Heritage Railway 184 2013-12

HeritageRailwayOpinion

Merry

Christmas and a

Happy New Year from all of the team at

Editor Robin Jones [email protected] 01507 529305 Deputy editor Brian Sharpe [email protected] Publisher Tim Hartley Senior contributing writers Geoff Courtney, Cedric Johns Contributors Fred Kerr, Roger Melton Designer Tim Pipes Reprographics Jonathan Schofield Group production editor Tim Hartley Divisional advertising manager Sandra Fisher [email protected] Advertising representative Craig Amess [email protected] 01507 529310 Subscription manager Paul Deacon Marketing manager Charlotte Park Production manager Craig Lamb Circulation manager Steve O’Hara Publishing director Dan Savage Commercial director Nigel Hole Managing director Brian Hill Editorial address Heritage Railway magazine Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99 Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Website www.heritagerailway.co.uk General queries and back issues 01507 529529 24 hr answerphone [email protected] www.classicmagazines.co.uk Archive enquiries Jane Skayman [email protected] 01507 529423 Subscription: Full subscription rates (but see page 32 for offer): (12 months 12 issues, inc post and packing) – UK £53.30. Export rates are also available – see page 32 for more details. UK subscriptions are zero-rated for the purposes of Value Added Tax.

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Nearing twilight on December 7, LNER A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern passes the sign north of Essendine marking the exact spot where Mallard touched 126mph on July 3, 1938. JOHN HILLIER

B

ittern’s latest exploits on the East Coast Main Line were a majestic end to a truly phenomenal year, in which heritage railways took centre stage. Mallard 75 has surely changed the way in which museums will look at exhibitions in the future, the Bluebell Railway was a deserved winner of the unique Railway of the Decade accolade at the National Railway Heritage Awards ceremony, and the Metropolitan Railway 150th anniversary celebrations ended on a flourish with steam to Uxbridge. There can be little doubt that these events have raised the profile of railway heritage, and if the accepted principles of advertising and publicity are held to be correct, they will inspire more people to get out and visit heritage railways, ride on them, maybe join them as members or even contribute to one or more of the very worthy appeals that are being staged at the present time. The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is, after less than three months, halfway there in its £500,000 Bridges to Broadway campaign, the Great Central Railway has nearly reached a third of its £1 million target to replace the missing bridge at Loughborough, while the project to build a new Gresley P2 continues to astound everyone, by raising double its intended initial £100,000 target for preliminary work within just 10 weeks of being launched. So it is all steam ahead for an extremely bright future, or so it seems. Heritage Railway fully endorses and supports these major projects, but there is a bigger picture. By the time Mallard 100 comes round, how much of what we have preserved will still survive? Saving an item of rolling stock from the scrapyard does not guarantee its survival – far from it. Most heritage lines have stock sidings

of unsightly carriages and wagons waiting their turn in the restoration queue which seems to never come round. Those vehicles in regular service will deteriorate to a similar condition if left permanently in the open. The next big challenge for the entire movement is to get our stock safely under cover. I suspect that the cost of erecting a relatively cheap barn over a siding may well turn out to be much less than painstakingly restoring leaking coaches every few years. How much gets added to the cost of a locomotive overhaul if it has been allowed to rust for several years while waiting for work to start? In earlier decades, we treated Mk.1 coaches with such contempt that several were scrapped once their ‘second life’ use in preservation was over, simply because replacements could be easily and cheaply bought from BR. That is no longer the case: indeed, with many of them now 60 years old, they are undoubtedly classic heritage artefacts in their own right, and deserve conservation. When they are gone, there will be no more – and do we really want to see modern ex-main line stock running behind our Halls, ‘Black Fives’ and ‘Jinties’? Just because it is serviceable today, it does not mean it will be running in the future. Every railway needs more undercover accommodation for vehicles that become more priceless with the passing of each year. It is to be hoped that if we are indeed pulling out of the recession, more grant aid may become available, and engine and stock sheds should now be a number one target. In 2013, we showed the world how magical railway heritage can be. Let’s keep it that way. Robin Jones Editor

Heritage Railway

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Contents

Issue 184 December 19 – January 16, 2014

News 6

Cover

HEaDLINE NEws

LNER A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern hits 93mph on East Coast Main Line during early December runs; extended Bluebell named Railway of the Decade in National Railway Heritage Awards, with accolades for the Great Central, Mid-Norfolk and Ffestiniog railways.

A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern stands at King’s Cross after arriving with the ‘Capital Streak’ on December 7. PAUL SIMPSON

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10

NEws

Network Rail plans for new Great Central bridge unveiled; Met 150 and Bluebell top recommendations for the Heritage Railway Association annual awards; red GWR prairie heads Underground steam specials to Uxbridge; Bluebell hires an Ecclesbourne Valley Class 101 DMU for winter services; Elsecar Heritage Railway wins People’s Millions TV poll; Collett 0-6-0 reappears in lined green; B1 back on the main line; new Gresley P2 appeal doubles its initial target; Mallard link to medal to be auctioned; first steam passenger train over Great Central Mountsorrel branch; Isaac joins the Lynton

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& Barnstaple fleet; new Southwold Railway gets its first operational locomotive and buys station; GCR asks Lottery for £10 million for Leicester North museum; charter organiser launches appeal launched to turn D49 Morayshire black; Woodhead Tunnel electric locomotive preserved; Flying Scotsman resumed overhaul ‘progressing’; new bid to revive Tralee & Dingle; newly-wheeled Patriot joins First World War locomotives at Warley National Model Railway Exhibition, and the day that Bahamas visited Heritage Railway’s Horncastle offices!

Regulars 53

raILwayaNa

54

CENTrE

56

Geoff Courtney on latest auction prices.

BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell in the autumn landscape at Beeston Castle by Phil Waterfield takes centre stage.

MaIN LINE NEws

LMS ‘Black Five’ stalls on Parkstone Bank, Tangmere connecting rod comes off on Weymouth trip, steam charter trains boost for new Waverley route, Tornado moves to Barrow Hill, Braunton heads British Pullman and Earl of Mount Edgcumbe in East Anglian first.

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64

MaIN LINE ITINErary

Brian Sharpe’s definitive guide to steam and heritage modern traction railtours in the coming month.

73

MOrGaN

74

PLaTfOrM

76

sCaLE HErITaGE raILway

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Why social media is important to railways. Where your views matter the most.

Hornby announces its 2014 range, with a new limited edition issue of the six surviving A4 Pacifics, a Franco-Crosti 9F, J15, K1, D16/3, Drummond 700 0-6-0, 2HAL EMU and affordable digital sound.

UP & rUNNING

Brian Sharpe’s complete listing of museums and operational heritage lines.

106 THE MONTH aHEaD

Our new at-a-glance guide to the big events coming up in the next four weeks, with Heritage Railway, as usual, bringing unrivalled coverage.

4 Heritage railway

COMPETITION

■ win OnE OF SiX COPiES OF AnDREw PM wRiGHT’S STUnninG nEw SwAnAGE RAiLwAY HiSTORiC COLOUR ALBUM

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sUBsCrIBE TO HERITAGE RAILWAY!

Take out a 13-issue subscription to Heritage Railway – the preservation magazine written entirely by people who remember first-hand the British Railways steam era – and be first with the news that matters.

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www.heritagerailway.co.uk

WR 0-6-0PT No. 9600 passes Rearsby with Vintage Trains’ ‘Melton Mowbray Christmas Fayre’ from Tyseley to Melton Mowbray on December 1. BRIAN SHARPE

Features 46 ALL AbOARD THE SANTA ExpRESS

e festive season is an important part of a heritage line’s calendar, but what do the customers look for? Ann Williams recounts her experiences on various railways.

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66 A TALE OF THREE JUbILEES* – THE BAHAMAS LEGACY

Bahamas, the first LMS Jubilee to be saved, was the catalyst which led to the preservation of sisters Leander and Galatea. John Hillier tells the story of this preservation icon .

82 EIGIAU – 100 NOT OUT

THE LAST LOADED FREIGHT TRAIN TO CULLINGWORTH

In the autumn of 1963, the Bradford Telegraph & Argus carried a story stating that yet more of the old Great Northern Railway’s famous ‘Queensbury Lines’ which had connected Bradford with Halifax and Keighley was to be further truncated with total abandonment of the railway from ornton to Cullingworth. Robert Anderson travelled on the last freight train.

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

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A German locomotive which spent its working life in the North Wales slate industry has celebrated its centenary in style this year. Alan Barnes recounts the history of Eigiau, in North Wales and in preservation.

Heritage Railway

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HeadlineNews Help Llangollen’s last Corwen push THE Llangollen Railway has launched a £20,000 appeal to buy 1000 sleepers to complete its Corwen extension. The railway has set a target date of St David’s Day, March 1, for the first train to arrive at the new Corwen station, to be known with a bi-lingual title of Dwyrain Corwen East. However, the completion still depends on funds being raised, and an official opening is not expected to take place until several weeks later. The sleepers, costing £20 each, are needed to lay the last half mile. The railway already has the rails in stock. Anyone purchasing four or more sleepers will receive two return tickets to be used on normal timetabled services to Corwen. Anyone who would like to buy a sleeper is invited to send a cheque payable to Llangollen Railway Trust Ltd to Corwen Sleeper Appeal, c/o Paul Bailey, Dolwen, Bryneglwys, Corwen, Denbighshire LL21 9LY, or contact Paul at [email protected] o.uk or telephone 01490 450271 or 07745 223946 for further information or alternative payment methods.

Patriot wheeled!

THE six driving wheels for new-build LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior sponsored by Heritage Railway readers were placed under the frames at the Llangollen Railway workshops on November 20. The cab and smokebox had already been fitted to the frames, giving the impression of a locomotive minus its boiler. Heritage Painting has painted one side of the locomotive in crimson lake and the other in BR green. The wheeled chassis of No. 45551 visited the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas near Lichfield the following day, en route to the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition at the National Exhibition. For the full story of the visits see pages 42-43.

Bittern peaks at 93mph on East Coast Main Line By Cedric Johns and Brian Sharpe

IN WHAT can only be described as a tribute to LNER’s chief mechanical engineer Sir Nigel Gresley’s fleet of A4s, one of three surviving operational locomotives, No. 4464 Bittern, celebrated 75 years of Mallard’s world speed record-breaking run by creating what is possibly a new heritage steam record by peaking at 93mph on Thursday, December 5. “We sustained 90mph for some 20 miles, peaking to 92-93mph on the southbound run between Darlington and York,” said The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s operations manager, Graeme Bunker, who travelled as a guest of Jeremy Hosking. “Yes, we peaked at 93mph,” Locomotive Services Ltd’s general manager Richard Corser told Heritage Railway. It was not about breaking records though. The two 90mph trains – the second ran on December 7 – was about showing that ageing but well-maintained steam locomotives are capable of holding their own on today’s national network. Following successful high-speed trials when Bittern, hauling eight coaches, achieved 90mph on former Western Region metals between Reading and Southall in the early hours of May 29, as reported in Heritage Railway issue 177, Network Rail gave special dispensation for three high-speed trains to run on the East Coast Main Line. Organised by Jeremy Hosking’s Locomotive Services Ltd, in

The crew of LNER A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern in front of the engine shortly before departure from York. BRIAN SHARPE

conjunction with Pathfinder Tours and Steam Dreams, backed by Network Rail engineers and Vehicle Acceptance Board inspectors, the three trains; the ‘Ebor Streak’, ‘Tyne-Tees Streak’ and the ‘Capital Streak’ were confirmed and advertised to the public. The ‘Ebor Streak’ ran to schedule on June 29 – setting a new heritage-era official speed record of 92.5mph, as we reported in issue 178, but the remaining two trains became victims of Network Rail’s fire risk steam ban in the York area during the summer. Originally dated for July 19 then August 30, Pathfinder’s ‘Tyne-Tees Streak’ eventually ran on December 5. Likewise, the ‘Capital Streak’ was originally booked to run on July 27. This was then changed to August

➲ ALL tHE LAtEst nEws

For breaking stories from the world of heritage railways go online at:

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

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No. 4464 Bittern storms uphill through Grantham prior to topping Stoke summit at 72mph. DEREK PHILLIPS

31, with the train finally running on December 7. So, departing Bristol Temple Meads for York behind DBS Class 67 No. 67006, the ‘Tyne-Tees Streak’ set out for York with 10 full coaches on Thursday, December 5. This was a day when the runPathfinder train was again threatened by adverse weather conditions which had reduced all service train speeds working north of York to a maximum of 50mph because of storm-force winds, strong enough to rock the station’s footbridge, it was said. All credit then to Network Rail, for instead of cancelling the train because of the weather and the real risk of tree branches falling onto the wires, it let it go, the ‘Streak’ departing for Newcastle an hour late, partly due to the late running of a southbound train bringing the A4’s driver to begin his shift. Nevertheless, the return trip made it worthwhile for passengers. Apart from a slowing to 75mph for a bridge restriction at Northallerton, the A4’s crew, driver Steve Hanszar, fireman Keith Mufin and traction inspector Bob Hart, combined to work the 4-6-2 up to 90mph for long periods with speed peaking at 92-93mph, the moment drawing spontaneous applause from passengers. Indeed one experienced observer claimed that the run represented the fastest-ever recorded with steam between Aycliffe and York. On Saturday, December 7, it was all so different as far as the weather was concerned. The high winds had dropped and southbound services from York were back to normal. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

LNER A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern accelerates towards 90mph past Bolton Percy just south of York. PHIL WATERFIELD

With drivers Steve Hanszard and Mark Dale, fireman Dave Proctor and traction inspectors Gareth Jones and Colin Kerswill taking turns on the footplate, Bittern got away from York at 2.19pm with 11 full coaches behind the drawbar. Accelerating with power, the A4 quickly reached its normal line speed and then topped 90mph on the Selby diversion before slowing to 75mph for Doncaster. After taking water at Retford, the A4 accelerated up Gamston bank before achieving 90mph again before Newark – where the ‘Ebor’ was clocked at 92.5mph in June. Following a 75mph section from Newark through Grantham, Bittern ‘flattened’ the climb to Stoke summit, maintaining 72mph before another 90mph but was checked to 75mph at Little Bytham – another bridge restriction – before being opened up for another burst of 90mph which was maintained until just before Peterborough. Approaching the home straight, the ‘Streak’s’ run was curtailed after the Conington water stop with a double yellow at Huntingdon and a ‘feather’ indicating that the train was being turned onto the Down slow line to let late running service trains to pass… Painfully slow running on the slow line with frequent signal checks saw the train arriving at www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Bittern heads north through Northallerton at around 30mph on Thursday, December 5. The southbound run under cover of darkness was faster. DEREK PHILLIPS

King’s Cross 36 minutes late, showing how crucial it is that all other trains keep to time for the special to be given its path on the fast line. Nevertheless the A4’s mission had been accomplished in style. Talking to former Faversham and

Nine Elms mainline man Colin Kerswill , his laconic answer to the question of what speed was reached was “90, to plan”, adding that “it was a normal run”. That sentiment was echoed by Southall’s engineers who reported that the A4 arrived back on the Saturday

evening for disposal in fine fettle. Bittern’s next trip is from King’s Cross to York on December 19, at a maximum line speed of 75mph. No ‘official’ timings and speeds for the run had been released as we closed for press. ➲ See also News, page 38. Heritage Railway

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HeadlineNews

Bluebell – the best in 10 years! By Brian Sharpe and Robin Jones

KNOCKED back senseless! That was Bluebell Railway Preservation Society chairman Roy Watts’ reaction when it was announced that his line has been named Ian Allan Railway of the Decade following the opening of its extension to East Grinstead. The unique award was announced at the presentation of the National Railway Heritage Awards 2013 at the Merchant Taylors’ Hall in London on December 4. It was the first time in the 34-year history of the awards that such an honour has been bestowed. A plaque was handed over to Roy by TV presenter Loyd Grossmann, of Food Sauces and Through the Keyhole fame. The award follows the completion of the ‘mission impossible’ removal of the landfill waste site filling Imberhorne Cutting so that the heritage line could reconnect to the national network after around half a century. The benefits of the project quickly became apparent: passenger numbers are 38% up since the extension was opened, East Grinstead traders are singing the railway’s praise and charter operators are clamouring to run steam and diesel-hauled trips to Sheffield Park, the latest being UK Railtours’ Class 66-hauled trip for the Bluebell Victorian Christmas on Thursday, December 12. Roy told Heritage Railway: “We were invited to the ceremony but thought it was for the Railway of the Year Award. Then it was announced that we were the Railway of the Decade. “I was knocked back senseless. It is absolutely fantastic. “It is a tribute to everyone that made it happen. It is a shame that

The realisation of a 53-year dream: Jeremy Hosking’s BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92212 arrives at East Grinstead on the first day of services over the Bluebell Railway extension on March 15. JON BOWERS

Bernard Holden (the late Bluebell founding chairman who died a year ago) was not there to collect this award.” The following day, the Bluebell’s infrastructure director Chris White, who had led the northern extension team, was named runner-up in the annual Heritage Heroes awards, run by the Heritage Alliance and presented at its annual general meeting at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington. By coincidence, this award was also presented by none other than Loyd Grossman. The Bluebell Railway extension also saw the line recommended for the Heritage Railway Association’s Annual Award (Large Groups), as reported overleaf.

Bluebell Railway Preservation Society chairman Roy Watts (second left) receives the Railway of the Decade plaque from Loyd Grossman. On the left is Ian Allan managing director David Allan, and on the right is Bluebell company chairman Dick Fearn. NRHA

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Railway of the Year

The Ian Allan Publishing Heritage Railway of the Year Award 2013 was won by the Mid-Norfolk Railway for its progress on three fronts; firstly its ability to recreate authentically the days of mid1970s diesel traction with a variety of locomotive classes and uniform rakes of blue/grey and Inter-City Mk2 coaching stock. Secondly, the NRHA accolade was made for the progress towards completing the extension northwards from Dereham to Hoe, which saw a railtour from St Pancras with an East Midlands Trains HST on May 18, six days after a DMU carried the first heritage era passengers north of Dereham. Thirdly, there is the staging of increasingly ambitious steam galas

with big-name locomotives such as Duchess of Sutherland.

Great Central’s Crystal Palace

The Station Environment Award was presented to the Great Central Railway for the £500,000 restoration of Loughborough Central station and canopy, beating off stiff competition from Network Rail’s Battersea Park and Horsham stations. The restoration of the Grade II listed glass, metal and wood station canopy, which dates back to 1899, took three years to complete, and is now ready for another century of service. Project leader Tony Sparks said: “This award is just recognition of the hard work and a tribute to everyone who helped raise the

Maunsell S15 4-6-0 No. 847 has returned to steam on the Bluebell Railway after 16 years. Following overhaul, the locomotive moved under its own power for the first time at Sheffield Park under steam test conditions on November 20. JOHN FRY www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Above: The 5 miles to Blaenau Ffestinog and 8¼ miles to Porthmadog stone just above Garnedd Tunnel and the half mile marker outside Rhoslyn Cottage at Dduallt. FRS Left: Dennis Howells’ WR 0-6-0PT No. 9466 running as No. 8443 pauses at Thuxton on the Mid-Norfolk Railway where the replacement signalbox has recently been completed. After many years as a diesel-only line, the MNR now holds summer steam galas. BRIAN SHARPE

money to do it. We’re very proud to have won. A visit to Loughborough Central has been transformed. “It is one of the largest stations on any UK heritage railway. We now have facilities which match the expectation of 21st century travellers and a sparkling elegant roof over our head. Loughborough’s Crystal Palace shines again.” The judges praised the renovations at Loughborough station as “a heritage restoration of the highest order”. The work was funded through a major public appeal and also grants from The Wolfson Foundation, The Pilgrim Trust, Biffaward, Garfield Weston and The Edith Murphy Foundation. Hundreds of hours of volunteer time was dedicated to recovering original wood and metal where possible or manufacturing completely new pieces. Specialist contractors and engineers were also employed on the project. The improvement works at Loughborough also saw passenger facilities refreshed, a lift installed for visitors using wheelchairs, cracked paving slabs repaired and a small exhibits museum redesigned.

Another Ffestiniog milestone

The NRHA Volunteers Award went to the Ffestiniog Railway Society for the Festiniog Railway 1864 milestone restoration project. It was praised for its “imaginative and well-executed scheme to reintroduce traditional slate mileposts along the line”. The project was co-ordinated by members of the Ffestiniog Railway Society’s Dee & Mersey Group and supported by the line’s heritage group over the last 10 years. Replica milestones have been installed in original sockets in walls and cairns along the railway at their correct locations. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Much research has taken place into locating the original milestones as some are now in museum collections.

the station paved in York stone, completed in September.

Accolade for ‘The Cross’

The Modern Railways Restoration Award was presented jointly to City of York Council, S Harrison Developments Ltd and Buccleuch Property for the £32 million combined renovation and new build of York’s Grade II* listed original railway station and hotel at West Offices as a new headquarters and customer centre for City of York Council. York Old Station, as it became known, was opened in 1841 inside the city walls by George Hudson’s York & North Midland Railway and was superseded in 1877 by the present station on the East Coast Main Line. The tracks in the old station were used for carriage storage until 1965, the buildings by then long since having been converted into offices The FirstGroup Craft Skills Award went to London’s Monument station subway restoration project following its demolition by a bus, while the Network Rail Partnership Award went to the Association of Community Rail Partnerships for the redevelopment of Huddersfield station water tower. The Railway Heritage Trust

The Chairman’s Special Award went to Network Rail and John McAsian and Partners, ARUP and Vinci Construction, for the £640 million redevelopment of King’s Cross. The Grade I listed building, designed by Lewis Cubitt in 1852 for the Great Northern Railway, has been restored in consultation with English Heritage, with original features retained wherever possible to safeguard the architectural integrity of the station. The new Western Concourse, which has been added to the side of the station, is the largest singlespan station structure in Europe. It opened in March 2012 in time for the London Olympics. In July 2012, the restoration of the twin trainshed roofs was finished, letting light flood back into the station. The project was completed with the demolition of the old front extension, again revealing the facade of the original building. The final phase of the redevelopment was the creation of a 75,000sq ft square at the front of

York’s original station back in use

Conservation Award went to Deborah Harper Make-up & Beauty for its conversion of the 1863-built Helen’s Bay station building at Ballygrot on the Belfast-Bangor line in County Down, with George Lawson winning the Supporters’ Award for Cocoworks Coffee House at Inverurie station. The Ian Allan Publishing Award was collected by Network Rail and Carillion for the strengthening and repair works on the distinctive lattice Ouseburn Viaduct north of Newcastle, while Transport for London won the London Underground Operational Enhancement Award for the Crystal Palace station enhancement project. This year, there were a total of 59 entries for the awards, launched in 1979 as the Best Restored Station Competition with the aim of encouraging high standards of structural restoration and environmental care by amateur groups involved in railway preservation. The awards were subsequently expanded to cover restoration work by British Rail itself, by other public or commercial organisations or by private individuals responsible for restoring an operational or redundant station structure.

Above: The award-winning refurbished trainshed roof of King’s Cross station, with new glazing eradicating the ‘gloom’ of the ‘cathedral of steam’ below. Solar panels fitted to the roofs generate up to 10% of the station’s energy requirements. ROBIN JONES Right: The new showpiece canopy at Loughborough Central station augurs well for the GCR’s ambition for a future with through running between Nottingham and Leicester once the missing bridge over the Midland Main Line is built, and a new museum at Leicester North (see separate stories). GCR Heritage Railway

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News LNER P2 2-8-2 appeal doubles its target!

THE appeal to fund the inaugural phase of the building of a new Gresley P2 2-8-2 Prince of Wales has more than doubled its £100,000 target within two months. The P2 Steam Locomotive Company Founders Club appeal sailed past the £200,000 mark in early December and had recruited more than 200 members, who each donate £1000 in up to four payments of £250 by standing order. P2 chairman Mark Allatt said: “We always knew that building a P2 would spark the imagination of many, but we are delighted to pass 200 members of The Founders Club in only two months.” The P2SLC is a subsidiary of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, the builder and operator of A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado. Anyone who wants details on how to join the club or contribute towards the building of a new P2 – Britain’s most powerful express steam passenger locomotive – is invited to visit www.p2steam.com

Stanier mogul to return in LMS livery

SEVERN Valley Railway-based Stanier mogul No. 42968 will return to traffic after its current overhaul as No. 13268 in the original LMS livery it carried when it was new in January 1934. The locomotive was subsequently renumbered No. 2968 in January 1936. It was renumbered after nationalisation to 42968. BR mixed traffic black was the livery carried from the locomotive’s previous overhaul until the expiry of the boiler certificate in January 2013. It is thought likely that it will reenter traffic in 2016.

Judges’ choice is Met 150 By Robin Jones

THE return of a complete passenger-carrying wooden-bodied Victorian steam train to the London Underground tunnels and a year of sell-out events to mark the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Railway led to the capital’s transport museum being recommended for the top honour in the National Railway Heritage Awards. At a meeting of the judges’ panel at the National Railway Museum in York on November 20, it was agreed that London Transport Museum, London Underground and their partners should be recommended for the award for the excellence and exhaustive programme of events to mark the 150th anniversary of the world’s first underground railway including the successful operation of the train. The partners included several heritage railways which had contributed to two years of planning and preparation for the Met 150 celebrations, leading to worldwide publicity for the heritage of the Underground when the first public runs through the tunnels behind restored Metropolitan Railway E class 0-4-4T No. 1 took place in January 2013. The Bluebell Railway loaned its four-coach ex-London Transport Chesham branch set to make up the bulk of the train, while the Ffestiniog Railway, with the aid of Heritage Lottery Fund grant aid, restored Metropolitan Jubilee coach No. 353 from dereliction to as-new condition at Boston Lodge Works. As exclusively reported in Heritage Railway, the Bodmin & Wenford Railway loaned National Railway Museum-owned LSWR Beattie well

A4 No. 4489 Dominion of Canada arrives at the National Railway Museum in York in June following its refurbishment at the Locomotion museum in Shildon. ROBIN JONES

tank No. 30587 for the first trial trips through the tunnels during early 2012. The Avon Valley and Severn Valley railways provided running-in facilities for Met No.1, including special dispensation for 50mph running on the latter. Met No. 1 was provided by the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre, which reached an agreement with the museum to borrow it for 10 years in return for raising money for its latest overhaul, at Bill Parker’s Flour Mill Colliery workshops at Bream in the Forest of Dean. The Epping Ongar Railway test ran the museum’s restored Metropolitan Railway milk van, which was added to the train. The Great Central Railway at Loughborough undertook high-

East Kent Railway in new shed SOS

THE East Kent Railway is pulling out all the stops to raise £10,000 by next summer to build an engine shed at its Shepherdswell base. The ARC Academy in Aylesham runs an apprenticeship scheme and has relocated its operations to Shepherdswell, where youngsters will learn to be track maintainers and lay the required permanent way into the new shed. However, the railway needs to raise money to cover the costs. The steel shed will be used for vehicle restoration which is currently undertaken in the open. Details on how to support the appeal can be found at www.everyclick.com/sponsorourshed

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speed test running of No. 353, the sole-surviving item of rolling stock from the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway, prior to it being allowed to run again on the Underground after many decades.

Another honour for Bluebell

At the judges’ meeting, it was also recommended that the Bluebell Railway be awarded the HRA Annual Award (Large Groups) – making it a unique double with the National Railway Heritage Award’s Railway of the Decade accolade described on the preceding pages. The HRA award was recommended for completion of the long awaited physical link with the national rail network which enhances the profile and business opportunities both on the railway and in the local economy. The colossal task has been made possible through the removal of around 90 tonnes of landfill, 80 tonnes of it having been taken out by rail, eliminating one of the greatest physical barriers of the heritage sector.

Restoring the L&B as it was

Newly arrived Bagnall Isaac (see separate story, page 17) heads a train comprising the three restored original Lynton & Barnstaple Railway carriages back to Woody Bay on November 30. The carriages are from left to right: No. 17, a brake composite constructed in Barnstaple in 1911; No. 7, one of the L&B’s unique open-centre thirds built by the Bristol Wagon & Carriage Co in 1897; and No. 16, the latest arrival, a brake third also built by the Bristol company in 1897 ready for the railway’s opening in 1898. All three have been rebuilt by the L&B Trust’s East Area Group at Great Yeldham in Essex, where work on No. 11 is now under way. TONY NICHOLSON

It was recommended that the HRA Award (Small Groups) be made to the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust in recognition of it taking a major step forward in its mission to recreate a piece of North Devon transport heritage in its original form with the restoration of three original carriages. This feat was enhanced by the visit of a Lynton & Barnstaple replica Manning Wardle 2-6-2 in Southern Railway green, in the form of the Ffestiniog Railway’s new-build Lyd, based on the original Lew. “Perchance the L&B is now wide awake!” the recommendation ran. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

A Highly Commended Certificate should be given to the Aln Valley Railway Society for the establishment, after many years of struggle, of a standard gauge station and depot complex from new on a virgin site, it was also recommended.

The transatlantic tribute

The judges recommended that the John Coiley Award for locomotives be made to the National Railway Museum to acknowledge and celebrate the international cooperation and achievement of the transatlantic partners in the movement of A4 Pacifics No. 4489 Dominion of Canada and No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower to take part in the Mallard 75 events, including the Great Gatherings. This temporary repatriation and cosmetic refurbishment involved major input from the Friends of the National Railway Museum, the NRM itself and all the groups whose generosity made this move possible, particularly haulier Moveright International, the panel said. The operation would not have been possible without the unstinting support of Exporail: The Canadian Railway Museum in Montreal, and the US National Railroad Museum at Green Bay in Wisconsin, the recommendation read.

Purbeck’s new steam line

It was recommended that the Mortons Media (Heritage Railway) Interpretation Award be made to the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum at Norden, next to the Swanage Railway’s Norden parkand-ride station, for the operation and return to steam of a section of the former extensive narrow gauge mineral tramway network on the Isle of Purbeck. Also for the creation of a unique museum devoted to the history and technology of ball clay mining complete with underground mine

Metropolitan Railway E class 0-4-4T No. 1 heads a test train in Uxbridge station on Monday, December 3. See also pages 14-15. ANDY BARR

tunnel and associated rail tracks and rolling stock in part of the Jurassic Coast which is designated as a World Heritage Site for the richness of its geology. The panel said that the museum is not only a valuable education resource in its own right, but also a quality visitor attraction adjacent to and interacting with the Swanage Railway, a branch over which the extracted clay was shipped out, with the interchange being recreated. The museum’s short 2ft gauge running line was last summer briefly host to the Hampshire Narrow Gauge Railway Society’s exDinorwic Quarry Hunslet No. 542 of 1891 Cloister and freelance 0-4-0T Emmet, the first heritage era steam to run over it.

Diesel awards

The panel recommended that the Mortons Media (Rail Express) Modern Traction Award be made to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway for staging an innovative modern traction event featuring a special reinstatement of a main line connection with through running from Aylesbury and some highly sought after guest

locomotives. Furthermore, judges said that a Highly Commended Certificate should be given to the Diesel Traction Group for the standard commercial use of a first generation heritage icon, D1015 Western Champion, for recently hauling freight trains on the main line. It is currently the only diesel hydraulic locomotive in use on the main line.

➲ As we closed for press on December 11, the recommendations were still to be discussed three days later by the HRA board, which has the power to change the final awards. The recommendations and awards were embargoed until December 15, shortly before this issue was scheduled to go on sale. Any changes made in the final awards will be listed on our www.facebook.com/heritagerailway page and www.heritagerailway.co.uk site. The awards will be presented to the confirmed winners by Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways general manager Paul Lewin at the HRA’s annual dinner at the Guild Hall Banqueting Room in Bath on Saturday February 8.

Above: On October 19, two Class 121 ‘bubblecars’ stand at Chinnor: No. 55023 and Chiltern Railways’ No. 121034. PHIL MARSH Right: Quarry Hunslet No. 542 of 1891 Cloister on a relaid section of track at the Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum at Norden. ANDREW PM WRIGHT

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11

News

INBRIEF

➲ GWR steam railmotor No. 93 will appear at the Churnet Valley Railway’s February 22-23 steam gala weekend, subject to an agreement being signed with the Great Western Society. The full gala lineup will also include Bulleid West Country No. 34007 Wadebridge, USATC S160 2-8-0 No. 6046, GER N7 0-6-2T No. 69621 Beyer Peacock 0-4-0ST No. 1827, and in light steam Polish Tkh 0-6-0T No. 2944 Hotspur subject to completion of its overhaul. ➲ THE powers of the Railway Heritage Committee, the government body which was abolished in the Coalition government’s ‘bonfire of the quangos’, were formally handed over to a new Science Museum committee by Baroness Susan Kramer, Minister of State for Transport in the House of Lords, at a reception at the museum on November 27. The powers include the right to claim items of main line rolling stock and other artifacts for the national collection. ➲ DEVELOPER McArthur Glen has started building a £35 million extension to its Swindon Designer Outlet incorporating the Long Shop, part of the Grade II-listed GWR works, into the shopping mall. ➲ LYNTON & Barnstaple Railwaybased Maffei 0-4-0WT Sid has been sold to Sweden’s Risten-Lakviks Railway, a few miles from the Frövi Machine & Estate Light Railway where it ran before coming to England in 2006. ➲ THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s £500,000 Bridges to Broadway appeal, which was launched at the end of September, has now passed the halfway mark, allowing work on the five bridges to begin in 2014. ➲ THE next locomotive expected to return to traffic on the Tanfield Railway is Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST No. 1015 of 1904, which spent its entire working life in the East Durham coalfield at Shotton Colliery It is hoped to have this engine back in steam within three years.

➲ LONDON Transport Museum has recorded its best-ever visitor numbers during the Met 150 year of celebrations, with a record 320,000 people visiting the Covent Garden museum and Acton depot open days. ➲ METROPOLITAN Railway E class 0-4-4T No. 1 and Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway A class 0-6-0 No. 52322 have been booked for the Mid-Hants Railway’s March 7-9 spring steam gala. ➲ FORMER Festiniog Railway Society managing director Arthur Lambert died in Porthmadog on October 26 at the age of 97.

12 Heritage Railway

An architect’s drawing of the new bridge. NETWORK RAIL

Unveiled: GCR’s designs for new rail bridge at Loughborough EXCLUSIVE By Robin Jones THESE are the plans for the Great Central Railway’s new bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough, published after the £1m appeal to build it passed the £300,000 mark in early December. They have been drawn up by Network Rail, which has been contracted to build the bridge. Once finished, it will join the GCR to the Great Central Railway (Nottingham) and create Britain’s first inter-city heritage trunk railway. With the bridge in place, charter operators will be able to use the GCR(N)’s main line connection to reach Loughborough. Network Rail released the designs after its staff carried out preliminary ground investigation works during pre-planned possessions of the Midland Main Line, which is to be electrified. More work will follow on the bridge decks early in the new year. Test borings are to be carried out in the car park of Preci Spark, whose premises are adjacent to the original trackbed, to prepare the way for the design of the abutments. The single-track bridge itself, not including the abutments, will be around 117ft long. Project spokesman Tom Ingall said: “Both the GCR plc and GCR(N) are very pleased by the progress, and grateful for the many donations still coming in on a weekly basis. “With our £1 million target, approximately every £300 we

receive enables us to build another one centimetre! “The volunteers from the Network Rail team have worked extraordinarily hard to progress the project so quickly.” The missing bridge has long been considered to be the biggest physical obstacle in the UK heritage railway portfolio. The response to the appeal, launched in June, as reported in Heritage Railway issue 177, has upped the impetus for the GCR to ‘do a Bluebell Railway’, the Sussex line just having been named Railway of the Decade for removing the Imberhorne Lane landfill site so that it could reach East Grinstead and connect to the national network again. The Loughborough bridge was taken out by Network Rail in 1980. After years of campaigning for the GCR and GCR(N) to be reconnected, a feasibility study carried out by Atkins found the scheme to be capable of delivering multiple benefits to both Charnwood and the East Midlands region. The public response to the opening of the Bluebell extension, which has seen passenger numbers soar by 38%, will now reinforce that report’s findings. As reported on page 36, the GCR has in partnership with the National Railway Museum and Leicester City Council launched a bid for £10 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund towards the establishment of a major new museum at Leicester North. Also, the volunteers restoring the Mountsorrel branch line as yet another new visitor draw for the GCR have just run their first steam-hauled passenger train along it, as reported on page 40.

The plan for the bridge spanning the Midland Main line. NETWORK RAIL

➲ Help the Great Central realise its ambition of creating an 18-mile inter-city link by donating to the bridge appeal at www.gcrailway.co.uk Click on the Bridge to the Future link. You can send a cheque made payable to the David Clarke Railway Trust to Bridge Appeal, Great Central Railway, Lovatt House, Wharncliffe Road, Loughborough, Leics LE11 1SL. Tom said: “A standing order of £5 a month for the next 18 months from everyone reading Heritage Railway would take us close to the target - particularly if they can tick the gift aid box!”

Scotsman overhaul: it’s so far so good THE first stage of the resumed restoration of A3 Pacific No. 4472 Flying Scotsman is progressing well at Ian Riley’s workshops, the National Railway Museum said. In August, NRM director Paul Kirkman said that a final decision as to whether to restore the A3 to running order rested on whether further problems would be found on frames beneath the three cylinder castings. However, specialist ultrasound tests on the section of frame have not uncovered any faults, paving the way for the Science Museum to release £776,000 for the overhaul to main line standard to be completed by Ian.

An NRM spokesman said: “We can confirm that ‘stage one’ of the project to bring Scotsman back into steam is progressing well and to schedule so far, with all three cylinders removed and the non-destructive testing of the frames completed. “Riley & Sons is producing a report on all aspects of the work undertaken so far including the nondestructive testing of the frames. We will decide our next steps when we have had a chance to review the report’s recommendations.” No. 4472 may run again in the summer of 2015. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Bumper Christmas at Severn Valley By Paul Appleton THE Severn Valley Railway has been enjoying a bumper Santa season with trains fully booked and running on an intensive half-hourly frequency between Kidderminster and Santa’s grotto at Arley. The railway reports 100% availability so far with locomotives drawn from a pool of nine comprising Hawksworth 0-6-0PT No. 1501, Churchward 2-8-0 No. 2857, small prairie No. 4566, No. 4936 Kinlet Hall, large prairie No. 5164, ‘Taffy tank’ No. 5643, No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor, Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No. 43106 and Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34053 Sir Keith Park. Each operating day, six locomotives are required, five for trains and one locomotive as spare and to provide carriage heating at Kidderminster. Trains will also be operating over the full length of line from Boxing Day through to January 5 with four steam hauled departures each way between Kidderminster and Bridgnorth, plus the opportunity to ride on the line’s DMU which will run (unusually) a KidderminsterBridgnorth-Highley-BridgnorthKidderminster diagram. Full details are available at www.svr.co.uk Meanwhile at Bridgnorth, WR Class 14 ‘Teddy Bear’ D9551 has arrived from the Royal Deeside Railway. It should be available for service on the line in time for the new season. In the workshops, the contract repair of the boiler for rare 2ft gauge 1908-built Thomas Green 0-6-2ST No. 441 Barber has been completed,

and left Bridgnorth for Alan Keef ’s workshops at Ross-on-Wye on November 28 where final assembly will be carried out before it returns to its home at the South Tynedale Railway in Cumbria. Volunteers and paid staff have also completed the dismantling of ‘Tranter Towers’, a series of storage containers with mess facilities above, which were built over part of two storage roads in the main shed at Bridgnorth. This has freed up a considerable amount of space with the first beneficiary being the Stanier Mogul Fund’s LMS 2-6-0 No. 42968 which has moved inside so volunteers can continue dismantling the locomotive so that restoration can get under way. Work has also started on No. 4930 Hagley Hall, with the tender inside the workshops following the exchange of the Hawksworth one that was paired with it with the more authentic Collett 4000 gallon type from No. 6990 Witherslack Hall, a deal which suits both parties and both tenders are in a similar state of disrepair requiring overhaul. The recruitment of a further new apprentice joining the Heritage Skills Training Academy at the end of November is further evidence of the SVR’s commitment to investment in the railway’s future specialist skill requirements. At Highley, the railway is now listed for wedding ceremonies at its Engine House visitor centre, offering the complete package to would-be ‘happy couples’ who can get married, hold a reception and have their own special wedding train, all at one venue.

Leek station plans on show PLANS to build a new western terminus for the Churney Valley Railway near Leek town centre have been on public display in the offices of Staffordshire Moorlands District Council. The draft redevelopment plan for the Cornhill area of Leek centres around turning industrial land into housing and leisure facilities. As well as the station, and extension of the line, to be

built by Moorland & City Railways, the plan includes a marina on the Caldon Canal and a pub and restaurant. Council leader Coun Sybil Ralphs said: “These plans herald an exciting new lease of life for Cornhill which, if given consent, will see this brownfield site transformed into a major tourist destination, as well as providing housing and employment.”

Barclay 0-4-0ST Sir Thomas Royden is seen in the quarry at Rocks by Rail at Cottesmore during a Russ Hillier/Sentimental Journeys photo charter. ALISTAIR GRIEVE

J27 gets new cylinder block THE overhaul of NELPG’s NER J27 0-6-0 No. 2392/65894 took a major step forward on October 13, when after several trial fits at the former Hopetown Carriage Works, the new cylinder block was fitted to the frames for the final time. The locomotive was withdrawn from service in 2005 with several steam leaks from fractures in the cylinder casting. It was initially hoped that the fractures in the original cylinder block could be repaired by specialist welding. However, when the block was removed from the frames and inspected by engineers at contractor Cast Iron Welding from Coalville, they recommended replacement rather than repair, due to the severity of the fractures. NELPG eventually decided to go ahead with casting a new cylinder block. The group asked David Elliott to manage the project, due to his previous experience with building Tornado as director of engineering for The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust. South Lincs Foundry from Spalding was commissioned to

The new cylinder block in place on the J27. NEAL WOODS/NELPG

manufacture the patterns, and the new cylinder block was cast by Timsons Ltd of Kettering. The completed casting was machined by Multi Tech Engineering (UK) Ltd, based in Featherstone, Pontefract. NELPG volunteers were able to take on the rest of the project, including hydraulic testing and trial fitting to check alignment, carrying out the work in the group’s workshops at Hopetown, Darlington. Over the coming months, all the fitted holes on the block will be reamed out, fitted bolts will be installed, and then the block will be completed with covers, pistons and valves.

Bodmin pannier for Severn Valley debut THE Severn Valley Railway has booked the Bodmin & Wenford Railway’s GWR 0-6-0PT No. 6435 from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway for its March 21-23 spring steam gala. It will be the first visit of a 64XX to the SVR. The locomotive will run with maroon-liveried auto trailer Chaffinch during its stay, which will include photographic www.heritagerailway.co.uk

charters. Two other guest locomotives are being booked for the occasion. Home-based GWR prairie No. 4566 is being repainted into BR black in the new year for the event. However, the SVR has decided against hiring GWR steam railmotor No. 93 because it considered the movement to be too expensive. Heritage Railway

13

News

GWR steam railmotor for Brentford IN the wake of the success of Met 150, plans are afoot to bring Didcot’s GWR steam railmotor No. 93 back on to the main line by visiting one of the now-unique vehicle’s original London routes, the Brentford branch. Great Western Society spokesman Frank Dumbleton said: “Following the successful venture on the Liskeard-Looe branch in November last year with steam railmotor No. 93, it has been decided that it would be good to repeat the exercise elsewhere. “towards the end of November this year chairman Richard Croucher, and Richard Preston, chairman of main line and heritage railway operations of the Great Western Society, met with officials from First Great Western, Network Rail and West Coast Railways to explore various options. “Following a positive meeting it was agreed to work towards running a timetabled operation with No. 93 and possibly auto trailer No. 92, on the Southall-Brentford branch. “Such a visit has a great significance for the Great Western Society as this is where the society was born, on the footbridge in 1961. It is also the location where the steam railmotor began its working life, being based at Southall shed in 1904. “there are many practicalities which have to be overcome before it is known if such an operation is viable let alone take place but it has been provisionally agreed by all parties that we are looking at running No. 93 over the weekend of October 18/19, 2014 with a second operation one or two weeks later.” the railmotor has been running Santa trains on the Barry tourist Railway.

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A prairie to Uxbridge via the Underground By Robin Jones

hIStORY was made on Sunday, December 8 when GWR small prairie No. 5521 – in its London transport maroon guise as L150 – headed a series of six special public trips from harrow-on-thehill to Uxbridge. Unlike its long-scrapped sister locomotives, the prairie was not running to the former GWR terminus at Uxbridge, which was closed half a century ago, but the town’s London Underground station. L150 was heading the last of the hugely-successful Met 150 special steam trips over parts of the London Underground, marking the 150th anniversary of the Metropolitan Railway, the world’s oldest underground line. Its appearance on the six 40minute non-stop round trips was made after short notice, following the failure of restored locomotive Metropolitan Railway e class 0-4-4t No. 1 with an ancient steam leak which chose to burst forth as a repair dating back up to 60 years gave out. Met No. 1 completed a test run from Ruislip depot to Uxbridge on Monday, December 3. It was noticed that steam was escaping from the concrete base beneath the locomotive’s smokebox. Andy Barr, London Underground’s head of heritage operations, said that at first it was thought that a blastpipe gasket was leaking. the steam escaped only when the regulator was opened, and it was feared that a blowback might occur. An area of the concrete was needle-gunned out piece by piece

GWR prairie No. L150 stands in the Metropolitan Line’s Uxbridge station on December 8. ANDY BARR

and at the top of the steam chest, it was discovered that there was a very old copper patch repair measuring about six by five inches that had started to leak. Andy feared that detritus from the concrete could find its way into the steam chest and eventually into the pistons, scouring them and causing severe damage. A decision was taken on the

Friday afternoon before the Uxbridge runs to fail No. 1, and summon the standby locomotive, L150, from the Flour Mill workshop at Bream in the Forest of Dean, with its new lowered cab that will enable it to fit the clearances on Underground tunnels for potential future trips. Andy said: “It was a problem that nobody who had overhauled the

Above: The ancient copper patch repair of No.1’s steam chest undertaken by London Transport in its steam era decades ago, and which finally gave out. ANDY BARR Left: The 3.50pm empty coaching stock move back from Harrow to Ruislip depot. JOHN TITLOW www.heritagerailway.co.uk

locomotive in preservation could have spotted. The path repair was likely to have been carried out by London Transport in the Sixties, or even as long ago as the Fifties.” Now that the patch repair has been found, rectification is seen as a relatively straightforward task and No. 1 should soon return to service, ready to go on hire to heritage lines. On the trips, L150, which afterwards was booked to make a second visit to the Bluebell Railway, performed faultlessly. Tucked in behind it on the outward journey was vintage Metropolitan Railway Bo-Bo electric locomotive No. 12 Sarah Siddons, organiser London Transport Museum’s 4TC set and the hugely-acclaimed restored Metropolitan Railway Jubilee firstclass coach No. 353. At the far end was BR blue-livered Class 20 No. 20142. All six trips were packed, and linesiders again congregated at every vantage point in the glorious sunshine to watch and photograph the specials, which also marked the centenary of Uxbridge station in advance of next year’s anniversary. The Harrow & Uxbridge Railway, which later became part of the Met, first opened a station in Uxbridge on July 4, 1904. It lay in Belmont Road, a short distance to the north of the present station, and was situated on a different track alignment, now used as www.heritagerailway.co.uk

sidings. The original service from central London was provided by steam-hauled trains but electrification took place in 1905. The current station was opened on December 4, 1938. Uxbridge High Street station in what is now Oxford Road was the southern terminus and only station on the short GWR Uxbridge branch from the GWR/GCR joint line, which is now the Chiltern Main Line. The station opened on May 1, 1907, and closed to passengers as early as September 25, 1939. Freight continued until the station closed completely in July 1964.

Above: The 10.50am from Harrow-on-the-Hill approaching Rayners Lane station at the junction with the Piccadilly Line. JOHN TITLOW Right: Driver’s eye view of Metropolitan Railway No. 1 approaching Ruislip on its December 3 test run. ANDY BARR Below: No. L150 and Sarah Siddons double head the 3.05pm special to Uxbridge out of Harrow-on-the-Hill, running in parallel with a modern tube train. ROBIN JONES

Heritage Railway

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News

Mallard record link to railway medal set to be auctioned maternal grandfather oliver Whiteley was a fitter at Doncaster works and her great uncle was By Geoff Courtney world speed record breaker Joe Duddington. A CommEmoRATIVE medal No. 4843 was named King’s Own that has been in the family since Yorkshire Light Infantry, and being presented to an LNER top Sydney was presented with the link driver is to appear at auction sterling silver medal at the naming on January 18. It is being sold by ceremony by General Sir Charles Christine Spicer, whose Deedes, colonel of the regiment. grandfather Sydney Spicer was on its front is the regimental presented with the medal at the badge and on the reverse an naming ceremony of LNER V2 inscription which states that it was 2-6-2 No. 4843 in Doncaster presented to Sydney ‘on his works yard on may 20, 1939. appointment as driver of LNER Christine, who is 68, comes from engine 4843’. a family steeped in railway history; Among dignitaries at the highfor in addition to Sydney, her profile ceremony were the colonel’s wife, Lady Deedes, who performed the official naming of the locomotive, and LNER chief mechanical engineer Sir Nigel Gresley, designer of the highly successful V2 class. Christine Spicer said her grandfather Sydney was on the railway all his working life. He progressed to the top link as a driver, frequently working on the ECmL, and she recalls being driven by him on a family visit to London when she was about four. “We went down to London to see the Christmas decorations, link with the paSt: the commemorative and caught a train that Granddad Spicer, as we called medal presented to lner top link driver Sydney Spicer at the naming ceremony of him, was driving. At that time – V2 no. 4843 at doncaster on May 20, 1939. it was about 1949 – passengers GCRA often went up to the driver to

EXCLUSIVE

Medal of honour: General Sir Charles deedes presents the medal to driver Sydney Spicer at the naming ceremony of no. 4843 at doncaster on May 20, 1939, while Sir nigel Gresley (centre) watches proceedings intently. no. 4843 is in the background. CHRISTINE SPICER COLLECTION

thank him after getting off the train, and after we arrived at King’s Cross I went up to him and said: “Thank you, granddad.” I felt very proud.” Sydney died in 1952, aged just 56, ironically through a minor railway accident. “He knocked his leg when he was climbing on to an engine, a blood clot formed and

he died from a coronary thrombosis,” said Christine, who has worked for a Doncaster roofing contractor for 48 years. Although she was only seven when he died, Christine, who lives in Doncaster, remembers visiting her granddad with her father Joseph. “my dad always told me that his uncle Joe broke the world

Impasse over A1 nameplate as owner hunt intensifies By Geoff Courtney

INTENSIVE efforts by various parties, including the police, to trace the owner of an A1 Pacific nameplate discovered in a pond by a group of sea scouts have to date been unsuccessful, leading to an impasse over moves to sell the scouts’ find. The plate, from No. 60127 Wilson Worsdell, was dragged out of a pond in the summer by members of the 1st Canvey Island Sea Scouts in Essex during a dredging operation. At first the scouts were told by police that it was theirs to sell as no one had claimed the plate, and the group’s leader, Richard Lotz, commissioned Great

16 Heritage Railway

Central Railwayana to auction the plate for scout funds. It was due to go under the hammer on January 18. However, events took a turn after publicity in Heritage Railway, when Dan Langley, who lives in Eastbourne, came forward to say that he was the plate’s custodian and that it was his to sell. In a telephone conversation with Richard he said that the plate was owned by former King’s Cross fireman Brian Douglas, a friend with whom he had lost contact. In 1998 Brian had asked him to look after it for safekeeping, but in 2003 it was stolen from the garage of the house where Dan then lived, about a mile from the pond in Canvey.

Dan told Richard he had reported the theft to his local police at the time – which Essex police later confirmed after initially saying they had no record of the report – but there had been no insurance claim as the item wasn’t insured. In yet another twist following Dan’s call to Richard, Essex police served Great Central Railwayana with a formal notice instructing it not to sell the plate until a decision was made on its ownership, and subsequently issued a statement saying they were trying to establish who the owner was. Six days later however, on November 7, Essex police appeared to wipe their hands of the affair

with another statement declaring that the situation was regarded as a civil matter and advising the interested parties to come to an amicable solution; but simultaneously saying the police retention order stopping the sale of the plate would remain in place. This apparent anomaly led a clearly exasperated Richard Lotz to tell Heritage Railway: “I don’t know where I stand.” Dan Langley believes that in about 2000 Brian Douglas moved from his London home to south Wales following the death of his parents, but he has no address and doesn’t know whether he is still alive. Essex police, Dan and Richard

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Fighting name: the nameplate from no. 4843 that was sold by great Central Railwayana for £25,500 on July 7, 2012. GCRA

speed record on Mallard, so that makes him my great uncle. I believe he was related to my grandmother.” Of the unique medal presented to her grandfather, which she inherited when her father died in 1999 at the age of 82, she said: “I have nobody to pass it on to, and I would like it to go to someone who collects railway memorabilia and would enjoy having it in their collection. In one sense I will be sad to sell it, but I was only seven when granddad died and I would love it to go to someone who will treasure it.” The medal, which retains its ribbon and is still in its original presentation box, will go under the hammer at the Great Central Railwayana auction at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire, on January 18. Auctioneer Mike Soden said: “It is a unique piece of railway history, and I am confident it will go to a good home.” No. 4843 was built at Doncaster in April 1939 – a month before the naming ceremony – and was renumbered 60872 by BR. It spent most of its working life at Doncaster (36A), and was withdrawn in September 1963. Coincidentally, Great Central Railwayana sold one of its nameplates on July 14, 2012, when it realised £25,500.

have all independently made efforts to trace Brian, with Richard contacting the media in south Wales in the hope that publicity may help the search, but to date no information as to his whereabouts, or even whether he is still alive, has been forthcoming. “I am continuing my search but so far to no avail, and I have heard nothing from Essex police,” said Richard. Essex police spokesman Bill Stock, speaking to Heritage Railway on December 6, said that all interested parties had been contacted and that there was no need for further police investigation at that stage. “However, enquiries will be reopened if any new information comes to light about the burglary or the whereabouts of the other

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Isaac heads the original carriages at Killington lane on a test run during glorious late autumn sunshine on november 30. TONY NICHOLSON

Isaac joins the Lynton & Barnstaple fleet BAGNALL 0-4-2T No. 3023 of 1953 Isaac has made its debut at its new Lynton & Barnstaple Railway home. It arrived at Woody Bay on November 29. The sister of Gelert on the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, it was supplied new to South African platinum mines and was bought several years ago by a member of

the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust to run on the North Devon line. It was restored in the Ffestiniog Railway’s workshop at Boston Lodge. The L&B had hoped to launch it into service at its September autumn gala but it was not finished in time. Isaac was scheduled to enter traffic

in the L&B’s Santa Specials on December 14-15 and 20-24, heading the three rebuilt (original L&B) carriages. After Christmas Isaac and the three historic carriages will operate Mince Pie Specials on December 28-January 1. The engine has been painted in Southern Green and was lined out freehand at Boston Lodge.

Two ‘Black Fives’ for Yeovil Railway Centre visit in December REVIEWING the past year during the Yeovil Railway Centre’s recent annual meeting, chairman Paul Gould told members that in spite of the lack of visiting main line steam during the summer months, overall results based on ‘train days’ and special events had been successful. He said: “The number of main line steam visits was the only disappointment of the year due to a range of reasons - fire risk bans, track engineering work, no crew, no engine and one occasion no coaches!” Compared to previous years, numbers were considerably

reduced, with only six main line engines visiting the centre this summer compared to 18 or 20 visits normally expected, he said. The centre’s year ends on a high with news that the final visit was booked for a ‘Cathedrals Express’ arriving on Monday, December 16 with two ‘Black Fives’, No. 44871 and No. 45407 heading the train from London via Salisbury. Looking ahead, two Bulleid 4-6-2s are expected to use the centre’s watering facilities on April 6 when the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ make stops en route to and from Exeter.

Approximately three weeks later, Bulleid Pacifics No. 34046 Braunton and No. 34067 Tangmere double head the first day of the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Great Britain VII’. To mark the centre’s 20th anniversary celebrations, Steam Dreams’ chairman Marcus Robertson has arranged for a ‘Cathedrals Express’ to visit on Sunday June 1. It is possible that Merchant Navy 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line, the first main line engine to visit Yeovil 20 years ago, will be used to work the train from London.

no sale: the nameplate from a1 no. 60127 as it was dragged from an essex pond by a group of sea scouts. With ownership of the plate the subject of intense debate, police have formally stopped its sale by great Central Railwayana. GCRA

items taken in 2003,” he said. The “other items” to which he referred are a nameplate from LNER A2 Pacific No. 60510 Robert the Bruce and a ‘Heart of Midlothian’ express headboard. These are also owned by Brian Douglas and were stolen from Dan Langley’s garage at the same time as the Wilson Worsdell plate in 2003 but have yet to be found. Meanwhile, Great Central Railwayana has retained for safekeeping the Wilson Worsdell plate, which has an estimated

value of £10,000, but halted work on cleaning it. With its hands tied by the police stop notice, the auction house has also withdrawn it from its forthcoming sale on January 18. “We await further news on the search for the owner and confirmation when we can offer it for sale,” said director and auctioneer Mike Soden. Dan Langley, a 62-year-old former London Transport railwayman, said: “I still haven’t heard from Brian Douglas and

don’t know what to do next. He was quite well known in the 1960s and 70s as he used to organise coach trips from King’s Cross to railway sheds and I had hoped someone who went on those trips might have kept in touch with him. I think we need to give it a little time to see if we receive information on his whereabouts or indeed whether he is still with us. My concern is what happens if we sold the nameplate and then he came forward some time afterwards.”

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Safely on shed: two days after leaving Horncastle, Bahamas awaits the start of its overhaul inside Tyseley’s new state-of-the-art workshop, which with its overhead crane and lifting facilities is now one of the most advanced heritage steam workshops in Britain. In early December, the works, deep in hardcore GWR territory, was home to two Jubilees, the other being No. 45593 Kolhapur, another LMS 5XP in the form of the partially completed new Patriot No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior and Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth. ROBIN JONES

Actor Patrick Mower with members of the Mortons marketing team, left to right, Paula Withers, Leanne Mandall and Rachel Hippey. DARREN HENDLEY

come to fruition after months of planning has actually brought a lump to my throat. “This kind of event has never been done before and we are so grateful to Mortons for helping to make it happen and we look forward to working with them in the future.” Heritage Railway editor Robin Jones said: “We were honoured by the visit of one of the big name main line steam locomotives from the preservation era, and look forward to seeing it back hauling trains on the national network in 2017 once its overhaul has been completed at Tyseley. “It definitely caused more than a stir in our home town of Horncastle, where steam has not been seen for half a century. It was www.heritagerailway.co.uk

great to see the youngsters from the local school turn out to see it – maybe its appearance will inspire the next generation of enthusiasts.” Horncastle was served by a short branch from Woodhall Junction on the former Boston to Lincoln line. It lost its passenger services as early as September 11, 1954 – seven years before Dr Beeching was appointed as chairman of British Railways and began wielding his axe on railway services. Freight services lasted until April 6, 1971, with the track ripped up a year later. The station has long since been demolished. Bahamas will not be making a return visit to Horncastle. Its overhaul is expected to take up to 2016/17, and John said that once certified for main line running, it will not be carried around by road. Heritage Railway

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News

No. 61264 departs from Levisham with a photo charter. PHIL WATERFIELD

Bongo for the main line By Brian Sharpe

LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61264 is wellknown for having been the only LNER locomotive to take up residence in Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry, until rescued by the Thompson B1 Locomotive Society in July 1976. Several years’ use as a stationary boiler at Colwick had taken its toll but the engine returned to steam on the Great Central Railway in March 1997, and before long it made its debut on

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the main line, seeing several seasons on ‘Jacobite’ duties as well as returning to familiar B1 territory in the Eastern and North Eastern regions. Its latest overhaul was completed at Crewe and following its successful period of running in excess of 11,000 miles on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway this year, B1 4-6-0 No. 61264 is to undergo a main line circular loaded test run from Carnforth via Hellifield, Blackburn and Preston on January 10.

The engine is scheduled to leave Grosmont at 7.50am the previous day with its support coach and travel via Eaglescliffe, York and Skipton to arrive at West Coast Railways’ Carnforth base at 10.30pm. The following day’s outing will consist of nine coaches and class 47 or 57 diesel. On January 11, No. 61264 will move from Carnforth by rail to the East Lancashire Railway for a month’s visit, to coincide with the railway’s winter gala, before

LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61264 is seen deep in Newtondale on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. PETER ZABEK

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

News

INBRIEF

➲ BARMOUTH Town Council is to hold talks with Welsh historic monuments agency Cadw and Network Rail about getting the Cambrian Coast Line’s 2953ft Barmouth Bridge listed as a World Heritage Site. Also known as the Barmouth Viaduct, the structure was under threat when a mollusc known as the toredo worm, which bores into submerged wood, was found to have damaged parts, leading to heavy locomotives being banned from using it, but the infected wood has since been replaced.

➲ AN articulated lorry delivering stone overturned after colliding with the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s bridge in Park Lane, Keighley, opposite The Globe pub at 7.10am on November 22. The top of the container on the back of the wagon hit the 13ft 6in high bridge causing the vehicle to slowly tip on to its side. The 48-year-old driver managed to get free and the bridge was believed to be undamaged. ➲ HUMPHREY Davies, who steps down as the chairman of the West Somerset Railway at the end of December but will remain a director, has been asked to lead for the organisation on the acquisition, development and retention of current and future volunteers for the railway. He has agreed to chair the new volunteers development committee which will start its work early in 2014. ➲ RAILWAY pioneers George Stephenson and Isambard Kingdom Brunel are to be invested into an engineering hall of fame at a ceremony in London in February. Semta’s Engineering Hall of Fame has been designed to ensure that great British engineers of the 21st century are recognised to be just as important and influential as their illustrious predecessors. ➲ ONE of the Brighton & Hove bus company’s new Volvo doubledeckers, No. 477, has been named after the late Bluebell Railway founder Bernard Holden. The naming remembers Bernard’s many connections with the city of Brighton and Hove. Other buses have been named IK Brunel and Oliver Bulleid. ➲ HISTORIC lamps at Network Rail’s GWR Malvern Link station are being restored and upgraded thanks to support from the Railway Heritage Trust, which has already helped to restore running-in boards as well as lamps at Great Malvern station. ➲ THE London Model Engineering Exhibition, one of the largest events of its kind in the UK, is set to return to Alexandra Palace to celebrate its milestone 18th birthday on January 17-19.

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Southwold Railway gets first engine after buying station By Robin Jones

SOUTHWOLD Railway revivalists have followed up their purchase of an original station site by announcing their first operational locomotive. In advance of obtaining planning permission for the use of the site at Wenhaston for railway purposes, the Southwold Railway Trust has announced that unique H series Motor Rail four-wheeled diesel hydraulic No. 105H006 of 1969 is to become its first operational locomotive. The locomotive has seen very little use since being delivered new to the British Aluminium Company for its 24-mile long mountainside Lochaber Railway at Fort William. The line closed in 1977 and the locomotive was then placed in store with others, until acquired for preservation by its present owner, Peter Nicholson, a correspondent for our sister title, The Railway Magazine, shortly afterwards. The locomotive was moved to North Wales where it joined the now-disbanded Gloddfa Ganol collection. It then went to England for further storage in a disused Somerset quarry. The next move was to the Devon Railway Centre in July 2001, where it has been kept on prominent static display because of its 3ft gauge. Although far from its original working site, the Devon Railway Centre was an appropriate home, as one of the first locos there, and the mainstay of passenger trains initially, was Ruston Hornsby No. 418770, which also originated from Lochaber and had been regauged to 2ft, the pair being reunited after 23 years.

Only one of its type

The diminutive 34hp Motor Rail with a Deutz engine is the only one of its type known to exist, with only four others built, which were supplied for use in a Canadian mine. The design was intended to be easily regaugable, but having stood for many years it was found that the wheels would not move on their axles as readily as the instructions implied. Peter was reluctant to change it from its original 3ft gauge to the

Motor Rail No. 105H006 has become a familiar site to visitors of the Devon Railway Centre where it has been on static display for the past 12 years. Now set to become Southwold Railway No. 5 – in continuance of the four long-since-scrapped 3ft gauge steam locomotives – it is seen at Bickington last August. Behind is Planet Hibberd No. 2201 of 1939, sidelined due to badly worn wheels; with, beyond, the centre’s only standard gauge locomotive, 4wD Baguley No. 3357 of 1952, Boris. PETER NICHOLSON

more common 2ft for the sake of originality. This has now become a most desirable feature, making it ideal motive power for Suffolk’s 3ft gauge railway revival project. It is to be moved from Devon to the trust’s workshops in Southwold before Easter, where it will receive attention prior to taking up duties on the first section of the railway to be relaid, a 500-yard section at Wenhaston station.

Closure in 1929

The trust has suffered numerous setbacks due to planning issues in its attempt to reopen all or any part of the 8¾-mile line which connected the Great Eastern main line at Halesworth with the seaside resort until closure in 1929. Despite a local attempt to revive the line, which would have made it into Britain’s first preserved railway, predating the Talyllyn by more than two decades, the track was lifted and its remaining rolling stock and equipment was scrapped in 1941 for the war effort. At Wenhaston, the trust completed the purchase of 31 acres of pastureland, with 22 chains of the old trackbed running along the southern edge, on May 1. In December 2012, Suffolk Coastal District Council turned down a planning application by the trust to build a replica station and visitor centre at Wenhaston.

Following consultation with the planning authorities, local residents and its own members, the trust decided not to appeal against this refusal and instead submitted a revised, scaled-down fresh proposal at the end of April. The council has yet to determine this, but volunteers have already begun clearing scrub from the old trackbed. The revised plan addresses concerns about the floodplain of the River Blyth. It will feature replicas of the original station and coal shed, but will have no on-site car parking, and will be accessible only by bus, cycle or foot. Only registered disabled visitors will be permitted to park on site, in keeping with the trust’s intention of encouraging environmentally friendly tourism within the Blyth Valley. The rest of the land in the trust’s ownership will remain in agricultural use.

Sharp Stewart 2-4-0T

It is planned to operate on just 30 days a year. While No. 105H006 will be the first locomotive to operate there, trains will ultimately be hauled by replica Sharp Stewart 2-4-0 Blyth, now under construction in Southwold. The trust intends to acquire any other sections of the original trackbed which might become available, while launching a Club 22 to pay off the loans taken out to buy the Wenhaston site. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Vale of rheidol railway 2-6-2T no. 9 Prince of Wales approaches devil’s Bridge with a photo charter goods train on october 28, 2013. SIMON ROBERTS

Veteran’s top marks for S&C restoration project By Geoff Courtney IT was said in jest by Mark Rand, a member of the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line committee, but also with feeling. Deep down, he observed, every woman, if she was honest with herself, had a yearning for a railway coal wagon in her front garden. And that is precisely what Mark’s wife Pat has. Mind you, Mark and Pat’s home doesn’t have your average front garden, for they live in a converted steam locomotive water tower in Settle, North Yorkshire, beside the iconic railway to Carlisle. Just a few months ago the wagon in question was a wreck on the Strathspey Railway at Aviemore in the Scottish Highlands; while, meanwhile, down in Settle, Mark had decided he would like a wagon beside his home. “I placed a wanted ad on the Carriage and Wagon Exchange website and got replies from four preserved railways, and the Strathspey Railway wagon ticked the boxes, other than distance,” said Mark, a retired police chief superintendent. That was overcome by a competitive quote from Settle Coal Co, and in June the broken and rotting vehicle, which is thought to be up to 90 years old, arrived at its new home. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

in need oF TlC: The former coal wagon in the sad state in which it arrived in June at Mark and Pat rand’s former steam locomotive water tower home in settle, north Yorkshire. MARK RAND

Four wheels on his wagon: a proud Mark rand beside the restored coal wagon, now taking pride of place in his front garden at settle, north Yorkshire. PAT RAND

Mark launched a major restoration job which, thanks to what he describes as “amazing generosity and support” from a variety of people and organisations, cost a very reasonable £2000, including the wagon’s transport from Aviemore to Settle. Local joinery company Wonder of Wood donated a large amount of hardwood, and Friends volunteer and joiner Ged Pinder provided his skills free of charge. “The restoration is as authentic as it could possibly be, but I lowered the height from seven planks to five, with Strathspey Railway’s knowledge and approval,” said Mark. “I am quietly chuffed to bits with the result in just four months.”

One of the highlights of the project for Mark were visits to Settle by Albert Wright, who built and repaired wooden railway wagons at the works of SE Stevens in Balby, Doncaster, from 1934 to the outbreak of the Second World War, and also briefly after the conflict until such wagons were replaced by steel vehicles. The visits came about after Mark learned about an online article on building wooden railway wagons, which had been written by Albert in 2003. Its text and drawings proved to be a valuable aid to the restoration project, and Mark subsequently contacted Albert’s family and was told that he was still alive and, although a frail 94-year-

old, would love to see the wagon. On September 4 he did just that, travelling from his Doncaster home to Settle in the care of his brother Clifford, who is 83, and another visit ensued six weeks later, when Albert was able to see the wagon fully restored. “He was like a child with a new toy, reminiscing about construction details and how he worked in the inadequately lit works underneath the wagons’ chassis with light from a tallow candle fitted inside a halfinch nut,” said Mark. “Amazingly, he could remember the correct sizes of every nut and bolt after nearly 80 years. He could not fault the restoration – and he did try.” The history of Mark’s wagon is unclear, but it has been identified as a private owner 13-ton (now reduced to 10) coal wagon built by Charles Roberts & Co of Wakefield. At some point the wagon was parked in a bay platform at Aviemore station and used by BR as a rubbish skip, and when the sidings on that side of the station were dismantled it was donated to the nearby Strathspey Railway, where it remained until making its way by road to Settle and a new lease of life. Oh, and Mark has decided to give a name to his new four-wheeled acquisition. It’s Albert. Heritage Railway

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News

INBRIEF

➲ THe Isle of Man Railway’s new £400,000 diesel electric locomotive was being delivered in early december, supplied by Motive Power and equipment Solutions of greenville, South Carolina. It replaces Schoma 0-4-0dH No. 17 Viking, which will return to germany for restoration after the island-based Schoma Viking Preservation group was outbid. ➲ STeel for the new main frame plates of new-build BR Clan Pacific No. 72010 Hengist –needed after faults were discovered with the original set cut in 2004 – have been delivered to Stephenson engineering in Manchester. once cut with the horn guides welded in place, the frames will be assembled at Ian Riley’s Bury workshops. ➲ THe boiler of ‘Barry 10’ gWR 2-8-0T No. 5227 has been earmarked for use in the great Western Society’s longterm aim to build a new Churchward County 4-4-0, No. 3834 County of Somerset, for which a sizeable donation has already been received long in advance of any public appeal for the project being launched. ➲ oWNeR James Hymas is offering Vulcan Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 5309 of 1945 for sale, complete with a boiler ticket of nearly 10 years. Since it ran for the first time in the heritage era at llangollen in April following restoration there, it has been running as NCB No. 72 at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway.

➲ THe Maunsell Society’s Q class 0-6-0 No. 541 has been rewheeled at the Bluebell Railway’s Sheffield Park workshops. The boiler is being repaired on the line.

Neil Cave’s charter on the South Devon Railway featured GWR 2251 class 0-6-0 No. 3205 in its brand new lined green livery. It is seen approaching Hood Bridge during the December 9 charter. STEVEN DRAPER

No change for Foxcote Manor but Morayshire may go black By Robin Jones

A BID to repaint Llangollen Railway flagship WR 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor into BR experimental blue livery has stalled for the time being. A supporter had stumped up cash for the livery change in time for the line’s April 4-6 spring steam gala, which has a Croes Newydd shed theme. It was there in 1967 that the last GWR/WR steam, in the form of pannier tanks, is believed to have been operated. However, on its return from visits to the West Somerset and Avon Valley railways, No. 7822 has been withdrawn from traffic to undergo firebox repairs, which will need the boiler to be lifted. It is still hoped to have No. 7822 ready for the gala, which will feature the Kent & East Sussex Railway’s WR Hawksworth 0-6-0PT No. 1638 – which has just been repainted black – and Didcot Railway Centre’s

WIN! THE NEW SWANAGE RAILWAY ALBUM HERITAGE Railway contributor Andrew P M Wright has been photographing and researching the Swanage Railway for 30 years. Now he has brought out a book showcasing the fruits of his tireless efforts. The Swanage Branch In Colour – The Ultimate Archive covers the period from the branch’s heyday in 1951, through the decline of the late 1960s to the sad end in 1972 when the line was closed with six and a half miles of track south of Furzebrook being lifted for scrap. With detailed captions giving a unique insight into the line’s workings, and the dedicated staff who ran its train service, the quality hardback published by Kingfisher Productions features a comprehensive journey down the line from Wareham to Corfe Castle and Swanage, including the narrow gauge ball clay mine tramways at Norden. The demise of steam trains, and the introduction of diesels with the depressing rundown of the branch line, is covered along with the sad final day of BR passenger trains

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between Swanage, Corfe Castle and Wareham on Saturday, January 1, 1972. Also featured is track lifting during the summer of 1972. Andrew, 48, who lives in Wareham, and who has been the line’s official photographer for 25 years, said: “It was very exciting to uncover the first colour photographs from the 1950s and 1960s because their striking immediacy took my breath away – they made the branch line of 50 and 60 years ago seem as though it was only yesterday.” The Swanage Branch In Colour – The Ultimate Archive (ISBN 978-0-95733673-5) costs £20 from the Swanage Railway’s shop at Swanage station, www.railwayvideo.com or by order from any bookshop. However, in our special Christmas competition, we are giving you the chance to win one of six copies.

GWR mogul No. 5322, also in BR black. But there will not be time to repaint No. 7822 blue. The benefactor has agreed to donate the funds into the railway’s Corwen Sleeper Appeal Fund. Meanwhile, Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway-based LNER D49 4-4-0 No. 246 Morayshire will revert to BR lined black livery for two years, if sufficient money can be raised. Throughout the heritage era, 1928-built Morayshire, which is owned by National Museums Scotland, has been turned out in LNER apple green. It last appeared in black in BR service in 1961. However, thanks to an initiative by photo charter organiser Neil Cave, Morayshire may be repainted for events on May 6-9 and 12-13, provided attendees stump up enough money. It is likely to remain in black carrying its BR number 62712 and the early lion and wheel crest, for

the remainder of its boiler ticket – but will revert to green after its next overhaul in 2016. After months of negotiations, Neil’s TimeLine Events has struck a deal for the repaint and is launching an appeal fund to raise the money. Anyone who donates £50 or more will receive discounts on attending the Bo’ness charters. Neil is also looking for sponsors for the logos and front numberplate. He said: “Morayshire in BR Black for many will probably be a once in a lifetime moment as to allow the repaint to happen. We at TimeLine Events must emphasise that without the support of the photographers it will not be possible.” ➲ Anyone who wishes to donate to the Morayshire repaint is invited to email Neil on [email protected] or send a cheque payable to TimeLine Events (D49 Paint Fund), 22 Bede Drive, Andover, Hampshire SP10 4EQ.

Just answer the following question: When did the last BR trains run to Swanage? n To enter, fill in the form below, including your answer to: HR184 Competition, Mortons Media Group Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ. n You can also enter online on our live news website at www.heritagerailway.co.uk and visit our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/HeritageRailway Name: ...................................................................................................................................... Address: ................................................................................................................................... .................................................................................................................................................. Postcode: ................................................. Tel: ..................................................................... Answer: ................................................................................................................................... n only tick this box if you do not wish to receive information from Mortons Media group regarding or relating to current offers of products or services (including discounted subscription offers) via email/post/phone. n on occasion Mortons Media group ltd may permit 3rd parties, that we deem to be reputable, to contact you by email/post/phone/fax regarding information relating to current offers of products or services which we believe may be of interest to our readers. If you wish to receive such offers please tick this box.

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News Protecting Midland Main Line heritage ENGLISH Heritage has carried out a three-week public consultation exercise in a bid to protect historic structures on the Midland Main Line in advance of its electrification. Beginning on November 14, in co-operation with Network Rail the organisation sought to establish which bridges, viaducts and tunnels along the route from Bedford to Corby, Leicester, Nottingham, Derby and Sheffield should be listed for their architectural or historic interest. A total of 45 structures have been assessed, including landmarks such as the Derwent Bridge; a five arch viaduct north of Derby and the single-span Potters Bridge at South Wingfield, Derbyshire. A large part of the route comprises one of Britain’s oldest railways, dating back to 18361840, with sections designed by George Stephenson and his son Robert. It is now being electrified by Network Rail in a six year project, due to start in 2014. Following the consultation, English Heritage will present recommendations regarding the identified structures to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport who will make the final decision on whether they should be listed. Emily Gee, Head of Designation at English Heritage, said: “English Heritage is working closely with Network Rail, its professional advisers and now the public to understand and protect the key parts of this significant Victorian railway in preparing it for the next exciting phase in its history. “While a large part of the Midland Main Line is historically important, only buildings or structures which have special architectural or historic interest will be listed.” Phil Verster, route managing director from Network Rail, said: “The Midland Main Line is one of our most important rail routes and it has a heritage and history to match. Working with English Heritage we are keen to preserve that which is unique about the line, while improving and updating it for the 21st century.”

Swanage comeback for T9 after 20 years By Robin Jones

LSWR T9 ‘Greyhound’ 4-4-0 No. 30120 is to run on the Swanage Railway more than two decades after its last guest visit. The National Collection locomotive ran on the Purbeck line from 1991-93 in Southern Railway green livery before it was withdrawn from traffic to become a static exhibit on the Bluebell Railway for many years. After being overhauled at Bill Parker’s Flour Mill workshop at Bream in the Forest of Dean, the T9 returned to steam at Bodmin in the summer of 2010. Agreement has been reached with current custodian the Bodmin & Wenford Railway and owners the National Railway Museum for the 1899-built locomotive to visit Swanage Railway from mid-March to early April. It will be the first time that a T9 has hauled passenger trains to Corfe Castle since the British Railways days of the early Sixties. During its first spell at Swanage, the heritage line did not extend west of Harman’s Cross. During its loan period, the BR black-liveried T9 will star in the March 15-16 LSWR weekend and the April 5-6 spring steam gala.

LSWR T9 4-4-0 No. 120 and Bulleid Battle of Britain light Pacific No. 34072 257 Squadron at Swanage in spring 1991. ANDREW PM WRIGHT

It is also expected to be used on a series of photographic charter trains. It will run alongside LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053. Swanage Railway general manager Richard Jones said: “Along with the Drummond Locomotive Society’s M7 tank No. 30053 based at Swanage, No. 30120 is the archetypal Southern branch line steam locomotive with the T9s having hauled passenger and freight trains to Corfe Castle and Swanage for some 40 years from the 1920s. “The LSWR weekend and the

spring steam gala are new Swanage Railway events for 2014 – the latter having a distinct Southern theme – with No. 30120 working alongside our own No. 30053, No. 34028, No. 34070 and No. 80104 on an intensive train timetable. “The T9 locomotives were nicknamed ‘Greyhounds’ because of the turn of speed they could achieve; and when first built they were used for the lightly loaded express trains between London and Plymouth when there was fierce competition between the LSWR and the GWR for transatlantic liner passengers.”

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The Vintage Carriages Trust’s Haydock Foundry 0-6-0WT Bellerophon has been successfully repaired by South Devon Engineering at Buckfastleigh. Repairs have involved the provision of a new middle axle, axlebox repairs and replaced springs, plus a new ashpan. The locomotive will now return to the Foxfield Railway and also visit other heritage lines. VCT www.heritagerailway.co.uk

New painting raises funds for Winston Churchill appeal TOP railway artist Philip D Hawkins has produced a new painting to raise funds for the cosmetic restoration of Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34051 Winston Churchill. The locomotive is being restored for events to mark the 50th anniversary of the state funeral of Sir Winston Churchill on January 30, 2015. It was on that date in 1965 that No. 34051 Winston Churchill hauled Sir Winston’s funeral train from Waterloo to Long Hanborough, near the Oxfordshire village of Bladon, where Sir Winston is buried. The National Railway Museum has been looking into the possibility of reassembling the funeral train for static display to mark the anniversary. Two of the Pullman cars which were reimported from North America have been in long-term storage at the West Coast Railway Company’s Carnforth base, awaiting delivery to the Swanage Railway once land has been secured for a carriage shed to protect them from the elements. The South of England Group of the Friends of the National Railway Museum agreed to lead the fundraising effort for the cosmetic restoration of No. 34051. They came up with the idea of a painting to boost the fundraising drive and devised a scene featuring No. 34051 and two other NRM locomotives, Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35029 Ellerman Lines and Q1 0-6-0 No. 33001. The scene would be the Battledown flyover near Basingstoke. Philip was immediately supportive, but pointed out that Q1s

Philip D Hawkins FGRA’s new painting The ACE at Battledown is designed to raise funds for the cosmetic restoration of Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34051 Winston Churchill.

did not normally work west of Basingstoke, and suggested King Arthur 4-6-0 No. 30777 Sir Lamiel instead. The finished work is called The ACE at Battledown and features No. 34051 hauling the Down summer ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ in 1960 with No. 35029 on the flyover and No. 30777 on the Down Bournemouth line. Ironically, parts of Winston Churchill were borrowed to fit on to No. 35029 Ellerman Lines, which is sectioned inside the Great Hall at the NRM.

Philip said: “Purists may say ‘ah but the ACE was a Merchant Navy turn!’ But on summer Saturdays there was often a relief hauled by anything to hand. No. 34051 was based at Salisbury for most of its life so the scene is quite plausible. Interestingly, it could be replicated today with Nos. 35028, 34067 and 30777. The only significant changes have been the loss of the telegraph wires and the third rail on the Bournemouth line.” For sale are 50 artists’ proofs at £99 each and a limited edition of 500 numbered prints at £80 each.

Each is signed by Philip, James Lester, the fireman on No. 34051 on January 30, 1965, and Richard Hardy, the former shedmaster at Stewart’s Lane. A proportion of the cost of each print will be donated to the restoration fund. You can order prints on the Quicksilver Publishing website www.quicksilverpublishing.co.uk or by telephoning 01626 773288. To simply make a donation to the restoration, visit www.nrmfriendssouth.org.uk/NewsItems/Winston Ccampaign.html

Moguls make Minehead debut at spring steam gala AT least two locomotives are set to make their debuts on the West Somerset Railway for the big March 27-30 ‘Withered Arm and the Atlantic Coast Express’-themed spring steam gala. Contract negotiations are under way to bring a pair of moguls to the gala, which is traditionally regarded as one of the big events at the start of the heritage railway calendar. Didcot Railway Centre-based No. 5322 is the working example of the two surviving GWR 43XX class and will represent the locomotives that ran services between Taunton, Barnstaple and Ilfracombe until the services were dieselised in 1964. The gala will therefore mark the 50th anniversary of the ending of this link. These Churchward 2-6-0s also operated on the Minehead branch. No. 5322 was built at Swindon Works in 1917 and was one of a batch of the class which was used in France during the First

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World War, where it was used for hauling ammunition and hospital trains. It returned to England in 1919 and served the GWR and BR until 1964. In 1973 it became the second engine to leave Barry scrapyard for preservation. In a further connection with the First World War, GWR ‘Toplight’ coach No. 3639 is at Williton awaiting restoration as part of the West Somerset Steam Railway Trust’s Heritage Carriages Project. Maunsell U No. 31806 from the Mid-Hants Railway will be the first of the class to appear on the branch in the preservation era. The Us were one of the workhorses of services on the ‘Withered Arm’ in the days of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region. Us allocated to Yeovil Town shed sometimes appeared at Taunton via the branch line which ran through Martock and Langport West. Furthermore, the WSR’s Special Events

Planning Team is also working to bring at least one Southern Pacific to the gala. In line with other recent WSR steam galas, all 10 stations will be renamed during the gala. The new identities will be taken from stations on the ‘Withered Arm’ and two from the Taunton-Barnstaple line The adopted ‘aliases’ will be as follows: Bishops Lydeard – Crediton; Crowcombe Heathfield – Bridestowe; Stogumber – Portsmouth Arms; Williton – Halwill Junction; Doniford Halt – Yeo Mill Halt; Watchet – Bideford; Washford – Mortehoe; Blue Anchor – Instow; Dunster – Filleigh (originally called Castle Hill) and Minehead – Ilfracombe. Discounted rover tickets are available for the gala via www.west-somersetrailway.co.uk or by calling 01643 704996 and an extra level of discount on these will apply until December 31.

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Now Bluebell hires a DMU for services By Robin Jones

STILL promoting itself as “the UK’s only all-steam railway” on its website, the Bluebell Railway is set to run its first regular DMU timetabled services in the new year. A two-car first generation set is to be hired from DMU restoration specialist the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway to run services between Horsted Keynes and East Grinstead between January 12 and February 8. The move has been prompted by the closure of the line south of Horsted Keynes to allow the track to be relaid, isolating the Sheffield Park engine shed in the meantime. Historically, the railway has prided itself on its ban on modern traction, a stance it once shared with the East Somerset Railway. However, commercial considerations have seen the nosteam policy relaxed to allow the use of diesel locomotives. The first chink in the armour appeared in 2008, when BR blackliveried Battlefield Line-based Class 08 No. 13236 (D3236) was hired to help with shunting and the construction of the extension to East Grinstead. Subsequently hired from Nemesis Rail for engineering work on the extension was Class 33 No. 33103 Swordfish, which has also worked occasional passenger trains. Facing up to the fact that the use of a diesel is cheaper and more

A significant piece of Bluebell history was made on November 10 with the running of the first-ever steam train operated by an all-female footplate crew. Driver Liz Groome (right) and fireman Ruth Lee took charge of the 1.45pm service from Sheffield Park. NEIL GLASKIN

The Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s recently-refurbished Class 101 DMCL E51505 and Class 108 DMBS E50599 will visit the Bluebell Railway on loan to operate winter services. NEIL FERGUSON-LEE

practical for basic manoeuvres such as shed and yard shunting, in May 2010 the carriage and wagon department acquired 1966-built Sentinel/Rolls-Royce/Thomas Hill four-wheel diesel hydraulic locomotive No.10241. However, the popular image of the Bluebell as a 100% steam line has not been historically accurate, for in March 1965, Howard petrolengined locomotive No. 957 arrived on the line. The 1926-built 41hp locomotive saw service on the Bluebell until 1969, and returned to service following overhaul in August 2010. Bluebell chairman Roy Watts said

that details of the plan to hire the DMU set had been circulated to members in a newsletter, and he had not received one adverse comment back. “We need the set because we won’t be able to use locomotives while the section of line is closed. “We have no plans to run a DMU set on a regular basis permanently, but the visit will test the water as far as the reaction towards using one is concerned, in case we decide to do it again.” Bill Parker’s London Transport maroon-liveried GWR prairie L150 (5521), now with a special cut-down cab so it can pass through the tight

clearances of the London Underground tunnels, as exclusively reported in our last issue, returned to the Bluebell for a second visit in mid-December. The line has also hired the Furness Railway Trust’s GWR 0-6-2T No. 5643 for use between February and December next year. Roy said that the phenomenal success of the East Grinstead extension opening is continuing, with passenger numbers still 38% up on the previous year. Traders in the town have benefited and the first of a series of Christmas shopping specials for local people at £5 a head on November 30 sold out.

New Year farewell for Spa Valley’s ‘Jinty’

THE Spa Valley Railway’s resident LMS ‘Jinty’ 3F No. 47493 will work its last trains on January 1 after which its boiler ticket will expire and it will be withdrawn for major overhaul. It is booked to work a special New Year’s Eve dining service which is not timed to return to Tunbridge Wells until the early hours of 2014. It will then work booked services on New Year’s Day, the 4pm GroombridgeTunbridge Wells West trip being its last working. The railway is working towards returning the locomotive to service as soon as possible, and it is estimated that the overhaul will take between two and three years. It is anticipated that some work below the frames will be contracted out, including the replacement of the tyres, while most work above the frames should be dealt with in-house.

➲ All the lAteSt NewS

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28 heritage Railway

With the last of the autumnal colours as a backcloth, in an attempt to regain some lost time on Saturday, November 23, BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80080 presents an almost timeless scene (this class worked the line in the days when several were allocated to 26A Newton Heath) as it hastens past Springside Farm crossing on the East Lancashire Railway with the very late-running 10am Heywood-Rawtenstall. ALAN CASTLE www.heritagerailway.co.uk

INBRIEF

➲ THE Swanage Railway is to run a special ‘winter warm up’ mini-gala on Saturday, December 28. Rostered are LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053, Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34070 Manston and Class 33 diesel-electric No. 33111, which made history in September, 1971, when it hauled the last pushpull passenger train to Swanage just three months before the branch line was controversially closed. ➲ A STEAM and vintage weekend is to be held at Sir William McAlpine’s Fawley Hill railway on May 16-18 in order to raise funds for up to 35 charities and conservation groups. Tickets are priced £12 and may be obtained in advance at www.fawleyhill.co.uk

Feeling blue: eddy Dodwell’s painting of geR 2-4-2T no. 789 at Dunmow station in essex. The station is no more, but the Holden F5 Steam locomotive Trust aims to bring the locomotive back to life.

It’s now GER No. 789 for Holden F5 trust By Geoff Courtney

THE trust planning to build a Great Eastern Railway F5 has revealed that the 2-4-2T will carry its original GER livery and number rather than the BR identity that was originally planned. Steve Cooper, chairman and cofounder of the Holden F5 Steam Locomotive Trust, has also told Heritage Railway that he believed the locomotive could steam within three years, although he conceded that raising the finance for the ambitious project was an “obstacle”. The trust hit the headlines in October when it was given six months’ notice to leave its base at Mangapps Railway Museum in Essex. Owner John Jolly cited a need to carry out major work on the building it occupied and what he regarded as lack of progress on the project as reasons for evicting the group. Steve subsequently met Bob Meanley of Tyseley Locomotive Works in Birmingham to discuss the possibility of relocating to there and also to seek engineering advice on the project. After that meeting, held on October 30, Steve said: “Bob and his son Alistair spent a considerable time scrutinising all 90 F5 drawings in detail, and their enthusiasm was indeed telling.” He said that the drawings would enable Bob to establish the best way to proceed with the engineering phase of the project, www.heritagerailway.co.uk

and that he awaited a quote for the work. “Until we receive that we are unable to plan our next move, but there is no pressing urgency to vacate Mangapps until next March and Bob has informed us that the earliest date for the start of work on the F5 is next Easter.” Parts fabricated by the trust to date are the bunker, complete smokebox, chimney, valances, rail guards, frame plates, mid frame stretcher, buffer beams, and leading and trailing wheel pattern. It was during the meeting on October 30 at Tyseley that the seed was sown to build the locomotive in its original guise, as GER No. 789 in Prussian blue, rather than as No. 67218 in BR black. “I presented Bob with prints of two paintings by Eddy Dodwell, one depicting the engine as No. 789 and the other as No. 67218, and we both agreed that it had more appeal as the former, so that is what we have opted for. “There is an abundance of preserved locomotives carrying BR livery, but to the best of my knowledge there is no example of a GER locomotive in Prussian blue livery in active preservation.” He said that Great Eastern Railway Society researcher Lyn Brooks had advised the trust on the correct livery and also provided a detailed history of No. 789 and technical data on the valve gear. Steve maintains that the project can be completed at a cost of £550,000, including the boiler, and points to several factors as his reasons for this figure. “The cost of

patterns has plummeted due to the innovation of CAD and the advent of polymer. An example is the star stay that is situated between the main frames beneath the footplate. The quote for a traditional wooden pattern was £4200 and for polymer £750, and the advice from Bob was that the only pattern that must use the traditional method is for the cylinder block.” Another factor that was reflected in the estimated cost of building the 2-4-2T, said Steve, was the falling price of steel, and he contended that the only obstacle that could prevent the project being completed “within a reasonable timescale” was raising the necessary funds. Meanwhile, the trust has announced the appointment of a new trustee whose role will be in merchandise and publicity. He is Aidan Kelly, a railway enthusiast and churchwarden with experience in the voluntary sector. GER No. 789 was built at Stratford in December 1904 and withdrawn as No. 67218 in March 1958. In its final BR days it was based at Epping, a sub-shed of 30A Stratford, for operating on the Epping-Ongar branch, and was one of a trio of Class F5s to work on the line’s last day of steam, November 16, 1957. “The sight of GER No. 789 operating on the Epping-Ongar branch, or the Mid-Norfolk or North Norfolk railways, would be a sight to behold for both enthusiasts and visitors alike,” said Steve.

➲ THE West Somerset Railway plc has appointed David Baker as vicechairman. A volunteer on the line for 17 years and senior youth officer for Devon County Council prior to his retirement, he is chairman of the Community Council of Devon. His grandfather and uncle both worked for the Southern Railway. ➲ THE North Norfolk Railway has submitted a planning application for a new Victorian-style classroom at its Holt terminus, replacing two dilapidated temporary buildings used for 80 school visits each year. It is intended the new red brick building will include features found in the late Victorian former primary school in Melton Constable. ➲ THE funeral has been held for a York railwayman who drove A3 Pacific No. 4472 Flying Scotsman and A4s Mallard and Sir Nigel Gresley. George Lamb, who died at the age of 93, also drove the Queen and the Queen Mother in the Royal Train. Illness stopped him attending the Mallard 75 reunion of six surviving A4s and he died on November 2. ➲ MANNING Wardle 0-6-0ST No. 2025 Winston Churchill has been given a fresh coat of paint after being returned to the Black Country Museum after 35 years at the Pensnett Trading Estate near the site of the Earl of Dudley’s mineral railway on which it ran. The 1923-built locomotive has been plinthed outside the Dudley museum’s entrance. ➲ PLANS to convert a disused farm building into a locomotive and rolling stock shed for Nottinghamshire’s 15in gauge Sherwood Forest Railway are going ahead thanks to public donations. The new building will allow engines to be serviced under cover at the attraction in Gorsethorpe Lane, near Edwinstowe. ➲ JEREMY Hosking’s BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92212 has returned to the Mid-Hants Railway following its loan spell on the Bluebell Railway.

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Christmas comes early as Llangollen ‘Black Five’ gifted to Moors Railway By Roger Melton

LLANGOLLEN Railway-based LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 44806 has been bought by a member of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway – and promptly donated to the line. Following this extraordinary act of generosity, No. 44806 is expected to move to the NYMR early in 2014. As one of the later ‘Black Fives’ it has a higher superheat boiler than Grosmont-based sister No. 45428 Eric Treacy and may be expected to have slightly better performance. The locomotive had been offered on sale for several months by Renee Wyatt, the daughter of its late saviour, Ken Aldcroft, after whom the locomotive was named in preservation. No. 44806 was bought straight from BR service and moved to the former Steamtown museum at Carnforth. In 1973, it was based at the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway where it was adopted by the ITV children’s series Magpie and named after the show. That was in response to the BBC’s comparable Blue Peter show, which had earlier adopted LNER A2 Pacific No. 532 Blue Peter. A crack was found in the outer firebox, and Haverthwaite did not have the workshop facilities to tackle it, No. 44806 was moved to Steamport in Southport. The repair was not undertaken, and in 1983, No. 44806 was moved to the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester as a static exhibit. Ten years later, the ‘Five’ moved to the Llangollen Railway where repairs began. It returned to steam

Christmas came early for the North Yorkshire Moors Railway after a generous supporter bought it a second LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 in the former of No. 44806, seen on previous Santa duties at the Llangollen Railway. FRED KERR

on September 15, 1995. The locomotive worked on the Llangollen for nearly 10 years, initially as No. 4806 in LMS black livery with red lining, then again as No. 44806 in BR livery. Following another overhaul, the locomotive returned to steam on August 29, 2007, in BR unlined black. Ken Aldcroft, who had owned the locomotive since it was preserved, died in 2003. No. 44806 is now six years into its boiler certificate, so with a seven year limit for locomotives running on Network Rail it is at present unclear whether it will be considered worthwhile fitting all

New era dawns for Brunel’s Temple Meads ISAMBARD Kingdom Brunel’s original GWR Temple Meads terminus at Bristol has been reopened as a high-tech enterprise hub following a £1.7 million upgrade. The Engine Shed, as it is now branded, is expected to generate 5000 high-value jobs in the hightech, creative and low carbon sectors over the next 15 years, under a partnership between Bristol City Council, the University of Bristol and the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership. The Grade I-listed building, which formerly housed the Empire and Commonwealth Museum, will be managed by Bristol 30 Heritage Railway

SETsquared – the University of Bristol’s business acceleration centre. It has been sympathetically restored, preserving its historic character, while transforming it into a showcase for potential investors in the West of England. It will accommodate a total of 18 businesses with a further 44 using its facilities. The Engine Shed is a key component of the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone, It was officially opened on December 2 by Minister for Cities Greg Clark, Bristol’s Mayor George Ferguson and professor Sir Eric Thomas, the vice-chancellor of Bristol University.

the necessary equipment for it to run over Network Rail’s Esk Valley Line to Whitby. Alternatively, the NYMR may apply for a derogation to waive the seven year rule. If neither option is pursued then it will be confined to Grosmont-Pickering services. With NYMR services requiring up to four Whitby-capable engines in steam on any one day once the new platform at Whitby comes into use, possibly at the end of June 2014, and only four such engines likely to be available, there is likely to be strong pressure to find a way to get No. 44806 certified for main line use as soon as possible.

Therefore a rapid intermediate boiler overhaul in the winter of 2014/5 is a strong possibility as a way of ‘resetting’ its ticket. The NYMR now has an outrightowned fleet of seven locomotives, five of which will be in operable condition once BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76079 returns to service in 2014, with examples of all three types of Standard 4 and two ‘Black Fives’. With work on BR Standard 2-6-4T No. 80135 picking up pace and an appeal having now been launched for the restoration of WD 2-10-0 No. 3672 Dame Vera Lynn, it may not be too long before all seven are in service.

NYMR veteran to run to Cromer AS FIRST reported in Heritage Railway last issue, the North Norfolk Railway is now emulating the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in bidding to run over its adjacent Network Rail branch to a major resort, in this case Cromer. The railway has been holding talks with Bittern Line franchise holder Greater Anglia, the Department for Transport and the Office of Rail Regulation. NNR managing director Hugh Harkett said: “The plan is for a Sunday service in summer, with the NNR running five steamhauled trains from Cromer to Holt. Trains would have to be top

and tailed, as Cromer has no runround facility.” Ian Storey’s ‘Black Five’ No. 44767 George Stephenson, a veteran of the NYMR, is currently on the NNR, and is equipped with Train Protection & Warning System apparatus. However, the Poppy Line will need two more engines fitted with TPWS, and the 76084 Locomotive Company, owner of newly-restored BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084, has launched a fundraising campaign to fit the apparatus. The Midland & Great Northern Society has also expressed interest in fitting B12 4-6-0 No. 8572 with TPWS.

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Woodhead Tunnel electric locomotive preserved ONE of the newest electric locomotives to run through the Woodhead Tunnel has been handed over as a donation to the Moseley Railway Trust. However, it is not one of the Class 76 or 77 locomotives which ran on the pioneer Manchester to Sheffield electric route, but a 2ft gauge battery-powered engine built in 1998 by Clayton Equipment. It has been used on a maintenance line which runs through National Grid’s cable tunnels at Woodhead. A recent review of operations at Woodhead concluded that it was surplus to requirements. The Woodhead line was electrified at 1500v in 1953, when a new three mile Woodhead Tunnel opened, replacing the originals which dated from 1845 and 1852, but controversially closed to passenger traffic on January 5, 1970, in the wake of the Beeching cuts, when it was decided that the alternative Hope Valley Line through Edale should handle all Manchester-Sheffield passenger traffic. Freight was withdrawn on July 17, 1981, and most of the line subsequently lifted. National Grid bought the original tunnels in the 1960s to avoid the

Battery powered electric locomotive No B4299 of 1998 newly arrival at Apedale. MRT

need for above-ground pylons through one of the UK’s most dramatic landscapes, and installed high voltage cables to transmit electricity. It bought the 1953 tunnel in 1981 to install new cables, planning to abandon the Victorian tunnels when the cables needed renewing. It began work on this project in 2007 and it is close to completion. The tunnels were offered for sale to the Government. Transport Minister Stephen Hammond decided not to buy them however.

He said that his decision did not rule out the possibility of reopening the Woodhead route to rail traffic in future, but if an additional line was ever required on it, the best solution was most likely to be the construction of a new tunnel. The Moseley Railway Trust already had in its collection two locomotives from the Woodhead cable tunnels in the form of a Hudson diesel locomotive and an older Clayton electric locomotive. The latest, the locomotive, works number B4299 of 1998, arrived at the Apedale Valley Light Railway in the Potteries in late November. It will now be used on general duties. Trust chairman Phil Robinson said: “The locomotive not only fills an important part in the museum collection – but it is also in full working order. “Most locomotives which arrive at Apedale need restoration work which can take years.” David Smith, who is looking after the Woodhead Tunnels for National Grid, said: “We are happy to have been able to donate the locomotive to the Railway Trust and we are delighted to learn that it will see active service on the line for years to come.”

West Somerset freezes fares again

THE West Somerset Railway has pegged its 2014 ticket prices for the third season in a row. General manager Paul Conibeare said: “We are very much aware of the continued limitations which everyone is experiencing when it comes to funding days out and that although highly enjoyable a steam train ride is not an essential purchase. “The West Somerset is not suffering any more than other sectors of the economy, but by careful marketing and budgetary controls we have been able to exceed budgetary targets in terms of fares revenue this year and this is allowing us to absorb the increased costs for another 12 months.” The WSR is looking to widen its family appeal in the year to come with an increased number of children’s events. The railway is also launching a new free-to-download app to encourage visitors, including an Augmented Reality Treasure Hunt, which will involve finding ‘targets’ that have been hidden at or near its 10 stations.

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GWR super saloon No. 9004 passing through Carlisle on a ‘Fellsman’ special on August 17, 2011. TED PARROTT

Great Western special saloon moves to Buckfastleigh GWR Collett 61ft special saloon No. 9004 has joined the South Devon Railway fleet. The 1930-built coach, owned by Railway Touring Company proprietor Nigel Dobbing, is occasionally used on special main line trains, and in recent times has been on loan to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway for use in its Elegant Excursions dining set while one of the rake’s normal vehicles was out for refurbishment. Built as a special saloon for special charter traffic or inspection

train use, in the 9000 series which included the GWR’s royal coaches, No. 9004 is equipped with a kitchen, galley, fridges, wine coolers, store room, guard’s brake and two seating areas. One seating area is equipped with first class seating for 10 and the other is an observation saloon with seating. At Buckfastleigh it joins sister No. 9005 which is used it on the dining train complementing GWR super saloons King George and Duchess of York. Heritage Railway

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News

INBRIEF

➲ A NEW company, 52A Tours, has been created to run railtours using newly main-line registered Class 55 Deltic 55002 The Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry. It has announced its first railtour will operate on April 12 between York and Aberdeen. The ‘Deltic Aberdonian’ tour will use Scottish Railway Preservation Society stock and be hauled by No. 55002 throughout; further details of this and other proposed trips will be detailed at www.52atours.com/ tours.html ➲ CLASS 14 D9518 is being restored to full working order in its own right by the Williton-based Diesel & Electric Preservation Society after being moved to the West Somerset Railway. Previously based at the Rutland Railway Museum and the Nene Valley Railway, it had been used as a source of spares. ➲ AFTER nearly 20 years in storage, Class 20 D8057/20057 has been sold by Harry Needle to a private buyer who has moved it to the Midland Railway-Butterley for preservation, although the locomotive is expected to return to Barrow Hill for repairs during 2014. ➲ THE 1907-built redundant LNWR signalbox at Brereton Sidings near Rugeley has moved to the Chasewater Railway after being sold for a nominal sum. It will be reerected at Chasewater Heaths and returned to operation. ➲ THE East Lancashire Railway is to receive a Class 09 shunter No. 09024, currently located at the Sutton Coldfield premises of Andrew Goodman, following negotiations to exchange it for Class 08 No. 08700 which is currently based at Bury. ➲ THE South Devon Railway is aiming to complete the restoration of its GWR ‘Flockton Flyer’ pannier No. 6412 in time for it to appear at its May 23-26 gala.

Due back in Great Central Railway traffic next summer is WR 4-6-0 No. 6990 Witherslack Hall. The locomotive last steamed in 2001. The boiler is at Tyseley Locomotive Works where fast track repairs are being carried out. Pictured is its allnew smokebox barrel. ROBIN JONES

34 Heritage Railway

We’re in the money! By Robin Jones

ELSECAR Heritage Railway has scooped a £50,000 Big Lottery Fund grant in ITV Yorkshire South The People’s Millions show. The Barnsley-based railway went head-to-head with a Community project in Grimsby as viewers voted which was the most deserving project. The money will be used to create the Cortonwood Coal Mining Memorial Park, a memorial garden with a museum carriage containing an exhibition and sound archive, picnic and play area on part of the old Cortonwood Colliery station site near Wombwell, to commemorate the 300 years of coal mining in South Yorkshire. The standard gauge line, once a Great Central Railway freight branch, is to extend to the site of the colliery, famous for its role in the 1984-5 miners’ strike. In March 1984, the National Coal Board announced that the

mine was due to close, and the decision was seen as the “last straw” which brought about the long-running dispute. A station will be built at the site, and the project will involve local mining communities. Former miners will be invited to share their stories of life down the pit in a recording studio in the museum. Elsecar chairman Del Tilling said: “We’re shocked, overwhelmed and it still hasn’t sunk in. It’s going to be a very busy few months ahead.” He thanked Heritage Railway for promoting the TV poll vote on its facebook.com/heritage railway page and heritagerailway.co.uk website. “I am sure it had a significant effect on the outcome,” he said. Michael Dugher, the MP for Barnsley East and recently appointed patron of Elsecar Heritage Railway, has welcomed the funding. He recently met officials on site to discuss the

plans to extend to Cortonwood. He is also trying to arrange for the railway’s Monster Mash Beer to appear on the Houses of Parliament’s guest ale list. He said: “This is an absolutely vital part of us recognising our proud industrial heritage. This vital funding will help further develop Elsecar Heritage Railway and turn it into one of the best tourist destinations around.” Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the Big Lottery Fund, said: “This is a brilliant result for the people of Cortonwood, Wombwell and the surrounding area and shows what groups can achieve when they have the support of their community behind them.” Since The People’s Millions began in 2005, the competition has funded more than 520 diverse community projects across the country to the tune of £27.8 million in Big Lottery Fund good cause money.

East Coast superpower at Barrow Hill A WEEK before the start of the Great Goodbye at Shildon, the two repatriated LNER Pacifics will feature in a once in a lifetime star-studded line up of East Coast traction at Barrow Hill roundhouse. A4s No. 4489 Dominion of Canada and No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower will be joined by sister No. 4464 Bittern for the East Coast Giants gala on February 8-9. It will be a chance to see the refurbished pair in a genuine working environment as opposed to a museum setting. Also in display will be A1 No. 60163 Tornado and A2 No. 60532 Blue Peter. They will be joined by Deltics D9009 Alycidon and No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier. Anthony Coulls, senior curator of rail vehicle collections at the National Railway Museum, said: “Bringing these engines to the widest possible audience is what it’s all about and this event, part of our Mallard 75 season, is the only opportunity to see the freshly cosmetically restored transAtlantic travellers outside our York and Shildon museums. This is an incredible opportunity to see Dwight and Dominion in a genuine railway

A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado minus its cab undergoing winter maintenance at Barrow Hill on December 6, 2013, seen during an evening photo charter. See also Main Line News page 56, and Scale Heritage Railway, page 79. ANDREW LAWS

setting ahead of our Great Goodbye – a final spectacular showcase of all six surviving A4 steam giants later the same month.” Also at the event will be Grantham – the Streamliner years’, Graham Nicholas’ 33ft by 17ft OO gauge exhibition layout running a model of every one of the original 35 LNER A4 Pacifics. Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive

Trust, has agreed to make available his collection of 35 LNER liveried engines available. On Thursday, February 6, Russ Hillier will be holding a day and night photo charter, further details of which can be obtained on 07831 217061. On February 7, a UK Railtours High Speed Train trip will bring visitors into the roundhouse. More details are available at www.ukrailtours.com

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Carrying a Union Castle Line headboard, SR Bulleid West Country Pacific No. 34007 Wadebridge recreates memories of Southampton docks boat trains diverted via Alton as it passes Bowers Grove Wood with a Matt Allen / Warwick Falconer photo charter on the Mid-Hants Railway on November 23. WARWICK FALCONER

How far can Minehead turn back the clock in 10 years?

REINSTATING the GWR Minehead branch in its original form remains the ultimate goal of the West Somerset Railway – with services running into Taunton and the reintroduction of two double track sections. The possibility of relaying the long-vanished second tracks between Dunster and Minehead, once considered essential for holiday traffic, and between Norton Fitzwarren and Bishops Lydread, are up for discussion. The line’s vision for the next decade has been detailed in its new draft corporate plan, now available for consultation. The railway wants to encourage more traffic over its main line connection, in particular charters, but will also be pursuing the longheld idea of an outside Train Operating Company for regular services into Bishops Lydeard. Following discussions with Somerset County Council, a partnership approach to a “prescoping exercise” has been established to investigate the options, demand and costs associated with the running of scheduled trains. One option is to run trains to Taunton on the existing layout, and another is to use a dedicated track, the former Up relief line, for both scheduled and heritage trains in the town’s station. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

“Vital to any subsequent phases of development work will be the availability of external funding to cover the cost of consultants and other expenditure,” said the plan. “Crucially, the timing of such work will also be important in the context of being able to influence franchise bids for the Great Western network between 2014 and 2017. “The plc is also looking at partnership work with Severnside Community Rail Partnership based in Bristol and a working group of county and district councils in Devon and Somerset to position the Taunton to Bishops Lydeard work within wider discussions about improvements to rail services in the West Country. “The plc will commit itself to further participation in any feasibility study to examine the question scheduled trains over the link subject to the availability of funding, appropriate expertise and the right level of support and input from the county council as the local transport authority for the area together with other partners.” The cost and practicalities of the WSR running trains into Taunton by itself are still believed to be prohibitive. The plan appears to rule out the extension of regular WSR services

beyond Bishops Lydeard to the Norton Fitzwarren triangle, because of the absence of passenger facilities there, and the cost and operational difficulties in running locomotives another seven miles just to turn round. Also, while it has been suggested that Norton Fitzwarren could be used as a park-and-ride facility, WSR plc believes that because of the current investment being made in the Bishops Lydeard station site with its Station Farm development, there is no business case to spend more money at Norton Fitzwarren, which will be used for special events only. The plan contains extensive contributions from both members of staff and the majority of its supporting organisations and has been sent to local authorities and MPs, with a closing date of Friday, January 31 for comments. It will be followed by a threeyear business plan produced during 2014 which will set out the initial set of detailed proposals for implementation. Chairman Humphrey Davis said: “The corporate plan sets out the direction of travel for the company up to 2024 and identifies the comprehensive range of commercial, preservation and leisure opportunities and challenges to be addressed over that period.”

INBRIEF

➲ THE National Railway Museum has been asked by the Verkehrs Museums Dresden to borrow Furness Railway 0-4-0 No. 3 Coppernob for an exhibition running between April 7 and August 31 marking the 175th anniversary of the opening of the Leipzig-Dresden railway. The German museum has also requested three locomotive models to add to the display. An NRM spokesman said that any loan is subject to the fitness of the locomotive to move. ➲ CLASS 33/2 No. 33202, currently based at the Epping Ongar Railway on loan from Mangapps Railway Museum, was transferred to the Swanage Railway at the end of November for a loan for a period of four months. In a related move, Class 33/0 No. 33018 was moved by road from store at Nemesis Rail’s Burton-on-Trent site, where it was reportedly retained for spares, to Mangapps Farm. ➲ THE Gwili Railway ran its first train over most of its 1¾-mile Abergwili extension on November 9, with the line’s Class 117 DMU forming a members’ special. The extension is set to be opened on March 20, following the completion of a £35,000 platform at Abergwili Junction. ➲ THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway has completed the rebuilding of the platform at Shottle station, where the building is now in private hands.

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News

Lottery £10m bid for GCR museum lodged By Robin Jones

THE Heritage Lottery Fund has been asked for £10 million towards the creation of a new National Railway Museum ‘outreach’ station at Leicester North on the Great Central Railway.

Rail connected

The £15 million scheme, drawn up by the heritage railway in partnership with the NRM and Leicester City Council, and announced in Heritage Railway issue 171, centres around a railconnected museum housing locomotives – including Gresley V2 No. 4771 Green Arrow and sole surviving pre-Grouping GCR passenger engine ButlerHenderson – and other artefacts from the National Collection. It is estimated that the new attraction will create 300 shortterm construction jobs and nine

full-time posts once open. An economic impact study has been carried out which demonstrates the museum and railway will be worth £43 million for the local economy over five years. In turn this additional spending could create more than 900 jobs in the area, the study estimated. Annual visitor figures for the railway and museum combined are expected to reach around 230,000. If the Lottery bid is successful, around £5 million of match funding will be needed.

Visionary project

GCR managing director Bill Ford said: “This is a visionary project. In the last 12 months the partners have worked hard to prepare today’s funding bid.” Leicester Mayor Sir Peter Soulsby said: “The museum will house items which are of both national importance and local

interest, complementing the nearby National Space Centre and Abbey Pumping Station and helping to enhance the city’s reputation as an important visitor destination.”

Displays to be changed

The museum, to be housed in a building directly next to the GCR’s Leicester North terminus, will be connected to the running lines to allow displays to be changed, locomotives and carriages moved and even operated over the tracks of what will be Britain’s first inter-city heritage trunk railway once the missing bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough is completed. NRM director Paul Kirkman said: “Leicester had one of the world’s earliest railways. It was also a hub of the Midland line. When the GCR opened in 1899 it was a key calling point on the

high speed railway of the time. “GCR museum will see some significant parts of the national collection put on display in the heart of the country and show how the railways changed lives.” Inside the museum, Director 4-4-0 No. 506 Butler-Henderson will be displayed with a wooden GCR ‘Barnum’ carriage from the Great Central Railway (Nottingham)’s Ruddington site. It

Coach and railcar body saved at Donegal Town station By Hugh Dougherty

A FORMER County Donegal Railways bogie coach and a railcar body which survived against all the odds have been fully restored and are now on display at the County Donegal Railway Restoration Limited’s Railway Heritage Centre at Donegal Town station. Coach No. 58 dates from 1928 and was built by the LMS (Northern Counties Committee) using standard LMS steel sides, for the Larne-Ballymena narrow gauge boat trains.

Boat train stock

The coach used an 1879 underframe and was one of three bought by the CDR in 1951 from the Ulster Transport Authority following closure of the Ballycastle Railway on which the former boat train stock, built originally with corridor connections, in effect scaleddown versions of contemporary LMS carriages, ran after the end of passenger services on the Ballymena lines in 1933. Coach No. 58 saw service on excursions trains and as a railcar

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Above: Restored coach No. 58 inside Donegal Town station. Right: The restored body of Country Donegal Railways railcar No. 15. BOTH: UGH DOUGHERTY

trailer and lasted until the end of CDR rail services in December 1959. No. 58 auctioned, minus bogies, in 1961, was cut in half by its new owner, and went to Dunfanaghy where the two halves were used as holiday homes.

Other half was discovered

One half was gifted to the Fintown Railway and was used as a shop there, before coming to Donegal Town and the other half was discovered halfway up Muckish Mountain when its owner, a Scottish holidaymaker, offered it to the museum in 2001. Both halves were stored at Donegal Town until funding

became available through the Heritage Council and Donegal Local Development Company. The underframe was welded back together and a body built as near as possible to the original. The restored coach body is used to exhibit model railways and for meetings and talks at the heritage centre.

Articulated railcar

The other vehicle reconstructed under the same scheme is the body section of articulated railcar No. 15, dating from 1935. Walker Bros of Wigan and the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) built the railcar, which covered 850,000

miles on the CDR. It was auctioned off in 1961 to Dr Ralph Cox, an American dentist who hoped to build a 3ft gauge railway in the United States. CDR staff scrapped the original power bogie and cab section and replaced it with No. 16’s, which was in better condition, as a favour to Dr Cox. But the body and cab remained in Stranorlar station yard after Dr Cox’s scheme fell through, and were believed to have been scrapped by the CDR to make room for its buses and lorries around 1971. Although the motor bogies and cab section did disappear, the body section surfaced in use as a

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Sir Drefaldwyn to steam again

will be actively restored in front of visitors demonstrating the craft skills necessary to keep Britain’s railway heritage alive. Also on display will be the preserved Advanced Passenger Train Experimental set, currently housed in the Locomotion museum at Shildon. The Lottery will announce its decision in April 2014. If the bid is successful in winning a first round

holiday home and was taken to Donegal Town, where, covered in planking by its last owner, it lay in store for 15 years before being rebuilt and joined with No. 58 to give the heritage centre an all-through exhibition space. Neither vehicle is currently capable of being operated and reconstruction has been carried out to display specification only, although, with strengthening work, operation may be possible in the future if the need arises.

Robustness of the construction

Neil Tee, CDRRL chief operating officer said: “The story of these pieces of CDR rolling stock surviving is a remarkable one. Both were rediscovered by us when it was widely believed that they had ceased to exist and the fact that we were able to use No. 58’s 133-year-old underframe parts with just a weld, wire brushing and painting, says a great deal about the robustness of the construction. “Both reconstructions have given us valuable extra display and meeting space as well as expanding our existing range of CDR rolling stock exhibits at Donegal Town.”

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Above: An artist’s impression of Great Central Railway Director No. 506 ButlerHenderson with the wooden Barnum carriage inside the new museum. GCR

pass, a small grant will be released allowing the plans to be developed further. A successful second round application would see the full grant unlocked with the museum expected to be open around summer 2018.

Standard 4 gains its new cylinder UNDER-overhaul BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76079 has received its new cylinder at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The old cylinder had been laserscanned to allow the new casting to be machined as an exact replica. The new cylinder, cast from the 82045 group’s pattern, was fitted in an afternoon and the holes in the frames for the fitted bolts aligned perfectly. Works is continuing on the frames and axleboxes, with re-wheeling expected shortly and work is also nearing completion on the boiler, with fitting of the tubes expected before too long. Although running in turns on Santa specials look unlikely, Easter should be a realistic target for a re-entry into traffic. Elsewhere in Grosmont shed, work continues on West Country light Pacific No. 34101 Hartland’s boiler, with the new firebox almost read to be fitted and stayed. BR Standard 2-6-4T No. 80135 is going the other way, with further dismantling work progress in its boiler and firebox. A copper firebox has been ordered and the flanging formers for the new firebox tube plate and door plate are being made. The frames are to receive further attention, with an intermediate frame stretcher to be repaired.

THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway is to resteam its popular German 0-8-0T No. 699.01 Sir Drefaldwyn, with its boiler being overhauled at the Severn Valley Railway within the next 18 months. The locomotive, built in 1944 for the Nazi war effort on the collapsing Eastern Front by Societe FrancoBelge in occupied France to a design by Berliner Maschinenbau AG (Schwartzkopff), did not see service before the German rail stores depot fell to Allied occupation forces. In 1946 it passed to the Salkzkammergut Lokalbahn near Salzburg in Austria and afterwards operated freight trains on the Steiermärkische Landesbahnen until 1965. Renamed after the Welsh for Montgomeryshire, it entered WLLR service in 1970, and last steamed on May 7, 2000. It has now been moved from the display shed at Welshpool Raven Square to the workshops at Llanfair Caereinion, where most of the mechanical works will be done. The tender for the boiler work has been awarded to the SVR. An appeal is to be launched to cover the £62,000 cost of the restoration.

Class 50s on the move

THE Severn Valley Railway saw a high level of Class 50 activity at the beginning of December that began with the move of No. 50026 Indomitable from Washwood Heath to Eastleigh for winter stabling. The consist stopped off at Kidderminster to collect Nos. 50031 Hood and 50035 Ark Royal which then continued to Eastleigh where the SVR-based duo are to receive repaints and repairs.

Scottish Christmas for Royal Scots Grey MARTIN Walker, owner of Class 55 Deltic No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey has said that the locomotive will be based at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway during the Christmas and New Year holiday period. While the stay will allow maintenance and repairs to be undertaken on the locomotive, No. 55022 will play a starring role in the line’s December 2829 diesel gala as well as being available to work service trains on the line on other days.

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News Moorsline under siege from metal thieves

DESPITE new regulations that are supposed to reduce metal thefts by making it harder for thieves to sell on their ill-gotten gains, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has experienced no fewer than four raids in recent weeks. The LNER Coach Association’s stores building was hit by thieves who cut a hole in the roof to gain entry and helped themselves to a quantity of brass items. Fortunately, after a raid on the adjoining CCT stores van, the most valuable items had been moved elsewhere for safekeeping; but some significant items were nevertheless removed, including two circular, chrome plated first class toilet tanks and a quantity of toilet fanlight window catches. If anyone is offered these, they are urged to contact British Transport Police at Middlesbrough on 0191 221 6980. Grosmont shed has also been raided twice, with the main shed building, the electrical store and some storage containers broken into, although it is not known precisely what was taken. Finally, another attack was made on an LNERCA coach stored at Grosmont awaiting restoration; and luggage racks and other fittings, including another first class toilet tank, were taken. These thieves were spotted carrying some luggage racks to a vehicle and challenged, and they dropped the racks and fled. As a result of these thefts, security around the NYMR is being strengthened, with additional anti break-in measures, extensive additional CCTV monitoring and the installation of sophisticated Smoke Cloak security devices at a number of locations.

More carnage on the West Somerset!

FOLLOWING the day spent filming at Seaward Way level crossing in Minehead on Tuesday, November 26, the BBC team from the TV drama series Casualty were so impressed with the West Somerset Railway and the local hospitality that they will be back to carry out filming of a longer sequence in the spring. “The next sequence to be filmed is not planned to involve any road closures and will feature a longer on-screen sequence when the episode is eventually shown than that which was made on November 26,” said WSR general manager Paul Conibeare. “Three coaches are being brought into the line to stage a rail accident and interior sequences. Beyond that we don’t know any more, not having seen the script, but getting such quick return business is a clear tribute both to the WSR and the local hospitality sector which clearly made the guests from the BBC very welcome and comfortable. Hopefully word about the welcome and the beauties of the area will reach the attention of other broadcasters and we will see more production teams in West Somerset and Taunton Deane at work and assisting the local economy.”

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That’s why they called them streaks: under the wires, A4 No. 4464 Bittern heads across Tallington crossing north of Peterborough at 90mph at 4.18pm just after dusk on Saturday, December 7 en route to King’s Cross. ROBIN JONES

Steam “cannot run under wires” – BR chairman! By Brian Sharpe

THE 90mph runs by A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern up the East Coast Main Line would not have been allowed 25 years ago – because of an official attitude that steam would seriously damage the new overhead wires. In 1988, record-breaking LNER A4 Pacific No. 4468 Mallard had been put back into steam for the 50th anniversary of the record run, but the opportunity for a commemorative steam run down Stoke Bank where the record was set on July 3, 1938, was missed. An indication of the changes in the official attitude to steam which have taken place over the past 25 years can be seen from a letter sent by the BR chairman Bob Reid in 1986 in reply to a letter from Coun David Green of the Peterborough Divisional Liberal Association, suggesting ways in which the 50th anniversary of Mallard’s record might be commemorated. In his reply, Bob Reid stated: “The installation of the 25kV overhead electrification equipment does preclude the running of steam locomotives beneath it except for very short distances and, even then, under very strict conditions which will apply, for example, at York on the YorkScarborough services. “The glass fibre insulators used for supporting the overhead line conductors at overbridges and in other applications are liable to damage and failure from the hot gases and ash particles of steam locomotive exhaust when working hard or when the blower is being used. “The long-term consequences to the newly commissioned overhead line equipment are so serious that it is necessary to ban steam working.” The ECML electrification was complete by then, and the wires energized, but regular timetabled passenger trains with electric traction were not yet running from King’s Cross. In the event, Mallard’s 50th anniversary train on July 3, 1988, was electrically hauled from King’s Cross to Doncaster by Class 89 No. 89001 Avocet. At Doncaster, the A4 took over for the run under the wires to York, regardless of the contents of Bob Reid’s letter, and carried on to Scarborough. Steam had, of course, been running under 25kV

overhead wires on routes out of Crewe since 1961 with no apparent problems. It was not until privatisation and ‘open access’ to all routes for train operating companies that attitudes changed. Following on from the ground-breaking run by A4 Pacific No. 60009 Union of South Africa from King’s Cross in October 1994, steam working has become accepted under the wires on both the East and West Coast main lines, and for the 75th anniversary of the speed record, Bittern was able to commemorate the event in style with a 90mph run down the bank, as highlighted in Headline News, pages 6-7.

The letter from BR chairman Bob Reid quashing hopes of steam runs under the new East Coast Main Line wires in 1988. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

News

‘Jinty’ hauls first Mountsorrel branch passenger service By Robin Jones VILLAGERS turned out in force to cheer the first steam-hauled passenger train over the Great Central Railway’s Mountsorrel branch. LMS ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No. 47406 hauled a rake of five coaches from the GCR’s Pullman set along the line from Swithland sidings to Nunckley Hill on Saturday, November 23, making the branch the latest addition to the heritage sector’s passenger line portfolio. The 126-seat train, a private charter for branch volunteers and members of Railway Vehicle Preservation, sold out within four days, such was the demand for places. James McIntosh and his GCR catering team served 126 four course meals during the journey. The train marked the latest landmark in a community project that has involved hundreds of local residents and volunteers working to restore the 11⁄4-mile freight-only branch to Bond Lane which once served the Mountsorrel granite quarry. Proposed in a 10-year plan drawn up by former GCR

chairman John East in order to add an extra attraction to the line, the campaign to restore the branch began six years ago, under the leadership of Steve Cramp. Volunteers had worked solidly for the previous few weeks to ensure that the track was ready for the first train. It ran only to Nunckley Hill as there was not sufficient time to prepare the rest of the route for it to pass through Swithland Lane bridge to reach Bond Lane, where the final piece of track was laid in February. At Nunckley Hill the line links with the new Nunckley Trail public footpath. In October, local people turned out in force to plant a wild flower meadow and hundreds of bulbs alongside the trail. The revivalists are set to apply for planning permission for a station at Mountsorrel and raise funds to build it. Previously, it has been mooted that granite could once again be taken out of the quarry via the branch and on to the national network via the proposed bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough, linking to the Great Central Railway

LMS 3F 0-6-0T No. 47406 rounds the curve on the approach to Swithland loop. CLIVE HANLEY

No. 47406 runs light over the Mountsorrel branch. JOHN MACE

(Nottingham) which has a main line connection. Steve said: “There was a chap on the train whose grandfather used to drive steam locomotives on the Mountsorrel Railway and another whose father was a foreman on the railway, and they’re all volunteers who have helped to restore it. “It really just shows what a community can achieve.”

The branch is another piece of the GCR masterplan not only includes the Loughborough bridge and through running between the outer suburbs of Leicester and Nottingham, but the major new museum proposed for Leicester North (see separate story). ➲ To find out more about the project, visit www.mountsorrelrailway.org.uk

News

Above: The Unknown Warrior at the National Memorial Arboretum. LMS-PATRIOT PROJECT Left: The new Patriot takes centre stage at the Warley show. One side is painted in LMS crimson lake livery, and the other in BR green. PAUL BICKERDYKE

First World War restarts at Warley By Robin Jones

VISITORS to the 2013 Warley National Model Railway Exhibition turned the clock back 99 years with a gathering of locomotives related to the First World War. Pride of place at the November 23-24 event at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham was taken by newbuild LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior, the builders are aiming to complete it by 2018, the centenary of the Armistice. On the Saturday, 18 Patriot nameplates were displayed by the locomotive. On the Sunday, the LMS-Patriot project signed up its 100th member in Paul Gittins. Endorsed by the Royal British Legion as the new National Memorial Engine, the Patriot was joined by two ex-War Department Light Railways locomotives from the Leighton Buzzard Railway in Baldwin Class 10-12-D 4-6-0T No. 778 and Motor-Rail Simplex armoured petrol tractor No. 3098. Built in 1917 for supplying the

First World War battlefields on the Western Front, No. 778 was restored to steam by the Greensand Railway Museum Trust in 2007 after being repatriated from India. No. 3098 was built at Bedford in 1918 and is a rare survivor of the 40hp lightly armoured type. After the war, several of this type were used to haul sand trains at Leighton Buzzard, but all were scrapped by the end of the Fifties. No. 3098 worked at Knostrop sewage works in Leeds and, part of the National Collection, is on long-term loan from the National Railway Museum, York. It was restored to working order for Leighton Buzzard’s 80th anniversary in 1999 and operates occasionally on working heritage displays. The trio were joined by a completed new-build locomotive, the Corris Railway’s replica Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST No. 7 Tattoo. Around 17,400 people attended the show over the two days, a 3% increase over 2012. Two days before the event,

Baldwin 4-6-0T No. 778 from the Leighton Buzzard Railway. PAUL BICKERDYKE

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The Unknown Warrior made its first public appearance away from its Llangollen construction base when the partially completed locomotive visited the National Memorial Arboretum near Lichfield, for a service of dedication, at which members of the Army, Navy and RAF were present. Before that, over the November 910 Remembrance Weekend, the

partially completed locomotive was decorated with poppies in the Llangollen Railway workshops. After the Warley show, The Unknown Warrior, the six driving wheels of which were sponsored by Heritage Railway readers, was taken to Tyseley Locomotive Works for its axleboxes to be fitted. The locomotive is due back at Llangollen in January.

First World War armoured ‘Tin Turtle’ No. 3098 at the Warley National Model Railway Exhibition. PAUL BICKERDYKE

Replica Corris Railway Kerr Stuart 0-4-2ST No. 7 Tattoo at the exhibition. PAUL BICKERDYKE www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Association plans to reopen Tralee & Dingle Railway By Hugh Dougherty

THE Kerry Model Railway Association aims to reopen the restored section of the Tralee & Dingle Railway between Tralee and Blennerville, which last operated in 2006. Model railway layouts, including the Chester Model Railway Society’s OOn3 portrayal of the 3ft gauge railway which linked Tralee with Dingle from 1891 until closure in 1953, and artefacts of the line are now on permanent display to the public at the restored Blennerville Windmill. The association reports a very successful tourist season for 2013 and plans to build on its Blennerville base in the coming year. Committee member and Tralee businessman Billy Nolan said: “The permanent model exhibition is proof positive of our firm intention to reopen the restored section of the line and restore its locomotive, the original T&D 2-6-2T No. 5, which was brought back to Tralee in 1985, restored and used on the railway from its reopening in 1994. Sadly, funding issues closed the line in 2006 and we know that No. 5 needs a full rebuild, but we want to do that as and when funds permit. Restoring the steam locomotive is key to the success of this project.”

No. 5 in action on a Tralee train at Blennerville in July 2004. HUGH DOUGHERTY

The association enjoys the support of Tralee Town Council, and its chief executive, Michael Scannell, has supported the group all the way, being instrumental in making the Blennerville Windmill, formerly an emigration heritage centre, available for the model and historical displays. However, there are now doubts over continued town council support due to local government reorganisation in Ireland which will see the town council subsumed into the county council. “The problem is that we don’t know where that will lead,” said Billy Nolan, “but the

town council has been very supportive and is fully behind our aim of getting steam running again on the line, so we would hope for similar from the newly formed county council.” The project has received backing in principle form North and East Kerry Development, the local enterprise board. Chief executive Eamonn O’Reilly said: “We would support this project now if we had funds available but, given the current economic climate, all of our current funds have been allocated. We do, however, fully support the association in its aim of returning

Christmas farewell for Foremarke Hall WR 4-6-0 No. 7903 Foremarke Hall is to bow out of service during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Christmas mixed traffic day. The 1949-built Modified Hall, the youngest of its class to survive intact, will operate on December 28-29, hours before its boiler certificate expires. Rescued from Barry scrapyard in 1981, Foremarke Hall first steamed in preservation on the Swindon & Cricklade Railway in 2003, before being moved to the G/WR where it has been based ever since. John Cruxon, engineering manager of the owning group, said: “December 29 will be a sad day in many ways, but at the same time it is a new beginning for our trusty locomotive. “Since arriving at Toddington, it has operated on 700 days, clocking up 41,000 miles operating over the Cheltenham Racecourse to Toddington and Laverton line. I can think of only three occasions when it has failed while in service, all for relatively minor problems which have been fixed within hours – and there aren’t many modern locomotives or trains that can boast that kind of reliability.” GWSR plc chairman Alan Bielby said: “I have no doubt that Foremarke Hall has helped to boost our passenger

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numbers – many people comment that they have come to the railway especially to see and to ride behind it.” The owners of Foremarke Hall have waived their steaming fee for a special farewell day on Saturday, December 28. It will work with one of the railway’s other steam locomotives to the ‘blue’ timetable, instead of the usual DMU. The following day it will take part in the first of two mixed traffic days when the railway will be fielding both steam and diesel locomotives on December 29-30. Afterwards, No. 7903 will be transported to Tyseley Locomotive Works where the boiler will be removed from the frames for a complete overhaul. John added: “While the boiler is out of the frames we will be paying attention to other areas we know need some work. “The engine is going to be out of traffic for some months but we’re already looking forward to its return to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.” Foremarke Hall’s place will be taken by GWR 4-6-0 No. 7820 Dinmore Manor which is expected to arrive at the railway early in 2014 after its overhaul, also at Tyseley. Dinmore Manor was previously based on the West Somerset Railway and this is its first visit to the GWR.

the railway to service and we regard the project as a very valid long term one for which we will seek sources of funding.” Billy Nolan revealed that the association had looked into the possibility of sourcing a diesel locomotive to haul coaches on the Tralee-Blennerville line for 2013, the year of The Gathering in Ireland, a government-backed tourism initiative aimed at bringing exiles back to Ireland on holidays, but that it had to back out of a contract because of funding problems. “We admit that the track between Blennerville and Tralee is in need of a great deal of work to get it back into operating condition. But we do believe that it is possible and as we have excellent community support we would be able to form work parties,” he said. In the meantime, the association is to pull together memories of local people old enough to remember the railway before it closed in 1953 and publish a booklet. It is also pushing for conservation work on the line’s principal surviving feature, Lispole Viaduct, and is supporting a proposal by Kerry County Council to build a greenway for walkers, horse riders and cyclists, on the trackbed for the line from Camp to Tralee.

Tom Clift’s Class 26 bought by diesel group THE 6LDA Group, owner of Class 26s Nos. 26004/024 based on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway, has announced that it has bought sister No. 26038 and in consequence is offering its Class 26/0 26004 for sale. No. 26038 was restored to working after owner Tom Clift undertook a lengthy and thorough overhaul of the locomotive but sadly he died in September 2012 shortly after it was returned to operational service. Since then the locomotive has visited the Keighley & Worth Valley and the BKR where it currently resides and from where the family offered the locomotive for sale. At the same time the 6LDA Group was made aware that a situation had arisen which meant that the long-term restoration of No. 26004 could not be completed by its members and a review of options found the purchase of No. 26038 and sale of No. 26004 to be the best option. If No. 26004 isn’t sold within a “reasonable” time it will be broken for spares and scrap, while group efforts will now be directed to the maintenance of No. 26038 – including the retention of its nameplate as tribute to Tom Clift in recognition of his commitment to diesel locomotives and railway operation.

B12 to visit NYMR for spring gala AN apple green engine should once more be paired with the LNER Coach Association’s teak train at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s April 25-27 and May 2-5 spring steam gala, as the North Norfolk Railway’s LNER-liveried B12 4-6-0 No. 8572 has been booked to appear at this event. By that time the LNERCA’s teak train should be eight coaches long because although Thompson CL No. 88539 is currently awaiting various repairs, Thompson TK No. 1623 (painted scumbled teak) and Gresley BTK No. 669 should both be available to use. Heritage Railway

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News

DIY train heads bid to save iconic Romanian steam line By Geoff Courtney

IT CERTAINLY isn’t Flying Scotsman or Tornado, and it is isn’t even a freight locomotive or humble dockside shunter. But an idiosyncratic home-made railway vehicle is set to kick-start the reopening of a former steam line which has lain dormant for more than a decade. The vehicle, a version of a draisine – a light rail vehicle used to transport maintenance crews and their equipment – has been built by two enthusiasts supporting a campaign to restore a 38 mile line in the Transylvania region of central Romania which has attracted the active support of influential preservationists here in the UK. The 68 mile 2ft 6in gauge passenger and freight line opened in 1910 between the cities of Sibiu and Sighisoara, was reduced to 38 miles between Sibiu and the town of Agnita in 1965, and closed completely in 2001. Steam was in operation regularly into the 1970s and on tourist trains until the late1990s, and despite closure 12 years ago most of the track remains today, much of it in good condition. Local volunteers are working to reopen the line as the Friends of Mocanita, and their resolve and the iconic status of the line has led to the formation of the Sibiu to Agnita Railway UK Supporters’ Group (SARUK) which is chaired by David Allan, chairman of the Welsh Highland Railway Heritage Group, and includes Bill Parker, of the Flour Mill workshop, among its members. Ten SARUK members recently attended a conference in Romania at which the friends group updated politicians, dignitaries, officials and representatives of railway museum and preservation

varied liFe: no. 3-3763 at Cornatel on the sibiu-sighisoara railway in central romania, in 1965, shortly before 30 miles of the line were closed, leaving a 38 mile stretch between sibiu and agnita which remained open until 2001. The 0-6-0 was built at the Wiener neustadt locomotive factory in austria in 1894 for working at salt mines in northern romania as no. 3 Ronaszek, was taken over by Hungarian state railways in 1941 and then by the romanian state railway CFr in 1944 and renumbered 3-3763. it was subsequently transferred to sibiu and scrapped there in March 1965. Behind is another veteran 0-6-0, no. 389-001, also built at Weiner neustadt. although nine years older than no. 3-3763, it remained in service until the end of regular steam on the line in the 1970s, and survives today at sibiu railway Museum. Preservationists in both the Uk and romania are hoping to restore the line, starting with a limited tourist service next year. TREVOR ROWE

organisations on the plans to restore the line. Delegates were told that an online petition to save the line had been launched, while the head of the Romanian Tourist Railway Authority – which owns the line – praised the work of the volunteers and gave the project his full support. Crucially, he also agreed to postpone until 2016 an increase in the monthly rent paid by a consortium of local authorities for the line and who in turn lease it to the friends. The proposal would have seen the monthly rent of £170 soar to £15,500, a 90-fold increase – described by David Allan as “absurd” – and would have killed off the revival plans.

The meeting was also told that the friends were hoping to launch a tourist train next year on part of the line, using a draisine and two ‘carriages’ built by member Marian Dumitru and his father. The vehicle is powered by a Trabant motor car engine, and would operate over a five mile stretch between Cornatel and Hosman, two ancient villages about halfway along the line. Cornatel was a junction on the original route with a branch used mainly for logging, and much of its infrastructure survives, including two station buildings, a goods shed, a weigh house, a crossing keeper’s residence and a restored water tower. Unlikely savioUr: This homemade draisine and two ‘carriages’ are set to spearhead a restoration project in central romania by operating a tourist service next year over a five mile stretch of the former sibiu-agnita railway. it is seen at Hosman in september at the location of a former level crossing now covered in Tarmac. Far left: The crossing may be gone, but the decades-old level crossing and stop signs remain, warning road users of a hazard that disappeared 12 years ago. DAVID ALLAN

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“Cornatel also has a wonderful little restaurant and Hosman an interesting working bakery that offers guided tours and delicious home baking, and the scenery of this stretch of the line has stunning views of the Carpathian Mountains,” said David. During their visit, SARUK members helped local volunteers carry out repairs on the Cornatel to Hosman section on which it is hoped tourist trains will run next year. Welcoming the success of the conference and the plans for tourist trains, David said: “This iconic railway is the first abandoned line in Transylvania to attract the attention of enthusiastic local volunteers. “It can be readily returned to running order as 95% of the rails and most of the infrastructure survive. It has been designated a National Monument and is evidence of a growing realisation that Romania’s railway history is a significant part of the country’s culture. “It is at that critical juncture between preservation and demolition, and once demolished it can never be reclaimed. It is a unique railway preservation opportunity in an impoverished country that is worthy of international support.” www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Santa Express All Aboard the

The festive season is an important part of a heritage line’s calendar, but what do the customers look for? Ann Williams recounts her experiences on various railways.

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here is something magical about standing on a station platform in December waiting to board the Santa Express. There is an air of suppressed excitement among adults and children alike for this is no ordinary visit to Santa as he takes a break from his preparations for the big day. This is a chance to board a hissing monster, with sounds and smells like no other. A chance to feel the heat of the fire, the rhythm of the train travelling the tracks, to see the countryside in its winter glory and maybe even taste the soot along with those heavenly mince pies. When we took our first grandchild on a Santa Express trip almost a decade ago we little thought we would be starting a family tradition. Awakening an interest in all things steam, that trip has lead to countless journeys on various standard and narrow-gauge lines across the country and visits to railway museums too. The success of that first trip was the foundation for it all and we have spoken to many other families who echo our experiences. The Santa Express has become central to the activities of many heritage railways in recent years. With Santa moving away from the high street for his pre-Christmas encounter with children he can now be found on canals, in castles and caves as well as on preserved railways. For many children, and often their parents, this will be their first experience of a heritage railway yet, if things go well, it may lead to many more happy encounters. A number of elements combine to make a successful Santa Express trip. Besides the giftgiving there is the train trip itself to consider, not to mention the all-important refreshments. Other considerations include where the giftgiving takes place, which age ranges are catered for and what other attractions are included.

Unlike queuing up in a department store or shopping mall this is an experience for the whole family, from babies to grandparents, and needs to appeal across the generations. For many families this will be the event to put them in the festive mood so creating a festive atmosphere with seasonal music and decorations will go a long way to making a success of the trip. Where the gift giving takes place is an important issue. In most instances Santa strolls his way through the train accompanied by his elf helpers, talking to children and distributing the gifts. With just a few people on the move this is probably the logistical ideal. Another option is for the children to be collected in turn and taken for an audience with Santa in an onboard grotto (the guard van in one we visited). This offers a better opportunity for photographs of the children with Santa too. One or two operators ask people to queue either before or after their train ride to visit Santa in a static grotto on a platform. This in practice can entail a long wait standing out in the cold or wet with highly excited but frustrated youngsters. If an on-train experience is not possible there ideally needs to be space to queue under cover as even a sunny day in December can be bitterly cold and rain, snow and fog are equally unpleasant. Maybe allowing people to wait on board the train, being collected by Santa’s helpers in turn, would be a solution. ➲

LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45337 accelerates away from the river bridge near Castor with a Nene Valley Railway Santa special on December 1. The engine has an air brake control valve fitted for hauling Continental stock, with air provided by the Class 14 diesel on the rear. BRIAN SHARPE

LNER D49 4-4-0 No. 246 Morayshire approaches Birkhill with the 1.30pm Santa special on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway on November 30. The Shire was steam heating the first five coaches while Class 47 No. 47643 was supplying electric train heating to the rear two. IAN LOTHIAN

For many the length of the train ride is an important part of their enjoyment. Clearly operators are restricted by the length of line that is available but if this is very short it is probably best to avoid too much shunting up and down leading to uncomfortable feelings of motion sickness. If Santa is dispensing gifts on-board, sufficient time needs to be allowed for this. To help people appreciate what can be seen along the route strategically placed items to ‘spot’ from the carriage windows would be an added

attraction and help focus attention away from children asking: “Is he nearly here yet?” The ages for which gifts are provided vary quite considerably. Under 2s are often ignored although a few companies will give out a gift you provide yourself so that it doesn’t seem Santa is ignoring a younger sibling. Maybe operators could consider extending this idea, distributing gifts provided by visitors to older children, too, as at the upper end children aged eight to 10 are the most common cut-off points yet the party may contain older siblings.

Thomas is off duty at Wansford on the Nene Valley Railway as BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73050 comes off shed. BRIAN SHARPE

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The gifts themselves have always proved good quality and value and this has been the opinion of others we have spoken to. The options seem to be either one large gift, festively packaged and varied according to the age and sex of the child or a selection of smaller items, packaged in a festive bag – puzzles, train-shaped pens, small vehicles or dolls but hopefully not superbouncy balls. Including a badge with “I met Santa on the … Railway” provides the child with evidence for their show-and-tell session at school and advertises the trip for others. On one railway the bag itself was part of the gift, being of the drawstring variety and carrying the logo of the railway. It was suited to carrying the child’s swimming or PE kit for school. It is an excellent way to spread the word and a practical alternative to the problem of all the discarded wrappings otherwise created. The refreshments, too, create rubbish. This is generally collected up by helpers between trips but smaller bin bags for each group or a larger one into which rubbish is placed by people leaving the carriage can be a quicker and neater solution. Refreshments are provided for adults and children, typically juice and a biscuit for children with mince pies and a hot drink for adults. An alcoholic drink is offered in some instances. If this is in the form of a miniature sherry or whisky it at least allows the drivers in the party to enjoy the drink at an appropriate time. Coping with a hot cup of tea or coffee along with a crumbling mince pie when in charge of over-excited children could be a recipe for disaster yet is the common choice. The use of lidded insulated beakers is helpful in this case. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

LNER K4 2-6-0 No. 61994 The Great Marquess with an East Lancashire Railway Santa special on December 1. DICK MANTON

Some operators choose to separate the giftgiving from the refreshments, offering them instead at station buffets or static restaurant cars back at the station following the trip. This has the advantage of extending the experience and, if there is a shop or museum to visit as well, can keep the interest of visitors for longer and maybe entice them back for another visit in the summer. Some locations with more space are able to offer additional attractions such as miniature railway rides, entertainment or a chance to view other rolling stock. The continuing popularity of the Thomas the Tank Engine tales is often the starting point for such a love of all things steam. While our family always avoided Thomas themed Santa Express trips, being unwilling to mix too many fantasy issues into one event, for others the chance to meet Thomas as well as Father Christmas is a bonus. It is a matter for choice with several railways offering this option. With Santa Express trips appealing to the whole family from babies through to grandparents some may have special requirements. These may include special dietary issues, accessibility for pushchairs or wheelchairs and provision for guide dogs or other assistance dogs to be accommodated. A little forward planning can help make for a smoother and more enjoyable trip for all. The trips themselves usually operate throughout the day allowing parents of very young children to select a time best suited to their sleeping patterns. Our choice was always for a trip fairly late in the day, especially with a steam engine as this can look truly magical against a night sky. Our ideal was the trip itself made in daylight to see the countryside as you www.heritagerailway.co.uk

On board the train. When busy times require two Santas to be on duty, great care is usually taken not to allow children to see two together but the Cholsey & Wallingford has rostered Mr & Mrs Santa. ANN WILLIAMS

pass by but ending at dusk to see the firebox of the engine lighting up the sky. An opportunity to view the engine at close quarters and to speak to the engine driver and crew is a bonus many would look forward to. Nothing beats being up close, smelling the soot and oil, hearing the hiss of steam and feeling

the heat of the fire on a chill day. Not all those taking a Santa Express will be steam enthusiasts, and indeed not all Santa Express trains are hauled by steam engines, but the atmosphere created by the efforts and enthusiasm of staff and volunteers keeps them coming back for more. ■ Heritage Railway

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No. 90721 passes round the sad remains of Thornton station. On leaving Thornton it would be the last loaded freight train to run to Cullingworth.

THE LAST LOADED FREIGHT TRAIN TO CULLINGWORTH In the autumn of 1963, the Bradford Telegraph & Argus carried a story stating that yet more of the old Great Northern Railway’s famous ‘Queensbury Lines’ which had connected Bradford with Halifax and Keighley was to be further truncated with total abandonment of the railway from Thornton to Cullingworth. Robert Anderson travelled on the last freight train.

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nquiries revealed that closure beyond Thornton was definite but that no actual date had been fixed. Then I had a stroke of luck for while visiting a friend in the railway offices at Bradford Valley I overheard a conversation between one of the clerks and a gentleman in a long black mackintosh. Continued eavesdropping on my part revealed that the conversation appertained to the arrangements for the last trip working to Cullingworth. Plucking up courage, I introduced myself. Fortunately the clerk knew me and the gentleman in the long black mackintosh turned out to be none other than Mr Bernard Whitaker the station master/goods agent at Thornton. On the last day of passenger services, Saturday, May 21, 1955, Mr Whitaker had placed his home-made headboard ‘The Economist’ on the right hand lamp bracket of N1 0-6-2T No. 69471 working the last public passenger train to call at Thornton and he informed me that this very same headboard would be carried by the locomotive working 9P70 10.25am Laisterdyke to Cullingworth on Friday, November 8, 1963. This would be the last loaded freight train to run to Cullingworth. Furthermore I was invited to be his guest and join members of the West Riding branch of the RCTS to ride in the brake van. 50 Heritage Railway

The whole system was the most heavily engineered railway line in the West Riding of Yorkshire consisting almost entirely of embankments, deep cuttings, long and wet tunnels and lofty viaducts with virtually no level stretches. Indeed 1-in-50 gradients abounded. I arrived at Thornton having travelled from the city centre in style on one of Bradford City Transport’s splendid Sunbeam F4 trolleybuses and duly presented myself to Mr Whitaker. No other none railway staff were around as I had got there early in order to photograph the trip arriving from Laisterdyke as it crossed Thornton viaduct. It was due away from Great Horton at 11am and was booked to stop as required at Queensbury before reaching Thornton which Mr Whitaker reckoned would be about 11.30. I walked along the rubbish strewn former Keighley passenger line and found a hillock overlooking the 20 arch Thornton viaduct. It was a sunny but windy morning with rain clouds gathering and as Low Moor’s WD 2-8-0 No. 90721 appeared round the curve from Mortons Siding and onto the 120ft high viaduct crossing the Pinch Beck Valley the wind caught the exhaust and blew it, fortunately for me, down the far side of the loco. After passing the sad remains of the passenger station with its

one remaining reinforced concrete Thornton sign the WD reversed its train of timber into the goods yard and collected three mineral wagons. The crew then took a meal break in the canteen or possibly the aptly named Great Northern public house just across the road. I was keeping an anxious eye on the weather which was rapidly deteriorating. By the time the crew was ready to depart Mr Whitaker had placed his home-made plywood headboard ‘The Economist’ on the top lamp bracket of No. 90721 and had also very thoughtfully arranged with the loco crew to leave the yard with a certain amount of vigour then stop and pick me up – in fact a 1963 version of a ‘run past’! By now it was raining and we were glad to share the comparative comfort of the brakevan with the guard and travelling signalman. After this train there would be one or possibly two ‘engine and brake’ workings from Thornton to Cullingworth to clear the empties then just the demolition trains. We arrived at Cullingworth at 1.35pm and www.heritagerailway.co.uk

WD 2-8-0 No. 90721 crosses the 120ft high 20-arch Thornton viaduct on November 8 1963 with the 10.25am Laisterdyke to Cullingworth pick-up goods.

what bit of shunting there was to be done was done, photographs were duly taken of the crew and Mr Whitaker on the buffer beam of No. 90721 and ‘The Economist’ headboard transferred to the tender of the WD. With the light getting forever worse we set off around 10 minutes early back for Thornton and Bradford Adolphus Street goods depot. We were soon crossing the magnificent 17 arch Hewenden viaduct before arriving at Wilsden coal yard and making the last ever shunt there. I was grateful of Mr Whitaker’s invitation to continue in the brake van after Thornton as 90721 ambled downhill around the remains of the Queensbury Triangle then Clayton and Great Horton before lurching along the south curve of St Dunstan’s Triangle onto the passenger lines from Bradford Exchange up the hill to Hammerton St junction before setting back into the yard at Adolphus Street. I bade my farewells to the crew and made my way off into the gathering darkness after an enjoyable but sad day. ➲ www.heritagerailway.co.uk

No. 90721 backs down into Thornton Goods Yard with its load of timber, 11.35am, November 8, 1963. Heritage Railway

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Mr Whitaker has now placed ‘The Economist’ headboard on the front of the WD and after collecting its brakevan it will leave for Cullingworth. There would be one or possibly two trips to clear the empties and then the demolition trains would move in only a few months later.

Right: A farewell group photograph at Cullingworth. L-R The travelling signalman Mr Bernard Whitaker, station master/goods agent Thornton, the driver, fireman and guard/shunter 1.50pm, November 8, 1963.

Over the last few years parts of the trackbed of the former railway line from Queensbury to Cullingworth have been opened up as a public bridleway known as the Great Northern Railway Trail and it is now possible to walk over Thornton, Hewenden and Cullingworth viaducts. A leading light in this scheme has been Alan, the son of the late Mr Bernard Whitaker. After the demolition trains of 1964 several of the reinforced concrete station nameboards were toppled but left in the undergrowth. One of these, from Cullingworth, was recovered in the 1970s by members of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society and taken to Oxenhope station car park. Alan and fellow enthusiast Richard Kunz helped raise funds to have this restored and resited this July in the grounds of Cullingworth village primary school. Thus 49 years and eight months after its last goods train ran a piece of history had been returned to Cullingworth. ■ Right: The sole remaining object on Thornton passenger station. Most of these reinforced concrete signs were razed to the ground by the demolition men. A few were just toppled and left in the undergrowth. One at Cullingworth (left) was rescued by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Preservation Society and this one at Thornton was recovered by the Bradford Industrial Museum.

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www.heritagerailway.co.uk

by Geoff Courtney

Railwayana

Will No. 6014 be king at Stoneleigh? A GWR King, sR West country, lMs Royal scot and lNeR B17 ‘Footballer’ are the pick of the nameplate crop at Great central’s January 18 auction. They are respectively King Henry VII (No. 6014), Axminster (No. 34018), The Middlesex Regiment (No. 46149), and Bradford (No. 61667). No. 6014 was the sole member of the class to be partially streamlined in a not particularly successful experiment by the GWR, the sR plate comes with its West country scroll and a replica badge, and the B17 plate has its football and is mounted on a replica splasher. others in the category are Skylark (GWR Bulldog No. 3454, one of the last in the class to be withdrawn, by BR in November 1951), sR duo Charterhouse and Shanklin

(Nos. 30903 and Isle of Wight W20), lMs trio E. Tootal Broadhurst, Tasmania and Aden (Patriot No. 45534 and Jubilee Nos. 45569 and 45633), and lNeR B8 Glenalmond and D49 Cambridgeshire (No. 62720). The B8 was the class prototype, numbered 5004 by the lNeR, renumbered 1349 in 1946, and withdrawn in November 1947 on the cusp of Nationalisation. GWR cabside numberplates include 5022 from Wigmore Castle and 2702 from an

0-6-0PT built at Wolverhampton in 1896 as a saddletank and subsequently converted, being withdrawn in January 1950. There is also the smokebox numberplate from sR King Arthur No. 30768 Sir Balin and a steam era ‘Torbay express’ headboard from the london Paddington-Torquay and Paignton train. Among the worksplates is an example from cambrian Railways class 61 No. 83, built by sharp stewart in 1895, initially numbered 1106 by the GWR and then No. 1110, and withdrawn in April 1931. Interestingly the 4-4-0 wasn’t dismantled at swindon until April 1934, the three-year gap being due to the Great Western advertising the locomotive for sale, obviously without success. Mike soden will start proceedings, at stoneleigh Park, at 10am.

Castle in the air and Dukedog strong at Pershore As WAs appropriate for an auction in deepest Worcestershire, the GWR ruled the roost at GW Railwayana’s November 9 sale, with a castle, Dukedog and Grange sharing the nameplate podium. Gold went to Shrewsbury Castle (No. 5009) at £14,100, silver to Dartmoor (No. 3269) at £12,000, and bronze to Tidmarsh Grange (No. 6847) at £8000. The castle plate had been bought direct from BR for £1 17s 6d in 1960 and not changed hands since. The Grange had to share its bronze medal with Nyasaland from lMs Jubilee No. 45622, while Tawstock Court from another GWR representative, saint class No. 2951, failed to sell, a fate which also befell Lytham St. Annes from ‘Peak’ class D60. Diesel honour was partly restored, however, by a regimental badge from Deltic D9008/55008 The Green Howards, which went

under simon Turner’s hammer for £4600. Worksplates have a staunch following, as was illustrated by the £4000 for an example from unique prototype electric loco No. 89001 Avocet, designed by Brush and built by BRel at crewe in 1986 and now preserved. leading steam worksplate at £2100 was from an unidentified Northern counties committee of Ireland class V 0-6-0, three of which were built by the Midland Railway at Derby in 1923. Totem station signs were led by Birmingham New street (£3200), and top of the timepieces was an 1863 lBscR regulator clock that sold for £3000, as did a Barry Freeman oil painting featuring standard Britannia No. 70045 at

llandudno Junction, prior to its Lord Rowallan naming. other highlights included £3100 for a 3½in gauge live steam model of No. 70000 Britannia, £2800 for a Weston clevedon & Portishead Railway wagon owner’s plate, and £2400 for a ‘Deltic scotsman Farewell’ headboard from January 1982. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 10% (+ VAT). As collectors filed away from Pershore High school at the close of play, simon commented: “Prices in a lot of areas were strong, with some totems bucking recent downward trends, and posters buoyant.” He said that the online bidding which is now a feature of GW Railwayana’s auctions was proving a success, with the number of bidders using this service double that of those in the previous sale. “We have ushered in a new age without affecting the old,” he said.

A4 is miles ahead of the rest at Newark To NoBoDY’s surprise, A4 nameplate Miles Beevor was the unchallenged star of Talisman’s November 16 sale at Newark, selling for £20,000. The name, from 1937 Doncaster-built No. 60026, was given to the Pacific in November 1947 and replaced its original name Kestrel. An interesting note in the auction’s catalogue was that the tender coupled to No. 60026 when it was withdrawn in December 1965 was that which was attached to No. 60022 Mallard during its word record speed run in July 1938. Next up at £2600 was a Great

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Northern Railway worksplate off c1 Atlantic No. 4409, built at Doncaster in 1905 and withdrawn by BR (No. 62839, although this was never carried) in January 1950. Indeed, worksplates fared well, despite their current proliferation on the market, with another GNR example, from N1 0-6-2T No. 69485, going under the hammer for £1150 and an lNeR plate from J50 0-6-0T No. 68934 for £960. A loudwater-High Wycombe south single line key caught the eye at £1550, london Midland Region totem Radford realised £1100, and class B1 smokebox

numberplate 61120 £980. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 10%. “We were really pleased how the auction went, with a huge crowd,” said Talisman’s Roger Phipps. “lNeR worksplates performed well and across the board were up on similar items at other auctions.” The sale was the sixth railwayana auction in seven saturdays, leading Roger to comment: “We were particularly pleased considering we were the last auction in such an intense period.”

➲ A close tussle at the top of the railway model section of the Vectis toy and railwayana sale at Rugby on November 23 saw an 0-6-0 draw with a Pacific, each selling for £3200. The combatants were a 5in gauge live steam model of J H Beattie designed lsWR class 221 outside frame 0-6-0 Colossus and a Marklin o gauge three-rail electric German outline Pacific. These were followed at £2200 by another Marklin three-rail electric, an Ho gauge 4-6-2 with lNeR lettering on the tender, closely followed by an Aster gauge 1 live steam Pacific (£2100). The prices exclude buyer’s premium of 20% (+ VAT). ➲ IN A strong railwayana section at lacy scott & Knight’s toys and models auction at Bury st edmunds on November 16, an lNeR Darlington worksplate from B1 No. 61003 Gazelle went for £2200 and a similar item from another member of the class, No. 61026 Ourebi, for £1600. Two live steam models also made their mark – a 5in gauge De Winton 0-4-0 (£1850) and 3½in gauge central Pacific Railroad 4-4-0 Virginia (£1450). The prices exclude buyer’s premium of 17½% (+ VAT). ➲ AN exTeNsIVe Hornby Dublo three-rail collection, which included 17 locomotives, realised £940 at the Dominic Winter collectors’ sale at south cerney, near cirencester, on November 8, followed at £900 by a 3½in gauge live steam model of an unnumbered GWR 0-6-0PT. The auction also included railwayana, for which leading price was £780 for a collection of six shedplates – 5c (stafford), 21B (Bournville), 72c (Yeovil), 81D (Reading), 82F (Weymouth) and 84A (Wolverhampton stafford Road). Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 19½% (+ VAT). Heritage Railway

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Running an hour late, BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell passes Beeston Castle with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Christmas Cheshireman’ from Bristol to Crewe via Hereford and Chester on November 30. PHIL WATERFIELD

Mainline News

Tornado residing at Barrow Hill

FOLLOWING its visit to the Nene Valley Railway in November where The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s 4-6-2 No. 60163 Tornado was ‘stopped’ by two leaking stays, the engine was subsequently moved to Barrow Hill by diesel as part of a planned operation. The A1 Trust’s operations director, Graeme Bunker, said that when the leaking stays were detected there was no time to deal with a repair before the scheduled move to Barrow Hill took place. Plans to visit Wimbledon depot to have the A1’s tender wheels turned were scrapped when the engine was delayed from leaving Mid-Hants Railway metals by storms which disrupted services on the national network at the end of October. Instead, the 4-6-2 ran direct to Orton Mere via Guildford, Woking, Willesden Wood Green, Huntingdon and Peterborough Wednesday, October 30. Tornado’s involvement, which included a photo charter, was brought to a premature end when the leaking stays were observed. That also cancelled plans to move the A1 back to Southall on November 16 to work a ‘Cathedrals Express’ from London to Ludlow and Shrewsbury, the train running via Salisbury and Bath on Saturday, November 23, with BR 4-6-2 No. 70000 Britannia. In the event, the 4-6-2 and support coach departed the Nene Valley on Monday, November 25, behind a diesel bound for Barrow Hill travelling by way of Peterborough, Melton Mowbray, Loughborough and Chesterfield. Now over five years old with 70,000 miles on the clock, Tornado is to remain at Barrow Hill for what might be termed an intermediate overhaul and winter maintenance with the A1’s boiler remaining in situ. Like any work on locomotives, no definite timescale can be forecast but it is anticipated that the engine will be ready to resume operations in late spring. To put that into perspective we hear that the A1 Trust is planning a main line trip from London up the East Coast Main Line to York in April next year. By then it is anticipated that a comprehensive schedule of main line runs and visits to heritage lines will have been formulated. ➲ See Scale Heritage Railway, pages 76-79.

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Compiled by Cedric Johns

‘Black Five’ stalls on Parkstone bank A RAILWAY Touring Company excursion caused delays to South West Trains services when standin locomotive LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 44871 stalled on Parkstone bank with the ‘Bath & Bristol Market’ trip from Poole on Thursday, November 28. Departing a few minutes late from Poole, the train had about half a mile to run across a low embankment bordered on both sides by salt water before hitting the 1-in-60 gradient up through Parkstone to Branksome. In addition to the relatively short run from a slow standing start – two level crossings on a curve before the line straightens – the 4-6-0 was then faced with a fairly sharp left hand curve at the foot of the bank. With 11 coaches for 375 tons on the drawbar, the ‘Black Five’ failed to match the everyday performances of Somerset & Dorset-based sister engines of yesteryear by slowing and then coming to a halt after passing through Parkstone station. To be fair, trains like the ‘Pines Express’

were shortened during the winter months when Bulleid loadings were generally limited to eight coaches unassisted. Photographer Alan Courtney, who supplied pictures supporting this story, reported that he could hear the ‘Black Five’, a replacement for Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34067 Tangmere, struggling and slipping in the distance. “As the engine rounded the curve approaching my vantage point at walking pace the engine came to a halt on slippery rails. “Unfortunately the Class 33 diesel which had brought the empty stock – 11 coaches plus No. 44871 – had not been attached to the rear of the train. It had been left in a siding at Poole. “After a delay of about an hour the diesel West Coast No. 33029 arrived and attached to the rear and banked the train up the remainder of the bank working flat out. By this time a large gathering of linesiders and passers-by had gathered on the bridge to witness the scene.”

Meanwhile, the WeymouthBournemouth Up line was blocked, causing delays of an hour or more to South West Trains’ electric services, a situation widely reported on BBC local radio traffic news. According to South West Trains the line was cleared at 9.25am, around 95 minutes after the train was booked to depart Bournemouth. From thereon, the ‘Market’ proceeded to Bath and Bristol via Southampton, Eastleigh and Salisbury without further delay. With the 33 retained on the back, the return journey, including the sinuous 1-in-72 Upton Scudamore bank, went without incident, the train running to time. Indeed, when seen approaching the Dorset county border, No. 44781 sounded in fine fettle. As a result of this incident, Steam Dreams and Ian Riley agreed to doublehead ‘Black Fives’ – No.44871 and No. 45407 – on all ‘Cathedrals Express’ trips during December.

LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 44871 comes to a halt on Parkstone bank. ALAN COURTNEY www.heritagerailway.co.uk

LNER A4 Pacific No. 60009 Union of South Africa passes Fenwick with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Tynesider’ from Newcastle to King’s Cross on November 23. STUART BROWN

Steam Dreams heads for Shildon and Scotland UNUSUALLY for Steam Dreams, the opening ‘Cathedrals Express’ season for 2014 does not feature steam haulage – but it is still all about steam power and streamlined A4 Pacifics in particular. Following the successful reunion of the six surviving A4s at the National Railway Museum in York in 2013, a ‘Cathedrals Express’ is set to join the final Mallard 75 celebration by visiting the Great Gathering at Shildon on Sunday, February 23. Running down the East Coast Main Line with West Coast diesel power at the head, the ‘Express’ offers passengers a choice of either visiting York (a cheaper option) or travelling on to Shildon to see the Great Goodbye, the final line-up of the six before No. 4489 Dominion of Canada and No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower return to their North American homes. Steam Dreams’ chairman Marcus Robertson said: “There is no doubt that getting the six A4s together has been one of the great things that the National Railway Museum has done in recent years and we have already run several trips to the main museum at York this year. “This trip will be the very last opportunity, on the last day of the exhibition, to see Gresley’s masterpieces all in one place.” Following on from Steam Dreams’ traditional steam-hauled curtain raiser to its new season with a trip to South Wales on St David’s Day, March 1, ‘Cathedrals Express’ sights are set to the north to the Pennines. On March 5, the ‘Express’ is diesel hauled from Broxbourne picking up at Bishops Stortford, Cambridge, Ely and Peterborough to Hellifield, where steam takes over for the

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journey over the Settle and Carlisle line. Eight days later, March 13, a ‘Cathedrals Express’ departs Oxford and, stopping at Banbury, Leamington, Coventry, Nuneaton and Lichfield, heads on to Preston where steam takes over for a run over Shap returning via the Settle & Carlisle route. ‘Cathedrals Express’ managing director Julie Martin expressed her gratitude to West Coast for agreeing to provide steam over the Cumbrian fells. “It took no more than 30 seconds for us to ask and them to agree to provide motive power for both these trips which will probably be Scots Guardsman for both trips,” she said. Steam Dreams’ nine day ‘Cathedrals Explorer’ tour to the Scottish Highlands and Islands represents something of a break from the past with passengers having the option of either maximising steam haulage by staying three nights in Inverness and another three nights at Fort William or unusually spending three nights in the outer Hebrides and one night on Skye. The trip reaches Skye with a one way trip from Inverness to the Kyle of Lochalsh and comes back from the Outer Hebrides via Mallaig and a one-way ticket to Fort William – all by steam! The tour sets off from London Friday, May 9, and after the now-traditional early-morning pick-ups around south London, Kent and Sussex, the ‘Explorer’ is timed to depart Victoria at 10am. Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland is expected to head the first 200 miles or so working over its old stomping ground, the West Coast Main Line, as

far as Hellifield. From there, a ‘Black Five’ is most likely to take the train on to its last leg, to night stop hotels near Appleby. Days two to eight will be a veritable feast for ‘Black Five’ enthusiasts when for starters, No. 44871 and No. 45407 will take the ‘Explorer’ up the east side of Scotland and over the Forth and Tay bridges via Aberdeen to Inverness. The third day is strategically chosen to be a Sunday giving a more relaxed path for the day trip to Kyle of Lochalsh where the ‘Explorer’ waves goodbye to passengers setting off for the Hebrides. For those remaining on the mainland, Day 4 sees a simple out and back trip to Dunrobin Castle in Sutherland. Day 5 sees two ‘Black Fives’ working in harness taking the route from Inverness to Fort William via Aviemore, Perth, the central lowlands, Crianlarich and Rannoch Moor. On Day 6, a second highlight, passengers taking the option of a day trip will enjoy a rare opportunity to travel on the Oban branch with steam. The next day, tourists are given the chance of sampling the ‘Jacobite’ route, meeting passengers returning from the islands at Mallaig. The following day, the two ‘Fives’ are back in action, working the ‘Explorer’ south across the lowlands to an exchange point where an A4 takes over for the run to Durham and then a night stop. On the morning of the final day, the A4 takes up the challenge of heading the ‘Explorer’ back to London up the East Coast Main Line.

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Mainline News Braunton heads British Pullman IN AN anticipated change of motive power, Bulleid West Country light Pacific No. 34046 Braunton was given the task of working VSOE’s ‘British Pullman’ luncheon train on Friday, November 1. With the Pullman’s regular locomotive, Merchant Navy class 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line, ‘stopped’ for its annual maintenance check at Stewarts Lane depot, the West Country was chosen as standby engine in the event of the Merchant not being available. As it happened, work on Clan Line was completed to schedule but not in time for a proposed light engine run ‘around the houses’ as a final check on the engine’s fitness for purpose. As reported in last month’s Main Line News, Braunton departed Alton in a doubleheader with BR 4-6-2 No. 70000 Britannia after both engines had taken part in the Mid-Hants Railway’s autumn gala October 24-27. Departing Mid-Hants territory on Monday, October 28, the two engines and one support coach were en route to Stewarts Lane, the ‘Brit’ and support coach retiring to Southall, leaving the West Country on station alongside Clan Line. Passing its fitness-to-run exam, No. 34046 backed down on the ‘Pullman’ at Victoria the following morning. Departing at 12.28pm the 4-6-2 worked the luncheon train around its usual Clapham, Staines, Guildford route, stopping for a water top-up at Shalford, near Guildford. Once away, Braunton tackled Gomshall bank with its heavy train in muscular style and steam to spare en route along the 80 miles back to Victoria by way of Dorking, Redhill, Purley, Selhurst and Clapham. This was the first time that a West Country had been given the ‘Pullman’ job since the days of Taw Valley and Tangmere when No. 35028 was taken out of traffic for its annual maintenance schedule. Clan Line plus support coach and diesel completed its ‘round the houses’ trip by working over the same Surrey Hills route as did Braunton Tuesday, November 26. All was reported to be well. Since then the Merchant was booked to work the ‘British Pullman’ along the same route on December 7, 13 and 21.

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Compiled by Cedric Johns

Tangmere connecting rod disconnected, while on the move BULLEID Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34067 Tangmere was brought to a halt after its right-hand connecting rod became disconnected from the crosshead, while working the return leg of Railway Touring Company’s Weymouth - Waterloo ‘Christmas Market Express’, on the evening of Saturday, November 23. It was considered likely that the nut on the end of the gudgeon pin, which holds the little end of the connecting rod in the crosshead, worked loose, allowing the connecting rod to fall and strike the live third-rail, between Fleet and Winchfield. Electric power on the Down slow line was switched off, to enable an inspection to be carried out on both Tangmere and the immediate track. After the connecting rod had been removed from the locomotive and Tangmere made ready, assistance was given from the Class 47 on the rear, as far as Basingstoke, where the train was terminated. A South West Trains spokesman said: “A broken-down steam train locomotive caused delays to our services in the Fleet area at around 7pm. Steam train passengers were transferred to South West Trains services from Basingstoke to continue their journeys.”

Network Rail spokesman Chris Denham said: “Train 1Z94, a Waterloo to Weymouth steam special, came to a standstill just before 7pm on the Down slow line between Fleet and Winchfield. A connecting rod on the locomotive, Tangmere, had come loose and damaged about 40 insulator pots on the third rail before the train could be stopped. “After the line was made safe (electric power switched off) and the con rod disconnected, the train was allowed to proceed to Basingstoke at 10.20pm where it was terminated.” A total of 17 service trains were directly affected with many having to run fast, between Farnborough and Basingstoke, some terminating short of their destinations, others making extra calls.” He agreed that Network Rail engineers had to replace pots to keep the third-rail in position and that a full replacement of all the damaged pots had been carried out under line possession, later that evening, and part-way through the night. He added that he had no knowledge (at the time) about whether Network Rail would hold an enquiry into Tangmere’s failure and the subsequent damage caused, giving rise to the disruption of service trains.

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facebook.com/ HeritageRailway Below: SR Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34067 Tangmere approaches Horseshoe Bridge, St Denys, with the 7.25am Weymouth to Waterloo on November 23. DON BENN

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Two steam excursions at Chester on November 30 as BR Standard Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell waits to depart from Crewe with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Christmas Cheshireman’ from Bristol, while LMS ‘Black Fives’ Nos. 44871 and 45407 are at the head of Steam Dreams’ ‘Cathedrals Express’ from Euston. CLIVE HANLEY

Motive power mix for new Vintage Trains tours

VINTAGE Trains is widening its horizons in terms of the choice of motive power being booked for its next series of main line trips. Having recently used Carnforth’s Galatea and Tyseley’s Great Western pannier tanks, Vintage Trains opens the new year with a trip behind Western Region Class 52 D1015 Western Champion on Sunday, February 9. This is not the run of the mill trip because it is planned in two parts. In the morning the train, the ‘Chiltern Champion’, departs Solihull and after calling at Dorridge, Warwick, Leamington and Banbury, is booked for a non-stop run down the Chiltern line to Marylebone providing passengers with a lengthy stay in the capital. Around 12.40pm, the second part of the excursion starts from Marylebone for what is described as a rambling tour of Buckingham and Oxford branch lines. Returning up the Chiltern line, Western Champion takes the Aylesbury branch through Quainton Road to Claydon Junction when the 52 runs round before setting off for Oxford via Bicester. Arriving at Oxford, Tyseley’s No. 47773 couples on then heads the train back to Banbury with D1015 trailing at the rear. On arrival, the train reverses with the 52 back at its head for the final dash back to Marylebone, arriving just after 6pm. Approximately an hour later, part one of the day out returns to Birmingham behind Western Champion, the train setting down passengers at their respective boarding stations.

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On Friday, February 14, Tyseley’s GWR 4-6-0 No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall takes centre stage heading the ‘Valentines Dinner Express’, a circular tour running from Warwick Road at 4pm to Gloucester via the Vale of Evesham calling at Birmingham Moor Street and Snow Hill stations. Passengers travelling in the train’s Pullman coaches will be greeted by champagne followed by a four course meal to complete a romantic evening. Moving on to Saturday, March 15, blue A4 4-6-2 No. 4464 Bittern enters Vintage Trains’ programme of tours heading the ‘Cumbrian Ranger’ from Crewe to Carlisle via the Settle & Carlisle line, stopping briefly for photographs at Appleby. Class 47 No. 47773, Tyseley’s own, works the first leg out of Warwick Road platform calling at Birmingham New Street, Wolverhampton, Stafford and Crewe before uncoupling in favour of the A4, which is later booked to bring the ‘Ranger’ back via Shap to Crewe, where the 47 heads the train back to the Midlands. In another diesel-powered start, No. 47773 takes the ‘Canterbury Explorer’ from Solihull Saturday, March 29, for a trip to Kent shared by Bulleid 4-6-2 No. 34046 Braunton. Picking up at Warwick, Leamington, Banbury and Kensington Olympia, the ‘Explorer’ changes motive power at Hanwell, the West Country taking the train via Bromley South to Ashford then swinging left for Wye, Chatham and Canterbury West. On the return journey, Braunton is routed

via Minster, Deal and the testing Martin Mill bank before dropping down through Guston Tunnel for Dover, Folkestone and Ashford. On Saturday, April 12, Vintage Trains offers the choice of steam or diesel power with GWR Castle No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe leading when the 4-6-0 is booked to head the grandly named ‘Berks & Hants Aquae Sulis’ excursion from Solihull to Bath and Bristol. It is steam all the way, facilitated by Tyseley’s converted GUV water carrier. Calling at Dorridge, Warwick, Banbury and Oxford, the ‘B&HAS’ heads for the Roman city via Newbury, Savernake, Westbury and Trowbridge, joining Brunel’s original main line at Bathampton. For the return journey, Earl of Mount Edgcumbe heads back along the Paddington main line via Box, Chippenham and Swindon then turns left approaching Didcot to join the Oxford line for the Midlands. Western Champion re-enters the frame by being the booked firepower for ‘The Devonian’ heading for Paignton Saturday, April 26. Departing Warwick Road, the 52 stops at Snow Hill, Stourbridge Junction, Worcester Shrub Hill, Cheltenham and Bristol Temple Meads before taking the former Bristol & Exeter line passing Dawlish and Newton Abbot en route for the Devon seaside. From Paignton, steam takes over for the run over the Dartmouth Steam Railway to Kingswear. Homeward bound, D1015 retraces its morning route back to Tyseley.

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Mainline News

Compiled by Cedric Johns

“Computer says no...” By Brian Sharpe IN RECENT years, Vintage Trains has become well known for taking its Great Western 4-6-0s to places such engines have never visited, GWR engines having been largely prohibited from working away from GWR routes in steam days. More recently though, GWR engines have started to find themselves subject to more restrictions on home turf than away from their traditional haunts. While Halls struggle to fit within gauge in the south west and Manors appear forever banned from the Cambrian Coast, Tyseley’s Castle has found its way to Shap, Beattock, Ais Gill, Copy Pit and the Forth Bridge, as well as routinely running to York. Tyseley-based Halls have even been seen in East Anglia, which many medium-sized LNER engines were barred from in steam days. A Tyseley-Ely excursion scheduled to be hauled by No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall on November 23 appeared to be nothing particularly out of the ordinary but that was before Network Rail’s gauging computer got involved. Some erroneous data found its way into the system causing the output as regards

whether a Hall would fit on the Great Eastern route across the Fens to be unreliable. With no guarantee of the fault being traced and rectified in time, it was decided to substitute the Castle, No. 5043 Earl of Mount

The Castle departs from Ely on the return to Tyseley. JOHN TITLOW

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Edgcumbe, the first time a member of the class had ever ventured into East Anglia. With a load of eight coaches, it was not a difficult proposition for the engine, which was running 15 minutes early east of Leicester.

Above: No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe passes the last-surviving Midland Railway lower quadrant signal at Ketton. BRIAN SHARPE Below: Earl of Mount Edgcumbe crosses the Fens near Manea. JOHN TITLOW

Mainline News

Compiled by Cedric Johns

RTC opens up with seven Cumbrian Mountain trips REPEATING 2013’s successful series of ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ trips to open its next programme of steam-hauled excursions, the Railway Touring Company again majors on running trains over the Settle & Carlisle line. Seven ‘WCMEs’ are scheduled, the first of these starting from Manchester Victoria on Saturday, January 25. Departing at 7am, this ‘one off ’ trip behind ‘Black Fives; No. 44871 and No. 45407 calls at Bolton and Preston before taking the direct West Coast Main Line route over Shapen route to Carlisle. The ‘Express’ returns via the Settle & Carlisle and after stopping at Blackburn takes the direct route via Sough Tunnel and Bolton. The remaining six trips again follow the format used last year; all trains starting from Euston hauled by Class 86 No. 86259 Les Ross as far as Carnforth where steam comes on for the challenge of Shap, then heading on to Carlisle. Returning via the Settle & Carlisle line, the 86 takes over at Preston for the return journey to London. Dated to run February 1, 8, 15 and 22, March 1 and 8, steam is to be provided from a pool of engines consisting of ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45305, Royal Scot 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman and Jubilees

Nos. 45690 Leander and 45699 Galetea. Departing Euston at 7.10am, the ‘Express’ calls at Watford Junction, Milton Keynes, Northampton, Rugby, Nuneaton, Crewe and Preston. Passengers from Northampton connect at Rugby using local service trains. On Saturday, March 15, RTC’s ‘Buxton Spa Express’ departs Euston, picking up at Watford Junction, Bletchley, Bedford, Kettering and Melton Mowbray en route for Buxton via Hope Valley with BR 4-6-2 No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell at its head. The return journey makes for Stockport via Whaley Bridge where a West Coast Class 47 works the train back down south and ‘all stations’ to London. Another ‘Brit’ is booked to head RTC’s ‘Peak Forester’ on Sunday, May 11, when No. 70000 Britannia backs on its train at King’s Cross for a trip to Matlock and Peak Rail to Rowsley. Calling at Stevenage, Peterborough and Oakham, the ‘Forester’ is routed via the East Coast Main Line and the former Midland Line at Syston travelling on via Loughborough, Trent Junction and Derby. Saturday, March 29, will be a busy day for RTC staff who will be

manning not one but two trains booked for very different destinations. The first, ‘The Hadrian’, departs Leicester diesel hauled at 6.30am bound for Carlisle via pick-up stations at Loughborough, East Midlands Parkway, Alfreton, Chesterfield and Sheffield. Travelling on through Leeds and Skipton, the train stops at Hellifield for the diesel to be replaced by A4 4-6-2 No. 60009 Union of South Africa for the remaining 78 miles over the Settle & Carlisle line to its destination. For the return, the A4 heads the train out of Carlisle taking the Tyne Valley route, joining the East Coast Main Line at Low Fell for an anticipated fast run down through Durham and Darlington to York where ‘No. 9’ uncouples in favour of diesel power. The second train, ‘The Wansbeck’ features K1 2-6-0 No. 62005 topping and tailing with K4 2-6-0 No. 61994 The Great Marquess. Setting off from Newcastle at 8.30am (and 12.30pm), the itinerary is a repeat of 2013’s successful itinerary. After departing Newcastle, the train proceeds along the East Coast Main Line to Morpeth and then branches off to travel along the Blyth & Tyne line. Reversing south of Bedlington, it then heads towards

Ashington to the Network Rail limit to reverse again to head for North Blyth. A nother reversal sees the train head south over the freightonly line to Winning Junction and West Sleekburn Junction, through Bedlington for the second time thence via Benton Junction to Newcastle and Tyne Yard for the engines to be serviced. Continuing along the ECML, the train branches off for Middlesbrough and Redcar, hopefully this time to reach Boulby and later Saltburn. On Sunday, April 6, RTC returns to the West Country with its version of the Waterloo-Exeter ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ featuring two Bulleid 4-6-2s. For the run down the South West Main Line, the ‘ACE’ is booked for haulage by No. 34067 Tangmere, the train calling at Woking and Basingstoke only, then travelling on via Salisbury to Yeovil Junction for a water stop. Passing Crewkerne and Axminster the 4-6-2 tackles Honiton bank before passing through Exmouth Junction and Exeter Central to terminate at St David’s. For the return journey, Tangmere will act as banker for the steep curving climb back to Exeter Central with No. 34046 Braunton leading.

Charter trains boost for Waverley route revival STEAM trains could soon be running on the rebuilt section of the Waverley route. The Campaign for Borders Rail has welcomed new guidance issued by Transport for Scotland for the next ScotRail franchise that will require the new operator to adjust the Borders Railway’s timetables to accommodate tourist charter trains. The move opens the way to running charter trains on Saturdays. Previously it had been feared that the new largely single track railway would only have capacity for charter trains in the evenings or on Sundays when ScotRail frequency dropped from half hourly to hourly services. The invitation to tender for the ScotRail franchise now specifies that “the Scottish Minsters consider that it is desirable to allow the operation of charter and tourist trains by other operators on the Borders Railway to promote tourism. The (new) franchisee will be required to facilitate such operations and co-operate through alterations to its regular timetable at no additional cost”. Speaking at CBR’s annual general meeting held at Hawick on November 27, the group’s

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chairman Simon Walton said: “Ever since the original Scottish Borders feasibility 2000 study failed to consider tourist train potential, we have consistently pressed the case that this important rail market should have access to the Borders. “Last year, together with Claudia Beamish MSP, we were instrumental in convincing Transport Minster Keith Brown that the platforms at Tweedbank terminus should be lengthened to accommodate commercially viable charter trains. “In addition, our research shows that route capacity had to be made in the middle of the day on Saturdays to allow Borders Railway to properly tap the charter market. “This latest announcement (by the minister) is the last piece in the jigsaw. Now the Borders and its many tourist attractions will be able to welcome trains from across Britain bringing valuable additional visitor spend to the regional economy. “It is unfortunate that the limitations of Transport Scotland’s infrastructure specification means that the price of tapping into the charter market is dropping ScotRail

frequency to hourly for a few hours on Saturdays, mostly during the summer, but at least ScotRail can operate with double the number of seats at these times.” Among the first charters likely to use the Borders Railway when it opens in 2015 are steam-hauled specials since Transport Scotland’s draft invitation to tender for ScotRail also specifies that Scottish ministers intend the opening of this railway to be a major cause for celebration for the Borders and Midlothian communities along its route – with celebratory steam services. Simon added: “Tweedbank station will be just over a mile from Sir Walter Scott’s Abbotsford home and will also offer ready access to the River Tweed, Melrose and Borders abbeys. “The Borders Railway itself will provide visitors with a highly scenic journey, climbing from Edinburgh up to the 880ft Falahill summit in the Moorfoot Hills before descending through the Gala Water valley to Galashiels and crossing the river to reach Tweedbank which is overlooked by the Eildon Hills.”

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BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell threads its way across Sleaford North Junction with the last steam train to pass the semaphore signals and signalbox. The new electric barriers and colour aspect lights take over during Christmas week. It may have been the last steam train to use the curve as the reinstated Down avoiding line will probably be used in future. ALAN WEAVER

SEE CLASSIC TRACTION ON THE NATIONAL NETWORK

As OF the end of 2013, there are still nearly 130 examples of heritage traction on the main line. The irony is that many of these were originally withdrawn from main line service by English Welsh & scottish Railways in the late 1990s when it ordered 250 Class 66 and 30 Class 67 locomotives to replace them. Yet more than a decade later, many are still proving capable of hauling trains – and generating income – for EWs’s (now DB schenker’s) competitors. The number of locomotives is matched by the variety of classes with examples of diesel classes 20, 31, 33, 37, 40, 47, 50, 52, 55 and 56 supported by examples of electric Classes 73 and 86 still active on main line duties. Most of these locomotives are operated by Freight Operating Companies with Direct Rail services (DRs) operating the largest number; its fleet comprises eight Class 20s, 33 Class 37s and 11 Class 47s to give a working fleet of 52 locomotives. The next largest operator is GB Railfreight which has not only hired 11 heritage locomotives comprising nine Class 20, one Class 52 and one Class 55 for short-term contracts but also owns 12 Class 73 electro-diesels which are so useful that three are currently undergoing reengineering as part of a life extension programme. There are reports that the company is also negotiating the hire of Rivieraowned Class 47 locomotives to

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cover current shortages of motive power. The heritage locomotive pool has assisted new freight operators such as Colas Rail which began trading with three Class 47s supported by five Class 66s, subsequently investing in Class 56s. These were released from infrastructure works on mainland Europe and CR purchased 11 locomotives of which five are in various stages of restoration leaving six currently at work on the national network. This was a policy also adopted by British American Rail services which initially began with five Class 31s but has now added six Class 56s to its fleet as it seeks further short-term contracts to broaden its experience. The heritage traction has also supported passenger activities with West Coast Railways operating two Class 33, five Class 37s and 10 Class 47s as part of its large fleet which also includes variants of all three Class 57s although these latter have not been considered as heritage traction despite being reengineered from Class 47s. Finally, Network Rail operates six heritage locomotives – four Class 31s and two Class 86s – although in recent times it has contracted work to other operators who have used heritage traction to provide the appropriate services. To this list of commercial operators, however, should be

added a number of private owners who have preserved locomotives to main line standards and are occasionally able to run them with charters. It was noted above that GBRf operates a Class 52 and Class 55 locomotive on short term contracts but these are both privately owned by individuals/preservation groups but hired to GBRf. This is a rare example as many privately-owned locomotives are hired for charter railtours operated by a tour company and therefore see only occasional main line use; nonetheless there are a number of main line certified heritage locomotives which add to the pool of those operating on the main line. Examples of this latter group includes Class 40 D345/40145 and Class 50s No. 50031 Hood and No. 50049 Defiance. However, the expense of main line running will restrict both future operation of existing certified locomotives and the entry of new locomotives to the pool. Nonetheless it is remarkable how many locomotives defined as being at the end of their working life some 15 years ago are still at work and earning income for their owners. This is a tribute to both the quality of engineering skills that built the locomotives in the first place and the enthusiasm of their present owners/operators to see their locomotive(s) do what they were built for – working on the main line!

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Main LineItinerary On December 5, in beautiful light, LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0s Nos. 44871 and 45407 pass Kimbridge, west of Romsey with the 8.45am Victoria to Bath ‘Cathedrals Express’. DON BENN

DECEMBER ■ THUR 19: ‘CATHEDRALS EXPRESS’ King’s Cross, York and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 4464 Bittern. SD ■ SAT 21: ‘SURREY HILLS LUNCHEON’ Victoria, Guildford, Redhill, Victoria and return. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: No. 35028 Clan Line. VSOE ■ SAT 21: ‘CHRISTMAS YORKSHIREMAN’ Victoria, Bedford, Chesterfield, York and return. Steam hauled: Victoria, York. Loco: No. 60009 Union of South Africa. RTC ■ SUN 22: ‘CATHEDRALS EXPRESS’ Canterbury East, Bromley South, Redhill, Tonbridge, Dover, Canterbury, Bromley, Redhill, Tonbridge. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: Nos. 44871 and 45407. SD ■ MON 23: ‘SALISBURY CHRISTMAS DINER’ Waterloo, Salisbury, Victoria and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 34046 Braunton. SD ■ SAT 28: ‘WINTER SETTLER’ Crewe, Tamworth, Sheffield, Carlisle and return via York. Loco: D9009 Alycidon (from Sheffield). PATH 64 Heritage Railway

JANUARY ■ FRI 24: ‘SURREY HILLS LUNCHEON’ Victoria, Guildford, Redhill, Victoria and return. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: No. 35028 Clan Line. VSOE ■ SAT 25: ‘WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS’ Manchester Victoria, Shap, Carlisle and return via Settle. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC  The information in this list was correct at the time of going to press. We strongly advise that you confirm details of a particular trip with the promoter concerned.

FEBRUARY ■ SAT 8: ‘SURREY HILLS LUNCHEON’ Victoria, Guildford, Redhill, Victoria and return. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: No. 35028 Clan Line. VSOE

REGULAR ■ SATS FEB 1-MAR 8: ‘WINTER CUMBRIAN MOUNTAIN EXPRESS’ Euston, Shap, Carlisle and return via Settle. Steam hauled: Carnforth, Carlisle, Farington Junction. Loco: No. 45305, No. 45699 Galatea or No. 46115 Scots Guardsman. RTC

TOUR PROMOTERS LSL RTC SD

Locomotive Services Ltd (bookings via Pathfinder or Steam Dreams) Railway Touring Company 01553 661500 Steam Dreams 01483 209888, 0845 310458

PATH UKRT VT VSOE

Pathfinder Tours 01453 835414 UK Railtours 01438 715050 Vintage Trains 0121 708 4960 Venice Simplon-Orient-Express 0845 077 2222

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A TALE OF THREE*

JUBILEES

*With apologies to Charles DiCkens!

THE BAHAMAS LEGACY No. 45596 Bahamas, the first Jubilee to be saved, was the catalyst which led to the preservation of sisters Leander and Galatea. John Hillier tells the story of this much-loved main locomotive.

a

s the allelys tractor unit with Bahamas in tow swung out of ingrow Yard on Monday, november 25, i had more than just a lump in my throat. having been charged – in July 2010 – with the task of raising the money needed to get no. 45596 Bahamas operational again the sight of the engine leaving the Bahamas locomotive society’s base there en route for overhaul provided real evidence of the significant support from hundreds of individuals who have contributed to the steam’s last Blast appeal and from some Bls members who had been saving ever since the locomotive last ran. however, without the £776,000 grant from the heritage lottery Fund announced in March 2013, no.45596 could not have left ingrow last month. having been associated with the engine’s preservation since the formation of the Bls in mid-1967 i had ‘put my head above the parapet’ after the May 2010 annual general meeting outlining some thoughts as to how we should approach the task and as a result got the job! i thought we owed it to the likes of sadlydeparted friends and Bls colleagues – such as respected banker george Davies, eddie hoskins who was a lancaster rear gunner during the second World War, and harold Moss who was one of a team which kept the 4-6-0 in spotless

condition for many years – to get the engine, which last steamed in 1997, working again. Four of these stanier thoroughbreds have now been preserved out of a class which once totalled 191, no. 45596 Bahamas being the first saved in september 1967. no. 45593 Kolhapur was acquired the following month by 7029 Clun Castle ltd while no. 45690 Leander and no. 45699 Galatea subsequently emerged from Dai Woodham’s Barry scrapyard in 1972 and 1980 respectively.

no. 45596 is the only Jubilee to be owned by a members’ group and its restoration to main line running order in 1968 eventually resulted in both no. 45690 and no. 45699 leaving Barry and then returning to steam. its legacy however extends much further. Bahamas was built at the Queen’s park Works of glasgow’s north British locomotive Works (works number 24154). north British built just 50 of the class, 25 of them from the Queen’s park facility. it was named in June 1936. Following its delivery to the lMsr on Boxing Day 1934,

No. 5596 Bahamas works the Guide Bridge - Sheffield leg of a Manchester - Scarborough railtour past Buxworth on June 17 1973. JOHN HILLIER

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no. 5596 went to Crewe and subsequently worked from polmadie, preston, aston, Camden, Willesden, kentish town, Derby, grimesthorpe, Millhouses, Bristol, edge hill and Upperby before being transferred to stockport edgeley (9B) in July 1962. Bahamas, together with sister engine no. 45632 Tonga, reached stockport edgeley MpD for use initially on the leeds section of the mail train to York that ran overnight from aberystwyth. in september 1963 no. 45596 entered horwich works as a result of a minor shunt at Farnley Junction and its withdrawal was contemplated. however, thanks to the persistence of 9B shedmaster terry smith, his favourite Jubilee returned home. rather more mundane duties became the norm with the famous yellow stripe prohibiting its use south of Crewe appearing on its side during 1964. the 4-6-0 then assumed celebrity status at edgeley with terry smith ensuring that, wherever possible, it was turned out immaculately. however by mid-July 1966 it was in store behind the shed, just weeks after alan Bidder, a local enthusiast had written to Br’s divisional manager in Manchester to ask how much it would cost to buy. he was able to muster support from a couple of colleagues but negotiations became stalled. Br stated it was not willing to let it run in preservation, a familiar story at the time. no. 45596 was actually sold to Drapers in hull for scrap but with support from the local Mp arnold gregory who involved sir stanley raymond, BrB’s then chairman, the sale was cancelled and it remained at stockport edgeley. in october 1966 Br issued its terms of sale which indicated that while Br would sell the locomotive “the board are not prepared to enter into an agreement permitting it to run upon their system”. the campaign to save no. 45596 (Br wanted £3000) then began in earnest and, amid great local support, the stockport (Bahamas) locomotive society was formed in 1967 shortly after alan Bidder’s letter appealing for help appeared in the Manchester Evening News in april that year. at a time when the ‘days of steam’ were running out in the north West, its last bastion, interest in saving Bahamas grew steadily and the society was soon attracting over 100 people to its weekly meetings at the Blossoms hotel in stockport, all eager to catch up on the latest news; we soon outgrew the room and had to decamp to a bigger one at the nearby Crown hotel. thankfully one www.heritagerailway.co.uk

On its first main line trip since overhaul, No. 45596 Bahamas climbs towards St Andrews Junction, Birmingham with a train for Didcot on May 1989. BRIAN SHARPE

of our members was a director of family-owned Stockport-based Robinson’s Brewery. Although donations were ‘pouring in’ – mainly from supporters around the Manchester area plus others who invaded the area at weekends in search of the last steam activity – it was only thanks to local businessman Geoffrey Potter, a former director of Manchester-based Calico Printers Association who very generously offered our embryonic group an interest free loan, that

No. 5596 Bahamas in LMS livery at Dinting. BRIAN SHARPE www.heritagerailway.co.uk

No. 45596 was saved. Although BR had agreed to sell it to us in July 1967 the negotiations were protracted and it was not until September 23 that the cheque for £3000 was sent. The loan was eventually repaid in full shortly after the engine’s first train after overhaul on October 14, 1972. Within days of No. 45596 having been bought, it was towed to Hunslet Engine Company in Leeds for repair on September 29, 1967, and, as relations with BR had by then improved, it

returned to Edgeley in steam on March 11, 1968. With 9B closing, No. 5596 – now in its controversial LMS crimson-lake livery – steamed to Bury shed for a few weeks before moving, once again in steam on November 15, 1968 – and in contravention of BR’s infamous steam ban – to its new home at Dinting near Glossop. Here the BLS had taken possession of the old Great Central single road shed. The BLS became affiliated to the Association of Railway ➲

No. 45690 Leander under overhaul in Derby works in 1972. BR / INGROW LOCO ARCHIVE Heritage Railway

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Preservation Societies (ARPS) on September 14, 1968, and George Davies, then BLS chairman, joined the ‘Return to Steam’ committee which was formed in early 1969 to negotiate with the BRB about the possibility of future steam running. George, who had taken over as BLS chairman in 1968, had an excellent relationship with BR through his connections with the Williams & Deacon’s Bank Club which organised a number of successful railtours. This was a change which was immediately heralded as a positive move by the BRB and the movement as a whole since Geoff Walker, our first and very enthusiastic chairman had managed to ruffle more than just a few feathers in his pursuit, almost single-handedly at the time, of getting steam back on BR metals. The first meeting of the RTS committee was held on July 13, 1969, under the chairmanship of David Shepherd and held its second meeting at Dinting in November 1969. The BLS became a full member of the ARPS on January 1970. This change in the BLS structure had an immediate benefit. With plenty of unused land available at Dinting our vision of creating an operational base for steam in the north west with covered accommodation (rare at the time!) soon emerged. Although the BRB was then still firmly against steam we had faith that its stance would at some time change and as a result built a 200ft three road exhibition hall; it was not long before we had numerous approaches from locomotive owners wanting to bring their engines to Dinting, either to stay or to visit. The shed soon also became home to a number of engines from the National Collection.

Standard Gauge Conventions

The BLS was gaining an excellent reputation and the possibilities that the Dinting Railway Centre (DRC) offered were exciting. We organised several ‘Standard Gauge Conventions’ chaired by John Scholes, BR’s Curator of Historical Relics which enabled ARPS groups to share and discuss common issues. Over the years leading speakers covered such topics as financial management, buildings and safe working practices and the conventions proved to be the precursor of similar events run latterly by the Heritage Railway Association. It is against this background that we were asked if we would like to take custody of LNWR Coal

No. 5690 Leander being serviced at Grindleford after its first trip on September 1, 1973. JOHN HILLIER

Tank No. 1054 in 1973 (see HR 183) but it was Bahamas that had captured the interest of Chinley-based businessman and BLS member Brian Oliver. In 1971 Dai Woodham had agreed to reserve No. 45690 Leander, then in a bad way at Barry, for us. The engine had originally been reserved for the Southport Museum & Transport Society but, thanks to liaison within ARPS circles, it gave up its interest in No. 45690 which, at the time, we wanted for spares. Brian had a much more ambitious plan however. We agreed to relinquish our own plans for No. 45690, and Brian then bought the sorry remains of the loco in 1972 through his then very successful Stockport business, Oliver Taylor & Crossley Ltd. It left Barry and entered Derby Works in May 1972 for a very extensive overhaul to restore it to main line condition. Steve Allsop, BLS chief engineer, made several trips with Brian both initially to Barry – Steve recalls one visit with Brian when a grey-suited representative from Derby turned up there with clipboard as he had to crawl around the engine and report on missing parts which were duly noted down! – and then to Derby to review the loco and to then assess the overhaul as it progressed. Having given up our interest in using Leander for spares our attention turned to No. 45699 Galatea and with permission from Woodhams, in 1972 it became a donor for some parts for Bahamas; the smokebox door and ring now life expired on No. 45596 came from No. 45699!

While Leander was at Derby, Steve was involved in sourcing parts and some of No. 5596’s spares were used with the result that we received newly made parts for No. 46115 Scots Guardsman which we were gradually making serviceable again. Over the years since then, we have also benefited from Derby’s work to produce a complete set of drawings with some parts produced in parallel with those for Leander. Some of these drawings were made available to the Patriot group at its formative stage. Leander, as LMS No. 5690, emerged from the works after a £76,000 repair in time for the August 1973 open day thereafter which it ran light engine to Dinting. It made its first run (Guide Bridge to Sheffield Midland) on a SLS/MLS Manchester-Hull train just days later (September 1, 1973 – fare £4.50!) but unfortunately bookings for a London-Dinting trip to run the same day which was scheduled for No. 5596 haulage was cancelled.

Decision to relax the ban

These tours were the result of BR’s decision to relax the ban on steam operation following the trial run with No. 6000 King George V hauling the Bulmer’s train in October 1971. Bahamas was one of the small and select group of restored locomotives approved by BR for a series of excursions and No. 5596’s first run was from Shrewsbury to Hereford and back on October 14, 1972 with No. 6000 KGV working between

No. 45596 Bahamas speeds along the North Wales coast near Abergele. BRIAN SHARPE

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Hereford and Newport and back. Brian Oliver gave us a free hand with his Jubilee which proved very timely since No. 5596 was taken out of service after it attended the Reddish open day on September 9, 1973 (hauling DRC residents SR 4-4-0 No. 925 Cheltenham and Austerity 0-6-0ST WD150 Warrington). With ‘our’ other Jubilee fresh into traffic our loco team turned their attention to Scots Guardsman which made three successful runs (a test run and two tours) in 1978. Once No. 5596 had ‘retired’ for a time we could never run trips with both Nos. 5596 and 5690. Unfortunately Brian Oliver’s microfilm business failed and Leander eventually came into the hands of Agfa Ltd, manufacturer of the CT18 film so loved by railway photographers at the time. Our hopes that they would hold on to the loco and keep it at Dinting were dashed and in 1977 Bill Ford and David Clarke bought Leander and it moved to Carnforth in 1979. No. 5690 was subsequently sold to the Severn Valley Railway in 1982 and more recently to the late Dr Peter Beet. Meanwhile interest turned again to Galatea and its remains were bought by Bill Ford in 1978 to provide spares for No. 5690. It had reached Carnforth by April 1986 but moved south to join Leander on the SVR in 1987 as part of his deal to sell the serviceable Jubilee to the SVR. By this time Brian Oliver’s finances had recovered somewhat and he again turned to Steve Allsop for help with his next project; he had now taken an active interest in 8F No. 48624 then at Darley Dale. Having sorted out some issues over the 2-8-0’s ownership Brian turned to Steve for help with some engineering issues but during all of this he was still thinking about a type of loco he had grown to love at Dinting; he was convinced that Galatea could be restored and he wanted to be the person to do it. Brian had talked to Steve about his re-emerging interest in No. 45699 in October 1994 and in March 1995 Brian approached Bob Meanley at Tyseley with a proposal that a consortium should buy the loco’s remains from the SVR; it eventually moved to Birmingham but his untimely death in October 1995 meant that he would never see the engine of his dreams steam once more. In June 2002 Galatea returned to Carnforth having been bought by the North of England Historic Railway Trust in whose custody David Smith’s collection rests. As has been well documented Galatea, after a very extensive

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The ARPS Return to Steam Committee meeting at the Dinting Railway Centre on November 2, 1969. From left, Brian Hollingsworth, Peter Manisty, Roger Bell, David Shepherd, George Davies, Mick Crew, Keith Rymer. JOHN HILLIER

overhaul and replacement of parts, is now a Magazine and several other ‘heritage’ titles – and working engine once more (it last steamed in is now in company once more with sister loco 1964) and Leander has again renewed its No. 5593 Kolhapur with which it worked in association with No. 45699. No. 5690 – now in tandem during a visit to the Great Central the care of the Beet family – currently resides at Railway in 1995. Carnforth where it is under repair; its boiler It is perhaps appropriate that on the adjacent passed its hydraulic test last month. road is fellow-LMSR No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth; Just as used to occur in years gone by, parts Roger Bell, who instigated its preservation in have been swapped between these three engines 1963 after the experience gained with the Coal thanks to co-operation between the Jubilee Tank appeal in 1960 (see HR 183), was also on owners. As a result of our own forays to Barry in the ARPS ‘Return to Steam’ Committee some 45 the 1970s, the chimney from years ago. No. 45699 was used on No. 5690 Over the years the BLS has tended “No. 5596’s and we also obtained driving axle to think about the bigger picture. springs and fittings. Galatea’s No. 5596 was one of the pioneers of first run was connecting rods were used on from Shrewsbury the early 1970s ‘Return to Steam’ Leander while some found in No. and we played a leading role to Hereford and activity 45699’s tender have gone to the in the success of these embryonic back on October tours. new-build Patriot. However, after David Smith With some foresight the BLS was 14, 1972” acquired No. 45699, he asked if we one of the first groups to offer secure had any parts we could let Galatea have. Hence covered accommodation for engines (which the remaining parts taken from the locomotive as proved invaluable for 1980 events to potentially useful to No. 5690 including the commemorate the opening of the Liverpool & blastpipe, the inside eccentric strap and one Manchester Railway at Rainhill), initiated and return crank and rod were returned to the ran several successful conventions for likeoriginal locomotive. Some of No. 45596’s own minded groups in the early days of the movement spares also went to help the reincarnation of and ‘reserved’ No. 45690 to cover possible future Galatea. We also sold our spare middle needs which also led to No. 45699 being saved. connecting rod – which was ex-No. 45697 Events have moved on considerably since then Achilles – to the Patriot Group in mid-2012. and our recent successful HLF bid includes creating a ‘legacy’ fund to help cover No. 45596’s Outstanding performances next major overhaul some years hence plus No. 45596 is about to enter yet another phase of ensuring that appropriate engineering skills are its illustrious career having now reached Tyseley retained and developed. Locomotive Works for an overhaul which will A new apprentice has already been appointed at cost in excess of £500,000. The work done on its TLW as a direct result of us sending our Jubilee last restoration by BLS members at DRC (1981for overhaul there. 88) cost just £15,000 after which it ran faultlessly The project also includes an important – its LMS red livery having given way to BR exhibition and ‘learning’ facility with our restored green to wide acclaim and with ‘No. 45596’ on riding van – The Learning Coach – soon to be the smokebox once again – with some positioned alongside our HQ and accredited outstanding performances until its fire was last museum at Ingrow (not many other loco-owners dropped in 1997. can offer these!) and we have funding to employ Bahamas arrived in Birmingham on an audience development consultant until midWednesday, November 26 – a day after its visit to 2018. The person recruited will work with the Horncastle offices of Mortons Media Group, schools and other interest groups to ‘spread the publishers of Heritage Railway, The Railway message’ and hopefully increase interest and ➲ Heritage Railway

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participation in the society and our partners on the KWVR. The ‘offering’ at Ingrow will then embrace not only the KWVR station and carriage museum (Vintage Carriages Trust) but a locomotive shed and workshop too (the BLS headquarters where visitors will be able to see some components of No. 45596 Bahamas being overhauled). We will have a new learning area for the railway which will use the provenance of our Jubilee together with the local industrial and literary heritage of the Worth Valley. Including the BLS contribution the total project will cost in excess of £906,000 and, having ‘raided’ some of our ‘legacy-related’ funds to enable work in a number of areas to start quickly, we need £50,000 to restore the level of these ‘earmarked’ funds. A specific need is to provide more money to prepare our 1924 LMS-built riding and tool van, which was recently refurbished externally by Rail Restorations North East at Shildon. This will be positioned in the dock between Ingrow station and our own shed building. We need to modify the vehicle for its important new role by incorporating modern technology in an innovative way and we hope to convert one of the remaining compartments to create our very-own ‘Tardis’ time machine in order to demonstrate various periods of rail travel in the UK. When the society bought No. 45596 some 46 years ago it is fair to say that nobody at the time realised what an important part Bahamas had played in the development of steam performance. We only found out much later that BR’s experiments on it in May 1961 (fitting of double chimney and blastpipe etc.) were to be the very last ones undertaken by BR to improve the performance of its steam fleet and this resulted in the strap line ‘Steam’s Last Blast’ for the appeal which was launched in January 2011.

Bahamas at home at Ingrow. ROBIN JONES

Fairly small

As preservation groups go, BLS membership is still fairly small and in recent years we have tended to simply get on with things in a fairly quiet way as we concentrated instead on creating our new HQ and museum at Ingrow. There has been a definite change in the past two years led by the phenomenal reaction to No. 1054’s return, its carefully managed livery changes and its visits to other railways and of course to the news that No. 45596 will steam again. Steve Davies, ex-NRM director, said after a visit to see No. 1054 last October that: “Of all the preservation groups on the scene I think it fair to say that the BLS punches most above its weight. The Coal Tank is a spectacular job and the Lottery grant to restore No. 45596 was a

sparkling achievement.” Whether you agree with his views or not, I do feel that his other comment is correct. He said: “The BLS is like a Tardis, it looks small from the outside but huge when you step inside.” It really is an exciting time to get involved in some way with the only Jubilee owned by society members and we look forward to more people joining the BLS and entering our ‘Tardis’! Full details about the society, its membership, our collection, our ongoing Steam’s Last Blast appeal and the ADC appointment can be found on our website www.bahamas45596.co.uk Below: No. 45596 Bahamas crosses Mytholmes viaduct on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. BRIAN SHARPE

Morgan

We should embrace social media heritage Railway Association chairman David Morgan looks at how to broadcast our message to a wider and younger audience, and also the prospects of better deals in insurance.

The report published in July 2013 by the All Party Parliamentary Group on heritage Rail on the value of heritage railways cast a not uncritical eye on our activities. The group is, of course, hugely supportive of heritage railways but its report pointed out that: “In general (and with some honourable exceptions), marketing and promotion are not strong points for heritage railways”. In particular, it recommended the use of social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. This was recently borne out by the hRA Youth Day on the Chasewater Railway. This was advertised on the hRA website – no response – then published in the bimonthly newsletter – two replies – and then three weeks before the event, on Facebook, we got 17 responses in three days. We do need to engage. Ways of improving our income were explored at hRA’s autumn meeting in Crewe when speakers made presentations on business plans, secondary spending and social media. There was also a discussion on the establishment of a mutual indemnity scheme. This does have a great potential to save money as costs are

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reduced, the participants are largely ring-fenced against the impact of natural disasters on premiums and spurious claims are easier to resist. Not only has Regis Mutual, the organiser, been able to draw up the terms of such a scheme, but a sufficient number of railways have expressed interest to create a sufficiently critical mass to make it viable. When a recent mutual fund was set up, the fund managers were able to reduce ‘premiums’ by an average of 50% over a number of years. While there is no guarantee that such a reduction can be achieved, such savings should be worth striving for. As some readers know, I am also involved in maritime heritage, being a director of SS Shieldhall, chairman of the Maritime heritage Trust, which built the replica royal rowbarge Gloriana, for the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012, and vice chairman of the Cutty Sark Trust. The Maritime heritage Trust, which is also an umbrella organisation for owners and operators of historic ships and other vessels, has to address issues very similar to those facing the hRA, to such extent that I find myself

busy with swapping ideas and combining to make common cause, such as sharing accommodation and investing in the Boiler & engineering Skills Training Trust. The idea of a mutual insurance fund was another idea which emanated from the maritime world as ship owners have for a long time insured their vessels through ‘P&I Clubs’. At a recent board meeting of the Cutty Sark Trust, I mentioned the hRA proposals in connection with insurance problems being faced by ‘museum ships’. Lord Sterling, the trust’s chairman, explained “but, of course! It is an obvious answer. even the fiercest rivals in the shipping world would combine in a mutual to make insurance cover viable”. (Lord Sterling was chairman of P&O for many years.) The Americans, whose national association’s annual convention I attended in California, face similar problems and look to us for some of the solutions. I was surprised, and gratified, to hear on several occasions, comments that “we owe that development/invention to the mother country” (i.e. the Brits!). Those remarks were not just made for

my gratification. They have a great capacity, by and large, to think outside the box. The transatlantic view of europeans is often that we are risk averse, which is compounded by those steeped in tradition, who are frequently members of the ‘Not Invented here’ club. The Yanks believe that there is no shame in trying and failing, and certainly they have some innovative ideas on increasing income. During the convention’s visit programme, the delegates were taken round the SS Midway in San Diego. This is a large aircraft carrier, now preserved as a museum ship, which is supported by over 400 volunteers, many of whom served on board during its active service as sailors, airmen, engineers, deckhands etc. It was so inspirational to listen to them and watch how the carrier and its aircraft were operated as to be quite mind-blowing. There is a lot we could learn from them. I can recommend a visit to anyone who finds him/herself in that part of the world. Visit our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ heritagerailway.co.uk

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Platform

TrackTalk

When Union of South Africa hit 90mph

THE article on page 8 of Headline News in issue 183 where ‘No. 9’ averaged 80mph took me back to that event as I was on the trip. For some reason we were delayed reaching York and we had a fast run into Newcastle going over the Low Level Bridge. We were told the revised departure would give us extra time in Newcastle due to the late departure from York. On the return to York we batted along with ‘No. 9’ letting us know it was given its head. When we arrived at York, I went up to the driver and said “90”, to which he just smiled knowingly. That was some trip! Tony Underlin, email

Help our Romanian colleagues save line

I ENJOYED reading Geoff Courtney’s article in issue 181 on the efforts to reopen and reconstruct the mothballed narrow gauge line at Sigiu in Romania. It is sad that a promising project appears to be foundering. I hope those leading from the UK preservation sector can turn the tide of apathy and look at funding in Romania and rejuvenate this exciting project. Please continue to keep Heritage Railway readers informed and updated. This appears to be a project with so much potential. I hope it succeeds. RGH Chapman, Ferndown, Dorset

Wot no lamps?

HERITAGE Railway issue 183 carried two pictures of No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell heading the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Cheshireman’ railtour on October 19. In both pictures, it’s painfully obvious that something is missing. The engine is carrying the obligatory high intensity spotlight, but where are the traditional oil headlamps? It seems to be all too common these days for these items to be discarded as unnecessary. Perhaps in this modern age oil lamps are superfluous, but then isn’t the whole train superfluous? The whole point of the train is to recreate the past, and that means engine and coaches wearing the correct livery, and the engine carrying the correct lamps. Railtour operators please note! Ron Head, Didcot, Oxfordshire

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Readers’ letters at the heart of the heritage railway scene

Bring back the steam sleeper wE have some really great and wonderful heritage steam railways in this country that are once again becoming connected to the national network. we see steam specials being worked over some interesting and varied routes, most given the ‘Pullman’ dining experience to help relive the golden age of the steam train. something to be really pleased about and support. In many areas the steam experience is excelling itself and being involved in something like

this once in a lifetime is something that a lot of people overseas show interest in. However, despite all of this, there is something missing – the night sleeper. Okay, we still do have them, but are they pulled by steam? Perhaps it is time to rescue a few of the old sleeper fleet before they are all cut up and engage them as part of a steam experience that finds its way around all the railconnected preserved lines. as part of a package tour to take in as many steam railways in one

trip as possible, one train, steam hauled, with Pullman facilities and incorporating sleeper carriages, could get off from Gatwick on a night sleeper (or any London main line station) and wake up berthed in a platform on a preserved railway to enjoy the day’s events. Dinner in the evening and wake up the next morning somewhere else. This really has to be the next step surely. Relive that bygone age of steam. Geoff Parr, email

Why no fire risk steam bans in Australia? I HaVE recently returned home to sydney after eight weeks of steaming around Britain. During my holiday I read a good deal about cancelled steam-hauled trains and/or diesel substitution. Indeed some fires were caused by errant sparks. Early in september I visited the Bluebell Railway where doubleheaded locomotives Nos. 323 and 592 caused two small fires. Yet although the countryside appeared to be in need of rain, it certainly wasn’t dry by australian standards. The temperature was in the high 20s – merely a warm day down under. You will no doubt be aware of the devastating bushfires experienced this southern spring in New south wales. Bearing this in mind, I half expected a steam-hauled train from sydney to wollongong, on which I was booked and which ran three days after my return home,

Busier than busy

I was interested to read Paul appleton’s informative article about the severn Valley Railway. The Railway is a great national asset and the severn Valley folk good friends of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. so I hope that neither you nor they will mind me pointing out that when it comes to the ‘busiest preserved railway’ (your headline), NYMR’s passengers numbers are the highest not just in the UK but we believe worldwide. Last year, despite the economic downturn, we still carried 325,000 passengers while our steam fleet did over 76,000 miles – quite a little bit ahead of the

Valley’s 205,000 passengers and 53,000 steam miles. where they do beat us by around £500,000 is on turnover – but then we do not have two public houses to boost income. Of course, numbers are by no means everything, and it is volunteer support, overall financial performance, and the quality of the visitor experience that really matter. Here I agree that the achievements of the severn Valley, especially in recovering from the disastrous floods of 2007, are impressive indeed. Philip Benham, general manager, North Yorkshire Moors Railway

A Saintly livery indeed CHRIsTOPHER Nash can rest easy about the paint job planned for GwR saint No. 2999 Lady of Legend at Didcot (Platform, issue 183). It is scheduled to be outshopped in pre First world war Great western

livery, complete with garter crest, and a first coat of green has been applied to the cab and splashers on one side. Peter Chatman, Saint project engineer, Great Western Society Ltd

to be diesel hauled. But no – it wasn’t considered to be a day of high fire danger and the trip went ahead as planned. The temperature was around 30 degrees and the countryside dry and yellow: there had been no appreciable rain for some weeks. But no one thought it odd that a steam locomotive was in use. and 4-6-0 No. 3642 caused no fires at all. I’m bemused. Is there something I don’t understand? are australian spark arrestors superior to those used in Britain? are they fitted in Britain? Perhaps the British steam community should contact their australian counterparts in order to discover how to solve this, literally, burning issue. Nick Hodges, Pennant Hills, Sydney, New South Wales

We do work steam locomotives at full stretch

I REFER to the letter from Dick Bodily in issue 182 on the question of showing BR standard 5MT No. 73096 off at the Great Dorset steam Fair this year as an example of how heavy haulage copes with such loads. while I tend to agree with your reporter Cedric Johns rather than the writer of the letter, I certainly take issue with his assertion that “you are not likely to see main line locomotive owners risking their valuable acquisitions by letting them charge full tilt up the Lickey” – as this very thing has happened at least once, on March 24, 2012. Then, No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth stormed the Lickey banked by panniers Nos. 7752 and 9600. The noise from these three engines was wonderful and could be heard for many minutes. Maybe not absolutely full tilt – but close to it. There are of course other examples of preserved steam engines being worked very hard on steep gradients such as Castle 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe when it set a new record on Dainton on april 28, 2012. I was on the train and the superb noise from up front was a joy to hear, the engine being worked at full regulator and 40% cutoff, which is as close to full tilt as you could reasonably expect. Though as pointed out by Bob Meanley, it wasn’t being thrashed and indeed the safety valves opened as we emerged from Dainton Tunnel. Don Benn, Southampton

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E-MAIL: [email protected] WRITE TO: Platform, Heritage Railway, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR

Designated containers have been destroyed

Another feline now rules the roost at the Great Central Railway. Readers may remember GC, the ginger cat who turned up one day on a train and made Loughborough Central his home, regularly riding on services before being adopted by former general manager Graham Oliver. Stan the tortoiseshell moggy also arrived out of the blue one day, and moved into the machine shop, as Mogus (the previous Loughborough shed cat) had pride of place in the mess room. Since Mogus was called to the big steam shed in the sky, Stan has been promoted, stands no nonsense and now gets plenty of fuss. He is seen standing in front of Ivatt 2-6-0 No. 46521 and SR King Arthur 4-6-0 No. 777 Sir Lamiel. HARRY RAWDING

What about forgotten Hammersmith & City coach? I NOTE with great interest the Hammersmith & City Line of London Underground will be 150 years old in 2014 and that there will be another round of celebrations using mainly borrowed stock. In 1996 I helped to clean up a slightly fire-damaged 1904-built Metropolitan coach that had been based at Woolwich for several

years and was in need of some TLC. This coach was then taken to London Transport Museum where it has been ever since in the same sorry state. I wondered if the museum had any plans to restore it for next year’s big event as it would have served on this line when first electrified. Derrick Martin, email

On March 24, 2012, LMS Princess Royal Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth climbs Lickey Bank with the 2.10pm Bristol to Dorridge special, banked by panniers Nos. 9600 and 7752. The overhaul of ‘Lizzie’ is now well under way at Tyseley Locomotive Works and it should return to steam in 2014. DON BENN.

I rEad with interest the item in the ‘In Brief ’ column on page 10 of issue 183 that two aF Conflat containers are on offer at Wigan Springs Branch depot, something I had being planning to write to your letters page about for some time. However, I was writing to advise your readers about the wanton destruction of these two containers, something the gentleman, Chris austin, who has placed the offer in the magazine is obviously not aware of. These two containers were originally designated by the former railway Heritage Committee in July 1998. apparently it tried to find someone to provide a safe home for these and I understand andrew Goodman was mentioned as interested. However, they remained intact but minus their doors at the rear of the depot at the buffer stop for the fuelling road. Then almost exactly 15 years to the day of their designation they were deliberately destroyed, one completely and one beyond repair. Who is responsible is unclear as during EWS ownership and during First

Engineering’s extensive use of the depots grounds neither caused any damage to these containers. This is very sad and goes to show how little respect there is for our railway heritage and how lack of prompt action to save these containers after their designation has seen them lost as saveable. all is not lost though, hopefully, as one container still retains most of its structure, this being the one moved 200m from its original position and now visible from passing trains on the West Coast Main Line. The other is in its original position but very badly destroyed and mangled. Strangely, a feeble attempt has been made to hide it under a green tarpaulin. The most recoverable parts are iron work and the rubber corners and some aluminium panelling. due to the force used to wreck the containers, most of the thick layers of the black insulating material have fallen out. I sincerely hope someone comes forward to rescue the remains of these containers and that they help repair others in better condition just needing parts. John Atkinson, Wigan

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Hornby issues second Mallard 75 Magnificent Six limited edition By Robin Jones A YEAR ago, Hornby issued a limited edition of 510 models of each of the six surviving A4s, under the Great Gathering badge. Selling at £169 each, these finedetailed models complete with certificates dematerialised quicker than Dr Who’s Tardis, for within a week of the edition being first announced in Heritage Railway issue 171, all of them had been sold, even though they had yet to arrive in Britain from China. Now Hornby has produced the six in their Mallard 75 guises – No. 4464 Bittern, No. 4468 Mallard, No. 4489 Dominion of Canada, No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley, No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower and No. 60009 Union of South Africa – and is releasing them under the banner of the Great Goodbye. That is the title of the last of the three Mallard 75 gatherings, due to take place at the Locomotion museum in Shildon between February 15-23. Afterwards, Dominion of Canada and Dwight D. Eisenhower will return across the Atlantic to their North American museum homes. With no less than Prince Charles as patron, and Hornby as principal sponsor, Mallard 75 has been one of the biggest success stories in the history of preservation. Nearly 250,000 visitors viewed the first two line-ups at the National

Railway Museum in York, and in setting the bar as to the standard for future events, has reinforced the York venue as the best of its kind in the world. The second batch of limited edition A4s was announced at a preview of the Hornby 2014 product range in early December. As before, each model will be

limited to 510 pieces, and all of them will be available in February. Buy all six (most people did) and you can get a glass-fronted showcase for £20 postage. It is difficult to see how they can be described as anything less than the ultimate model railway collectors’ item. I suspect that very few of them will end up

being run on layouts. For those who want to see an OO gauge A4 in action, Hornby Railroad is offering No. 4486 Golden Shuttle for around £77 and, in the new Twin Track Sound range (see separate story), No. 4489 Gadwell, for around £100. Both of them come painted in LNER garter blue with valances.

Franco-Crosti boilered 9F makes its debut in Railroad HORNBY’s new catalogue has not only reintroduced perennial favourite No. 92220 Evening Star, but for the first time as a proprietary model, the FrancoCrosti-boilered variant. In 1955, 10 9Fs were built with Franco-Crosti boilers, in which the exhaust was passed through a secondary chamber acting as a pre-heater and came out of a large orifice on the right-hand side. The conventional chimney was used only when lighting up. The arrangement outweighed any advantages and the boilers of these 10 locomotives reverted to the normal pattern, with the preheater blanked off, after about five years. None of the 10 survived into preservation. Railroad has built up a 76 Heritage Railway

Franco-Crosti-boilered Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92024 at Chesterfield on March 14, 1959. BEN BROOKSBANK/CREATIVE COMMONS

reputation for affordable models, especially for the younger enthusiast. Most of the range are basically ‘yesterday’s’ top-of-therange models, which have been superseded by fine-detailed

versions. That is not to say they are bad or inferior products: in their day, they were state of the proprietary art. The comparative lack of detailing is perfect for those who wish to add their own

refinements, creating a superdetailed model at a bargain price. Following the example of the priced-to-sell Tornado model two years ago, Hornby has launched the Franco-Crosti straight into the lower-priced Railroad range. Broadly speaking, only purists will notice the difference between it and one of the top-end models in terms of finish. All-new tooling has been required to take into account the Franco-Crosti boiler. It comes DCC ready, with a 5-pole skewwound motor. The recommended retail price is set to be around £120, with the reissued Evening Star, again in the Railroad range, around £85, with again, the price to be confirmed after we closed for press. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Hornby looks to the east for all-new trio NEW to the Hornby range are three LNER locomotives which plug major gaps in the oo gauge portfolio, especially for followers of the Eastern Division. The first of these is the J15 (GER Y14) 0-6-0, nicknamed ‘Little Black Goods’. A total of 289 were built, and equally happy on passenger services, they could be found all over the GER system. Their latter days saw them confined mainly to East Anglia. only one survives, No. 65462 at the North Norfolk Railway. on December 10-11, 1891, Stratford Works built one in nine hours 47 minutes – a world record which remains unbroken. During the First World War, 43 served in France and Belgium. The metal body is the predominant feature of the model which has all-new tooling. The J15 is a small locomotive, and designing the model with accommodation for the motor proved a particular challenge. The model has sprung buffers and the DCC decoder fits into the tender. The first editions will be in LNER, BR early and late liveries, and will have a recommended retail price of around £110. Another classic GER design was the Claud Hamilton 4-4-0, the first of which appeared in 1900, when it became the company’s biggest express locomotive. The type went through several design changes over the ensuing

decades. our story here, however, begins in 1933, when No. 8848, an example of the D15/2 variant, was rebuilt with a 5ft 1.125in diameter boiler fitted with a round topped firebox. It proved successful, and chief mechanical engineer Nigel Gresley ordered examples from classes D15/1, D15/2, and D16/2 to be similarly rebuilt. They became known as Gresley rebuilds, and were classified as D16/3. A total of 104 D16/3s had been produced by 1949 when the rebuilding programme ended. They were mainly found operating in the LNER’s Eastern Division, although some were used on the Midland line to Derby. Withdrawals began as early as 1945, and as their age finally took its toll, they were taken out of service en masse in 1955-60. The last D16/3 to be withdrawn was No. 62613, in September 1960 from March shed. The Hornby model will depict the LNER, early and late BR periods and retail for around £110. Thanks to the survival of K1 2-6-0 No. 62005, this class needs little introduction to readers. First introduced in 1949, the Peppercorn mixed traffic and operated in Scotland and on the Eastern and North Eastern regions, with many allocated to March. The Hornby model will appear for around £119 in early and late BR versions.

TOP: GER Y14 (LNER / BR J15) 0-6-0 No. 65462. BRIAN SHARPE CENTRE: LNER K1 2-6-0 No. 62005. BRIAN SHARPE RIGHT: LNER D16/3 No. 8837. HORNBY

Drummond’s ‘Black Motor’ locomotive running again

An unpainted pre-production sample of the new Hornby Drummond 700 0-6-0, showing its metal body.

Drummond 700 0-6-0 No. 30355, pictured at Feltham depot in 1959, lasted in service from June 1897 until February 1961. BEN BROOKSBANK/CREATIVE COMMONS

ANoTHER classic which escaped the preservation net was Dugald Drummond’s 700 class 0-6-0 freight locomotive. Introduced by the LSWR in 1897, this 30-strong class of locomotive was specifically for freight haulage and was designed by Dugald Drummond. Sharing many

the fitting of superheaters between 1919-29. This also saw extended smokeboxes fitted. They were all withdrawn between 1957-62. Hornby’s all-new locomotive has an all-metal body to add weight. DCC ready, it has a 3-pole with flywheel with the decoder located in the tender.

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

standard parts with Drummond’s other designs, including the M7 boiler, they ran over the entire system, but mainly worked around Nine Elms, Feltham, Guildford, Eastleigh, Salisbury and Exmouth Junction. Nicknamed ‘Black Motor’, they were well designed and had few major modifications apart from

Three versions will initially appear, in Southern Railway and early and late BR liveries. Expect to pay around £100. It will make a perfect pairing with another addition to the 2014 range, the T9 Greyhound 4-4-0 reissued in Southern Railway black livery with ‘sunshine’ lettering. Heritage Railway

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Hornby develops its own ‘sound for all’ IT IS scarcely likely that Frank Hornby would recognise the empire that bears his name today, or at least the high-tech side. DCC has proved enormously popular, particularly with new serious entrants to the hobby, who relish the many levels of opportunities to integrate the digital age with the steam one. One major innovation following in the wake of the introduction of DCC has been on-board sound. However, the price of the models has been a limiting factor, with price tags around the £250 mark. It is estimated that the top-end ESU/Loksound decoder, introduced in 2008, adds around £100 to the retail price of a locomotive. Those who have found locomotives with digital sound have been delighted with the results, especially those who have invested in Hornby’s RailMaster system. However, the company recognises that such prices may deter many ‘ordinary’ buyers. Tackling the issue head on, Hornby has now developed its own low-cost on-board digital sound system, under the banner of Twin Track Sound. Here, the decoder, which has an 8pin connection, costs just £25. That is revolutionary in itself, but Hornby stresses that Twin Track

Sound is not a replacement for the more expensive highquality sound decoders, but a budget alternative. In December, we were treated by Hornby marketing manager Simon Kohler to a preview of the sounds which come with each TTS decoder. There are 16 of them, from the standard whistle to pulling away and steaming in full flight, to the fireman cooking his breakfast on a shovel! There are also eight volume controls. The results were certainly impressive, and will satisfy many of even the more demanding steam aficionados. Rather than simply fit a universal steam or diesel decoder, Hornby has gone out and recorded the genuine sounds on board the full-size prototypes. The firm may produce a generic decoder at a later date, one which could be fitted by the purchaser to most DCC ready locomotives, but would not have sound tailored to that particular model. In theory, at this price, a decoder could at a later date even be produced for model buildings, producing the typical sounds of a station platform, engine shed or booking yard. Yes, we live in the digital era, so let’s enjoy it to the full!

The first Hornby locomotives to be offered with TTS will be A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado (around £154.99), the forthcoming BR 8P Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester (£139.99) and the new P2 2-8-2 No. 2001 Cock O’ The North (around £154.99). It gets even cheaper in Railroad. The tentative price for A3 No. 4472 Flying Scotsman with TTs and A4 Gadwall (see separate story) is £99.99. Diesel fans who want more realism will have never had it so good. Railroad’s Class 40 D232 Empress of Canada, Class 47 No. 47410 in BR blue with large logo and the very eye-catching Network Rail yellow-liveried Class 37 No. 97301 come with TTs for just £84.99. So it will no longer, from the perspective of those on tighter

Above: Hornby’s flagship locomotive for the coming year will be Gresley P2 2-8-2 No. 2001 Cock O’ The North, to be issued in both super detailed, with and without TTS sound, and Railroad versions in February. Bearing in mind the phenomenal response to the P2 Locomotive Company’s appeal to build a new full-size version launched at the end of September, this has all the ingredients of a sure-fire winner.

budgets, cost the earth to get into digital sound. Indeed, it is difficult to see how this splendid initiative will not grow the market. Come Christmas 2014, there may well be a space crisis under the fir tree!

Sutherland, Sutton and Swanage Bulleid in new heritage fleet editions A pre-production sample of the 2-HAL set.

Latest Hornby EMU is 2-HAL THE latest Southern Railway/Region EMU offering from Hornby, continuing a welcome trend of recent years that has seen the ‘Brighton Belle’ and other types issued, is the 2-HAL set. Dating from 1939, with the last being withdrawn in 1971, the designation derives from the fact that one toilet was shared by the two cars, making it Half A Lavatory. It will be issued in two variants. A pre-production sample of one is pictured. Also on the way is the 2BIL set, in new identities, both in Southern green and BR blue. Expect to pay around £130 for each of these two-car sets.

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MARKING the centenary of the start of the First World War will be a special Hornby limited edition train pack, depicting a typical troop train of the period. The pack includes Star 4-6-0 No. 4050 Princess Alice with two GWR clerestory brake coaches and one clerestory saloon, limited to 1000 pieces, with certificate. Another new train pack is the first of an occasional series of engines and carriages which have had an association with Tyseley Locomotive Works. It includes GWR 4-6-0 No. 4953 Pitchford Hall – which is now based at the Epping Ongar Railway – two BR Mk.1 composite coaches and one brake second. It is also limited to 1000. The new Hornby range again offers much for followers to the preservation sector. LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland appears in BR Brunswick green in a special pack complete with its Mk.1 support coach. Sister No. 46236 City of Bradford

will appear on its own, in BR maroon. As the latest in the series of special editions of National Collection models, GWR 4-6-0 No. 4073 Caerphilly Castle will be issued. The recently-released GWR 52XX 2-8-0T appears as No. 5239, a member of the Dartmouth Steam Railway fleet. While we are all eagerly awaiting the return of Flying Scotsman, sister A3 No. 2599 Book Law will appear in LNER apple green. The latest edition of the J94 Austerity 0-6-0ST will appear in NCB blue as an example used at

Tilmanstone Colliery in East Kent Railway territory. It pays to join the Hornby Collectors Club, which offers sizeable discounts on exclusive models. One of these is LBSCR A1X ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T Sutton, which is preserved but under overhaul at the Spa Valley Railway. It will be released in limited editions of 1000 both as Sutton in green Kent & East Sussex Railway livery and in its LSBCR umber livery as No. 650 Whitechapel. Also for the Collectors Club, Swanage Railway favourite Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34070 Manston will appear in BR green, in an edition limited to 750. Another club edition is Flying Scotsman as it appeared in 1984, with its livery briefly modified with a white cab roof for Royal Train duties. That year it hauled the train carrying HM Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother. Issued to mark half a century since it was sold by BR to Alan Pegler in 1963, this edition is limited to 500. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

First main line diesel a Bachmann stunner

FOR a country which invented the railway locomotive, it is nothing short of a national tragedy that neither the first main line diesel locomotive nor its sister were preserved. The scrapping of LMS pioneers Nos. 10000/1 in the Sixties in historical terms was akin to sending Stephenson’s Rocket to the tat man. Modelling should never be an alternative to preservation, but where the prototype has long since been rendered extinct, it remains the next best to new build. Bachmann’s magnificent new Class D16/1 excels at redressing the balance. After running out of funds fighting the Second World War, Britain lagged behind other countries in modernising its railways. The LMS, which had successfully introduced diesel shunters, broke the mould with the design of the pair, in association with English Electric and the Vulcan Foundry. The idea took just nine months to bring to fruition at Derby Works. No. 10000 underwent its test run in November 1947 and was publicly unveiled a month later, just three weeks before nationalisation. Unlike No. 10001 which appeared the following July, it carried LMS livery – and one variant of the Bachmann model represents this. The LMS letters of No. 10000 were removed only when designer Henry George Ivatt retired in 1951.

Each was said to have the power of a ‘Black Five’ and as a pair could match a Princess Coronation Pacific. The pair operated out of St Pancras and Euston, and together they set a still-unbroken record by hauling the ‘Royal Scot’ comprising 17 coaches over Shap. A run of the type was never produced as cost-conscious BR decided to play it safe and continue with steam for the time being, building 999 Standards. A regular feature on the ‘Royal Scot’ and also heavily used for freight, were trialled over several routes, including a spell on the Southern Region in 1953-55, occasionally working the ‘Bournemouth Belle’. At Derby in 1963, it was decided to make one

good locomotive out of two worn-out ones and so the type continued for another three years with No. 10001 as the sole member, with yellow warning panel. No. 10000 was scrapped five years later despite being displayed at a Derby Works open day. It had been offered to the British Transport Museum at Clapham but turned down because of a lack of space. No. 10001 was withdrawn in 1966 and scrapped at Cox & Danks, North Acton, in February 1968. The Ivatt Diesel Recreation Society was formed to build a replica of No. 10000, and in 2011 acquired an appropriate English Electric

16SVT diesel engine. Any diesel new-build project faces a gargantuan struggle, particularly in the area of fundraising. Steam remains far and away the predominant image of railway history in the minds of the public, and will almost certainly continue to do so. However, a Class 16/1 replica is in a league apart because of its historical significance, and in this respect the society richly deserves all the support the movement can give. In the meantime, this detailed model will be a superb addition to any BR steam-era layout.

BACHMANN 31-995 LMS No. 10000 BR Brunswick green, lined orange and black BACHMANN 31-996 LMS No. 10000 BR Brunswick green, part eggshell blue waistband BACHMANN 31-997 LMS No. 10001 BR Brunswick green, blue waistband and yellow panels

£114.95 £114.95 £114.95

Blue and green Tornado in N is Graham Farish flagship GRAHAM Farish has launched its latest flagship locomotive in the form of A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado. It has been produced in conjunction with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, whose chairman Mark Allatt said: “We have worked in conjunction with Bachmann since the early days of the project to build Tornado to deliver the popular OO gauge models of Peppercorn class A1s and now also in N gauge. “Despite the tiny size of N gauge, the levels of detail are astounding, capturing the real thing terrifically in its current BR express passenger blue and previous BR Brunswick green liveries.” As we closed for press, the locomotive was about to be delivered to shops in time for Christmas. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Graham Farish N gauge A1 Pacific Tornado Brunswick green (372-800A), BR blue (372-800B)

£157.35

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Eigiau transports assembled dignitaries during the Cowlyd Dam sod cutting ceremony. CONWY ARCHIVES

Eigiau 100 not out A locomotive which spent its working life in the North Wales slate industry has celebrated its centenary in style this year. Alan Barnes recounts the history of Eigiau both in Snowdonia and in preservation.

S

torming up the incline at the head of a freight train on the approach to Warren Wood station, the Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0T seemed determined to celebrate its centenary year in some style. Based at the Bredgar & Wormshill Railway in Kent, the 2ft exquarry locomotive named Eigiau has been a star attraction at the railway’s open days this year. While the few hundred yards of line at Bredgar may not really give the locomotive much chance to ‘stretch its legs’ it was a rather different story last year when Eigiau was one of a number of restored narrow gauge engines which were invited to take part in the Quarry Power Gala at the Welsh Highland Railway. The three-day event held over September 14-16, 2012, also afforded the organisers the opportunity to reunite several locos which as derelicts had been stored on the same siding back in the 1960s. For Eigiau, the visit was a return to the area where it had worked in its early days although the Welsh quarries were not the scene of its first commercial workings. The German locomotive was built in 1913 as works No. 5668 and imported into the UK shortly before the outbreak of the First World War. It was bought by Charles Warren, a building contractor who had been involved with the building of Port Sunlight, and his new locomotive was believed to have been employed hauling materials used in the construction of the buildings and railway network. 82 Heritage Railway

Although Port Sunlight eventually had an extensive railway network and a fleet of narrow gauge steam locomotives, No. 5668 was never part of its operating fleet. When Mr Warren’s involvement in the project ended, the locomotive was sold and moved to new owners in Wales where it was used during the construction of a dam. Since 1908, Llyn Cowlyd had served as a reservoir and was owned by the Conwy and Colwyn Bay Joint Water Supply Board. By 1915 certain rights to water extraction had also been acquired by two other companies, the Aluminium Corporation and the North Wales Power & Traction Company Ltd, which were both based in Dolgarrog. A severe drought in 1915 resulted in the decision to build a new dam higher up the valley to increase the water reserves. The remoteness of the site and the difficulty in transporting construction equipment and supplies across the rugged terrain led to the decision to build a tramway. The construction of the Cowlyd Tramway began in 1916 and this was basically an extension of the Eigiau Tramway which had been built earlier as a standard gauge

rope worked line to serve Llyn Eigiau and the works at Dolgarrog. During the construction of the Cowlyd Tramway ,the Eigiau Tramway was regauged with the intention that both lines could be served by 2ft gauge locomotives. Two steam locomotives were used to build the line; the first was No. 5668 which was named Eigiau, while in 1918 a second engine, Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2080, was also acquired. The tramway to the site of the dam at Llyn Cowlyd was completed in 1917 and construction of the dam itself was finished in 1921. The dam was built entirely from the rock quarried from the surrounding mountains with the men and materials carried to the construction site by the railway. With the dam completed, future requirements lay in periodic maintenance work and although the tramway remained, the steam locomotives were effectively retired and replaced by a Motorail Simplex diesel which was bought in 1922. It would seem that Eigiau languished in retirement for several years until it was bought by the Penrhyn Quarry Railway in June 1928. The following year the quarry had also bought in two www.heritagerailway.co.uk

other small second-hand steam locomotives, Sanford and Skinner, both built by WG Bagnall Ltd. These three small locomotives were brought in to work the higher galleries at Ponc Garret and Pont Twrch which could not support larger engines, although it would seem that Eigiau was also used at Port Penrhyn. It was recorded working at Port Penrhyn in July 1930 and may have remained there until early 1933 when it returned to the quarry. It is also thought to have spent some further time at Port Penrhyn during 1938. Like the other quarry locomotives Eigiau was painted overall black with simple scarlet and chocolate brown lining. During its time at Penrhyn it received a new chimney and the cab was also cut down. By September 1945, Eigiau is recorded as being based at the Red Lion level locomotive shed and evidence points to its continued working from this shed until 1951. By 1955 the assessment of many of the Penrhyn locomotives was not very hopeful, with most of the existing boilers being considered too old and no planned investment in having new ones built. It was really just a matter of time before the steam years came to an end ➲ www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Above: Eigiau in passenger service at Bredgar in May 2013, its centenary year. ALAN BARNES Below: Eigiau and an LMS 4F 0-6-0 at Port Penrhyn. H W COMBER/BILL BEST COLLECTION

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Eigiau with the other redundant locomotives of Penrhyn quarries in June 1961 on the scrap road at Felin Fawr. RON FISHER

and Eigiau was recorded as being laid up at Red Lion in 1949 and officially scrapped in 1955. It was very likely moved to the siding at Felin Fawr soon after that as it was photographed on June 25, 1956, by B Hilton on the storage line where it was to remain until 1963. In this photograph, traces of the lining are still visible as is the large dent in the side of the boiler. As time passed, some of Eigiau’s sister engines joined it at Felin Fawr and by 1961 what has become perhaps the iconic view of the derelict engines featured a line-up headed by Eigiau. It is remarkable that all the locomotives in that line-up were subsequently rescued and passed into preservation. As far as Eigiau was concerned it was bought by Mr GJ Mullis from Droitwich. During what he termed as a time spent “meandering about in North Wales”, he came upon the row of derelict engines now weatherbeaten and with nameplates and other parts having being removed over the years. He decided to rescue one of the engines and in September 1962 he completed arrangements to buy the one he considered to be in the best condition and became the proud owner of Eigiau, although at that time it was bereft of its nameplate. Removing the engine during a winter period of icy temperatures did not prove to be a straightforward exercise and had to be completed over the course of three weekends with the locomotive being partially dismantled. Cab, tanks, chimney, side rods and other parts made

up the first load; the main body of the locomotive including the well tanks were recovered on the second visit while the remaining smaller parts comprised the final load which was brought back on February 2, 1963. At his home, Mr Mullis had converted one of the outbuildings to provide a suitable space for Eigiau to be stripped and rebuilt, a task which took from the beginning of 1963 through to June 1964. Attempts to get some of the replacement parts needed from the original builder were unsuccessful but fortunately it proved possible for the missing components to be fabricated locally using available drawings and some photographs. All the firetubes were quite rotten and had to be replaced, the boiler lagging was also renewed using mahogany hardwood strips which were secured by the plates. A local blacksmith made the necessary repairs to the bottom part of the smokebox which had suffered from some serious corrosion. One slight embellishment to the locomotive was the addition of a flared copper chimney top, the original being simply a painted iron casting. Eigiau was painted GWR green with red lining, maroon underframes and black wheels, and a set of new polished brass nameplates were also added. The originals, which had been removed some years previously, were cast aluminium. To allow Eigiau to be steamed at his home, Mr Mullis also laid a short stretch of track.

The 60cm gauge Eigiau at Bressingham in August 72. ALAN BARNES COLLECTION

Eigiau is loaded ready for transport from Bressingham.

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Having been rescued and restored, the locomotive was later moved to Bressingham in the late 1960s where it continued to operate for a number of years on its narrow gauge line, although by the mid 1990s it would seem that Eigiau was now rather in need of a comprehensive refit. It was at this time that Bill and David Best arranged to buy the locomotive for use on the Bredgar & Wormshill narrow gauge line. They had acquired a quantity of light rail which was unsuitable for their own purposes but during discussions with Bressingham it seemed that this was the very thing it was looking for to relay its garden railway. Negotiations began and in exchange for the rail and of course some cash the purchase of Eigiau was agreed and it was brought back to Kent in 1995. It must be said that the locomotive was not in very good condition, with the state of the boiler being a major concern, and the cab was also in need of some extensive repair work. However, Bill and David were fully aware of the condition when they agreed to buy it and in 1995 work on a complete restoration was begun. The locomotive was stripped down and Valentines in Milton Keynes was commissioned to build a new boiler. In the meantime the team at Bredgar started work on repairs to the motion and on rebuilding the cab. Most of the original metal plates forming the cab were too badly rusted to be used but they did provide useful templates for new plates to be cut from sheet steel. One change to the original cab was made and the rear was now left open which improved operational visibility, an advantage when running backwards on the end-to-end line. Once the boiler was returned the ‘gang’ lost no time in completing the reassembly and fitting out and in 1996 Eigiau became No. 6 in the Bredgar & Wormshill Railway fleet. There it was steamed at the railway’s regular open days and having gone through a major rebuild, it needed little more than regular maintenance until its first major 10-year overhaul in 2006 when it was retubed. When plans were first put forward for a return to Wales for the event in September 2012 it was decided that some work would be carried out. Among the collection of old parts from the 1995 strip down was the rear cab spectacle plate and it was decided that a new one would be made and fitted. This would return Eigiau closer to its

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condition when operating in the Welsh quarries and the work to rebuild the cab was carried out at the BWLR workshops and completed in time for the return to Wales. The Quarry Power weekend saw the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway join forces with the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railway, with restored locomotives, once the derelict residents of the Penrhyn scrap line, steaming over the 40mile railway. It was also the opportunity for the ex-Penrhyn quarry locomotives Eigiau, Stanhope, Lilian, Sgt Murphy, Bronllwyd and the newly restored Hugh Napier to be reunited with Lilla, Linda, Blanche and Britomart which reside on the Ffestiniog. As well as operating on several passenger carrying services during the event, some of the locomotives headed typical goods trains hauling slate wagons along some parts of the line. Perhaps for some the highspot of the weekend was the line-up of the ex scrap line locomotives with all of them looking a good deal smarter than they did in the early 1960s. For the members of the BWLR who accompanied Eigiau on the trip “across the border”, the chance to have their locomotive on some longer and more arduous runs was most welcome, as Peter Rowland of the BWLR recalled: “Prior to the Welsh Highland Railway announcing in the railway press that its 2012 autumn gala was to be a Quarry Power Weekend which would recreate the famous Penrhyn scrap line, Bill Best at the BWLR received a letter from the WHR & FR general manager requesting if possible the attendance of Eigiau. As the locomotive was ‘in ticket’ the invitation was readily accepted and all that summer Eigiau was in regular use at Bredgar and ran without any problems. “However, at the end of July it was given a thorough inspection with the bearings, glands and injectors all being checked over. The back to back wheel dimensions were also measured to ensure that they complied with the Welsh criteria. The locomotive was in fine condition but it was given an extra clean up and polish just before its journey to Boston Lodge. “On the morning of Thursday, September 13, Tony Baker and I loaded the support van with our equipment which included flue brush, oil, shovel, overalls, sandwiches etc. and we departed for Wales. We arrived at Boston Lodge around four in the afternoon and Eigiau was lit up and run up and down the yard. The locomotive had

Eigiau in action at its Bredgar & Wormshill Light Railway home in October 2011.

already been examined by the FR fitters and they pronounced that everything was fine and Eigiau was signed off as fit to run. “Friday was the first day of the event and Tony and I were at Boston Lodge at 7am to light up, the bunker was filled and an additional heap of coal was piled on to the footplate as we were facing a trip of some 20 miles to Dinas. The locomotives were marshalled in ‘scrap line order’ with Eigiau leading and at 9am, with Paul Lewin, the WHR & FR general manager, on Eigiau’s footplate, the cavalcade left the yard and steamed across The Cob to Porthmadog. “At Porthmadog we waited for clearance and then continued across Britannia Bridge. Surely

A far cry from Snowdonia: Eigiau on Bredgar rails for the first time. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

having six locomotives in steam and one on a flat wagon all coupled together must have been some sort of record. “On arrival at Pont Croesor a stop was made to top up the engines with water and they were checked over to make sure there were no problems. With everything okay we left the station and headed for the hills. Ahead lay the climb up to and through the Aberglaslyn Pass on a gradient of 1-in-50. The six locomotives working hard was impressive, especially in the tunnels where in the darkness red hot cinders could be seen flying everywhere – a most exhilarating journey. We don’t have any tunnels at Bredgar so this was an amazing experience. ➲

Eigiau stripped for overhaul at Bredgar in 2006. BILL BOWMAN Heritage Railway

85

Eigiau with freight wagons during a 30742 Charters photo charter. MIKE DEAN

Eigiau at the Quarry Power Weekend. MARTIN CREESE

The O & K badge on the smokebox door. ALAN BARNES

The nameplate – the originals were aluminium. ALAN BARNES

“On arrival at Beddgelert we stopped again to take water ready for the next steep climb to Pitts Head and the easier run in to Rhyd Ddu where a shunt was made to allow the Up and Down service trains to pass. With the passenger trains having departed, all that remained was the downhill stretch to Dinas. Here there was some more shunting before Eigiau and the Hunslet Linda worked a shuttle to Caernarfon and return. “That evening was spent in the yard at Dinas taking part in a floodlit photoshoot until a long day came to an end and Eigiau spent the night in the carriage shed. During that day the Bredgar locomotive had covered a total of 28 miles without putting a foot wrong. “The next day all the locomotives were once again assembled in scrap line order for a photoshoot and later that morning the cavalcade moved to Beddgelert where the engines were uncoupled to make individual runs through the reverse curves. After the day’s photographic activities, Eigiau returned to the Welsh Highland locomotive depot at Porthmadog. “The weather on Friday and Saturday had been fine and sunny but this being Wales I was not surprised to wake up Sunday morning with the heavy overcast skies threatening rain. However, the wet weather did hold off while the locomotives were made ready and with Eigiau still warm from the day before, getting up steam was easy so the crews took advantage with an enjoyable breakfast at the station cafe, which fortunately had opened early. “With our fast well and truly broken we took Eigiau back on to the WHR mainline bound for Pont Croesor where we reunited with Linda, and the two locomotives headed a rake of coaches for

a shuttle run to Minfford. “On arrival at Britannia Bridge road crossing the train was brought to a stand to await clearance and when the signal cleared the driver of Linda behind us indicated to the crew of Eigiau that he would not apply steam and that as lead locomotive, Eigiau could power the train from the standing start, across the road and then nonstop through Porthmadog. “Eigiau managed the start quite comfortably with only a very slight slip on the damp rail which was quickly controlled; and this kind gesture to the visiting engine and its crew by the home crew was much appreciated. “It gave us the chance to show just how well our little engine was able to perform. “At the end of the Cob, the rear locomotive driver applied steam to assist the load around the bend by Boston Lodge and the slight climb to Minffordd. Here the locomotives reversed and ran around the train to work the next service back to Porthmadog. “A further trip to Pont Croesor-MinffordPorthmadog was made later that day, this time in pouring rain.That night Eigiau was berthed in the old engine shed at Boston Lodge and the following morning Tony and I returned home to Kent having thoroughly enjoyed taking part in the Quarry Power weekend. “However, our Welsh adventure was not quite over as we were requested to return to crew Eigiau during a photo charter which had been arranged for the following Friday, September 21. “How could we possibly refuse, especially as the day would involve a run through to Blaenau Ffestiniog. “Hardly having time to unpack, we were back

86 Heritage Railway

on the road to Wales, and Friday morning found us once again at Boston Lodge preparing Eigiau for the day’s activities. “Coupled to the Statfold Barn Railway’s 0-6-0WT GP No. 39, we steamed across the Cob to Porthmadog and then on to Minfford sidings where we spent the time shunting and posing the engine for the gathered photographers. “In the late afternoon the two locos were coupled together at the head of a rake of engineers’ wagons and a brake van and headed off to Blaenau Ffestiniog. “Such was the demand for steam, Eigiau’s small injector was on for virtually the whole journey. “Most of the return trip back to Boston Lodge was made in complete darkness. After berthing the engine in the shed there was just time to rush across to Spooner’s to order a very nice steak dinner. “In all, Eigiau steamed something in the region of 130 miles on the Welsh rails during its visit, while the crew clocked up an additional 1300 miles by road. “It was a very enjoyable and satisfying event and Eigiau delivered an exceptional and trouble free performance. “The Bredgar & Wormshill Railway would like to thank Paul Lewin and all of the WHR & FR staff for their help and friendly approach during the visit.” That trip to Wales made a superb prelude to the centenary celebrations for Eigiau which will be taking place this year. However, there is no doubt that the climb into Warren Wood station on the line at Bredgar is somewhat less challenging than the mountain lines in Wales. ■ www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Eigiau leads the cavalcade during the Ffestiniog Railway’s Quarry Power weekend. MARTIN PRITCHARD www.heritagerailway.co.uk

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Offtheshelf The Hayling Railway

By Peter Paye (softback, Oakwood Press, 160pp, £11.95, ISBN 0853617303)

IT SHOULd be a priceless commuter route today. If not, it would be a first-class heritage railway. But sadly, the Hayling Island branch closed 50 years ago – and all because BR would not pay for repairs to the wooden bridge which takes it to the mainland. The 50th anniversary of the closure of this little piece of LBSCR ‘Terrier’ heaven has been marked in 2013, and Oakwood has followed up with this splendid fact-packed biography which tells you everything even the most demanding enthusiast would want to know about this legendary line, which opened in 1867 and closed on November 4, 1963. The railway ‘made’ Hayling Island. Before its arrival, it was populated by a few fishermen and agricultural workers plus a few of the well-to-do who had discovered that it was a nice place to live. The railway brought housing estates and holiday camps, and in the 20th century a sizeable town had sprung up. The powers that be then decided that it was not worth repairing the rotting bridge, and so Hayling inhabitants now have to use road transport to access Havant or Portsmouth. In terms of road congestion at peak periods, surely this is yet another example of backward technology? Well illustrated with archive black and white photographs throughout, timetables, plans and sketches, every Southern fan should have this on their bookshelf.

Steaming to Victory:

How BRitAin’S RAilwAyS won tHe wAR By Michael williams (hardback, Preface, 374pp, £25, ISBN 978 1 848 09314 0)

BILLEd as the first history of Britain’s railways during the Second World War, the 75th anniversary of which will be marked in 2014, this is indeed an exhaustive and fascinating account. While railways were far easier to repair than towns, cities and factories after Luftwaffe bombing raids, nearly 400 railwaymen died at work and around 2400 more were injured. Trains also played the key role in evacuating 1.3 million children to the countryside after war was declared, and when it began to get serious, 600 special trains were rostered for the dunkirk evacuation, carrying 319,000 troops from dover. Then there were the preparations for d-day, with 24,459 special trains run. The book is based around more than 150 interviews with veterans, with much new material derived from previously unused sources. There are many tales to he told here, the most bizarre of which was the locomotive which downed an enemy aircraft that had fired on it, causing its boiler to explode. The writer is a former head of news at the Sunday Times.

Railway Art and The Transport Artist’s Collection 2014 calendars

By Malcolm Root and Robin Pinnock (Malcolm Root, 38 Churchill Avenue, Halstead, Essex CO9 2BE, tel: 01787 475402, £13 per calendar inc p&p. Cheques payable to M Root).

THERE’S something compelling about railway art, writes Geoff Courtney. Archive photography brings history to life, but artists do too, in a different, and at times more nostalgic and dramatic, manner. Malcolm Root, a Fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists, is a perfect example. Study his work and memories of the 1950s and early 1960s steam era come flooding back. His 2014 Railway Art calendar contains 12 of his paintings, many of which portray scenes former trainspotters of a certain age will instantly recall. Of the namers, there’s No. 6024 King Edward I taking water from Westbury troughs; No. 34041 Wilton at Barnstaple; No. 35017 Belgian Marine on the Weymouth turntable; No. 5596 Bahamas about to enter the two mile Cowburn tunnel in derbyshire; No. 60028 Walter K.Whigham leaving King’s Cross and No. 73082 Camelot storming through Surbiton. In true egalitarian fashion, more humble locomotives are also included. Thus, 0-6-0 No. 64547 is at Montrose, its tender showing distinct signs of wear and tear; 2-6-4T No. 67722 is on Stratford shed in a scene I saw many times during my east London spotting days; and 2-8-0 No. 90468 clanks its way through Partick West in Glasgow against a background of soaring dockside cranes with a Standard 2-6-4T, diesel shunter and dMU muscling in on the scene.

Modernity also has its say in the form of Class 308 and 309 electric multiple units at Thorpe-le -Soken and a Class 47 diesel at Ely; and finally Malcolm indulges himself with a nod to his own patch by featuring Colne Valley & Halstead Railway 2-4-2T No. 2 at Earls Colne on a snowy wintry day. The paintings in the Transport Artist’s Collection calendar are the work of both Malcolm and fellow artist Robin Pinnock, and include Burrell showman’s engine His Majesty, a bus, trolleybuses, lorries, cars, an aeroplane, ship, ploughing engine, ferry and a tram, as well as two railway paintings from the Railway Art calendar. Both calendars are a dive into the past and contain beautifully executed paintings which will give literally months of pleasure.

DMU and EMU Recognition Guide

The Leven & East of Fife Railway

By Colin J Marden (hardback, Ian Allan, 390pp, £25, ISBN 978 0 7110 3740 3)

THERE are railway books and there are definitive volumes, and this one certainly falls well within the latter category. In short, it is the best readyreference guide to the subject that we have ever seen. Beginning with the GWR AEC railcars, and even detailing the Ro-Railer experimental vehicles of the 1930s, this exhaustive volume runs right up to the present day, listing each class in numerical TOPS order. Each class is illustrated by several pictures, with most postwar examples in colour, and accompanied by a full specification and history of each. The Blue Pullman, the Advanced Passenger Train, the Isle of Wight LUL stock, Waggen und Machinenebau railbuses, the Stourbridge branch Parry People Mover – they are all in there, alongside prototype, first generation and modern types. A fountain of readily accessible essential information, it has quickly been given the permanent place on our bookshelf that it demands.

By Andrew Hadjucki, Mike Jodeluk & Alan Simpson (softback, Oakwood Press, 320pp, £19.95, ISBN 0853617280).

ANOTHER definitive history classic from Oakwood, this one outlines the story of the 20 mile line that ran from Thornton Junction to Anstruther along the northern side of the Firth of Forth. Opened on August 10, 1854, it was later acquired by the North British Railway, but largely closed under the Beeching Axe, the last services on the East Fife section running on September 5, 1965, after there had been a stay of execution for the summer holiday traffic. Not all of the route was lost, however. Coal traffic recently returned to Thornton on the original middle section of the route, and with Scotland’s applauded track record of reopening closed routes in recent years, who knows – one day, passenger services might again resume. In typical Oakwood fashion, this volume is packed to the gunnels with biographical facts and superb steam era archive pictures. Clearly compiling it has been a monumental task for the three authors, and one which they have pulled off admirably.

National Railway Museum diary 2014

Diary (hardback, NRM, desktop £13.99, ISBN 978 0 7112 3428 4, pocket size £7.99 ISBN 978 071 234 291)

CONCLUdING the Mallard 75 year, the National Railway Museum has brought out its annual very stylish diary with an illustration of Mallard in full flight on the cover. As usual, the diary comprises reproductions of classic posters from the NRM collection from the 1930s to the 1960s, in this instance on the theme of the ‘great escape’, to the seaside, the countryside or overseas. It is a week-to-view diary with a ribbon marker.

L&B Story 2: the Southern yearS

By tony nicholson (softback, Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust, www.lynton-rail.co.uk/shop 64pp, £8.95 + p&p)

AFTeR the Bluebell extension, Met 150 and Mallard 75, everyone is asking what will be the next big one? There will eventually come the day when the revived Lynton & Barnstaple is released from its straitjacket of infilled bridges at either end of its current running line, and then the world will be its oyster. now with a rake of original carriages in services, and hammering on the bars of the cage to get out, this will be the one to watch. in the meantime, sit back and relish some of the original line’s finest moments in its Southern Railway era in this splendid large format book which uses numerous black and white archive pictures to their best advantage. Many of them are in print for the first time. narrow gauge fans will not be disappointed. All the proceeds from the sale of the book will go towards rebuilding this legendary line.

Gone But Not Forgotten

By aJ ludlam & PJ eldridge (softback, Lincolnshire Wolds Railway Society, Ludborough station, Station Roid, Ludborough, Lincolnshire DN36 5SQ, tel: 01507 363881, 44pp, £7.95, ISBN 978 0 9926762 0 9)

LinCOLnSHiRe fared badly and indeed stupidly under the aftermath of the Beeching Axe, with towns disenfranchised from the rail system without replacement major roads ever built to replace them, leaving much of the county in comparative isolation. in the steam era, Lincolnshire had a labyrinthine network of railways with some beautiful station architecture. While many of these routes vanished decades ago, many of the station buildings survive in a variety of uses. This excellent little guide highlights the best examples, from Alford, now a building supplies showroom, to Bardney, where a railway museum has been created on the site of the demolished original, and Tumby Woodside, where the remains of the structures are still there enshrouded in undergrowth.

Peter’s Railway LNER B1 animated notebooks and bookmark

(Middleton Marketing, Rose Lea House, 23 Brunswick Drive, Harrogate HG1 2QP, [email protected] tel: 01423 528588, notebook £4.99, bookmark £2.49.

An ingenious pair of offerings for the younger fan sees Chris Vine’s Peter’s Railway books

enhanced by a notebook with animated covers and a bookmark with a similar motion effect. The cover of the 50 page notebook shows parts of a B1 4-6-0 working in a series of animations, such as the fire leaping in the firebox and the boiler tubes working and pistons powering the driving wheels. To see it all move, simply tilt the notebook. The bookmark features a graphic of a moving B1. Both make excellent and innovative Christmas and birthday presents.

Britain’s 15in Gauge Railways:

duffield BanK to PerrygroVe By david r Jones (softback, Silver Link Publishing, www.nostalgiacollection.com 192pp, £20, ISBN 978 1 railways, both before and after the 85474 416 7) watershed of 1945, and then looks

WHiLe they are in many if not most cases a microcosm of the main line, 15 gauge railways have a proud history of their own too, dating back to 1843 when Captain Robert Rodney built a small-scale garden railway at his home in Alresford, Hampshire, complete with steam haulage. The first record of a 15in gauge locomotive dates from 1854. Here is a massive subject within a subject, and for those interested in miniature railways, this superbly presented volume is the perfect place to start. Accompanied by archive and present-day photographs in both colour and monochrome, the author outlines the history of 15in gauge

in detail at the locomotives that ran on them. Further chapters deal with carriages and wagons and track, stations and signalling. There is, as expected, a hefty section of lines open to the public, with full details of each, and museums. The foreword is written by Sir Peter Heywood, a relative of 15in gauge pioneer Sir Arthur Heywood. There is much to delight, fascinate and educate within these well-researched pages, and it makes for an excellent reference book into the bargain.

Nottingham to Lincoln including the Southwell Branch

By Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith (hardback, Middleton Press, 96pp, £16.95, ISBN 978 1 908174 43 7).

One of the great joys of a Middleton press volume, especially those which like this one covers routes that are still in use, is that they make the familiar interesting. Covering every station, half siding and other significant features, they bring the history of the line to life by showing how they were in times past. The route from nottingham to Lincoln is today worked by east Midland

DMUs operating out of Cleethorpes, but this volume gives a window on a long-gone world when steam ruled unchallenged. The book, illustrated by both essential monochromatic archive views, timetables and 25in OS plans, also unravels the complex lines around Lincoln itself The Southwell branch lost its passenger trains by 1959 but is included for good measure.

The Quintinshill Conspiracy

By Jack richards & adrian Searle (hardback, Pen & Sword, 278pp, £25, ISBN 178159099 1).

THe five-train crash at Quintinshill near gretna on May 22, 1915, nearly a century on remains Britain’s worstever rail disaster. A total of 230 people died, mostly Scottish soldiers en route to the gallipoli campaign, who were never to even make it to the battlefield. Two young signalmen were sent to prison as a result of the tragedy. They were found guilty of incompetence and failing to adhere to procedures. Yet, it is argued by the authors, the court case was merely the tip of the iceberg. it was what remained unsaid that hid a darker truth behind the reasons for the pile-up. new documentary evidence has now been dug up throwing fresh light on who really was to blame, and for who the signalmen took the beating. The Caledonian Railway, for instance, carried out its own private inquiry, the findings of which were never made public. A gripping read, which blows apart the days of a more secretive society to allow us to better understand what really went wrong and why.

British Railways Steam Locomotives

1948-68 By hugh longworth (hardback, Oxford Publishing Company/Ian Allan, 360pp, £45, ISBN 978 0 86093 660 2).

THiS is the second and updated edition of an encyclopaedic work which lists every steam locomotive that was run by British Railways. Build dates and builder information, renumbering, withdrawn and scrapping dates are given for every locomotive, along with a description of each class, sub class and other variants. First published in 2005 and reprinted five times such has been its deserved popularity, this new edition includes, for the first time, line drawings of every locomotive type. Again, it is another ‘must have’ ready reference book, a real time saver for anyone doing historical research, and is well worth every penny.

Ayrshire’s Forgotten Railways:

a walKer’S guide By alasdair wham (softback, Oakwood Press, 200pp, £15.95, ISBN 0853617297).

BReAking tradition with the usual Oakwood format, this book does what it says on the cover. Rather than focus on an individual route, it is a guide to the huge amount of railway heritage that still exists in Ayrshire, both of open railways and closed lines. Separate chapters deal with different portions of the county, giving a potted history of routes and the most visible structures, with black and white illustrations both ancient and modern. A series of recommended walks forms the backbone of the book, most of which are easily doable, some several miles long, others less than a mile. A great buy if you are visiting the area.

UpandRunning

sR Bulleid West Country Pacific no. 34007 Wadebridge at Wanders Curve on the Mid-Hants Railway with a photo charter. ANDREW FOWLER

Brian Sharpe’s full listing of operational lines and museum venues soutH East

■ AMBERLEY WORKING MuSEuM Narrow gauge, ¼ mile, Arundel, West Sussex. Tel: 01798 831370. www.amberleymuseum.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ BENtLEY MINIAtuRE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, one mile, Bentley Wildfowl & Motor Museum, East Sussex. www.bentleyrailway.co.uk Running: W/Es. ■ BLuEBELL RAILWAY Standard gauge, 11 miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Sheffield Park, East Sussex TN22 2QL. Tel: 01825 720800. www.bluebell-railway.co.uk Engines: 263, 1638, 178, B473, 323, 592, 45231. Running: Dec 21-24. ■ EASt KENt RAILWAY Standard gauge, two miles, Shepherdswell, Dover. Tel: 01304 832042. Running: Dec 21-24. ■ EAStLEIGH LAKESIDE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 1¼ miles, footplate experience. Running: W/Es + school holidays. ■ HAStINGS MINIAtuRE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 600 yards, Rock a Nore Road, Hastings, East Sussex Running: W/Es + school holidays. ■ HAYLING SEASIDE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, one mile, Hayling Island, Hants. www.haylingseasiderailway.com Running: Dec 21, 22, 24, Jan 1. ■ ISLE Of WIGHt StEAM RAILWAY Standard gauge, five miles, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight. Tel: 01983 882204. www.iwsteamrailway.co.uk Engines: 8, 24. Running: Dec 20-24, 26, Jan 1. ■ KENt & EASt SuSSEx RAILWAY Standard gauge, 10½ miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Tenterden, Kent. www.kesr.org.uk Tel: 01580 765155. Engines: 65, 3, 6619, 32678, 1638. Running: Dec 21, 22, 24, 28 - Jan 1. ■ LAVENDER LINE Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience, wine & dine, Isfield, East Sussex. Tel: 01825 750515. www.lavender-line.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22, 29. ■ MID HANtS RAILWAY Standard gauge, 10 miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG. www.watercressline.co.uk Tel: 01962 733810. Engines: 31806, 34007, 850, 925, 45379. Running: Dec 20-24, 26 - Jan 1.

92 Heritage Railway

■ ROMNEY, HYtHE & DYMCHuRCH RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 13½ miles, footplate experience, New Romney, Tel: 01797 362353. www.rhdr.org.uk Running: Dec 20-24, 28, 29. ■ ROYAL VICtORIA RAILWAY Narrow gauge, one mile, Netley, Southampton. Tel: 0238 045 6246. www.royalvictoriarailway.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ SIttINGBOuRNE & KEMSLEY RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 1¾ miles, Sittingbourne, Kent. Tel: 01795 424899. www.sklr.net/index.htm Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ SPA VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, five miles, footplate experience, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Tel: 01892 537715. www.spavalleyrailway.co.uk Running: Dec 21-24, 28, 29, Jan 1.

soutH WEst

■ AVON VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Willsbridge, Glos. www.avonvalleyrailway.org Tel: 0117 932 7296. Running: Dec 21-24, 26, 28, 29, Jan 1. ■ BODMIN & WENfORD RAILWAY Standard gauge, 6½ miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Bodmin, Cornwall. www.bodminrailway.co.uk Tel: 01208 73666. Engines: 5552, 30120, 6435, 4247, 4612, 3298. Running: Dec 21-24, 28 - Jan 1. ■ DARtMOutH StEAM RAILWAY Standard gauge, seven miles, wine & dine, Paignton, Devon. Tel: 01803 555872. Engines: 7827, 5239, 4277. www.dartmouthrailriver.co.uk Running: Dec 21-24, 27-31. ■ DEVON RAILWAY CENtRE Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Bickleigh, Devon. Tel: 01884 855671. www.devonrailwaycentre.co.uk Running: Dec 21-23. ■ EASt SOMERSEt RAILWAY Standard gauge, two miles, Cranmore, Somerset. Tel: 01749 880417. [email protected] Engine: 5637 Running: Dec 21-24. ■ LYNtON & BARNStAPLE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, one mile, Woody Bay, north Devon. 01598 763487. www.lynton-rail.co.uk Running: Dec 20-24, 28 - Jan 1.

■ MOORS VALLEY RAILWAY Narrow gauge, one mile, Ringwood, Hants. Tel: 01425 471415. www.moorsvalleyrailway.co.uk Running: W/Es + sch hols. ■ PLYM VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, ½ mile, Marsh Mills, Plymouth, Devon. www.plymrail.co.uk Running: Dec 22. ■ SEAtON tRAMWAY Narrow gauge, three miles, Harbour Rd, Seaton, Devon. Tel: 01297 20375. www.tram.co.uk Running: Dec 21-24, 27 - Jan 1. ■ SOutH DEVON RAILWAY Standard gauge, seven miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Buckfastleigh, Devon. Tel: 0843 357 1420. www.southdevonrailway.co.uk L92, 3205. Running: Dec 18-23, 26 - Jan 1. ■ SWANAGE RAILWAY Standard gauge, six miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Swanage, Dorset. www.swanagerailway.co.uk Tel: 01929 425800. Engines: 80104, 30053, 34028, 34070, 6695. Running: Dec 21-24, 26 - Jan 5, W/Es. ■ SWINDON & CRICKLADE RAILWAY Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience, Blunsdon, Wiltshire. Tel: 01793 771615. www.swindon-cricklade-railway.org Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ WESt SOMERSEt RAILWAY Standard gauge, 20 miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5BG. Tel: 01643 704996. www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk Engines: 88, 3850, 4160. 7828, 6960. Running: Dec 21-24, 27 - Jan 1

East anglia

■ BRESSINGHAM StEAM MuSEuM Narrow gauge, one mile, Diss, Norfolk. Tel: 01379 686900. Running: Dec 21-24. ■ BuRE VALLEY RAILWAY Narrow gauge, nine miles, footplate experience, Aylsham, Norfolk. Tel: 01263 733858. www.bvrw.co.uk Running: Dec 20-24, 27 - Jan 5. ■ COLNE VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge one mile footplate experience, wine and dine, Castle Hedingham, Essex. Tel: 01787 461174. www.colnevalleyrailway.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Heritage Railway

93

UpandRunning

The North Gloucestershire Narrow Gauge Railway held a members open day and Henschel Brigadelok trench engine No. 1091 from 1918 was in steam. MALCOLM RANIERI ■ EAST ANGLIAN RAILWAY MUSEUM Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Wakes Colne, Essex. Tel: 01206 242524. www.earm.co.uk Open: Daily except Dec 25, 26 Running: Dec 22. ■ MANGAPPS RAILWAY Standard gauge, one mile, near Burnham on Crouch, Essex. Tel: 01621 784898. www.mangapps.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22, 24. W/Es + B/H. ■ MID-NORfOLk RAILWAY Standard gauge, 11½ miles, footplate experience, Dereham, Norfolk. Tel: 01362 690633. www.mnr.org.uk Running: Dec 21-24, 28, 29. ■ MID-SUffOLk LIGHT RAILWAY Standard gauge, 1⁄4 mile, Brockford, Suffolk. www.mslr.org.uk Running: Dec 22. ■ NENE VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, 7½ miles, footplate experience, Wansford, Peterborough, Cambs. Tel: 01780 784444. www.nvr.org.uk Engines: 73050, 45337. Running: Dec 21-24, 28, 29, Jan Suns. ■ NORTH NORfOLk RAILWAY Standard gauge, 5½ miles, footplate experience, Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8RA. Tel: 01263 820800. www.nnrailway.co.uk Engines: 8572, 5619, 76084. Running: Dec 21-24, 26 - Jan 1. ■ WHITWELL & REEPHAM RAILWAY Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Reepham, Norfolk. Tel: 01603 871694. www.whitwellstation.com Running: Dec 20-22, W/Es , (steam: first Sunday).

MiDlANDS

■ AMERTON RAILWAY Narrow gauge, one mile, Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffs. Tel: 01785 850965. www.amertonrailway.co.uk Running: Dec 21-24. ■ APEDALE VALLEY RAILWAY Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Apedale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ BARROW HILL ROUNDHOUSE Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Tel: 01246 472450. www.barrowhill.org.uk Open: W/Es. ■ BATTLEfIELD LINE RAILWAY Standard gauge, five miles, Shackerstone, Leics. Tel: 01827 880754. battlefield-line-railway.co.uk Engine: 3803. Running: Dec 21-24. ■ CHASEWATER RAILWAY Standard gauge, two miles, Walsall, West Midlands. Tel: 01543 452623. www.chasewaterrailway.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22, 24.

94 Heritage Railway

■ CHURNET VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, 5¼ miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Cheddleton, Staffs. Tel: 01538 360522. www.churnet-valley-railway.co.uk Engines: 69621, 6046. Running: Dec 21, 22, 24. ■ DEAN fOREST RAILWAY Standard gauge, 4¼ miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Norchard, Lydney, Glos. Tel: 01594 843423. www.deanforestrailway.co.uk Engines: 1450, 9681. Running: Dec 21, 22, 24, 28, 29, Jan 1. ■ ECCLESBOURNE VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, eight miles, Wirksworth, Derbyshire. 01629 823076. www.e-v-r.com Running: Dec 21, 22, Jan 1. ■ EVESHAM VALE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 1¼ mile, A46 north of Evesham, Worcs. Tel: 01386 422282. Running: Dec 21-24, 27 - Jan 1, Jan W/Es. ■ fOXfIELD RAILWAY Standard gauge, 5½ miles, Blythe Bridge, Staffs. Running: Dec 21, 22, 24. ■ GLOUCESTERSHIRE WARWICkSHIRE RLY Standard gauge, 12 miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Toddington, Glos. Tel: 01242 621405. www.gwsr.com Engines: 7903, 2807, 8274, 5542. Running: Dec 21-24, 26 - Jan 1. ■ GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY Standard gauge, eight miles, Loughborough, Leics LE11 1RW. Tel: 01509 230726. www.gcrailway.co.uk Engines: 48624, 47406, 46521, 78019, 777, 70013. Running: Dec 21Jan 1, W/Es. ■ MIDLAND RAILWAY-BUTTERLEY Standard gauge, 3½ miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Ripley, Derbyshire. Tel: 01773 570140. Engines: 23, 73129. Running: Dec 20-24, 27 - Jan 1. ■ NORTHAMPTON & LAMPORT RAILWAY Standard gauge, two miles, Pitsford, Northants. Tel: 01604 820327. nlr.org.uk Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ NOTTINGHAM TRANSPORT HERITAGE CENTRE Standard gauge, four miles, Ruddington, Notts. Tel: 0115 940 570. Running: Dec 21, 22, 24. ■ PEAk RAIL Standard gauge, four miles, Matlock, Derbyshire. Tel: 01629 580381. Running: Dec 21-24, Jan W/Es. ■ PERRYGROVE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, B4228, Coleford, Glos. Tel: 01594 834991. Running: Dec 21-24, 28 - Jan 5, Jan W/Es. ■ ROCkS BY RAIL Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Cottesmore, Rutland. Open Sun, Tues, Thurs, Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ RUDYARD LAkE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 1½ miles, Leek, Staffs. Tel: 01995 672280. www.rlsr.org Running: Jan 1, Jan Suns.

■ RUSHDEN TRANSPORT MUSEUM Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Rushden, Northants. Running: Easter. ■ SEVERN VALLEY RAILWAY Standard gauge, 16 miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Bewdley, Worcs DY12 1BG. www.svr.co.uk Tel: 01299 403816. Engines: 1501, 4566, 5164, 7812, 2857, 34053, 43106, 5643. Running: Dec 17-24, 26 - Jan 5. ■ STEEPLE GRANGE LIGHT RAILWAY Narrow gauge, ½ mile, footplate experience, Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Tel: 01629 580917 www.steeplegrange.co.uk Running: Easter. .

NORTH WEST

■ EAST LANCASHIRE RAILWAY Standard gauge, 12 miles, footplate experience, Bury, Lancs. Tel: 01617 647790. www.eastlancsrailway.org.uk Engines: 80080, 49395, 61994. Running: Dec 21-24, 26, W/Es. ■ ISLE Of MAN STEAM RAILWAY Narrow gauge, 15½ miles, Douglas, Isle of Man. Tel: 01624 662525. www.iombusandrail.info Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ LAkESIDE & HAVERTHWAITE RAILWAY Standard gauge, 3½ miles, near Ulverston, Cumbria. Tel: 01539 531594. Engines: 42073, 42085. Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ MANCHESTER MUSEUM Of SCIENCE & INDUSTRY Standard gauge, ½ mile, driver experience, Castlefield, Manchester. Open: Daily. Tel: 0161 832 2244. Open: Daily. ■ RAVENGLASS & ESkDALE RAILWAY Narrow gauge, seven miles, Ravenglass, Cumbria. Tel: 01229 717171. Running: Dec 20-23, 26 - Jan 5. ■ RIBBLE STEAM RAILWAY Standard gauge, one mile, Preston, Lancs. Tel: 01772 728800. Running: Dec 21-23. ■ STAINMORE RAILWAY Standard gauge, half mile, Kirkby Stephen East Station, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria CA17 4LA. www.kirkbystepheneast.co.uk Open: W/Es. ■ WEST LANCASHIRE LIGHT RAILWAY Narrow gauge, Hesketh Bank, Lancs. Tel: 01772 815881. Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ For more details when planning your day out, visit the HRA website: http://heritagerailways.com

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

UpandRunning

NORTH EaST

■ aPPleBy-FrodinGhaM rly Pres soCiety Standard gauge, 15 miles, Tata Steelworks, Scunthorpe, North Lincs. Tel: 01652 657053. www.afrps.co.uk Running: Jan 18. ■ Bowes railway Standard gauge, one mile, Springwell, Tyne & Wear. Tel: 01914 161847. Open: W/Es. ■ CleethorPes Coast liGht railway Narrow gauge, two miles, Cleethorpes, North East Lincs. Tel: 01472 604657. Running: Dec 21-23, Jan W/Es. ■ derwent valley railway Standard gauge, ½ mile, Murton Park, Layerthorpe, York. Engine: 69023. Tel: 01904 489966. Running: Easter. ■ elseCar railway Standard gauge, one mile, Elsecar, South Yorks. Footplate experience. Tel: 01226 746746. www.elsecarrailway.co.uk Open: Daily. Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ eMBsay & Bolton aBBey steaM railway Standard gauge, five miles, Embsay, Yorks. Engine: 52322. Running: Dec 21, 22, 26, 29. ■ KeiGhley & worth valley railway Standard gauge, five miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Keighley, West Yorks BD22 8NJ. Tel: 01535 645214. www.kwvr.co.uk Engines: 43924, 90733, 1054, 95820. Running: Dec 20-22, 24. ■ KirKlees liGht railway Narrow gauge, four miles, Huddersfield, West Yorks. Tel: 01484 865727. Running: Dec 20-23. ■ linColnshire wolds railway Standard gauge, 1½ miles, Ludborough, Lincs. Tel: 01507 363881. lincolnshirewoldsrailway.co.uk Running: Jan 1. ■ Middleton railway Standard gauge, 1½ miles, Hunslet, Leeds. Tel: 0113 271 0320. www.middletonrailway.org.uk Engine: 1310. Running: Dec 21, 22, 24 . ■ north tyneside railway Standard gauge, two miles. North Shields. tel: 0191 200 7146. www.ntsra.org.uk Open: W/Es, Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ north yorKshire Moors railway Standard gauge, 18 miles, wine & dine, Grosmont, North Yorks. Tel: 01751 472508. Engines: 45428, 75029, 61264, 60007. Running: Dec 21, 22, 27 - Jan 5.

96 heritage railway

■ south tynedale railway Narrow gauge, 3½ miles, Alston, Cumbria. Tel: 01434 382828/381696. www.strps.org.uk Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ tanField railway Standard gauge, three miles, Gateshead, Co Durham. Tel: 01913 887545. www.tanfield-railway.co.uk Running: Dec 21-24, 26, 29. ■ wensleydale railway Standard gauge, 12 miles, Leyburn, North Yorkshire. Tel: 0845 450 5474. Running: Dec 21-24, 29, Jan 1.

HOME COUNTIES

■ BuCKinGhaMshire railway Centre Standard gauge, ¼ mile, footplate experience, Quainton Road, Bucks. Tel: 01296 655720. www.bucksrailcentre.org Engine: 30585. Running: Dec 21, 22, 28, 29. ■ Chinnor & PrinCes risBorouGh railway Standard gauge, 3½ miles, Chinnor, Oxon. Tel: 01844 353535. www.chinnorrailway.co.uk Engine: 1369. Running: Dec 21, 22, 29, 31, Jan 5. ■ Cholsey & wallinGFord railway Standard gauge, 2½ miles, Wallingford, Oxon. Tel: 01491 835067. www.cholsey-wallingford-railway.com Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ didCot railway Centre Standard gauge, footplate experience, Didcot, Oxon. Tel: 01235 817200. www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk Engines: 93, 3650, 5322, 6023. Open W/Es + Dec 27-31. Running: Dec 21, 22, Jan 1. ■ ePPinG onGar railway Standard gauge, five miles, Ongar, Essex. Tel: 01277 365200. www.eorailway.co.uk Engine: 4141. Running: Dec 21-23, 28 - Jan 1. ■ leiGhton BuZZard railway Narrow gauge, 2¾ miles, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. Tel: 01525 373888. www.buzzrail.co.uk Running: Dec 18, 21-23, 28, 29.

LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053 running as No. 30108 arrives at Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway with a dining train on December 1. DEREK PHILLIPS

WaLES

■ Bala laKe railway Narrow gauge, 4½ miles, Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd. Tel: 01678 540666. www.bala-lake-railway.co.uk Running: Easter. ■ BreCon Mountain railway Narrow gauge, 3½ miles, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Tel: 01685 722988. www.breconmountainrailway.co.uk Running: Dec 17-23. ■ CaMBrian heritaGe railways Standard gauge, ½ mile, Llynclys Junction. Tel 01352 770413. www.cambrianrailways.com Running: Dec 22. ■ Corris railway Narrow gauge, ¾ mile, Maespoeth, Machynlleth. Tel: 01654 761303. www.corris.co.uk Running: Easter. ■ FairBourne railway Narrow gauge, two miles, Fairbourne, Gwynedd. Tel: 01341 250362. Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ FFestinioG railway Narrow gauge, 15 miles, Porthmadog, Gwynedd LL49 9NF. Tel: 01766 516000. www.festrail.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22, 26 - Jan 1. ■ Gwili railway Standard gauge, two miles, Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthenshire. Tel: 01267 238213. Running: Dec 21-24. ■ llanBeris laKe railway Narrow gauge, three miles, Llanberis, Gwynedd. Tel: 01286 870549. Running: Dec 21. ■ llanGollen railway Standard gauge, 7½ miles, footplate experience, wine & dine, Llangollen, Denbighshire LL20 8SN. Tel: 01978 860979. www.llangollen-railway.co.uk Engines: 3802, 44806, 6430, 7822, 80072. Running: Dec 20-24, 26 - Jan 1, 4, 5. ■ PontyPool & Blaenavon railway Standard gauge, two miles, Blaenavon, Torfaen. Tel: 01495 792263. Running: Dec 21, 22.

■ Heritage Railway cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies or changes within material published in good faith. We advise readers to telephone before travelling long distances. www.heritagerailway.co.uk

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

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UpandRunning RaiLway mUseUms ■ Beamish County Durham. North of England. Open Air Museum. Open: Tues-Thurs, W/Es, except Dec 25. ■ BeRe FeRReRs sTaTiON Bere Ferrers, West Devon. Open: W/Es. Tel: 07813 360066. ■ COL. sTePheNs RaiLway mUseUm Tenterden Station, Kent. Open: W/Es. Tel: 01580 765155. ■ CONwy vaLLey RaiLway mUseUm Betws-y-coed, Conwy. Open: Daily. Tel: 01690 710568. ■ CRewe heRiTaGe CeNTRe Vernon Way, Crewe. Open: W/Es + B/H. Tel: 01270 212130. ■ mUseUm OF sCOTTish RaiLways Bo’ness. Open: Daily Apr-Oct. ■ iRChesTeR NaRROw GaUGe RaiLway mUseUm Near Wellingborough, Northants. Open: Suns. ■ KiddeRmiNsTeR RaiLway mUseUm Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Open: SVR operating days. Tel: 01562 825316. ■ LOCOmOTiON: The NaTiONaL RaiLway mUseUm aT shiLdON Co Durham. Open: Daily, except Dec 24-27 + Jan 1. ■ LONdON TRaNsPORT mUseUm Covent Garden Piazza. Open: Sun-Thurs except Dec 24-26. ■ midsOmeR NORTON Silver Street, Midsomer Norton. Open: Suns/Mons. ■ mONKweaRmOUTh sTaTiON mUseUm Sunderland, Co Durham. Open: Daily. Tel: 01915 677075. ■ NaTiONaL RaiLway mUseUm York. Open: Daily except Dec 24-26. Tel: 01904 621261. ■ PeNRhyN CasTLe iNdUsTRiaL RaiLway mUseUm Bangor, Gwynedd. Open: Daily except Tues. www.nationaltrust.org.uk ■ shiLLiNGsTONe sTaTiON Shillingstone, Dorset. Open: Sat, Suns and Wed. Tel: 01258 860696. ■ sOmeRseT & dORseT RaiLway TRUsT Washford, Somerset. Open: Weekends. Tel: 01984 640869. ■ sTeam – mUseUm OF The GwR Swindon, Wilts. Open: Daily. Tel: 01793 466646. ■ sT aLBaNs sOUTh siGNaLBOx & mUseUm St Albans City station, Open: see website www.sigbox.co.uk Tel: 01727 863131. ■ ULsTeR FOLK & TRaNsPORT mUseUm Cultra, Co Down. Open: Tues-Sun except Dec 23-26. ■ viNTaGe CaRRiaGe mUseUm Ingrow, West Yorks. Open: Daily except Dec 25. Tel: 01535 680425. ■ yeOviL RaiLway CeNTRe Yeovil Junction, Somerset. Open: Certain Sundays and special events.

98 heritage Railway

■ TaLyLLyN RaiLway Narrow gauge, 7½ miles, footplate experience, Tywyn, Gwynedd. Tel: 01654 710472. www.talyllyn.co.uk Running: Dec 22-24, 26 Jan 1. ■ TeiFi vaLLey RaiLway Narrow gauge, two miles, Henllan, Carmarthenshire. Tel: 01559 371077. Running: Dec 13-24. ■ vaLe OF RheidOL RaiLway Narrow gauge, 11¾ miles, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. Tel: 01970 625819. www.rheidolrailway.co.uk Engines, 8, 9. Running: Dec 21-23. ■ weLsh hiGhLaNd heRiTaGe RaiLway Narrow gauge, one mile, Porthmadog, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 513402. www.whr.co.uk Running: Easter. ■ weLsh hiGhLaNd RaiLway Narrow gauge, 26 miles, Caernarfon, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 516000. Running: Running: Dec 21, 22, 27 - Jan 1. ■ weLshPOOL & LLaNFaiR LiGhT RLy Narrow gauge, eight miles, Llanfair Caereinion, Mid Wales. Tel: 01938 810441. www.wllr.org.uk Engines: 822, 823, Running: Dec 21, 22.

SCotLAND

■ aLmONd vaLLey RaiLway Narrow gauge, ¼ mile, Livingston, West Lothian. Tel: 01506 414957. www.almondvalley.co.uk/Railway.html ■ BO’Ness & KiNNeiL RaiLway Standard gauge, five miles, Bo’ness, West Lothian. Tel: 01506 822298. www.bkrailway.co.uk Engine: 246. Running: Dec 21, 22, 28-31. ■ CaLedONiaN RaiLway Standard gauge, four miles, Brechin, Angus, Tel: 01356 622992, www.caledonianrailway.com Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ KeiTh & dUFFTOwN RaiLway Standard gauge, 11 miles, Dufftown, Banffshire. www.keith-dufftown-railway.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22.

■ LeadhiLLs & waNLOCKhead RaiLway Narrow gauge, one mile, Leadhills, Strathclyde, Tel: 0141 556 1061. www.leadhillsrailway.co.uk Running: Easter. ■ ROyaL deeside RaiLway Standard gauge, one mile, Milton of Crathes, Kincardineshire. www.deeside-railway.co.uk Running: Dec 21-24. ■ sTRaThsPey RaiLway Standard gauge, 10 miles, Aviemore, Inverness-shire. Tel: 01479 810725. www.strathspeyrailway.co.uk Engines: 46512, 828. Running: Dec 21-24, 26, 27, 31 - Jan 2.

IRELAND

■ CavaN & LeiTRim RaiLway Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Dromod, Co Leitrim. Tel: 00353 7838 599. www.cavanandleitrim.com Running: Sat-Mon. ■ dOwNPaTRiCK & COUNTy dOwN RLy Standard gauge, four miles. www.downrail.co.uk Running: Dec 21, 22. ■ waTeRFORd & sUiR vaLLey RaiLway Narrow gauge, two miles, Kilmeaden, Co Waterford. www.wsvrailway.ie Running: Dec 21-23. ■ wesT CLaRe RaiLway Narrow gauge, Moyasta Junction, Co Clare.

■ Entries on these pages relate to heritage lines operating public services during the current month. Locomotives listed are those of main line origin expected to be steamable on the railway at some stage during the current month. Entries before Christmas relate almost exclusively to Santa special seasonal services except where indicated otherwise and advance booking for these trains is necessary in most cases.

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

www.heritagerailway.co.uk

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100 Heritage Railway

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Stay a While

Railholiday Haparanda Station, St GermanS, SaltaSH, Cornwall, pl12 5lU. Dave and Lizzy Stroud of Railholiday have been surprised where their passion for rail travel has taken them... but take a trip to Cornwall and you could reap the rewards. After buying the derelict village station of St Germans in 1992, they acquired an LSWR luggage van, to put on a siding and use as a holiday let.

This proved such a hit that in 2001 they found a new site in the coastal town of Hayle, home to Richard Trevithick and centre of the World Heritage Mining Area. “We wanted guests to be able to enjoy both engine spotting and travelling by train, so looked for another station site along the Cornish main line,” says Lizzy.

“This lets us offer £25 off to guests arriving by public transport, with the confidence they’ll be able to get around once they’re on holiday.” This large plot became home to Harvey, a 1950s compartment coach. The Stroud children, Walter, 14, and Poppy, 11, have grown up watching derelict carriages being hauled around the country. After Harvey in Hayle, further projects followed at St Germans; including an ex broad gauge Travelling Post Office that was behind the City of Truro when it broke the 100mph barrier. This was made famous recently when Michael Portillo stayed in it during the filming of Great British Railway Journeys. Railholiday’s latest venture, completed in July, is a clerestoryroofed GWR slip coach, Mevy. With three different classes of compartment, Dave and Lizzy had free

01503 230783/07776 261192

rein to be extravagant; the first class double bedroom is gilded with English gold on maple and mahogany panels and upholstered with sumptuous fabrics. This conversion helped them win silver in the Visit Cornwall Sustainable Tourism Awards and has led to their nomination to represent the South West in the national Visit England awards ceremony in May. Along with their website – www.railholiday.co.uk – Lizzy uses a Railholiday Facebook page to post photos and news. “After completing the wheelchairaccessible GWR brake third and the Taff Valley coach beside it, we’ll be able to start restoring Queen Victoria’s GWR Jubilee carriage,” says Lizzy. With four restored coaches and another six to do, the Strouds won’t be laying up their tools any time soon, much to holidaymakers’ delight.

www.railholiday.co.uk

Old Waiting Rooms tHe old Station HoUSe, 1 BridlinGton road, HUnmanBy, Filey, yo14 0lr With the stunning Yorkshire Heritage Coast on one side and the Yorkshire Wolds on the other, visitors to The Old Waiting Rooms will discover what generations of visitors to the region already know – there’s so much to see and do in North Yorkshire. Monica and John Bridge have transformed the waiting rooms into award winning four-star self catering holiday accommodation. The Old Waiting Rooms retains many original features and has been tastefully restored to comfortably sleep two people for short breaks or full weeks. The 19th century building dates back to the opening of the railway line in

1847 and is built from Hunmanby bricks; the old clay pit is now a haven for anglers and just two minute’s walk away. Also close by are shops, pubs and restaurants and a nine hole pay and play golf course and gym. The acccommodation is all on ground level and there is designated parking. Drying facilities for outdoor gear is also available, while there are covered areas for cyclists and bikers to make sure their mounts are locked and secure. Monica and John also provide bicycles for the use of guests. Inside, the large bedroom has a comfortable king size double bed. All trains stop at Hunmanby, which is on the Heritage Rail Scarborough to Hull

01723 892426/ 07813 101320 102 Heritage Railway

line with trains every hour or so from after 7am until 8.30pm (fewer on Sundays and in low season). Just 1.5 miles from the coast and only 30 mins from the moors, all attractions can be easily accessed by car or public transport and the Old Waiting Rooms offers the chance to explore the Yorkshire Wolds, moors and various seaside towns and villages by train. The whole area has plenty of

picturesque walking and cycling routes. There are golf clubs in Filey and Scarborough, bird watching at the RSPB reserve at Bempton cliffs, Filey Country Park and Brigg, plus sea fishing at Filey. Play and pay golf, gym and a coarse fishing lake are all in the village. So, whether you like a relaxing holiday or enjoy a more active one, The Old Waiting Rooms offers you plenty of opportunities.

www.oldwaitingrooms.co.uk www.heritagerailway.co.uk

Stay a While

Quality Accommodation close to your favourite railways CORNWALL

MID NORFOLK

NORTH NORFOLK

BRIDGE COTTAGES

• Very comfortable cottages • Beside NNR • Quiet rural location • Holt Station 5 mins • Short breaks • Open all year

www.bridge-cottage-holidays.co.uk

Tel: 01263 577847

NORTH YORK MOORS

CUMBRIA

FFESTINIOG/WHR

HEART OF WALES

B&B Trawsfynydd, Snowdonia

R A IL W A Y C A R R IA G E H O L ID A YS

17th Century farmhouse. En-suite converted farm buildings, excellent garden railway. Central for the narrow-gauge railways. Llamas.

Tel: 01766 540397 www.oldmillfarmhouse.co.uk

PENRHYNDEUDRAETH near Porthmadog

Bungalow, sleeps 4, GCH, superb views, available all year. Ffestiniog trains pass below. No pets.

Tel: 01766 770740

Email: [email protected]

NORTH YORKSHIRE

SHROPSHIRE

In th e b ea u tifu lW elsh m a rch es, a tT itley ju n ction sta tion . LU X U R Y S E L F C A T E R IN G C A M P IN G C O A C H E S

WEST SOMERSET

•C oronation Scotssleeper, 1930sLM S carriage,sleepsupto 4 . •A rrow vale sleeper196 0sBR M k1 carriage,2 en-suite bedroom s, sleepsupto 6 .

Tel:01544 3406 22

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MID SUFFOLK

WORTH VALLEY

Bronte Hotel Haworth

YTB ★★★

Short walk to K&WVR line, ample free parking. Comfortable lounges and restaurant.

Double rooms from £45, Singles from £25, En-suite available.

Tel: 01535 644112

To advertise on this page contact Craig Tel: 01507 529310 or email: [email protected]

email [email protected] www.bronte-hotel.co.uk

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Heritage Railway

103

ExprESSgooDS

CLASSIFIEDS

Telephone Craig Amess on 01507 529310 • [email protected]

HErITAgE rAILWAY, po Box 99, HornCASTLE Ln9 6LZ BOOKS

DVD

MODELS

BARRY JONES

FOR SALE

Specialist in the sale and purchase of secondhand railway and steam road transport literature.

Railway timetables, posters, maps, publicity photographs and official items. Model railway and railway collectables always sought.

28 Marine Crescent, Worthing BN12 4JF

Tel: 01903 244655 Email: [email protected]

EVENTS RESTORATION

EVENTS

104 Heritage Railway

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RAILWAYANA

SPECIALIST PAINTS

TRIMMING & UPHOLSTERY

WANTED

WEB WATCH WANTED

The deadline for advertising in the next issue of Heritage Railway is 3rd January 2014 To advertise call Craig on 01507 529310

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Heritage Railway

105

The month ahead Right: BR standard 4Mt 2-6-4t no. 80104 departs from Corfe Castle with a santa special on december 1. DEREK PHILLIPS

Merry

Christmas from all of the team at the santa special season draws to a close on Christmas eve on most railways with only the great Central Railway running its traditional Christmas day dining train. But it’s not until January that volunteers can take a well-earned rest as most railways will be running mince pie trains over the Christmas/new year period, with some lines staging gala events during the post-Christmas period. as always, we will be bringing you the best of the action from across the country as 2013 draws to a close and the heritage lines start their 2014 services.

Heritage Railway will as usual be bringing you all the action from events large and small.

SpECial EvEntS DECEMBER 26, 27: Mid-Hants Railway: CHRistMas leave Join civilian and military re-enactors and witness the relief and joy of returning home from war. Experience the atmosphere of a First World War Christmas, with song, dance, steam and seasonal merriment. 28: BodMin & wenfoRd Railway: winteR steaM-Up The railway’s last steam gala of the season will see an impressive array of steam in action working an enhanced service to help brush off those winter blues; the perfect tonic to end the year. 28: swanage Railway: winteR waRMeR With two passenger sets and a freight train, the locomotives will be LSWR M7 No..30053, Bulleid Pacific No..34070 Manston and Class 33/1 No. 33111.

28, 29: Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway: winteR diesel gala 29, 30: gloUCesteRsHiRe waRwiCKsHiRe Railway: steaM CHRistMas CRaCKeR The line has been unable to run this event for three years because of landslips over the past couple of years and the very bad weather in 2010. However, this year the Christmas Cracker is returning with a vengeance! It will be a mixed-traction event with as many locomotives in action as possible, working to an intensive timetable. JanuaRy 2014 4, 5: llangollen Railway: winteR waRMeR The line will be running an intensive timetable using home fleet locomotives for this new exciting winter event, with a cocktail of double heading, top and tailing and demonstration freights. A special ‘New Year Cheer’ train will run on the evening of Saturday, January 4.

iSSuE 185 iS Out On JanuaRy 16, 2014

HERITAGE RAILWAY iS puBliSHED 13 tiMES a yEaR

Catch up with the latest news, views and great features every four weeks.

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