Innholdsfortegnelse for March 2022 i The Railway Magazine

I WAS privileged recently to be part of the judging panel for the Young Railway Photographer of the Year competition – ‘privileged’ because it was great to see firsthand what a wealth of new talent there is, and that the art of railway photography is safe in the hands of the next generation. The competition was organised by the Rail Camera Club, which has now reverted to its original name of the Railway Photographic Society (RPS) to mark its centenary this year. The RPS was founded in 1922 by Maurice Earley, one of the finest railway photographers of the time, and it was instrumental in improving the standard of railway photography as members circulated prints of their work to each other for critique – a tradition that continues today, even…

THE inaugural trial of bio-coal in a full size, standard gauge locomotive in Britain, has been described as a ‘milestone’ for steam by trade body the Heritage Railway Association (HRA). A batch of Homefire Ecoal, developed by CPL Industries Ltd was used on BR ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 78022 at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on February 14. Produced by Coal Products Ltd in the UK, Homefire Ecoal features up to 20% biomass and is classified as smokeless, emitting up to 80% less particulate matter than traditional coal. The larger, specially-shaped hexagonal ovoid is designed to sit on both narrow gauge and standard gauge locomotive firebars just like traditional coal. The trial is a collaboration between the HRA, member railways, CPL Industries Ltd and the Advanced Steam Traction Trust. The…

THE Young Railway Photographer of the Year 2022 book is compiled by John Hillier and Peter Townsend, with a foreword by Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy CBE. It features excellent reproduction on high quality paper, accompanied, in some cases, by the entrants’ thoughts on his or her approach to railway photography, together with explanations of their techniques and influences. What is clear throughout, however, is that their enthusiasm for the hobby shines through.…

100 YEARS AGO MARCH 1922 First LNWR push-pull trains AUTO-TRAINS, or push-and-pull trains, have just made their first appearance on the Lancashire and Yorkshire section of the London and North Western Railway, a service having been inaugurated on February 6 between Manchester (Victoria) and Atherton. The engines employed are Horwich-built 2-4-2 tank engines, and the vehicles are modern elliptical compartment stock, in two-coach sets, each of which consists of composite brake with driving compartment, and eight-compartment third. The engines are allowed to push a maximum of six bogie coaches, but the normal load is four cars. 50 YEARS AGO MARCH 1972 White City: Gateway to Europe? BRITISH Railways and local authorities are to jointly analyse the planning and environmental factors involved in siting the London passenger terminal of a line…

BULLEID Pacific No. 34092 City of Wells is now owned outright by the East Lancashire Railway (ELR) after the outstanding balance was paid off. The news comes as the heritage line is recovering from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. ELR chairman Mike Kelly, who is now in his seventh year in the role, told The RM: “Thanks to our super staff and fantastic volunteers we achieved strong half-year trading, massively supported by very good revenues from the 2021 Santa season and skilled financial management, and the ELR Board has been able fully pay off the balance of the loan. The locomotive is now in full ownership of the ELR and has been added to company assets. This is a remarkable turnaround of events, given the financial predicament through the…

WORK to return ‘A2’ Pacific No. 60532 Blue Peter to action at Crewe is set to ramp up following the completion of No. 70000 Britannia – with efforts being directed on the boiler. With the new inner firebox now in its final position, work is being undertaken to fix it in place. Boilersmiths have started the long task of reaming and tapping almost 2500 stay holes, which are being marked and measured ready for ordering. These will be produced in-house at LNWR Heritage. Inside the barrel, the inner pipework has been replaced and the new transverse stays have been fitted. Crown stays are due to be ordered and then the boiler will be turned to fit the remaining stays to finish off the internal work.…

THE project to return National Railway Museum-owned SR ‘King Arthur’ 4-6-0 No. 777 Sir Lamiel at the Great Central Railway for main line operation has received a welcome boost following a visit by a boiler inspector. The examination of the pressure vessel confirmed the assessment by custodians, the 5305 Locomotive Association (5305LA), that there are no major issues, paving the way for the sole survivor of its kind to be back in traffic in time to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2025. Initial work to strip down the locomotive began in 2020 and the boiler was lifted from the frames in October 2021. The motion, pistons and valves have been removed from the frames. The cylinders will require reboring and new liners fitting. Work has also started on preparing the…

Cambrian extension CAMBRIAN Heritage Railways (CHR) is due to open its extension to Weston Wharf on April 1. The ceremony is set to be carried out by North Shropshire MP Helen Morgan, and the first public train is due to be sent on its way at 2pm by Vince Hunt, leader of Shropshire Council. CHR trains are scheduled to run every weekend, specific mid-week and evenings journeys, as well as bank holidays from April until September. Pre-booking via www.CambrianRailways.com is mandatory. Washford exit agreed SOLICITORS acting for the West Somerset Railway plc (WSR) and the Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust Ltd (SDRT) concluded negotiations on January 20, that will result in an orderly exit from Washford, including SDRT’s three carriages, which are still to be relocated. SDRT has formally relinquished…

NORFOLK’S Whitwell & Reepham Station was set to formally launch Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 0-4-0ST Agecroft No. 3 (7681/1951) into traffic just after this issue of The RM went to press, marking the completion of the first overhaul to be carried out on site since the railway opened 13 years ago. The locomotive’s debut was to take place during the aptly titled Missed & Greatly Needed gala on February 26/27, which not only tipped a nod to the station’s Midland & Great Northern Railway (M&GN) origins, but also summed up the poignancy of the occasion. For this gala was to witness both a locomotive’s welcome and another one’s farewell, as resident Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Victory (2199/1945) made its final appearance in steam before the expiry of its boiler ticket. Duties…

1848-BUILT 4ft gauge Horlock 0-4-0 Fire Queen, displayed at Penrhyn Castle since 1969, is to be relocated. It is probably the oldest surviving narrow gauge locomotive in Britain, pre-dating Ffestiniog Railway’s 1863-built George England 0-4-0STTs Prince, Princess and Palmerston which are the oldest surviving 2ft gauge steam locos and the oldest narrow gauge locos to remain operational. Fire Queen was built (with sister loco Jenny Lind) to work the Padarn Railway which linked the Dinorwic slate quarry complex at Gilfach Ddu with the port of Y Felinheli (Port Dinorwic). The only locos built by A Horlock and Co, they were based on Thomas Crampton’s 1847 patent, having no frames with the wheels and cylinders mounted directly to the boiler. The pair worked until the late 1880s when they were replaced…

STATFOLD Barn Railway’s March 19/20 Enthusiast Weekend will have a ‘Last Days of Penrhyn Steam’ theme, centring on five ex-Penrhyn slate quarry locos. Martyn Ashworth’s Avonside 0-4-0T, which made its public debut following restoration last September in its original form as Durham, will appear in public for the first time as ex-Penrhyn Ogwen. It will join Statfold’s own ex-Penrhyn locos Avonside 0-4-0T Marchlyn, Andrew Barclay 0-4-0WT Cegin, Hunslet 0-4-0ST Sybil Mary and Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0WT GP39. Unrestored Hunslet 0-4-2T Seaforth (HE1026/1910) will be on public display for the first time having arrived at Statfold on January 13. The loco was acquired for the Statfold Narrow Gauge Museum Trust collection last year (RM, August 2021) but shipping from Australia proved more protracted than anticipated. Statfold’s June 11/12 Enthusiast Weekend will have…

STANDARD gauge train operator Vintage Trains has acquired the ‘Sutton Collection’ of locomotives and stock and is looking at building a short 15in gauge line on which they can be operated at its Tyseley Locomotive Works site in Birmingham. The collection originated from the Sutton Coldfield Miniature Railway which closed in 1962 and went into storage until being purchased with the aid of a £299,000 Heritage Lottery Fund grant in 2001 for display at Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway. The collection, which includes two steam locomotives (No. 1 Sutton Belle and No. 2 Sutton Flyer), a diesel railcar based on a GWR ‘flying banana’ (known as No. 4) and 10 passenger carriages, has latterly been in storage. 1950-built Griffin Foundry 4-4-2 No. 2 Sutton Flyer and the railcar were displayed at…

THE 10¼in gauge Ferry Meadows Railway (FMR), which runs in Nene Park, Peterborough, is to be operated by new owners this year. Vendors David and Sue Coging, who are retiring, said the railway has been sold “to a young Peterborough couple who are already in the leisure industry.” The new management is due to take over on April 1 – and Mr and Mrs Cogings will help out until the end of the school summer holidays. The railway has been sold complete and in situ. However, the line’s Darjeeling-type 0-4-0ST+T is being sold separately. In early January, it was advertised for sale at £60k or nearest offer. The locomotive is expected to operate at the FMR on Sundays in March – weather permitting, after which steam traction is no longer…

FYLDE Transport Trust hopes that its Blackpool English Electric Railcoach No. 279 will re-enter service later this year. Restoration work is entering its final phases – and once returned to operation, No. 279, which dates from 1935, will be the first of its type to be seen in Blackpool in its original condition since 1974. The restoration team turned its attention to the permanent fitting of the windscreens at the end of January and, following some final electrical work, the tram will return from Brinwell Road (where it has been since 2018) to Rigby Road depot, the home of the town’s heritage tram fleet. Despite encountering delays to its full restoration during the Covid-19 pandemic, work has continued at a steady rate over the past two years to return it…

MAIN line diesel haulage is expected to be on offer at the Llangollen Railway (LR) over the weekends of April 16/17 and 23/24. While the allocation will be confirmed in due course, it is hoped that Class 26 No. 5310, Class 31 No. 31271 and Class 47 No. 1566 (47449) should all be available this season. LR spokesman Terry Pickthall told The RM: “We hope to have all three main line diesels in operation by Easter. Having diesels stored undercover since last year has made a phenomenal difference. “Our Class 47 is being prepared for the service, having been winterised. New brake blocks are to hand, but we believe a season’s use remain on them.” Maintenance The batteries for No. 31271 were charged in early February. A team from the…

THE autumn will hopefully see the return of a Class 45 ‘Peak’ to the main line. No. 45118 The Royal Artilleryman, which is owned by Locomotive Services Ltd is being restored to main line condition to add to the LSL railtour fleet. With that target in mind, InterCity, is planning a tour on October 19 along the north east/south west cross country route from York to Paignton – a diagram synonymous with Class 45 and 46s in the 1970s and 80s. It will be the first ‘Peak’ railtour since outings by D172 Ixion more than 20 years ago. At present restoration is progressing but No. 45118 will need to be fitted with TPWS, GSM-R and an on train data recorder (OTMR). From York, the ‘Torbay Delight’ tour will call at…

Defibrillators for Welsh stations A PROJECT to install more than 200 defibrillators at selected stations in Wales has begun. In February, 53 units were installed, with the remainder being completed in the spring. Once the defibrillators are ready for use, they will be uploaded onto the British Heart Foundation’s bespoke portal, called The Circuit, which maps defibrillators for NHS ambulance services across the UK. SWR expands ‘Welcome Host’ scheme FOLLOWING a series of successful trials, the SWR Welcome Host service has been expanded to include the selling of tickets. The hosts currently operate at four stations – Southampton, Basingstoke, Salisbury and Richmond – where passengers can ask travel questions or seek safe travel advice, Monday to Saturday. Section of Newquay line upgraded ACTIVITY lasting a week, and which ended on…

NETWORK Rail is trialling a monitoring system which provides early warning of earth movements at sites in Scotland. Surface mounted tilt meters have been located at 26 sites, including on the main Edinburgh-Glasgow line, East Kilbride branch, between Aberdeen & Inverness and on the line to Kyle of Lochalsh. A further seven sites will get the monitoring equipment in the coming months and by April 2024, 100 sites will be monitored. The system will be able to flag potential issues to engineers, enabling trains to be slowed down and stopped before they reach the problem area, thereby improving safety. Two banks of wireless tilt sensors, typically spaced 2.5m apart with a central pole, logger and cameras will monitor data from the sensors, and send an alert via the mobile network…

WEST Midlands Railway (WMR), which suspended services on three of its lines in full or part – because of staff shortages, is to reintroduce trains, now the situation has improved. The effects of Covid-19 on staff meant many of the Nuneaton-Leamington Spa services were operated as a rail replacement, simply because of the numbers of staff falling ill, but also to protect other WMR services. A similar situation had occurred on the Marston Vale Line (Bedford-Bletchley) and the Abbey Line (Watford Junction-St Albans Abbey) with a mix of rail replacement and amended timetables. A greater stability of staff numbers means that from February 14, Marston Vale services recommenced, albeit on a reduced level. Abbey Line services were reinstated in full except for two evening trains from February 21. On the…

AROUND 400 tonnes of locally-grown timber was moved by train in a trial working between Newton Abbot in Devon and Abergavenny in Monmouthshire on January 19. The movement saw the cargo transported on behalf of independent timber harvesting company Euroforest for Pontrilas Sawmills. It is estimated to be about 20 years since the Up Sidings at Abergavenny last saw traffic of this kind and is the first time in over five years that Euroforest has moved timber by rail in the South West of England. The logs were unloaded for onward movement by road to the sawmill near Hereford by Pontrilas Haulage. Possibilities Euroforest, which operates across the United Kingdom, is assessing the possibilities for rail to allow an increase in timber movements in the South West. It describes it…

LEASING company Beacon Rail has announced it is the owner of 230 FFA-G intermodal wagons on long-term loan to Freightliner. Developed by Freightliner in partnership with Greenbrier Europe and Axiom Rail, the wagons were the result of two-and-a-half years of design work to achieve a lighter, energy-saving design for such vehicles and were delivered to the UK last autumn. “We are delighted to add these wagons to our expanding fleet, whilst supporting a valued customer,” said Rob Dee, Beacon’s chief commercial officer.…

Taff’s Well plans approved MEMBERS of Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s planning committee have approved two applications from Amey Infrastructure Wales relating to the South Wales Metro depot development at Taff’s Well. Occupying land at the former Garth Works Industrial Estate, it will be the main depot for the Core Valley Lines fleets, including the 36 Class 398 Stadler Citylink tram-trains. As well as a maintenance shed, office and accommodation building, sanding facility, vehicle wash building and plant room, there will also be an underframe cleaning facility and associated generator and electrical switch rooms, a train stabling area and overhead electrification infrastructure. At a meeting on January 13, councillors approved proposals for the depot phase of the scheme and for local road remodelling to allow rail access to the site. York…

Summer completion expected for ‘HAROLD’ upgrade AN upgrade of Huddersfield University’s ‘HAROLD’ (Huddersfield Adhesion & Rolling contact Laboratory Dynamics) railway bogie test rig should be completed by the summer. The facility is the only full-size rig of its kind in the UK and features a motored rolling road which can drive the wheelset of a standard gauge bogie at up to 200 kilometres (125 miles) per hour. Engineering consultants Ricardo will be responsible for the upgrade, for which £1million of funding was provided through the UK Rail Research and Innovation Network. A new control system will be integrated into the rig, along with a three-phase motor bogie and a wheel slide protection (WSP) unit. As well as a complete traction package, the bogie will be equipped with both friction and…

NI Executive Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon announced the completion of the feasibility study she commissioned in November 2020, on the Phase 3 of the £30 million Derry/Londonderry upgrade. Originally due to be completed by 2021 it was to involve the complete re-lay of the track between Castlerock and Eglinton, but was not funded because of the collapse of the NI Assembly in 2017. Ms Mallon also commissioned the study to examine the viability of establishing additional stops on the line and access potential park and ride facilities at Strathfoyle, City of Derry Airport and Ballykelly, with the potential to introduce a half-hourly service frequency. Ms Mallon said: “Last year I committed to a new feasibility study to get Phase 3 of the Derry to Coleraine rail line back on track,…

FIRST to arrive overnight on February 16 was Storm Dudley, weather forecasters predicting wind gusts of 60-70mph, along with warnings of structural damage. ScotRail took the rare decision to wind down all services mid-afternoon on the Wednesday (16th) until mid-morning the following day. Services on the Far North, Kyle of Lochalsh, and Aberdeen-Inverness routes were unaffected. It proved to be a wise decision, as a tree damaged an overhead gantry between Kilwinning-Largs, but Network Rail staff worked through the night to complete repairs at other locations where trees and debris had fallen. In Wales, a trampoline became stuck under a GWR IET at Cardiff, causing delays, while on the Midland Main Line, the overhead wires came down between Luton and St Pancras in the afternoon, leading to massive chaos for…

AS we enter the territory of The Railway Magazine’s illustrious quasquicentennial (125th) year, it is worth reflecting on how one of the main line railways has changed during that time by putting the microscope on three specific events. While idling away a few minutes looking at the Railway Performance Society (RPS) archive with this in mind, I fell upon an account of a run from King’s Cross to Grantham undertaken by driver William Peel of the Lincolnshire depot. The details were brought to the attention of the Great Northern Railway Society (GNRS) during the ‘A4’ celebration held at Grantham in 2013, the details being written up by Steve White and kindly lodged in the RPS archive by the GNRS. “Driver Peel was one of that vast unsung body of artisans…

THE EKR’s winter opening times are Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and from the end of March the operating season is from Tuesday to Sunday. Trains and attractions operate Sundays and some Saturdays in the summer holidays, plus most Bank Holidays – go to www.eastkentrailway.co.uk Exhibits at Shepherdswell include Swansea Vale No. 1 (Sentinel), Achilles (Peckett 2087), St Dunstan (Avonside 2004), 01530, 01546, 08502, 08686, 08802 (spares), 08865, 142017, 142036 (for sale), 1101, 67400 (210002), 365524, 3905 (4-VOP), 70273 (1392). S11161S and S11187S (4-COR), and Pullmans Rosalind, Padua and Sapphire.…

The Covid-19 pandemic has perhaps been the biggest risk to the future of heritage railways since the preservation era began. The impact of being unable to run trains, then run them but below capacity, has seen funds depleted, work fall behind, paid jobs lost and the sector lose volunteers who were in the ‘vulnerable’ group. Now the sector is crying out for volunteers... from drivers, firemen and ticket inspectors to accountants, cooks and cleaners. Giving a little time can go a long way to helping ensure the future of a group. There are huge benefits to volunteering including learning new skills, belonging, increasing your confidence and meeting people with similar interests. Your railway needs you; no matter how much you can give – be it an hour, a week or…

YOUR article in the February issue ‘Southern EMU Drags’ shines a welcome spotlight on the operation of such trains, and turns attention to the sometimes overlooked multiple-unit railway south of the River Thames. The designation ‘TC’, as used for 3, 4, 6 and 7-TC units on BR (SR), stands for Trailer Corridor, with some sources citing Trailer Control but never Trailer Car. 7-TC unit No. 701 (originally No. 900) was never a push-pull unit. Rather it was a seven-car unpowered fixed-formation set; despite being formed with driving cabs at each end it could only be hauled in traffic and not propelled. The text suggests the prototype for Bournemouth trailer units was a 6-TC unit formed from converted Mk.1 coaching stock. 6-TC unit No. 601, the only six-car trailer unit, was…

LOOKING back a little over 54 years ago to the summer of 1967, there were reports in the Railway Observer of diversions over the Mid-Hants route, which enabled the completion of the Bournemouth Line electrification (that had started in 1965) and the introduction of the new enhanced timetable with three trains per hour formed of new electric multiple units replacing steam. This enabled the recently introduced VEP units to work on the Waterloo to Basingstoke/Bournemouth stopping services, while the steam-hauled Bournemouth line expresses were replaced by REP and TC formations of BR Mk.1 design. Whilst the REP units were purpose-built, the TC units were non-powered conversions of ex-Western Region loco-hauled stock. The TCs were designed to work through to Weymouth, being detached from the Waterloo to Bournemouth portion at Bournemouth…

Digger donation PLANT and machinery supplier Quattro Group has donated a Road-Rail Vehicle (RRV) to the Dean Forest Railway Society. Quattro will also be providing familiarisation training and health and safety support to the DFR. It will assist with ongoing machine maintenance and routine inspections – the relationship being viewed as a valuable corporate partnership of equal benefit to both parties. Trevor Hartnett, regional rail director for Quattro, said: “We are very familiar with the DFR and are always testing machines in that area. The DFR does important work in giving people the experience of a heritage railway and we are more than happy to help them preserve and maintain it with the donation of this RRV.” Gwili welcomes pannier tank THE Gwili Railway has hired GWR 0-6-0PT No. 1369…

WEST Somerset Railway trains will operate between Bishops Lydeard and Minehead from March 19 following the rebuilding of Seaward Way level crossing at the coastal resort, plus the relaying of a long length of track between Dunster and the town. Three return trips a day will run in March, April and October, while four trains are timetabled in May, June and part of July, increasing to five each way at the height of the summer. Discussions have also been going on into the possibility of regular scheduled services between Taunton and Bishops Lydeard and the return of a weekend shuttle service between the two. Five dates have been announced for special events: April 2 and 3 – official Return to Minehead events; May 5-8 Spring Steam Gala; June 9-11 1960s…

THE casting of the 6ft 8ins driving wheels for new-build LNER ‘B17’ 4-6-0 No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham got underway at William Cook Cast Products in Sheffield on January 19. The wooden wheel pattern was kindly loaned by the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. Builders the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust has also confirmed that the order for the tyres is being raised with South Devon Railway Engineering. Final designs for the plain axles and crank axle are being discussed.…

COLIN Stott’s Hudswell, Clarke 0-4-0ST Waleswood (750/1906) is visiting the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre this spring. The Chasewater Railway resident arrived at Quainton Road on February 16. It is due to star in the Easter Transport Festival on April 17/18 as well as appearing at the Spring Steam Gala on May 1/2. During the latter event it will share the limelight with visiting Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 20, fresh from overhaul and appearing courtesy of the Furness Railway Trust. The gala will provide an opportunity to compare Hudswell, Clarke 0-4-0ST designs at either end of a 40-year spectrum as Waleswood lines up alongside the BRC’s own Hudswell Millom (1742/1946). The event will also be tinged with sadness as 14in Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. V75 (2496/1932), with its unusual double buffers, makes its…

■ CLAYTON Engineering is to build a new battery-electric Co-Co locomotive for the Bure Valley Railway. The twin-cabbed loco will have two traction motors on each bogie, anti-slip braking and be capable of hauling 75tons at 20mph on a 1-in-75 gradient. Detailed design work is about to commence with delivery not anticipated until at least late 2023. ■ NEW frame plates will be required for ex-Renishaw Sugar Estates Avonside 0-4-0T 1986/1926 Renishaw No. 2, undergoing restoration at Apedale Valley Light Railway. Despite the loco’s generally very poor condition (picture, RM September 2021) some parts have been found to be in surprisingly good condition. ■ THE protracted overhaul of Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway’s S F Belge 0-8-0T (ex-No. 699.01) No. 10 Sir Drefaldwyn took a significant step forward on January…

■ AT the beginning of February, Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre was close to reaching its £14,000 funding target (a supporter is match-funding money raised up to £7000) to build a 28 square metre workshop extension to house the narrow gauge locos at the site. The extension will be a significant step towards introducing passenger rides. Track alterations are in progress to create space for the workshop extension and new station. ■ The temporary exhibition in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at Talyllyn Railway’s Tywyn Wharf station for 2022 marks the effective end of peat harvesting operations served by the Bord na Mona railway network in Ireland. The exhibition includes the story of three Barclay 0-4-0WTs built for Bord na Mona, one of which (No. LM43) formed the basis…

REPLACEMENT of the ballast inside Heaton Park Tramway’s Lakeside depot with a concrete surface is nearing completion. Officially opened in July 2014, the depot, which was commissioned to accommodate an expanding fleet of vehicles, has also been the subject of painting and tidying work over the last 18 months. As well as improving working conditions, the concrete floor will allow occasional events to be held there. Plans There are plans to extend the Lakeside building to house former Manchester Metrolink tram Nos. 1007 and 1023, which were among the network’s original fleet of 26 T-68s built by Firema. No. 1007 is stored at Trafford Park depot, while No. 1023 is at Crewe Heritage Centre. Drawings for the project, which will be submitted for planning approval, are said to be at…

THE National Railway Museum’s first-built Class 37 No. D6700 (37119/37350) is heading back into traffic following the signing of a loan agreement with the Heavy Tractor Group (HTG) at the Great Central Railway. The Type 3 was donated to the museum by English, Welsh & Scottish Railway in July 2001 following its withdrawal from service. It has seen some active use in preservation since then, both at the museum and elsewhere, and was last used at the Mid-Hants Railway in October 2017. The new five-year deal will see No. D6700 given maintenance to bring it back into service, plus a repaint at HTG’s industry partner Loram UK in Derby. Once complete, the locomotive will operate at the Great Central Railway on a rota basis, and at diesel galas hosted by…

THE 50th anniversary of the ‘Golden Arrow’s’, final run, the luxury Pullman boat train which ran from London Victoria to Dover from 1929 to 1972, is due to be marked with a special commemorative run on September 30. ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35028 Clan Line, which did haul the train in the 1950s, will carry the ‘Golden Arrow’ regalia and haul the Belmond Pullman carriages from Victoria (c10.30), through Ashford, Canterbury and finally Dover, before returning to London via the familiar ‘Arrow’ route. Five of the original vehicles – Cygnus, Ibis, Minerva, Perseus and Phoenix – form part of the current Belmond Pullman train. By mid-February, most seats had been sold, fares started at £490. More information at www.belmond.com…

AS WORK to reinstate the Levenmouth Rail Link from between Thornton Junction and Cameron Bridge ramps up, Network Rail is installing around 11 miles of fencing along the five-mile route as well as at some work compounds. The fencing is to separate the public from the plant and machinery undertaking the work. Previously, work has seen the clearance of vegetation and the removal of redundant and life-expired railway equipment from the former line. Invasive plant species have been treated, structures inspected and trial holes have been drilled along the full length of the route to check ground conditions and test for contamination. The double track line, which will cost £70m, will have electrification masts installed as part of Scotland’s decarbonisation plans by 2035. Joe Mulvenna, Network Rail project manager for…

TfW pilot scheme for convenience store ticket sales TRANSPORT for Wales (TfW) began a pilot a scheme from January 24 whereby convenience stores, butchers, petrol stations and even a fish bar will sell rail tickets at 90 locations within the South Wales Metro area. The retailers will also offer the option of purchase for cash if the local station is unstaffed or has a card-only self-service machine. The facility has been rolled out after an initial trial in five shops. TfW is the first train operating company to partner with Payzone (owned by the Post Office) to make the purchasing of rail tickets possible through their instore Payzone devices using SilverRail retailing technology. Although the range of tickets offered will be limited, it includes Anytime Day singles and returns, Small…

TESCO has agreed a new three-year deal with Direct Rail Services for the transport of goods for its supermarkets. It builds on a decade-long relationship between the two companies and came just a month after DRS announced it was launching a twice-daily, seven days per week, refrigerated container service between Tilbury and Coatbridge for the retail giant. DRS says the partnership will see it continue to expand rail operations. In addition to the Coatbridge workings, the agreement covers operations between Daventry and Mossend, Mossend and Teesport, two Daventry-Tilbury workings, Daventry-Wentloog, Daventry-Doncaster-Teesport and Mossend-Inverness.…

ROLLING stock leasing firm Angel Trains has acquired the rail and infrastructure services organisation Readypower Group. The group, which comprises three companies, provides specialised civil engineering, Road Rail Vehicles for hire and associated support. It will continue to operate as an independent business and its branding and management team will also remain in place. Operating from six hubs across the UK, Readypower has developed a role in modernisation of the railway network and is already involved in the Trans-Pennine route upgrading, electrification of the Midland Main Line and the Core Valley Lines Transformation project. Angel says it will support Readypower’s growth and help it to realise its future potential by investing in the latest machinery and technology. “We are both committed to the success of the UK rail industry and…

IRISH Transport Minister Eamon Ryan confirmed that there are plans to complete the relaying of the Limerick to Ballybrophy line with continuously welded rail in 2022. Appearing in front of the Transport Committee on January 26, Mr Ryan confirmed the extra funding saying: “We need to invest in the Ballybrophy line, which is being retracked at present and we are going to put extra funding into that.” Mr Ryan went onto say that the strategic rail review undertaken by Arup will answer the question of what role does the line, along with the Waterford-Limerick Junction line, play? “We should make strategic use of them,” he said. “I think we should build new stations along that line… and we need to build around that and have the industrial estates served by…

Rail Usage Stats THE Office of Rail and Road has published its regional rail usage statistics for 2020/21, which showed the impact of Covid-19 varied across the country. The South West recorded the most journeys in 2020/21 as a percentage of 2019/20 at 23.3%; Scotland recorded the lowest at 15.6% of journeys made a year earlier. The 264 million journeys made within regions in 2020/21 were equivalent to 25.9% of the 1022 million journeys in 2019/20, and London had the most journeys within a region at 149 million. 79.6 million journeys were made between regions in 2020/21, equivalent to 16.5% of the 482 million journeys in 2019/20. London had the most journeys to or from other regions at 65.8 million. GBR HQ competition A COMPETITON to find the new home…

DISCUSSIONS between Transport for London and the Government over longer term funding continued into late February after again failing to reach an agreement. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that TfL had been offered a fourth extraordinary funding settlement, and the latest one-week extension to the current arrangement had been given to allow Mayor of London Sadiq Khan to consider the terms. Mr Shapps said TfL had received over £4.5 billion of extraordinary funding since the start of the pandemic. Although Tube ridership improved during the first few weeks of 2022, in early February it was still just 59% of pre-pandemic levels. TfL says it must achieve a capital funding settlement that runs for at least three years which ensures “London’s transport network can remain reliable and efficient” and support the…

THE Bill setting out plans for the delivery of the next phase of HS2 was submitted to Parliament on January 24, beginning its journey towards becoming legislation. Assuming it is approved in its current form, it will give the go-ahead to a 52-mile extension of the route (Phase 2b Western Leg) from Crewe-Manchester via Manchester Airport. HS2 would serve new stations at both the airport and Manchester Piccadilly, as well as providing infrastructure for Northern Powerhouse Rail. The Crewe Northern Connection will link the route to the West Coast Main Line and allow high speed services to call at Crewe before rejoining the HS2 alignment. Plans for a rolling stock depot north of Crewe and a smaller depot with train stabling facilities alongside the West Coast Main Line at Annandale…

East Yorkshire delight CREWE and Nantwich MP Dr Kieran Mullan asked what steps the Department for Transport (DfT) is taking to restore closed lines, and York Central colleague Rachael Maskell sought news of progress on the possible opening of the York-Beverley section of the line to Hull. Rail Minister Wendy Morton said: “The Government pledged £500m in January 2021 for the Restoring Your Railway programme to deliver on our manifesto commitment to start reopening lines and stations to reconnect smaller communities, regenerate local economies and improve access to jobs, homes and education. “We reopened the Dartmoor Line in November, the first line to be reinstated under the programme, and we are supporting more than 45 schemes at different stages of development with funding and advice.” With specific reference to the…

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 2 Huddersfield Railway Circle. Town Hall, Huddersfield. 19.30. ‘Manchester Rail Operations Centre’: Christian Wyatt. Pennine Railway Society. Doncaster Town Fields Sports Club, Bennethorpe Doncaster DN2 6AA. 19.30. ‘The ECML Grantham to King’s Cross’: Steve Armitage. Contact: www.penninerailwaysociety.com Railway Correspondence & Travel Society (RCTS). Station Hotel, Carnforth. 13.30. ‘Bahamas – The Story of a Locomotive:’ Mike Ellis. RCTS. Haig House Social Club, Woolton Road, Garston, Liverpool L19 5NQ 13.30. ‘L&Y Engines at Work – Park 1’: Paul Shackcloth. THURSDAY, MARCH 3 Great Central Railway Society (Sheffield branch). The Farm Road Sports & Social Club, Farm Road, Sheffield S2 2TP. 19.30. ‘From Sea to Sky – A Canadian Journey’: Bob Gellatly. Lutterworth Railway Society. Lutterworth Bowls Club, Coventry Road, Lutterworth LE17 4RB. 19.30. ‘Railways films’. FRIDAY, MARCH 4 RCTS. St…

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

THE overhaul of the Beet family’s BR ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 No. 46441 continues to progress at the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway. A new casting pattern is being produced from which both a left or a right-hand new rear cover may be machined – the rear cylinder cover of the mogul is cracked. The piston rods have been reground ready for the new piston heads which are being manufactured, as are the new piston rings. Painting of the footplate is progressing well and the tender cab windows have now been refitted. On the boiler, new firebox back shoulder pieces have been tacked into place and are ready for welding. These will subsequently be reinforced by adding the original shoulder patches as doublers. The lower firebox wrapper side sheet profiles are also in…

CONCERNS over whether Douglas Bay Horse Tramway will be reinstated over its full original route to the Sea Terminal continue, with news that the line will open for the new season between Derby Castle and a terminus some way short of the War Memorial on the seaward side of Central Promenade. The reopening date had not been confirmed by early February. Although in January 2017 Tynwald (Manx Parliament) decided the tramway would be retained over its full length amid redevelopment of the Douglas Promenades, doubts arose last year over whether finance would be made available to fully implement this (RM, April 2021). The plan had been for the historic double-track tramway to be reinstated as far as the War Memorial with a single track continuing to the Sea Terminal. The…

THE new boiler made for Sybil Locomotive Trust’s Bagnall 0-4-0ST 1760/1906 Sybil was lifted into the frames for the first time on December 3. The next tasks are establishing locations for fixings such as the saddle tank, boiler cladding and firehole door assembly. Ex-Dinorwic Sybil last steamed in the 1960s. The dismantled components were purchased by a consortium of West Lancashire Light Railway members, subsequently becoming The Sybil Locomotive Trust, in 2013.…

GREAT Orme tramcars St Trillo and St Tudno have been receiving attention in preparation for the tramway’s reopening for the new season later this month. A new floor and windows are being fitted to St Tudno (named after the patron saint of Llandudno, who founded the first parish church on the Great Orme). St Trillo (named after the patron saint of Llandrillo) is being given a repaint and has had its brake bars cleaned. On the upper track, new ballast has been laid and packed and replacement sleepers installed as part of the annual winter maintenance schedule. The work has included putting custom-made sleepers, which are longer than standard ones, in place in the pass. These will be dog-spiked and have fittings and pulleys reattached before ballast is added and…

Forest DMU gala DERBY Lightweight ‘Bubblecar’ No. M79900 Iris is guest of honour at the Dean Forest Railway’s (DFR) April 23/24 DMU gala when the line’s DMU group will celebrate its 30th anniversary. The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway-based unit is also set to be used on a number of running days to the end of August. Class 108 cars Nos. E50619 and M56492 both arrived at the DFR on April 20, 1992 and the DMU Group now maintains five of the Derby built units. ‘Crompton’ bodywork CLASS 33 No. D6535, which is based at Great Central Railway under the custodianship of the 5305 Locomotive Association, is undergoing bodywork repairs. Currently awaiting a slot in the workshop, the National Railway Museum-owned ‘Crompton’ is expected to be repainted into BR Blue in the…

STEAM Dreams and the Brooklands Museum have joined forces to commemorate the last land speed record to be broken on a closed motor racing circuit, a 350hp V12 Sunbeam achieving 133.75mph on May 17, 1922. Brooklands is marketing the day as the Centenary of Speed in conjunction with the National Transport Trust and the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu. The plan is for ‘B1’ 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower to set off from West Brompton (c08.45) on May 17, passing through Clapham Junction and along the South Western Main Line, slowing past Brooklands to enable a photographic re-creation of the F Gordon Crosby painting of the Sunbeam racing along the straight, overtaking a steam train. Passengers will be able to alight at Woking, transfer via vintage bus and join the Brooklands Centenary…

NETWORK Rail has submitted revised proposals to City of Edinburgh Council to install a bridge walk and visitor hub at the Forth Bridge. The refreshed plans are for a single-storey reception hub east of the Forth Bridge, offering stunning views of the iconic structure while minimising the impact on the surrounding environment. The submission of a full planning application follows a public engagement exercise held in autumn 2021 which gathered feedback from residents and helped to mould the final designs of the visitor centre. Under the proposals, a bridge walk and reception hub would be located on the South Queensferry side of the structure that would be used for preparing those heading out on the bridge walk. Network Rail is intending groups of between 12 and 15 people who will…

AS PART of the recovery of the railway from the Covid-19 pandemic, ScotRail says following a public consultation, its new May timetable will operate 2150 daily services, an increase of 150 compared to when the consultation began last year. The additional 150 services added in May being based on the December 2021 timetable. Changes from May include an all-day direct service between Perth and Kirkcaldy rather than via Dunfermline; an additional early morning service from New Cumnock to Glasgow and evening peak and late evening services from Glasgow to Dumfries; changes to the intervals at the stations between Perth and Inverness for better spacing and more station calls; and a trial half-hourly service on the Borders Railway to test how quickly off-peak demand recovers and grows beyond pre-pandemic levels. There…

THE Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Wales Simon Hart paid a visit to Hanson’s Penmaenmawr Quarry on January 28, to see how £300,000 has been spent on the renewal and reopening of its rail facilities. As reported in the February issue of The RM, the first loaded aggregates train for almost a decade operated in December from the quarry sidings. Penmaenmawr will supply Hanson’s aggregates market in the North West of England through trains to its Tuebrook and Wigan depots.…

AFTER more than six months, West Midlands Metro services between Bull Street and Library in Birmingham City Centre resumed on February 12, running to and from Wolverhampton St George's at daytime intervals of 12 minutes. The section of line was closed in July last year for rail relaying and installation of a delta junction on Lower Bull Street (which will connect it with the Birmingham Eastside Extension, currently under construction). While the work was completed in October, trams were still running ‘out of service’ for driver familiarisation when the system was temporarily shut the following month after it was deemed necessary to carry out further repairs to underframe cracks on the CAF-built Urbos fleet, which had initially received attention in the summer. New trams Using some of the already delivered…

PENDING successful trials, Class 18 hybrid locomotives could have a future role with GB Railfreight. The company has begun a three-month trial with class leader No. 18001, which was delivered on February 1 to Whitemoor Yard in Cambridgeshire, to assess its capabilities and ease of use within a busy freight setting. It is the first of 15 machines with the Class 18 designation being produced for leasing firm Beacon Rail for potential UK railfreight customers. GBRf told The RM that if there is a positive outcome, the class could be deployed to work alongside and eventually replace existing conventional diesel locomotives on yard shunting duties. Breakthrough Floated to the rail industry as a potential replacement for the ageing Class 08s, the Class 18 is a 90 tonne Bo-Bo machine. Marketed…

HYDRAULIC components manufacturer Stauff will provide a range of parts for East Midlands Railway’s new Hitachi-built ‘Aurora’ fleet of Intercity trains. Stauff, which has a factory in Sheffield, has been part of the Hitachi supply chain since 2012 and will deliver products including clamping, tube manipulation, flexible hose assemblies and fittings for the 33 five-car Class 810 bi-mode units. The trains, which are the latest variant of the AT300 family, which includes the Class 800, 801, 802 and 803, are being built at Hitachi’s plant at Newton Aycliffe in County Durham and are due to enter service next year. Stauff says that such projects are important in helping it to grow and maintain specialist manufacturing in the UK.…