referenced in Track…

HAVING recovered from whatever bug struck so many passengers on GBRf’s ‘This Time It’s Personal’ four-day tour, at the cost of an extra Carlisle hotel night, lost London hotel booking, and inability to travel on Day 4 of the tour, your long-suffering writer could sit back and count his lost opportunities. In the previous Practice and Performance we reviewed the organisers’ merciful decision to head straight from Mossend to Carlisle with Class 91 No. 91130 instead of the promised itinerary along the splendid coastline from Edinburgh to Newcastle, followed by a Class 60 trundle across the Tyne Valley, mostly in darkness at amaximum speed of 60mph. There had been insufficient space to look at this West Coast Class 91 run in detail, but the rarity value alone merits a more…

I LEARNED to drive wagons with a local company in 1983. They put me with an experienced driver and after 13 weeks basically doing his job for him, I passed my HGV and started at the same company on my own. I am amazed that any firm will employ anyone who takes a week’s course and passes. Most firms used to require two years’ experience, but companies now will take on anybody who passes a short assessment and it really shows. If they do not hit anything, they are in. Then they come and ask us basic things like ‘where’s the handbrake?’ Some do not even realise that some wagons do not have automatic handbrakes, and end up with runaways when coupling trailers incorrectly. On the road, I am actually…

LOOKING back almost 50 years at the railtours organised by the RCTS, the reports that featured in the Railway Observer are well recorded. Some trips produced the extremes of both excitement and disappointment that featured ailing locomotives, brilliant performances by some crews, and what others can only charitably call lackadaisical. The ‘Three Summits’ special of June 30, 1963 touched all these bases. Organised by the West Riding Branch, the itinerary took in the climbs to Ais Gill, Beattock and Shap and would feature two ‘A4s’, a ‘Princess Coronation’, a McIntosh Caledonian ‘3F’ 0-6-0 and the preserved ‘Jones Goods’ 4-6-0. Gateshead ‘A4’ No. 60023 Golden Eagle was booked to work from Leeds to Carlisle, but suffered injector trouble and required emergency repairs at Skipton. Further problems were encountered at Bell Busk,…

SVR board changes SEVERN Valley Railway general manager Helen Smith has become managing director designate. The line said the change of role allows her to take complete responsibility for the safe operation of the railway, its financial health and future growth. As part of the SVR’s safety management system, a review and validation of this change will take place in the near future before the managing director position is confirmed. After a decade as chairman of the Severn Valley Railway Holdings (SVRH) board, Nick Paul CBE is stepping down, as former deputy chairman Mike Ball takes over the role. Models to aid ‘GSN’ THE General Steam Navigation Locomotive Restoration Society (GSNLRS) has again joined forces with the Medway Queen Preservation Society to produce model wagons to aid the respective rail…

■ November weekends Didcot Railway Centre: Exhibition Days ■ November 5 Great Central Railway: Bonfire Night ■ November 6 Isle of Wight Steam Railway: Race The Train ■ November 5-January 9 Bluebell Railway: SteamLights (on selected dates) ■ November 6 Nottingham Heritage Railway: Fireworks Spectacular (tbc) ■ November 7 &21 East Lancashire Railway: Steam on Sunday ■ November 13 Isle of Wight Steam Railway: Walk The Line – Yarmouth to Freshwater ■ November 19-January 9 Epping Ongar Railway: Light Fantastic (on selected dates) ■ November 15-December 23 North Norfolk Railway: The Norfolk Lights Express ■ November 19-December 23 Severn Valley Railway: Steam in Lights ■ November 19-December 23 West Somerset Railway: Winterlights (on selected dates) ■ November 20-21 Great Central Railway: Last Hurrah Gala ■ November 21 Lincolnshire Wolds Railway:…

ROCKS by Rail (RBR) at Cottesmore has added two original iron ore wagons to its collection following a transfer from the National Railway Museum (NRM). The two wagons – BR built 27 ton iron ore tippler No. B383560 and 22 ton iron ore hopper wagon No. B436275 – had been on loan from the National Collection for anumber of years to the venue that was formerly known as the Rutland Railway Museum. The tippler wagon had seen occasional use in the accrediated museum’s demonstration ironstone quarry trains on open days, while restoration work was undertaken by the museum’s volunteers on the hopper wagon. RBR applied to the NRM to retain the two wagons within its own collection of standard gauge ironstone quarry rolling stock. Ore wagons of these types were…

ANOTHER former Kent & East Sussex Railway loco, coincidentally also owned by Mike Hart, has moved to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre for a 10-yearly overhaul. Sentinel 0-4-0VBT Gervase (6807/1900) had been a mainstay of steam operations at the Elsecar Heritage Railway (EHR) prior to the Covid-19 lockdown. Its current boiler certificate was not due to expire until 2023 but, with the EHR currently closed while its future is decided by Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council, Mr Hart has taken the decision to put the loco through overhaul early. The work will be carried out by J M Steam Engineering Ltd based at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, where Gervase moved in late September. The plan is to strip the loco and remove the boiler, which will be split into its two main…

■ TALYLLYN Railway’s Fletcher Jennings 0-4-0WT No. 2 Dolgoch hauled its final train, a wedding special, before withdrawal for 10-year overhaul on October 1. Within days Dolgoch was being stripped down at Pendre. ■ RAVENGLASS & Eskdale Railway had to suspend operating on October 3 after localised flooding amid extreme weather conditions caused a landslip which severed the line. Trains resumed on October 16. ■ A FIRE was lit in the boiler of new-build 2ft gauge Bagnall ‘Sipat’ 0-4-0ST Big Dave and the loco run under its own steam, on rollers, at North Bay Railway Engineering on October 4. The loco has been built for use at the West of Fife Munitions Railway at Lathalmond. ■ LINCOLNSHIRE Coast Light Railway’s final operating day of the 2021 season on September 4…

PRIVATELY owned ex-Isle of Man Steam Railway (IoMSR) Beyer Peacock 2-4-0T No. 14Thornhill has been moved from its long-term location in the north of the Isle of Man and is now at John Fowler Engineering in Bouth, Cumbria. It appears to have been largely stripped, to assess, it is understood, what will be required to return it to steam. Thornhill last worked in 1963 and was sold in 1978, along with Manx Northern Railway carriage No. 6(later Isle of Man Railway No. 45), which was relocated to IoMSR’s Douglas works last year (RM, November 2020).…

THE 10¼in gauge Ferry Meadows Railway in Nene Park, Peterborough, is for sale as the owners are retiring. The 700yd end-to-end line includes Charles (Keef 58 of 1999) a steam-outline ‘Sweet Pea'-type 0-6-0DH, five open carriages, track, stations, turntable and water tower – everything needed to operate a public railway. Also for sale are two trams, a 1971-built Severn-Lamb ‘Rio Grande’-type 2-8-0PH, and steam loco No. 44, a 5in-to-1ft scale Darjeeling-type 0-4-0ST+T. There are no restrictions when the railway can be operated. Anyone interested in buying should contact David or Sue Coging by email at stationmaster@ferrymeadowsrailway.co.uk, or telephone 01933 398 889. Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine Follow us therailwaymagazine…

Fylde Transport projects progress WORK on Fylde Transport Trust’s Blackpool Twin Towing Car No. 671 has continued at a steady pace at St Helens Transport Museum. The paintwork has been rubbed down in preparation for its transformation from yellow and green ‘Metro’ colours into original cream livery, which should take place before the end of the year. Lighting and other circuits on Railcoach 279 have been tested. New windscreens will be fitted once all the major electrical work in the cabs has been completed. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine…

THE Nene Valley Railway held a three- day diesel gala on October 8-10 featuring an example of all three ‘Peak’ classes, 44, 45 and 46. Seen at Wansford on the Friday are, visiting from the Midland Railway-Butterley, Class 44 No. D4 (44004) Great Gable and Class 46 No. D182 (46045), freshly painted in BR blue, stabled either side of resident Class 45 No. 45041 (D53) Royal Tank Regiment. PICTURE: ALISDAIR ANDERSON Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.…

FORMER Island Line Class 483 EMU No. 483004 is the only example of this stock to be preserved on the Isle of Wight, in addition to No. 483007 at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway (RM June p12). It is located at Holliers Park, Holliers Farm, Hale Common, Branstone PO36 0LT, on the A3056 between Newport and Sandown. This is a retail outlet for island artisans. The two-car set has been acquired by the owner of the farm and it has no connection with The House of Chilli, as stated elsewhere. That establishment is simply another tenant on the site, as is the Bus Stop cafe in a retired Alexander RH-bodied Leyland Olympian double-decker. The cars, DMS(A) No. 124 (ex-LT No. 10205) and DMS(B) No. 224 (ex-LT No. 11205) are…

WICKHAM 10841, a Type 18 four-wheel diesel permanent way trolley and its trailer, No. 8385, have been acquired by the Epping Ongar Railway from the stock put up for sale on the Dartmoor Railway (RM April p71). They arrived in Essex on September 15, with the immediate plan to service the engine and mechanical parts to maximise reliability. This will be followed by bodywork repairs, after which it will receive a full repaint in a yet-to-be-decided, but more appropriate livery. Ultimately, a second bench seat will be fitted along with some modifications, to enable safe carriage of fare-paying passengers, as has proven popular at the S&D Midsomer Norton in Somerset (RM September p84).…

CONCERN over the stability of earthworks between Tunbridge Wells and Hastings saw Network Rail close the line for a week between October 23-29. The work was to centre on the Victorian-built Wadhurst Tunnel, which has seen its steep-sided entrances increasingly affected by heavy rainfall and subsidence in recent years. Soil nails were to be driven into the cutting face at both ends of the tunnel. In the past decade engineers have visited Wadhurst tunnel on numerous occasions to secure the railway and install temporary fixes to weather-related movements. In addition, the closure allowed earth and vegetation work to be undertaken at several other locations – Strawberry Hill tunnel, Nevill golfclub, Church Settle Lane and Bearhurst. Fiona Taylor, NR’s route director for Kent, said: “The steep cuttings along the line have…

FOUR weekend closures plus a nine-day closure of the Brighton Main Line in February next year is being planned by Network Rail, in order to complete an £11m junction renewal at Copyhold, near Haywards Heath and build a new underpass at Hassocks. Track at Burgess Hill will also be replaced. The plan means the railway between Three Bridges, Brighton and Lewes will close for nine days from February 19-27, 2022, with weekend closures also planned for January 15/16, February 12/13, March 5/6 and April 3. Network Rail says diversions will operate and rail replacement buses will be used. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine…

THE Levenmouth rail link project has now completed work to remove the old disused track and redundant infrastructure from the former branch line. Beneficiaries of the track and sleepers which was itemised and offered to heritage lines, are Leven Heritage, the Shed 47 Restoration Group (aka Lathalmond Railway Museum) at Dunfermline and the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. The donation will allow these groups to take specific projects forward. Joe Mulvenna, Network Rail project manager for the Levenmouth link said: “This is the most significant phase of preparatory work so far on the project and we are literally clearing the way for the start of construction early next year. It is great to see local groups benefit from what was a redundant asset.” Next steps for the project will be to…

DIRECT Rail Services has listed all of its Class 20 fleet, along with two Class 37s, two Class 57s and four Mk.2 coaches for sale. The Class 20s were the first locomotives to enter service with DRS, then a subsidiary of British Nuclear Fuels, with No. 20301 being handed over to the operator on September 28, 1995. It and Nos. 20302-5 (which, having been among 10 purchased from RFS, were the initial batch of Class 20s modernised at Brush Traction for working trains carrying low-level radioactive waste) were advertised online to potential bidders on October 15, along with Nos. 20308/309/312,37606/703 and 57302/311. Nos. 20304/308/309 were previously offered for sale in 2018 and are located at Barrow Hill along with 20301/312. Nos. 20302/305 are at Bo’ness, as is No. 37703. Gresty…

Digital signalling for heritage stock AS part of the East Coast Digital Programme, Network Rail is spearheading a project that will see European Train Control System (ETCS) in-cab signalling equipment fitted to ‘A1’ Pacific No. 60163 Tornado, and also designed for a‘Black Five’ and a Class 55 ‘Deltic’. ETCS is the signalling and control component of European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS), which will replace traditional lineside signals with in-cab radio-based signalling, initially on the East Coast Main Line. A trial fitment will determine if it is a viable technical and commercial option for heritage vehicles, and the option of retro-fitting the technology would enable heritage steam and diesel vehicles to continue operating on mainline infrastructure under radio-based train control. Immingham intermodal A NEW container service between the Port of…

Waterloo to Bristol campaign SEVERAL campaign groups have joined forces to fight plans to scrap direct trains from Bristol to Waterloo after South Western Railway announced plans to end through services, which began in 2004, on December 11 this year. SWR said it is trying to reduce duplication across the network, and there is already sufficient services between Salisbury and Bristol operated by GWR. Campaigners say the panned connections at Salisbury are poor, with GWR’s services leaving for Bristol just before SWR’s arrive from Waterloo. Petition against reopening MORE than 13,000 signatures have so far been gathered by campaigners who say the proposed reopening of the rail route between Matlock and Buxton would have a negative impact on the popular Monsal Trail. Manchester & East Midlands Rail Action Partnership (MEMRAP)…

Rail catalyst for jobs RESEARCH commissioned by the Rail Delivery Group shows that a‘net zero railway’ could support 6000 green jobs to 2050, generate £4.4 billion of economic benefits, and kick-start the growth of hydrogen and battery industries. The Government is aiming to have 5GW of low-carbon hydrogen production by 2030, and hydrogen trains would require 2-5GWh of power, meaning rail could help the emerging hydrogen industry to scale-up. Thousands of jobs will also be needed to assemble electric, battery and hydrogen-powered vehicles, most of which will be at existing plants in the North, Midlands and South Wales. Goal for modal shift DB Cargo has launched a new campaign to encourage modal shift from road to rail. By teaming up with some of Britain’s biggest businesses, it will lobby the…

Railtour jinx HAVING caught norovirus on the recent GBRf tour, then having booked for Western Champion to Kingswear, only for it to fail its engine test, and now the ‘Lickey Banker’ tour will apparently not be banked, it struck me that you might be interested if I notify you of any future railtour bookings I make – so your readers would then know they were jinxed. Disillusioned of Devon (Name and address withheld) Held together by string HERE is an anecdote about the old MSJ&AR 1500V DC stock, which was told to me by a former colleague who died at an early age some years ago. Peter joined the railways on a graduate entry scheme for engineers in 1967, and for the first two years did a ‘Cook’s tour’ of…

Porterbrook – delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable railway…

IT IS anticipated that a decision will be made on the Rother Valley Railway’s (RVR) Transport & Works Act Order application by the second quarter of 2022. The public inquiry finished on September 3. Gardner Crawley, chairman of the RVR Heritage Trust said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who wrote in support of the Bodiam to Robertsbridge reconnection project. Many of you wrote to express your backing for the RVR’s application for aTransport and Works Act Order, and several of you gave evidence during the public inquiry this summer, all of which was greatly appreciated by the Trustees. “We are now in the hands of the inspector who will write his report to the Secretary of State for Transport and anticipate his decision will…

The overhaul of No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester to main line standard continues to progress at Tyseley Locomotive Works (TLW). With the tyres having been fitted to Pacific’s wheels by Buckfastleigh-based South Devon Railway Engineering, it was anticipated that they would be dispatched to TLW by late October. TLW will then reprofile the tyres. Also by the end of October, TLW was expected to have the piston heads reassembled along with fixing the slide bars to the cylinders. Meanwhile, volunteers from the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust have stripped and painted the roof of the loco’s support coach, BR Mk.1 BSK No. W17015 at TLW. They have also fitted a kitchen. The carriage was due to move to Rampart Engineering at Barrow Hill by the end of October. Members…

THE project to build new Gresley ‘P2’ No. 2007 Prince of Wales is now two-thirds complete, with over £4m of the estimated required £6m raised since it was launched in September 2013. The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A1SLT) is constructing the 2-8-2 at Darlington Locomotive Works. The engineering team has completed the considerable amount of work involved in converting the original class ‘P2’ monobloc cylinder casting into a welded fabrication. This has included: Finite Element Analysis to check for structural integrity; improving the layout of the valves to reduce the clearance volume, which affects cylinder efficiency); rerouting the steam and exhaust passages to physically separate them to prevent incoming steam from heating the outgoing exhaust; increasing the size and improve internal streamlining of steam passages along Chapelon lines to increase…

Elsecar Avonside moves to Ribble line… THE locomotive that started operations at the Elsecar Heritage Railway in 1996 – Avonside ‘B4’ 0-6-0ST Earl Fitzwilliam (1917/1923) – has left the closed heritage line to take up residence at the Ribble Steam Railway. The out-of-ticket loco departed South Yorkshire on October 7, having been purchased by an RSR member. …as Jessie heads to Cholsey MIKE Pearce’s Hunslet ‘48150’ class 0-6-0ST Jessie (1873/1937) arrived at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Railway on October 12 for an extended stay over the winter months. The Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway-based loco journeyed to the Yorkshire Dales line from the Cholsey & Wallingford Railway, where it had been on hire since September 30. Jessie is expected to work E&BR ‘Santa Special’ services alongside fellow Hunslet 0-6-0ST Beatrice…

Class 315 EMU future secured THE Class 315 Preservation Society (RM August p81) has confirmed agreement has been reached with owners Eversholt Rail that unit No. 315820 will be made available when it comes off lease shortly. East Lancs Railway DMU weekend THE East Lancashire Railway is holding a DMU weekend on November 13/14. Classes 104, 105, 110 and a Class 122 ‘Bubblecar’ will be in operation. One or two-day rover tickets are available on the day, or at discount in advance. Locos moved to Nemesis Rail CLASS 31 No. 31454 has moved again, not long after arrival at The Shires Removal Group, Kinsley, Pontefract (RM May p90), this time to Nemesis Rail, Burton-on-Trent. Another recent arrival at Nemesis, by road on September 22, was Class 33 No. 33019 from…

Popular excursions hauled by Mayflower to run from London Victoria. MAIN Line ‘Santa Specials’ are fairly unusual, so it is no surprise that Steam Dreams’ operation aimed at young families is proving so popular. Demand for seats on the ‘Santa’ and evening dining trains has led to an additional date – December 14 – being added. The Santa trains will work a short circular route of 1hr 45mins duration from London Victoria on December 13, 14, 20 and 22, with departure times at 09.20, 12.00 and 14.15. Fares start from £35 for standard Class tickets, £20 for children. In first class, fares are £55 adult and £40 child. All children aged two-plus will receive a drink, sweet treat and a gift from Santa. Adults can order hot and cold beverages…

NETWORK Rail is to spend £25m protecting the rail link between Gloucester and Newport along the Severn Estuary in and around the Purton to Gatcombe area. Exposed to rain, wind and sea, frequent events of more extreme weather have seen the line seriously disrupted by five major landslips in the last two years. This has led to extended closures of the railway and temporary speed restrictions, delaying more than 200,000 trains. A vital passenger and freight artery –43 trains of steel, petrol and construction materials and supermarket goods from Tesco use the line every week – Network Rail engineers have developed a multi-million-pound plan to protect the railway’s future. The line is also the diversionary route when the Severn Tunnel is closed. Work will begin in summer 2022 to remove…

TWO Network Rail workers have been hailed as heroes after rescuing an 81-year-old man who became stranded while picking blackberries for his wife in the Peak District. Manchester-based trackworkers Colin Phillips and Rolando Navarro were working on some points at Peak Forest, Derbyshire on September 30, when they heard cries for help, and an arm waving in the grass. They found a local man who had slipped and fallen down an embankment when the weather took a turn for the worse. Exhausted, wet and cold, the man only named as Denis, was brought to safety by the Buxton Mountain Rescue Team. Denis subsequently made a donation to the Mountain Rescue Team as a thank you.…

A THIRD open access operator after Hull Trains and Grand Central began running services on the East Coast Main Line from October 25, as FirstGroup subsidiary Lumo launched its public services between King’s Cross and Edinburgh. Initially there were two workings each way (departing King’s Cross at 10.45 and 14.36, and Edinburgh at 09.11 and 16.12), although a third will be added in December and the ultimate goal is to have five. Intermediate calls are made at Stevenage, Newcastle and Morpeth –the northbound services using the normally freight-only York avoiding line. There is asingle-class offering budget fares, with the company targeting passengers that currently choose to fly between Edinburgh/Newcastle and London, while the Stevenage stop is for those currently flying between Edinburgh and Luton. “The real competition is road and…

THE second contract to supply precast segments for HS2 tunnels in London has been won by STRABAG, which will establish a new factory in Hartlepool to manufacture them. Production of the segments will take place at a former oil rig fabrication yard at the town’s docks, creating more than 100 jobs for the duration of the project. The operation in Hartlepool will supply 36,000 segments for the twin-bore tunnels that will run under Northolt, linking the HS2 station at Old Oak Common with Green Parkway. Construction of the new factory will begin in January 2022, with the manufacture of segments starting in December 2022. Rail facilities All the segments produced in Hartlepool will be transported entirely by rail, with the first consignment scheduled for delivery to HS2’s Willesden logistics hub…

READING the article on bridge bashes in the October issue, I was reminded that when I worked in the then Railway Inspectorate of the Ministry of Transport 40 years ago, this subject came up quite often. I wondered back then if, just before each low bridge, something could be built over the roadway to enable scaffolding poles, steel balls or concrete blocks on chains to be dangled at the same height above the road as the low bridge was. Then any over-height vehicle would receive a noisy warning to alert a driver who has forgotten the height of their vehicle. A good idea they said, but I see we are still waiting for something like that to be installed! Edward Dawes By email AS a former bridge inspector for 25…

100 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 1921 ‘Conductor-Guard’ Trains THE Great Eastern Railway is developing the principle of ‘conductor-guard’ working on branch trains, already in use on certain light railways, as a means of operating less remunerative branches more economically. The conductor-guard has a complete set of single and return tickets to meet standard requirements and, in order to cover instances where through tickets are ordinarily issued at a fare less than the sum of the branch fare and the continuation on the main line, provision is made whereby only the difference between the branch fare originally paid and the through fare is charged when rebooking. Special rolling-stock may eventually be introduced, but for the time being the experiment is being carefully watched. 50 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 1971 Three lines…

THE oldest steamable standard gauge steam locomotive in the British Isles has returned to service, following the completion of its overhaul by owners, the Furness Railway Trust (FRT). Furness Railway No. 20 was built by Sharp, Stewart in 1863 as an 0-4-0 tender loco, before being sold to the Barrow Haematite Steel Co and subsequently converted to an 0-4-0ST. Acquired by the FRT in 1990, the loco became the group’s flagship and was restored to original condition. It was formally relaunched into service on April 20, 1999. Having operated regularly at Locomotion Shildon for much of its last decade in traffic, it was withdrawn for overhaul at the Ribble Steam Railway (RSR) in July 2018, where the FRT is based. Overhaul Largely undertaken by FRT volunteers, the work has been…

East Lancs upgrades THE project to improve the East Lancashire Railway’s carriage and wagon workshop is progressing well. Old wooden staging has been dismantled and a new concrete floor laid. New bespoke metal and wood staging will be erected. Materials for the scheme are budgeted to cost £17,000. A £16,000 project to refurbish Rawtenstall West signalbox is also underway. After being cancelled three times due to Covid-19 – twice in 2020 and once in 2021 – the visit of No. 60103 Flying Scotsman has been hailed a success. In excess of 10,000 passengers were carried during the National Collection-owned loco’s visit on August 29/30 and September 3–5. GCR Cuneo auction THE Great Central Railway is auctioning a signed and framed print by celebrated railway artist Terence Cuneo, which depicts LMS…

Derwent Valley Railway anniversary THE Derwent Valley Light Railway marked the 40th anniversary of the original line’s closure with an event at Murton Park station on September 26, attended by Normandy veterans and the Lord Mayor of York. Mk.1 TSO No. E4990, which arrived on loan from North Yorkshire Moors Railway in July 2019 was also named Lavinia in honour of the late Lavinia Nelson, a DVLR supporter. Austin 1 to stay on hire in West Country THE Llangollen Railway Trust’s Kitson 0-6-0ST Austin 1 (5459/1932) is to remain on hire to the Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust at Midsomer Norton until January. Austin 1 will be used on the line’s Santa trains on December 11, 12, 18 and 19. Birkenhead to get new museum MERSEY Railway 0-6-4T Cecil…

THE Dean Forest Railway may have been unable to turn out its pioneer steam locomotive – Peckett ‘R4’ 0-4-0ST Uskmouth 1 (2147/1952) – for its 50th Anniversary Gala on October 23/24, but echoes of those early days were able to be rekindled thanks to a visit by another loco from the Bristol manufacturer. Peckett ‘W6’0-4-0 Rocket (1722/1926) was hired in for the event courtesy of the Telford Steam Railway. Just as Uskmouth 1 kick-started DFR operations by giving brakevan rides half a century earlier, Rocket rolled the clock right back by performing similar duties during the course of the weekend. Also in service were GWR ‘4575’2-6-2T No. 5541 and Hunslet ‘Austerity’0-6-0ST No. 75008 Swiftsure (2857/1943). Ex-British Electricity Authority Uskmouth 1 came to the DFR from Uskmouth ‘A’ power station near…

IN anticipation of a date being announced for its reopening, the volunteers from the Wirral Transport Museum and Heritage Tramway are preparing for it to welcome visitors again. It was expected to take a few weeks to get the site ready as trams need to be recommissioned and given full safety tests, checks and test runs. Drivers and conductors also need refresher training. One of the first jobs completed was a visit by a road sweeper to clean the tracks for the first time since 2019.…

THE Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society (IDRS), like all preservation groups, has had a challenging time since the Covid-19 lockdowns were imposed. However, much progress towards constructing LMS No.10000 has been achieved. Steam-heating boilers have been obtained as the Deltic Preservation Society had decided to discontinue with steam heat in its locos. They sold alot of spare parts to the IDRS, but the boiler shells from Nos. 55009 and 55019 had been disposed of. Fortunately, the new owner agreed to sell both to the IDRS and they are now safely at Centenary Works, Wirksworth, awaiting refurbishment. Shortly afterwards, the Veronica Awdry Charitable Trust donated £1000 towards this work. Meanwhile, the chassis of donor loco No. 58022, was almost completely stripped, with the last modules due to be removed in November. One…

THE 400 Series Preservation Group (400SPG), based on the East Kent Railway (EKR), has taken delivery of two further SR EMU vehicles. Both were privately owned and stored on the Dartmoor Railway. They were not connected with the RMS Locotec sale, but had to be removed from there on closure of the site as a storage facility. Former 4-CIG driving trailer DTC No. 76747 arrived at Shepherdswell on July 29. It is here for a short stay for cosmetic attention before moving on to Rampart Engineering, Barrow Hill for refurbishment. It will go there when MBSO No. 62364 is completed and returned to Kent. They will form part of 400SPG’s battery-powered EMU project, ‘Batteries Included’. Fleet Class 411 trailer car TSOL No. 70273 arrived from Dartmoor on September 15, and…

FOLLOWING arrival of its second loco, the recently established Yorkshire Wolds Railway (YWR) at Fimber, East Yorkshire, has launched a £6000 appeal to restore 0-6-0DH Patricia (Fowler 4240017 of 1966) (RM October p81). It is not in poor condition, but does need work on all aspects of the mechanical side. The priority is to make the cab watertight by fitting new windows and seals all round. Powered by a six-cylinder Rolls-Royce engine, parts such as the air compressor and locating bracket need replacing. YWR member Graham Danby, who spearheaded the acquisition of the loco, said it took 2½ years of negotiations with the industrial owners in Hull. They wanted to ensure everything was right with the site at Fimber and documentation was in place before the loco could be moved.…

Drier passengers at Orpington A PROJECT costing £2.5m has been completed at Orpington to refurbish the platform canopies, paint the supporting wrought iron columns and install new timber fascia boards. Additionally, new glazing has been put over the inter-platform subway staircases providing more natural lighting. Keadby Canal bridge repairs WORK to repair a structural fault on the Keadby Canal bridge between Doncaster and Scunthorpe has been undertaken by Network Rail in conjunction with the Canal & River Trust. In September a fault meant the bridge could not be closed. Plans include a live monitoring system and plans for long-term repairs. The bridge is a ‘Vazon’ type which slides open to let boats pass. Contract completed for Norwich station offices upgrade REFURBISHMENT of the first floor offices at Norwich station, which…

A DESIGN contract to replace the signalling in the Gloucester area with new digital signalling equipment has been awarded to Hitachi Rail and Linbrooke. The current signalling controlled by the Gloucester panel dates from the 1960s. Over the next 12 months the two companies will tailor the Wayside Standard Platform (WSP HS+) system to create a bespoke package for the area. The digital signalling facilitates the management of a greater amount of trackside equipment and integrates safety, diagnostics and signalling functions in one single control station. The technology also creates a safer environment for staff, as it allows fault checking to be carried out remotely as opposed to physical trackside checks. The Gloucester contract has been awarded as part of Hitachi Rail’s Wales and Western Region Major Signalling Renewals Framework,…

IN preparation for remodelling of the approaches to platforms 4-6 at Leeds station later in the year, over the weekend of October 30/31, work took place to prepare a new track crossover and install new overhead wires. Ducting under the track for signalling cables was also installed. The remodelling will help to increase capacity, but also reduce the impact at times of unplanned disruption. The project will be completed early in 2022. Platforms 4-5 are often used by Bradford, Skipton, Ilkley electric services, Knaresborough or Carlisle services, while a number of LNER trains use platform 6.…

A PUBLIC consultation on proposals and options to increase rail capacity through Ely, Cambridgeshire, for passenger and freight services, was opened by Network Rail on October 18, and runs to November 28. The consultation will examine four specific proposals and options: ■ Proposals to remodel the track layout at Ely North junction; ■ Proposals and road options for level crossings at Queen Adelaide; ■ Proposals and options for level crossings at Stonea, Burgess Drove (Waterbeach) and Well Engine foot crossing; and ■ Proposals to upgrade 15 level crossings across the wider area. Network Rail says the results from this latest consultation, together with the feedback from the earlier Ely South consultation (spring 2021) will help to progress designs prior to selecting preferred options. Subject to further funding, NR will present…

NETWORK Rail has secured a £2m boost of development funding from the Department of Transport (DfT) towards plans to help relieve congestion at London’s Stratford station. The funding will allow Network Rail to develop an Outline Business Case which will need to be submitted to the DfT in 2022 to seek approval for further funding to progress with the work. Since the 2012 Olympics, Stratford Station has been a key interchange in Zone 2 for passengers in east London and with it a huge growth in passenger numbers – nearly 42 million passengers between 2019 and 2020, making Stratford the busiest nonterminal station in London. As the area regenerates, passenger numbers will increase further, more so when the full Elizabeth Line (Crossrail) opens next year. At peak times, the station…