Innholdsfortegnelse for January 2022 i The Railway Magazine

Cadder depot opens SCOTRAIL’S new servicing and fuelling depot at Cadder, between Bishopbriggs and Lenzie on the Edinburgh & Glasgow line, opened on December 12. The new £33m depot can accommodate up to six InterCity7 HST sets. Its use will reduce empty stock miles while shifting the burden of stabling HSTs away from Perth, Haymarket and Eastfield depots. An added benefit is the reduction of emissions and noise for residents who live close to those other yards. Because of the size of the yard, there is scope for future expansion. There is also a new two-storey office and mess facility. A1SLT Trustee resigns THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust announced the resignation of Mark Allatt from his role as a trustee and council member with immediate effect on December 21. Mark…

Jeremy English 1947-2021 WHEN it came to filming trains, particularly main line steam, Jeremy English was a natural. He had the pioneering foresight to realise the potential for a rail news video magazine, and he founded ‘Railscene’ in 1984. He travelled the country, always in Volkswagen group cars, creating enthralling footage of mainline steam, heritage steam and contemporary traction. His portfolio also included cab rides, modelling and main line steam in the USA. The pot-pourri of content gave wide appeal, as did his scripting technique, which went far beyond technical and location details. His production of Railscene ceased in 2003, Jeremy switching to contract filming and production. Jeremy collapsed at home on December 12, aged 74, and could not be revived…

THE unique Class 89 electric locomotive No. 89001 has secured a main line return with Locomotive Services Ltd in Crewe. The ‘Badger’ is owned by Electric Traction Ltd, which has painstakingly returned it to working order after it was sold by previous operator GNER in October 2006. LSL has agreed to fund the final works required to complete the rebuild, including fitting of mandatory safety systems, before taking it on a five-year loan deal for use with its matching set of InterCityliveried stock. The loco entered traffic with British Rail in 1987, but was withdrawn after a serious failure in July 1992. It was then sidelined until resurrected by GNER in 1997 for further use on the East Coast Main Line, but suffered another major failure in October 2000 that…

PLANS for construction site accommodation for HS2 in Camden, which will incorporate a construction skills centre, have taken a step forward. The original plans for the centre, to be run by Camden Council in the grounds of the former Maria Fidelis School, have been amended to allow for a temporary modular building which will be used during building of the HS2 station at Euston. The council’s planning committee has resolved to grant planning permission for the new configuration which could be used by up 2500 workers and 150 students on a daily basis. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine…

AS dawn broke over Dartmoor at 07.10 on November 20, 2021, Class 150/2 sprinters Nos. 150221 and 150233 burbled into Okehampton station to be met by the Hatherleigh Silver Band striking up with a brisk march. What had brought out the ‘great and the good’ to celebrate at this unearthly hour on a winter Saturday morning? Well, the apparently unremarkable arrival of the 06.32 from Exeter St David’s was actually momentous; the first passenger train since withdrawal of the service on June 3, 1972. Okehampton was once again firmly in place on the British passenger train network map after an absence of all-but half a century. Casual observers of the Okehampton railway scene might have been surprised by this news. Surely trains had always been a regular sight? After the…

Send your letters to: The Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. email: railway@mortons.co.uk NB. Publication of a letter does not imply that the Editor or staff of The Railway Magazine necessarily agree with its contents. Carriage end apparatus REGARDING the query in the December issue, the coach concerned is BR Mk.1 non-corridor second No. E46139, which was originally allocated to the Western Region but transferred to the Eastern in the mid-1960s. The conjecture it may be part of slip coach working is correct. The book British Railways Mark 1 Coaches by Keith Parkin (page 89) explains this: “The Western Region obviously had a high expectation of the services on which its nongangwayed coaches would work. They were fitted with small rings, or eyelets, at approximately the…

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

New-build steam locomotive project progresses on several fronts. THE B17 Steam Locomotive Trust has ordered the six 6ft 8in driving wheels required for its new-build LNER ‘B17’ 4-6-0 No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham. This is the single most expensive order placed by the B17 SLT to date. Sheffield-based William Cook Cast Products Ltd (WCCP) will use the same wheel pattern as used for No. 60163 Tornado’s wheels, the patterns having been generously loaned by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Each wheel will be subject to additional Non-Destructive Testing (NDT), after casting, using a combination of Radiographic (X-ray) and Ultrasound Tests to provide greater assurance and integrity in the product. The order follows recent coupled axlebox castings and two cannon axlebox castings, also by WCCP. Orders have also been placed with…

GWR 2-6-2T No. 5164 formally transferred from the 5164 Preservation Group to the Erlestoke Manor Fund (EMF) in late November, thus securing the future of the locomotive in a charitable organisation which is strongly affiliated to the Severn Valley Railway. A small ceremony was held at Barrow Hill Roundhouse on November 21 when 5164 Preservation Group chairman, Ian Whitlam, formally handed ownership of the locomotive over to EMF chairman, Adrian Hassell, in the presence of the SVR contracts manager Duncan Ballard. An initial examination of No. 5164 was carried out during the visit by members of the 5164 and EMF engineering teams. No. 5164 is expected to remain on display at Barrow Hill for the time being, while EMF shareholders are consulted on a proposal to bring No. 5164 into…

THE Swindon & Cricklade Railway (SCR) has achieved a breakthrough with its ambition to extend public services north to the Wiltshire town which features in the second half of the line’s name. On November 21, Hunslet 0-6-0 No. 3871 became the first steam locomotive to pass over South Meadow Crossing since 1961. The blue-liveried ‘Austerity’ was on hire from the Mid-Hants Railway to assist with festive season trains. The development came three weeks after volunteers surfaced the level crossing – which will be gated in due course – and laid approximately 100 yards of track, including a point. In the fullness of time, the latter will serve a permanent way siding on the western side of the line, accessible from the north. Volunteers are now forging ahead on laying the…

THE overhaul of James Evans’ ex-Dinorwic Hunslet 0-4-0ST Velinheli took a major step forward on November 20, when the loco was partially dismantled and the boiler lifted. Velinheli was withdrawn in 2017 in need of a new boiler, which is being constructed at Ffestiniog Railway’s Boston Lodge works. Hitherto the ‘Quarry Hunslet’ had been left intact, but the stage has been reached where parts of the old boiler need to be removed in order to check correct fitting in the new unit. A fire was lit in the boiler of Richmond Light Railway’s ex-Penrhyn Hunslet 0-4-0ST Elin for the first time in over 20 years on November 18. Steam was slowly raised to 100psi in the out of frames test.…

THE 10¼in gauge Ayton Castle Railway formally opened with a ceremony on September 24, with the first public running on November 26. The line runs from Eyemouth Road Station to Castle View Halt situated on a balloon loop overlooking the castle. The line is approximately 540yd in length and runs through beautiful woodland. Barrie Forrest, who campaigned for the reinstatement of a station at Reston on the East Coast Main Line, which opened in December, and is chairman of Rages (Rail Action Group East of Scotland), unveiled a plaque at the ceremony attended by invited guests. The line was built by Alan Keef & Co of Ross-on-Wye which supplied a new diesel-hydraulic loco and two bogie carriages. Brian Parsons, co-owner of Ayton Castle, commented at the opening that it is…

THE Branch Line Society has organised a tram tour for January 30, raising money to support heritage tram operations and restoration projects in Blackpool. ‘The Blackpool Balloon II’ will start at Rigby Road depot and, as the title suggests, will use a balloon double decked tram from the Blackpool heritage fleet. It is expected that the tour will cover locations including Starr Gate depot, wash road and headshunt, the loop at Little Bispham and centre road at Thornton Gate, Cabin crossover, the inner and outer loops at the Pleasure Beach and Fleetwood Ferry and Bispham centre road. A rare move using a diesel vehicle on an unwired road is also planned. Full details can be found at: branchline.uk…

THE Kent & East Sussex Railway’s Class 08 No. D4118 (08888) arrived at the Avon Valley Railway in September. Valley Rail Preservation at Bitton has been commissioned by the owners to strip down the loco for the engine and main generator to be removed for attention. Other work will include rewiring and replacing the remote-control equipment with standard electromechanical parts. The main and auxiliary generators will be sent to a specialist company for refurbishing. While out, the power unit will be checked over and where necessary, work undertaken. Concurrently, all the air-pressure tanks will be removed, inspected, tested and certified. The 0-6-0DE will return to the KESR on completion of the work. ■ Our thanks to contributors: Josh Brinsford; Ben Bucki; Helston Railway; Stephen Middleton (E&BASR); Pete Salmon (KESR); Peter…

A NEW offering from Pathfinder Tours recently announced is aimed at both track and locomotive ‘bashers’, as it features four different traction types and will run over a number of goods lines and loops, usually off limits to passenger workings. Due to operate on February 19, the ‘Link N’ Chord’ starts at Didcot Parkway before heading across to the East Midlands ‘Shires’ to explore a number of loops and lines. With a DRS Class 68 hauling the train from Didcot, the tour will call at Oxford, Banbury, Leamington Spa, Dorridge, Coleshill Parkway, Nuneaton and Leicester, in the process traversing the Up Washwood Heath Goods Loop, Nuneaton chord and Wigston North Chord. Heading east to a loco change at Peterborough, the requested route includes the up goods loops at Melton Mowbray…

PROPOSALS to transform the entrance and area around York’s historic railway station has taken another step forward, after York City Council’s Executive agreed plans to progress the scheme. Called the York station regeneration project, it has been developed by the council in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, Network Rail and LNER. Under the proposals, the Queen Street bridge would be removed and the whole station entrance reorganised to improve the experience for users. Removal of the bridge, which has not been used since the 1960s and took tracks through an arch in the historic wall to the city’s original railway station, will create space for improved access for all modes of transport, while revealing hidden sections of the walls. Costed at £25.7m and funded by the West Yorkshire…

VIDEO footage of teenagers doing handstands and ‘selfies’ on a foot crossing to Attenborough nature reserve near Nottingham was released at the end of November, in a bid to deter copycat behaviour. Analysis over nine days at the crossing revealed it was used by the public more than 5400 times, but there were 22 incidents of what the railway would classify as misuse, 14 of which were people stopping to take photos. In addition, 366 ‘vulnerable’ users were also observed, users who in the main were wearing headphones, potentially reducing their concentration and ability to hear approaching trains. Awareness days are planned to improve users’ safety.…

A RUN-DOWN Baroque-style façade which sits underneath the railway on the western approach to London Bridge station, is to be restored at a cost of £3m. Known as Findlater’s Corner, it was built by the South Eastern Railway in 1865 as part of the viaduct structure on the corner of Borough High Street. From opening in 1865 to 1967, it was the home of former Royal wine merchants Findlater, Mackie and Todd, however, the building has been empty since 2018. Now owned by The Arch Company, the façade and derelict interiors will be refurbished over the next 12 months to create space for four new retail premises, ranging from a kiosk to 4000 sq ft premises. The striking clock with its ceramic stag’s head, referencing Findlater’s Scottish roots and whisky…

CEMEX’S new rail depot at Small Heath in Birmingham is receiving aggregates from the company’s Dove Holes Quarry in the Peak District. Four trains a week, operated by GB Railfreight, are anticipated, increasing the use of rail in the CEMEX supply chain to construction projects in the West Midlands. It is estimated that the depot, opened last November, could lead to 17,000 fewer lorry journeys a year and a CO2 reduction of 2,200 tonnes. Partnership The creation and operation of the site has involved a partnership with Network Rail and aggregates distributor GRS. “Network Rail’s investment in the infrastructure was pivotal in supporting the delivery of CEMEX’s new rail aggregate depot at Small Heath,” said David Young, Network Rail’s business and development manager for freight. “We are proud to have…

RESPONDING to the Government’s Integrated Rail Plan, the Rail Freight Group (RFG) has welcomed plans to upgrade the trans-Pennine route via Huddersfield for container traffic and for the electrification of the route, along with the Midland Main Line between Market Harborough and Sheffield. It warns, however, that there could be potential for bottlenecks or reduced freight capacity where it is planned for HS2 and Northern Powerhouse Rail to share existing infrastructure.…

A NEW bogie press which can simulate axle loads of up to 24 tonnes has been supplied by rail maintenance specialists Mechan to London Underground’s Stratford Market depot. The press allows staff to set-up bogies for Jubilee Line trains to the correct ride height and adjust the suspension following maintenance. Transport for London’s fleet services and delivery manager Ian Ferguson said: “The bogie press has dramatically reduced the time it takes us to carry out repair work, as it can all be planned and executed at Stratford Market. This means trains are out of use for less time, bringing direct benefits to passengers.”…

DISPENSATIONS which allowed the continued use in passenger service of Class 153 single-car diesel units that were not compliant with accessibility regulations have expired. Nos. 153308/319/355/357/ 379/384, the remaining six class members with East Midlands Railway, were still available for use by the operator until December 12 but are now off-lease. By early December 2021, of the 10 units leased to Northern which were covered by letters of dispensation (Nos. 153307/324/328/330/ 331/332/358/359/360/363), eight had left the operator. Northern said new trains and cascaded rolling stock meant it had no current plans for further use of the remaining Class 153s in passenger service. Transport for Wales confirmed it would be seeking no further derogations as a programme of compliance work on its Class 153 fleet was nearing completion.…

THE Government published the final version of its Union Connectivity Review at the end of November, which recommends that investment be concentrated on a number of passenger and freight corridors to bring greater cohesion between the four countries of the UK. Under the title of ‘UKNET’, the corridors form the basis for future network planning, when funding will be given to projects that have UK-wide benefits and improve union connectivity. The review acknowledges that further home working could reduce passenger demand in individual conurbations, but UKNET is seen as mostly focused on longer distance inter-city and inter-regional travel. Most commuter trips are either within cities or accessing cities from satellite towns, but there are examples of shorter distance, cross-border connections – such as travel between North Wales and North West…

Go-Ahead starts Bavarian Service UK based The Go-Ahead Group has launched its first services in Bavaria, Germany on the route from Munich to Lindau. The service is provided by a new fleet of 22 Stadler electric trains taking advantage of the route being recently electrified. The timetable has been revamped with the introduction of a new express service between Memmingen and Munich, enabling the 70-mile route to be covered in little more than an hour. More Bio-Coal Trials THE Bure Valley Railway has held a further set of trials to test bio-coal after initial tests in June 2021. The objective of the second set of trials was to test the fuel under more arduous working conditions and to try it on a second engine, extending the knowledge base of how…

SITE preparation was scheduled between Christmas and New Year for a bridge that will take HS2 over the M42 in North Warwickshire. Originally intended to be of a traditional design, it was changed to a 10,000 tonne box structure to lessen road disruption. Once constructed, it will be put into place during a single movement during a week-long closure of the motorway in winter this year. The whole bridge – which has a base, three walls and a top slab – will be built on land next to the road and shifted into position on a raft. The raft (a reinforced concrete slab) and box structure, with part of the jacking mechanism cast into its base, will be constructed using two tower cranes. Although the box slide technique is commonly…

TWO steam-hauled runs up the 1-in-37.75 Lickey Incline on the same day with the same vehicles, both with clear runs at the gradient and unassisted by bankers. Which would prevail – 7P 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle or 8P 4-6-2 No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland? Both locos could be classed as visitors to this former Midland Railway route, and there was very little ‘form’ on which to judge them, but the smart money was on a win for the bigger loco. With the prospect of such a contest in mind, it was perhaps churlish for some of those on board to grumble that the originally advertised arrangements for assisting both trains from Bromsgove to Blackwell with pannier tank No. 9466 had foundered on the latter’s unavailability. However, I count myself…

I WOULD like to respond to ‘Will East West Rail Go South?’ (December), which was misleading in many ways. The key fact about the route selection is that a process has been ongoing in public for several years: Network Rail held a consultation on route options in 2016, and EWR Co likewise in 2019. Both included public exhibitions. The 2019 consultation gave weight to public views and on that basis the current route was chosen. The cost estimates of the options used in that choice have been queried, but the public choice seems based on serving the most people, rather than cost. This year’s consultation was about options around key sections of the route. For most sections, such as Bletchley-Bedford and the new lines around Bedford station, there were minimal…

100 YEARS AGO JANUARY 1922 Locomotive Boiler Explosions IN VIEW of the bursting of the boiler of No. 34, a four-cylinder compound eight-coupled engine, at Buxton recently, the annual returns of accidents is being expanded to include boilers or tubes of engines. There have been 99 reported during the 20 years 1901-20 inclusive, and they resulted in seven servants being killed and 111 injured. All the fatal explosions, with the exception of one on the Taff Vale in 1904, were inquired into by the inspecting officers. Off the 99 reported, the highest 13 were on the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and 11 on the London & North Western Railway. 50 YEARS AGO JANUARY 1972 Compensation for Ffestiniog SUBJECT to appeal, the Ffestiniog Railway Company was awarded £65,000 compensation…

Preston ‘Hall’ progress FURTHER cladding has been fitted to the boiler of No. 4979 Wootton Hall, on a temporary basis, as part of its restoration from Barry scrapyard at the Ribble Steam Railway, Preston. The third sheet on the right-hand side has now been fitted by volunteers from the owning group, the Furness Railway Trust (FRT). The fabricated cab side stanchions are being tidied up with filler so they look more like Swindon manufactured pressings. The cab sides are also starting to receive attention where they have suffered after having been exposed to 50 years of the elements. Wooden packing on the tender frames is all but complete. Planning is now underway to lift the new tank on to the frames where it can be more easily repaired inside the…

January 8/9 Spa Valley Railway: Winter Steam Up January 15/16 Great Central Railway: East Coast Main Line Weekend January 28-30 Great Central Railway: Winter Steam Gala February 19-27 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway: Half Term Happiness February 20 Epping Ongar Railway: LT to LRT Bus Event March 11-13 Keighley & Worth Valley Railway: Steam Gala March 19/20 Great Central Railway: Railways at Work Gala March 26/27 Great Central Railway: 16mm & Model Engineers’ Weekend ■ Check before travelling – events may be cancelled at short notice due to Covid-19 restrictions.…

THE boiler for No. 1014 County of Glamorgan is due to return to the Didcot Railway Centre in June 2022. Volunteers from the Great Western Society discussed the next steps on the boiler for the re-creation of the Hawksworth 4-6-0 with staff from contractor HBSS on November 22. The boiler is due to be in a condition to be shipped to Didcot where it will be trial fitted to No. 1014. This will include attaching the smokebox to ensure that everything is correctly lined up. The boiler will be piped up before returning to the Liverpool premises of HBSS for completion and an informal hydraulic test. It will be formally tested on its permanent return to Didcot. In the meantime, HBSS will manufacture the grate, ashpan and cladding in Liverpool.…

FORMER Pilton Ironstone Quarries Avonside 0-6-0ST Stamford (1972/1927) is to remain in the county where it spent its working career following its purchase from the Bluebell Railway by Rocks by Rail (RbR) at Cottesmore. The purchase follows a successful fundraising campaign by RbR during the past 12 months, which came after the Bluebell line agreed to sell the loco at the end of last year. The final instalment was handed over by RbR trustee, David Atkinson, at Sheffield Park station on November 27; the Bluebell Railway’s locomotive engineering director, Paul Russell, accepting the cheque on the railway’s behalf. Unrestored Stamford had been on loan to the Cottesmore museum since 2010, being one of only a handful of preserved steam locomotives to have worked in the ironstone quarries of Rutland. Its…

NEW-BUILD 2ft gauge Bagnall ‘Sipat’ 0-4-0ST Big Dave left North Bay Railway Engineering (NBRE) in Darlington on November 23, arriving on West of Fife Munitions Railway metals the following day. Test steaming and shakedown runs followed at the beginning of December with NBRE staff assisting on-site. The addition of steam to the 2ft gauge line is a game changer for the Shed 47 Railway Restoration Group, which also anticipates the introduction of steam on the standard gauge line at the Lothalmond site. Formerly known as Lothalmond Royal Naval Stores Depot, the site is also home to the Scottish Vintage Bus Museum. Big Dave brings resident operational steam to a Scottish narrow gauge line for the first time in many years, it is thought since Christmas 2003 when Fowler 0-4-2T (13355/14)…

WITH main season services having ceased, the Ffestiniog Railway will remain closed through to March while a programme of infrastructure work is implemented. This will deal with improvements postponed due to Covid-19 lockdowns during 2020 and work not possible once trains resumed running when maximisation of revenue took priority. The programme includes track relaying, using new rail and recycled plastic sleepers, installation of a mains electrical cable and fibre optic cable to Rhiw Goch signalbox, and attention to Porthmadog Harbour station. The Porthmadog end of Tan y Bwlch station, used extensively during 2021 when many ‘Covid services’ terminated there, will receive enhancements to enable safe operation without the line token by installing a ‘wrong line’ departure signal and improved track circuiting thus making running round easier. On the Welsh Highland…

RESTORATION of Avonside 0-4-0ST 1909/1922, which last steamed some 60 years ago, has commenced. The loco, which worked at Farleigh Mill Sugar Mill, near Mackay, Queensland, was imported from Australia by John Moorhouse, arriving at the Bala Lake Railway on October 22, 2020. The boiler on the loco was not original, but a 1937 replacement built by Perry Engineering in Australia, which was longer than the original with a higher firebox. A new welded boiler of similar size to the original Avonside unit will be built by a contractor, employing traditional methods in visible areas such as the firebox back head, throat plate and foundation ring. The original Avonside boiler fittings were employed on the Perry boiler and have been removed for use on the new boiler after refurbishment. Meanwhile,…

STEEPLE Grange Light Railway (SGLR) has received a £32,636 grant from the Tarmac Landfill Community Fund administered by the Derbyshire Environmental Trust. This will enable the 18in gauge line to fund stabilisation of the Dark Lane Quarry face which suffered a rockfall nearly a year ago (RM, April 2021), repair the abutments of Porter Lane bridge and deal with other infrastructure issues to secure the future of the railway. By the end of November contractors had repaired the four eroded Porter Lane bridge abutments by spraying concrete in the damaged area then carving it to represent stone.…

WATFORD Miniature Railway’s latest acquisition, 4-6-2 Henry (RM Dec p72), is seen at the station in Cassiobury Park on November 7. The 10¼in gauge loco will perhaps, always be best known as Commodore Vanderbilt, the name it carried for many years. It was then an American outline 4-6-4, but when built by Ernest Dove in 1950 for the Gwrych Castle Railway, it was No. 1950 Silver Queen for its first season. Dove then modified its appearance slightly and gave it a new name. After several moves and changes of ownership it arrived at the new Ferry Meadows Railway (FMR), Peterborough in 1978. There, it was rebuilt as a 4-6-2 with British outline by Alec Mills in 1981 and renamed Henry. It ran on the FMR until the line changed hands…

OVERHEAD conductor bars at Seaton station on the Seaton Tramway have been replaced. The new ones are made of brass and are expected to last longer and be more conducive to their environment than the aluminium examples which were previously in place. Completed in November by the tramway’s engineering team, power was isolated from the station to allow for the old bars to be removed and carefully lowered to ground level before work began on lifting the new ones into place and reconnecting the electricity supply. Like us facebook.com/TheRailwayMagazine Follow us @railwaymagazine…

‘Deltic’ and ‘A1’ run together CLASS 55 No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier will be starring alongside ‘A1’ replica No. 60163 Tornado at an East Coast-themed event at the Great Central Railway on January 15/16. The ‘Deltic’ will work three diagrams, including a freight, on each day. The green-liveried Class 101 DMU will also be in traffic. ■ The Deltic Preservation Society says No. 55019 will move to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway for its spring diesel gala on April 22-24, and then operate on other selected dates until the early summer, including driver experience days on the four Fridays in May. GVR loco restarted THE Garw Valley Railway has announced its Planet loco No. 3890 has been restarted after months of refurbishment work. The work included fitting a new fuel tank…

CHESHIRE-BASED luxury train company Northern Belle has teamed up with cruise ship operator Imagine to launch a series of week-long rail tours with a difference around Britain. Passengers will travel on the Northern Belle with its Pullman carriages and spend seven nights at five-star hotels along the way in London, Bath, Manchester, Edinburgh and Gleneagles. In the evening, passengers can enjoy an exclusive concert at the Savoy Hotel with opera star Katherine Jenkins, then on other nights, evening dinner entertainment with comic Jimmy Tarbuck and football legend Harry Redknapp, and a dance display in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom by Anton Du Beke and Erin Boag. There is also a private boat trip around Loch Ness. Despite the hefty price tag of £4499, two of the three trips in March have…

New bridge installed on Highland Main Line IN SPITE of the effects of Storm Arwen, Network Rail has successfully demolished and replaced a Victorian bridge at Lynebeg with a 660-ton twin-track concrete box structure during a 78-hour possession. The new bridge is connected with preparatory work for dualling the A9 road between Tomatin and Moy. 1000 trees planted in former compound LANDSCAPING a former electrification compound at Finedon, near Wellingborough, is being boosted by the planting of 1000 trees as part of a project to transform the land into a wildlife nature reserve. The project will include several protected species. Busiest day at Piccadilly NETWORK Rail says 128,591 passengers passed through Manchester Piccadilly station on November 20, the daily passenger numbers have topped 128,000 since March 6, 2020. Total passenger…

First revenue-earning Orion services ORION, the logistics subsidiary of Rail Operations Group, ran its first revenue-earning services in late November. ROG would not confirm details, but it is understood they took the form of a return journey between Shieldmuir Royal Mail Terminal in North Lanarkshire and Princess Royal Distribution Centre at Willesden on November 23, with Class 57, No. 57310 Pride of Cumbria leading unit Nos. 768001 and 319373. Sweet outcome for limestone A PARTNERSHIP between DCRail and road haulier Rory J Holbrook has brought limestone traffic for sugar production in East Anglia back to the rail network. Used to remove impurities from sugar beet during the rendering process, 7000 tonnes of limestone per week will be moved by rail in new high capacity wagons from the Peak District to…

THE first of four ‘Swift Express’ electric multiple units, converted from Class 321s for goods use, is expected to be ready for delivery in February. Eversholt Rail announced in November that the former passenger sets would undergo modification by Gemini Rail Services in Wolverton. Eversholt says the programme of work is in response to negotiations with “an ever-increasing number of train operators who are seeking to capitalise on the HGV driver shortage and other logistics issues affecting supply chains across the UK.” A concept version of the ‘Swift Express’, completed at Wabtec’s Doncaster Works, was unveiled in July 2021. In addition to the removal of seats and fitment of new flooring, along with clamps and bars to secure roll cages during transit (as in the concept unit), the four ‘Version…

THE first bodyshell for the Tyne & Wear Metro’s 46 new five-car electric units has been completed at Stadler’s St Margrethen plant in Switzerland. Final assembly, which includes the fitting of bogies and installation of other external and internal equipment is the next stage of the manufacturing process. Announced at the beginning of December, the milestone came a week after a ceremony marking completion of the first phase of the £70 million project to rebuild the Metro’s South Gosforth depot, where the manufacturer will maintain the new fleet for Nexus. Stadler Rail Service UK managing director Rob Baxter said he was “tremendously proud” of how teams had worked together to keep the redevelopment on time and budget despite the Covid-19 pandemic. As reported in December’s The RM, following commissioning of…

Adrian Curtis 1958-2021 RAILWAY writer Adrian Curtis, an acknowledged expert on BR’s diesel hydraulics, died on December 8, aged 63. A journalist by profession, Adrian started his career at the Scunthorpe Star, later writing about fishing for the Angling Times, and then football, working on Match and Shoot magazines, and was a member of the Football Writers’ Association. Moving into newspapers with an enviable contacts book, he broke many big stories, but was also the Tottenham Hotspur correspondent for the Evening Standard before working for the Press Association. Railways were a passion too, his knowledge on early diesel classes and the Western Region hydraulics was formidable. Adrian passed away in hospital following an emergency operation and will be greatly missed by many friends who knew him across a vast range…

BOLTON-BASED Booth Industries has opened a purpose-built operation for manufacturing tunnel safety doors for the HS2 project. As a result of the £36.5 million 10-year contract awarded in September 2020, Booth created the new facility adjacent to its main factory. The company has also started to expand its workforce, a process which will continue as the contract enters its later phases. The initial focus will be on development and testing before attention turns to manufacturing of the cast-in sub-frames. Manufacture and installation of the doors is expected to begin in 2025. The doors will seal-off the cross passageways between north and southbound tunnels, as well as giving access in an emergency. HS2 claims the design will set a new benchmark for the industry and be a world first owing to…

MML electric haulage THE Government’s announcement that the Midland Main Line and the Trans-Pennine routes will be electrified prompted life peer Lord Snape to ask what plans the Department of Transport (DfT) has to ensure that electric haulage is used whenever possible. Transport Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said: “We continue to work through design and development phases of these schemes and have already commenced construction works for electrification of some sections of the routes. “We expect rail operators to deliver passenger and freight services with rolling stock that makes the best use of the available infrastructure, while considering operational requirements and the need to reduce industry emissions. “As we decarbonise the railway, we will design the rollout of further electrification of the Midland Main Line and the Trans-Pennine Route…

“The Midland Railway’s proposed [main line to the north through Bradford] would shorten its route from London to Scotland by some 22 miles. Leaving the present main line at Roystone [sic], a few miles north of Barnsley, it would pass through Thornhill Junction, Heckmondwike, Cleckheaton, Low Moor and Bowling to the existing Midland station at Bradford. "One of the difficulties is obtaining an entrance into Bradford; but the Midland has decided to tunnel for a considerable distance near the city to bring the line to a junction with the existing railway in as short a length as practicable after passing through Bradford. The line will pass underground at a point very near Oakenshaw and not be open to the daylight again until emerging on the eastern side of the present…

FOR heritage railways around the world, the ‘net zero’ future could be very different. With both coal and diesel largely removed from the economy, both of these fuels could become very expensive, or even banned altogether. Developments in bio-diesel may offer a solution for diesel loco owners, although how well 70-90-year-old diesel engines (as many will be by 2050) will run on such fuels is not something any loco owner currently knows about. Trials of ‘bio-coal’ were undertaken in June 2021 at the Bure Valley Railway in Norfolk. Three smokeless fuel alternatives to traditional Welsh coal were used, all of which incorporated solid fuel fines (dust) plus other materials. The most successful, said to offer the same performance as Welsh Coal, was made from 50% solid fuel fines and 50%…

THURSDAY, JANUARY 6 Great Central Railway Society (Sheffield branch). The Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield S2 2TP. 19.30. ‘Trains in the Snow’: Les Nixon. Lutterworth Railway Society. Lutterworth Bowls Club, Coventry Road, Lutterworth LE17 4RB. 19.30. ‘Too tall for the tube? Height of passengers a growing problem’: Lester Hillman. FRIDAY, JANUARY 7 RCTS. St Teresa’s Church Club, 71 Gloucester Road North, Filton, Bristol BS34 7PL. ‘Swindon Works – The Final Years’: Revd Canon Brian Arman. RCTS. Fulwood Lawn Tennis Club, Highgate Avenue, Preston PR2 8DY. 19.30 ‘A Selection of Images covering a 30-mile radius around Preston’: David Price. Slough Railway Society. Zoom meeting. 19.30. TBA. Contact info@swrs.co.uk. MONDAY, JANUARY 10 RCTS. Small Hall, East Croydon United Reformed Church, Addiscombe Grove, Croydon CR0 5LP. 19.30. Zoom meeting:…

THE Railway Observer of January 2012 reported on the delivery of new additional ‘Pendolino’ stock for use on the West Coast Main Line (WCML). By this point, the ‘Pendolinos’ had already been in service since 2002. Passenger use on the WCML had increased substantially since then, thus additional capacity was required. Lessor Angel Trains had ordered a further four 11-coach trains in September 2008, together with 62 additional coaches that would lengthen the existing 31 sets by two coaches each. The additional 106 vehicles would provide a further 7420 seats in total. The new stock was constructed by Alstom at its works in Savigliano, Italy, where work commenced in January 2009. The original ‘Pendolino’ stock had been constructed at Alstom’s plant in Washwood Heath, Birmingham, but by the time the…

FIVE projects from the heritage railway movement have been recognised in the National Transport Trust’s awards for 2020 and 2021. Each year the trust invites nominations for awards to assist individuals and groups working to preserve items of importance to the nation’s transport heritage. Awards generally come with a financial lump sum, which it is hoped will assist with making good restorations great. Due to Covid-19, the presentation covered both 2020 and 2021 awards and was held on October 20, although details were only released to the media on December 4. Hosted by the trust’s president, Lady Judy McAlpine at Fawley Hill Railway, in excess of 200 people, including stakeholders, winners and their families gathered to see recipients formally presented with their certificates. This was the first occasion in the…

TWO major infrastructure projects are being carried out in the winter months on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) – involving cutting stabilisation and bridge repairs. Earthworks are under way in the cutting between Winchcombe station and Greet Tunnel. The work is to permanently repair a landslip which took place over the winter of 2019-20 and which resulted in parts of the back gardens of new houses at the top of the cutting slipping towards the railway. The cause of the slip was a combination of heavy rain overwhelming rainwater soakaways following construction of the new homes, coupled with the complex clay geology of the ground. Designed by Kings Norton-based consulting engineers David Symonds Associates and Ground Investigation & Piling Ltd of Kingswinford, the work is being undertaken by Walsh…

THE wheels for No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester have returned to Tyseley Locomotive Works from South Devon Railway Engineering, Buckfastleigh. In mid-December, they were being cleaned ready to receive primer paint prior to being profiled. The rear set of wheels will then be put back into the frames to allow further reassembly to take place. The core plugs are now fitted to the piston heads and the slide bars connected to the rear cylinder covers. The three sets of piston rings per cylinder are now ready to be fitted into the cylinders with the piston heads being screwed to the piston rod ends. TLW expects to complete the 4-6-2’s overhaul by the end of 2022, despite the problems of Covid-19. Work is also progressing well with the renovation of the…

Overhaul of ex-Falmouth Docks tank begins at Swanwick HAWTHORN Leslie 0-4-0ST Falmouth Docks & Engineering Company No. 3 (3597/1926) is to return to steam at the Midland Railways-Butterley (MR-B) after an overhaul agreement was reached with the loco’s owner, Grinsty Holdings. The loco arrived at the Derbyshire line in mid-November from Tyseley Locomotive Works where its overhaul had been started. Negotiations to bring the loco to the MR-B had been underway for more than a year, and its arrival united it with Grinsty Holdings’ other locomotive – Hunslet ‘Austerity’ 0-6-0ST Lord Phil (3883/1962) – which is currently operational. Work to strip the loco began almost immediately; the cab and boiler were lifted a few days after its arrival, and the boiler is now being prepared for a hydraulic test. During…

■ FFESTINIOG & Welsh Highland Railway’s (Ff&WHR) Boston Lodge Works took delivery of a large consignment of wood on November 9, which will be employed in construction of three new bogie carriages for the Talyllyn Railway. Financed with the aid of a £300,000 Coastal Communities Fund grant (RM, June 2021) Ff&WHR subsequently won the contract to build the vehicles (RM, September). ■ DESPITE only reopening in May due to Covid-19 restrictions and limits on the number of people on trains due to social distancing, 2021 Talyllyn Railway visitor numbers have been so healthy the railway is close to matching 2019 revenue figures. 2019 was itself a record-breaking year. ■ AMERTON Railway was presented with the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service by The Lord Lieutenant for Staffordshire, Ian Dudson CBE KStJ,…

1863 Mountaineer Locomotive Ltd’s ‘Axlebox Challenge’ raised sufficient cash to enable machining of bronze blanks into four axleboxes for replica Ffestiniog Railway George England 0-4-0T+T Mountaineer to commence on November 29. The new-build loco is being constructed in stages by North Bay Railway Engineering Services. The successful fundraising and a cancelled machining order enabled the commencement of work on the axleboxes some two months ahead of the projected schedule. Production of the boiler, cylinders and wheels is already in hand with the next stage in the build being manufacture of the frames. Subject to funding, 1863 Mountaineer Locomotive Ltd believes it will have a recognisable locomotive chassis on rails by Easter 2022.…

THE Halesworth to Southwold Narrow Gauge Railway Society (SNGRS) has taken delivery of five complete open flat wagons and three underframes. Acquired from Alan Keef Ltd, all are 2ft 6in gauge 1940s Royal Naval Armament Depot vehicles. The society plans to regauge the vehicles to the Southwold Railway’s 3ft gauge with one underframe to be adapted into a classic Southwold curved-end open wagon for display at Blythburgh station. Another frame may be similarly treated to create a display at Halesworth station. The remainder will be adapted into various typical Southwold Railway wagons including the possibility of re-creating a six-wheel 20ft MOY private owner coal wagon employing Cleminson’s patent flexible underframe system. Earlier this year, SNGRS’s ex-Channel Tunnel 900mm gauge RFS Engineering Ltd 4wDH L106 of 1989 moved under its own…

ON November 23, work began on installing new ‘Manx Electric Railway’ letters on the hillside behind Derby Castle tram car sheds overlooking Douglas Bay. The new sign replaces that installed in 1993 to mark the centenary of the Manx Electric line, which was removed in October 2020 due to corrosion of the frame. At the time it was said that the new sign would be ready for the 2021 season, but work was delayed by the coronavirus pandemic and discovery that the base of the sign was in worse condition than anticipated. The new sign reportedly cost £130,000 and is expected to last for 50 years.…

TYNE & Wear Metro operator Nexus says it will set aside “one or two” Metrocars for potential donation to museums or recognised heritage bodies once they are retired from service. Based on the design for the German Stadtbahnwagen Type B and built by Metro-Cammell in Birmingham, 90 of the two-section articulated vehicles were ordered for the system prior to its opening in 1980. With the exception of No. 4022 (scrapped in 2020 following accident damage sustained at South Gosforth depot three years earlier), all the Metrocars remain in existence and 87 are still in service. as potential candidates for preservation, but Nexus told The RM it would be “a matter for a museum to suggest the Metrocar of greatest interest”. As an example of another vehicle with historical associations, it…

THE two surviving driving cars from the pair of ex-Southern Railway four-car, double-deck EMUs are to be reunited for the first time in three decades. Vehicle No. 13004 (from unit No. 4002) will be moved from its current base at the Northampton Ironstone Railway Trust to join No. 13003 (also from No. 4002) at Sellindge in Kent (RM July 2021, p92). Same owner Both vehicles are now owned by the Bulleid 4DD Double Deck EMU Supporters’ Group, and restoration work has restarted after being put on hold by the pandemic. The small owning group is open to offers of help and donations, see its website at www.bulleid4dd.org.ukfor more information.…

CONSTRUCTION work for a new railway station at Willenhall in the West Midlands is underway. Teams are clearing a rubble strewn piece of waste ground on which a platform for the new station will be built. Situated on what is currently a freight only line between Wolverhampton and Bescot, when open, passengers will be able to travel to either Walsall or Wolverhampton in eight minutes and Birmingham New Street in 25 minutes. The new station is part of a £54 million project that will see the construction of a second new station at nearby Darlaston. On opening, services will consist of two trains an hour – one an hourly service from Birmingham New Street and Crewe, also calling at Wolverhampton, plus an hourly shuttle between Walsall and Wolverhampton. Andy Street,…

WEST Midlands Mayor Andy Street has said he expects repairs carried out to cracks on the West Midlands Metro (WMM) fleet will avoid a repeat of issues which led to the suspension of services on the system for the second time in six months. WMM announced the stoppage of all services from November 13, stating that it had become necessary for further attention to underframe cracks, which were initially repaired during a four-day shutdown in June. Speaking to the BBC prior to the limited resumption of services on December 15, Mr Street said the vehicles were receiving “a very old-fashioned welding repair” and added: “I am confident what we’re doing now to give a permanent repair will be a lasting situation so we won’t have a repeat of this.” The…

THE first two units from the Transport for Wales order for 35 Fast Light Intercity and Regional Trains (FLIRTs) from Stadler have been delivered to Cardiff Canton depot. Class 231 four-car diesel unit Nos. 231002/004 arrived by rail on November 19. A further nine diesel classmates will follow along with 24 Class 756 trimode (diesel, overhead electric and battery-powered) trains. Seven of these will be three-car and 17 will be four-car sets. Deliveries are scheduled to take place over a two-year period. The Stadler trains form a key element of Transport for Wales’s South Wales Metro project (which aims to provide greater capacity and frequency of services) and are part of an £800 million investment in new trains in the Wales & Borders operating area, which also includes 77 CAF…