Heritage Railway 222 2016-11

THE 10 BEST MAIN LINE

STEAM LOCOMOTIVES

ISSUE 222

November 17 – December 14, 2016

New ‘Jacobite’

FESTIVE SP SPECIALS

Llangollen Railway’s

TENDER FOR A

NEW BUILDS

TENNER!

Help get crimson Patriot running in 2018

■ LYNTON & BARNSTAPLE BUYS ‘BLOCKAGE’ HOUSE ■ DAWLISH CAMPING COACHES SOLD ■ POST OFFICE MAIL RAIL: FIRST COACHES ARRIVE

OPINION

Visiting LMS ‘Crab’ 2-6-0 No. 13065 heads a train of LMS stock away from Bewdley past the Tenbury Wells branch junction on the Severn Valley Railway on November 4. JED BENNETT EDITORIAL

Editor Robin Jones 01507 529305 [email protected] Deputy editor Brian Sharpe [email protected] Senior contributing writers Geoff Courtney, Cedric Johns Contributors Fred Kerr, Roger Melton Designer Tim Pipes Reprographics Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production editors Sarah Palmer, Sarah Wilkinson Publisher Tim Hartley Editorial address Heritage Railway Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Website www.heritagerailway.co.uk

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Published Every four weeks on a Thursday. Advert deadline December 1, 2016 Next issue on sale December 15, 2016

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A battle we must all help win

S

EVEN years ago, big-hearted Heritage Railway readers were there at the start of the new LMS Patriot project, when you contributed £60,000 for the casting of the six driving wheels. Now here’s your chance to be in there while The Unknown Warrior heads towards the home straight, by helping finish the tender. Remember The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s ‘A1 for the price of a pint’campaign which asked supporters to donate on a regular basis? Now look at the end result, and how mission impossible was achieved in the form of Tornado. The sight of Tornado on the national network and on heritage lines such as the Severn Valley is truly magnificent, and its construction plugged a glaring gap in our heritage steam fleet. However, the new Patriot will do so much more besides. It will do exactly what it says on the tin – become a living, breathing, travelling memorial to all of Britain’s servicemen and women who gave their lives for their country in two world wars and numerous other conflicts. As such, its nationwide appeal will have a far greater remit than the heritage railway sector alone, in which it will also perform the role of recreating a much-loved extinct locomotive class. In this issue, we are asking you to give a‘Tenner for The Tender’. The LMS-Patriot Project needs to raise another £48,000 to complete the tender by the locomotive’s intended finishing date of 2018, the centenary of the armistice. Those of you who have seen or been lucky enough to ride behind Flying Scotsman in its comeback year will know only too well how crowds have responded to the return of the world’s most famous steam locomotive after a decade. The new Patriot has all the indications of being equally as iconic, if only for different reasons. It may have been designed by the LMS, but the

concept of a National Memorial Engine endorsed by the Royal British Legion will surely appeal equally to followers of all‘Big Four’companies – the man who kick-started the project, chairman David Bradshaw, is a GWR fan who has been involved in the Great Western Society’s new build projects. There’s no doubt that more than a few LMS aficionados will appreciate its first livery, crimson lake. The Unknown Warrior will become an instant national treasure, one that has been created with funding from ordinary people, and the preservation movement’s ultimate tribute to the countless sacrifices that have been made on the field of battle, and undoubtedly drawing crowds from far and wide, ranging from enthusiasts to those who probably have never ventured out to see a steam locomotive in their lives, it will become a new figurehead for our sector for decades to come. Let’s all join this one great battle – to see this stupendous locomotive up and running. If you don’t want to subscribe on a regular basis, you can also make one-off donations. On another tack, the narrow gauge Hythe Pier Tramway might not be on everyone’s radar, does not have steam and running for just a quarter-of-amile, is hardly in the same league as the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways. Yet, unlike most heritage lines, it provides bona fide‘real’(as opposed to enthusiast or tourist) public transport. However, fears have been expressed that a measly local authority subsidy which keeps it running will be withdrawn, and so a new action group has been formed to campaign for its retention, as described on News, page 40. I urge readers to rally round and offer this group any practical support or advice to ensure that they succeed, or the sector will again be the poorer for its loss. Robin Jones Editor

Heritagerailway.co.uk 3

CONTENTS ISSUE 222

November 17 – December 14, 2016

News

3

Headline News

Heritage Railway readers invited to help complete new Patriot The Unknown Warrior by subscribing to new Tenner for The Tender appeal; Patriot to appear in LMS crimson lake; Chinnor & Princes Risborough extension threatened by eviction move, and BR Standard 4MT No. 76084’s first railtours.

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20

News

10

Lynton & Barnstaple buys Parracombe ‘obstacle’ house; new trains arrive as Post Office museum Mail Rail gathers pace; West Somerset could buy freehold under new deal; ‘futuristic’ design chosen for new Great Central museum; Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway reaches Worcestershire; gala action from Severn Valley and Swanage railways and NELPG’s 50th anniversary on the North Yorkshire Moors; group campaigns to save Hythe Pier Tramway; autumn ‘Jacobite’ picture special and Leighton Buzzard opens first purpose-built station.

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CONTENTS: GWR No. 823 Countess approaches Cyfronydd with two replica Pickering coaches, plus three wagons and a brakevan to form a mixed train so prototypical of the line in the period from 1923 up until 1931, on a TimeLine Event photo charter organised by David Williams on October 19. ALAN CORFIELD COVER: LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45407 climbs away from Glenfinnan viaduct with West Coast Railways ‘Jacobite’. ANDREW SOUTHWELL

Regulars Railwayana

48

Centre

58

Main Line Itinerary

69

Platform

84

Off the Shelf

98

Geoff Courtney’s regular column. Welshpool & Llanfair No. 823 Countess by Robert Falconer.

Main Line News

60

New festive season ‘Jacobite’ and complete round-up of all Christmas main line tours; Defiant appeal gets £50,000 in a week; Flying Scotsman for Railway Touring Company summer trips and Sir Nigel Gresley boiler at Llangollen for repairs.

With Full Regulator

66

Don Benn reports on another outstanding performance by Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.

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Steam and heritage diesel railtours.

Where your views matter most. Latest book and DVD releases.

Up & Running

102

The Month Ahead

114

Features Steam’s top ten

Which are Britain’s top 10 steam engines? Brian Sharpe compares the history and performance of the 10 biggest, currently working main line engines in roughly chronological order of the introduction of the class.

50

Guide to railways running in the autumn.

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Llangollen Railway: locomotive building centre of excellence – four new builds on the stocks

78

In recent years the Llangollen Railway has developed a reputation as a centre of excellence for building new steam engines. Allan George investigates how the workshops have become the centre of new locomotive construction to fill in gaps in classes in preservation.

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Banbury‘box closed

88

Martin Creese reports on the closure of the two former Great Western Railway signalboxes at Banbury.

Douro Valley Steam Revival

90

The Great Survivor’s Last Indian Summer

94

Lionel Price reports on the return of steam to this scenic route in Portugal.

NER 9F finale

The 9F 2-10-0 was described as the best of BR’s Standard steam designs. Robert Anderson outlines the history of the class and relates the story of a ride on the last steam-hauled ore train to Consett.

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Geoff Silcock reminisces about the 12 consecutive days in August that saw two Brighton‘Terriers’rostered for more than 500 miles of timetabled running on the KESR.

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HEADLINE NEWS

A tender for a tenner! HELP GET NEW PATRIOT RUNNING WITHIN TWO YEARS

By Robin Jones HERITAGE Railwayreaders are being invited to help get new-build LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 5551 The UnknownWarrior on course for completion in 2018 – by sponsoring the tender with regular donations. Supporters are being asked to contribute £10 a month by standing order. The appeal follows the blueprint of the phenomenally successful‘An A1 for the price of a pint’fundraising scheme launched byThe A1 Steam Locomotive Trust in the early Nineties, which provided the backbone to the financing of Tornado.You will find an LMS-Patriot Project appeal leaflet included in this issue.

Generous readers

The Patriot project was launched in 2008, and in late 2009, Heritage Railway launched an appeal to pay for the casting of the six driving wheels. Generous readers responded by contributing £60,000 which covered the cost.We subsequently arranged a meeting between the project’s engineering director, Steve Blackburn, andTyseley LocomotiveWorks engineering director, Bob Meanley, which led to a deal being reached whereby the Patriot group could borrow the pattern made for LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea when it was based atTyseley.That deal saved the Patriot project £5000. Now readers are being asked to demonstrate their generosity again, to show support for a project that has an appeal and relevance far beyond the filling of a missing gap in the UK heritage

The plan for the modified tender tank. LMSPATRIOT PROJECT locomotive fleet. The LMS-Patriot Project aims to build a new National Memorial Engine to serve as a permanent memorial to the courageous servicemen and women who fought and died in the GreatWar and in all subsequent wars, and have the locomotive make a unique contribution to the 2018 Armistice Day Centenary commemorations. The project has received endorsement from the Royal British Legion and this summer FalklandsWar hero, Simon Weston CBE, was appointed as its first patron. In 2014 an agreement was made with Rowlescourt Engineering of Alfreton, Derbyshire which generously agreed to provide all the labour required for the construction of the tender for which some parts, including the wheelsets and springs, already existed.This work was completed and the frames now sit behind No. 5551 at Llangollen

LocomotiveWorks. The project had originally acquired two original Fowler 2500-gallon tenders that came from Barry scrapyard. However, the chassis from one of them is under restoration at Llangollen with much of the plate work being renewed.The wheels, springs, horn guides and spring mounts have been reclaimed from the original tenders and been refurbished ready to fit.

Increased water capacity

The tender will be to the original pattern but with modifications made to the tank to increase the water capacity for modern main line running.The tank will be 5in wider to increase the water capacity to around 3900 gallons, with a small emergency tank at high level behind the coal space. However the distinctive feature of the Fowler tender being narrower than the 7ft 10 ½in Patriot cab will be retained.

The tank is currently at the design stage and will need approving by the appropriate bodies before materials, profiling and delivery of the plate work can be made, it will also require many more parts including tender axlebox brasses.The project will fit low lever filling connections and in internal firing iron tunnel inside the coal space to replace the original storage racks above the coal space as under 25Kva overhead electric cables there would be conflict.The original water scoop will not be refitted. Space at the footplate end of the tender is being identified for various cabinets and boxes for the electronic signalling equipment. Spokesman, Gavin Shell, said:“We have more than 1000 members so if all of them could donate £10 that covers £10,000, but there is still a major shortfall to make up. “Thanks to the generosity of Heritage Railwayreaders, the LMS-Patriot project managed to get off to a flying start. It would be fantastic if they could help in a major way to help complete another integral part of the locomotive. “Having TheUnknownWarrior ready for the commemorations to mark the centenary of the Armistice in 2018 is one of the most important deadlines that a preservation society needs to achieve.” ➜ Anyone wishing to donate to the project is invited to contact The LMSPatriot Company Ltd, The Hub, 17 Eastgate Street, Stafford ST16 2LZ, or visit www.lms-patriot.org.uk ➜The Patriot and three other new builds taking shape at Llangollen: feature – pages 70-75. ➜ Patriot 2017 calendar now on sale: see Off The Shelf, page 98.

Dawlish camping coach site sold for £261K By Robin Jones A BIDDING war broke out when Dawlish Warren’s camping coach holiday park was sold by auction on November 3. The landmark site in Beach Road, which was set up by the GWR in 1935, and now known as the Brunel Camping Coach Park, was closed at this end of this year’s summer season. The 0.83-acre site, which lies close to a Blue Flag beach, currently has eight coaches converted into chalet-style holiday accommodation, all named after UK cities. At the sale in St Mellion in Cornwall conducted by regional land and property auctioneers, Clive Emson, it was listed with a freehold guide price of £125,000 to £175,000. However, rival bidding pushed the final sale price up to £261,000.

6 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Auctioneer Scott Gray said:“There was tremendous interest in this iconic former holiday park. “The atmosphere in the auction room was electric as bidders fought it out for this truly spectacular opportunity.” The site’s history began in 1935 when a redundant carriage was parked in the station goods yard for rental by holidaymakers but the facility was withdrawn during the SecondWorldWar. Camping coaches were reintroduced in 1952, and by 1959 there were nine coaches stationed there. After 1964, the public camping coach service was withdrawn but the carriages at Dawlish Warren continued to be managed by the British Rail Staff Association for its members. The old coaches were replaced for the 1982 season by the current vehicles, since when the connection to the goods yard

The Brunel Camping Coach Park now has a new owner but the fate of the coaches there remains unclear. CLIVE EMSON has been removed. The current eight coaches, which were extremely heavily modified before delivery, were prepared at Swindon Works and were made up from two old LMS inspection saloons and seven BR Mk.1 coaches released from the catering fleet. It was unclear as to what the new owner intends to do with the site, whether to refurbish and reopen it, or to seek

planning permission fromTeignbridge District Council to redevelop it. Doubts have been expressed as to whether all of the coaches could be removed intact from the site, although it has been said that one of them, based on an LMS saloon, could be extracted as there is no obstruction in the way. If the site is redeveloped and the coaches scrapped, it may be possible to extract components such as the bogies.

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Crimson lake-liveried LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 5537 Sir Frederick Harrison at Edge Hill in June 1937. Lt Col Sir Frederick Harrison (1844-1914) was a British army officer, and railway manager. Aged 20, he became a clerk on the LNWR at Shrewsbury. Rising through the ranks, he became general manager of the LNWR from 1893 until 1906. He then became deputy chairman of the South Eastern Railway. W POTTER/COLOURRAIL

The Unknown Warrior to appear in crimson lake NEW LMS Patriot No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior is to appear in LMS crimson lake livery. That was the overwhelming choice of project members expected to be announced at the LMS-Patriot Company annual general meeting at Crewe Heritage Centre on November 12.

The LMS-Patriot company board took the decision a few years ago to allow members to vote for the first livery that the new locomotive will carry. However, as has been the case withThe A1 Steam LocomotiveTrust’s No. 60163 Tornado, No. 5551 will carry each of the liveries worn by class member during its

Standard 4 main line debut with three February tours BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084 is to make its full main line passenger tour debut in February with three trips for the RailwayTouring Company. No. 76084 has already hauled dining trains on Network Rail’s Bittern Line in top-and-tail mode between its North Norfolk Railway base at Sheringham and Cromer, and has since passed its full tests for running over the entire national network. Operated by West Coast Railways, its first trip will be from Manchester to

Buxton on February 4. The outward journey will be via Blackburn and Copy Pit Junction and the return via Chinley. On February 18, No. 76084 will haul an excursion fromYork to Whitby. February 21 will see a trip from Preston to Buxton and back. The final confirmation of the schedules was being arranged as we closed for press and was therefore subject to change. To book tickets, call 01553 661500.

Now the ‘Jacobite’ runs at Christmas! WEST Coast Railways has embarked on a winter expansion of its trademark ‘Jacobite’services over theWest highland Extension by arranging an extra series of trains over the Christmas period. Twice-daily steam-hauled shuttles will run from FortWilliam to Glenfinnan and

return from December 20-22, and there will be full-length‘Jacobite’services to Mallaig from December 27-29, using ‘Black Fives’, Nos. 44871 and 45407. For the full story about these and all other Christmas specials over the national network: see Main Line News, page 60-61.

first decade in steam.The other liveries are LMS lined black, BR lined black and BR express passenger green. The 52-strong Patriot class first appeared in 1930 and the last was outshopped in 1934.The class was based on the chassis of the Royal Scot combined with the boiler from large

Claughtons earning them the nickname ‘Baby Scots'. The Patriot class took its name from the first of the class to be named (actually a rename), LMS No. 5500.The nameplate stated“PATRIOT in memory of the fallen L.&N.W.R. employees 1914 – 1919.” All had been withdrawn by 1965.

NYMR to establish outstation carriage workshop near Pickering THEcrampedfacilitiesattheNorth YorkshireMoorsRailway’s carriage andwagonworkshophavemeant thatinrecentyearstherailwayhas beenfallingbehindinitsabilityto outshopoverhauledbogies,resulting attimesinashortageofcoachesin traffic. Inabidtorectifythis,theNYMR hasarrangedtoleaseanadditional workshopattheformerSlaters TransportyardatKirbyMisperton,just outsidePickering,whichwillbefully equippedtodealwithbogiesrepair. Itwilldeveloptoprovidefacilities thatwill includeawheellathesuitable forhandlingbothcarriageandwagon wheels. ItishopedthatoncetheNYMR’s

backlogofrepairshavebeendealt withitwillbepossibletooffercontract bogieoverhaulstootherheritage railways insimilarneedofbogie overhauls. TheNYMR’s locomotiveoverhaul facilitiesatGrosmontaresimilarly crampedandtherailwayislooking forsimilaroff-sitefacilitieswhere additionallocomotiveworkcanbe tackled. The SlatersYard at Kirby Misperton is no stranger to railway rolling stock as several South African Railways’ NGG16 2-6-2-2-6-2 Garratts and a pair of NG15 2-8-2s were once stored there before being purchased for eventual use onWelsh Highland Railway.

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Write to us at Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ or email [email protected].

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HEADLINE NEWS

Threat to Chinnor extension as eviction notice served By Phil Marsh THE Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway has, without warning, been given just 10 working days to move seven items of rolling stock from the last 150 yards of the formerWatlington branch. The written legal threat was issued by solicitors acting for Cemex, owner of the former Chinnor cement works and associated land. The seven items of rolling stock are stabled on the line up to the buffer stops, which has been used for over 25 years by the railway for stabling purposes.The items are a LMS, GWRToad and Shark brake vans, a ferry wagon, an LMS Saloon chassis, a three-plank wagon and a mess and tool carriage. Railway officials met representatives of Cemex and their land agent in the last week in October but say legal action was not mentioned.Volunteers were already planning to move the stock but not at such short notice. It is thought that Cemex, which says it has annual sales of around £1 billion, wishes to redevelop the land or sell it to developers and the trackbed is required for road access. If the formation is blocked, it would mean a halt to the heritage line’s plans to extend to a new western terminus next to the M40 at Aston Rowant.

Huge housing estate

Houses have already been built alongside the south-east side of the formation and if building is allowed to take place on the south-west side as well, it would seems that there would be no room left for even a single line extension through what would become a huge housing estate. The CPRR has been told by Cemex that if the seven vehicles are not moved, they will be taken to Birmingham. At the late October meeting, Cemex offered to

The disputed section of track. PHIL MARSH remove the vehicles and store them in the Birmingham area at its cost, for a period to be determined; or even to perhaps pay a sum towards their restoration. It is not clear if this offer still stands. The trackbed of the GWRWatlington branch from the buffer stops half a mile south-west of Chinnor station to the M40 at Aston Rowant two miles away has been reserved for railway use in the South Oxfordshire planning policy RUR 11, which states:“Proposals for the redevelopment of the former Chinnor CementWorks will be permitted provided that they provide for the continued operation of the Chinnor/Princes Risborough railway line and protect the former line to the south-west from development.” And planning policyT6, Clause 9.30 says:“Any scheme should provide for the continued operation of the Chinnor/ Princes Risborough railway line and not

The end of the Chinnor branch, half a mile south-west of the station. PHIL MARSH

8 Heritagerailway.co.uk

prejudice the future use of the disused part of the line to the south-west.” This action by Cemex has potential completion timescale implications for the opening of the new platform at the northern terminus of Princes Risborough as volunteers will have to be diverted onto reconnecting the end of the branch and moving the seven vehicles elsewhere on the railway. In turn, this also affects operating arrangements for the Santa specials which hit record levels last year. If Cemex is allowed to sever the line, blocking the planned extension to Aston Rowant, this will badly hit the railway and future employment as it is not known how long the railway can continue to be 100% volunteer operated.

Very tight timescale

CPRR chairman DannyWoodward said:“If the railway has to divert its resources into attempting to comply with the very tight timescale given by the Cemex solicitors, to reconnect the track and remove these vehicles; it has the potential to jeopardise the running of some, or possibly all of our Santa services.” However, a Cemex spokesman said: “We have been in discussions with the CPRR concerning the seven wagons which are currently on a relatively-small piece of our land and we wish to be removed. “This action will not change in any way the present circumstances and will not prejudice the proposed extension of the line to Aston Rowant. Our discussions with CPRR are continuing and we hope that a resolution can be reached.” Chinnor volunteer professor Karol Sikora, a world-renowned cancer specialist and regular CPRR Santa Claus, said:“I’ve been a volunteer on the line

for over 20 years. Over the last 10 I’ve been Father Christmas on the Santa specials.That little piece of track is vital to the smooth running and reloading of the Christmas trains which are hugely popular. “People come from far and wide and it gives me such pleasure to see the children laughing and enjoying themselves.The railway is a charity run by volunteers like us and has no spare cash.We just want to provide an enjoyable heritage experience for as many as possible so please let us keep our track.” CPRR chairman DannyWoodward added that“this action is at odds with the understanding that we were given when we agreed to the Chinnor cement works development, that Rugby Cement (now Cemex) would not do anything that would interfere with the operation of the railway. “I hope that our experiences will be a warning to other heritage railways and that the CPRR is very concerned at this sudden aggressive stance taken by Cemex.We have now engaged our solicitors to act on this matter.” Danny also said that the comment made by the Cemex representative that the sale of the main parcel of land to the north-west of the railway is dependent on the inclusion of the former railway trackbed, is completely at odds with the Cemex statement. The CPRR highlighted at the public inquiry regarding an earlier proposal by Cemex to place two“crossings”over the trackbed which was withdrawn by Cemex at the time of the hearing.The current determination of Cemex to include this section of land in the sale to the developer, gives the CPRR cause for concern for the future of the site.

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The felling of trees has opened up the classic view at Shap Wells for the first time since the 1960s. LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander tackles the climb with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Cumbrian Coast Express’ on October 15. DAVID PRICE

Rugby Ruth is new RPSI first lady LNER Coach Association grows again THE Railway Preservation Society of there was keen interest and a strong Ireland has appointed Ruth Harper to the field of applicants for this important newly-created post of general manager. post, Ruth proved to be an exceptional Ruth, from Carrickfergus, and who candidate and we are confident was previously visitor service manager that she will bring all the necessary with Ulster Rugby at the Kingspan qualities, knowledge, abilities and Stadium in Belfast, took up her new commitment to the job. position on November 14. “She has considerable experience in At Whitehead, the RPSI is in the areas of hospitality and museums process of developing a new £3.1 which will be an asset to her in this million railway museum, which the new role. We very much look forward society aims to open to the public to working with her and to seeing around Easter next year. Among the Whitehead Railway Museum evolve attractions will be the opportunity into a major tourist attraction.” to see restoration work in progress Ruthsaid:“Ibelievestronglyin on the RPSI’s unique collection of preservingourheritageforfuture steam locomotives and generations,bethatrugby carriages. or steamlocomotives. When the museum Ifirmlybelievewecan opens it will offer audio developthisintothenew tours and multi-media must-seevisitorattraction displays, plus a chance to inNorthernIrelandin2017. examine steam engines “This museum will close up and to walk have a significant impact through historic carriages. on theWhitehead and The society’s aim is to East Antrim tourism attract more than 15,000 offering. It will drive visitor visitors during the first full numbers and generate year of operation. job opportunities as well RPSI chairman Denis as bringing money and RPSI general manager Grimshaw said:“Although Ruth Harper. RPSI spend into the area.”

Hastings unit for New Year’s Eve DEMU ‘Canterbury Belle’ HASTINGS Diesels is to run a special December 31‘Canterbury Belle’trip around Kent with its four-car DEMU set. Because of the short duration of daylight the trip will make a mid-morning start, returning home in time for tea. The trip starts from St LeonardsWarrior Square at an estimated time of 11am picking up at Hastings, Rye, Ashford and then running nonstop to Canterbury East via Dover, the trip terminating at Faversham. Departing Faversham at around 3.30pm, the‘Belle’retraces its outward

route arriving St Leonards at 5.40pm well in time for an evening’s NewYear celebrations. As always, the set will have a well stocked buffet car selling hot and cold food and drink throughout the day. Club class passengers seated at tables receive a midday meal served with wine prior to arriving at Canterbury plus a cream tea on the return leg.The refreshments are included in the price of a ticket, £63 in a motor coach or £58 in a trailer coach. Bookings can be made via www.hastingsdiesels.co.uk

THE collection of vintage carriages associated with the LNER Coach Association has recently grown in both numbers and depth, following the decision of the North Eastern Coach group to become an associate member, bringing with it the group’s unique open third No. 945 which was built atYork in 1923. This vehicle had some of its design features‘Gresleyised’in the course of construction – thus it received Pullman gangways and Gresley bogies. It has been under restoration at Levisham on the NorthYorkshire Moors

Railway for many years and the interior is mostly complete along with much of the exterior. However, it will require replacement bogies (because its wheel tyres are thin) as well as new gangway bellows plus recanvasing of the roof. It is expected that this work will be carried out in around two years’time, when the LNERCA’s current project, ECJS Dining Car No. 189, will be in a state where it can be moved outdoors. When both coaches are complete they will form the basis of an Edwardian dining train.

Steam strikes back this Christmas

IN A statement issued by Steam Dreams, the term‘Steam Strikes Back’is being used to reassure passengers that its Christmas programme will run as planned... despite the strikes currently affecting Southern Rail services. “We have received a number of enquiries following the announcement by the RMT union that there will be six days of strike action this winter including the Christmas period,” said the statement. “We are delighted therefore to say that passengers will not be missing out when it comes to steam hauled‘Cathedral Express’trains in

the build up to Christmas”. The trains involved are‘Cathedral Express’trips from LondonVictoria to Salisbury, November 29, King’s Cross to Lincoln, December 1, Southend to Winchester, December 3, Horsham to Cambridge and Ely, December 6, Victoria to Bath on December 10, Ashford toWinchester, December 14 and finally Steam Dream’s annual Christmas luncheon train around Kent via Dover December 22. All passengers, including premier dining, will be served mulled wine and hot mince pies. ➜ Complete guide to Christmas railtours: see Main Line News, pages 60-61.

Rudyard expansion under way THE owner of the Leek & Rudyard Railway is spending £500,000 on a three-year upgrade programme. Simon Clarke, 45, who bought the former Rudyard Lake Railway, has commissioned the erection of a new

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engine shed this winter. The programme will also include extending the 10¼in gauge line towards Leek and expanding the existing cafe.The works mean the site will not reopen until next spring. Heritagerailway.co.uk 9

NEWS

On the 50th anniversary of the first meeting at the Bridge Hotel in Newcastle, six of the members at that very first meeting came back exactly 50 years later, to the same room, to cut the anniversary cake. From the left: Dave Johnson, Mick Denholm, Chris Smyth, Richard Wheeler, John Shaw and Bob Anderson. MAURICE BURNS

NELPG’s weekend to remember By Maurice Burns THE momentous occasion of celebrating 50 years of the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group as a volunteer society was duly marked in fine style over the last weekend of October, following a year of planning. Fifty years on, to the exact day in the exact same room at the Bridge

Hotel in Newcastle where the group was formed, members gathered to celebrate; some by buying a pint of Newcastle‘Brooon’as they had done all those years ago. In a night full of nostalgia, a birthday cake was cut by six of the members who had been present at the first meeting. It was also appropriately announced that the two remaining founders of the

LNER K1 2-6-0 No. 62005 pulls the empty stock of NELPG’s 50th anniversary gala train into Grosmont station on October 29. MAURICE BURNS

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society – Peter Proud and Kevin Gould were to be made vice-presidents of NELPG. On the NorthYorkshire Moors Railway, NELPG held its own steam gala over the weekend of October 29/30 with three of its engines in use; namely K1 2-6-0 No. 62005, Q6 0-8-0 No. 63395 and J72 0-6-0T No. 69023 supported by B1 4-6-0 No. 61264 and BR Standard 2-6-0 No. 76084. On the Saturday the K1 was reunited

NER J72 0-6-0T No. 69023 pilots K1 No. 62005 past Esk Valley on the 14.12pm Whitby to Pickering on October 30. MAURICE BURNS with the last of the four people who saved it from being scrapped. George Nissen, now 86, inspected the cab at Pickering before taking a ride on the train to Grosmont. A well-attended 50th anniversary dinner at Hardwick Hall included a presentation of a model of the K1 to

George Nissen, right, who together with David Garnock, Geoff Drury and Brian Hollingsworth helped to save the K1 No. 62005 from going for scrap, stands alongside the engine with his son Ed and granddaughter Emily. The thumbs-up was to confirm he made the right decision to donate the K1 to NELPG all those years ago. MAURICE BURNS Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

George Nissen; an after-dinner speech by Steve Davies, former head of the National Railway Museum and music provided by NELPGS’s drummer Ted Parker and his band Jailhouse Jets. On Sunday, October30, there was no let-up in activity as volunteers were on duty doing maintenance while junior volunteers manned a sales stand at Grosmont’s Deviation Shed. Finally a special train for invited guests was hauled by the J72 from Grosmont to Pickering where a second anniversary cake was cut by George Nissen. The whole weekend of celebration coincided with the publication of the new book Keeping North Eastern Steam Alive telling the inside story of this remarkable society.

If you need to drop a hint for a Christmas present – this is it! Copies of the book Keeping North Eastern Steam Alive, priced £20, are available by post from: NELPG, 67 The Mount, York YO24 1AX, post free, cheques payable to NELPG, or from The NOSTALGIA Collection, Silver Link Publishing Ltd, The Trundle, Ringstead Road, Great Addington, Kettering, Northamptonshire NN14 4BW. Telephone 01536 330588

NER Q6 0-8-0 No. 63395, facing north, arrives at Goathland and passes J72 0-6-0T No. 69023 Joem on a saloon special to Pickering. MAURICE BURNS

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New trains arrive as Mail Rail revival gathers pace EXCLUSIVE By Geoff Courtney THE innovative and eagerly awaited Mail Rail project in central London took a major step forward at the end of October, with the delivery of new trains, which next year will take visitors for the first time through the subterranean depths of a former railway that linked the west of the capital with the east. It is part of a £26-million transformation of Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant site near King’s Cross station that will also see the conversion of the railway’s former maintenance and repair depot into an exhibition centre and the creation of a new postal museum. Mail Rail will be a ride of nearly a mile on part of the former 2ft gauge Post Office Underground Railway that ran for 6½ miles 70ft beneath the streets of London from Paddington in the west to Liverpool Street andWhitechapel Road in the east.

Millions of letters

It opened in 1927 and was operated by driverless electric trains moving millions of letters and parcels a day, calling at eight stations that handled mail from central London sorting offices. It never carried members of the public, and indeed many of the capital’s residents and visitors were unaware of its existence, leading to it being dubbed ‘London’s secret railway.’ It closed in 2003 but was mothballed by Royal Mail rather than dismantled or blocked up, and maintenance has been carried out ever since – a decision that has meant next year’s reopening for its first-ever public rides was a viable proposition as part of the ambitious Mount Pleasant redevelopment. The entire project is being managed by 29-year-old Hannah Gledhill, who has under her wing 250 people working to bring Mail Rail and the museum to fruition next spring. She told Heritage Railway:“Converting Mail Rail, which was one of the world’s first narrow gauge, driverless electric railways, into a ride has been a challenging experience.” These challenges, she said, included the railway being below London’s water table and having to lower the floor of the trains to ensure passengers won’t have to duck as the trains move through the seven-foot tunnels. Also required, said Hannah, were modern adaptions to the 100-year-old tunnels – construction started in 1915 although, as the First World War and the resultant shortage of labour and materials, meant the railway didn’t open until 1927 – including fire escapes and ventilation systems. “In addition, the location and

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Train of thought: One of the new trains in the Mail Rail depot at Mount Pleasant near King’s Cross after its delivery at the end of October. Visitors to London will be able to ride through the former Post Office Underground Railway tunnels thanks to a major project that also includes an exhibition centre and new museum. MILES WILLIS/POSTAL MUSEUM & MAIL RAIL structural design of the escape shafts needed to be‘future proofed’around prospective planning applications in the area to minimise disruption to Mail Rail at a later date. One shaft, for example, currently exits into a central London car park which will eventually be converted into residential use.” Much of the railway’s old rolling stock remains mothballed within the disused tunnels, and Hannah said that, with the Mail Rail rides being located at Mount Pleasant in the middle of the 6½-mile network of disused tunnels, allowances had been made in the design to enable old stock to be brought through the location of the public rides should the need arise.

Century-old shaft

The battery-powered trains that will transport the public on the rides were designed and built by Severn Lamb Transportation of Warwickshire.They were delivered to Mount Pleasant in parts and on October 26-27 were craned down to the tracks below through the railway’s original centuryold engineering shaft. They are currently being fully assembled in the depot that carried out the maintenance and repair of the rolling stock throughout the 76 years that the railway operated. Once Mail Rail is open this depot will be the starting and finishing point for public rides, as well as hosting an

Factory fresh: The Mail Rail battery-driven trains are close to completion in the Severn Lamb Transportation factory in Alcester, Warwickshire, shortly before their delivery at the end of October. Inset: One of the train’s driver control panels. POSTAL MUSEUM & MAIL RAIL interactive exhibition telling stories of the people who built the original railway a century ago and worked on it. Dr Adrian Steel, director of the Postal Museum and Mail Rail, said:“The new trains being lowered into the original engineering depot at Mount Pleasant – soon to be the start of the new Mail Rail ride – is a very significant moment on our journey so far, and one that I am extremely excited about. “With the build of the trains being finished off in the tunnels themselves, it

is rewarding to see the depot spring to life again.With Mail Rail and the museum planned to open next spring, it is now possible to visualise how it will look when we open our doors to the public for the first time.” Although the project is being substantially funded by Royal Mail and Post Office, it has been awarded a £4½million Heritage Lottery Fund grant, while a public‘sponsor a sleeper’ campaign has, to date, raised more than £50,000.

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Major exhibits inside the Great Hall are transformed by lighting displays. NRM

Lighting up the workshop with dramatic theatrical effects. NRM

Artist duo light up the NRM’s workshop

THE annual Locos In a Different Light event at the National Railway Museum broke new ground this year – by moving into the workshop. The museum commissioned artists Anna Heinrich and Leon Palmer to create a specific installation for the workshop, calledTravelling Light. Normally, visitors can look down on

engines being stripped, refurbished, repaired and restored, but the pair, collaborating pioneers of large-scale illuminated art since 1991, brought projection, light drawings, film and sound into the working heart of the museum. “We’ve been crawling around to look under the engines to see how we could light the workshop,” says Leon.“We

wanted to make a piece that brought this very special place into focus but doing it in a very contemporary way.” The pair’s previous artworks range from photographic and light installations to large-scale projection events and public art interventions. As usual, the event organisers also worked with theatrical lighting students,

The last GWR steam on BR 50 years ago NOVEMBER marks the 50th anniversary of the last GWR standard gauge locomotives to work for BR. GWR 0-6-0PT No. 4646, which had been sent fromTyseley shed, ceased its work in Wrexham over the weekend ending November 19, 1966 according to the Railway Correspondence &Travel Society’s Railway Observer magazine. A correspondent of the Railway Observer reported that the last 0-6-0PT there, No. 9641, which belonged to the 8750 sub class of the 57XX class, last ran on Saturday, November 26 when it worked the 6.10am goods to Minera. This move constituted the last-ever working by a GWR standard gauge locomotive on British Rail excluding preserved engines. Croes Newydd MPD was the last Welsh steam depot as well as having the last ex-GWR locomotives that worked for British Rail. It may have been that No. 9641 was

The last ‘real’ GWR steam on BR: 0-6-0PT No. 9641 at Croes Newydd on October 7, 1966. JOHN HOBBS kept at work until the civil engineer gave permission for BR Standard Class 4MT 2-6-0s to work on the Minera line. No. 76040 worked the Minera turn

on Monday, November 28, 1966, and members of this class worked shunting turns formerly undertaken by the panniers.

Bus shelter move“could block Poppy Line extension” PLANS to move a bus stop away from the scene of a fatal accident would obstruct any extension of the North Norfolk Railway into Holt town centre, it was claimed. Concerns were raised over an unlit section of the A148 at High Kelling after Michael Rawson, 74, from Holt, died days after he was involved in a collision with a car, shortly after getting off a bus at the shelter opposite the village post office, on New Year’s Eve.

Norfolk County Council now wants to spend £10,000 on removing the bus shelter and creating a new stop and pedestrian crossing point near the line’s current Holt terminus. But Holt deputy mayor Michael Hill told an October meeting of the town council that the new site is on land earmarked by the Norfolk Orbital Railway for the extension of the heritage line. The Holt, Melton Constable &

Fakenham Railway Company has just bought a key section of old trackbed for £25,000, and the NNR project needs to raise another £6000 by Christmas. Coun Hill said:“To put it where there is a possibility of something else happening seems nonsensical.” A council spokesman said:“The appropriate stakeholders and bus companies will be consulted in due course. It is planned that the works will be conducted in spring 2017.”

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giving them the chance to work with museum and lighting professionals.The students were given around a month to research and plan their installations, which included locomotives such as Mallard and Duchess of Hamilton. The free-entry event was part of the annual IlluminatingYork festival held during October 26-29.

IN BRIEF ➜ THE Class 20 Locomotive Society has advertised Class 20 D8057/20057, currently resident at the Midland RailwayButterley, for sale noting that the locomotive is partly restored to working order. Prospective purchasers are asked to contact the seller by email only at sales@ class20locosociety.co.uk but are advised that the successful buyer must remove the locomotive from the site within 30 days of purchase. ➜ RETIRED train driver and engineer, Bill Scatterty, has unveiled proposals to reinstate part of the closed branch from Banff to Portsoy as a new standard gauge heritage line for Scotland. His new group, the North-East of Scotland Railway, is now looking for volunteers, and he is due to meet rail officials and politicians to discuss the plans. ➜ THE South Devon Railway collected more accolades in October – the Herald Express Tourism and Hospitality Gold and Silver awards, and an Outstanding award from the Royal Horticulture Society Britain in Bloom – South West It’s Your Neighbourhood category for its gardens. These awards followed another ‘Excellent’ rating with TripAdvisor. ➜ MID-HANTS Railway-based Ivatt 2-6-2T No. 41312 has been booked to appear in the Severn Valley Railway’s March 17-19 spring steam gala. It will be its first visit to the line in 16 years, and more guest engines are set to be booked. Heritagerailway.co.uk 13

NEWS

LMS maroon liveried ‘Crab’ 2-6-0 No. 13065 passes Hay Bridge on November 6. PHIL JONES

Red ‘Crab’ stars at end of season Severn Valley gala By Paul Appleton and Brian Sharpe

FOLLOWING the success of last year’s Manor anniversary gala, the Severn Valley staged another end of season event on November 4-6, this time with three star visitors. LMS maroon liveried‘Crab’2-6-0 No. 13065 was brought in from the East Lancashire Railway and made a fine sight with the SVR’s unique rake of LMS coaches, while GWR 2-8-0T No. 4270 made a return visit from the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. A last-minute addition to the roster was LNER A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado, which was visiting Bridgnorth to make use of the wheel drop facility but was able to take part in the gala. PortTalbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813 made its gala debut after overhaul while GWR 2-6-2T No. 4566 made its final gala appearance before withdrawal. GWR

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0-6-0PT No. 7714 was unable to take part, due its overhaul over-running. The Friday of the gala didn’t go to plan and an emergency timetable had to be operated, with many trains having to be cancelled, following damage to signalling equipment during permanent way work the day before between Hampton Loade and Bridgnorth. Gala organisers had to work out a new timetable on the eve of the event as the line between Bridgnorth and Highley had to be operated as a single section as trains couldn’t cross at Hampton Loade. The problem was rectified on the Friday and the original timetable was implemented on the remaining two days, although on the Sunday, service ran up to 45mins late after a female passenger became ill and the train she was travelling on had to be held at Highley while an ambulance attended, but all trains did run.

Port Talbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813 speeds towards Foley Park. JAMES CUMMINS Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

Above: LNER A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado crosses Oldbury viaduct as it pulls away from Bridgnorth on November 5. ALAN WEAVER

GWR 2-6-2T No. 4566 pilots 4-6-0 No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor away from Bewdley on November 5. ANDREW BELL Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

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Lymington Class 421 now in Ireland CLASS 421 3CIG unit No. 1498, one of a pair converted for dedicated use on the Brockenhurst-Lymington Pier branch, has been sold by the Epping Ongar Railway to the Glenlo Abbey Hotel in Galway, County Sligo for use as camping accommodation. The trainset was created by South West Trains in May 2005 when it elected to brand and operate the Brockenhurst– Lymington Pier shuttle service as a‘heritage service’using withdrawn slam-door stock. Two trainsets were reduced to three coaches and liveried in BR blue/grey livery (No. 1497) and Southern Region green livery (No. 1498). The operation lasted until May 2010 when the units were replaced by modern Class 158 and Class 450 Desiros and the three-car units were sold into preservation. After withdrawal, No. 1498 was transferred to the Epping Ongar Railway where it was reformed into a four-car trainset and operated as hauledstock for two years until the restrictions of needing a third rail to power the lighting and heating systems forced its withdrawal from service. The train set was advertised for sale in February 2014 and the recent conclusion of the sale saw the unit move by road to its new home on October 14.

Class 31s tour to Mid-Norfolk THE Rail Operation Group has followed up its successful operation of the‘Class 37/8 Thrash Bash’railtour from Derby to South Wales via Worcester behind Class 37/7s Nos. 37800 + 37884 with plans for a railtour to East Anglia on December 30. Taking advantage of its contract to haul Class 442 EMUs to Ely for storage, ROG proposes to use Class 31/1 No. 31233 + Class 31/4 No. 31452 hauling a Class 442 EMU from King’s Cross to the Mid-Norfolk Railway. Once details are finalised bookings can be made through the Vintage Trains website where further details will be posted once available.

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Unblocked!

EXCLUSIVE

By Robin Jones

AFTER 20 years of trying, the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Trust has bought a house which blocks its way to the west. The trust has just completed the purchase of Fairview, a three-bedroom detached house, which stands at Parracombe Halt, and is the key piece of the land acquisition jigsaw in the planned extension to Blackmoor. The purchase, which has removed one of the biggest obstacles in the heritage railway portfolio, means that the trust and sister Exmoor Associates now own all the trackbed between Woody Bay and Parracombe Halt. Fairview was built in 1911, 13 years after the L&B opened, as a wedding present for the village postman. His father, who lived down the lane, had helped build the railway and continued to work for it afterwards. Long after the line closed in 1935, an extension to the house was built across the formation. The garden comes with 200 yards of original trackbed. The trust is to keep the route of the line through the garden of Fairview, and when the time comes, slew the track so that it passes the extension. A member of the trust now hopes to buy the house from it. Trust spokesman Tony Nicholson said:“That lucky chap will soon be able to watch and hear the most delightful narrow gauge trains in England trundle past his back door – the ultimate garden railway. “At the same time he will still be able to enjoy his privacy in the garden at the front of the house with its‘fair view’ down the valley towards the village.” As reported in issue 218, North Devon Council has approved the railway’s plans to buy the Old Station House Inn, the original Blackmoor station, and build a new platform alongside, while continuing to

A view of Fairview on Saturday, August 17, 1935, when Manning Wardle 2-6-2Ts Lyn and Exe, which had been heading packed high-season trains, were taking water at Parracombe Halt behind the photographer at the time. HF WHEELER

Once a major obstacle to through restoration, now Fairview is owned by Lynton & Barnstaple revivalists. TONY NICHOLSON operate the premises as a moneymaking and therefore fundraising venture. The council had already given the trust permission to rebuild the old line from Blackmoor Gate westwards to Wistlandpound Reservoir, on June 15.

The railway is now awaiting the decision of Exmoor National Park Authority on its planning application to rebuild the line from the current western terminus at Killington Lane through Parracombe to Blackmoor.

Isambard Kingdom who? MORE than two-thirds of children had never head of Rocket inventor George Stephenson, according to a new survey. And three-quarters of youngsters did not know who GWR engineer Isambard Kingdom Brunel was. Also 73% of children and almost half of adults questioned in the survey, for the launch of a new travel book Geek’s Guide to Britain, had never heard of JamesWatt, who invented the steam engine, despite his portrait being on the £50 note. Researchers found that many of Britain’s greatest inventors, inventions and places of technological wonder are

being consigned to a forgotten history. The study was carried out among 500 parents and 500 children by the book’s publisher Situation Publishing. In the case of George Stephenson, only 55% of adults and 28% of children knew who he was, and with Brunel, the figure was 53% of adults and 75% of children. One in eight adults and over a third of children did not know it was Sir Isaac Newton who theorised the existence of gravity, the survey found. James Dyson, a household name who features onTV promoting his own innovative cleaning machines, fans and hairdryers, is unrecognised by a third of

the adult population and two-thirds of children. Bletchley Park, where mathematician AlanTuring helped shorten the Second WorldWar by breaking the German war machine’s Enigma code was known to just 46% of adults and 21% of children. Gavin Clarke, editor and co-author of the guide, said:“These are people and places that can inspire us, both individually and as a nation to realise our potential. “We created Geek’s Guide to Britain as a way to reacquaint our nation with these heroes.” The book is published at £19.99.

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Lottery gives £1 million for goods shed

Jubilee to resteam at Penrhyn THE modern-day Penrhyn Railway is to welcome back one of its own. On Wednesday, November 9, 1897-built Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST Jubilee was removed from the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum inTywyn for transport to the 2ft gauge railway at Bethesda where it is planned to return it to steam. The locomotive, originally built to 1ft 10¾in gauge and named after the year in which it was built for the Cilgwyn Quarry in the Nantlle Valley, when Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee, was sold to the Penrhyn Quarry in 1928, where it worked until it was withdrawn in 1955. It was donated to the museum in 1963. It has never been steamed in preservation and was moved out of the museum only when the building was replaced.

A DILAPIDATED Grade II listed Denbighshire goods shed is set to be restored as a major visitor attraction after the Big Lottery Fund Wales awarded more than £1 million in grant aid. The shed at Meliden is to be transformed into a cafe, heritage centre, cycling facility, allotments and space for artists. The scheme was given the go-ahead by council planners in April, and Grwp Cynefin and Meliden Residents Action Group have now secured the £1,093,556 grant to make the idea a reality. Other plans for the shed include ‘time tunnels’reflecting the village’s rich mining, quarrying and railway history. Building work could start as early as summer 2017. Meliden station was located on the 2½mile long Prestatyn to Dyserth branch line close to the centre of the village from which it took its name. Passenger services were withdrawn by the LMS as early as 1930. The shed was closed in 1957 and reopened briefly as a business premises. The line remained open to serve a quarry at Dyserth until 1980, when it was lifted.

Right: For so long a static museum exhibit at Tywyn, Manning Wardle 0-4-0ST Jubilee is to be returned to steam. ROBIN JONES

Pick memorial unveiled at Piccadilly Circus A MEMORIAL to LondonTransport chief executive officer Frank Pick’s iconic designs, which have influenced London travel since 1906, was unveiled at Piccadilly Circus station on November 7. BAFTA-winning andTurner Prizenominated artist duo Ben Langlands and Nikki Bell were commissioned to produce the new large-scale contemporary artwork, called Beauty Immortality, by Art on the Underground (Transport for London’s official art programme) and the

Frank Pick, the visionary London Transport CEO. LTM

The centrepiece of the newlyunveiled Beauty Immortality artwork marking the 75th anniversary of the death of Frank Pick. THIERRY BAL/ TFL LondonTransport Museum. The display, which commemorates the 75th anniversary of Pick’s death, features a 4ft 6in diameter roundel and a 6ft 6in high text of solid bronze letters in Johnston font, which was commissioned by Pick in 1915 and is still used across the capital’s transport network today. Frank Pick (1878-1941) began as head of London Underground in the early 20th century and then expanded the network through amalgamating different railway and bus companies to form the merged LondonTransport in the 1930s. He oversaw what is widely acknowledged to be transport design’s golden age.Through his commissioning of the leading architects, artists and designers of the time, he shaped the visual identity of LondonTransport. His legacy includes the distinctive architectural design of manyTube stations, the classic Edward Johnston

typeface, the iconicTube map, and the bar and circle logo – the roundel – that is recognised all over the world. Outside London, Pick also had a profound influence on urban transport systems all over the world, from Moscow toTokyo and beyond. The memorial was partially financed by a crowdfunding appeal. Museum director Sam Mullins said: “This thoughtful work of art will not only celebrate Frank Pick and his remarkable legacy but will also raise awareness of the significant contribution he made to the capital through his vision for civic design excellence. He is London’s great design hero of the 20th century and at long last we are publicly acknowledging his achievements.” Archive images chronicling Frank Pick’s commissions are on display in a permanent exhibition at the museum in Covent Garden.

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Blue King nearly there? AFTER several years of planning, Didcot’s blue-liveried GWR 4-6-0 No. 6023 KingEdwardI is in the final stages of preparation for its main line debut. The GreatWestern Society is hoping to send No. 6023 to the West Somerset Railway in the spring to allow the new four-jet blastpipe to be fully proven ready for main line service. Other outstanding jobs include work to site the GSM-R portable radio, some wiring, spark guards and the fitting of the firebox water sprinkler. October 15 saw the King used for a railway experience day on Didcot’s demonstration line.

Hut gutted by fire A WOODEN permanent way hut at the Llangollen Railway’s Carrog station was destroyed by fire on the afternoon of November 2. The blaze was started by a spark from an open log fire, said a fire brigade spokesman. Railway general manager Kevin Gooding said that nobody was injured, but paperwork and stock items were destroyed. Heritagerailway.co.uk 17

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‘Futuristic’ design for new Great Central museum

A side elevation of the new £18 Great Central Museum. GCR By Robin Jones THE Great Central Railway has chosen a very modern design for its new national-standard railway museum at Leicester North. The striking design by architects WilkinsonEyre came top out of a shortlist of six, as featured in last month’s issue. The selection panel chose the design after carrying out due diligence procedures, to ensure that the proposed museum can be built within the allocated £18million budget. One of the striking features of the WilkinsonEyre design is that it will provide three two-storey exhibition halls, which all end with viewing galleries with panoramic vistas of Leicester. The new museum will sit on the city’s northern skyline. It will include a turntable to accommodate incoming locomotives on main line charters once the railway’s new bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough, linking it to the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), is completed. Also, unlike other designs, the

Leicester North station will remain where it is – and there will be no physical obstacle to any theoretical future southern extension towards the city centre, as has been mooted by some quarters in the past. It will also mean that the project budget can be concentrated on the exhibitions and their educational benefits, rather than remodelling the station area.

Significant locomotives

The new museum is a partnership between the GCR, Leicester City Council and the National Railway Museum. It will house significant locomotives from the National Collection, alongside the terminus at Leicester North station. A glass wall will allow visitors arriving by train to see into the museum. In 2015, the GCR secured a first round pass from the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of a £10m grant allocation to build the museum. GCR chief executive Andy Munro said: “This will be a museum for the whole of the city and the county and it was vital we consulted as widely as possible before choosing the winning design.

WilkinsonEyre’s scale model of the museum as submitted to the GCR selection panel. GCR

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“There were several key factors to consider: would the new building be the right environment for the intended displays, was it iconic enough considering where it will sit on the city skyline, and of course, does it fit with the project’s budget? “The museum team were set a hard task by such a high standard .of shortlisted schemes, but we’re confident we have chosen the right one.” He added:“This is an important project for the Great Central Railway and represents a new chapter in the 50-year life of the railway. It will help us to further the preservation of the heritage of the GCR whilst at the same time create a new tourist attraction in Leicester, contributing to the ongoing regeneration of the city.” NRM director Paul Kirkman said: “We have a number of irreplaceable locomotives which will go on display within the museum. Famous names like Green Arrow and Butler Henderson deserve to be shown off in a building that is just as iconic, but crucially has to be able to protect the exhibits too. “The WilkinsonEyre design provides

the optimum conditions to display these important items from the National Collection within a building of stunning visual presence.”

Great asset

Chris Wilkinson, of WilkinsonEyre ,said: “We are delighted to have won this project in such a strong competition and we are looking forward to progressing the design, which will be a great asset for Leicester.” WilkinsonEyre, twice winners of both the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize and the RIBA Lubetkin Prize, is one of the UK’s leading architectural practices. Its portfolio of‘bold, beautiful, intelligent’architecture includes the giant-cooled conservatories for Gardens by the Bay in Singapore; the new Mary Rose Museum in Portsmouth; and the Weston Library in Oxford. Current projects include the restoration of Battersea Power Station, new Medicine Galleries for the Science Museum in London, and the reuse of three unique Grade II-listed gasholder guide frames near King’s Cross to provide 145 apartments.

The winning design for the new Leicester North museum. GCR Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

The sole surviving Class 71 – E5001 – due for a new-year facelift at Shildon. LOCOMOTION

Model sales to add funds for restoration of last Class 71 THE National Collection’s Class 71 third-rail electric locomotive E5001 will be cosmetically restored by the team of staff and volunteers at the conservation workshop at the Locomotion museum at Shildon. The Class 71s were designed for mixed traffic use on the Southern Region, with 24 built at Doncaster Works in 1958, following the BR Modernisation Plan two years earlier. Renowned for their impressive acceleration, they were used on the Southern Region’s most prestigious services, including the London to Paris ‘Night Ferry’train and the‘Golden Arrow’service. The Class 71s were withdrawn from service on the last day of 1977. One of the class – E5001 – was preserved as

part of the National Collection. From January, in a project supported by Locomotionmodels.com, E5001 will be cosmetically restored to its preserved livery. A new NRM Exclusive model of E5001 in the preserved livery, produced by Hornby for Locomotionmodels.com as part of the National Collection in Miniature series, is now available, price £159.95, All profits generated from the sale of National Collection in Miniature models are reinvested into the ongoing work to conserve, expand and display the National Railway Collection. For more information on the model, or to order, visit www.locomotion models.com or telephone 01904 685785.

The new Locomotionmodels.com model of E5001. LOCOMOTION

A second steam engineering workshop in Loughborough? ABIDtoturnvacantlandintoa heritagerailwayengineeringsitehas beensubmittedtothelocalcouncil. CharnwoodForestBoroughCouncil hasreceivedaplanningapplication fromLocomotiveMaintenance ServicesLtd,whichisforthe transformationoflandinBakewell Roadthatwaspreviouslyoccupiedby abuildingandroofingmerchant. Theapplicationinvolveda changeofuseforaheritagerailway engineeringsite,withmachinerysuch

aslathesandmillingmachines. LocomotiveMaintenanceServices wassetupinDurhamnineyearsago byDavidTWrightasasteam-fitting operationintheheritagesector, initiallyasalabour-onlycontract service. Thecompanyhashandled boilerwork,machiningof components,whitemetallingof motionandcomponents,axleboxes, andthemanufactureofnewbunkers, tanks,ashpansandcabs.

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NEWS

Foreigners on Southern metals By Brian Sharpe THE Southern Region was always somewhat isolated from other parts of the BR network, and although Western Region engines were a common sight, Eastern and London Midland region engines were rarer on inter-regional workings; either having to cross London or the WR to reach Southern metals. However, the Mid Hants Railway steam gala of October 21-23 saw LMR visitors take centre stage while the Bluebell Railway’s Giants of Steam event on October 28-30 starred visitors from both the LMR and ER. The Mid Hants event which commemorated 40 years since the arrival of the first stock at Alresford, saw LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot and the Severn Valley’s Ivatt 4MT mogul No. 43106 working trains alongside the home fleet although the third visitor, SDJR 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 had superheater problems and was unable to take part. The Bluebell Railway saw Ashfordbuilt LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 plus the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society’s LNER B12 4-6-0 No. 8572 in action alongside the home fleet. It had been hoped that one of the preserved BR Standard Britannia Pacifics would be able to attend but neither No. 70000 Britannia nor No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell were available.

LMS Ivatt 4MT mogul No. 43106 passes Bowers Green Lane during the Mid Hants Railway steam gala on October 22. NICK GILLIAM

LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot departs from Ropley on the Mid Hants Railway on October 21. GRAHAM HUTTON

20 Heritagerailway.co.uk

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Left: Visiting LNER B124-6-0 No. 8572 climbs Freshfield Bank with the 11.10am from Sheffield Park to East Grinstead on Friday, October 28. ANDREW STRONGITHARM

Below: Ashford-built LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 departs from Horsted Keynes on the Bluebell Railway. EDWARD DYER

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NEWS

West Somerset could buy freehold under new deal By Robin Jones

A NEW deal between between West Somerset Railway plc and landlord Somerset County Council (SCC) could see the heritage line buying its freehold. Two years ago, a bitter and acrimonious feud broke out between the plc and the supposedly supporting West Somerset Railway Association after both submitted rival bids to buy the freehold. The council chief overseeing the sale, Coun David Huxtable, was accused of‘cosying up’to the association, but the local authority made a U-turn and withdrew the offer to sell. The association’s board at the time has since been voted out by members and new sweeping changes have been made. In late October, the plc and the county council announced an agreement to secure the railway’s freehold, were it ever

to be offered for sale in the future. The new agreement ensures that if Somerset County Council was to change its current position and consider sale of the freehold, requiring a new decision following due process, an offer for sale must first be notified to the plc, the current leaseholder, and the Partnership Development Group (PDG) representing all the members of the‘railway family’ and local authorities, which was established during 2014.

Best interests

The agreement means that the freehold must be offered to the railway family and its members. Although individual parties could consider a bid, the PDG would be asked to recommend a bidder in the best interests of the railway. The Heritage Railway Association, and Office of Rail and Road would be consulted and asked to endorse any proposals.

Only once this had been completed, and the council’s evaluation of the bid was found to be acceptable, would the sale proceed. If not suitable, the matter would be referred back to the PDG to reconsider. Plc chairman John Irven said:“I am extremely pleased that after a deal of uncertainty about what might happen to the freehold in future, this agreement ensures it will be retained by SCC or if it were to be sold would remain within the WSR railway family to its agreed solution. “The‘triple lock’of PDG, HRA and ORR endorsement ensures that we would have an appropriate monitoring of any proposed sale and that it would be in the best interest of theWest Somerset Railway. “I pay tribute to the SCC leadership for entering into this agreement, and all the members of PDG for giving it their ringing endorsement.” Frank Courtney, chairman of theWest

Somerset Railway Association, said: “TheWSRA has been fully consulted and involved over this matter, and has enthusiastically supported and endorsed the agreement through our membership of the PDG.

Enormous benefit

“I believe it demonstrates the commitment of us all to work together to achieve what is best for theWSR.” The council’s deputy leader David Hall, its cabinet member for business development, and representative on the PDG, said:“We are pleased to have secured this agreement with theWSR family, which confirms that Somerset County Council has and will continue to be supportive of theWSR as a key heritage and tourist attraction of enormous benefit economically to this area, and ensure its interests are protected and supported going forward.”

Proud moment for Leighton Buzzard as first purpose-built station opens THE Leighton Buzzard Railway has opened its new station at Page’s Park. More than £250,000 of the £357,491.11 total cost has been raised from within the railway’s own 430 members and supporters. The balance has come from housing developer contributions to improve local infrastructure, in this case the inclusion of a function room to provide a venue for community groups to use. The building was opened on October 29 by society vice president Alan Moore CBE, a retired London banker and longtime benefactor of the Bodmin & Wenford Railway, and witnessed by guests including local MP Andrew Selous, local councillors, society members and officers of the Heritage Railway Association. Railway chairman Terry Bendall said:“We are all delighted to have

Above: Railway chairman Terry Bendall (left) and vice president Alan Moore outside the new station building on October 29. LBR Right: The official station opening train was heaed by newly restored Orenstein & Koppel 0-6-0WT Pedemoura. LBR our new station at last. As an industrial line serving the sand quarries, the original Leighton Buzzard Railway had no need of passenger facilities, so in building

the new station we have not had to re-create something or build a traditional railway station. “We have, however, taken some design cues from the style of the

other railway in town, the former LNWR. What we have here is, we hope, a building that will meet the needs of our passengers and the local community alike.”

Lottery boost for Beamish Fifties town BEAMISH Museum’s plan to create a 1950s town served by trolleybuses has been given a £10.9million boost by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The town will complement the County Durham venue’s stand and narrow gauge lines, and will be built from houses, shops and other structures relocated from sites all over the North East in rent years. It is hoped the attraction could an extra 100,000 visitors each year by 2021.

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Work is now set to start in winter on the £18m Remaking Beamish project, which will add at least 30 new exhibits and will take four years to complete. Museum director Richard Evans said:“The project is the result of years of careful planning with staff and volunteers working alongside people from across the North East so we can tell their story. “I hope people from all across the country will enjoy seeing the new

exhibits being created in the museum over the next four years.” The new attractions will include the fully operational Grand Electric Cinema, moved brick by brick from Ryhope in Sunderland; a replica of the home and studio of Spennymoor artist Norman Cornish; a block of aged miners’homes; Georgian coaching inn the Three Tuns, which was moved from Scotch Corner and in which visitors will be able stay overnight; a farm moved from Weardale;

a replica of Billingham’s bowling green; and a 1950s trolleybus system to take visitors into the town. A new bus depot will pass on heritage engineering skills. A windmill that was shipped from Sweden to Blyth, Northumberland, and rebuilt to working order, is set to be reconstructed in the 1820s area. Around 100 new jobs are expected to be created alongside more than 1,000 training opportunities, including 50 apprenticeships.

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Steam stars on the small screen RAILWAY heritage has received prime time coverage on two popular TV programmes in recent weeks. BBC1’s Antiques Roadshow team, including presenter Fiona Bruce, hopped aboard the Railway Touring Company’s‘The Hadrian’ tour from Carnforth to Carlisle and York, hauled by A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman in July to film an autumn special. The Antiques Roadshow – Golden Age of Travel Special was broadcast on Sunday, October 30. RTC managing director Nigel Dobbing said:“Welcoming Antiques Roadshow on board was very exciting for the whole Railway Touring Company team. We all love the series.” The Great Central Railway’s Mountsorrel branch also provided the setting for vintage train scenes in ITV’s royal drama Victoria. ‘Queen Victoria’and‘Prince Albert’are seen enjoying their first exhilarating experience of riding on a train through the Leicestershire countryside. A GCR spokesperson said:“We were thrilled when the production company came to us wanting to film scenes for Victoria. The railway looked fantastic and the cameras really picked out the unique charm of the branch line.”

Right: A scene for Victoria being filmed on the Mountsorrel branch, behind replica Liverpool & Manchester Railway 2-2-0 Planet from the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester. MOUNTSORREL RAILWAY

Right: Presenter Fiona Bruce boards No. 60103 Flying Scotsman to film the Antiques Roadshow special. BBC

Appeal to bring a locomotive back to Vulcan Works A COUNCILLOR has launched an appeal for residents to help a locomotive to be displayed at the formerVulcanWorks in Newtonle-Willows. The site is now a housing development and sports club, and efforts are being made to commemorate its rich heritage. The last standard gauge locomotives were built by GEC Traction at the works in 1976 as part of an order to supply to British Steel.

One of the six-wheel diesel-electric shunters was named after the type’s designer the lateWalter Urwin, a Newton-le-Willows man. Newton councillor Seve Gomez-Aspron sourced the WalterUrwinlocomotive, works number 5414, British Steel 251, following Redcar Steel Mill going into administration, and has been gifted it on behalf of the current owners. No. 251 is currently located in Hartlepool and a campaign has been launched to bring the loco home and

display it on a length of track donated by Network Rail at the entrance to the Vulcan site TheVulcanWorks was one of the biggest locomotive manufacturers and exporters in the world before its closure in 2002. An information board outlining the history of theVulcan site will be located onVulcan ParkWay. Anyone who can help is invited to contact Coun Gomez-Aspron on 07740422469 or cllrsgomez-aspron@ sthelens.gov.uk

Fresh hopes for Aberystwyth-Carmarthen revival A FEASIBILITY study into reopening the GWR cross-country route between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen has been allocated £300,000 in the Welsh Government’s budget. Campaigners hope to re-establish a 90-minute service between Aberystwyth, Lampeter and Carmarthen over the route at an estimated cost of £500 million.The route

was axed by Beeching in 1965, A train journey without the proposed route takes about six hours. The Gwili Railway occupies part of the southernmost section of the route, while the northernmost few hundred yards into Aberystwyth station is now used by the Vale of Rheidol Railway. A spokesman for campaign group Traws Link Cymru said:“This is the

breakthrough we’ve been waiting for. Reopening the railway would bring social, cultural, and environmental benefits, and would provide an economic stimulus to west Wales. ”It would help alleviate transport poverty in the region, provide a safer form of transport, be a significant boost to tourism, and lead to improved connectivity.”

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IN BRIEF ➜ THE planned public referendum on the future of the site which includes Brunel’s South Devon atmospheric railway pumping station at Totnes is to go ahead on November 23, South Hams District Council has confirmed. Local group Atmos Totnes aim to restore the pump house and use the rest of the former dairy site for a mixture of affordable housing and business units. For more information visit: http://atmostotnes.org/ referendum ➜ A CEREMONIAL oak silvermounted wheelbarrow and spade from the Llanfyllin Railway has sold at auction for £4100. The pair was presented to Dugdale of Llwyn, Llanfyllin, by contractor Thomas Savin to mark the cutting of the first sod of Llanfyllin Railway on Friday, September 20, 1861.The item went under the hammer in auctioneers Halls’ country house auction in Shrewsbury on September. It was bought by a Mid-Wales collector. Heritagerailway.co.uk 23

NEWS

West Coast HQ added to English Heritage ‘at risk’ list By Robin Jones THE former Carnforth steam depot has been added to Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register, in a bid to protect steam-era buildings on the site. The Carnforth Conservation Area is said to contain“a remarkably intact collection of railway buildings” including the engine shed and also the concrete ash plant and a coaling plant, built by Italian Prisoners of War to modernise the depot. The Grade II structures are said to be unique in Britain and in need of serious attention to conserve them. The LMS developed the Carnforth Motive Power Depot in 1944 on the site of a former LNWR depot. Its comparatively late build date led to its long-term use and it did not finally close as a BR depot until early 1969, some months after the end of steam. The late Dr Peter Beet had the idea of preserving both the Lakeside branch and Carnforth MPD, to provide a complete steam operating system;

Flying Scotsman at Carnforth in 1982 with original single chimney and without the current German-style smoke deflectors. DAVID INGHAM/ CREATIVE COMMONS however, the two became separate entities, the depot – later billed as Steamtown Railway Museum – housing an ever-growing number of preserved locomotives from 1967 onwards. In 1974 Sir William McAlpine became a shareholder in the company and based Flying Scotsman – then in his ownership – there for many years. He later acquired a controlling interest in the museum company, in order to fund the purchase of the complete site including the track from BR. Subsequently, in 1990, Sir William’s controlling stake was sold to West Coast founder David Smith, who eventual bought out the majority of the minority shareholders. Because of tightening health and safety regulations and greater use of the site for what it was intended, a main

line depot, in 1998 the museum closed as a visitor attraction, since when there has been no public access, apart from an impressive open weekend in 2008. Also added to the English Heritage

register is the Duddon Iron Furnace near Broughton-in-Furness, one of the most complete surviving examples of an 18th century charcoal-fired blast furnace in England.

Bishop blesses Talyllyn’s ‘new’ diesel Keef Ltd’s works near Ross-on-Wye for re-gauging to the Talyllyn’s 2ft 3in gauge. The third is being used for spares. Both operational locomotives will eventually be fitted with air brakes to allow them to work a passenger train in an emergency. St Cadfan has been repainted in Indian Red livery similar to that currently carried by the Talyllyn’s two original steam locomotives Talyllyn and Dolgoch. It is planned that the other locomotive will also be repainted and named Trecwn in due course.

ON Sunday, October 30, the Bishop of Bangor, the Rt Revd Andrew John, formally named the Talyllyn Railway’s latest diesel, Baguley-Drewry fourwheel shunter No. 12, St Cadfan, at Tywyn Wharf station. The name was chosen to commemorate St Cadfan who established a Christian community in Tywyn 1500 years ago, and the short ceremony was part of the celebrations taking place this year to mark the event. The bishop performed a blessing on the locomotive and then unveiled the nameplate before anointing the

locomotive with a bottle of bubbly. Among the guests were those who had been involved in bringing the locomotive to Tywyn from the ex-Royal Navy Ammunition Depot at Trecwn in South Wales. Built in 1983 it was part of a class of seven diesels used on the 2ft 6in gauge railway at Trecwn. Upon the closure of the depot three of the class were purchased by a consortium of Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society members in 2008, and brought to Tywyn where they remained in storage at Tywyn Wharf station. Two were sent to Alan

Saving the S&DR

Appeal launched to save Haughley station

A GRADE II listed bridge that once carried the 1825 Stockton & Darlington Railway is on track to be restored in time for the 200th anniversary of the first journey. Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register said that good progress has been made on Brusselton Incline thanks to local volunteers from the Brusselton Incline Group over several years. Elsewhere, a Grade II listed 1840s S&DR engine shed in Darlington is being converted into new mews-type houses as part of an £8 million development. The shed, believed to have been designed by GeorgeTownsend Andrews, the architect ofYork station, on a site just off Haughton Road will be converted by the Railway Housing Association.

24 Heritagerailway.co.uk

A £200,000 appeal has been launched to buy a second Mid-Suffolk Light Railway station for preservation. The Central Suffolk Railway Society was formed just over a year ago with the intention of seeking council assistance in preserving the original site of Mendlesham station on the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway which, although it had been used by a haulage company for some years, still had the route clear for the permanent way to be saved. Representation was made with a view to preserving the course of the railway along the northern edge of a proposed small housing development. However, society officials were advised that their plan to rebuild the section of

line from Mendlesham back to its original terminus at Haughley was not feasible and so no assistance was forthcoming from Suffolk County or Mid Suffolk District councils to save this part of the line and the station area.The site is now being developed as a small housing estate and the route is lost. However, the society since resurveyed the route, walked the almost complete trackbed and drew up plans for the development of a heritage line. An alternative route around Mendlesham has been devised, and the station site at Haughley which had been operating as a manufacturing plant for building blocks appeared to be deserted. However, the Haughley station site,

The Bishop of Bangor anoints No.12 St Cadfan with bubbly during the naming ceremony at Tywyn Wharf station. BARBARA FULLER

which is crucial to the society’s plans, is now up for sale, and the society is now appealing for £200,000 to buy it. Society spokesman Roger Fouracre said:“Without this site we are unable to terminate the line in a meaningful location and unless we can secure a part of the site it will be lost for good. “Like the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Museum and their demonstration line we are attempting to develop an attraction where none exists.” ➜ Anyone wishing to contribute to the Haughley Station Site Appeal or who wants to get involved in this project is invited to contact the Central Suffolk Railway Society at [email protected]

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NEWS IN BRIEF ➜ THE local fire brigade took part in a special exercise simulating a head-on crash between two trains on the Colne Valley Railway on October 27. Staff from Halstead, Sible Hedingham, Thaxted and Wethersfield fire stations undertook Exercise Midnight Express, a simulation which involved rescuing 11 passengers, all with injuries, from carriages that were on fire and heavily smoke-logged. ➜ THE Great Central Railway’s November 19-20 Last Hurrah of the Season gala will feature six locomotives in steam, with double-headers and in addition to main passenger services, there will be a local passenger train and two goods trains on both days. ➜ THE toilets at the Talyllyn Railway’s Abergynolwyn and Tywyn Wharf stations have received awards in the annual Loo of the Year contest, the former a platinum award. General Manager Tracey Parkinson said: “Providing first class facilities is essential in today’s tourism market.” ➜ THE builders of new B17 ‘Footballer’4-6-0 No. 61662 Manchester United have taken delivery of a new smokebox at their Mizens Railway base at Woking. The first 60 rivet holes, where the boiler will eventually fit, were successfully marked out and drilled. ➜ THE Dales Diesel Group, owner of Class 31s D5600/31435 and No. 31119, have restored D5600 to operating condition after a lengthy overhaul.

Bluebell ‘blocked’ A GAUGING issue is preventing heritage locomotives and stock reaching the Bluebell Railway over the main line. Network Rail said that there is a problem at Dormans station two miles from East Grinstead, where the heritage line joins the national network. A Network Rail spokesman said:“There is a restriction placed on heritage stock due to an insufficient gauging clearance between the track and the platform. “Restrictions through Dormans is not a new issue. Class 66 diesels have been banned for many years.” Network Rail is looking at platform alterations to ease the current gauging restrictions and is working up a scheme to better understand the costs involved. Subject to funding, it will be working to deliver these improvements by the end of the financial year. Depending on how quickly Network Rail reacts to the problem at Dormans, the planned Steam Dreams trip from the Bluebell Railway to Oxford and Worcester behind David Buck’s B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower on March 18 may need to be rearranged.

26 Heritagerailway.co.uk

TV’s Mark Evans joins ‘Betton Grange’ team TV presenter Mark Evans peers out of the boiler from No. 7927 Willington Hall. The boiler has had its non-destructive testing carried out at Llangollen and tenders are currently being received for its overhaul for use with No. 6880 Betton Grange. DAVID HUNTBATCH/6880

No. 6880 Betton Grange’s front end with the front bogie now reattached following recent reassembly. The item in the foreground is the refurbished weigh shaft which is also now in between the locomotive’s frames. MICK PRIOR/6880 By Paul Appleton VET turnedTV presenter and documentary maker Mark Evans has joined the team that is building GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange as project ambassador. Mark is perhaps best known as the presenter of Pet Rescue (351 episodes) and Dogs:Their Secret Lives. He also created the Is Born format for Discovery Channel Europe, with such series as A Car Is Born and A Plane Is Born. He also created a restoration series calledWreck Rescue covering a range of vehicles restored from scrap condition to their former glories. In 2000 he founded JungleTV. His work has been seen in over 70 countries around the world. Inside Nature’s Giants and the recent Operation Maneater are other well-known documentaries – the latter screening on Channel Four last year in which he was clipped by a crocodile and lost his front teeth.

Raising public awareness

Mark was introduced to the locomotive, directors and members of the volunteer engineering team on Saturday, October 15 at Llangollen. He has agreed to help raise public awareness of the project through a variety of publicity opportunities and the possibility

presents itself to work with him to produce a documentary about the new-build Grange through to its first steaming, which is expected to be during the latter part of 2018. The group’s engineering director, Chris Moore, has been assisting Masterpiece Models produce an O gauge model of the Grange, while in a separate development the group have commissioned an O gauge limited edition wagon in the livery of a local coal merchant, as its latest fundraiser. It is also seeking expressions of interest in producing an N gauge model of No. 6880 BettonGrange,again by local company Dapol, all of these helping raise funds. The group’s next major fundraising event is theWarley Model Railway Exhibition at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham on November 26-27, where Betton Grange will be making its first public appearance away from Llangollen, with the boiler from No. 5952Cogan Hall having been cosmetically restored and lowered into the frames, thus creating the first chance to see a‘complete’Grange since the last was cut up in the mid-1960s, albeit without a tender. Andrew Goodman, of Moveright International, has greed to sponsor the movement of the locomotive to the NEC for its appointment with around 15,000

visitors. Meanwhile, the Grange 225 Club Boiler Appeal has passed the £160,000 mark and tenders are now being received for the overhaul of the boiler from Modified Hall No. 7927 Willington Hall.

Engineering efforts

A budget of £225,000 was decided upon to include new superheater elements and a full set of new tubes. However, the boiler is said to be in very good condition, having seen little use since it was built, and therefore the cost of overhauling it to main line standards may not be as much as first feared. Recent engineering efforts have seen the locomotive reassembled after the previously-reported horn guide alignment issue was rectified by Llangollen Railway Engineering, and has since continued with the assembly of the brake gear, including fitting the vacuum reservoir between the frames, with the weigh shaft and much of the inside motion also now assembled. Pressure testing of the new cylinders is now awaited so that the refurbished pistons, valves, cylinder end covers and connecting rods can also be assembled, although this is not likely to happen until 2017. Efforts are currently focused on attaching as many parts as possible to make it appear as complete as possible for the NEC event.

Do you have hidden treasures for sale? A PAIR ofTV engineering detectives are on the hunt for forgotten and hidden treasures tucked away in the sheds of Britain. Travel Channel presenters Henry Cole and Sam Lovegrove are about to film their next series and while in previous series they’ve concentrated on classic motorcycles and vehicles, now they are widening their search for any great examples of

engineering, from stationary engines to replicas locomotives to tractors – in fact any hidden gems that may have been covered up or forgotten for years.

Top-rated show

Their programme, Shed and Buried, isTravel Channel’s top-rated show. Once they have made a deal for an item they return to their very own

shed to restore it and often have a bit of fun with it, before selling it on at a price that will hopefully make a profit. If you want Henry and Sam to visit you or your organisation then all you need is a shed or two full of anything interesting. Just make sure something is for sale. To contact them call 01367 810764, or email info@ hcaentertainment.com

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‘Tin Bath’held at Wigan THE RailwayTouring Company’s latest‘Tin Bath’excursion from Preston to Sheffield via Manchester hauled by‘Black Fives’No. 44871 and No. 45407 was held on its return journey atWigan following a death on the track. The driver of the 1.40pm Euston to Glasgow train reported that he had hit a person on the Down fast line at 4.58pm on Sunday, November 6. All trains were suspended betweenWigan and Preston and the line reopened at 8.49pm. As a result, the‘Tin Bath’arrived back at Preston 55 minutes late. In total 124 trains were delayed, including seven full cancellations and 14 part cancellations.

Visiting GWR 2-8-0T No. 4270 emerges from Foley Park tunnel with a Matt Fielding photo charter goods train on the Severn Valley Railway on November 7. KARL HEATH

Netflix films once more on the Great Central Railway INTERNET streaming company Netflix has been back to the Great Central Railway to film a second series of its hit period dramaThe Crown about the Queen. As reported in Heritage Railway issue 213, scenes for the first series were filmed on the line in February.The first series, which begins before Elizabeth’s accession in 1952 and runs until 1955, was first streamed on November 4 and immediately received rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The series stars Claire Foy as the young Queen and former Dr Who Matt Smith as the Duke of Edinburgh. On November 7 filming restarted at locations all along the heritage line, with a sequence at Quorn & Woodhouse station. The series may have provided the GCR with its biggest-ever stage as California-based Netflix has 86 million viewers worldwide.

The Crown actors take a break from filming at Loughborough Central in February. ROBIN JONES

Horse tramway stables on the market DOUGLAS Borough Council has decided to sell the stables used by the port’s world-famous horse tramway. The decision has angered transport enthusiasts on the island, and comes at a time when the council relinquished control of the 3ft gauge promenade line after earlier saying it would be closed due to continued losses. The council instructed local commercial property agent Chapman & Co to sell the Summer Hill stables site, which, described as a“prime development opportunity”includes the

three cottages that front the original 1877 stables building developed by tramway founder and proprietor Thomas Lightfoot. After the council’s decision to cease operations in January, the tramway has been operated by the Manx government via Isle of Man Railways. However, the government-approved proposals for the future operation of the tramway do not include the purchase of the stables from the council. Conservationists fear that the stables will be demolished and replaced by yet

more offices or apartments on Queen’s Promenade. The 2016 tramway season drew to a close on Sunday, October 30, with the last tram of the day being hauled by Mark, the oldest and smallest of the horses. For the occasion he wore an illuminated collar, because the clocks going back meant that the last service ran in darkness. Afterwards, the horses were taken to their winter grazing fields where they will stay until the line reopens next spring.

Armed police arrest man at Quorn & Woodhouse ARMED police swoopedontheGreat CentralRailway’s Quorn&Woodhouse stationcarparktoarresta23-year-oldman forpossessionofafirearm.

The man was detained after 12.30pm on November 6 after concern was raised for his welfare. A ball bearing gun was recovered nearby, but police said he had

not threatened anyone with it.Theman, whoisnotlocal,waslaterfreedonpolice bailbutpolicesubsequentlydecided that nooffencehadtakenplace.

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New to board KIDDERMINSTER solicitor Peter Copsey has joined the Severn Valley Railway Charitable Trust board of trustees. A partner in the company commercial division at MFG Solicitors, Peter first travelled over the line with his father in the early Seventies. He said:“We should not underestimate the importance of the SVR to our local economy, bringing in 250,000 visitors to the area every year. Whilst I don’t claim any level of practical engineering knowledge, I am a heritage railway enthusiast and want to do everything I can to ensure this wonderful piece of our history continues for future generations to experience.”

Derailment halts railtour HERTFORDSHIRE Rail Tours’ Forgotten Tracks‘Andover Fist’Class 66-hauled trip from Waterloo to Southampton Docks, Fawley and Ludgershall came to an abrupt halt when the train’s generator coach became derailed. The incident happened on the single line stretch between Northam Junction and Canute Road crossing on Saturday, November 5. At 10.12am all the wheels of generator coach M35469 and the leading axle of coach M3098 were derailed. All passengers were transferred from the derailed vehicles and were taken back to Eastleigh at 2.10pm. There were no injuries. Heritagerailway.co.uk 27

NEWS

No. 45407 returned to Fort William too late to be turned after working an SRPS train on the Borders Railway. Consequently, the engine faced out of Mallaig for a couple of days and is seen leaving the terminus on October 12. DAVID PRICE

‘Black Fives’ on

‘The Jacobite’

28 Heritagerailway.co.uk

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No. 44871 crosses Glenfinnan viaduct . STEVE SIENCOWICZ

By Brian Sharpe THEWest Coast Railways’‘Jacobite’service on the 42-mileWest Highland extension from FortWilliam to Mallaig continues to go from strength to strength. The season is getting longer each year, and with additional weekend services – and even two trains every day, with two different engines for much of the season – there have never been more opportunities to travel on or photograph steam trains on the route. As the autumn colours become ever more spectacular, photographers are drawn to the line in increasing numbers towards the end of the season. Motive power in recent years has consistently comprised of Ian Riley’s LMS ‘Black Five’4-6-0s Nos. 44871 and 45407, plus the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group’s LNER K1 2-6-0 No. 62005. Right: No. 45407 departs from Corpach with the ‘Jacobite’ on October 24. KARL HEATH Left: No. 45407 accelerates away from Fort William past Mallaig Junction on October 24. KARL HEATH Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

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Heritage Railway is Britain’s most vibrant rail news magazine, covering all aspects of the UK preservation as well as stunning contributions from the UK’s top lineside photographers. Guarantee your copy by subscribing Robin Jones, now. Editor

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NEWS

Railway photographer’s delight as he secures iconic collection By Geoff Courtney LEADING steam and diesel photographer Norman Preedy is celebrating the acquisition of what he describes as one of the most significant collections ever to have come onto the market. Norman, 73, has bought about 25,000 negatives from renowned photographer Brian Green, who photographed lineside scenes over more than six decades, from Nationalisation until three years ago. Brian, 85, is known to generations of enthusiasts and trainspotters by his caption credit BKB Green, but is now in ill health, and has decided to sell his iconic collection to Norman, so fulfilling a promise he made long ago. Brian became a trainspotter in 1943 when he was living in Enfield, north London, and in August 1948 joined BR as a junior clerk at Liverpool Street, being taken under the wing of official Eastern Region photographer RoyVincent.

Christmas present

That December Brian was sent by his boss, HJ Goodchild, to collect a package off a Leeds train at King’s Cross. An unsuspecting Brian was to discover that the package contained his Christmas present – a Doncaster worksplate from LNER 2-8-2 No. 2394, one of only two members of the Gresley-designed P1 class. Built for heavy freight work, the engine emerged to traffic in November 1925 and was withdrawn in July 1945; Brian was to treasure this reminder of his early railway career for more than 30 years. The following year he got another surprise at King’s Cross, when RoyVincent – Brian refers to him to this day as Mr or REVincent, in the courteous manner ingrained into youngsters of that era – took him to the London terminus. “We went onto platform 10 and carried on down the ramp and across the tracks to the locomotive servicing point, and there I was with MrVincent in an area

London-bound: LNER A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman waits for the right away with the 2.10pm from Manchester London Road to Marylebone on February 28, 1953. The shot is a favourite of photographer Brian Green, who recorded the scene when working at the station during a 29-year railway career. BKB GREEN/NORMAN PREEDY ARCHIVE the public wasn’t allowed access to,” explained Brian, speaking as if he could still hardly believe his good fortune 67 years later.“That was my introduction to railway photography.” Later in 1949 the family moved to Manchester, and Brian started a new phase in his career at London Road (Eastern Region) station, working in a number of clerical roles and forging a link with theWoodhead route to Sheffield that was to last until he left the railways in 1977 –“it was being so run down by then” – to work for the Automobile Association. His memories of this line include riding through the three-mileWoodhead tunnel on the footplates of A3 No. 60104 Solario and B1 No. 61380, the latter journey being seared in his memory. “The B1 was amazingly rough, and as we neared the tunnel the driver told me to get down on my haunches and put a hankie over my mouth. I have never seen anyone work so hard as the fireman, and it was a dreadful experience.” In 1959 he married Margaret, a shorthand typist at London Road, by which time his railway photography was

Pacific power: LNER A4 No. 60017 Silver Fox speeds towards King’s Cross between Grantham and Peterborough with an Up express on July 16, 1955. This section of the ECML was one of photographer Brian Green’s regular locations, which he was able to access due to a lineside track permit. BKB GREEN/NORMAN PREEDY ARCHIVE

32 Heritagerailway.co.uk

blossoming. Due to his work he was given a lineside track permit covering a wide area, including Manchester to Rugby and Doncaster to King’s Cross, and the East Coast Main Line became his favourite haunt, especially in the Grantham and Retford areas.

Meticulous records

“I always had my camera with me,”he said. Among his favourite photographs is a 1953 shot of No. 60103 FlyingScotsman at Manchester London Road on a Marylebone express – his meticulous records even record the actual train the A3 was working – and there is also unique LNER U1 Beyer-Garratt No. 69999 heading a freight train out of Dewsnap yard, near Guide Bridge, Manchester, on the electrifiedWoodhead route. Brian, who lives inWarrington, may now be frail physically but his mind is razor sharp, and he vividly remembers riding behind the locomotive in the guard’s van from Guide Bridge toWoodhead and back in the early-1950s when the 2-8-8-2 had been newly out-shopped from Gorton after overhaul.

Of his promise to Norman that he would have first refusal on his collection when he decided to sell, Brian said: “Norman always assured me he would keep it.”And was he sad at seeing it go? “The best part of my life went with it,”he added. Norman said that Brian’s 25,000 negatives had swollen his own collection to nearly 100,000.“It is without doubt one of the most significant collections to have come onto the market for some time. I wasted no time when I had a call in September that it was available, and I am delighted I now own it.” Norman was a trainspotter in the 1950s –“we didn’t spot trains, we spotted engines”– and became seriously interested in photography in 1961. His father Joe joined the GWR as a lorry driver in 1935 and retired in the mid1960s when a guard at Gloucester. Norman worked for Gloucester City Council for 34 years, latterly as archivist in the legal department, and photographed every member ofWarship dieselhydraulic Classes 41, 42 and 43,Western Class 52, and the Class 55 Deltics.

Right: Giant unleashed: Railway photographer Brian Green was on hand to capture unique U1 2-8-8-2 Beyer-Garratt No. 69999 as it headed a freight train out of the sprawling Dewsnap yard on the electrified Manchester to Sheffield Woodhead route on October 11, 1953. Brian remembers with pleasure riding behind the giant 178-ton locomotive in the guard’s van from Guide Bridge to Woodhead and back. BKB GREEN/NORMAN PREEDY ARCHIVE Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

Success for railway artists after opening hiccup By Geoff Courtney ONE of the Guild of Railway Artists most successful annual exhibitions closed its doors at the SevernValley Railway on October 2. It followed five weeks of substantial public interest and buoyant sales of the works on display, which culminated in two paintings being sold even as the exhibition was being dismantled. Thepositivevibeswereincontrasttothe hiccupontheopening dayon August27,when PeteWatermanwas scheduled toformallylaunchproceedings. ThepopimpresariowasdelayedbyBBC workandunabletomakeitontime,but bygoodfortune Brigadier CharlesSmith, arailwayenthusiasthimself,happened to bepassingthevenue–theSVRmuseum atKidderminster–andsteppedintothe breach toperformanunrehearsedformal opening. In his address Brigadier Smith, who holds the George Medal, explained how he had been walking past the station

when he was hijacked to perform the opening. On a more serious note, he spoke of his interest in the Cuneo Society and of the preservation and restoration of the renowned artist’s paintings, and revealed he had created a Cuneo-themed lounge area in his local village restaurant. During the ceremony John Austin, the guild’s president, said the exhibition, Railart 2016, was the 12th hosted by the SVR. He described the venue as the guild’s ‘home’and the museum as an iconic, exciting and historic building.

Love of paintings

This formal opening ceremony was followed later in the day by a Mk2 version, when PeteWaterman arrived after his delay and spoke of his love of railway paintings over and above what a photograph could give, by allowing an artist free rein in the interpretation of a scene. As the exhibition wound down on October 2, guild publicity officer Rob

Duchess at night: Visitors to the Guild of Railway Artists Railart 2016 exhibition voted as their favourite this painting by John Austin of LMS Princess Coronation No. 46240 City of Coventry speeding south at Tamworth with a night-time express from Scotland.

Quick success: The distinctive style of Emma Safe is illustrated by this charcoal drawing of a scene on platform 3 of Bristol Temple Meads station, which Emma sold at a Guild of Railway Artists exhibition only days after being accepted as a member. Pulham said:“It was extremely successful and a great credit to our new exhibitions’ officer, Anna Bastin. More than 20 of the 50 paintings on display were sold in all price ranges, from the lowest priced to the most expensive.” Two members joining in the celebrations were James Green and Emma Safe, each of whose work was sold. Both are associate members – Emma having been accepted only days before the formal opening – and were exhibiting for the first time. James’work in acrylic inks and gouache was titled‘Duchess – CityofLeeds’and Emma’s‘BristolTemple Meads, Platform 3’ was drawn in charcoal on paper . Emma, who is 42 and graduated from Liverpool Art School in the 1990s, works as a full-time artist from her home and studio in theWest Midlands. For her railway drawings she works in situ at the station, setting up her easel among the passengers. “Working from the real allows chance

and the unexpected to enter my drawings,”she said. “It catches us, if only for a fleeting second, in between places, somewhere between ourselves and the lives we might have made or are yet to make. “I try to capture a sense of this.”

Quality praised

The best-in-show award voted by visitors went to a painting by John Austin of LMS Princess Coronation No. 46240 CityofCoventry on an Up nighttime Scottish express atTamworth. David Postle, curator of the SVR museum, praised the quality of the works of art on show and reported a higher number of visitors during the five weeks of the exhibition compared to last year. The guild was founded in 1979, and now has members, either full-time artists or those who create their work in their leisure time, throughout the UK and overseas, including Europe, North America and South Africa.

Calls to save‘historically-significant’Great Northern Railway tunnel A DISUSED tunnel between Bradford and Halifax has been designated as a Historical Engineering Work by the Institution of Civil Engineers. Queensbury Tunnel, which was engineered by Leeds-based John Fraser for the GNR in the 1870s, may become part of a cycleway if local campaigners get their wish. The tunnel opened in October 1878 and at 2501 yards it was the longest on the GNR’s network. Ten workers died during the tunnel’s four-year construction. It has not been used by trains for

almost 60 years, is flooded at one end and said to be in danger of collapse. After closure, it was used as a seismological station by Cambridge University. It was once owned by British Rail Board Residuary Ltd, and when that organisation was wound up in 2013, ownership transferred to the Highways Agency, which may decide to fill it with concrete and seal it up. Norah McWilliam, leader of the group campaigning to save the tunnel, said:“We are delighted to hear that the panel for Historical

Engineering Works recognises the tunnel’s importance as a fabulous feat of engineering. “We ought to value this tunnel – and others like it – because of the role it could play in encouraging people to adopt more sustainable forms of transport. “The custodians of this remarkable structure have a moral responsibility to fully explore all avenues before consigning it to the history books. “We should grasp that opportunity with both hands. We hope Bradford Council will stand alongside us in

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questioning why public money is being used to destroy a valuable asset like Queensbury Tunnel.” Peter Harris, tunnels convenor on the panel for Historical Engineering Works, said:“Queensbury Tunnel is a regionally significant structure because of its history, scale and construction. “It was one of the first railway tunnels to benefit from the use of a rock drilling machine which helped the miners to drive a section of heading at a rate probably four times faster than using hand drills.” Heritagerailway.co.uk 33

NEWS

NBL – home to steam locos and First World War tanks By Geoff Courtney THE First World War military role of one of the UK’s most prolific and famous locomotive builders has come under the spotlight after the unearthing of rare photographs of the factory manufacturing tanks and munitions alongside steam engines This combined war and peace scenario was played out at the North British Locomotive Company’s Springburn site in Glasgow, and involved the construction of Mark VIII tanks, towards the end of the conflict, as well as land mines and shells. The first tank used on a battlefield was the British-built Mark I during the Battle of the Somme in September 1916. A development of a prototype was constructed the year before by Lincoln agricultural machinery company William Foster & Co, and although they were mechanically unreliable and slow were capable of navigating obstacles such as trenches and barbed wire that foiled wheeled vehicles.

Manufacture was slow

These were developed as the war raged, and by 1917 a Mark IV version was being produced, and the following year came the Mark VIII, a joint British-American design with a range of 50 miles and a speed of more than 6mph.The tanks would have been at the heart of the planned 1919 offensive, but their

Full steam ahead: North British Locomotive Co’s main erecting shop in Springburn, which towards the end of World War One was used for the manufacture of Mark.VIII tanks, in full production in 1918 with locomotives for the Madras & Southern Mahratta Railway of southern India. NBL PRESERVATION GROUP COLLECTION manufacture was slow and by the end of the war in November 1918 only a few had been built. However, North British played its part by building seven of them before the cessation of hostilities, and a prototype,

with Rolls-Royce engine, was tested in the presence of Winston Churchill, then Minister of Munitions. A photograph of these in construction was published in NBL’s First World War manufacturing book, a rare copy of

which has been donated to the NBL Preservation Group by Aileen Robinson, whose grandfather was presented with the publication by the company’s directors. Aileen’s grandfather was James McGregor, who joined Dübs & Co as an apprentice fitter at Queen’s Park works in Polmadie, Glasgow, in 1902, a year before the company merged with two other locomotive manufacturers in the city – Sharp Stewart of Atlas works and Neilson Reid of Hyde Park works, both in Springburn – to form North British, so creating the largest locomotive manufacturing company in the world outside of the United States.

Youngest chargehand

War and peace: First World War Mk VIII tanks being built in the North British Locomotive works in Springburn, Glasgow, in 1918, alongside steam locomotives, just visible on the right. NBL PRESERVATION GROUP COLLECTION

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At the age of 22 James became the youngest chargehand appointed at that time at Queen’s Park works, and, away from his day job, as an 18-year-old, he had played for Parkhead Football Club, one of the city’s leading junior football teams. Aileen told Heritage Railway that her grandfather, known as Jimmy, was born in 1887 in Glasgow, where he spent most of his life. He remained with NBL for his entire career, working his way up to assistant works manager at Hyde Park works before retiring in 1953. His son Alex, also joined NBL as an engineer in the drawing office after the Second World War prior to becoming an arbitrator for the Engineering Employers’ Federation.

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Giant of the track: North British Locomotive Co assistant works manager James McGregor in about 1953, the year he retired, with a South African Railways’ Class GMAM 4-8-2+2-8-4 Garratt, built by the famous Glasgow manufacturer. A rare copy of an NBL book of the company’s role in the First World War has been donated to the NBL Preservation Group by James’s granddaughter. AILEEN ROBINSON COLLECTION

Tanks and locos: The cover of the North British Locomotive Co publication recording the firm’s manufacturing output during the First World War, which included a photograph of tanks being built toward the end of the conflict. NBL PRESERVATION GROUP COLLECTION “My knowledge of grandfather’s work at NBL is scant as I only really remember him being retired. He did tell me, however, that he had been involved in transporting locomotives from one works to another within Glasgow and other nearby areas while bombs were being dropped, presumably during the Second World War. “He also told me about the time after World War One when he transported a locomotive to Lisbon, and when he arrived he was asked to stay as they wanted the benefit of his expertise. However, he stayed for only a short while as he didn’t want to cause any upheaval to his family back home. “He was a regular churchgoer and teetotal and was proud of his achievements at NBL, and worked long hours, but he enjoyed family life and was happily married for more than 60 years,” said Aileen, who is retired and lives in the Scottish borders. She said she had fond memories of railway journeys from her family home in the Ayrshire village of Fairlie to Glasgow to visit Jimmy, who died in 1981 at the age of 94, two years after his wife Jesse. Another more recent rail journey also gave Aileen some pleasure, when she travelled this summer on the Fort William-Mallaig‘Jacobite’, which she

was delighted to see was pulled by 1949 NBL-built LNER K1 2-6-0 No. 62005. Aileen said she also asked her uncle Alex about his work at NBL. “Although he achieved a lot in his career, he commented once that when he worked there he knew he would never be as good an engineer as his father, my grandfather.”

Military hospital

In addition to building tanks and other armaments, NBL played a further major role in the First World War by turning over its administration and drawing office HQ, opposite Hyde Park works, for use as a military hospital. It was run by the Red Cross, and its five wards treated no fewer than 8000 soldiers. Despite the terrible effects of the war, NBL still managed to build 1412 steam locomotives for home and overseas during the conflict. Ken Livermore, secretary of the NBL Preservation Group, said:“We are deeply indebted to Aileen for donating such an historic and very rare book. It provides a fascinating insight into the varied range of activities carried out at Springburn to support the war effort between 1914 and 1919, and NBL’s Herculean efforts to maintain output during this very difficult period.”

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Heritagerailway.co.uk 35

NEWS

Massive response to new SVR £2.5m share issue Prototype CDA wagon No. 353224. WILLIAM SNOOK

Appeal to save historic wagon A CROWDFUNDING appeal to buy a prototype Merry-goRound hopper wagon has been launched. The NationalWagon Preservation Group hopes to preserve the prototype CDA wagon No. 353224, which is currently up for sale by DB Cargo, converted from a HAA Merry-goRound coal hopper. The two prototype wagons were built at Darlington works in 1964 and 1965 respectively, following which several large batches were constructed at the nearby Shildon works. A total of 11,162 MGR hoppers were built, but only 17 remain, with 14 preserved. No. 353224, which was used to carry china clay to Fowey Docks, is stored alone in‘River Road’at St Blazey. Those wishing to help save this iconic wagon are asked to visit: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/ saving-british-rail-engineeringhistory-353224

MORE than 1200 people registered their interest after the Severn Valley Railway launched its £2.5 million share issue to fund major development plans for the line’s Bridgnorth terminus. The phenomenal demand came on November 1, when 2.5 million shares, valued at a price of £1 each, went on sale for a period of 12 months. The entire proceeds are destined to provide much-improved visitor facilities while conserving and enhancing the architectural integrity of the distinctive neo-Jacobean style station built in 1862. The Bridgnorth Development Programme sets out three key work phases, the first two of which will be funded through share offer proceeds, starting with the construction of a new refreshment room and toilet building. Designed in the style of a typical GWR ancillary building dating from circa 1900, the construction will use traditional materials. In addition, early stage works will see alterations to the existing Grade II listed buildings to increase space within the trackside pub, the Railwayman’s Arms, as well as the relocation of the existing shop to allow for the reinstatement of the original booking hall and waiting room. Extensive tree planting activities will complete the first phase of planned works. The second phase of the development will see the installation of the former

Bristol (Bath Road) turntable in the locomotive yard offering, for the first time, the opportunity to turn locomotives at the northern end of the 16 mile line, offering great potential to the motive power department as well as a genuine spectacle for visitors. Additional public realm improvements include the removal of incongruous modern sheds, opening up access and views to the Scheduled Ancient Monument of Pan Pudding Hill, the station and the distinctive skyline of historic Bridgnorth town.

“The real appeal lies with the chance to take ownership of an important piece of living history” PhaseTwo plans also include improvements to customer car parking to the west of the existing boiler shop and enhanced road access enabling SVR to target more customers living to the north and east of Bridgnorth, considerably increasing the potential visitor catchment area. PhaseThree of the Bridgnorth Development Plan, although not the subject of the imminent share offer, will

be a new accommodation building, based on a‘modern movement’design built by the GWR for its staff at Didcot in 1944. General manager Nick Ralls said: “I think September’s Pacific Power event has certainly helped boost interest in the share offer “There is also the added appeal of buying shares, rather than simply donating money. Shareholders become owners of a little bit of the railway. Of course buying shares offers other more tangible benefits such as travel concessions. “But I think the real appeal goes beyond even the very satisfying act of helping preserve the heritage for future generations and lies with the chance to take ownership of such an important piece of living history. “Encouragingly work has already started at Bridgnorth even though the share offer has only just launched. “Whether you are looking to buy many thousands or a few hundred shares, rest assured you are investing in an enormously important piece of railway preservation that not only respects the historical integrity of this extremely important site but also brings the facilities needed to engage future generations of railway enthusiasts.” ➜ Full information about the share offer can be found at www.svr.co.uk/shareoffer

Duffield station as it was in 2002 (left) and in the summer of 2016. EVLR

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway opens new southern terminus booking hall THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway has opened its new Duffield station booking hall. On Wednesday, October 19, in front of a crowd of volunteers, civic dignitaries and invited guests, leading benefactor Norman Boulton, a Derbyshire man who now lives in Berkshire, opened the new building. The booking hall replaces the basic facilities that had been provided since the line from Wirksworth had

36 Heritagerailway.co.uk

been reopened in 2011 into a new, purpose-built facility that provides a shop, shelter and the potential for catering facilities. The small tin hut serving as the booking hall had long outlived its usefulness. The project was initiated in 2015 by the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Association, the railway’s charitable arm. Starting in March that year, the project took a sub-group just a year to raise the £25,000 required for a

purpose-built structure, which has now been erected. Association volunteers painted the building, laid paths and have begun to fit out the interior of the building. The opening of the new booking hall saw it handed over to line operator WyvernRail plc, which will lease the building from the association at a peppercorn rent. On February 5, the railway opened what is believed to be the oldest

operational railway booking office in the world, in a building known as The Old Tannery, at Wirksworth. The line has also taken delivery of the former Oddingly crossing signalbox – an original Midland Railway structure that was brought immediately to Shottle on October 26, the day after it was decommissioned by Network Rail. Shottle is a temporary location until the signalbox is commissioned.

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Curwen 2-6-0 No. 4 Isambard Kingdom Brunel heads a passenger train on the Royal Victoria Railway.

Steam haulage day a treat on the Royal Victoria Railway By Don Benn THE Royal Victoria Country Park at Netley, next to Southampton Water, is a popular place for walking and relaxing... and near to the tea rooms and chapel is the mile long 10¼ in gauge Royal Victoria Railway, which operates at weekends throughout the year and daily in the school holidays. Trains are nearly always hauled by one of the Class 52 Western outline diesel-hydraulic locomotives: indeed, it is very rare indeed to find steam working there as this is usually kept for special occasions and driver experience days. Seeing a steam-hauled train on the RVR has eluded me in the eight years that I have lived in the area.

Driver experience

However, a check on the railway’s website at the start of this autumn suggested we might be lucky on September 25 as a driver experience day was planned, so we set off mid-morning with hopes of at last catching steam. As we walked up the path to the entrance and engine shed there were none of the tell-tale signs of steam, but on arrival sure enough there was 2-6-0 No. 4 Isambard Kingdom Brunel standing outside the shed but not in steam.

However, it was apparent we were in luck as young RVR volunteer Matt was busy loading wood into the firebox. Enquiries of the other staff produced the information that Matt would be taking the engine on a couple of circuits of the main line at around lunchtime, accompanied by another RVR volunteer, Helen, who was busy helping to prepare No. 4.This engine was built in 1977 by David Curwen for the ill-fated Age of Steam Railway in Crowlas, Cornwall, and has recently had a full overhaul.

Handling well

Helen and I were soon chatting about the comparisons between a 10¼ inch gauge locomotive and one on the main line and she also told me that this would be Matt’s fifth driver experience day. He had obviously learnt well as his handling of the engine, now with a full head of steam, within the yard confines was very competent. Time for me to go lineside and renew my acquaintance with the many spots where good shots can be taken though much of the circuit is in trees. After two round trips light engine in-between the service trains being hauled by D1000, Matt and Helen took No. 4 back to the main station (named Piccadilly) where I thought that proceedings would finish.

No. 4 at Kirk station. But more and better was to come as Helen told me they were going to take charge of a passenger train replacing the diesel-hydraulic and after ensuring that they were coupled up and ready to go I departed at some speed for my favourite spots to catch some images.

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In fact at least two circuits were completed before we had to leave but not before I had thanked Matt, Helen and the other staff for their help.This little-known railway is continuing to develop but is desperate for more volunteer help and financial support. Heritagerailway.co.uk 37

NEWS

Edging closer to Broadway as county boundary is crossed By Robin Jones

THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has crossed a county boundary for the first time, as its new northern extension has reached Worcestershire. Tracklaying on the extension to Broadway crossed the county line between Little Buckland and Peasebrook Farm bridges, at a point not accessible to the public. At the same time, the railway’s Broadway:The Last Mile funding share offer has reached the £880,000 mark. In October, the railway took delivery of its third of three orders for brand-new steel rail, purchased from the recentlyrenamed British Steel (formerlyTata) rolling mill at Scunthorpe. With Network Rail concrete sleepers already in stock, it has sufficient track materials to complete this year’s work programme, getting ever closer to the tourist honeypot of Broadway. It is the first time since it was lifted by BR in 1979 that the track has crossed the county boundary. The railway is officially called the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway because its long-term ambition is to restore as much of the former Cheltenham (Gloucestershire) to Stratford-upon-Avon (Warwickshire) line as possible.The route of the railway crosses the Worcestershire-Warwickshire boundary north of Honeybourne. Permanent way director Lee Alibone said:“Crossing the county boundary

The tracklaying crosses the Worcestershire boundary near Little Buckland. G/WR is a huge boost for the railway and especially for our volunteer permanent way gang. “They’ve been working flat-out to lay countless concrete sleepers, each weighing nearly a quarter of a tonne, then clipping the rail to them and welding the joints together. “Now, we are literally within sight of Broadway station, approximately threequarters of a mile away! “The line is being laid to the highest possible standards. Not only are we using brand-new, flat-bottomed rail exactly the same as on the national network, but we are continuously

welding it, which will reduce maintenance and future-proof the line for generations to come. “We are also using thousands of tonnes of stone ballast which comes from a Forest of Dean quarry. And we are using track aligning and levelling equipment provided by specialist contractors, to make the line ready for trains. It’s exactly the same kind of kit that is used on Network Rail.” Three years ago, the heritage line refurbished the five bridges between Laverton, the then northern extent of the line, and Broadway at a cost of over £500,000.

LMS 4F 0-6-0 No. 44123 under restoration at Bitton on the Avon Valley Railway, with work progressing on the tender while the cab has been completed. Work on the locomotive itself is progressing. ANDREW MURRAY

Did my uncle drive Flying Scotsman? A SEARCH for information about a former FlyingScotsman driver has been launched. Nora Smalley, 91, who lives in Nottingham, is desperate for information about her uncle, Charles Thomas Mitchell, known asThomas Mitchell or plainTom. He joined the LNER in theThirties and was employed at Peterborough New England shed for about 20 years. His descendants believe that he once drove No. 4472. He is believed

Meanwhile, construction of the new station building at Broadway by the Broadway Area Group of volunteers is also steaming ahead with the aim to have it finished by the time the track reaches the town. Lee added:“We are certainly well on target to complete the extension by 2018. Given the progress we are making, you might expect us to finish the job sooner. “However, the current share issue must reach its £1.25 million target to ensure this, while there remains a huge amount of work to do before trains can run. “But the work we have completed so far, to the highest professional standards, just shows what can be achieved by volunteers with good planning and determination. “When it’s finished it will bring a huge economic boost to the region. “This is such a worthwhile project that will put Broadway firmly back on the railway map. For the first time since 1960, Broadway people will be able to catch a train to Cheltenham!” The railway is planning a grand opening of Broadway station in the spring of 2018. Meanwhile, the special Broadway:The Last Mile share offer remains open until April 2017. ➜If you are interested in subscribing to the share offer, visit www.gwsr.com which has full details including the offer document and an application form.

to have been a senior driver in later years and may have also worked at Grantham and King’s Cross. Tom, who lived at 2Wilberforce Road in Peterborough, died in 1962, aged 69. “We have tried everywhere to find details of UncleTom’s history but have found nothing,” said Nora. Anyone who might be able to help, or know a source of relevant archives, is asked to contact the Heritage Railway office on 01507 529326 or email [email protected]

IN BRIEF ➜ MARTIN Walker’s Class 55 Deltic No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey has been renamed once more and has traded its No. 55007 Pinza guise for that of No. 55018 Ballymoss. It bore its new identity on October 18 while en

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route from the Nene Valley Railway to its new base on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. ➜ CROWBOROUGH & District Lions Club has donated £5000 to Crowborough Miniature Railway’s

extension programme in recognition of the importance of the venue’s contribution to the social and economic life of the town. Once completed, the railway will be more than doubled in length.

➜ CLASS 37/0 No. 37263, currently resident at Tyseley Locomtive Works, has been sold and is mooted for transfer to the Telford Steam Railway at some future date.

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Above: On the site itself, the new road for Welsh Water to access its treatment works, eliminating one of the extension obstacles, makes progress and some laying of track panels above the subway access location has proceeded. Capstones have now been added to the bridge railing utilising stone recovered from the redundant bridge 31, the former access to the water treatment plant. Further track panels forming the Down side of the terminal loop will be progressed shortly to extend the existing headshunt into the planned platform area. GEORGE JONES Right: Julie McNamara with her painting at the subway construction site with Richard Dixon-Gough, leader of the project team. GEORGE JONES

Artist Julie gives ‘vibrant’ life to new Corwen station A PAINTING of the Llangollen Railway’s new Corwen Central station has been unveiled. Julie McNamara, a retired resident of Corwen with a lifelong passion for painting, took on the task of executing an artistic impression of how the terminal station at Corwen will look

when all the work on the project is completed in 2018. Her painting was presented to the volunteers on site at the entrance to the recently installed subway access point which is adjacent to the town’s car park. It shows how the ground level access will connect with an elevated platform to be

Main line‘Black Five’withdrawn early SEVEN years into its main line ticket, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has withdrawn LMS‘Black Five’4-6-0 No. 45428 for overhaul. A recent change in boiler certification rules means that main line-registered engines can no longer eke their certificate to 10 years by heritage railway-only running. An end-of-season surfeit of engines on the NYMR has enabled No. 45428 to be withdrawn promptly at the end of the running season and a rapid start has been made on the overhaul. The boiler had been lifted from the frames within a week of withdrawal using the NYMR’s 45T steam crane and the locomotive’s frames are also at an advanced stage of stripping. It has been suggested in the past that No. 45428 might be in need of at least one main frame

plate as a result of past derailment damage and might possibly need a completely new set of frames but these are unlikely to made and fitted at this overhaul, although the opportunity will be taken to measure and assess the frame in readiness for possible future replacement. The boiler work required on No. 45428 is not expected to be extensive as it was‘bottom out’at its last major repair. It was expected to require little more than retubing, although inevitably, once out of the frames and subjected to closer scrutiny, more repair work than expected is likely to be found. No. 45428 is expected to miss the 2017 season but return to traffic in 2018, a year that should prove to be a bumper year for the NYMR with Nos. 34101, 60007 and 825 all expected to be returning to service as well that year.

Modified electro-diesel under test THE testing of the Class 73/9 RVEL/Loram conversion of No. 73951 has moved a further stage with the trials of the locomotive at Weymouth in mid-October on the third rail network.The test locomotive was accompanied by Class 97/3 No. 97301 which towed the Class 73 back to Derby at the end of the trials.

built on top of the embankment relative to the arrival of a train in the station. Julie said:“It gives today’s visitors an appreciation of the task in hand and the ultimate railway facility which is being created.” Corwen Project leader Richard DixonGough, said:“ Julie has done a terrific job

of converting my hastily drawn sketch of our ideas for the station into a vivid representation of how the new station facility will look when it is open. “She has injected life into the scene to produce a vibrant impression of how visitors will access the island platform to join the train at Corwen.”

Friends group gives £35k boost for EMU project THE Friends of the National Railway Museum group has donated £35,000 to a project to restore a two-coach EMU. In 2014 the Network SouthEast Railway Society in partnership with the NRM launched the major restoration to museum standard of two-coach 2HAP unit No. 4308 which saw service on the Southern Region and Network SouthEast from 1959 to 1994, under the banner of Project Commuter, Part of the national collection for many

years, it is now recognised as being its most travelled and most used vehicle. After stripping the interiors of all seats, the coaches were moved to the Locomotion museum at Shildon where for the past year work on the restoration of the bodies had been carried out, while atYork, a small team of volunteers have been busy restoring the interior fittings. The project team has a target of £50,000 to raise.

Work on motor coach No. 61275 is progressing well with the workshop side of the vehicle almost complete. This includes very smooth metalwork after many weeks of welding and finishing and the doors undercoated and all swinging. The worst doors were those on the guards compartment which have now been completely rebuilt. PROJECT COMMUTER

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NEWS

Campaign launched to save world’s oldest pier railway By Robin Jones A CAMPAIGN has been launched to save Hampshire’s Hythe Pier railway and its connecting ferry. Fears have been sounded that the ferry is unlikely to continue operating because of falling passenger numbers and the cost of repairing and maintaining the historic pier. However, a petition launched by Hythe resident Maggie Blight in October gathered more than 5000 signatures in a week before presenting it to Hampshire County Council (HCC). Maggie Blight, an administrator who has used the ferry for 22 years, said:“The whole community has sponsored planks – people celebrate birthdays, marriages, engagements on the pier. “We can’t just let it go to rack and ruin.

increase in traffic

“The reason the numbers have dropped off is that they (HCC) don’t have a proper contingency in place. Sometimes you get a replacement bus with 19 seats, sometimes a 52-seater, so people couldn’t rely on it to get to work. “But 2500 homes are going to be built in Fawley, and there’s a new Lidl coming to the centre of Hythe.There’s going to be a great increase in the amount of traffic on the A326.” The ferry and pier railway service received £55,000 a year in subsidies from Hampshire County Council, but councillors in Southampton have stated

The train which runs over the quarter-mile-long Hythe Pier Railway. HPT&FAG they will not back it. Council leader Simon Letts said:“This is a service used in the main by Hampshire residents.We have not subsidised it for many years and have no plans – with £40million of budget cuts needed over the next three years – to start now.” A group has now been set up to spearhead the campaign, and has held meetings on the pier in a bid to garner support.The Hythe PierTrain and Ferry Action Group intends to form a charitable trust to save the pier. Maggie said:“We remain very positive about the future of our ferry and it is all thanks to the support of our local community. “Let’s save our ferry, our pier and the jobs of the loyal staff and crew!” A ferry has operated from Hythe to Southampton since the Middle

Ages, and it is marked on a map by Christopher Saxton of 1575. The pier was opened in 1881 and the 2ft-gauge pier train is in the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest working pier train in the world. A railway was first laid along the pier decking in 1909, and in 1922 it was rebuilt and electrified to 250V DC by a third rail.

Battery-powered

The line is operated by two four-wheeled electric locomotives built in 1917 by Brush, with works numbers 16302 and 16307.They were originally battery powered, being used at the First World War mustard gas factory at Avonmouth. The line owns four bogie passenger cars, two of which have a driving cab at their seaward ends, and a four-wheel oil-

tank car, used to carry fuel to the Hythe ferries.The current ferry is operated by White Horse Ferries Ltd of Swindon with two vessels. Ferry operators Red Funnel and Blue Funnel are said to be interested in the ferry route itself, but are reluctant to take on the expensive maintenance/upkeep of the pier. The campaign hopes to attract sponsorship of the pier and gain grant aid funding, possibly from the Heritage Lottery Fund. Anyone wishing to sign the petition, which was nearing 8000 signatures as we closed for press, is asked to visit: https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ save-historic-hythe-ferry-pier The action group also has a Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ groups/1782902425315733

Signalposts rediscovered on Trawsfynydd line after 50 years VOLUNTEERS havebegunclearancework onpartofthemothballedTrawsfynydd branch. NetworkRailhasgivenalicenceto theTrawsfynydd&BlaenauFfestiniog CommunityRailwayCompanytoclear vegetation andrubbish fromsome sections,includingCwmbowyddlevel crossingandNewRoadbridgeinBlaenau Ffestiniog,asaprecursor torunning heritagetrains. Theclearanceworkbegan on September24.Theeight-mileline betweenTrawsfynyddandBlaenau Ffestiniogwaslastusedin1998. SpokesmanPeterBowerssaid:“Alotof theefforthasgoneintothemostvisible sectionoftrackthataboundsthecrossing, which hasrevealedthatitwastreatedas adumpinggroundforalotofthelocals’ rubbishandjustgenerallitterthrowing overmanyyears. “Generalitemsofwastebeingasofa,a pushbike,acouple ofwheeliebinsanda toilet,thoughwhowouldwanttothrowa brandnewtoiletdownontotherailway?

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The line in operational days showing the signal posts. TBFCRC “Wehavenowmovedontoournext section,tobetackledbysawandsweat, betweenGlynllifonStreetbridgeand MaenofferenStreetbridge. “Themainculpritof ourattentionsis thelargerhododendronbushthathas takenoveralargeareaofthecutting side,although thishasprovideduswith asurpriseinitselfasburieddeepwithin itsbranches aretheremains ofthethree

The line reappears after years of being covered in vegetation, thanks to volunteer revivalists. TBFCRC

signalpoststhatusedtobehighuponthe cuttingside. “Theyhavewithstoodtheravagesofthe local weatherovertheyears becauseof thebenefit ofbeingcoveredbyitsfoliage andhaveremainedinsituundisturbedfor whatmustbethebestpartof50 years. “Thesesignalswereonceafocalpoint forrailwayphotographerswhensteam trainswere runningtoBalaTown.

“While removingsomeofthe undergrowthontheflooraroundthis bridge,astone wasfoundthatwascarved withalayingdateofJuly 1915,showing thatthisbridgewasbuilt duringtheFirst WorldWarandlongaftertheGWRhad takenovertheconversionandrunningof thislinefromtheoldFfestiniog&Blaenau narrowgaugeline thatexitedthetown throughthis areaupuntilthe1880s.”

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NEWS

Flying Scotsman pulls into Burrs Country Park halt on October 16, 2016. PAUL BICKERDYKE

The VIP party at the opening of Burrs Country Park station, from left to right: Ian Hargreaves (mayor of Bury’s consort), Annabelle Griffin (Annabelle’s Challenge), Coun Mike Connolly (Mayor of Bury), Coun Rishi Shori (leader of Bury Council), and Mike Kelly (chairman of the East Lancashire Railway). Annabelle, six, was invited along as the mayor’s guest. RORY LUSHMAN/ELR

Back in green as East Lancashire trains sell out By Robin Jones

MORE than 8500 people rode behind A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman when it made its second 2016 visit to the East Lancashire Railway, nine months after it first ventured out of Ian Riley’s Baron Street workshops in Bury for its inaugural test run. Figures showed that another 3500 people viewed it from a station on the heritage line during the October 13-16 Scotsman in Steam event. The ELR saw tickets snapped up

briskly months in advance as in the case of other venues like the North Yorkshire Moors and Severn Valley railways and Tyseley Locomotive Works, which have hosted Flying Scotsman this year.

Brunswick green

Unlike its first public appearance on the line in January, the A3 did not carry the wartime black livery left over from its aborted relaunch in 2011, but Brunswick green, correct line for its latter-day British Railways guise.

The event saw Flying Scotsman rub shoulders with members of the home fleet, which also hauled services. As we reported last issue, once back on the line, its first duty was to help open the newest station both in Britain and in the heritage sector. On Thursday, October 13, the locomotive headed a VIP special which departed the East Lancashire Railway’s Bury (Bolton Street) station for the line’s new Burrs Country Park halt. The Bolton Caledonian Pipe Band piped in No. 60103 with Scotland the

Brave as it steamed up to a red ribbon. The A3 did not break the ribbon, but stopped short so it could just be dropped, and then it drew forward two coach lengths to allow the dignitaries to disembark. There, the mayor of Bury, Coun Mike Connolly, officially opened the station, the seventh on the heritage line, alongside the mayor’s special guest, six-year-old Annabelle Griffin from Annabelle’s Challenge, a Burybased charity that had been set up in 2013 to raise awareness of Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, a very rare life threatening and incurable genetic condition. The charity supports medics, patients and their families. Annabelle was diagnosed with the condition in December 2012 and Annabelle’s Challege, the charity named after her, is helping to host a major conference in Manchester in 2017. More details are available at: www.annabelleschallenge.org

Momentous day

Flying Scotsman hauled a special dining train over the line on October 14. It is seen at Bury (Bolton Street) station. The photographer is Liam Barnes, a 15-year-old rail and photography enthusiast from Bury, who aims to become a member of the railway when he reaches 16. LIAM BARNES.

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East Lancashire Railway chairman Mike Kelly said:“Today has been a momentous day for the ELR, as not only have we welcomed Flying Scotsman back to our line for the second time this year, but we have officially opened a brand new station at Burrs Country Park. The community is really at the heart of the new station, thus it is fitting that Flying Scotsman –‘The People’s Engine’- was the first locomotive to call at the stop.” After the East Lancashire gala, Flying Scotsman headed back to the National Railway Museum at York for winter maintenance, and where it will be on static display over Chrtismas.

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LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman departs from the new station at Burrs on October 15. ROBERT FALCONER

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NEWS Manchester, Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway (later Great Central) 188-built six-wheeled coach No. 946 was moved out of the restoration shed at Ruddington on the GCR (Nottingham) for the first time in 15 years on September 26. Behind Simplex No. 2028 Morris, it was successfully taken for a test run up and down the yard and head shunt so that the springs could be tested and adjusted. The next test will involve the brake system. WILLIAM OWEN/GCRN

Andrew Munden, the Poppy Line’s new general manager. NNR

New general manager for Poppy Line THE North Norfolk Railway has appointed the operations and safety director at Chiltern Railways as its new general manager. Andrew Munden, a career railwayman with interests in heritage railways, has been involved in all aspects of the industry, including signalling and train operations, fleet, infrastructure and performance management. He will take over from February 1. His current position at Chiltern Railways includes having a seat on its board of directors, and he has been instrumental in delivering new trains and services to Chiltern, including the new line to Oxford Parkway. Before moving to Chiltern at Marylebone, Andrew was the route director for Network Rail, Anglia Region. At Sheringham, he replaces Trevor Eady, who is to retire at the age of 65 from the end of January.

High profile

NNR managing director Hugh Harkett said:“We are absolutely delighted to have obtained the services of such a high-profile railwayman as Andrew Munden at an important time for our expanding heritage line. “We are now a significant entity in the heritage railway industry with a main line involvement too and we look forward to Andrew leading us into a bright future. “We are equally sorry to see Trevor Eady retiring.Trevor has played a huge part in developing new services at the NNR and has contributed significantly towards the increase in business to its current level.” Andrew said:“I am honoured to have been asked to join the company and thrilled at the prospect of taking the helm at a special time, especially with the development of services to Cromer.” Andrew is looking to relocate as soon as he can. His wife Jo is a doctor in general practice and hopes to find similar opportunity in Norfolk.

44 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Lottery windfall for steam factory museum By Robin Jones LEISTON’S Long Shop Museum – where volunteers aim to restore a standard gauge steam line – has been awarded £1.9million by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The museum is based in the former Richard Garrett & Sons factory, which housed the first purpose-built flow assembly line.The factory was built as part of the Leiston Works, run by the Garrett family from 1778 to 1932, and which produced agricultural machinery and early steam engines. The assembly line allowed for boilers on wheels to start at one end before having engine parts added as they moved from workstation to workstation. After the age of steam, the works, which employed more than 2,500 people at its height, made pioneering electric-powered vehicles and Britain’s first diesel lorry, as well as hundreds of

thousands of shell casings during the both world wars.The site was used until 1980 when the Grade II-listed main building was saved from demolition and was established as a museum.

£2m restoration

The Lottery grant will fund the lion’s share of a £2million scheme to restore the Victorian factory buildings, showcase collections and provide new facilities, including a cafe, community hub and a youth shed, where young people can learn basic engineering skills. Curator Anna Mercer said:“Repairing, restoring and renewing the Long Shop will unlock its unrealised potential as a unique and brilliant place, which continues to generate interest, understanding and pride in our industrial and engineering heritage among people of all ages and from all walks of life.”

The Leiston Works Railway Trust, a charity working to restore the industrial spur that connected the factory to the Leiston to Saxmundham branch, gained planning permission from Suffolk Coastal District Council in March to lay track and erect associated gates and fencing. It is proposed to run the factory’s original steam locomotive, 1906-built Aveling & Porter flywheel-driven 0-4-0WT Sirapite, over the restored line. Opened in 1892, the line was also used to transport goods and materials between the firm’s town Works and Top Works, which opened in 1912. Originally the wagons were hauled by Suffolk Punch horses, but in 1929 these were replaced by Sirapite, which is now fully restored to working order. For the last years of its operation, from 1962 until the railway was dismantled in 1968, haulage was through a battery electric locomotive.

Raffle winner will get to drive new Lynton & Barnstaple Baldwin Lyn A RAFFLE is being held to decide who will be the first person to drive new-built Lynton & Barnstaple ‘Yankee’replica Lyn. With assembly work well advanced, the 762 Club, which is building a replica of the original 1898-built Baldwin 2-4-2T No. 762, is now placing the last orders for the remaining cosmetic components needed to finish the locomotive by the end of 2016. The Grand Steaming Prize Draw is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be at the regulator of Lyn on its first public steaming, scheduled to be at 11am on Saturday, May 13. Each ticket costs £5 and only

2000 have been printed. Already several hundred have been snapped up. To buy your tickets, e-mail or write to Jon Pain, 26 Oaklands, Bideford, North Devon EX39 3HW. Cheques should be made payable to the 762 Club please. There are also still a few club memberships available to buy either as a lump sum of £762 or through monthly instalments over 30 months. For further details contact Peter Best on 07703 200442 or [email protected]

The steam dome and chimney in place on the new Lyn. 762 CLUB

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NEWS

Night trains on Wareham exte By Robin Jones THE prospect of regular Swanage Railway services toWareham came ever nearer after the running of night-time trains over the line’s western extension during the October 14-16 autumn steam gala. Next June, the Purbeck line will join the elite group of former BR standard gauge lines, including the Keighley & WorthValley Railway, the Dartmouth Steam Railway and the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, which run services over the full length of their original branches. In the meantime, a taster was given during the hugely successful gala, which saw passenger numbers rise to 2335 compared to the figure of 2175

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for the same event in 2015.The Friday and Saturday evening timetabled passenger trains ran in the dark on the newly restored four-mile line between Norden and the River Frome, nearWareham, for the first time since the Swanage branch closed in January 1972,

Star of the show

The trains – which also operated in the daytime – ran to a point half a mile south ofWorgret Junction, on the main London toWeymouth line, west ofWareham station, and had a steam locomotive at each end. Swanage Railway Company chairman Trevor Parsons said: "Equipped with full barriers, warning lights and audible alerts, the Norden Gates level crossing allows passenger trains to run beyond

Norden and on to our newly restored and upgraded four-mile line to the River Frome.” The star of the show was visiting 1925-built Somerset & Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809, which once hauled both passenger and freight trains from Bath to nearby Bournemouth. It was joined by Stanier 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 from the Great Central Railway, which spent its working life in the London area. It is the only surviving member of the class to be built by the Southern Railway for hauling heavy freight, munitions and troop trains during the SecondWorldWar. After the gala, it made a‘boomerang’ return to the former Southern Region, and within a day of arriving back at Loughborough, was sent to the Bluebell Railway for that line’s October 28-30 Giants

of Steam gala. It was a last-minute replacement for No. 70013 OliverCromwell, which developed a problem with its superheater elements.

One to remember

No. 53809 and No. 48624 were joined by the Swanage Railway's fleet of steam locomotives – LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053, SR U class 2-6-0 No. 31806 and Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34070 Manston. Swanage Railway general manager Matt Green said: "With two visiting classic steam locomotives built in the 1920s and the 1940s – and six trains a day running to the River Frome nearWareham, two of them in the evening when it's dark – this year's autumn steam gala was certainly one to remember.

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No. 53809 and No. 34070 Manston depart from Harmans Cross. JAMES CORBEN

LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 pilots SDJR 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 on an early morning freight from Swanage to Norden, between Harman’s Cross and Corfe Castle. ANDREW PM WRIGHT Right: No. 34070 Manston close to the River Frome bridge, half a mile short of Worgret Junction) with a ‘Wessex Belle’ evening dining train on October 15. This part of the line was owned by Network Rail until September 2014, when the Swanage Railway took it over. Bridge 4 over the River Frome is behind the photographer and the train is spanning bridge 5. ANDREW PM WRIGHT

nsion "We had a very successful autumn steam gala, and the two visiting steam locomotives performed well and were well liked by the crews. “The Swanage Railway has a well-deserved reputation for putting on a good show and the autumn steam gala was a superb event.” It was a Stanier 8F that hauled one of the last passenger trains – an enthusiasts' special from Bath to Bournemouth via Blandford and Broadstone – on the last day of the Somerset & Dorset line in March, 1966. The award-winning Purbeck Mineral and Mining Museum, next to Norden station, was open during all three days of the gala, as was the goods shed museum, exhibition coach and cinema coach at Corfe Castle station.

Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34070 Manston leaves Swanage with the 11.30am to Norden on October 15, while No. 53809 waits on the 12.15pm. DON BENN

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RAILWAYANA

BY GEOFF COURTNEY

Where to start? With a BB, MN and Princess Coronation, of course WRITING a preview of a leading railwayana auction is usually reasonably simple – start at the top with the nameplate expected to be the star of the show, and work down from there through a list of other plates. Great Central’s December 3 sale, however, is not so straightforward. On the pinnacle stand three plates which all demand their name at the top of the cast list, and when they are done there’s another baker’s dozen in the category vying for attention to varying degrees. So, to play it safe, I’ll list the three headliners in numerical order, starting with Sir Keith Park, with RAF badge, from Southern Railway Battle of Britain No. 34053.This is followed by another SR Pacific, Royal Mail from Merchant Navy No. 35003, and Duchess of Norfolk, carried by LMS Princes Coronation No. 46226, one of only three members

of the class to retain its streamlining into BR ownership. Now to this trio’s slightly more humble brethren. From the GWR there are no fewer than seven, starting with County of Chester from 4-4-0 No. 3814, a member of the first County class built in 1906 and withdrawn in 1933, and King Stephen from Star No. 4029.This latter offering was carried by the 4-6-0 from new in 1909 until 1927, when it was renamed Spanish Monarch until withdrawal in 1934.

Short reign

The King Stephen name – but not the actual plate from the Star – was given to King 4-6-0 No. 6029 when it was built in 1930 and lasted on the locomotive until May 1936, when it was replaced by King Edward VIII, after the then-monarch who was four months into his short reign. A grange, three halls and a castle – Buckenhill Grange (No. 6830), Grantley Hall (No. 6924), Bryn-Ivor Hall (No. 6997), Hown Hall (No. 7910), and Banbury Castle (No. 7011) – will team up with the county and king to create a formidable GWR alliance. Against them will be a third SR representative, Sir Ector de Maris (King Arthur No. 30794), three further LMS plates (Home Guard from Patriot No. 45543 and a pair of Jubilees, Solomon Islands and Northern Rhodesia from Nos. 45603 and 45621 respectively), and two LNER examples. These comprise Peregrine from A1 Pacific No. 60146, a name – but again, not the plate – originally carried by A4 No. 60034 from new in 1938 until its replacement by Lord Faringdon in 1948, and Geoffrey H Kitson from

Negative results prove very positive for internet auction STEAM and electric locomotives flexed their muscles in the Justaclickago October 3-7 internet auction, when a collection of 270 negatives of both forms of traction sold for £1325. The photographs were taken in Italy in 1967 and came with detailed captions. Another collection of negatives, also in 35mm format and featuring 1960s BR steam and regional buses

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and trams, realised £720, followed by a similar collection at £680. Close behind came three further collections comprising 475 negatives of mainly Eastern Region steam (£660), 500 negatives of BR steam and diesel (£650), and 745 negatives of BR modern traction taken in the 1970s (£640). Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 15%.

No. 61237, one of 18 B1s named after LNER directors. Cabside numberplates include GWR 1198, from a 2-4-0T built by WG Bagnall in 1896 for a 2ft 3in gauge railway in Brazil which subsequently cancelled its order.The loco was converted to 1ft 11½in gauge and in 1903 moved to the Vale of Rheidol line as No. 3 Rheidol, surviving there until July 1924. Another cabside is 6803 from Bucklebury Grange. For modern traction enthusiasts – and indeed those of a certain age who remember the arrival onto the scene of the magnificent Deltics – there is a regimental badge from Class 55 D9021 Argyll and Sutherland Highlander, which under the TOPS renumbering system became 55021. In the smokebox numberplate category are 30794, which is being sold separately from the King Arthur’s nameplate, 70011 from Britannia

Hotspur, a replacement carried by the Pacific in its later years – the first fitted to the engine was sold by Great Central at its September 3 auction for £1500 – and 61790 from LNER K2 class 2-6-0 Loch Lomond. Among the workplates is a Darlington 1929 example from D49 No. 62726 The Meynell, which carried the name Leicestershire from new until 1932.

Somerset & Dorset

A contingent of locomotives built for the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway to Midland Railway or LMS designs that made their way into LMS stock in 1930 will also feature in the smokebox numberplate selection.They are from Class 3F 0-6-0 No. 43211, Class 4F 0-6-0 No. 44559, and‘Jinty’0-6-0T No. 47313, built respectively by Neilson & Co, Armstrong Whitworth, and WG Bagnall. The auction, at Stoneleigh Park, kicks off at 10am.

IoW railway is just the ticket GREAT Central’s postal ticket auction in early October was dominated by three pre-Grouping examples, led at £170 by a FreshwaterYarmouth & Newport Railway 1s-3d ticket for a third class journey between Yarmouth and Newport. Another Isle of Wight ticket, issued by the Joint Ryde Pier Railway (a line owned by the LBSCR and LSWR) for the journey between Ryde Pier Head and Ryde Esplanade

at a cost of 5d, went for £140. Third came a Corris Railway quarryman’s weekly ticket that cost 2s and permitted journeys between Machynlleth and Corris (£120). This 2ft 3in gauge line became part of the GWR in 1930, but it is believed the GWR’s interest was in the railway’s bus routes, and the line closed to passengers in 1931. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 10% (+ VAT).

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BY GEOFF COURTNEY

RAILWAYANA

Great Scot – LMS triumphs at Crewe THE senior regiment of the British Army won the battle of the nameplates at David Lewis’s Crewe auction on October 15, when TheLifeGuardsman from LMS Royal Scot No. 46150 sold for £11,100. Behind came another military nameplate, The TerritorialArmy1908-1958, an aluminium plate from Britannia Pacific No. 70048 that went for £9800. A third plate, CherwellHalland its cabside numberplate (GWR No. 4989), failed to sell. Unusually for a railwayana auction, the sale included a working narrow gauge locomotive, a 2ft gauge Ruston & Hornsby 4wDM built in 1952 for a

tunnelling contractor that was saved for preservation and had homes at the Great Bush Railway in Sussex, where it arrived in 1977, and subsequently a slate museum in Glyn Ceiriog near Llangollen, before being sold to the vendor in 2003. It fetched £4750, making it the highestpriced non-nameplate in the sale.

Star worksplate

Other leading realisations were £3800 and £3100 for two Cambrian Railways handlamps, and still on a Welsh theme, £3700 for a station totem sign from Aberdovey.

Star worksplate at £2600 was an 1893 Midland Railway Derby example believed to be from an 1823 class 0-4-4T, the final one of which survived as BR No. 58065 until November 1959. A rather more modern offering in the same category was fromWoodhead route Class EM1 No. 26044, built at Gorton in 1952 and withdrawn as No. 76044 in July 1981 (£1260). A small GWR-embossed lamppost from the Herefordshire station of Kerne Bridge sold for £2000, and a miniature staff instrument made by the Railway Signal Co of Liverpool for £1600.This

company was founded in 1881 by George Edwards and Robert King, whose occupations were listed in the company’s Memorandum of Association as ‘Gentlemen.’What a delightful reflection ofVictorian Britain.

Art Deco

At £1500 came a 5in gauge batterydriven model of Class 37 D6829 made from a kit supplied by Compass House of Rotherfield, East Sussex, while an LMS art deco station frontage board went for £1100. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 10%.

Landslide away win for SNCF in match with Big Four and BR

A 7¼in gauge model of SNCF Class 141R 2-8-2 No. 703 outsold home opposition at a Dreweatts Bloomsbury transport sale on September 28 by realising £46,000, more than three times the price achieved by its nearest competitor. The model took 10,500 hours to

complete over 15 years. Built to exhibition standard, it is 10ft 2in long, has more than 5000 rivets fitted, and is believed to be the only model of this class in 7¼in gauge. In excess of 1300 were built for the French state railway by various North American manufacturers after the SecondWorld

War and the last was withdrawn in 1974. Another 7¼in model, of LNER A3 No. 60107 RoyalLancer,achieved £14,000, followed by a pair of 5in gauge models of No. 92220 EveningStar at £12,500 and £9100.The GWR then featured with an £8200 realisation for No. 6026 KingJohn

London-Scotland link steals the show at Wickham WITH the march of the LMS Jubilee nameplates marking time at Solent’s October 22 auction at Wickham due to the non-sale of nameplate Lord Rutherford of Nelson from No. 45665, a headboard from‘The Waverley’ seized the opportunity to be top dog by going under the hammer for £2400. This train – I hesitate to call it an express due to a schedule of more than nine hours between the two capital cities of London and Edinburgh – ran from St Pancras to Waverley via the Settle-Carlisle line or from 1957-69, and was the successo of the‘Thames-Forth Express’, which had been launched by the LMS in 1927 and operated until the outbreak of the Second World War. Talking of time, a 14in clock that had been supplied to the London & South Western Railway in 1906 by J Blount Thomas & Co of Southampton for £2-10s (£2.50p) went under the hammer for £1700. Records show

the clock ended its railway service at Eastleigh East signalbox in 1966. Also into four figures were a SR three-wire, three-position block instrument from Ryde Pier Head signalbox, which closed in 1974 (£1250), and at £1100 apiece an SR Templecombe station target sign and a bell from another SR representative, the Yarmouth IoWLymington ferry PS Lymington. This vessel was built in 1893, acquired

by the SR in 1923, and taken out of service in 1929, when it became a houseboat at Yarmouth. Nudging four figures came a Beyer Peacock worksplate from an 0-6-0 built in 1881 for Portuguese Railways (Minho & Douro) which achieved £920, and a Bournemouth West totem station sign (£880). Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 10%. Post-auction, Solent’s Nigel Ma Maddock mused:“Enamels are on a high at the moment, as are she edplates. Smokeboxes seemed to struggle, s and of course the na n ameplate not selling was a little d disappointing given its double-line s status. “On the whole, though, our other items were on par or slightly higher than the current norm, and we were pleased with t final result given that the the au a uction season is in full swing. It is also a nice to see new faces as well as the t established collectors, which giv ves confidence for the future.”

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

and the LNER again with £4700 for B1 No. 1306, both these also being built to 5in gauge. All the models in the auction, which was held at Donnington Priory, Newbury, were live steam, and prices exclude buyer’s premium of 24% (+VAT).

➜O GAUGE models by Archangel led the charge at aVectis railwayana and model train sale in Thornaby on October 14, headed by a live steam 2-4-0T named Anne that went under the hammer for £1100 – more than five times top estimate – followed by a set of coaches at £560. Leading railwayana price was £260 for a collection of signalbox equipment, including a block instrument, communication bells and an early telephone. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 20% (+VAT). ➜ A TYER’S train describer from a GWR main line signalbox sold for £1000 at a Bristol Railwayana sale on October 2. The instrument identified a number of Bristol locations and had affixed a Tyer’s label dated March 25, 1934. ➜BEDFORD auction houseW&H Peacock – a new name to this column – held a collectable toys auction on October 7 in which the top railway model price was £250 for an O gauge BR 2MT 2-6-2T No. 84022.The price excludes buyer’s premium of 17½% (+VAT). Heritagerailway.co.uk 49

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

Steam’s

TOP 10

Which are Britain’s top 10 steam engines? Brian Sharpe compares the history and performance of the 10 biggest currently working main line engines in roughly chronological order of the introduction of the class.

B

ritain’s elite working steam locomotives are those registered to operate main line trains on the Network Rail system. In recent years, there have been fewer of the smaller engines and the heavier main line railtours have been in the hands of a select few Class 7 and 8 express steam locomotives. In addition there are a number of Class 5 and 6 4-6-0s that generally haul lighter trains, often on secondary routes such as the West Highland extension, most subject to an overall maximum of 60mph as dictated by somewhat smaller driving wheels. The system of power classification was devised by the London Midland & Scottish Railway as a development of a system first instigated by the Midland Railway. The smallest shunting engines on the LMS were classified ‘0’ and the largest Pacifics were Class ‘7’. The Stanier 2-8-0s were as powerful as the largest Pacifics and were given the power classification ‘7F’. Engines could be classified ‘7P’ or ‘7F’ for example if they were designed for exclusively passenger or freight work, while

those that were suitable for both were simply Class ‘5’ for example. Confusion crept in to the system with the LMS Jubilee 4-6-0s, which were more powerful than a Class ‘5’ but not quite a Class ‘6’, so the LMS designated them ‘5XP’, effectively ‘51/2P’. This anomaly was removed by British Railways after Nationalisation by making Class 7s into Class 8s, Class 6s into Class 7s and 5XPs into Class 6s. The system was applied to the other BR regions but was adopted with varying degrees of enthusiasm. The concept of mixed traffic locomotives is relatively new and the classifications ‘5MT’ or in some cases ‘6P/5F’ became more widely used in BR days but very inconsistently and the London Midland Region continued to refer to a ‘5MT’ as simply a Class ‘5’. At the present time there are 10 express steam locomotives of class 7 and above certified for main line use and currently in working order, although there are several more under repair, restoration or overhaul and expected to enter service in the near future. These 10 serviceable

engines form a remarkably comprehensive cross-section of the history of British steam locomotive development over the period from 1923 to 1951, and enthusiasts are still keen to compare the performances of these engines, carrying out the duties they were designed for.

LNER A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman

■ Class 7 4-6-2 ■ Built Doncaster 1923 ■ Owned by National Railway Museum ■ Operated by Riley & Son (Engineering) Ltd

Flying Scotsman is now the oldest steam engine still active on Britain’s main lines and the only preserved non-streamlined Gresley Pacific, but has many other claims to fame. Britain’s first Pacific was the Great Western Railway’s The Great Bear, designed by George Jackson Churchward in 1908, but no more were built and it was not until 1922 that Sir Vincent Raven built some Pacifics for the North Eastern Railway, while Nigel Gresley built some for the LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman stands on the turntable at Tyseley Locomotive Works. ROBIN JONES

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Great Northern Railway. The third of Gresley’s GNR Pacifics did not emerge from Doncaster until after the 1923 Grouping, and became a member of the LNER’s A1 class. Although the LNER haphazardly started naming the Pacifics, it was the decision to exhibit No. 4472 at the British Empire Exhibition in 1924 that led to it being named and the name chosen was Flying Scotsman, the name by which the 10am departure from King’s Cross to Edinburgh was unofficially known. The engine’s next claim to fame was being chosen to head the first nonstop run of the ‘Flying Scotsman’ from King’s Cross to Edinburgh in May 1928 and, of course, there has been confusion between the locomotive and the train ever since, the train having been officially designated in 1927. Although never regarded as the best of the A1s, No. 4472 then received another great honour in 1934 when it became the first steam engine in Britain to be officially recorded as travelling at 100mph. By then the A1 design had been enhanced as a result of the 1924 locomotive exchanges with the GWR and new Gresley Pacifics were being built as A3s, with the older ones being progressively rebuilt. Flying Scotsman was one of the last Gresley A1s to remain in its original condition. Flying Scotsman was rebuilt to A3 specification in 1949 and became BR’s No. 60103; by now the A3s had been displaced by the streamlined A4 Pacifics and Peppercorn’s A1s were coming on stream. Nevertheless, very late in its life, along with most A3s, No. 60103 was given the benefit of a double chimney, which transformed its performance, if only for the last few months of its working life. It is hard to imagine a steam engine having a better pedigree than that of Flying Scotsman; yet it was not selected for official preservation by the British Transport Commission, largely as a result of having been substantially rebuilt from its original condition. However, Retford businessman Alan Pegler, who had already purchased the Ffestiniog Railway, bought Flying Scotsman on withdrawal in January 1963, with the intention of keeping it running on the main line. No. 60103 set off from King’s Cross on its last run in BR service, the 1pm to Leeds on January 14, 1963. It left the train at Doncaster, went into the works and emerged in April in Alan Pegler’s ownership, with single chimney reinstated and in LNER apple green livery carrying the number 4472. And Pegler negotiated a contract with BR for its continued operation until 1972, a contract that no one else managed to obtain. No. 4472 gradually penetrated many unfamiliar parts of the BR system, this being made easier from 1966 after the purchase of a second tender. From October 1967, Flying Scotsman became the only privately-owned steam engine able to run on BR and from August 1968 and the end of BR steam, it was Britain’s only main line steam engine. Yet, rather than capitalise on this monopoly situation, Pegler took his engine to the United States for a promotional tour. After a successful tour, another tour was embarked on that proved disastrous. Pegler went bankrupt, the engine was seized by creditors and the future looked bleak. A rescue operation was masterminded by long-time Scotsman minder George Hinchcliffe, bankrolled by the Hon. William McAlpine. In the nick of time, No. 4472 was on a ship heading east across the Atlantic, arriving

GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl Of Mount Edgcumbe stands at Wolverhampton with a Vintage Trains’ excursion returning from Chester on October 22. CONNOR SKIDMORE

in Liverpool in February 1972. It was quickly overhauled at Derby works, spent a summer season on what was then the Torbay Steam Railway and in September 1973 it returned to the main line passenger business. Sir William based Flying Scotsman at Steamtown Carnforth for most of the period of his ownership but he moved it to Marylebone in 1985 when BR agreed to the running of steam tours in the London area. In 1988/89 though, Flying Scotsman was running across Australia and continuing to break new records. Privatisation of Britain’s railways in 1994 though saw pop impresario Pete Waterman get involved in the railway and railtour business and he acquired a half share in the owning company for Flying Scotsman set up by McAlpine. It was an uncertain time though and the new joint owners would not commit to the cost of a major overhaul until things settled down. Instead, Flying Scotsman had a light overhaul and embarked on a programme of operation on heritage lines. Perhaps even more more shocking was the fact that it emerged from this overhaul in 1963 BR condition in Brunswick green livery with a double chimney and smoke deflectors, carrying the number 60103. When it proved impossible to keep the increasingly unreliable engine going, it was sold to Oxfordshire entrepreneur Dr Tony Marchington, who bankrolled not just the most expensive overhaul of a British steam locomotive to date, but what amounted to a rebuild, which elevated it from a Class 7 to a Class 8. Dr Marchington’s plans for upmarket dining trains across Britain were progressively downsized, but after Flying Scotsman emerged from its overhaul still with double chimney and smoke deflectors but back in LNER apple green livery as No. 4472 in 1999, it performed like no Gresley A3 had ever performed before. It just did not earn enough money though and while it was arguably turning out more power than the frames, cylinders and motion could handle, maintenance was being carried out on a shoestring. Dr Marchington died and Flying Scotsman Ltd was effectively insolvent. Once again the A3 had an uncertain future. The National Railway Museum launched a campaign to purchase it and overhaul it. The first objective was achieved and the engine arrived at York in 2004, still certified for main line use. The second objective proved more

problematical for the museum. The unreliable engine was quickly withdrawn and the overhaul started but it was to take 10 years and cost millions of pounds more than anticipated. Nevertheless, when Flying Scotsman returned to steam in late 2015 and entered service in 2016, its fame and popularity had increased to unprecedented levels. It has reverted to being a BR 1963-era A3 with double chimney and numbered 60103, but it is a Class 7 again and will not be hauling the size of train that it regularly did in the Marchington days. Nevertheless, it has proved to be a very capable engine as it embarks on the latest era in its eventful life. Flying Scotsman is now undergoing winter maintenance and it is expected that a programme of main line tours and heritage line visits for 2017 will be announced shortly.

GWR Castle No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe

■ Class 7 4-6-0 ■ Built Swindon 1934 ■ Owned by Standard Gauge Steam Trust ■ Operated by Vintage Trains

Only one Great Western express steam engine is serviceable at present but it is a very capable representative of the railway and the class that were both synonymous with the best in British steam locomotive design throughout the ‘Big Four’ period. The Castle was one of the best-known and most highly-regarded locomotive classes of the GWR. The first one, No. 4073 Caerphilly Castle, emerged from Swindon works in 1923, the first of a class that remained in production right up to 1950 and eventually numbered 170 locomotives. The GWR’s newly-appointed chief mechanical engineer Charles Collett used his predecessor Churchward’s Star class four-cylindered 4-6-0 of 1906 as the basis for the new design. The boiler was larger, but lighter to keep within the stipulated axle load limit. It retained the standard GWR long-travel valves and Belpaire firebox and looked attractive and well-proportioned. The Castles were an immediate success, and when Caerphilly Castle was exhibited at the British Empire Exhibition at Wembley in 1924, alongside Nigel Gresley’s new LNER A1 Pacific No. 4472 Flying Scotsman, the GWR claimed

Heritagerailway.co.uk 51

that the Castle was Britain’s most powerful express locomotive. In subsequent locomotive exchanges, the GWR locomotive won the battle in terms of speed, power and economy and this led to improvements being made to the LNER Pacific design. The LMS was also impressed with the Castle, and asked to either buy some or borrow the drawings from Swindon to build its own but Swindon said “no”. The Castles achieved an enviable reputation for speed during the inter-war years on such trains as the then world’s fastest, ‘The Cheltenham Flyer’. The later Castles were built with little change to their dimensions, but in 1946, Frederick Hawksworth, Collett’s successor, introduced a higher degree of superheat that resulted in increased economy and, from 1956, double chimneys were fitted by BR to some engines, combined with larger superheaters, and this significantly improved their performance still further. The last three Castles were withdrawn from Gloucester in 1965. The last of all was No. 7029 Clun Castle in December 1965, which had worked BR’s last steam train out of Paddington on November 27, 1965 and had outlasted the others by six months. No. 7029 was preserved and has seen many years of active service since and is expected to emerge from overhaul at Tyseley in 2017. In March 1936, No. 5043 Barbury Castle was outshopped from Swindon but in 1937, it was renamed Earl of Mount Edgcumbe after a GWR director and it gained a reputation for being an excellent performer, based for many years at Old Oak Common. In May 1958 it was fitted with its double chimney and revised draughting arrangements, which much improved its efficiency. During this year it was recorded as reaching 98mph on the up ‘Bristolian’. After withdrawal in 1963, No. 5043 was sold for scrap to Woodham’s scrapyard at Barry. In September 1973 though, 7029 Clun Castle Ltd purchased No. 5043. Many years later, Tyseley Locomotive Works, led by chief engineer Bob Meanley, had developed the skills to undertake massive restoration projects such as No. 5043, and the decision was finally made to restore the engine and major work commenced in 2000. On October 3, 2008, Earl of Mount Edgcumbe returned to steam and moved under its own power again after almost 45 years, returning to the main line 13 days later. No. 5043 was the sixth Castle to return to main line service but none had quite the same pedigree as No. 5043 with its long association with Old Oak Common, ‘The Cheltenham Flyer’ and ‘The Bristolian’. It was a double-chimneyed example and the value of this was quickly proved, with No. 5043 outperforming not just other Castles but bigger engines, both from the GWR and other railways. It did not just run on former GWR routes either but tackled the famous gradients in the north of England such as Shap and Ais Gill with ease, even reaching Scotland on one occasion. It culminated in one memorable run when to celebrate 175 years of the GWR, on April 17, 2010, Earl of Mount Edgcumbe triumphantly headed both down and up ‘Bristolian’ trains nonstop between Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads, its timings comparing favourably with steam days, despite the overall 75mph speed limit that now applies. No. 5043 remains in regular main line service, almost exclusively on Vintage Trains’ own programme of tours usually originating from Tyseley and/or Birmingham Snow Hill.

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LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot stands at Holyhead with Pathfinder Tours’ ‘Ynys Mon Express’ on May 28. BRIAN SHARPE

LMS Royal Scot No. 46100 Royal Scot ■ Class 7 4-6-0 ■ Built North British 1927 ■ Owned by Royal Scot

Locomotive & General Trust ■ Operated by Icons of Steam Surprisingly, although the National Collection of preserved locomotives, ultimately inherited by the National Railway Museum, often featured the first of a particular class, Royal Scot, which was privately preserved, is the only ‘first of class’ currently registered for main line use. The LMS was slow to react to the leaps forward in steam design, as seen on the GWR and LNER in their first years of existence, as the LMS motive power dept was in a rather disorganised state at first. Initially, the LMS persisted with the small engine policy inherited from the Midland, but Henry Fowler started thinking seriously about a compound Pacific in 1926. However, for various reasons the LMS management decided to hire four-cylindered Castle 4-6-0 No. 5000 Launceston Castle from the GWR, tried it out for a month between Euston and Carlisle and asked Swindon if it could have the drawings. The GWR declined but in view of its obvious success, the LMS encouraged Fowler to curb his ambitions slightly and think about a threecylinder simple 4-6-0 instead. The result was the Royal Scot. These engines were needed urgently and 50 were ordered from North British, which could deliver them within a year. The engines were designed jointly by North British and Derby works partly following a set of drawings of the Southern Railway’s four-cylindered Lord Nelson 4-6-0. Although Fowler took little part in the design, it inevitably followed Derby traditions and is recognisable as a typical Fowler engine, with a big parallel boiler, and a disproportionately small tender. They went straight into service in 1927 on West Coast Main Line expresses and Derby built a further 20. Fortunately, they proved to be successful from the start, although with such an increase in power over their predecessors, this was perhaps inevitable. They were initially named after British Army regiments or historic LNWR locomotives, although the latter fairly quickly received regimental names. From late 1931, straight sided smoke deflectors were added, later replaced by deflectors with angled tops, but their reign on the top expresses was brief, as William

Stanier replaced them with Pacifics in less than 10 years. Stanier later decided to replace the parallel boilers of the Royal Scots with his taper boiler, a preference inherited from his early career on the GWR and with the replacement of the Fowler tenders with Stanier ones, the ‘converted’ Royal Scots appear to owe more to Stanier’s design thinking than Fowlers. The mechanical dimensions and design though were unchanged. Conversion started in 1943 and was completed by BR in 1955. Stanier did not initially fit smoke deflectors but a few received them in a particularly distinctive style in the last days of the LMS and BR soon completed the job. Although primarily WCML engines, once displaced by Stanier Pacifics, the class was used on Settle & Carlisle services, Liverpool to York and some other Midland main line trains including St Pancras – Manchester, but started to be phased out from around 1960, the last one being withdrawn in 1965 from Carlisle. No. 6100 was the first of the class, built in 1927 by North British in Glasgow and named Royal Scot starting a regimental naming policy for the class. But in 1933, No. 6100 permanently changed identities with No. 6152 The King’s Dragoon Guardsman. No. 6152 had been built at Derby in 1930, and this ‘new’ Royal Scot was sent to the Century of Progress Exposition of 1933 and toured Canada and the United States with a train of LMS coaches. In 1950, No. 46100 became one of the later members of the class to be fitted with a taper boiler by BR, in accordance with the conversion programme initiated by Stanier, but in October 1962 it was an early withdrawal from service from Nottingham shed. It was bought by Billy Butlin and after external restoration at Crewe Works to LMS maroon livery, No. 6100 was taken to Skegness and arrived for display at Butlins holiday camp at nearby Ingoldmells on a Pickfords low loader on July 18, 1963 piped in by pipers from the 1st Battalion, The Royal Scots. A later change of policy by Butlins saw No. 6100 loaned to the Bressingham Steam Museum in Norfolk, where it arrived on March 17, 1971, being quickly returned to steam in 1972. It gave footplate rides at the museum until 1978 and was sold by Butlins to Bressingham in May 1989. Eventually, plans were made for the engine to be overhauled at Bressingham with the aid of an HLF grant to run at the museum in summer and on the main line in winter. On March 20, 2009, Royal Scot was back in steam and finally made its heritage era

LMS Royal Scot 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman and BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell, both newly-overhauled, at Carnforth on July 28, 2008. BRIAN SHARPE

passenger hauling debut at the West Somerset Railway, followed by an appearance at the Betton Grange Group’s Steel, Steam & Stars gala on the Llangollen Railway in April. It had been a long time coming but this was not to be Royal Scot’s finest hour after all. While controversy raged over whether it should carry non-authentic LMS livery, and if so should it have smoke deflectors or not, the engine was found to be seriously mechanically flawed, and Bressingham simply did not have the resources to put it right. After sale to Jeremy Hosking’s newly-formed Royal Scot & General Locomotive Trust in April 2009, it was moved to Pete Waterman’s LNWR Heritage workshops in Crewe, pending a decision on how to proceed. That decision took a long time, but eventually the work to straighten and line up the frames and cylinders was completed and the engine hauled its first main line passenger train since 1962, from Crewe to Holyhead and back on February 6, 2016. It quickly proved to be a strong performer and has seen action in all parts of the country, from London to Devon and Scotland.

LMS Royal Scot No. 46115 Scots Guardsman ■ Class 7 4-6-0 ■ Built North British 1927 ■ Owned and operated by

West Coast Railways

Fortunately, two Royal Scots have survived but their stories are sadly similar in that both spent much of the first 40 years of their preservation careers as either static exhibits or worse still, stripped down with uncertain futures. However their fortunes have both picked up with No. 46115 Scots Guardsman finally becoming the main line star it deserves to be in 2008, and No. 46100 Royal Scot itself following in 2016. No. 6115 was built by North British in 1927 and named Scots Guardsman in 1928 after the Scots Guards. It was one of the early class members to be fitted with a taper boiler, by the LMS in 1947, and was painted in LMS 1946-style black livery. Being the first of the rebuilt engines to receive smoke deflectors, it became the only one to run with them as an LMS engine. The last of the class in service, withdrawn from Carlisle Kingmoor shed in 1965, it was purchased by Richard Bill and moved to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on August 11, 1966. Considered too big to be of use there, it was never steamed but moved on to the

LMS Princess Royal Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth arrives at Sheffield on a main line test run. DAVE RODGERS

newly-established Dinting Railway Centre on May 28, 1969, where overhaul commenced. It was returned to steam in 1978 authentic in LMS black livery, as No. 6115 complete with smoke deflectors. The main line beckoned and Scots Guardsman had a test run to Sheffield and back in September followed by a couple of runs to York. But apart from an appearance in steam at Liverpool Road station in Manchester in 1980 and steamings at Dinting, that was it. BR’s inspection criteria on superheater flue tubes had been tightened up as a result of an incident at Didcot and it could no longer be certified without further major work. It was eventually moved to Tyseley on September 5, 1989 but this did not prove to be the answer to the engine’s problems. The death of its owner saw it being offered for sale by his son and daughter and it was purchased initially by a trust involving Ian Storey and Mel Chamberlin for £1. However, a rift quickly emerged between various trustees and no progress was made until it was resold to the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust in April 2002. Still nothing happened until yet another sale, this time to David Smith’s West Coast Railways of Carnforth. In 2008 it was restored to main line standard, but now in BR green livery as No. 46115 and hauled its first railtour for no less than 30 years, on August 16, 2008 over the Settle & Carlisle line. Since then it has been in regular front line service and has turned in some good performances, particularly on challenging routes in the north of England, although it has suffered some bad luck necessitating major repairs on a couple of occasions.

LMS Princess Royal No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth

■ Class 8 4-6-2 ■ Built Crewe 1933 ■ Owned and operated by

Princess Elizabeth Locomotive Society Remarkably, Princess Elizabeth is the only active main line express engine carrying pre-Nationalisation livery at the present time. When William Stanier arrived on the LMS from Swindon where he had worked under Collett, he soon realised he could improve on Fowler’s Royal Scot 4-6-0s for WCML services and that a Pacific, a wheel arrangement already synonymous with the rival LNER’s ECML services, was the answer. A prototype batch of three locomotives built in 1933, are often considered to be an

elongated version of the GWR King 4-6-0, with four cylinders and a taper boiler. They were very long engines, initially running with ridiculously short Fowler tenders. Even the replacement Stanier tenders were still disproportionately short, but longer tenders would have meant many turntables having to be replaced. The first engines were No. 6200 The Princess Royal and No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth. The third prototype was constructed with the aid of the Swedish Ljungstrom turbine company and known as the Turbomotive, numbered 6202, but not named. Eleven more standard Princess Royals were constructed after the first batch, all named after Princesses. Although Princess Elizabeth was to become HM The Queen, the first engine of a class that would haul the ‘Royal Scot’, was named The Princess Royal as Mary, Princess Royal was the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Scots. However, the engines still became widely known as ‘Lizzies’. The design was quickly superseded by the more powerful Princess Coronation Pacific and no more ‘Lizzies’ were built. The second Princess Royal, No. 6201, was completed in November 1933 at Crewe and named after the seven-year-old elder daughter of the Duke of York’s eldest daughter, Princess Elizabeth, who was to become HM Queen Elizabeth II. No. 6201 was selected by the LMS to make a record breaking attempt in 1936; to run nonstop from Euston to Glasgow. The record was achieved and No. 6201 achieved lasting national and international acclaim, as did its driver, Tom Clark, of Crewe, who was awarded the OBE in recognition of his skills. Princess Elizabeth remains the locomotive that set the record for the longest, hardest and fastest nonstop run with a steam-hauled passenger train in Britain. The Princess Royals were early withdrawals as dieselisation took hold and No. 46201 was put in store twice at Carlisle Kingmoor in 1961/2, but returned to service twice before final withdrawal in October 1962. It was purchased by Roger Bell on behalf of the Princess Elizabeth Locomotive Society for £2160 and was moved on August 12, 1963 to the Dowty Railway Preservation Society at Ashchurch in Gloucestershire. In June 1965 it became the first LMS Pacific to be steamed in preservation by a very wide margin. It did not make it on to the main line though in the brief period in the mid-1960s when a handful of preserved GWR and LNER steam engines hauled occasional railtours, apart from

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making a couple of light engine runs from Ashchurch. It finally took its place at the head of a main line railtour on April 12, 1976 and at this time its operational base moved to the Bulmers Railway Centre in Hereford. It had been no less than 12 years since an LMS Pacific had hauled a main line passenger train. The Bulmers centre closed and Princess Elizabeth has led a nomadic existence, spending time based at several different heritage lines and centres, and undergoing a number of overhauls. On July 11, 2012 Princess Elizabeth hauled the Royal Train from Newport to Hereford and again from Worcester to Oxford as part of the Diamond Jubilee Tour. It is believed that it was the first time that HM the Queen travelled behind the locomotive that was named after her. No. 6201 was withdrawn for overhaul at the end of December 2012 with the work being undertaken this time at Tyseley with a return to the main line in the summer of 2016. The only active maroon steam engine on the main line and with a loud Stanier bark from its single chimney, ‘Lizzie’ has been a firm favourite with enthusiasts since its main line debut 40 years ago.

LNER A4 No. 60009 Union of South Africa

■ Class 8 4-6-2 ■ Built Doncaster 1937 ■ Owned and operated by John Cameron

Union of South Africa is the only working main line certified steam engine in individual ownership, having been purchased by present owner, Scottish farmer and businessman John Cameron, on withdrawal by BR in 1966. Sir Nigel Gresley’s A4 Pacifics became legendary as soon as the first one emerged from The Plant at Doncaster. No. 2509 was named Silver Link; it was streamlined and carried a two-tone silver grey livery. Nothing like it had ever been seen in Britain. Its appearance alone captured the public imagination like no other steam engine but when it hauled the press run of the LNER’s new high-speed ‘Silver Jubilee’ King’s Cross – Newcastle express, and touched 112mph in the process, it set a new steam speed record. The A4 was the natural development of

Gresley’s A3 Pacific. A total of 35 A4s were built between 1935 and 1938, carrying a variety of names, many of which changed during their service lives. Liveries also changed; four were silver, many garter blue and a few standard apple green, although garter blue quickly became standard. They got faster and faster; Stanier’s competition with his streamlined Princess Coronation Pacifics on the LMS encouraging Gresley to go faster still until on July 3, 1938, No. 4468 Mallard touched 126mph on Stoke bank, a record that stands to this day. The heyday of the LNER A4s was very short though, as the Second World War saw them painted black and hauling a size of train they were never designed for. From 1945 they regained their status as Britain’s top express steam engines, with No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley holding the postwar steam speed record, of 112mph, also on Stoke bank. The Deltic diesels very quickly displaced them from top-link ECML duties from 1961 and the A4s could easily have disappeared by 1964. Fate intervened though in the shape of BR’s disastrous decision to use North British-built type 2 diesels on Scottish Region expresses, a duty they were simply not capable of. The ScR A4s based in Edinburgh were increasingly hauling expresses to Aberdeen; the ER no longer needed its A4s and many moved to Scotland where they were extensively used not on Edinburgh – Aberdeen expresses but Glasgow – Aberdeen, essentially an LMS route, most engines being based at Aberdeen’s Ferryhill shed. No. 4488 was built for the LNER in 1937. Although it had been allocated the name Osprey on April 17, 1937, when it came out of the paint shop at Doncaster on June 29, it had been renamed after the then newly formed Union of South Africa. The five A4s with ‘Commonwealth’ names and a modified garter blue livery with stainless steel embellishments were allocated to the LNER streamlined expresses. Union of South Africa went to Haymarket shed in Edinburgh from new and remained at that shed, fitted with a corridor tender and paying regular visits to King’s Cross on the non-stop expresses until the diesels took over the top ECML services. No. 4488 lost its streamlined valances over

LNER A4 Pacific No. 60009 Union of South Africa at the Locomotion museum at Shildon in 2008. BRIAN SHARPE

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the wheels during the war in 1942. In BR days, now numbered 60009, it belatedly had a double chimney fitted in 1958. In 1962 it finally left Haymarket for Ferryhill shed in Aberdeen where it became one of the A4s that worked the three-hour expresses to Glasgow. Overhauls still took place at Doncaster though and it was the last BR steam locomotive to be overhauled there. In recognition of this, on October 24, 1964 it hauled BR’s last steam-hauled train from King’s Cross, 18 months after the terminus last saw regular steam services. It was withdrawn on June 1, 1966, shortly before the very end of the A4s. Purchased by John Cameron in July, No. 60009 was moved by road in 1967 to work on Cameron’s Lochty Private Railway in Fife. But changed circumstances saw the possibility of a return to main line use and in 1973 No. 60009 moved to Kirkcaldy to be prepared for railtour use. At first BR would only permit running from Inverkeithing, north of the Forth Bridge, to Dundee, but this was gradually extended to cover Edinburgh, Perth and Aberdeen. For many years the only preserved LNER steam engine to carry BR livery, No. 60009 attracted a unique following among steam enthusiasts north and south of the border on its occasional outings to recapture its former glories on the Aberdeen road. It even broke new ground for the class by working over the Highland main line in 1980. It wasn’t until 1984 when it finally ventured south of the border, to work a number of trains over the Settle & Carlisle line. In February 1989, No. 60009 arrived for overhaul at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway, returning to steam in January 1990 and even working on the line occasionally. It returned to Scotland though and continued in main line operation, mainly north of the border. In May 1994 the locomotive left its Markinch base for the last time on a low loader bound for a working life mainly south of the border. Its operating base in England has varied and it has been seen all over the UK on main line tours and occasional visits to heritage lines. It has since accumulated the highest mileage of any locomotive in the class, and a highlight of its career was in October 1994 when it hauled the first steam-hauled passenger train out of

LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland passes Bedgrave on the Chesterfield - Rotherham line with PMR Tours’ ‘Yorkshire Coronation’ on September 22. ALAN WEAVER

King’s Cross since 1969, commemorating the 30th anniversary of hauling BR’s last steam train from the terminus. This event had been made possible by Privatisation and Railtrack’s open access policy. Union of South Africa arrived at Pete Waterman’s LNWR workshops at Crewe for an extensive overhaul. It returned to steam in mid-2012 and the highlight of the current seven-year stint on the main line came on September 9, 2015, when No. 60009 headed the official reopening train on the rebuilt Borders Railway, from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, conveying HM the Queen and HRH the Duke of Edinburgh. No. 60009 is now back in Scotland, based at Thornton Junction and visits south of the border are much less frequent.

LMS Princess Coronation No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland

■ Class 8 4-6-2 ■ Built Crewe 1938 ■ Owned and operated by

Princess Margaret Rose Locomotive Trust

The Princess Coronations were the most powerful express steam locomotives ever to be built for the British railway network, estimated to be able to produce 3300 horsepower and with evidence to prove this was the case in practice. It was much more than just an enlarged version of the Princess Royal and was to become arguably Britain’s premier express steam locomotive design and a firm favourite with enthusiasts right up to the present day. The first five, Nos. 6220–6224, were built in Crewe in 1937; streamlined and painted blue with silver horizontal lines to match the new LMS ‘Coronation Scot’ train. The chief draughtsman at Derby, Tom Coleman, was responsible for most of the detailed design including the streamlined casing, in Stanier’s absence. In fact Stanier had doubts about its value. It was not even attractive in itself, but the overall effect in the livery chosen, was certainly worthwhile in publicity terms. Prior to the introduction of the ‘Coronation Scot’, on trials just south of Crewe, No. 6220 Coronation achieved a speed of 114mph, beating the LNER’s A4 Pacific No. 2509 Silver Link’s 112mph, but entering Crewe station at a dangerously high speed and with passengers on board. This briefly gave the LMS the world steam speed record. The second five, Nos. 6225–6229, were also

LNER A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado passes Shalford with a Belmond Pullman ‘Surrey Hills Luncheon’ train from Victoria. JAMES HERBERT

streamlined, but were painted in traditional crimson lake, with gilt lining, but the next batch were not streamlined. In the end 38 were eventually built, 24 streamlined and 14 nonstreamlined, the last two to a modified design, with roller bearings by George Ivatt, the last one, No. 46257 City of Salford by BR in 1948. Nos. 6220–6234 had single chimneys when built but from No. 6235 onwards, they were built with double chimneys, and the older engines receiving double chimneys between 1939 and 1944. Smoke deflectors were fitted to the non-streamlined engines from 1945, but in any case, the streamlining was removed from 1946 onwards. Only three locomotives were still streamlined by Nationalisation and these were treated by 1949. The class was a great success but inevitably dieselisation, and electrification of the WCML saw them lose their Top Link workings early in the 1960s with relegation to secondary duties, and after a few withdrawals, the remaining class members were withdrawn in one fell swoop in September 1964. We are lucky that although No. 46235 City of Birmingham was officially preserved, though never steamed again, two more were saved by Billy Butlin. It was a long time before either returned to the main line, but without him we may never have seen one of Britain’s premier express engines at work again after 1964. No. 6233 entered traffic on July 18, 1938, the fourth of the first batch of five non-streamlined class members to be completed. In 1943, the engine was fitted with a double chimney and in August 1946 received smoke deflectors Allocated to Crewe North for much of its working life, the engine was withdrawn in early February, 1964 from Edge Hill shed in Liverpool4. Along with No. 46229 withdrawn at the same time, No. 46233 was purchased by Butlins and externally restored to LMS condition at Crewe and put on show at Butlins’ Heads of Ayr holiday camp in October 1964. Along with No. 6100 Royal Scot from Skegness, No. 6233 was loaned to Bressingham museum in 1971 and was returned to steam in May 1974 but only for short distance footplate rides. In 1989, No. 6233 was purchased from Butlins by Bressingham. A move to the Midland Railway – Butterley to join ex-Butlins Pwllheli Princess Royal Pacific No. 46203 Princess Margaret Rose on February 4, 1996 signalled a big change in the engine’s fortunes. The locomotive was acquired by Brell Ewart’s Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust and restored in LMS 1946 condition in crimson lake livery with a double chimney and smoke

deflectors, returning to steam on March 20, 2001. Its main line debut was a Derby – Sheffield test run on July 18 that year. Sutherland had a hard act to follow in that the NRM’s No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton had returned to the main line in May 1980 and worked regularly until 1998, breaking records as a matter of course. No. 6233 made history on July 11, 2002 by becoming the first steam locomotive to haul the Royal Train on the main line, as part of HM The Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebrations. The train ran on the North Wales Coast line between Holyhead and Crewe conveying The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. A further Royal Train duty in March 2005 saw HRH the Prince of Wales travelling on the footplate for part of the journey over the Settle & Carlisle line. On September 10 2009, Sutherland took a 632 tonne train up Shap, topping the summit at 35.8mph, and beating the record set by No. 6234 Duchess of Abercorn in 1939 with a 20 coach train of 620 tons when the summit was passed at 30mph. On completion of a heavy general overhaul commencing in the winter of 2010, Sutherland appeared as No. 46233 in BR Brunswick green livery. The engine continues to prove its capabilities, turning in performances to match any of its Class 8 competitors.

LNER A1 No. 60163 Tornado

■ Class 8 4-6-2 ■ Built Darlington 2008 ■ Owned and operated by

A1 Steam Locomotive Trust

Tornado is radically different to all the other engines in only having been completed in 2008; a brand-new steam engine for the 21st century. Edward Thompson rebuilt Gresley’s original GNR A1 Pacific No. 4470 Great Northern in 1945, keeping it as an A1, and he reclassified the remaining Gresley A1s which had not been rebuilt to A3 specification, as A10s. Thompson’s successor, Arthur Peppercorn, redesigned Thompson’s not highly successful prototype A1, keeping the same basic dimensions and continued to build his new A1s, the first, No. 60114 WP Allen, emerging from Doncaster in BR days in 1948. Thompson’s rebuilding of Gresley’s designs met with little approval but Peppercorn’s Pacifics which reverted to Gresley’s principles, but updated to suit very different circumstances, were potentially outstanding. Peppercorn’s A1 Pacifics were fast, powerful, Heritagerailway.co.uk 55

and above all, far more economical to run and maintain than their Gresley predecessors, but they suffered from one major flaw, they were rough-riding and therefore unpopular with crews. The last two A1s just outlasted the A3s and A4s in England, but while everyone seemed to want to preserve and own an A4, no one was interested in the A1s and Nos. 60124 Kenilworth and 60145 Saint Mungo went for scrap in 1966. This made the A1 Pacific, the only class of Pacific which ran in BR service, to be rendered extinct. It might seem an unlikely thing to do, but a group of enthusiasts came up with a plan to build a brand-new steam locomotive in the 1990s. Not a tank engine for branch line services but a Class 8 express Pacific, and the logical choice was the extinct LNER Peppercorn A1. Arthur Peppercorn’s widow was honorary president of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, builder of Tornado. At the age of 92, she lit the first fire in Tornado’s firebox in January 2008, and was later on the footplate for Tornado’s inaugural steaming at Darlington works, stating “My husband would be proud”. Fundraising from public subscriptions and business sponsorship was phenomenally successful and the frames were laid at Tyseley in 1995, with a transfer to premises at Darlington on September 25, 1997 where work continued. A new boiler was built by DB Meiningen in Germany. The first runs of the completed engine were in September 2008 on the Great Central Railway and a light engine test run from York to Scarborough took place in November of that year. The loaded main line test run from York to Newcastle was followed by the first public run, on the same route in January 2009. The rough-riding characteristics of Peppercorn’s A1 design had been eliminated by some tweaks to the design and although the postwar A1s lacked the grace and style of Gresley’s designs, it had much improved economy, reliability and ease of maintenance. The new Tornado immediately showed that it could outperform an A4 any day. But then it was 70 years newer than the newest A4! It carried the number of the next A1 in the numbering sequence, 60163, the 50th class member and the name, after the aircraft which helped win the Gulf War, was an inspired choice. Naturally the media followed every move of the new engine and with Flying Scotsman still stripped for overhaul, Tornado immediately assumed the mantle of Britain’s most famous steam engine and large crowds thronged the lineside wherever it went. Highlights of Tornado’s first months of operation included a Royal Train from Leeds to York in January, followed by a naming ceremony performed by HRH Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall. A run from King’s Cross to Edinburgh as part of the BBC’s Top Gear TV programme, saw the engine complete the journey in a net time comparable with the best from ‘real’ steam days, with Network Rail pulling out all the stops to provide the best possible path throughout. Tornado is now entering a new phase in its career, with regular 90mph running expected during 2017 and a dedicated set of coaches being assembled for exclusive use with the engine.

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SR rebuilt West Country No. 34046 Braunton ■ Class 7 4-6-2 ■ Built Brighton 1946 ■ Owned by Royal Scot

Locomotive & General Trust ■ Operated by Icons of Steam Oliver Bulleid worked with Nigel Gresley on the LNER and was involved in many of Gresley’s more unorthodox experiments on the development of steam traction as well as the introduction of the high-speed streamline trains. He was headhunted by the Southern Railway on the retirement of Richard Maunsell in 1937. The SR had gone in for large scale third rail electrification and replacement of Urie’s King Arthur and Maunsell’s Lord Nelson 4-6-0s on front line express services had not been a priority. By the time Bulleid was able to devote his attention to a new express steam design, Britain was in the throes of the Second World War and Bulleid had to pretend his new Merchant Navy Pacific was a mixed traffic engine. In fact, while it was unorthodox in design and appearance, it was potentially one of the finest express engines to be produced in Britain, its one concession to the label of ‘mixed traffic’ being its 6ft 2in driving wheels giving it more power on the rail from what proved to be probably the best-steaming boiler ever produced in this country. Bulleid adopted a three-cylinder layout, as used almost universally by Gresley on his larger engines. Thirty Merchant Navies were built and revolutionised the Bournemouth and Exeter lines as well as the Kent Coast boat trains and Bulleid then developed a lighter version with greatly increased route availability. These were more like mixed traffic engines, although the SR had comparatively little serious freight traffic anyway. Similar in appearance to the ‘Merchants’, with air-smoothed (as opposed to streamlined) casings, boxpok wheels and chain-driven valve gear, with big ornate nameplates and a striking malachite green livery, the West Country and identical Battle of Britain Pacifics were just as obviously express engines as their larger counterparts were, though the light ones could go almost anywhere on the branch lines of the South West.

Bulleid even had a unique numbering system and when built in 1946, Battle of Britain Pacific Braunton carried the number 21C146; the ‘C’ referring to three driving axles. The Bulleid Pacifics became the last working preNationalisation express engines in Britain, with the Merchant Navies being the last Class 8 Pacifics in service, and took charge of the Bournemouth, Weymouth and Salisbury expresses until electrification in July 1967. Many 100mph+ performances were recorded in the last few weeks of steam. They were too unconventional for BR though and with the unorthodox features, particularly the chain-driven valve gear, proving insufficiently reliable, the Merchant Navies were all rebuilt to more conventional Pacifics in the 1950s, to a design by Ron Jarvis which closely followed the BR Standard range. A start was made on rebuilding the light Pacifics but with the end of steam in sight, the programme was never completed and some original engines survived right to the end. Many Bulleid Pacifics ended up at Barry scrapyard, and all those were purchased for preservation. Many have been returned to steam but have proved costly to maintain in service and only one is currently main line certified, No. 34046 Braunton, which had been rebuilt by BR in January 1959, but withdrawn in 1965 and sent to Barry scrapyard. It was one of the later ones rescued from Barry, by then in deplorable condition, and moved to a proposed steam centre at Preston Park, Brighton in 1988. This project never got off the ground and Braunton continued to deteriorate until it was sold to the West Somerset Railway Association and moved to Minehead in January 1996. The engine was subsequently resold and joined Jeremy Hosking’s fleet after which restoration finally started. No. 34046 first steamed in July 2007 and ran regularly in WSR service. Eventually it moved to Riley’s works at Bury for upgrading to main line condition and on July 16, 2013, it made its main line debut on a test run from Carnforth During 2016, Braunton has been running as classmate No. 34052 Lord Dowding but will revert to its correct identity in the new year. It is currently the only Bulleid Pacific running on the main line, although there have been several others in past years, including two of the larger Merchant Navy Class 8s

SR rebuilt Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34046 Braunton, carrying the identity of classmate No. 34052 Lord Dowding on the turntable at Peak Rail, Rowsley. BRIAN SHARPE

BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell at Manchester Victoria on August 10 2008. BRIAN SHARPE

BR Standard Britannia No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell

■ Class 7 4-6-2 ■ Built Crewe 1951 ■ Owned by National Railway Museum ■ Operated by 5305 Locomotive Association

Oliver Cromwell is generally regarded as having been BR’s last working standard gauge steam engine. On the creation of the Railway Executive in 1947 in preparation for the Nationalisation of the railways in 1948, Robert Riddles was appointed member of the Railway Executive for mechanical and electrical engineering. He had worked with Stanier, Fairburn and Ivatt on the LMS and his principal assistants were also former LMS men. In this post Riddles was responsible for the policy of continuing the construction of steam locomotives, on the basis that it was not worth changing to diesel traction when the ultimate aim was electrification. Riddles was responsible for the initiation of the well-known ‘interchange trials’ of 1948 and envisaged that Britain’s railways would use electric traction in the long term, with steam traction in the intermediate. With his team, he set about designing and building a set of 12 standard locomotive designs, usually referred to as the BR Standards. Officially these incorporated the best practices of all of the ‘Big Four’ railway companies, as theoretically established by the interchange trials. Inevitably, LMS practices tended to predominate, and like Riddles’ wartime austerity designs, his BR Standards were also designed for simplicity, ease of maintenance, and the ability to burn poor quality coal. Although the BR Standards were generally a success, there has been criticism of the policy pursued by Riddles, as he could easily have simply continued building the best of the latest designs from each of the ‘Big Four’. In fact at total of 999 of Riddles’ Standard designs were built by BR, and far more to other, pre-1948 designs. It is quite possible that Riddles carried his enthusiasm for steam a bit too far, but he was a steam enthusiast, and no one gets into the

position of CME – particularly of a newlyformed national railway company; almost certainly the last in a line of railway engineers from Stephenson through Webb, Churchward, Gresley and Stanier – without having a desire to design and build memorable steam engines. Designed at Derby in 1951, the first BR Standard design to emerge was a Class 7 twocylindered Pacific. No such thing had ever been seen in Britain before. There was little need for them except on the Great Eastern lines. A few went to the Western Region to supplement the Castles but the region generally hated them. The choice of the name Britannia for No. 70000, the first of the new Pacifics, reflected the regard Riddles felt for the LNWR where he had started his railway career. Not only did it carry a name of impeccable LNWR pedigree but it was even painted black in accordance with Riddles’ preference, although this was quickly replaced by standard Brunswick green. The Britannias had 6ft 2in driving wheels, following Bulleid’s Pacifics and Peppercorn’s LNER A2s, both of which had proved that this was no obstacle to high speed performance. The Britannias revolutionised the GE main line, but only for 10 years, and once moved away from East Anglia, they moved around various sheds gradually becoming concentrated on the LMR, where they became the last working British Pacifics, but they had ridiculously short lives on the front line services they were designed for. No. 70013 was named Oliver Cromwell and was one of many of the class allocated to the GE section for Liverpool Street – Norwich expresses. Along with all the GE-allocated engines it moved to the LMR in the early 1960s and the class gradually became concentrated at the Carlisle sheds. When it emerged from Crewe works after a general overhaul in February 1967 carrying fully lined-out Brunswick green liver and even a nameplate (on one side), there was a small ceremony to mark the last steam overhaul to be carried out on a BR steam locomotive. It returned to Carlisle for the rest of the year but actually spent most of its time in store in scruffy condition. It did get cleaned for one

final duty in regular service, a football special on December 31, 1967 which it worked from Carlisle to Blackpool. The return saw a good performance up Shap from a standing start at Tebay, unbanked as the last bankers had been withdrawn. It marked the end of steam at Carlisle and the withdrawal of all the other surviving Britannias. No. 70013 moved to Carnforth but not for regular use. Stored for much of the time under a tarpaulin it emerged only for occasional enthusiasts’ railtours in north-west England. The frequency of these increased between March and August 1968 as the end of BR steam approached. The very last BR steam train was ‘1T57’, the ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ of August 11, 1968. Oliver Cromwell worked the train from Manchester Victoria via Blackburn and Hellifield to Carlisle. Three LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0s also played a part in hauling the train but as a named Class 7 Pacific, it was always considered to be Cromwell’s day. Afterwards, No. 70013 ran light engine from Carlisle to Lostock Hall shed at Preston, then overnight to Norwich. It was placed on loan to the Bressingham Steam Museum, a decision which was later to cause some controversy. The class pioneer, No. 70000 Britannia had already been nominated for official preservation as part of the National Collection. Cromwell continued with footplate rides at Bressingham for a while but never left there and never hauled another train… … until August 10, 2008, from Manchester Victoria to Carlisle, exactly 40 years on from its last appearance on the route, hauling BR’s last steam train. After a false start 15 years earlier when even the ownership of the locomotive was called into question, agreement had finally been reached for No. 70013 to leave Bressingham to be overhauled on the Great Central Railway at Loughborough and returned to main line action. It was a close-run thing but Oliver Cromwell hauled the 40th anniversary ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ as planned. For a two-cylinder Class 7 with 6ft 2in driving wheels, No. 70013 has proved to be a powerful engine, holding its own against its bigger Class 8 cousins.

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Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway 0-6-0T No. 823 Countess approaches Heniarth during a photo charter on October 19. ROBERT FALCONER

MAIN LINE NEWS

New ‘Jacobite’ tops Christmas steam railtours bonanza By Cedric Johns WEST Coast Railways is breaking new ground by running a series of Christmas services over the West Highland Extension. A move that has been mooted for several years, the Carnforth-based‘Jacobite’operator is now responding to public demand for festive season trains on the route, building on the longstanding success of its summer operation. Pre-season steam-hauled shuttles will run from Fort William to Glenfinnan and return between Tuesday, December 20, and Thursday, December 22. Two trains will run each day, departing at 10.15am and 1pm. In addition, there will be a series of post-Christmas full-length‘Jacobite’services to Mallaig. They will be run from Tuesday December 27 to

Tornado to Bath and Canterbury

The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust which, as reported in our last issue, plans to create a dedicated Mk.3 rake of coaches which can run behind Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at up to 90mph, has two festive season trips of its own. On Thursday, December 1, Tornado will run from London Victoria to Bath and Bristol with‘The Bath Spa Christmas Express’. The route, outward and return, is via Reading, Newbury, the Westbury East Chord and along the Avon Valley

Thursday, December 29. Departure from Fort William will be at 10.15am, the normal‘Jacobite’time. Hauling the trains will be one of Ian Riley’s two LMS ‘Black Fives’, Nos. 44871 and 45407. If the company’s first venture into December running in the region is successful, it is likely to pave the way for a repeat or expanded version in future years, which will further boost the‘Jacobite’s’ contribution to the economy of the west Highlands. West Coast will be expanding its‘Jacobite’ programme in 2017, with extra trains at Easter. Full details of the programme are available at www.westcoastrailway.co.uk The West Coast venture is the latest addition to the by-now long-established late November until December 22 festive climax of the railtour promoters’season, as operators seek to fill seats on pre-Christmas shopping and carol service excursions

by way of Trowbridge. Passengers will have around four hours in Bath, with its massive Christmas market, or around three and a half if they choose Bristol. On Monday, December 12, Tornado will again depart Victoria, this time with ‘The Christmas Canterbury Tale’, picking up passengers at Bromley South and Sevenoaks. The train’s outward route takes Tornado via Tonbridge and Ashford to CanterburyWest.Tickets for both of these A1Trust trips are available through UK Railtours.

running to a variety of destinations, with places such as Lincoln, Canterbury and Bath again figuring prominently. While West Coast will also be operating trains on behalf of promoters elsewhere, it also has seven of its own pre-Christmas trains running under its own brands, Great UK Railtours and Spirit of the Lakes. Edinburgh is a popular destination with departures on November 26 from Southport and on the 30th of the month from Bangor. On December 3, a trip from Leeds is destined for Canterbury, on the 7th an excursion leaves Barrow-inFurness for Bath and on December 12, it’s Edinburgh again, this time from Peterborough. A trip to Windsor & Eton from Preston is dated for December 14 and finally, a train runs from Scarborough to Bristol on the 17th.

Lindum Fayre a perennial favourite

VintageTrains is running two pre-Christmas trips in December to popular seasonal market venues. The first, on December 3, is the‘Lindum Christmas Fayre’which heads for Lincoln fromWarwick Road via Coleshill, Nuneaton and Leicester behind GWR 4-6-0 No. 4965 RoodAshtonHall. Ideal for Christmas shopping, the city’s market boasts more than 250 stalls and is set in the shadow of both Lincoln Cathedral and the city’s castle.

On December 10, the‘ChristmasWhite Rose’departsWarwick Road behind another GWR 4-6-0, Castle No. 5043 Earl ofMountEdgcumbe,calling at Coleshill, Tamworth High Level and Burton-on-Trent forYork. VintageTrains’water carrier will be incorporated in the train’s formation, to eliminate stops en route.

Busy season for RTC

Highlights of the RailwayTouring Company’s Christmas steam programme include a brand new charter to Bognor Regis and a visit to Sherborne and theYeovil Railway Centre. In the run up to Christmas, RTC has a number of steam outings – Chester on November 19, Bath on November 24, Eastbourne on December 6,York on December 8, 10, 17 and 21 and Lincoln on December 3 where the previlously mentioned Christmas market – one of Europe’s largest – will be in full swing. Many of these trains will include an appearance by Father Christmas and his elves to provide a good pre-Christmas family day out, with an opportunity to see locomotives like LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233DuchessofSutherland and ‘Black Fives’Nos. 45407 and 44871 in action; the‘Black Fives’substituting on trips originally rostered for No. 70013 OliverCromwell.

Scottish trip to Lincoln

Plenty of festive cheer at York after the arrival of BR Standard Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester with a Railway Touring Company ‘York Yuletide Express’ from King’s Cross in 2007. PAUL BASON

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Having completed this year’s tour programme with a steam-hauled return trip from FortWilliam to Polmont behind‘Black Five’No. 44871 – a positioning move for the 4-6-0 at the end of the‘Jacobite’season – the Scottish Railway Preservation Society has one more tour to end its operational year. This is its annual trip south of the border to Lincoln and its Christmas market. Departing EdinburghWaverley on Friday December 2, the train calls at Drem, Berwick-on-Tweed, Alnmouth, Newcastle and Durham.

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LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea passes Burton Salmon with a West Coast Railways’ ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ on October 25. ALAN WEAVER As in previous years the train is expected to be well patronised by passengers wishing to enjoy Lincoln’s festive atmosphere and to wander around one of Europe’s largest Christmas markets. Gloucestershire-based Pathfinder Tours has aYork theme to its Christmas programme this year. All trains will decked out for the festive season, the premier dining menu featuring a four course dinner with all the trimmings. Catering on all Pathfinder trains is provided byThe Frying Scotsman team led by Alan‘Dutch’Holland who previously had worked on the RoyalTrain.

Bognor behind ‘Black Fives’

Ian Riley’s ‘Fives’are set to haul the new RTC‘Bognor Belle’onTuesday, December 13. Departing LondonVictoria the‘Belle’ will recreate the great days of steamhauled expresses from London to the south coast. In addition to stopping at Bognor, the train visits the Littlehampton branch with its beaches, bustling marina and harbour. OnThursday, December 15,‘The Sherborne Christmas Carol’will provide a truly festive day out. Departing London Victoria, the‘Carol’stops at Staines,Woking and Basingstoke. The main destination is Sherborne where medieval buildings, the abbey, almshouses and castle along with craft, fashion and antique shops provide plenty to see. Passengers can also enjoy a carol service in the abbey. Alternatively, passengers can stay on the train to visit theYeovil Railway Centre and see the train locomotive turned on the turntable.

Back over the white cliffs

SteamDreams’‘CathedralsExpress’ Christmasprogrammeofferspeoplethe chancetocelebratethefestiveseasonin stylewithdaytripstosomeoftheUK’s best Christmasmarketsandcathedralcities. MosttripsstartfromLondonwith opportunitiestojointhetrainatvarious pointsalongtheroute.Bath,Lincoln, SalisburyandWinchesterChristmas markets,carolsinElyCathedralanda‘White Cliffs’luncheontrainarejustsomeofthe highlightsmakingupthisyear’s itinerary. TheseasonkicksoffonNovember 29withatriptoSalisburyviatheSurrey Hills.Passengerswillhavethreehoursto explorethemedievalcathedralcityandthe ChristmasmarketinGuildhallSquare. OnDecember17a‘CathedralsExpress’ willvisittheWestSomersetRailwaywhere passengerscaneitherattendacarolservice inthevillageofDunsterorvisittheseaside townofMinehead. TheseasonfinishesintrueSteamDreams’ stylewithits‘WhiteCliffsSpecial’taking passengersoverthenewly-repairedand reopenedcoastallinebetweenDoverand FolkestonehauledbyBulleidWestCountry 4-6-2BrauntonwhileNo.46100RoyalScot andNo.6201PrincessElizabethtakethe burdenoftheremainingprogramme. Italmostseemsthatifyouwanttocatch atrainthisChristmas,arailtourseemsbyfar thebestoption,forNetworkRailhassaid thattrainserviceswillfaceconsiderable disruptionduringtheperiodbecauseof engineeringworkwhichincludesaround 200projectsscheduledtotakeplaceover thefestiveseason. London,CardiffandManchesterare amongthecitiesduetobeaffected,work insomeareasbeingstartedonChristmas Eve,aSaturday.However,NetworkRail

spokesman,PhilHufton,said:“Despite ouressentialupgrades,themajorityof thenationalnetwork,some95%,remains unaffectedandwillbeopenforbusiness”. ➜Andifyoufancyventuringfurther afieldonmainlinesthanEly,Lincolnor FortWilliam,FfestiniogTravelisoffering twoeight-dayholidaystotheChristmas marketsofBudapestortheUNESCOWorld HeritagetownofStralsundonGermany’s BalticCoast. Both toursoptionalexcursionsto Bratislavaandthenarrowgaugeforest railwayatMiskolc(Budapestitinerary), andtoAachen,Cologneandthenarrow gaugesteamrailwaysofMolliBahnand RügenscheBaderbahn(Stralsunditinerary). Aswellasescortedrailjourneysandvisits tolocalattractions,eachholidayalsoallows ampletimetoexploreindependently. IncludedwiththeBudapestholidayisan InterRailpassforEurope,givingunlimited mainlinerailtravelwithinmainlandEurope aswellasfreetravelfromyourhomestation intheUKtoLondonbeforeandafterthe holiday.Unlimitedmainlinetravelwithin Germany–usinganInterRailOneCountry pass–isincludedforthedurationofyour stayaspartoftheStralsundholiday. Pricesarefrom£970perperson(two sharing)forStralsundandfrom£1050per person(twosharing)forBudapest. BothtoursdepartonNovember24and includestandardclassrailtravelthroughout (EurostarfromLondonto/fromBrussels), sevennights’bedandbreakfast(plusone eveningmealontheStralsunditinerary), InterRailpasses(pluspublictransportticket forBudapest, Nuremburg and Bonn on the Budapest itinerary). More details are available by logging on to www.ffestiniogtravel.com (plus see the advert on page 116).

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

Sherwood Forester set for comeback By Cedric Johns FOREVER associated with the late Bert Hitchen, LMS‘Black Five’4-6-0 No. 45231 The Sherwood Forester is set to make a return to the main line in the coming weeks. Now one of Jeremy Hosking’s fleet of locomotives, the 4-6-0 has been parked at West Coast Railways’ Carnforth base for months, but as Locomotive Services’Peter Greenwood said:“It’s been a long time coming but the light at the end of the tunnel is now shining brightly.” When returned to traffic the 4-6-0 will provide a useful‘go anywhere’ standby engine but is capable of handling a series of railtours in its own right, just as it did after Bert restored the 4-6-0 to main line standards at the turn of the century. As previously reported, Jeremy’s West Country light Pacific Braunton is back at Southall with shiny wheels after its visit to Toton depot and ready for its next outing. It is possible the‘Black Five’will be also stabled there when the 4-6-0 returns to steam. At Crewe, progress on A2 4-6-2 No. 60532 Blue Peter is said to be slow because priority has been given to finishing Bulleid 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line (overhaul) and BR 7P 4-6-2 Britannia – refitting the engine’s driving wheelset. Heritagerailway.co.uk 61

MAIN LINE NEWS

Flying Scotsman for newly reinstated Settle & Carlisle By Cedric Johns and Brian Sharpe

THE RailwayTouring Company has announced its summer season of tours featuring A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman in 2017. The A3’s first main line run after overhaul was over the Settle & Carlisle line on February 6 this year, soon after which part of the route subsided at Eden Brows and the line has been closed north of Armathwaite since then for extensive repairs to be carried out. It is expected that these repairs will be completed in March and steam railtours will once again be able to use the line. In our last issue, we reported that Steam Dreams had booked the world’s

most famous steam locomotive for the whole of May 2017 and the first week of June.The A3 will, as happened earlier this year, run 15 trips for the Guildfordbased operator. The first trip for RTC will be the ‘Scarborough Flyer’which on June 4 unusually departs the resort for a oneway trip to King’s Cross. From Doncaster, the train will run via the GN/GE joint line through Lincoln before picking up the East Coast Main Line again atWerrington Junction for the final run to London. On July 1, Flying Scotsman will head‘TheYorkshireman’ from King’s Cross toYork calling at Stevenage, Peterborough, Stamford and Melton

Mowbray, and continuing via Chesterfield and Rotherham. This will be Flying Scotsman’s first King’s Cross departure since its inaugural run on February 25 and it is hoped that the lineside trespassing problems will not be repeated.The return journey is again diesel hauled. On July 16, Flying Scotsman makes its return to the Settle & Carlisle line with the first of a series of‘Waverley’trips fromYork, picking up at Leeds, Shipley, Keighley and Skipton before tackling the 1-in-100 climb up to Blea Moor. With an optional four-hour passenger stop at Appleby, the train continues on to Carlisle. Following a 90-minute service

and leisure time break, the A3 will return over its morning route.‘TheWaverley’ will also run on July 23, August 6, 13 and 20 and September 3. However, on July 29‘The Hadrian’ departs from Derby diesel-hauled, picked up at Long Eaton, Beeston, Langley Mill, Alfreton, Chesterfield en route via Leeds and Skipton to Hellifield, where Flying Scotsman takes over for the remainder of the trip toYork via Carlisle. Returning toYork via theTyneValley line and joining the ECML at Low Fell, the A3 comes off the train and returns to its National Railway Museum home, leaving the trip to be diesel hauled back to Derby.

Defiant appeal gets £50K ByCedricJohns

The boiler of Sir Nigel Gresley, awaiting shipment to Llangollen. TREVOR CAMP/ SNGLT

Llangollen to repair Sir Nigel Gresley boiler By Cedric Johns THE Sir Nigel Gresley LocomotiveTrust has announced the signing of a contract for work on the boiler of A4 No. 60007 to begin. The boiler, which was lifted from its frames in March, has been cleaned, assessed and given a full none destructible test and inspection. Chief Mechanical Engineer Richard Swales said:“It was found to be in pretty good condition.The firebox tube plate needs replacing but we knew about that. “Overall, nothing unexpected was discovered”. The amount of work identified was sent to a number of contractors asked to provide costs involved and the replies were considered in September. Trust chairman Nigel Wilson said: “Because of the amount of charitable money involved we went through a due diligence assessment with all of the shortlisted contractors – including the time factor – and decided to place the work with the Llangollen Railway.” The A4’s boiler is expected to move to North Wales soon and the work involved

62 Heritagerailway.co.uk

is expected to take about 12 months. Although it may seem a long time since the boiler was lifted, in the meantime the team has used volunteers to strip, clean, and assess the boiler, making significant savings.This approach has also allowed competitive bidding to take place with a clear idea of the work entailed. Locomotive engineer Darrin Crone said:“We have done things a little differently to some other teams but so far things have gone well and the project is going to plan.” On a historical note, the A4 has been a celebrity engine since it was named after its designer at Marylebone in 1937. It headed the press train for the relaunch of the‘Flying Scotsman’service in 1938, hauling the RoyalTrain in 1956 and establishing a postwar record for steam traction running at 112mph in 1959. The trust was formed in 1964 and purchased the 4-6-2 from British Rail in 1967 returning it to the main line after a full overhaul at Crewe in 1967 and has remained active on heritage railways and the main line ever since. ➜ New builds at Llangollen: feature, pages 70-75.

VINTAGETrains’£1millionappealto restoreGWRCastleNo.5080Defiant tothe main lineattracted£50,000indonations within itsfirstweek. ChairmanMichaelWhitehousesaid: “Only£950,000togo! “Ifwehitsomethinglike£200,000by Christmas we shall bringDefiant backfrom QuaintonRoadandinvitecontributors tocomeandseethe4-6-0atTyseleyand chatabouttheengineeringprocedures requiredtobringtheenginebackinsteam andultimately,themainline.” Asreportedinourlastissue,contributors whoarepreparedtopay£1perdayfor threeyears–or£1000 upfront–willbe enrolledinthenewly-formedDefiantClub andbecometrusteeshareholdersinwhat essentiallywillbecomea‘people’s engine’. Benefitsincludeasharecertificate, participationinthe4-6-0’s restoration– subjecttoTyseley’s workingprocedures –aquarterlynewsletter,freeentryto theDefiantClub’s‘Castle Day’annual generalmeeting,withaCastleinsteam andaworkshoptourbehindthescenes includingachancetoseethelateststages ofworkontheCastle. Benefitsalsoincludeafreeticket oniconicsisterNo.7029ClunCastle’s inaugural‘ShakespeareExpress’trains,an invitationtothe4-6-0’s commissioning

ceremonyatTyseleyLocomotiveWorks,a freeticketonDefiant’s inauguraltrains to Stratford-upon-Avonandaclubbadge. Originally builtasOgmoreCastleinMay 1939atSwindon,itsfirstshedallocation wasOldOakCommon.Aftertransferto Cardiff(Canton),theenginewasrenamed Defiant inJanuary1941,commemorating one ofthemanytypesofaircraftwhich hadtakenpartintheBattleofBritain.The nameOgmoreCastle subsequentlypassed aroundsisterenginesNo.5056, 7007and 7035. Withdrawn fromLlanelliinApril1963,it wenttoBarryscrapyardthatOctober,and wassoldtotheStandardGaugeSteam Trust(nowTyseleyLocomotiveWorks)as sparepartsforClunCastle. InAugust1974, itbecamethe62nddeparturefromBarry. ItwasrestoredinitsownrightinJune 1988. However,afteritsboilercertificate expired,itwasloanedforstaticdisplay insidetheLNWRRewleyRoadstation attheBuckinghamshireRailwayCentre, whereitcan currentlybeseen. Tyseley’s aimis tobeabletohaveat leasttwoofitsthreeCastlesserviceableat anyonetime,toguaranteeVintageTrains’ passengershaulagebehindamember of theclass,thethirdonebeingNo. 5043Earl ofMountEdgcumbe. ➜ For details of the Defiant club membership scheme visit www. vintagetrains.co.uk and click on Defiant.

Oliver Cromwell ‘back in March’ ByCedricJohns LITTLE hasbeenheardoftheNational RailwayMuseum’s BR7P 4-6-2No.70013 OliverCromwell,apopularengine with railtourpromoters,sinceitwentoutof main linetrafficmorethanayearago. ANRMspokesmanrevealedthat Cromwell,currentlybasedattheGreat CentralRailway,hadsufferedabroken

crankpinandhadproblems withits wheelset.Ithasrecentlybeen foundto need newsuperheaterelements. Onloantothe5305Locomotive Associationitispossible thatthePacific maybeinsteam beforetheendoftheyear butcomeJanuaryorFebruarytheengine willbestopped forwintermaintenance. ThemuseumsaidthatCromwellwill be backonthe main linearoundMarch.

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Heritage traction supports the Olympics By Fred Kerr

LNER A3 Pacific No. 4472 Flying Scotsman passes the site of the current landslip at Eden Brows on the Settle & Carlisle line on April 27, 1991. DAVID PRICE

RPSI looks towards West Coast for driver training WEST Coast Railways may train steam footplate crews for the Irish main lines. The Carnforth operator’s recent crew training week of October 17-21, using LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea between Carnforth and Hellifield was held for West Coast’s own passed firemen. However, John Glendenning, who is responsible for arranging crew training for the Railway Preservation

Society of Ireland, said that West Coast sends senior footplate crews over to Ireland every two years to assess locomotive handling standards for the group. In addition, he said that he was considering more training either on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway or out on the main line with West Coast. If the plan comes to fruition, training may take place next year, he said.

GB Railfreight was host to the UK’s Olympians and Paralympians on October 18, when it provided the train services that included the use of heritage electric traction. Class 92 No. 92032 had collected a mixed rake of stock from Polmadie for transfer to Crewe the previous day while Class 87 No. 87002 and Class 92 No. 92018 moved fromWillesden to Crewe. On the day, No. 92032 worked the empty stock to Manchester, working in top-and-tail mode with No. 87002, thus making No. 87002 the train locomotive for the transit to Euston. At Euston, Class 92 No. 92010 exchanged places with No. 92032 and, once attached to the rear, returned the stock to Polmadie. Following successful testing of the modifications made to No. 92014, and the subsequent move of No. 92018 to Loughborough for upgrade, it is hoped to see Class 92s return to service on Caledonian Sleeper services during January.

Extra support for Clan Line By Cedric Johns MERCHANT Navy Pacific No. 35028 Clan Line has received additional funding to ensure that the Southern flagship will be back on the main line in the near future. As previously reported, the 4-6-2’s owning society launched an appeal for £80,000 to enable extra work to be carried out on the boiler and the provision of a new tubeplate. “We have received generous donations from members and Bulleid enthusiasts to help finish the job,” said spokesman Alan French. When withdrawn for overhaul in June 2015, the society was confident that sufficient funds were in place to cover the cost but, as happened in other similar cases,

the extent of work required was not finally revealed until the boiler was lifted and the overhaul began in earnest. The original plan was to return No. 35028 to traffic by the end of this year but the extra work required means that the 4-6-2 will now not be ready until early next year. That said, work on refurbishing the engine’s support coach – at Eastleigh – is well advanced, the vehicle is expected back at Stewarts Lane before the year is out. Parallel to that, Alan, a member of Clan Line’s support crew, is making good progress recovering from a major operation. He said he hoped to be out and about around the same time as the 4-6-2 is returned to steam.

Scrapping of the Eurostar fleet ByFredKerr

LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea emerges from Melling tunnel with a crewtraining run from Carnforth to Hellifield. STEVE SIENCOWICZ

THErecentintroductionoftheClass 374setbyEurostarhasseenthestart ofthewithdrawaloftheoriginalClass 373setsastheyapproach23years ofage. It is also 10 years since the withdrawal of the Class 373/3 units from East Coast Main Line service. Thefirstoftheoldersets, Nos.373005/06,wasmovedfrom StPancrastoEMR’s scrapyardat

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Kingsburyintheearlyhoursof October27andthiswillbethepattern ofwithdrawalinthecomingmonths. AlthoughEurostarplanstoretain eightsets,thewithdrawalswillinclude thosecurrentlyinstoreinFranceand whichwillbereturnedtotheUKfor onwardtransittoKingsbury. Onevehiclehasentered preservation.Apowercarwas donatedtotheNationalCollection andwentondisplayintheNational RailwayMuseumatYorkayearago. Heritagerailway.co.uk 63

MAIN LINE NEWS

COMPILED BY CEDRIC JOHNS

Government now looks set to favour Dawlish route By Robin Jones AFTER two years of debating the future of the rail link from Exeter to Plymouth following the storms of February 2014 which washed part of Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s Dawlish sea wall route away, the Government seems to prefer measures to shore it up rather than reopen a new line through Okehampton. It has been long mooted that the revival of the former Southern main line between the two cities, of which the Dartmoor Railway constitutes a sizeable part, should be rebuilt at least as a diversionary route in times of bad weather and storm surges. However,Transport Secretary Chris Grayling has indicated that safeguarding the coastal line is a priority over reopening the alternative route through Okehampton, as proposed by MPs in

North Devon and North Cornwall. During a recent visit to the repaired line between Dawlish andTeignmouth, he said:“There is no option for the future that allows our railway links to Devon and Cornwall to be cut.

In-depth study

“That has to be an absolute commitment from the Government. “We can’t leave this railway link in a position where it is not open for the future.” After carrying out an in-depth study of the coastal route from Exeter to Newton Abbot, to identify spots in need of protection over the next century, Network Rail engineers have proposed an innovative scheme to remove the danger from the eroding sandstone cliffs atTeignmouth – by moving the tracks on to a 450-yard causeway

offshore between Parson’sTunnel and the resort. The causeway could be built on the beach near Spray Point about 30 yards out to sea, at a cost of around £300 million and works could start within three years’ time, if it is given the go-ahead. Newton Abbot MP Anne Marie Morris said:“Pushing the line into the sea is a good idea because it will future-proof it for a very long time.” Mr Grayling said that before any decision was made, local people and councils would have to be consulted. The alternative to building a new line across the beach would be to close the route for up to a year and would be more expensive because of the need to buy properties to allow the cliffs to be cut back. However, campaigners to reopen the northern route said it should

happen as well. Chris Bligh, rail advisor to Destination Okehampton, said:“We understand that the current rail route through Dawlish has to be defended and we support it.

Economic uplift

“But, much more is needed than solely protecting the current route. Passenger growth in Devon and Cornwall is running at twice the national average and that shows no signs of stopping. “We are working to reinstate daily services to Okehampton as a first step in reopening the Northern Route through to Plymouth. “This will add capacity to the network, connect many places that cannot access rail easily at present and also give a significant economic uplift to the whole area around Okehampton, North Cornwall andWest Devon.”

GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe crosses Chirk viaduct with a Vintage Trains’ excursion returning from Chester to Tyseley on October 22. DEREK PHILLIPS

Volunteers get dirty with the Duke of Gloucester WHEN Duke of Gloucester’s principal engineer Ken Grubb contacted fellow members living within a 15-mile radius ofTyseley Locomotive Works, his message was short and to the point. He said“Come and get dirty with the Duke” – and it worked! On Saturday, October 1, for example, 14 volunteers turned up to carry out peripheral jobs associated with

64 Heritagerailway.co.uk

No. 71000’s overhaul. As BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust management chairmanTrevor Tuckley said:“This is an example of the family spirit we are building within the membership,There’s nothing like volunteers getting together, having a chat over a cup of tea then getting their hands dirty”. To date, the Duke’s support crew totals

25 active members, more are welcome. Talking of membership, MrTuckley said he was pleased with the result of setting up a stand atTyseley over the Flying Scotsman weekend in September. Another eight new members joined the Duke’s cause. With membership now standing within arms’reach of an interim target, income supporting the Duke’s overhaul

is set at £50,000 per annum through current member numbers. But more are wanted to ensure that the unique three cylinder 4-6-2 not only returns to traffic but that its maintenance regime is supported financially. In terms of the Duke’s overhaul at Tyseley, work on the 4-6-2 is progressing to plan, to meet the target of returning the engine to the main line in 2018.

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SEE CLASSIC TRACTION ON THE NATIONAL NETWORK By Fred Kerr OCTOBER saw the start of the seasonal Rail Head Treatment Trains which see the use of much heritage traction but, as noted in last issue’s report, this year there has been a slight decrease in numbers, resulting from a downturn in freight traffic that has made Class 66 traction available for many turns. Heritage traction is still in use, however, as Colas Rail is operating Class 56 locomotives, supported by Network Rail Class 97/3s (aka Class 37s) for the Cambrian Line services. DRS is also operating heritage traction with five Class 20s being based at York to cover its diagrams, although a surprise addition was operated on October 29 when DRS supplied Class 37 No. 37716 and Class 68 No. 68003 instead of a pair of Class 20s to meet a Network Rail request. The company has also allocated a pair of Class 57s to its Stowmarket diagrams and a pair of Class 37s on its Carlisle diagrams covering the Tyne Valley/Teesside area.

Paperwork problems

Heritage traction in the guise of Class 73s has also been in use by GB Railfreight for its Tonbridge-based diagrams albeit supported by GBRf Class 66/7s. GBRf had looked to hire Class 20s Nos. 20189/205 for Tonbridge services but“paperwork problems”prevented their use and the duo were returned to their base at the Midland Railway-Butterley. All other RHTT services are being operated by either Multi-Purpose Vehicles or Class 66 locomotives except for the Inverness diagram for which a Class 67 is in use. The use of Class 56s by Colas Railfreight is part of an upsurge in the company’s use of heritage traction as spares availability allows the return of locomotives to service. In addition to the four locomotives allocated to the RHTT work, Nos. 56096/105 have returned to service during October and have been noted working the Washwood Heath-Boston service while Class 47/7 No. 47749 has also

made an appearance. More unusually, Class 47/7 No. 47739 was hired by GBRf at the end of October to provide train heat on the Edinburgh-Inverness portion of the Caledonian Sleeper service following non-availability of the regular Class 73/9.

Replacement parts

The Edinburgh-based fleet is currently operating services in multiple with GBRf Class 66/7s on sleeper services north of Edinburgh due to problems with their alternators for which replacement parts are awaited. South of the border, Tonbridgebased locomotives are being used in the Liverpool/Manchester area on Network Rail overnight inspection trains with Nos. 73962/3 and 73963/5 being recent visitors to the area. The company has also gained the use of Class 37 No. 37099, recently released to traffic by Harry Needle Railway Company, which has now joined the pool of locomotives dedicated to Network Rail services. Another returnee to service has been Class 37/4 No. 37424, which was recovered by DRS from private ownership on the Churnet Valley Railway, and at the beginning of November it was rostered as traction for the movement of Inspection Coach ADB No. 975025 on Network Rail’s inspection train. The movement of Class 442 EMU trainsets to storage at Ely now continues with Rail Operations Group Services using its recentlypurchased Class 47 as traction, but on October 20, ROGS hired Class 31/4 No. 314523 from Devon & Cornwall Railways to haul the following day’s transit from Eastleigh. Electric traction is often overlooked yet the Class 90 fleet, now ‘heritage’traction since being introduced between 1987-90, still continues at work. Following the recent training period at Bounds Green with No. 90036, Virgin Trains East Coast is now operating a class member in support of its Class 91 fleet whilst the latter receive further

upgrades. The December timetable is expected to include specific diagrams for Leeds/York services and these will be reported once confirmed. A similar situation exists with the Class 92 fleet operated by GBRf which is experiencing problems on West Coast Main Line Caledonian Sleeper services but the success of modifications applied to No. 92014 is now to be applied to the remaining nine class members that comprise the GBRf working fleet – noting that the remaining six locomotives are being retained for spares. An interesting working that has recently been noted concerns Knottingley’s Class 09 diesel shunter which often sees main line duty on trip working between the depot and Milford Junction with Merry-Go-Round wagons going to/from the workshops where repairs are undertaken. The recent announcement that DB Cargo has placed its fleet of Class 08/09 shunter locomotives up for sale makes this a working that may cease in the near future and one worth watching to determine the future of rail operations within the Yorkshire (coal) area.

One third redundant

HNRC continues to maintain heritage traction under contract for various Train Operating Companies, and it has recently indicated that its receipt of ex-DRS Class 47/8 No. 47853 is in connection with further contracts for Class 47s for GBRf hire.The company has also recently purchased Class 31s No. 31285/459/465 to join the hire pool of locomotives for main line duty. Whilst such commitment by a niche company indicates that heritage traction still has a part to play in the train movements of the modern railway network, there is uncertainty about that future with news from DB Cargo that it is looking to make a third of its staff redundant and reorganise the UK-based company. This move will undoubtedly affect the locomotive fleet but whether this will be disposal for reuse or scrap remains to be seen.

Direct Rail Services’Class 37s under review THE fluctuating fortunes of Direct Rail Services’Class 37 locomotives has been noted with the recent move of Class 37/5 No. 37682 from Loram’s Derby base to Booth’s Rotherham scrapyard while reinstating Class 37/4 No. 37424 after major restoration. No. 37682 was fully restored by

the Harry Needle Railroad Company at Barrow Hill and released to traffic in October 2008 but placed in store from October 2014 to become a source of spares. The review of the Class 37/4 and 37/6 fleet also continues as many class members are now approaching 14,000 hours service in traffic and

decisions need to be taken regarding sanctioning repairs or withdrawal for scrap. It appears that Class 37/4 No. 37413 will be withdrawn and the fate of No. 37409 has yet to be decided, whilst the recent unexpected sale of Class 37/6 No. 37608/11 may have been partly the consequence of the hours review.

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Hercules bought for network comeback THE Class 50 Alliance has bought No. 50007 Hercules from Neil Boden for main line contract work. The‘Hoover’, currently based at Washwood Heath, Birmingham, will soon join the C50A’s fleet and was selected due to its overall condition and suitability for future main line work.The group’s Nos. 50044 and 50049 are already main line certified. Hercules is expected to play a key part in a programme of events currently under consideration to mark the 50th anniversary of the Class 50s, beginning next October. C50A chairman Jonathan Dunster said: “We are delighted to add 50007 to our fleet and look forward to beginning our next chapter of mainline operation in the coming months. “The purchase has only been possible thanks to the tremendous generosity of Phil Swallow and a small number of our existing shareholders, who have kindly provided the finance necessary to secure No. 50007.The C50A has to repay this loan over the next two years, and we’re now embarking on a major fundraising campaign to encourage shareholders old and new to become part-owners in not only Hercules, but the rest of the fleet.”

Thorough inspection

Before entering service, 50007 will undergo a thorough technical inspection and both its main and train heat generator will be overhauled. The locomotive will then take up crew training with an as yet unnamedTrain Operator, before beginning a period of contracted main line work. However, it is also expected to be available for occasional use on heritage railways, and potentially also some railtours. Joe Burr, chairman of the Fifty Fund, support group for the C50A fleet, said: “We’re currently in discussions with a number of stakeholders about an exciting programme of events to mark 50 years since the introduction of this iconic class of locomotive. “We want to put together a coordinated programme to celebrate 50 years of the 50s, and we expect it will involve a sensible number of mainline railtours, events at heritage railways and a number of interesting merchandising opportunities. “A working group has been established and we will be contacting other locomotive owners shortly about getting involved.We expect to reveal more details early next year, for a programme spread out between October 2017 and November 2018 – the period marking the anniversaries of the introduction of the first locomotive D400, and our own D449 – the last express passenger diesel locomotive to be built in Britain.” ➜ Anyone wishing to buy £25 shares in the C50A is invited to visit www. class50alliance.co.uk/SHAREPURCHASE. pdf or email [email protected] Heritagerailway.co.uk 65

MAIN LINE NEWS

WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW

ByDonBenn IT HAS been some time since I sampled the performance ofTyseley’s excellent GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 EarlofMount Edgcumbe (the Earl that thinks it’s a King) and so I booked on theVintageTrains’October 8‘Cotswold Explorer’which had the added benefit of giving me my first-ever run with steam up the GoldenValley and over Sapperton bank. I had somehow managed to miss this in the days of steam, and circumstances have conspired against me having a steam-hauled run over the route ever since. After booking, I wondered whether the new Network Rail guidelines on load limits would affect things, as October 8 is defined as being well within the designated autumn period which is September 15 until the end of December. For our double chimney class 7 locomotive this would mean a maximum load of 10 for 360 tons, though as both Sapperton and Old Hill banks have‘significant’gradients steeper than 1-in-100 we should only have taken eight up Sapperton and seven up Old Hill. In fact, the load was nine coaches for 316 tons plus the converted GUV van Reg, the water carrier, which has a tare weight of 30 tons, a total tare train weight of 346 tons. As the train was full, I estimate that the gross weight was around 372 tons plus the weight of the water in Reg of about 13 tons, so a gross tonnage of 385 tons declining to 380 as the water was used. This was somewhat over the 10-coach 360 ton general autumn limit and well over for both Sapperton and Old Hill. However the guidelines sensibly allow discretion by

TABLE ONE: WORCESTER SHRUB HILL TO STANDISH JUNCTION Date Train Loco Load Driver Fireman Recorder Position Weather

Saturday, October 8, 2016 Cotswold Explorer GWR Castle class 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Nine coaches plus water carrier, 346 tons tare 385 tons gross Ray Poole Alastair Meanley Don Benn 9th of 10 vehicles Sunny spells

miles Worcester SH 0.00 M5 Overbridge 2.45 Norton Jct 3.18 Abbotswood Jct 3.95 Pirton Crossing 5.83 MP 73 8.20 Eckington 9.78 MP 77 12.20 MP 78 13.20 Ashchurch 14.66 MP 82 17.20 MP 84 19.20 Cheltenham 21.93 Churchdown 25.03 MP 92 27.20 Barnwood Jct 27.46 Gloucester Yard Jct 28.28 Tuffley Crossovers 29.52 MP 97 31.59 Haresfield Goods Loop 32.79 Standish Jct** 34.43

sched 0.00 7.00 9.00

19.00 26.00 33.00

43.00

mins 00 04 05 07 10 12 13 15 16 17 20 22 26 29 31 31 32 33 35 36 38

secs 00 37 58 55 14 19 34 36 24 45 42 37 01 44 34 47 29 33 16 15 26

** passing times and speeds net time 36 minutes *brakes or speed restriction

66 Heritagerailway.co.uk

speed 49 27*/20* 32½ 61½ 74/76 73½ 71 74/75½ 45* tsr 60 65½ 23* 71½ 73 71½ 69½ 70 74 72/30* sigs 39

Earl of Mount Edgcumbe enters Birmingham Snow Hill with the ‘Cotswold Explorer’. DON BENN theTrain Operating Company taking into account matters such as relevant historic performance over the route in question and crew competency, plus feedback from the locomotive owners. In all these things No. 5043 and its crews would have achieved gold medal levels of marking but even so I was slightly concerned until I saw Earlof MountEdgcumbe roll into Birmingham Snow Hill with Ray Poole on the regulator and a full 10-coach train with no diesel assisting. The new NR guidelines are, in my view, a good attempt at trying to introduce some sensible regulation in an effort to reduce the number of problems being experienced with main line steam, though some of the detail such as the definition of autumn (start of October to end of November surely?) can be questioned. I have been keeping an eye on the debate in Heritage Railway and would not want to add much to this except to say that these are only guidelines with plenty of scope for interpretation. It must also be remembered that steam-hauled charters have just as much right to be on the main line as any service train and that we must resist any attempt to use the guidelines to push steam off main lines or use them as an excuse to use diesel assistance when it isn’t needed.

No. 5043 looked immaculate

Be that as it may, I found myself at Snow Hill station in good time for the 8.26am departure of the‘Cotswold Explorer’after an easy, if boring but on time, journey on the 5.16am Cross Country service from Southampton and a £1 ride on the newly extended Birmingham Metro from Grand Central, with a conductor collecting fares. Shades of 1960s bus services. As usual, No. 5043 looked immaculate and Alastair Meanley was providing the steam which Ray Poole required for a splendid run to Oxford. VintageTrains tends to stick to well-tried itineraries, the payback being generally good timekeeping except where hindered by service trains as happened to this trip later in the day.The first section to Stourbridge Junction is heavily restricted and produced nothing of note. After picking up more passengers we were away slightly early

to the pathing stop in the Droitwich goods loop before which we reached a maximum speed of 65½mph on the easy gradients approaching Kidderminster where the newly overhauled PTR 0-6-0ST No. 813 was standing near to the main line. After the pathing stop, No. 5043 got its train away well past the lovely GWR lower quadrant semaphore signals at Droitwich Spa and intoWorcester Shrub Hill past the fine array of antiquated semaphores at the north end of that station. I am not sure how much longer they can last but I must find the time for a trip to record them for my archives before their demise.The fine, sunny morning had now turned cloudy as we left a couple of minutes late and for the first time from nine coaches back I could hear t lovely roar as the Earl was worked the i speed before easing for Norton into J Junction and joining the north east to s south west main line southwards. Table One shows our progress to S Standish Junction which was aided b not observing the brief operating by s in Gloucester yard.There were stop s some nice sounds from up front as Ray Poole worked the engine up to the maximum permitted speed, topping 76mph before Eckington and 75½ after, interspersed with a minimum of 71. More four-cylinder noise from up front on the 1-in-295/305 climb from Ashchurch produced a good 65½ before we eased for Cheltenham and then ran with speed in the 70s past Gloucester. We were checked before Standish Junction where we took the line to Swindon and on to the best section of the day, the climb up the GoldenValley to the Sapperton tunnels.There are only short sections of respite in the whole 12 miles from Standish Junction, and, with 380 tons, any engine facing this climb which includes a mile at 1-in-60, has to be in good form.The run on October 8 is set against the one on the‘Cheltenham Flyer’on May 11, 2013 also with No. 5043 and an almost identical load. I am very grateful to my correspondent‘62741’who kindly supplied the details. Our timing points didn’t always coincide but there is sufficient correlation between the two for interesting comparisons to be made. On the earlier run, Ray Churchill was driving and both logs are shown inTableTwo.We Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe approaches Sapperton Tunnel. PHIL WATERFIELD made the faster getaway from the Standish Junction restriction and reached 60mph in the slight dip after Ebley crossing compared to 59mph on the earlier run. Both trains observed the speed restriction at Stroud doing 50mph and by then we were 18 seconds ahead. This time however, Ray Churchill worked No. 5043 harder on the 1-in-250 section to Brimscombe so that at the start of the final and really fierce section at St Mary’s Crossing we were just 10 seconds ahead.The difference was still the same after the 1-in-70 at Chalford, by dint of our speed only falling from 52½ at St Mary’s to 49 at Chalford, compared to 56½ down to 47½ on the earlier run. By now the noise from up front on the‘Cotswold Explorer’was very loud even from nine coaches back and it was obvious that Ray Poole was taking advantage of the dry conditions to go all out for the tunnel entrance. Speed even increased slightly over FramptonViaduct where there is a very short section of level prior to the final 1-in-60 to the tunnel.

Echoing round the hills

By Strawberry Cutting Bridge (milepost 97) we were 16 seconds ahead and the noise echoing round the hills was quite fantastic with pieces of unburnt coal raining down on the roof of our coach and on the lineside spectators, one of whom, not normally known for superlatives sent me a text afterwards: ‘’Just filmed 5043 at Frampton Mansell, wow !!!’’. From 46mph over FramptonViaduct speed fell only to 38 at the tunnel mouth where we were 26 seconds ahead of the 2013 run, which was nevertheless doing a respectable 29½mph. In both cases the engine must have been eased slightly on the 1-in-90 in the tunnel as speeds at the summit hut were almost unchanged. In my case this is an estimated speed calculated from the 37.3 average through the tunnel as I had lost the GPS signal in the tunnel. My faith in the double chimney Castle and its crew had been totally rewarded by one of the best ever climbs of Sapperton bank and everything else which followed that day was understandably an anticlimax. Any doubters about how steam can still perform on the main line just

TABLE TWO: STANDISH JUNCTION TO SWINDON Date Train Loco Load Driver Fireman Recorder Position Weather

Saturday, October 8, 2016 Cotswold Explorer GWR Castle class 4-6-0 No.5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Nine coaches plus water carrier, 346 tons tare 380 tons gross Ray Poole Alastair Meanley Don Benn 9th of 10 vehicles Sunny spells

Saturday, May 11, 2013 Cheltenham Flyer GWR Castle class 4-6-0 No.5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Nine coaches plus water carrier, 344½ tons tare 390 tons gross Ray Churchill Alastair Meanley 62741 6th coach Fine

Standish Jct** Stonehouse Ebley Crossing Cashes Green Stroud MP 100 Brimscombe Bridge Brimscombe St Mary’s Crossing Chalford MP 97 Frampton Viaduct Frampton Crossing Sapperton Tunnel Sapperton Summit Sapperton Tunnels East Severn Canal Kemble Oaksey Minety Crossing Minety & Ashton Gambols Crossing Purton Swindon Loco Yard Swindon

miles 0.00 1.95 3.29 3.65 4.75 6.90 7.00 7.60 8.10 8.90 9.90 10.25 10.50 11.00 12.08 12.30 14.10 15.90 18.45 20.00 21.45 23.20 25.45 28.65 29.60

** passing times and speeds

sched 0.00

10.00 14.00 15.00

21.00

35.00 39.00

mins 00 02 03 04 05 07 07

secs 00 25 45 05 21 47 54

speed 39* 56½ 60 55 50½ 52½ 54½

sched 0.00

09 10 11 11 12 12 14

10 05 23 50 11 56 40

52½ 49 45/44 46 43 38 37

13.00

17 19

00 58

25 26

11 28

29

37

37

36

62½ 13* sigs 61 68 69 72 71 3* sigs stop

average speed St Mary’s Crossing to long tunnel: 46.2 mph net time 35 minutes *brakes or speed restriction

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

25.00

44.00 46.00

mins 00 02

secs 00 42

speed 37½* 53/59

05 08

39 04

50½* 57

08 09 10 11

48 20 15 39

57½ 56½ 47½ 40½

12 13 15 15

34 22 33 56

20 23 24 25 27 29 32 35

26 26 46 59 25 10 09 37

36½ 29½ 29½ 38 52 44½* 65 71 75½/73½ 75/78 75½ 35*/6* sigs 12*

average speed St Mary’s Crossing to long tunnel: 43.3 mph equivalent net time to stop 35 minutes *brakes or speed restriction

Heritagerailway.co.uk 67

need to look at the train running log and be assured. And this from an 80-year-old engine, but one maintained in tip-top condition. Both trains ran easily down to Kemble where we were checked quite badly and then we reached 72mph before being stopped in the platform at Swindon to let a Swansea to Paddington HST get away in front. Ray Churchill let No. 5043 have its head and ran much faster reaching 78mph before Purton and running through Swindon some 10 minutes inside the schedule from Standish Junction, over five minutes early.

In fine style

We were nearly a minute early away and soon thrashing up the main line in fine style reaching 77mph at Uffington before being put into the loop and stopped for nearly three minutes to let another Up train past.We were stopped again on the DidcotWest curve before following a slow service train into the passenger loop just south of Oxford for a 13 minute pathing wait prior to arriving at Oxford station spot on time.The water carrier, Reg, was turned off for the journey to Droitwich goods loop and then used right through to Oxford and I have taken this into account when calculating the gross tonnage.

TABLE THREE: OXFORD TO WORCESTER Date Train Loco

Driver Fireman Recorder Position Weather

Saturday, October 8, 2016 Cotswold Explorer GWR Castle class 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Nine coaches plus water carrier, 346 tons tare 385 tons gross Ray Poole Dean Morris Don Benn 9th of 10 vehicles Sunny spells

Oxford DGL Oxford N Jct Wolvercote Jct Yarnton Hanborough Combe MP 73½ Finstock Charlbury Jct Charlbury

miles 0.00 0.64 2.50 3.91 6.59 7.69 9.80 11.26 12.51 12.88

MP 80

16.30

Ascott Wychwood Shipton Bruern Crossing Kingham Adlestrop Moreton in Marsh Aston Magna Blockley Chipping Campden Campden Tunnel MP 99 Honeybourne Littleton Crossing

16.55 17.84 19.31 20.84 23.48 27.89 29.85 31.08 33.09 33.71 35.39 37.85 40.50

Evesham Charlton Wyre Pershore Stoulton Norton Jct

42.80 42.80 45.29 47.58 48.76 51.04 53.45

MP 120

56.15

Worcester SH

56.65

Load

sched 0.00 4.00

16.00

21.00

34.00

45.00

54.00

66.00

74.00

68 Heritagerailway.co.uk

mins secs 00 00 02 41 05 37 07 41 10 16 11 19 13 11 14 29 15 43 15 59 sigs stop 22 39 26 04 27 20 29 25 31 04 32 32 35 01 43 02 46 06 47 01 48 52 49 27 50 49 52 59 55 14 sigs stop 60 08 65 39 69 54 72 10 73 24 75 34 79 07 sigs stop 85 10 86 19 88 29

speed 30½/34½ 29½* 49½ 62 65½ 63½ 70½ 68 69 0* 24 46 58½ 64 70½ 11*sigs 62½ 69½/61½ 65 62½ 75½ 67*/70 66 0* 61 64 58½ 62½ 24*/50½ 0*

net time 59 minutes *brakes or speed restriction

No. 5043 brings the empty stock of the ‘Cotswold Explorer’ into Oxford. DON BENN For our return run we still had Ray Poole in charge but now with Dean Morris firing but unfortunately had a poor path which included not only a tedious 47 minute wait prior to Oxford North Junction but close scheduling behind the 4.22pm Paddington to Hereford which made matters worse by being late and losing more time in front of us.We hear a lot about late running steam charters sometimes delaying service trains but the converse can also happen and the result in this case was not only a ruined section of run over a perfect route for an engine in fine fettle but an 18 minute late arrival inWorcester Shrub Hill and possible lost connections for those alighting there and at the later stops. Nevertheless, Ray Poole didn’t give up but kept plugging away in fine style between the checks as shown inTableThree.The roar from up front was evident in many places on the largely uphill section to Moreton-in-Marsh with speed reaching 70mph in a number of places on gradients as steep as 1-in-250 in places, though mainly in the region of 1-in-300. It was something of a relief finally to reach Shrub Hill 18 minutes late but now free of the HST in front and in an excellent net time of 59 minutes for the 56.65 miles from the Oxford loop. Here AndyTaylor took over from Ray Poole as the day would have been a little too long for one driver and we set off 14 late over the deceptively difficult final leg.The start from Shrub Hill is initially uphill and this is followed by an undulating section to Droitwich, before which we reached 64mph. Recovering from the slack to 21mph up the 1-in-160 to the overbridge at Hampton Farm I recorded 42mph at the top of the climb and No. 5043 then dashed away to 65½ through Hartlebury before getting checked at Blakedown and losing over three minutes to the Stourbridge Junction stop.

Trust not misplaced

I was slightly concerned about how EarlofMount Edgcumbe would cope with Old Hill bank as it was now a damp night after rain, but I need not have worried. VintageTrains andWest Coast Railways had trusted the Castle to tackle the 1-in-51 without diesel assistance and their trust was not misplaced as once again No. 5043 was master of the task. Away we went down the 1-in-111/139 to Lye where we were doing just over 47mph; the short 1-in-121/173 after which reducing this to 44½ mph and then we touched 50½mph in the final dip before the climb starts at milepost 139¼. With the engine being worked less hard than on Sapperton we were doing just under 25 at Old Hill station well onto the 1-in-51, this reducing to 21mph at the tunnel entrance.The job was done now and we were deposited at Snow Hill just over 11 minutes late after a fascinating and quite superb day out behind one of the finest engines on the main line and with one of the best tour promoters. Ben Mason ofVintageTrains simply made

the modest comment to me that‘’it had been a good day’’. For us, a walk across the city confirmed that we had missed the 8.33pm Cross Country train south due to the delays caused by the HST, so it was just as well that we had bought advance tickets on the 9.04. I wonder who we could have claimed against if we had booked on the 8.33? There is quite a lot of main line steam activity again at present so my choice for next time hasn’t yet been made but it is likely to be in the south.

TABLE FOUR: WORCESTER SHRUB HILL TO BIRMINGHAM SNOW HILL Date Train Loco Load Driver Fireman Recorder Position Weather

Saturday, October 8, 2016 Cotswold Explorer GWR Castle class 4-6-0 No.5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe Nine coaches plus water carrier, 346 tons tare 380 tons gross Andy Taylor Dean Morris Don Benn 9th of 10 vehicles Damp after showers

Lye MP 139¼ Cradley Heath Old Hill Old Hill Tunnel Rowley Regis Langley Green

miles 0.00 0.38 2.58 5.52 5.73 7.47 11.27 14.92 18.07 19.80 21.65 0.00 1.33 2.23 2.66 4.12 4.47 5.32 6.90

Smethwick Jct

8.05

Worcester SH Tunnel Jct Fernhill Heath Droitwich Spa Droitwich Spa Jct Hampton Farm OB Hartlebury Kidderminster Blakedown Hagley Stourbridge Jct

Smethwick 8.20 The Hawthorns 8.97 Winston Green 10.15 Jewellery Quarter 11.41 Birmingham Snow Hill 12.16

sched 0.00 2.00 9.00 15.00 19.00 24.00 29.00 0.00

13.00

18.00 23.00 28.00

mins secs 00 00 01 45 05 19 08 15 08 45 11 39 15 29 19 03 24 47 28 34 32 31 00 00 03 24 04 30 05 02 07 46 08 44 10 45 13 03 sigs stop 15 20 15 39 16 38 18 16 19 56 21 29 23 51

speed 27½ 58½/64 21* 29½ 42 65½ 58 24* sigs 35½/38 47½/44½ 50½ 47 24½ 21 29 54 0* 19½ 44½ 62½ 19* sigs/28/*

*brakes or speed restriction

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MAIN LINE ITINERARY

The first GWR steam on the route for 17 years, 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe passes Rossett, between Chester and Wrexham with a Vintage Trains’ excursion on October 22. NEVILLE WELLINGS

November SAT 19: ‘Christmas Cheshireman’ Bristol, Hereford, Chester and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC THUR 24: ‘Bath Christmas Market’ Poole, Bath and return. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC

Tour Operators BEL

Belmond Pullman 0845 077 2222

RTC

Railway Touring Company 01553 661500

SD

Steam Dreams 01483 209888.

UKRT UK Railtours 01438 715050 VT

Vintage Trains 021 708 4960.

SUN 27: ‘Welsh Marches Express’ Birmingham International, Hereford, Cardiff and return. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC TUES 29: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Victoria, Redhill, Guildford, Reading, Salisbury and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 34052 Lord Dowding. SD

December THUR 1: ‘Cathedrals Express’ King’s Cross, Lincoln and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth. SD THUR 1: ‘Bath Spa Christmas Experience’ Victoria, Newbury, Bristol and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. UKRT SAT 3: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Southend East, Winchester and return. Steam hauled: Southend East, Winchester, Willesden Loco: No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth. SD SAT 3: ‘Lindum Fayre’

King’s Cross, Lincoln and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland. RTC SAT 3: 'Lindum Christmas Fayre' Tyseley, Lincoln and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall. VT TUES 6: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Horsham, Ely and return. Steam hauled: Horsham, Ely, Willesden. Loco: No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth. SD TUES 6: ‘Christmas Sussex Belle’ Victoria, Eastbourne, Hastings and return. Steam hauled: Victoria, Eastbourne and Hastings, Victoria. Locos: Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC WED 7: ‘Surrey Hills Luncheon’ Victoria, Guildford, Redhill and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. BEL THUR 8: ‘York Yuletide Express’ Norwich, York and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland. RTC SAT 10: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Paddington, Bristol and return.

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 46100 Royal Scot. SD SAT 10: ‘Christmas White Rose’ King's Cross, York and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland. RTC SAT 10: ‘Christmas White Rose’ Tyseley, York and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. VT TUES 13: ‘Bognor Belle’ Victoria, Bognor, Littlehampton and return. Steam hauled: Victoria, Bognor and Littlehampton, Victoria. Locos: Nos. 44871 and 45407. RTC WED 14: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Ashford, Winchester and return. Steam hauled: Ashford, Winchester, Willesden. Loco: No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth. SD 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.

Heritagerailway.co.uk 69

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

Llangollen Railway: Locomotive Building Centre of Excellence

FOUR NEW BUILDS

ON THE STOCKS

In recent years the Llangollen Railway has developed a reputation as a centre of excellence for building new steam engines. Allan George investigates how the worshops have become the centre of new locomotive construction to fill in gaps in classes which have not been preserved. 70 Heritagerailway.co.uk

The frames of new-build LNER Sandringham 4-6-0 No. 61660 Spirit of Sandringham. In the background are GWR 2-6-2T Nos. 5532 and 5199, new-builds Betton Grange and The Unknown Warrior, and LNER D49 4-4-0 No. 62712 Morayshire. QUENTIN MCGUINESS

Heritagerailway.co.uk 71

C

urrently the Llangollen workshops have no less than four engines under construction: GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange; LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior; GWR heavy goods 2-8-0 No. 4709; and LNER B17 4-6-0 No. 61660 Spirit of Sandringham. The Llangollen Railway is the longest standard gauge heritage line in Wales, operating the 10 miles of track along the lyrically picturesque Dee Valley from Llangollen to Corwen. It became absorbed into the Great Western Railway in 1896 and remains characteristically GWR. After the line between Ruabon and Barmouth was closed in the Beeching cuts, the Flint and Deeside Railway Preservation Society was formed in 1972 and took on the task of reopening the line. This became the Llangollen Railway Trust, a charity which today is effectively the landlord and volunteers organisation, whose operating arm is the Llangollen Railway PLC. Originally, the local council leased the Llangollen railway station building and three miles of track to the society, with the hope that the railway would improve the local economy and bring more tourists to Llangollen. The station reopened in September 1975, with just 60 feet of track. Early progress in reopening the railway was slow due to the perennial problem faced by heritage railways: a lack of funding. However donations and fund raising allowed development to continue, and the railway reached Berwyn, one and three quarters of a mile from Llangollen, in 1986. It was extended through the Berwyn Tunnel to Deeside Halt in 1990 and into Carrog in 1996. The next two and a half miles to Corwen, an unspoilt market town, were completed in 2014. Unfortunately, the old station is now used by a trailer manufacturer, hence a new five-coach platform has been built just east of the town. Currently, there is no run around at this station forcing trains to reverse from Corwen to Carrog, but one is planned. Kevin Gooding, general manager of the railway, commented: “We think the length of the line is about the optimum because young children will get bored if they spend more than one and a half hours on the train. In any case it would be very difficult for us to extend eastwards because some of the track bed has been built over. Nevertheless, in an ideal world, we would like to go east to link up with

Machining apprentice Tiah Marshall-Jones turning a sleeve. QUENTIN MCGUINESS

Ruabon, which is about five and a half miles away.”

How the railway started building new locomotives

A heritage railway simply doesn’t start building new locomotives from scratch without a good reason, especially when there are plenty of engines, which were to have been scrapped, still awaiting restoration. Kevin explained what prompted the Llangollen Railway to take this step. He said: “At the outset we started engineering work with our own engines, but gradually, from maintaining our own fleet we received requests to overhaul privately owned locomotives and undertake work on other projects which had not been completed. “Our main engineering shed was put up in 1995. Before that we had a small facility that could take just two locomotives. Now, in the new shed, which was built because of the volume of work coming in, we can accommodate nine locomotives, possibly as many as 12 at a pinch. “It was funded partly from the groups owning locos we run on the line, like GWR 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor, and which we maintain. Funding also came from the reserves the railway had built up.”

No. 7927 Willington Hall’s boiler due to be fitted to No. 6880 . The areas marked by red grease are prepared surfaces for non-destructive testing. QUENTIN MCGUINESS

72 Heritagerailway.co.uk

He added: “We were lucky because a lot of machine tools and materials were donated and others came from engineering companies which closed down, or were modernising. “We now build new locomotives and restore and maintain existing steam engines. We do this for our own locomotives and ones under external contract. I hope this means we are developing a reputation as a centre of excellence in building new steam locomotives.” In fact most of the engines operating on the railway came from Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry as little more than rusting relics, and were transformed largely at Llangollen into full working order.

The Engineering Department

Graham Elwood, the railway’s chief engineer, started work on the Llangollen Railway, first as a volunteer and then as an engineering apprentice. Now a fully qualified engineer he believes he is the youngest chief engineer on any British heritage railway. He explained how his department operates. “The technology we have is appropriate for the time the trains and equipment we operate were made. Gradually, the equipment we possess has been built up over the years and we continue to invest in the business.”

Ian Massey welding the outer steel firebox of GWR 2-6-2T No. 4160’s boiler, a contract overhaul job. QUENTIN MCGUINESS

GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange under construction at Llangollen. QUENTIN MCGUINESS

“We have links with colleges for apprenticeships, Coleg Cambria in Wrexham particularly, and we provide the practical component for some of their day-release engineering students. Some of the students have been taken on as permanent apprentices.” “We have a total of 15 engineering staff in the locomotive department. The carriage and wagon department has six apprentices. They spend four days a week with us doing practical work and one day a week at college. “All the apprentices go through NVQ levels 2 and 3 with the college and here. We teach them machining, riveting, welding, basic hand-fitting skills and everything else they need to know to be machinists and engineers. They always work alongside experienced fitters.” Mr Gooding emphasised the importance of developing talent in an age when basic engineering skills have been on the wane: “Hanging on to our own apprentices is an absolute necessity to ensure the future of the engineering department and the railway, and we have kept nearly all our apprentices.” The engineering department has a machining shop, with an impressive array of machine tools, including Cincinnati and Bridgeport milling machines, armdrills and Colchester lathes, and a 50-ton railway crane to do the heavy lifting. The department also has a boiler shop, and a main fitting shop. Apprentices will rotate through all the shops learning the various skills. Mr Gooding added: “We have had to grow our own skilled people and they will be our future.” As for the future, he said the railway wouldn’t discount anything and would consider co-operating on training with other heritage railways. “Business mainly comes to us: once the shed went up in 1995, we had spare space, people saw

what we could do and what our skill set was, so we had requests to take on work. At the end of the 1990s and early 2000s we decided we would take on boiler work. “In the beginning we had just three engines, GWR Nos. 5199 and 6430 and Jessie, (an industrial 0-6-0ST), but it really gave us a boost when we came to the attention of others as we could do boiler work, and as a result other railways came to us. “Other railways also take on work, such as the Severn Valley and South Devon, although they are doing less these days, but they have specialised in wheel turning, and there is also Tyseley. “The initial outside contract came after we had restored our first three locomotives and subsequently we’ve had a steady flow of work ever since. But in the past 10 years it has really taken off.” He continued: “The first new build was Betton Grange, which was started in 2003, and which became the catalyst for the new build Patriot. One particular task was the renovation of a steam railmotor for the Great Western Society. It had been converted to just a carriage many years ago. We rebuilt the bodywork and chassis completely and installed a steam power unit. This is now at the society’s Didcot Railway Centre. “We have undertaken projects for the Gwili Railway, Gloucestershire and Warwickshire Railway, Epping and Ongar Railway, and we have just received LNER D49 4-4-0 No. 62712 Morayshire from the Scottish Railway Preservation Society.”

Locomotives under construction Mr Gooding explained that to build an engine from scratch is a challenge: not only do the skills

and equipment have to be available, but the funding has to be in place. However, not necessarily all of it is required at the outset, and in practice the engines will be built in phases as and when finance is forthcoming, hence it can take a considerable time from start to completion. He said: “To build a new engine is expensive: the Patriot will cost about £2million, Tornado, we know, cost £3 million. Heritage carriages cost about £100,000 to restore. Overhauling a restored locomotive costs between £250,000 and £500,000 depending on what needs to be done.” The four locomotives currently being built from scratch are:

GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange

Quentin McGuiness, a trustee of the railway and chairman of the Betton Grange Project, which owns the locomotive, outlined its history: “The group which restored the railway’s GWR 2-6-2T No. 5199 was inspired by the building of Tornado and realised it could also do new builds. Because we are a GWR-focused business, we wanted to build examples of the missing classes which hadn’t been preserved. A Grange class was the favourite engine to build, and so a company was formed in 2003 and made a start. “We are now at the stage in the rebuild of being about three years from completion. The chassis has been built and wheels fitted; we’ve got a boiler from a Hall class 4-6-0 which the GWS didn’t want to keep, and 90% of the components, including all of the motion.” “We are on the home straight now, and it’s mostly assembly rather than sourcing or making components. We have developed our own team which works with Graham’s department.” Construction of the Grange class locomotives

Heritagerailway.co.uk 73

Above: LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior on display at Barrow Hill Roundhouse in 2015. The engine carries BR green livery on one side and LMS maroon livery on the other side with the number 5551. A ballot has been carried out which decided that the engine will carry LMS maroon livery when completed. FRED KERR Left: The rear driving wheels of No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior showing the latest progress on the trial fitment of springs. Despite being originally advised to buy Jubilee springs, as the classes had very similar bottom ends, when coming to fit them it turned out that the Patriot spring arrangement was different and needed a smaller spring, the same size as a ‘Black Five’, but with a different amount of leaves. GAVIN SHELL / LMS PATRIOT PROJECT

The cylinders of The Unknown Warrior now with the liners fitted. GAVIN SHELL / LMS PATRIOT PROJECT

74 Heritagerailway.co.uk

began at Swindon Works in 1936 and was completed in 1939, and 80 examples were built, though it is likely that many more would have been built but for the onset of the Second World War. At first sight the Granges might appear to be nothing more than smaller-wheeled versions of the Hall class. However, there were subtle differences between the two that would set them apart. They were superbly free running, delivered power impressively when attacking steep gradients with heavy loads, and were regarded as the ‘enginemen’s engine’. However, by the early 1960s, Granges began to be scrapped, the first to be withdrawn being No. 6801 Aylburton Grange, in 1960. The final four in traffic –Nos. 6847, 6848, 6849 and 6872 – lasted until the end of Western steam in December 1965. Like most of the steam locomotives withdrawn for scrap during the 1960s, the Granges had many miles of useful life left in them. Betton Grange, when completed, will become the 81st Grange.

The frames of No. 61660 Spirit of Sandringham in their support stands in October 2015. B17 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE TRUST

LMS Patriot 4-6-0 No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior

The project is to build a new Patriot locomotive to the original Sir Henry Fowler parallel boiler design, which will be capable of running on the main line and be used on special trains. Its name will be a memorial to all fallen servicemen and women. After the First World War, the LNWR named a locomotive Patriot to honour the railway employees who had fought and died during the conflict. Other railway companies also remembered fallen employees similarly. The LNWR memorial engine was a Claughton class locomotive. This name was later transferred to a new Patriot 4-6-0 No 5500. It became the new memorial engine for the then LMS, which had taken over the LNWR in the 1923 Grouping, with the class taking its name from the engine. The class, often referred to as ‘Baby Scots’, were an immediate success, displaying consistently good performance. However, the class was withdrawn over a two-year period between 1960 and 1962, having all covered around 1.3 million miles each. Unfortunately, all were scrapped. Not one of the original 52 Patriots was preserved, leaving a gap in the story of LMS express power. A new Patriot will provide the link between the Royal Scot and Jubilee class 4-6-0s. Mr McGuinness commented: “It all started in 2007, we now have a rolling chassis and wheels, and we are awaiting the boiler which is being built at Crewe. “Some of the other work is being outsourced to other workshops to give them the opportunity to contribute so they can share in the prestige. It is hoped it will be completed and in steam in 2018 to commemorate the Armistice of 1918.”

GWR 2-8-0 No. 4709

At the end of the First World War, the GWR identified the need for a larger version of their successful 4300 class 2-6-0. As a result the 4700 Class was introduced in 1919 and consisted of nine 2-8-0s designed for heavy mixed traffic work. Although primarily used for fast overnight freight services on the London, Exeter and Plymouth, London-Bristol and London, Birmingham and Wolverhampton routes, the class also sometimes hauled passenger trains, notably holiday expresses to the West Country. Withdrawal of the class began in June 1962 with No.4702, while the last were removed

GWR 2-8-0 No. 4709 under construction in Llangollen works in January 2016. DAVID SCUDAMORE

from service in May 1964. Although they were mechanically successful locomotives, their large size restricted their route availability and so only nine were built, hence the mileages achieved by the class were not huge, with No. 4705 recording the greatest at 1,656,564 miles. None of the class was preserved. However, the Great Western Society decided to build a representative of the class and number it 4709, which would have been the next one in sequence had a 10th been constructed. Mr Elwood gave details of the task he faces: “The engine we are building is for the Great Western Society, and it will be constructed to main line standards. It uses a lot of parts taken from the scrapyard at Barry – a lot of GWR components were interchangeable. Currently, we are fitting the horn guides to the chassis, and the wheel sets have been completed. The boiler was recovered from Barry, but it might possibly have a new boiler built; the decision has yet to be taken. However, I hope we will be allowed to build the boiler, we have the skills to do it.”

LNER B17 4-6-0 No. 61660 Spirit of Sandringham

Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, 73 of the B17 class were constructed over nine years from 1928 and all were named after either stately homes or football clubs within the LNER network. The first of the class was named Sandringham after the royal family’s residence in Norfolk, and thereafter established the group name of the class as Sandringhams. All were withdrawn from service and scrapped by the middle 1960s; none was preserved. These engines worked fast passenger services across the LNER network, notably out of King’s Cross and Liverpool Street, and boat train services from the north of England to Harwich. Spirit of Sandringham is being built for The B17 Steam Locomotive Trust, which was formed as a charity in 2011, and when completed, it will be capable of main line operation. The trust plans the operating base for the locomotive to be at a heritage railway site yet

to be announced, but one with a connection to the mainline. It will be maintained to main line operating standards and is intended for regular service: hauling special charter trains on the national network. The B17s had excellent route availability, capacity for high-speed running, and range, which the trust believes will allow plenty of opportunities for main line operations. In addition the locomotive could operate on various heritage railways around the country. Mr Elwood commented: “We have been working on this project for 18 months. The main frames have been delivered to the workshops and we’ve taken delivery of the drag box, which is due to be fitted later this year. Various other parts will be made next year.” He added that the majority of drawings for the locomotive were provided by the National Railway Museum, York.

The future

Mr Elwood continued: “With the four locomotives we are building and the maintenance work we have on our books, there are no immediate plans to build more engines. But we are still looking for opportunities to expand that side of the engineering department, and who knows what is around the corner.” “We have just received Morayshire, an LNER D49 4-4-0 owned by the Royal Scottish Museum, which normally runs on the Bo’ness and Kinneil Railway, for its 10-year overhaul. Also, No. 45337, an LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0, recently on hire to the North Norfolk Railway, is booked in for chassis maintenance. We will be undertaking boiler work on large Prairie, No. 4160, which operates on the West Somerset Railway, and a 10-year overhaul on the GWR 2-8-0, No. 3802, which runs on this railway. It is a smaller version of the 2-8-0 we are building.” In conclusion, Mr Elwood reflected: “It is very satisfying to take in a locomotive which is little more than a pile of rusty metal and send it out in immaculate condition and operating under its own power. That is job satisfaction.”

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REAL STEAM DAYS

One of the modified Franco-Crosti boilered 9Fs, No. 92021, with smoke deflector added around the final chimney. It was the drifting smoke problem with the original 10 locomotives that necessitated the diversion to Wellingborough in December 1955 of Nos. 92060-92066, which had been earmarked for Tyne Dock. No. 92021 is looking in a very sorry state at Derby shed on April 24, 1960.

Perhaps the second-most famous 9F, No. 92079, assisted by 0-6-0PTs Nos. 8409 and 8402, banks an oil train, probably the Fawley to Bromford Bridge Esso service, up the Lickey incline on June 9, 1962. Another 9F, No. 92221, was the train engine. In May 1956 No. 92079 had replaced the unique and much-loved 0-10-0 No. 58100 ‘Big Bertha’ as the Lickey banker.

No. 92056 hurries through Kirkham and Wesham with the 2.20pm Blackpool North to Sheffield Midland express on August 26, 1961. On the left ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 44778 paces the 9F with a relief train that has used the more direct route from Blackpool Central. While the high speed exploits of the 9Fs had come to an end, their use on these summer Saturday trains was a regular sight. No. 92056 was a Toton engine and will have been appropriated by the Sheffield division for this working.

NER 9F finale

The 9F 2-10-0 was described as the best of BR’s Standard steam designs. Robert Anderson outlines the history of the class and relates the story of a ride on the last steam-hauled ore train to Consett.

T

he 9F 2-10-0s have been hailed as the most successful of the 12 Standard classes of steam locomotive introduced to traffic on British Railways between 1951 and 1960. They were the last class to be built and some authors have gone so far as to describe them as one of the most outstanding British steam locomotives. However, for some of the earlier class members their entry into service in 1954/55 was far from successful. It all kicked off in mid-January 1954 when the first of the class, No. 92000, was shown off to the technical press at its birthplace, Crewe Works. Almost immediately afterwards came the surprise announcement that all eight of this new untried and untested class were to be sent to the Western Region for use on the heavy Newport docks to Ebbw Vale iron ore trains – one of the most arduous freight workings on the region. Eyeballs must have been rolling for it was well known that the WR was openly hostile to anything that was not built at Swindon – as witness its contempt for the 13 Crewe-built Britannia Pacifics sent there in 1951/52. The WR did things its own way and continued to do so right into the diesel era. One must

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wonder whether this business of sending the first 9Fs; Crewe-built as they were, to the WR, was an attempt by the newly formed British Transport Commission in the august halls of 222 Marylebone Road to exert some authority over this go it alone region. Yet the plan backfired. The new locomotives immediately ran into trouble with regulators not being sensitive enough, causing uncontrollable slipping when starting away. Of course this was no good with a 600-ton train to take unaided up the valley with gradients as steep as 1-in-52 to Ebbw Vale steelworks, a distance of around 19 miles. The problem was solved by fitting smaller regulator valves but, in the meantime, these first eight had spent several weeks or even months out of use while awaiting attention at Swindon works.

Accelerate express freight

The next and modified batches of the class were sent to March shed to speed up the freight traffic on the Great Eastern route via Cambridge to London; New England shed to similarly accelerate the express freights at the southern end of the East Coast Main Line and to Wellingborough. The latter shed probably

welcomed them more than any other depot, for the Midland Lines authorities saw in the 9Fs a means of ridding themselves of the costly and troublesome Midlandised Beyer-Garratts. This world-proven design had been mucked about with by Derby with disastrous results. More 9Fs arrived at Wellingborough and the withdrawal of the Beyer Garratts started. A solitary 9F, No. 92047, was then transferred to Bidston; a small former Great Central shed on the Wirral, for trials. Then came another disaster, for the latest batch of 9Fs to arrive at Wellingborough in mid-1955 were the experimental Franco-Crosti boilered locomotives that immediately ran into trouble with smoke from the final chimney located at the end of the boiler just in front of the firebox not only obscuring forward vision, but also filling the cab with exhaust fumes. All 10 had to be returned to Crewe works for the fitting of a large smoke deflector around this chimney, which did nothing for the visual appearance of the locomotives and only partially solved the problem. This made the transfer of No. 92047 to Bidston even more surprising, but all was to be revealed, for after extended crew training

Tyne Dock Bottom on November 19, 1966 and No. 92063 pulls forward from underneath the huge gantry housing the storage bunkers for discharging the iron ore into the bogie hopper wagons below, before taking them to the iron and steel works at Consett for the last time.

A Midland lines 9F, No. 92085, heads for home as it leaves York and passes the one remaining ‘excursion platform’ at Holgate with an up class 7 freight on September 29, 1962. No. 92085 was one of only nine 9Fs to be sent to Barry scrapyard and one of only two to be actually cut up there. The other seven survived into preservation. It was also one of those unfortunate 9Fs that spent longer at Barry – 13 years – than it did in BR service – 10½ years.

and familiarisation it was joined by Nos. 92045 and 92046 with all three being put to work on the iron ore trains running across the Wirral peninsula from Bidston dock to the Shotwick Sidings at the Hawarden Bridge steelworks of John Summers & Sons Ltd. They replaced the Stanier 8F 2-8-0s that, in turn, had replaced the old GCR Robinson O4 2-8-0s. It was a rarely photographed bit of railway only 12½ miles long but with a four-mile continuous climb with gradients as steep as 1-in-75 to the summit at Heswall Hills. There would be plenty of noise from the 9Fs as their loadings were often in the region of 1100 tons and herein lied the reason for the ‘extended crew training and familiarisation’, for these trains were not vacuum braked! There we had trains of up to 1100 tons going downgrade with only the brakes on the locomotive and its tender and at the rear of the train the mere 20 tons braking force of the guard’s van! There

was as much if not more skill in working these trains downhill as there was uphill and they were reputed to be the heaviest unfitted mineral trains on Britain’s railways. In the meantime, the situation on the Midland Division had not improved and new 9Fs intended for the North Eastern Region at Tyne Dock, Nos. 92060-92066, were diverted to Wellingborough. Crewe must have got a move on with the fitting of the smoke deflector on the Franco-Crosti locos and by the second quarter of 1956, with new 9Fs arriving at Wellingborough and Toton at the rate of one a fortnight, Nos. 92060-92066 were therefore officially transferred back to Tyne Dock, going via Crewe works to have their Westinghouse air pumps fitted.

Hardest-worked

No. 92060 was noted fully kitted out at Tyne Dock shed on May 6, 1956 soon being joined

A powerful shot of a powerful locomotive. No. 92063 has eased forward to the signalbox to await the arrival of the two brakevans and the 08 diesel shunter that will assist the 741-ton train up the curving 1-in-40 incline to Bank Top.

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by sisters Nos. 92061-66 then Nos. 9209799 new from Crewe in July and August. I think it would be fair to say that these 10 locomotives at Tyne Dock were the hardestworked of the entire class of 9Fs eventually to total 251, as their main duties involved the working of iron ore trains of up to 800 tons gross from Tyne Dock to the remote iron and steel works at Consett 23 miles away and 800 ft above sea level in the hills of north west Durham. Gradients as steep as 1-in-35 were encountered on the way. As the 1950s progressed the 9Fs, now rid of their earlier problems, were steadily making a name for themselves. The iron ore trains undoubtedly demanded the highest daily power outputs but fast running with freight trains was becoming noted. The GE and GN lines have already been mentioned but in early 1957 a most surprising route appeared on the scene during the first six months of the year. Thirty 9Fs were gradually transferred to Annesley on the old Great Central main line, from March, New England and Doncaster. They revolutionised the timings of the Annesley to Woodford Halse ‘windcutter’ trains making them the fastest unfitted coal trains in Britain. But more was to come, for in 1958 the 9Fs pulled their masterstroke by showing their ability to run fast – very fast, with express passenger trains. While they were no strangers to passenger trains, on April 14, 1955, No. 92017 had even worked the empty stock of the royal train from Darwen to Colne and three weeks later No. 92031 had relieved a failed A1 Pacific at Biggleswade with an up ECML express. Their use on passenger trains had, however, been largely confined to summer Saturday extras to and from the seaside. But all this was to end with the commencement of the Summer 1958 timetables when several sheds started using them on important express passenger trains, some of which were quite tightly timed. The Midland Lines had been known to roster them onto ‘XL Limit’ trains, which required the 99 miles from Leicester to St Pancras to be

Steam-hauled for the last time. ‘8K05’ 10am Tyne Dock to Consett with No. 92063 was, in fact, the very last steam-hauled iron ore train to do battle with the brutal climb to Consett iron and steel works 23 miles away and 80 ft above sea level.

run nonstop in 99 minutes. This, of course, required sustained fast running. Then it turned out that the GC was using the 9Fs almost as a matter of course on its principal named trains ‘The Master Cutler’ and ‘The South Yorkshireman’ and on July 1 No. 92164 and its crew made a name for themselves by running the 23.4 miles from Leicester to Nottingham in 23.2 minutes start to stop with the nine-coach down ‘Master Cutler’ attaining a maximum speed of 86mph. To achieve mile-a-minute running over such relatively short distances did, of course, require both rapid acceleration and skilful braking. It should be mentioned here that all this fast running on the GC main line with both passenger and the ‘windcutter’ coal trains took them through Loughborough; now home of the heritage Great Central Railway, which has regularly recreated the ‘windcutters’. However, it is most unlikely that a recreation of a passenger train achieving mile-a-minute timings from Leicester Central to Nottingham Victoria will ever happen again!

Achieving 90mph

Back to 1958 and just over a month later, on August 16, the GN main line decided to get in on the act with No. 92184 achieving 90mph going down Stoke Bank at Essendine while working forward from Grantham with the 14-coach 1.10pm Edinburgh to King’s Cross express. The technically-minded could well argue that No. 92184 doing 90mph with its 5ft driving wheels was as great a mechanical achievement centrifugal force-wise, as Mallard with its 6ft 8in driving wheels making 126mph. Around this time a story was circulating regarding members of the Eastern Region Board who, having attended a social event at Nottingham, were returning to King’s Cross. After joining an Up express at Grantham they noticed the train went down Stoke Bank VERY fast with the pace continuing unabated, despite a severe permanent way slack and numerous signal checks over the last 15 miles or so with an arrival at King’s Cross a few minutes early. One of the board members was deputed to go forward and congratulate the locomotive crew on their excellent work but on reaching the front of the train at King’s Cross the aforesaid board member was astounded to observe the locomotive that had gone so fast was not a Gresley or Peppercorn Pacific, but a 2-10-0 goods engine.

With safety valves roaring, No. 92063 triumphantly arrives at Consett works. The working timetable had been thrown out of the cab window for the booked time of 1hr 51mins had been slashed to just 57mins.

It is almost certain to have been the same train as mentioned earlier with No. 92184, for very soon afterwards orders came from the very top echelons of 222 Marylebone Road that this practice must cease immediately and it all seemed to go quiet for a while. Meanwhile, Saltley 9Fs and their crews were making a name for themselves by working throughout with the Water Orton to Carlisle fitted freights. At 226 miles these were probably not only the most arduous but also the longest fitted freight diagrams on BR, both for engine and men, the latter lodging at Carlisle. These twice-daily trains took the Midland route, which involved the 14-mile slog from Settle Junction to Blea Moor, which would be a good test as the loads were 50 to 55 wagons. The Western Region had been appeased with three orders for the construction of 53 9Fs at Swindon and indeed, on March 18, 1960, turned out the last steam locomotive to be built for British Railways. This was No. 92220; given the name Evening Star and it came complete in express passenger Brunswick green livery and, of course, with a copper-capped chimney. It was sent to Cardiff Canton shed, which adopted it as its pet engine, putting it to use on secondary cross-country passenger workings. No eyebrow-raising stuff here but, on June 18, it was turned out for the 7.43am Cardiff to Paddington express. The more aware would realise that this was three months to the day since Evening Star had ceremoniously left Swindon works. Was the WR dipping its toe into the pond?

Last-minute failure

All must have gone well, for there were no unpleasant phone calls, but just nine days later the Britannia Pacific rostered for the Up ‘Red Dragon’ became a last-minute failure at Cardiff and was replaced by Evening Star, which happened to be around. Only the privileged few will know if this was a genuine locomotive failure or an excuse to test the waters again. The driver who had agreed to work Evening Star on the prestigious ‘Red Dragon’ and its return working the Down ‘Capitals United Express’ was a senior Canton man well versed in trade union matters and railway operating practices and he seemed most pleased with his steed, stating that water and coal consumption was better than either a Britannia or a Castle. Praise indeed. There must have been some mention of the

speeds attained but as the locomotive was not equipped with a speedometer the driver’s reply was on the lines that the riding of the locomotive was so good he had no concerns. The boat was now really pushed out as Evening Star was immediately rostered on four occasions for the same diagram. Sure enough, the unpleasant phone call came and several very senior heads in the Cardiff division almost rolled. Some would say that after all the hoo-ha of 1954 the WR had had the last laugh. It was also probably the last time a 9F did 85mph.

Heavy holiday extras

They continued to work regular daily passenger trains as several were allocated to Bath Green Park shed during the summer months from 1960 to 1964 to help out with the heavy holiday extras on the steeply graded Somerset & Dorset route. They were a godsend as their use obviated the need for much of the expensive double-heading so long associated with this hilly route over the Mendips. Evening Star itself was sent there in the late summer of 1962 especially to be on hand to work the last ‘Pines Express’ on September 8 before the train was diverted to another route as part of the rundown of the S&D. During July 1961 a notable French enthusiast had ridden on the footplate of No. 92000 working the 12-coach southbound ‘Pines Express’ unaided over this route. Under the circumstances an inspector would have been on the footplate and would no doubt have encouraged the crew to do their best. They appear to have done just that as it was reported that an equivalent drawbar horsepower of 2000 was attained on the four miles of 1-in-52 from Radstock to Chilcompton. This must have been very near to the maximum theoretical output for one of these locomotives and, as Stuart Cox comments, the 9Fs would have been ideal for the Highland main line had the diesels not beaten them to it. Much has been said about the 9Fs being too many too late; phrases like “a waste of money” have been uttered and written but this all fell far short of the money that was squandered when the BTC’s 1955 ‘pilot scheme’ was abandoned and Britain’s railways were flooded with hurriedly-designed diesel locomotives mainly from a variety of private contractors some of whom had little or no experience of railway locomotives. Four classes of this first phase of diesel locomotive production, notably Heritagerailway.co.uk 81

No. 92063 reverses its train from the western-most point of the triangle onto the discharge gantry at Consett to cascade its load of iron ore. The crew have already changed the headlamps to class 5 for the downhill return to Tyne Dock.

the Baby Deltics (Class 23) and the Metrovicks (Class 28) didn’t last as long as many of the 9F steam locomotives. D5719, the last class 28 to be built was placed in store within six months. It is doubtful whether these represented as much value for money as the 9Fs. At the end of 1966 I could not believe my good fortune when I learned that out of 137 applications I was one of the lucky 15 to be granted permission to travel on the last steam-hauled iron ore train from Tyne Dock to Consett on Saturday, November 19. It was a line I had yearned after for years. What passenger service it had ever enjoyed had gone by 1953 and as I had no car I had to be content with the spectacular photographs in the railway magazines of the day of the handsome NER Raven Q7 0-8-0s and the rather plain LNER Thompson 01 2-8-0s as they battled with the awesome gradients of this line. A new system was introduced in November 1953 with the combined co-operation of the Tyne Improvement Commission, BR and the Consett Iron Company and I quote from an unknown source written at the time: “Hardly any other installation in the world combines dock handling, railways and industrial conveyor equipment in such a well-designed unified operation”. It was, in fact, an early example of the ‘Merry-go-Round’ system. Saturday, November 19, 1966 dawned at last. I’d stayed in my flat in York on the Friday night, as we had to be on the 7.12am Edinburgh

No. 92063 stands on the discharge gantry at Consett works. Such was the sense of occasion that members of the press were invited to observe the proceedings.

train to Newcastle. Fortunately, an on-time arrival saw us scrambling aboard the 9am South Shields DMU for the nine-mile journey to Tyne Dock. Bouncing along the south side of the river on our Class 101 Met-Cam or Class 108 Derby Works unit it looked very cold out there but we had glorious full sun and certainly there was no fog on the Tyne that day.

Biting wind

Alighting at Tyne Dock station we were greeted with a biting wind and it got colder as we hurried towards the iron ore quay at Tyne Dock Bottom. Guided by the massive storage bunker and the ‘Kangaroo’ cranes we must have got a fair move on, for just 17 minutes after leaving the DMU I was taking my first photograph of No. 92063 standing completely dwarfed with its load of 56-ton capacity bogie hopper wagons still under the gantry. No. 92063 was Crewebuilt in November 1955 and was officially sent new to Tyne Dock shed period ending December 17, 1955, being transferred just a fortnight later to Wellingborough to help out with the Franco-Crosti crisis. As it had not been fitted with its Westinghouse pumps and air reservoirs I wonder if it did in fact go to Tyne Dock shed? It eventually reached its intended destination in May 1956 having visited Crewe Works en route to have the necessary Westinghouse equipment fitted. Ten-and-a-half years later it looked absolutely magnificent. Several of

Its day of glory and hard work over, No. 92063 reverses onto Tyne Dock shed – which is now a housing estate. No. 92063 was withdrawn from service just days later, officially due to the condition of its boiler.

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the staff at Tyne Dock shed had been burning the midnight oil to ensure No. 92063 went out looking her best. Copper paint had been applied to some of the exterior pipework, and smokebox door strappings, the buffers and front coupling links were all painted silver, and the Timken roller bearing axlebox covers on the tender had been restored to their original yellow. Firemen Alan Wappat and Maurice Mowbray had painstakingly supplied ‘The Tyne Docker’ headboard with North Eastern Region tangerine backing. This colourful backing was also on the smokebox door numberplate and shedplate; all this in addition to an already immaculate locomotive. Word had got around that the crew were ‘going to have a go’ and all the ingredients were there. It was driver Redgrave’s last run before retirement, fireman John Bradley had an off-duty Tyne Dock fireman to assist him and this trio were complemented by BR’s enthusiastic Newcastle traction engineer the great John Bellwood. In today’s parlance the latter would be described as the ‘owner’s representative’. An additional brakevan had been provided for the lucky 15 passengers bringing the gross load to 741 tons, which was nearly 60 tons below the maximum allowed. The locomotive’s appearance belied its actual condition which, apparently, was far from good, as it was withdrawn from service one week later due to the condition of its boiler. Once again this was a characteristic of the steam locomotive. It could operate in a condition far from the best – especially, of course, with a four-man crew. At 9.45am No. 92063 drew its train down the yard to the signalbox to await the Class 08 diesel shunter, which would attach the brakevans and provide assistance up the curving 1-in-40 to Bank Top. Then 10am came, whistles and hooters were exchanged and 8KO5 was away steam-hauled for the last time. The 08 dropped off as we eased our way past Tyne Dock shed and we miraculously got a clear run across Pontop crossing where we crossed the Newcastle to Sunderland line on the level. It was relatively easy-going through Washington to South Pelaw, where a brief halt was made to attach the banker for the tremendous climb to Annfield Plain. In the best part of seven miles the line climbed nearly 700 feet at an average gradient of 1-in-60 with parts as steep as 1-in-35 and over the years it had become the home to one of the most spectacular steam workings in Britain. Today dieselisation had already set in as our banker was an English Electric Type 4, D277. We left South Pelaw 20 minutes early and here began the real work. Being at the rear of the

No. 92063, after having taken water from the tower on the left, moves forward towards the eastern-most point of the triangle to allow members of the press and ‘us lot’ to climb aboard the additional brakevan so kindly provided.

train the throbbing from the ‘Whistler’ D277 behind us somewhat drowned the sound of the extremely hard-working No. 92063 at the front of the train. To be fair, D277 contributed quite significantly to making this a record-breaking run, for it sounded to be going flat out all the time. One must reflect on the difference of the human effort being exerted by the crew of No. 92063 and the crew on D277!

Volcanic eruption

Onwards we thrashed up the 1-in-49 to Beamish and then the 1-in-51/56 to West Stanley. Traffic inspector Ted Blanckley, appointed to keep an eye on us, realised we all knew what we were doing and after frequently checking the safety bars on the verandas at each end of the brakevan, allowed us to take turns in leaning out to snatch photographs of the volcanic eruption that was taking place at the front of our train. The two and a quarter miles from West Stanley to Annfield Plain was the worst part of the run for the easiest gradient was 1-in-72 with two stretches of 1-in35. What a nightmare this stretch of exposed railway must have been to work in the winter.

Hurrying along the easier gradients through South Medomsley our banker throughout from South Pelaw had left us and we were soon making a triumphant entry into the Consett works where we ran to the west point of the triangle then propelled the hoppers onto the ore discharging gantry. The booked time of 1hr 51mins had been slashed to just 57 minutes. In no time at all the 436 tons of ore that had been lugged so energetically up the 23 miles from the quay at Tyne Dock had discharged into the bunkers below. No. 92063 had pulled forward towards the eastern point of the triangle, taken water and was ready for the return to Tyne Dock at 11.30am, 21 minutes before it was even due to arrive at Consett. Last-minute activity by the photographic fraternity, myself included, saw us away soon after this for the easy run with the empties downhill to Tyne Dock. Good time was made, so much so that I photographed No. 92063 backing onto Tyne Dock shed some 40 minutes before the the train was even due to arrive at Tyne Dock bottom. During the turning and unloading procedures at Consett we met up with a

contingent from the West Riding. They had chased No. 92063 by road expecting to get at least half a dozen shots. They got two, such had been the pace of our train. Four of us had also acquainted ourselves with John Bellwood. For such a senior position on BR he looked remarkably young and a most friendly character set off nicely by his trilby. On spotting us at Tyne Dock later in the afternoon he offered us a lift in his chauffeur-driven Ford Zephyr 4 back to the Central station at Newcastle. He had no edge on him and seemed genuinely interested in our thoughts regarding the current and future motive power situation on BR. All too soon we bade our host farewell and made a quick dash from the station up Pink Lane to one of the last pubs on Tyneside still selling proper Newcastle Exhibition beer via the hand pumps. Sadly, just like No. 92063, the legendary ‘Ex’ is no longer with us. During the preparation of this article I have consulted numerous Trains Illustrated from the 1950s together with British Railways Standard Steam Locomotives by ES Cox, Ian Allan 1966 and last but by no means least BR’s staff newspaper Rail News for January 1967.

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PLATFORM

READERS’ LETTERS AT THE HEART OF THE HERITAGE RAILWAY SCENE

TRACK TALK

➜ The LMS after Stanier

REGARDING the feature in issue 220, some readers may have wondered how, and why, Charles Fairburn was regarded as the senior of the three contenders (the other two being Ivatt and Riddles) for CME when William Stanier retired. Clearly, in terms of age, the senior man was Ivatt while, in terms of seniority of service with the LMS and its constituents, both Ivatt and Riddles had far more then Fairburn’s 10 years. As a highly regarded electrical engineer Fairburn was appointed to a senior post on the LMS, in the same way as Stanier had been, partly through the backing of board member Sir Harold Hartley, vice president for engineering. With the approval of Hartley, Stanier soon made him his deputy. Therefore, when the chief was away on war work, Fairburn was de facto CME and Riddles can hardly have been surprised at the succession of Fairburn to the top job. PeterDavis,Fishponds, Bristol.

➜ Most popular steam locomotive names

IN Platform, issue 219, Geoff Kerr missed out one Prince of Wales: No 1132 of the GWR Queen class. I own a superb 4mm scale model of this locomotive. PeterRich,StGermain surAy,France.

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STAR LETTER

If the Kiwis can do it, why not Transport Heritage NSW?

THE article by Geoff Courtney in last month’s issue of Heritage Railway on the continuing and controversial restoration of former NSW Government Railways C38 class No. 3801, provided a stark contrast to our recent experience at Glenbrook Vintage Railway near Auckland, New Zealand. We have recently taken delivery of not one, but two new boilers for our ex-New Zealand RailwaysWw class 4-6-4T Nos. 644 and 480.These boilers, built for us by RCR Energy of Dannevirke, North Island, are the largest locomotive type to have been constructed in NZ for 55 years, and the design has been modernised to latest NZ and Australian codes, with valuable input from Puffing Billy Railway and Queensland Railways, and the boilers have been fully approved and pressure-tested by our certifiers, SGS, as being fit for service. I have been the instigator, design co-ordinator and manager of the project, and it has been a most interesting and satisfying process. As I am also responsible for the hands-on maintenance of our locos, I have been able to incorporate some features in the design that will make the boilers more maintenance friendly. As a member ofTransport Heritage New SouthWales, which is now managing the No. 3801 restoration, I have been totally exasperated by the 3801 debacle, about which I believe we are still in the dark. I always wondered why, if DB Meiningen, which built the

Waiting for the off: Former New Zealand Railways Ww Class No. 644 awaits its next turn on the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. Boilers for the 4-6-4T and classmate No. 480 have recently been completed by RCR Energy for the 4½-mile line near Auckland. Inset: The two new boilers prior to delivery to the railway. ROBIN RUSSELL/RCR ENERGY now discarded new boiler for 3801, can manufacture a perfectly satisfactory boiler for your A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado boiler, it couldn’t build a not dissimilar boiler for No. 3801. How come Meiningen’s 3801 boiler“didn’t meet codes?”Surely the codes were specified, drawings checked and approved, and the work regularly inspected to ensure compliance. If a small, self-funded and all-volunteer outfit such as ours can draw up a detailed spec, have the designs checked and approved by internationally-recognised certifier SGS, and the work inspected weekly

by them, so that we now have fit for purpose certificates for the boilers, why couldn’t the NSW state government guys in charge of the 3801 project? Of course, our boilers have yet to be fitted, but as they are identical in overall dimensions to the old ones, we have every confidence that this will not be a problem. Heritage Railway is widely read in NZ and Australia, and I would hope that some Aussie readers might ask:“If the Kiwis can do it, why couldn’t NSW?” John St Julian, workshop manager, Glenbrook Vintage Railway, New Zealand.

Steam locomotives are not always the culprits MAY I be allowed to respond to the remarks of David Ward in Platform, issue 221? 1. “Steam-hauled trains are slow”. This is a result of the speed limits imposed by Network Rail (NR), not because of any inherent inability to go faster. 2.“Steam locomotive performance is variable due to coal quality issues and inexperienced firemen”. Once again it is NR that insists on the use of BR footplate staff – inexperienced or not. 3. “Steam train loads pre-1968” were not based solely on the availability of banking engines. They were based on the capabilities of the rostered locomotives and crews. Indeed, to be sure that the driver knew what was expected the guard had to tell the driver personally before departure what the weight

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of the train was. The banking engines were there principally for the assistance of goods traffic or the occasional out-of-course demand. In any case, the loadings proposed by NR are well below 1968 requirements, and, lest we forget, nowadays the condition of steam locomotives has to conform to a far more rigorous standard than pre-1968. 4.“Track circuitry”: I note that Mr Ward loads his argument by saying“at both ends of the Carlisle platforms”. This is a technicality: whether both circuits are involved or just one it is a matter of interpretation for control. Even if there were a track-circuit fault, it should not be a reason for traffic to grind to a halt. 5. “Occasions where drivers have had to ease their locomotives

to the point of adhesion so that optimum performance was not available”: Optimum performance is, in this context,“the best that can be expected in the prevailing circumstances”– not, as Mr Ward assumes, theoretical maximum where all relevant factors are points of perfection. 6. “The exposed locations of Shap and Beattock”: Drivers will know that this is a red herring. The landscape does not cause problems with adhesion (except in the depths of winter) – although the flange lubricators at Scout Green may trap the unwary briefly. 7.“Damp rails”: Moisture does not present noticeable problems unless it is frozen or combined with oil. 8. “Casualty figures for steam locomotives”: A lightened load is not going to help with a locomotive

failure and anyway, once a train has lost its path the only people inconvenienced are those on that particular train. 9. “Steam operators’liability to pay compensation”: I can’t seem to grasp how compensation issues are relevant to a discussion on the timely operation of steam locomotives. 10. “Loadings in later BR steam days”: During this period locomotives were frequently in poor condition during the run-down to diesels and loadings were frequently fortuitously reduced as a result of falling demand. Conversely, Mr Ward conveniently forgets those happy occasions when steam locomotives have come to the rescue of modern rolling stock. Methinks Mr Ward doth protest too much. Martin McGinty, Frome, Somerset.

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A 1930s postcard view of Flying Scotsman as No. 4472, the number traditionally associated with the locomotive. The current restoration has seen the A3 revert to its historically-correct latter-days British Railways appearance, livery and identity as No. 60103, but is this the best option for the locomotive as far as the general public are concerned? ROBIN JONES COLLECTION

The number 60103 is meaningless to many THE visual aesthetics versus the rivet counting accuracy debate has been raised once again by the letters from Peter Clowes and Martin McGinty regarding the Flying Scotsman (issues 216 and 217). Personally, I think the aesthetics viewpoint wins every time. The “Mickey Mouse ears”smoke deflectors

do look ridiculous. An interesting comparison might be made with restorations of the MGB GT sportscar. Later models of that particular car were fitted with very large, ugly black plastic bumpers but restorers almost always retro fit their cars with chrome bumpers, simply because they look right, despite the inaccuracy.

Another reason for using the original LNER livery on Scotsman is that many people of all ages, not just train enthusiasts, associate the number 4472 with the name Flying Scotsman. To them, the number 60103 will be meaningless. G Finn, Brighton, Sussex.

Flying Scotsman and other matters HAVING just finished reading your June issue, I cannot help but remark on a few items. Let’s start with Mr Clowes’ letter about the Witte deflectors that are currently adorning Flying Scotsman, in which he begs for a return to its original appearance. Now, while accepting that there is controversy about their application, both back in the 1950s and much more recently, can we define what its original appearance should be?When No. 1472 emerged from Doncaster in early 1923 it had a 180psi boiler, short travel valves and an overall height of 13ft 6in. Cutting down to LNER composite loading gauge of 13ft 3in happened in 1928, I’m not sure when long travel valves were fitted and a 220psi boiler was only fitted in 1947. Double Kylchap exhaust was fitted in 1959 and the Witte deflectors in early 1960. So what condition is Mr Clowes calling for? Let’s face it, we all know it as No. 4472, but this number was never carried in its current A3 condition. It only carried 502 and 103 before BR days while with

a 220psi boiler, far and away the most significant difference between an A1 and an A3. I know where he’s coming from – you either love the deflectors or you loathe them, and as this is only the latest incarnation, surely they will be removed at some stage in the future? Personally, I like them and always did – look at the Reichsbahn Pacifics with them, and at those with the older sheetstyle type and see which look better – but the most important point must be performance. The double Kylchap exhaust markedly improved the A3’s performance but as a consequence of the reduced exhaust pressure it caused smoke to drift so that some form of deflection was necessary. Think on – which looks better – theWitte deflectors or the upright sheets fitted to Humorist? I’ve read somewhere that when the English Electric type 4 diesels were taking over at King’s Cross, the local motive power people were calling for double-chimneyV2 2-6-2s, rather than

the new breed, which leads me to a mischievous suggestion – how about Witte deflectors on aV2? I’d rather like to see that. I’m incredibly impressed by the products of the new constructors – Tornado, Prince of Wales etc – and I cannot get over the enthusiasm, finance and sheer effort that is evident throughout all these projects, and this leads on to another challenge – rather than reincarnating former designs, who would be game to tackle one of the never-was designs? Gresley’s proposed 4-8-2, Stanier’s 4-6-4 or the new Swindon Pacific. How about it someone? Finally, to the Camping Coach Holiday 1966.The photograph of Lostock Hall shed takes me back to a school railway society trip to the Liverpool area in 1959, which included Lostock Hall. My memory tells me that this shed had a progressive shedmaster who insisted that the interior be kept clean, and he even had the walls whitewashed. P Allcock, Bridgetown, Western Australia.

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TRACK TALK ➜ What price Flying Scotsman?

I KNEW as soon as I had sent my letter about the purchase price for Flying Scotsman (Platform, issue 216), that I had made a mistake in my calculations. Fifty years ago when I first travelled to Scotland the exchange rate was 480 US pennies for one pound or 240 pence. Either way, the price was a very good deal. At that time I could stay at the Royal Marine Hotel in Dunoon, Scotland for under $10 per night, including breakfast. You could also buy several pints for a pound. My congratulations to Mr Davis for setting me straight. GeorgeBogart, Alexandria,Virginia,USA

➜ Are lineside trespassers safer than law abiders?

ON page 9 of issue 219, three photographers are seen on grass adjacent to a railway line, in a telephoto view that may be exaggerating their proximity to the track. They are all facing towards oncoming trains and are clearly not inattentive idiots. On page 3 of the same issue is a picture of the‘Cathedrals Express’ passing through Doncaster station. Three photographers are standing on the platform, two within 6ft of any train that may appear from behind their backs. The closest, in a grey suit, would probably have his elbow struck by any such train. This man is legal but imprudent, whereas those on page 9 are illegal but probably more prudent. ESGTuckley,Fareham,Hampshire

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CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

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NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

Banbury ‘box

CLOSED Friday, July 29 saw the passing of another piece of history on Network Rail. Martin Creese reports on the closure of the two former Great Western Railway signalboxes at Banbury.

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he last mechanical signalling on the former GWR and now Chiltern Trains main line from Birmingham to Marylebone; the two Banbury ‘boxes had been as oasis of traditional signalling. Of the two, Banbury North was the largest former GWR signalbox still in use on the National Network. Network Rail spent £76million on the upgrade of Banbury with new track, points and ballast, reopening of an additional platform and transferring of the signalling to the West Midlands Signalling Centre. The remodelling also saw the closure of the former Woodford bay platform, which

was a reminder of the link from Banbury to the Great Central Railway at Woodford Halse.

GWR condition

Both Banbury signalboxes were GWR type 7; Banbury South a 7B dating from 1908 and North a 7A dating from 1899. South ‘box had a shortened 65-lever frame and also a panel to cover Aynho Junction. The 95-lever frame in North was a 1956 replacement placed at the back of the signalbox. Both had their locking room windows bricked up as a wartime precaution. The local signalmen, led by Martin Crane, kept the interior of North in GWR condition

GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe as seen from Banbury North signalbox.

with false ceilings. UPVC windows were not fitted and modern equipment was very sympathetically incorporated. A romesse stove was retained and an annual coal order raised to keep the signalmen warm on winter nights. The diagram in North ‘box still contained references to steam-age traffic, with Milk and Horse Dock, while South still had the cattle roads. While there are a good selection in preservation, its size and condition encouraged a group to see if North ‘box could be saved. Project Crossover was born with the aim of retaining North signalbox as a community asset and rail heritage education

centre. Sadly, despite a very compelling case and significant local and enthusiast support, which culminated in £20,000 being pledged, after four months of negotiations the financial conditions for the building’s retention were insurmountable.

Public opening

Given the interest, what was proposed was a 10-week period of public opening. It may be fair to say signalboxes are something of an enigma; you see them as part of the fabric of our railways, but what goes on inside is something most enthusiasts don’t get a chance to see nor is it possible to be hands on and work the frame,

Jamie Green and Ian Baxter ‘at work’ during the 30742 Charters evening photo shoot on September 23.

LNER A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado passes Banbury North on September 8 on a railtour to Bridgnorth.

Diagram extract with long- lost traffic.

or call attention on the block instruments while surrounded by a live railway environment. The opening period allowed people just that chance and to see a Network Rail ‘box left just as it was on closure. Once the frame was disconnected from the surrounding railway and the electric locks removed, Martin Crane rewired the block instruments and many of the repeaters and lights on the block shelf as well as the diagram. Booklets were printed for visitors and everyone received a traditional Edmundsons ticket. While Project Crossover may not have been able to save Banbury North, it created a unique community partnership with Chiltern Railways and Network Rail.

Demolished

South ‘box sat on top of where new pointwork was to be laid, giving access to the Chiltern Railways’ depot being built on the site of Banbury engine shed, and so after very limited recovery and less than six hours after closure, it was unceremoniously demolished. The opening period ran from August 10 to the October 2, with tours every day, school groups, business meetings, Guides and Scouts groups and even cream teas, which culminated in just over 3,500 people visiting.

Children young and old thoroughly enjoyed being able to work the signalbox, all under the guidance of the Project Crossover team and the former Banbury signalmen. BBC TV and radio also broadcast pieces. With a very effective social media strategy and Facebook group, word spread and a look at the visitor book highlighted that visitors had travelled the length and breadth of the country, from Scotland to Kent and Cornwall, even from Europe, to see inside. Even the main line steam movement managed to pay its respects with No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, No. 60163 Tornado, No. 45699 Galatea and No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth all passing in the last few weeks. I stood inside on the evening that No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe returned from Oxford. All the windows were open and many of the Project Crossover team and their families were also there to watch. With thanks to the footplate crew on No. 5043, it passed working hard and whistling in salute as the exhaust filled the building and the aroma of coal lingered for some time afterwards. I was also able to host two photographers’ evenings, where with darkness falling and just a couple of lamps on, some magical images were captured. Severn

One of the evening visitor sessions.

Valley Railway volunteers Jamie Green and Ian Baxter came down in GWR signalman’s uniform and we all stood enthralled as Jamie, who hadn’t been in the ‘box before, proceeded to operate just about every lever correctly; I should say Jamie is also a Network Rail signalman at Shrewsbury. The second night saw Greg Scott from Chiltern Railways acting as our signalman with his three-minute run through the frame and all the block bells drawing a round of applause from the photographers. Both these occasions produced a special piece of railway theatre.

Final bell code

All good things sadly have to come to an end and on October 2 Martin Crane sent a symbolic final 7-5-5, with Banbury South signalman Peter Saunders also in attendance to return it. As Banbury south closed first back in July, Peter was able to send the final bell code to Martin. Martin in North’ box had no one to send the code to, official closure being done by phone. The keys were then handed back to Network Rail. Over the

The block Instruments at Banbury North.

following week recovery started with Network Rail taking much of the block shelf for the Worcester area, the frame for preservation, and as much of the interior fittings right down to the roof ventilators also being recovered. What is left is a brick shell, which will be demolished sometime in late October.

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EUROPEAN STEAM

A fully loaded ‘Douro Historical Train’ leaves Régua on Sunday, September 11 behind 2-8-4T No. 0186.

On Saturday, September 10 the ‘Douro Historical Train’ – hauled by 2-8-4T No. 0186 – gets underway again on its outward journey after the stop at Pinhão.

Douro Valley

STEAM REVIVAL

Always popular with British enthusiasts, the Douro Valley in Portugal has been without any working steam for some years. Lionel Price reports on the return of steam to this scenic route.

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orking steam has returned to the CP (Comboios de Portugal) main line system this summer with the return to service of 1925-built Henschel 2-8-4T No. 0186 (works number 19895). This follows completion of its major overhaul, which has kept it out of service for several years, and which has included the provision of a new boiler built in Barcelona. The locomotive had previously been fired with coal, the use of which gave rise to claims from landowners arising from alleged lineside fires caused by spark emission, but as the locomotive is now oil-fired, and its rebuild has included provision of improved spark arresting equipment, it is hoped that the problem of lineside fires will cease. Still having the distinction of being the only operational steam locomotive in Portugal, No. 0186 is one of a batch of 10 originally built for mixed traffic use. This summer season has seen the locomotive once again powering the ‘Douro Historical Train’, with the locomotive reunited a rake of five nicely restored vintage four-wheel coaches, which are used for the established tourist train operation on the 36km stretch of the Douro valley main line between Regua and Tua. The line was originally opened between 1875 and 1887, with the train running an afternoon return journey every Saturday between early June and late October, and also on Sundays

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in July, August and September, together with trips on Wednesdays in August. The train is marketed by CP with not only ‘train-only’ tickets available from ticket offices and online, but with also combined tickets to include the steam ride and rail travel to Regua available from ticket offices throughout the country. It also offers the opportunity to travel to Pinhão, the principal intermediate

The worksplate of Henschel No. 0186.

station, where passengers can admire the fine pictorial-tiled panels on the station building, said to be the best of their kind in the country. They can also visit the many wine outlets in the town, or to go on to Tua, where refreshments are available to passengers while the locomotive is turned on the newly electrified turntable there. The train also offers refreshments on board,

together with musical entertainment. The train journey is along part of one of the most picturesque lines in Portugal, offering spectacular views of the famous port wine vineyards on its route, and of the Douro river itself. At weekends the train is extremely well patronised, with virtually every seat sold. It is ho however not known how many customers theerre have been for the footplate ride facility, whicch is also offered, at €300 per person! Itt w would appear that the revival of the ‘Douro Historical Train’ with steam traction has been b a success for CP, and perhaps this will encourage the company to build on this successful heritage operation. A set of traditional metre gauge passenger coaches together with Mallet 2-4-6-0T 2 E214 (Henschel 19877 of 1923) cu urrrently remain in store at Regua since thee lifting l of the remains of the Corgo line tow waards Chaves removed any future possibility of tth heir further use in that area. Some reports have been heard of a proposal by CP to take the carriages to the Vale do Vouga line, the country’s last remaining metre gauge route, with a view to the creation of a similar tourist train there, albeit with diesel haulage initially. Although the Mallet would no doubt require an overhaul it is not beyond the bounds of possibility that a classic metre gauge train from the steam era may once again be seen in operation on Portuguese metals...

As shadows lengthen on Sunday, September 11, No. 0186 powers through the wayside station at Ferrão, between Pinhão and Régua, with the returning ‘Douro Historical Train’ working. Heritagerailway.co.uk 91

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NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

The Great Survivor’s

LAST INDIAN

SUMMER With ‘Terrier’ No. 32670 being withdrawn from service at the end of the year, Geoff Silcock reminisces about the 12 consecutive days in August that saw two of the class rostered for more than 500 miles of timetabled running.

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o. 3 Bodiam has been on the Rother Valley/Kent & East Sussex Railway (KESR) since 1901, latterly running as No. 32670, but will be withdrawn active at the end of 2016. For the last few years the KESR has incorporated two unmanned ‘ghost stations’ not included in the current timetable. When the yearly sabbatical to the South Coast was again mooted for the start of August, there seemed little chance that the two native KESR BR-liveried ‘Rooters’ would be rostered again for passenger duties towards the start of the main August holiday season workings. But how wrong I was... The upgrading of the dynamic duo’s capabilities, as unburdened in HR last year by yours truly, had provided several extra days of operation towards early August 2015, with both of the 1872 and 1880 thoroughbreds working separately. However, nothing this time had quite prepared me for the 12 days that they

would work turn and turn about ‘rooting’ with the KESR vintage set of coaches, which include the South Eastern & Chatham Railway Birdcage brake and special bogie saloon, and nearly equalling their maximum tonnage consist up the 1-in-50 Tenterden Bank. The duo’s statistics this summer, with No. 32670’s imminent demise due, have become even more formidable. Together they have now spent 193 of their collective 280 years associated with the line, with more than a quarter of that time in preservation from withdrawal, and 56 years of those from the formation of the latterday KESR.

Seasoned crews...

The final two days of operation on August 5/6 – the 11.45am and 2.20pm departures from Tenterden Town, before a more powerful engine took over for the rest of the month – were particularly memorable, and undertaken by the

And just when it couldn’t get any better... in the early evening of August 5, after No. 32670 had departed light engine back to shed from Tenterden Town station, a local traction engine departs ‘engine and support coach’ following its stop-over in the C&W workshop yard. It was bound for a local show at Woodchurch the next day.

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great survivor No. 32670, aka No. 3 Bodiam, with more than able gritty performances ‘rooting’ through the Rother Valley. Many of these came from the younger and now seasoned crews, with the Class 3 maximum tonnage, bunker-first, up the final 1-in-50 climb from Rolvenden, made the more formidable sometimes from a standing start at the beginning of Orpins Curve. On occasion

The signalman at the unadvertised station of Wittersham Road opens the gates for the main train – due to pass in the opposite direction – before No. 32670 (in the platform) can proceed. Wittersham Road is one of the two ‘ghost stations’ that do not appear in the current timetable. The signalbox dates from 1882 and was formerly at Deal Junction. The station building end onto the platform as the original was conceived and built, is from Borth in South Wales.

Stroudley A1X ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T No. 32678 heads the 12.45am departure from Bodiam up the 1-in-50 Tenterden bank and approaches Cranbrook Road crossing on July 31.

the second man on the footplate and then the guard were needed to open and close the gates on the A28 road for their passage through, before the climb up to Tenterden Town station could begin in earnest. Seen from this dyed-in-the-wool photographic assassin’s point of view, No. 32670 has presented an exquisite challenge, as it still faced downhill out of Tenterden Town, unlike No. 32678 on the service trains into the high summer. However, the opportunity was taken to clear some of the intruding foliage on the idyllic vistas that presented themselves, plus arriving sometimes at 6.30am to groom my 144-year-old canine quarry’s black-lined out coat on shed before its working day started....

Overseas visitors...

The KESR receives an appreciative trickle of enthusiasts from all over the world, and these visitors among others could normally be found each day by the train engine awaiting its departure from Tenterden Town. A couple from New Zealand for instance, and several individuals from Canada and the USA were present on the penultimate day of ‘Rooter’ operation in August, and were absolutely enthralled that they had not only seen, but also been hauled by the great survivor from 190s – No. 32670 – and conveyed to the magical distant Bodiam Castle in a choice selection of Victorian and Edwardian coaches. ...And this on a truly timeless English summer day, through increasing fields of wavering golden wheat by the lineside nowadays, and in concert with the delicate chaffs of ‘Rooter’-

After descending the mainly 1-in-50 gradient and with the local harvest in full swing on either side of Orpins Curve, No. 32670 approaches Rolvenden on August 6. Heritagerailway.co.uk 95

The great survivor, Stroudley ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0T No. 3 Bodiam (aka No. 32670), scatters the local bovine population in true light railway style, as it leaves Rolvenden yard for the western rail-head next to Gaysdown Wood and the former crayfish beds with a loaded PW train in the summer of 1973.

borne cotton wool clouds blown across an azure blue sky along the Rother Valley. On the KESR ‘home front’, of the crews that I spoke to over several of the working ‘Terrier’ running days, most conceded that No. 32678, the slightly more youthful of the two by eight years, was the more able ‘up the hill’ nowadays, which I recall indicates a change from previous years.

‘Ghost Stations...’

The latter-day KESR also possesses two ‘ghost stations that do not appear in the public timetable. The first is at Rolvenden, with the present day locomotive facilities, maintenance workshops, and in recent times also the new carriage shed situated nearby. The second is further to the west at Wittersham Road, which, being a single platform situated on a passing loop, is usually only accessed by trains bound for Northiam and Bodiam in one direction when the two-train service is in operation. Into the autumn, both locomotives together were on hand on some Sundays to head the prestigious ‘Wealden Pullman’ on its extended trip to Bodiam and return, which included empty stock movements. On October 22 they were on call together for the scheduled two round trips, before No. 32670, from 1901, is finally taken out of traffic for overhaul at the end of December 2016.

Early days

It was on my first meaningful visit to the latterday Kent & East Sussex Railway in the early 1970s, before the line officially opened in that direction from Rolvenden in 1974, that there stood the great survivor Stroudley ‘Terrier’ 0-60T No. 3 Bodiam next to the Rolvenden station and shed area. It stood at the head of three loaded old engineers’ wagons, with an equally ancient London & North Western guards van at the rear, and it was during the vigorous bunkerfirst departure from the station confines to the distant railhead close to Gaysdown Wood and the now disused crayfish beds that the cows grazing nearby to the shed were scattered from their lethargy, which may have been viewed as in true light railway style. It was my initial introduction to the diminutive beasts, which has continued on the resurrected line over the years with the

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No. 32670 climbs away from Wittersham Road on August 6.

‘Terriers’, though I still prefer the older and countrified term of ‘Rooters’ for them. I have found myself allied to their cause on a number of occasions now, and of course the line itself has grown through the intervening years to an increased maturity, and will continue to do so with the future railhead at Robertsbridge in prospect.

Help and encouragement

I should like to sincerely thank the gentlefolk at the latter-day Kent & East Sussex Railway for their individual and collective help and encouragement in that time, and specifically recently when recording the swansong of No. 32670 on its last ‘Indian Summer’ before withdrawal from service, and hopefully for a quick turnaround overhaul, as certainly befits its stature in light railway history. It doesn’t seem so long ago now that after an

eventful day at the KESR into high summer, I was returning in the early evening near the border of the Kent and East Sussex coastlines, and from literally out of the blue, I observed two Spitfire fighter aircraft flying alongside the English Channel at Camber Sands, which provided a truly memorable moment before they merged into the golden distance all too soon. I was reminded of the Terrier Trust’s Hugh Nightingale and his analogy of the two Terrier Trust locomotives at the KESR almost being akin to those iconic flying machines; perfectly formed in their element, they both form part of our truly forever England. Most people call them Terriers On the Kesser they could be Rooters, You can tell them apart by their friendly bark; ... And even the sound of their hooters. GS

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Points of interest

in the UK

OFF THE SHELF

TheLMS-PatriotProject 2017 Calendar (LMS-PatriotProject, £8plus£3.75 p&p,obtainablefromallgood heritage railway bookshops orfrom www.lms-patriot.org.uk) THIS large landscape format calendar features a variety of paintings of unrebuilt LMS Patriot 4-6-0s by various artists in different locations on the former LMSR. The locomotives are depicted in all the liveries carried by the class in service and there is a short description by the artist with each illustration, including personal reminiscences of the Patriots. Proceeds from the sale of the calendar will go towards the HeritageRailwaybacked project to build the new national memorial locomotive No. 45551 The UnknownWarrior. The colour reproduction is excellent and with one month per page, there is plenty of room for notes.The artists featured include Michael Greenwood, Barry G Price, John Harrison GRA, Philip D Hawkins FGRA, Eric Bottomley GRA, Guy Maishman and Matthew Cousins. IMPRESSIVE LOCOMOTIVE CALENDAR

Railway ArtandTimesPast 2017 calendars By MalcolmRootand otherartists (AvailablefromMalcolmRoot,38 ChurchillAvenue,Halstead,CO92BE, telephone01787475402, £11 plus £2.50 p&pper calendar. Cheques payableto MRoot.) TIME really does fly, writes Geoff Courtney. It feels I was writing a review of Malcolm Root’s 2016 calendars just a few months ago, but a year ago it was. Mind you, one of the few pleasures of the months racing by is that the postman delivers the latest manifestation of Malcolm’s undoubted talent as a transport – and especially a railway – artist. Railway Art comprises 12 of his paintings, starting with LNER A3 No. 2751 Humorist pulling away from Grantham with a Down express and ending with LMS Princess Royal No. 6203 Princess Margaret Rose taking water at Dillicar troughs inWestmorland with another Down express. The 10 months between feature a varied mix that should surely satisfy any enthusiast.There’s LMS Jubilee No. 45636 Ugandaon‘TheThames-Clyde Express’ storming towards Ais Gill summit on the

98 Heritagerailway.co.uk

The Railway Children

YorkTheatre Royal/National Railway Museum (DVD, Genesius Pictures in association with Quidem Productions, 134 minutes including 25 minutes of special features, £12.99, available from Amazon, Salisbury, HMV and others, including the NRM). IN 2015, York Theatre Royal’s version of the Edith Nesbit classic The Railway Children carried off the Heritage Railway-sponsored Heritage Railway Association’s annual Interpretation Award. If you missed the performances at the temporary Signal BoxTheatre in the NRM atYork, featuring one of the stars of the legendary EMI big screen blockbuster of 1970, GWR pannier No. 5775 in its fictional ochre livery, or the King’s CrossTheatre production next door to the terminus of the same name, now’s the chance to catch up on what you missed from the comfort of your armchair – and this DVD is worth every penny. On March 16, the film of York Theatre Royal’s Olivier Award-winning production Settle-Carlisle line, SR Merchant Navy No. 35007 Aberdeen Commonwealth at Weymouth – that is also the painting that has been chosen for the cover – GWR No. 6023 King Edward II forcing its way up Dainton bank with the‘Cornish Riviera’, and two Britannia Pacifics passing at Ely Dock Junction, as viewed from one of the footplates. There’s also LNER B12 class 4-6-0 No.1524 at StratfordWestern Junction on its way to Liverpool Street, and for modern traction aficianados, diesel-hydraulic D832 Onslaught braving the unfriendly elements beside Dawlish sea wall, while another diesel is shunter 09013 beside Dunkirk ferry Saint Eloi at Dover. The Metropolitan Railway takes the spotlight in March with an H Class 4-4-4T at Chorleywood, ex-Wisbech & Upwell Tramway‘shed on wheels’J70 0-6-0T No. 68217 is at Elmbridge with a train of agricultural produce, and finally Ffestiniog Railway 0-4-4TTaliesinrests at Ddualt with the Margaret Ritchie remembrance train. Times Past embraces a selection of land, sea and air transport, from single and double-decker buses, lorries, motor cars, and a steam roller, to aVickersViking aircraft at Southend airport, the Queen Elizabeth 2 liner at Southampton, and a Fordson tractor in a snowbound field. Five of these paintings are by Malcolm, who is a Fellow of the Guild of Railway Artists, and two of his Railway Art paintings are also included, No. 35007 at Weymouth and the Metropolitan Railway tank at Chorleywood. Other works are by Steven Binks and Roadscapes. MAKE A DATEWITH MALCOLM ROOT

at the NRM, adapted for the stage by Mike Kenny and directed for the stage by Damian Cruden, was screened at cinemas nationwide. The film is directed by International Emmy Award-winning Ross MacGibbon, whose expert production team navigated the play’s intricate staging, including moving platforms, props, rail carts and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway-based locomotive, capturing every moment of the fast-paced production. It stars Martin Barrass, Rozzi Nicholson-Lailey, Beth Lilly, Izaak Cainer, Andrina Carroll and Rob Angell. First produced by York Theatre Royal at the National Railway Museum, where it enjoyed two

TheBookofthe Hall4-6-0s PartFour:ModifiedHalls 6959-6999,7900-7299 By Ian Sixsmith(hardback, IrwellPress, 168pp, £24.95, ISBN978 1 90691999 3)) IRWELL continues its‘Book of’series of locomotive studies with the fourth part of the history of the Halls. The volume follows the standard format of its predecessors, with each individual locomotive covered by two pages with two or three black-and-white pictures with extended captions, a complete shed and works history, a list of all the boiler changes and the tenders they hauled. After Charles Collett was replaced as GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer by Frederick Hawksworth in 1941, he immediately set about creating a radically- modified version of the Hall 4-6-0. Hawksworth’s Modified Halls were so much more than a simple modification of Collett’s design.To the untrained eye they looked exactly the same, but Hawksworth’s use of plate frames throughout the design was a break with Churchward’s practice for two-cylinder locomotives. Also, Churchward’s bar framed bogie, which had been adapted for the original Hall prototype in 1924, was replaced by a plate frame structure with individual springing. Furthermore, Hawksworth decided that the declining quality of coal necessitated a higher degree of superheating, and so a

EDITOR’S CHOICE sell-out and critically acclaimed seasons in 2008 and 2009, the production then opened at Waterloo; the former Eurostar terminal in July 2010, where it won the 2011 Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, before opening in Toronto in 2011 in a temporary theatre built at the base of the CN Tower in Roundhouse Park. Special features on the DVD include behind-the-scenes interviews and a short film on Edith Nesbit. The film has a U certificate. UNSURPASSABLE CHRISTMAS FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT larger three-row superheater and header regulator were fitted into the Swindon No.1 boiler. The first of the Modified Halls, No. 6959 PeatlingHall, entered traffic on March 3, 1944. It was followed three days later by No. 6960RaveninghamHall, a big player in the preservation era currently based on theWest Somerset Railway. Five others survived into preservation: Nos. 6984 OwsdenHall, 6989 WightwickHall, 6990 WitherslackHall, 6998 BurtonAgnesHall and 7903 ForemarkeHall. DEFINITIVE REFERENCEVOLUME

British RailwaysAtlas 1947 and RCH Junction Diagrams (Hardback, IanAllan, 176pp, £30, ISBN 978 071103857 8) EACH Ian Allan atlas is both eagerly received and treasured, providing information at a glance with crystal clear maps and easy-to-follow diagrams. This one was first published in 1948, and is a priceless record of the UK network as it was at the end of the‘Big Four’era and the start of Nationalisation. In recent times, the publisher has been enlarging its classic A5-format atlases up to A4 size. All of the maps have been digitally redrawn to the bigger size. In this case, the enlargement has come

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with the addition of Railway Clearing House junction diagrams and extra cartographical information. As before, the rear contains an index to every station. There will be many who find that the enlargement of this classic atlas is worth the extra cost. MAGNIFICENT CARTOGRAPHICAL SNAPSHOT

Main Line LocomotiveHauledPassengerTrains By RossTaylor(softback, Amberley Publishing,96pp,£14.99, ISBN 9781 4456 58711). SUCH is the all but total dominance of the DMU/EMU concept on modern railways that, as followers of Fred Kerr’s regular See ClassicTraction on the National Network column in Main Line News will know only too well, traditional locomotive-hauled trains are now a rarity, and have an enthusiast following of their own, whatever is pulling them. However, locomotive-hauled trains have seen a minor resurgence in recent years, holding the fort for shortages of multiple units on routes such as the Cumbrian Coast and Norwich toYarmouth lines. In several cases, diesel classes that are often now labelled in the‘heritage’ category can be seen in action. This volume is basically a colour album with extended captions covering locomotive-hauled services over the past decades. Many of them are charters and railtours – the author has seen fit to include the odd steam working – but there are a fair amount of‘real’services among

them.The sight of a corporate BR blue retro-liveried diesel hauling a short rake of coaches in post-Privatisation colours may seem garish to many, but catch them while you still can nonetheless. SPLENDID COMPREHENSIVE SURVEY

LNERWagonsVolume4B: LNER Standard&Other Designs By PeterTatlow(hardback,WildSwan BooksLtd,telephone01225 462332 340pp, £ 38.95,ISBN 9780 95387711 9). A MUST for modellers of the LNER period as well as students of freight trains, here is the fifth volume in a series on the subject. It covers both the wagons introduced by the LNER as well as those inherited from constituent companies at the Grouping of 1923. A tremendous amount of research has gone into producing a definitive volume, with complex technical details made readable and accessible. From cattle trucks to brake vans, trestle wagons, bogie bolsters and tracklayers, the detailed description of each type is accompanied by essential black-and-white illustrations and in many case, by drawings. TERRIFIC REFERENCEWORK

world’s first volunteer-run heritage railway is a bilingual affair in A4 size, with a mixture of locomotive portraits and trains in the landscape. All of the line’s six steam locomotives are featured, along with the Ffestiniog Railway’s Prince on a visit. The diary pages include details of attractions offered both on the railway and in the nearby locality. The railway is also offering packs of five Christmas cards for £3.50 plus £3 p&p. SUPERB LANDSCAPEVIEWS

Slate,SailAndSteam:A Historyofthe Industriesof Porthmadog ByJohnIdrisJones (softback,Amberley Publishing, 96pp, £14.99, ISBN978 1 44565347 1). WE all marvel at the Ffestiniog Railway – but what prompted it to be built?This potted history outlines the history of the Snowdonia slate industry and its resounding impact on Porthmadog. Welsh slate was shipped from there to Europe and even across the Atlantic to the

USA, and between 1830 and 1914 more than 200 ships were built in the town. This highly-readable and informative volume places the coming and operation of the railway in the context of the whole. EXCELLENT LOCAL HISTORY

GreatBritish SteamTrains 2017calendar (SteamLibrary Ltd, 24Wentworth Close,Bexhill-on-Sea,EastSussexTN40 2PQ, www.steam library.co.uk £12 plus £4.99p&p). THE stated aim of Steam Library is to offer an online‘library’of great British steam train images, videos and tales told by those who worked on the railways and more.This A4 landscape calendar offers quality colour images from the last four decades of preservation. If you love steam trains, you will adore several of the images, including that of ‘Black Fives’Nos. 44871 and 4507 climbing Shap with the‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’and CityofTruro climbing to Whiteball Summit. SPLENDID ATMOSPHERICVIEWS

TalyllynRailway 2017 calendar (Talyllyn Railway,Wharfstation, Tywyn, Gwynedd,LL369EY, www.talyllyn.co.uk £7 plus£3 p&p). THIS year’s all-colour offering from the

Full Steam Ahead: Victorian Railways (DVD, 360 minutes, £19.99, RLJ Entertainment) MANY readers will have seen the recent six-part documentary series on BBC2, featuring the established stars of the channel’s farm arm series, Peter Ginn, Alex Langlands and Ruth Goodman, who have now told the story of how the railways made us what we are today. The whole series is now available on DVD for those who missed it or would like to retain the series to view in the future. The well-known historians set off down the line on a variety of steam locomotives, and visited different parts of the country where they immersed themselves in the workings of the railways. They got their hands dirty from helping to build railways and railway equipment, driving the train, working in the stations, manning the signalboxes and learning how to run every aspect of 19th and early

20th century railways. The age of steam was an era of extraordinary change that utterly transformed every aspect of British life – from trade and transportation to health and recreation. The series revealed how the world we live in today was entirely shaped by the railways, charting the glorious evolution of rail transportation and how it left its mark on our lives, landscape and culture. This is a refreshingly-new look at the history of railways, seen from the perspective of not just the technological progress, but how the way in which we live our lives today in Britain has been influenced in often unexpected ways by the rapid growth of the railway system. FASCINATING SOCIAL HISTORY

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

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UP & RUNNING U

LMS 4F 0-6-0 No. 44422 and S&D 7F 2-8-0 No. 53808 head past Bicknoller on the West Somerset Railway with a Steam Recreations’ photo charter on October 17. These two engines will form the backbone of the line’s services over the Christmas period. DON BISHOP

BRIAN SHARPE’S FULL LISTING OF OPERATIONAL LINES AND MUSEUM VENUES SOUTH EAST Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre

Narrow gauge, ¼ mile, Arundel, West Sussex. Tel: 01798 831370. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 21.

Bluebell Railway

Standard gauge, 11 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Sheffield Park, East Sussex TN22 2QL. Tel: 01825 720800. Engines: 263, 178, 323, 592, 847, 30541, 73082. Running: W/Es. Santa Dec daily except 1, 2, 7, 8, 14, 15, 20.

East Kent Railway

Standard gauge, two miles, Shepherdswell, Dover. Tel: 01304 832042. Running: Dec W/Es.

Eastleigh Lakeside Railway Narrow gauge, 1¼ miles, footplate experience. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18.

Hastings Miniature Railway

Narrow gauge, 600 yards, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, East Sussex. Running: Dec W/Es.

Hayling Seaside Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile, Hayling Island, Hants. Running: W/Es, Weds + sch hols.

Isle of Wight Steam Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight. Tel: 01983 882204. Engines: 8, 11, 24, 41298. Running: Dec W/Es.

102 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Kempton Steam Railway

Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Hanworth. Tel: 01932 765328. Running: Nov 20. Santa Dec 3, 4, 10, 11.

Kent & East Sussex Railway

Standard gauge, 10½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Tenterden, Kent. Tel: 01580 765155. Engines: 32670, 30065, 1638. Running: Dec W/Es.

Lavender Line

Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience, wine and dine, Isfield, East Sussex. Tel: 01825 750515. Running: Suns. Santa Dec 18.

Mid Hants Railway

Standard gauge, 10 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG. Tel: 01962 733810. Engines: 925, 45379, 92212, 41312, 76017. Running: Dec W/Es.

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway

Narrow gauge, 13½ miles, footplate experience, New Romney, Kent. Tel: 01797 362353. Running: W/Es + Nov 26.

Royal Victoria Railway

East Somerset Railway

Tel: 01795 424899. Running: Dec W/Es.

Spa Valley Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, footplate experience, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Tel: 01892 537715. Running: Dec W/Es + 9.

SOUTH WEST Avon Valley Railway

Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Bitton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 932 7296. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 5, 9, 22, 23.

Bodmin & Wenford Railway

Standard gauge, 6½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Bodmin, Cornwall. Tel: 01208 73666. Engines: 4612, 30120. Running: Dec W/Es + 21-24.

Dartmoor Railway

Standard gauge, seven miles, Okehampton, Devon. Tel: 01837 55164. Running: Nov 27-29, Dec 4-6, 10-13, 15-23.

Dartmouth Steam Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile, Netley, Southampton. Tel: 02380 456246. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18.

Standard gauge, seven miles, wine and dine, Paignton, Devon. Tel: 01803 555872. Engines: 7827, 5239, 4277, 75014. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18, 20-24.

Narrow gauge, 1¾ miles, Sittingbourne, Kent.

Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Bickleigh, Devon. Tel: 01884 855671. Running: March.

Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway

Devon Railway Centre

Heritage lines operate almost exclusively Santa specials in December for which advance booking is essential.

Standard gauge, two miles, Cranmore, Somerset. Tel: 01749 880417. Engine: 46447, 5637. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22-24.

Helston Railway

Standard gauge, Helston, Cornwall. Tel: 07875 481380. Running: Dec 10, 11, 18-22.

Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile, Woody Bay, north Devon. Tel: 01598 763487. Running: Dec 6, 13. Santa 10, 11, 17, 18, 22-24.

Moors Valley Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile, Ringwood, Hants. Tel: 01425 471415. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18.

Plym Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 1½ miles, Marsh Mills, Plymouth. Running: Dec 4, 11, 17, 18, 19, 21.

Seaton Tramway

Narrow gauge, three miles, Harbour Road, Seaton, Devon. 01297 20375. Running: Dec 2-4, 9-11, 16-24.

South Devon Railway

Standard gauge, seven miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Buckfastleigh, Devon. Engines: 3205, 6412, 1369, 3205. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17-24.

Swanage Railway

Standard gauge, six miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Swanage, Dorset. Tel: 01929 425800. Engines: 30053, 31806, 34070. Running: W/Es from Nov 26, + Dec 19-24.

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UP & RUNNING U Swindon & Cricklade Railway Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience, Blunsdon, Wiltshire. Tel: 01793 771615. Running: W/Es from Nov 26.

West Somerset Railway

Standard gauge, 20 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Minehead, Somerset TA24 5BG. Tel: 01643 704996. Engines: 44422, 53808, 6960. Running: Dec W/Es + 20-24.

EAST ANGLIA Bressingham Steam Museum Narrow gauge, one mile, Diss, Norfolk. Tel: 01379 686900. Running: Dec W/Es + 21-24.

Bure Valley Railway

Narrow gauge, nine miles, footplate experience, Aylsham, Norfolk. Tel: 01263 733858. Running: Nov 19, 20, 26. Santa Dec W/Es + 16-24.

Colne Valley Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience, wine and dine. Castle Hedingham, Essex. Tel: 01787 461174. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18, 22.

East Anglian Railway Museum Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Wakes Colne, Essex. Tel: 01206 242524. Open: W/Es Running: Dec 4, 10, 11, 17, 18.

Mangapps Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, near Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex. Tel: 01621 784898. Running: Dec W/Es to 24.

Mid-Norfolk Railway

Standard gauge, 11½ miles, footplate experience, Dereham, Norfolk. Tel: 01362 690633. Engines: 9466. Running: Dec W/Es + 21-24.

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Standard gauge, ½ mile, Brockford, Suffolk. Running: Dec 4, 10, 11, 17, 18.

Nene Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 7½ miles, footplate experience, Wansford, Peterborough, Cambs. Tel: 01780 784444. Engine: 34081 Running: W/Es + Weds from Nov 26 + Dec 22-24.

North Norfolk Railway

Standard gauge, 5½ miles, footplate experience, Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8RA. Tel: 01263 820800. Engines: 564, 92203, 8572. Running: Nov W/Es. Santa Dec W/Es + 20-24.

Wells & Walsingham Railway

Narrow gauge, four miles, Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Tel: 01328 711630 Running: Dec W/Es to 18.

Whitwell & Reepham Railway

Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Reepham, Norfolk. Tel: 01603 871694. Running: W/Es, steam first Sun. Santa Dec 16.

HOME COUNTIES

MIDLANDS

Buckinghamshire Railway Centre

Amerton Railway

Standard gauge, ¼ mile, footplate experience, Quainton Road, Bucks. Tel: 01296 655720. Engine: 30585, Met 1. Open: Tues-Thurs. Running W/Es from Nov 26.

Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway

Standard gauge, 3½ miles, Chinnor, Oxon. Tel: 01844 353535. Engine: L92. Running: Dec 2-4, 11, 17, 18, 22-24.

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway

Standard gauge, 2½ miles, Wallingford, Oxon. Tel: 01491 835067. Running: Dec W/Es.

Didcot Railway Centre

Standard gauge, footplate experience, Didcot, Oxon. Tel: 01235 817200. Engines: 93, 6023. Open: W/Es. Running: Dec W/Es + 21, 22.

Epping Ongar Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, Ongar, Essex. Tel: 01277 365200. Engine: 6430. Running: Dec W/Es + 21-24.

Leighton Buzzard Railway

Narrow gauge, 2¾ miles, Leighton Buzzard, Beds. Tel: 01525 373888. Running: W/Es + Weds from Nov 30 + Dec 22, 23.

LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46512 departs from Boat of Garten on the Strathspey Railway on October 2. DAVID GREEN

Narrow gauge, one mile, Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffs. Tel: 01785 850965. Running: Dec W/Es + 24.

Apedale Valley Railway Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Apedale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. Tel: 0845 094 1953. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18.

Barrow Hill Roundhouse

Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Tel: 01246 472450. Open: W/Es.

Battlefield Line Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, Shackerstone, Leics. Tel: 01827 880754. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 23, 24.

Chasewater Railway

Standard gauge, two miles, Walsall, West Midlands. Tel: 01543 452623. Running: Dec W/Es + 1, 6, 8, 22, 23.

Churnet Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 5¼ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Cheddleton, Staffs. Tel: 01538 750755. Running: W/Es, Weds +22, 23.

Dean Forest Railway

Standard gauge, 4¼ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Norchard, Lydney, Glos. Tel: 01594 845840. Engine: 5541. Running: Dec W/Es + 21, 22.

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Standard gauge, eight miles, Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Tel: 01629 823076. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18, 20-24.

Evesham Vale Railway

Narrow gauge, 1¼ mile, A46 north of Evesham, Worcs. Tel: 01386 422282. Running: Dec W/Es + 20-24.

Foxfield Railway

Standard gauge, 5½ miles, Blythe Bridge, Staffs. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 23.

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

Standard gauge, 12 miles, footplate experience, Toddington, Glos. Tel: 01242 621405. Engines: 2807, 4270, 35006, 7903. Running: Dec W/Es + 20-24.

Great Central Railway

Standard gauge, eight miles, Loughborough, Leics LE11 1RW. Tel: 01509 632323. Engines: 48624, 47406, 46521, 92214, 45305, 777, 6990, 78018. Running: W/Es. Santas from Nov 26+ Dec 21-24.

Midland Railway – Butterley

Standard gauge, 3½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Ripley, Derbyshire. Tel: 01773 570140. Running: W/Es from Nov 19 + Dec 14, 21-24.

Northampton & Lamport Railway

Standard gauge, two miles, Pitsford, Northants. Tel: 01604 820327. Running: W/Es from Nov 27.

104 Heritagerailway.co.uk

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UP & RUNNING U

L&Y 0-6-0 No. 12322 crosses Brooksbottom viaduct on the East Lancashire Railway on October 16. ROBERT FALCONER

Nottingham Transport Heritage Centre Standard gauge, four miles, Ruddington, Notts. Tel: 0115 940 570. Engine: 8274 Running: W/Es from Nov 26.

Peak Rail

Standard gauge, four miles, Matlock, Derbyshire. Tel: 01629 580381. Running: Dec W/Es + 19-24.

Perrygrove Railway

Narrow gauge, B4228, Coleford, Glos. Tel: 01594 834991. Running: Dec W/Es + 22-24.

Rocks by Rail

Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Cottesmore, Rutland. Open: Tues, Thur, Sun. Running: Nov 20.

Rudyard Lake Railway

Narrow gauge, 1½ miles, Leek, Staffs. Tel: 01995 672280. Running: March.

Rushden Transport Museum

Standard gauge, ¼ mile, Rushden, Northants. Open: W/Es, Running Dec 10, 11.

Severn Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 16 miles, footplate experience, Kidderminster, Worcs DY10 1QR. 01562 757900. Engines: 1501, 7812, 2857, 43106, 1450, 34027, 34053, 7802, 813, 7714. Running: W/Es. Santa Dec W/Es + 20-24.

Steeple Grange Light Railway Narrow gauge, ½ mile, footplate experience, Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Running: Dec 10, 11.

Telford Steam Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience, Telford, Shropshire. Email [email protected] Tel: 01952 503880. Engine: 6046 Running: Dec 2-4, 9-11, 16-23.

106 Heritagerailway.co.uk

NORTH WEST East Lancashire Railway

Standard gauge, 12 miles, footplate experience, Bury, Lancs. Tel: 01617 647790. Engines: 80080, 13065, 12322, 34092. Running: W/Es. Santa W/Es from Nov 26 + Wed, Fri from Dec 7, + 22

Eden Valley Railway

Standard gauge, two miles, Warcop, off A66 Cumbria CA16 6PR 01768 342309. www.evr-cumbria.org.uk Running: TBA.

West Lancashire Light Railway

Narrow gauge, Hesketh Bank, Lancs. Tel: 01772 815881. Running: Dec 11 , 17, 18, 24.

NORTH EAST Aln Valley Railway

Standard gauge, ½ mile. Lionheart station, Alnwick, Northumberland. Running: Dec 10, 11, 14, 17, 18.

Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society

Keighley & Worth Valley Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Keighley, West Yorks BD22 8NJ. Tel: 01535 645214. Engines: 43924, 1054, 5820, 75078, 85, 45212, 90733. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 23, 24.

Kirklees Light Railway

Narrow gauge, four miles, Huddersfield, West Yorks. Tel: 01484 865727. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 21-24.

Lincolnshire Wolds Railway

Standard gauge, ½ mile, Manchester. Running: Suns pm.

Standard gauge, 15 miles, British Steel Steelworks, Scunthorpe. Tel: 01652 657053. Running: January.

Standard gauge, 1½ miles, Ludborough, Lincolnshire. Tel: 01507 363881. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18.

Narrow gauge, 15½ miles, Douglas, Isle of Man. Tel: 01624 662525. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18.

Standard gauge, one mile, Springwell, Tyne & Wear. Tel: 01914 161847. Open: Tues, Thurs, Sat. Running: 2017.

Standard gauge, 1½ miles, Hunslet, Leeds. Tel: 0113 271 0320. Engine: 1310. Running: W/Es. Santa Dec W/Es + 23.

Standard gauge, 3½ miles, near Ulverston, Cumbria. Tel: 01539 531594. Engines: 42073, 42085. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18.

Narrow gauge, two miles, Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire. Tel: 01472 604657. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17-24.

Heaton Park Tramway

Isle of Man Steam Railway

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway

Bowes Railway

Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway

Derwent Valley Railway

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

Standard gauge, ½ mile, Murton Park, Layerthorpe, York. Tel: 01904 489966. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 23.

Ribble Steam Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, Elsecar, South Yorks. Footplate experience. Tel: 01226 746746. Open: Daily. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17-24.

Narrow gauge, seven miles, Ravenglass, Cumbria. Tel: 01229 717171. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 19-22. Standard gauge, one mile, Preston, Lancs. Tel: 01772 728800. Running: Dec W/Es +19.

Stainmore Railway

Standard gauge, ½ mile, Kirkby Stephen East Station, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria CA17 4LA. Open: W/Es. Running: Dec 3.

Elsecar Railway

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, Embsay, Yorks. Engine: 5643. Running: Nov 27, Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24.

Middleton Railway

North Tyneside Railway

Standard gauge, two miles. North Shields. Tel: 0191 200 7106 Running: Dec W/Es.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Standard gauge, 18 miles, wine and dine, Grosmont, North Yorks. Tel: 01751 472508. Engines: 45428, 76079, 63395, 80136, 44806, 61264, 76084, 62005. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 20, 21.

South Tynedale Railway

Narrow gauge, 3½ miles, Alston, Cumbria. Tel: 01434 382828/381696. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17-20.

Tanfield Railway

Standard gauge, three miles, near Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Tel: 01913 887545. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 22-24.

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UP & RUNNING U Railway Museums Beamish

County Durham. The Living Museum of the North. Open: Daily.

Cambrian Railways Museum Oswestry station. Open: Tues-Sun. Tel: 01691 688763.

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.

Head of Steam

North Road Station, Darlington. Open: Wed-Sun. Tel: 01325 460532.

Museum Of Scottish Railways

Bo’ness. Open: April. Tel: 01506 825855.

Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

Near Wellingborough, Northants. Open: Suns. Tel: 01604 675368.

Kidderminster Railway Museum

Kidderminster, Worcestershire. Open: SVR operating days. Tel: 01562 825316.

Locomotion: The National Railway Museum, Shildon Co Durham. Open: Daily. Tel: 01388 777999.

London Transport Museum

Covent Garden Piazza. Open: Sun-Thurs. Tel: 0207 379 6344.

Manchester Museum of Science & Industry

Castlefield, Manchester. Open: Daily. Tel: 0161 832 2244.

Midsomer Norton

Silver Street, Midsomer Norton. Open: Sun/Mon. Tel: 01761 411221.

Monkwearmouth Station Museum Sunderland, County Durham. Open: Daily. Tel: 01915 677075.

Weardale Railway Standard gauge, five miles, Stanhope, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham. Tel: 01388 526203. Running: Nov 18-20, 23-27, 29 - Dec 4, Dec 6-23.

Wensleydale Railway

Standard gauge, 22 miles, Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire. Tel: 0845 450 5474. Engine: 69023. Running: Dec W/Es + 21-24.

WALES Bala Lake Railway Narrow gauge, 4½ miles, Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd. Tel: 01678 540666. Running: Dec 10, 11.

Brecon Mountain Railway

Narrow gauge, 3½ miles, Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Tel: 01685 722988. Running: Nov 26, 27, 29 – Dec 4, Dec 6-11, 13-15, 17-23.

Cambrian Heritage Railways Standard gauge, ¾ mile, Llynclys station & Oswestry station. Tel: 01691 728131. Running: Dec 3, 10, 17 (Llynclys), Dec 4, 11, 18 (Oswestry).

Corris Railway

Narrow gauge, ¾ mile, Corris, Machynlleth. Tel: 01654 761303. Running: Dec 10, 11.

Fairbourne Railway

Narrow gauge, two miles, Fairbourne, Gwynedd. Tel: 01341 250362. Running: Dec 17, 18.

Ffestiniog Railway

Narrow gauge, 15 miles, Porthmadog, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 516000. Running: Sat, Wed, Thur to Dec 8. Santa Dec 10, 11, 17, 18, 22.

Gwili Railway

Leeman Road, York. Open: Daily. Tel: 01904 621261.

Standard gauge, 2.5 miles, Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthenshire. Tel: 01267 238213. Running: Dec W/Es + 21-24.

Bangor, Gwynedd. Open: Daily except Tues.

Narrow gauge, three miles, Llanberis, Gwynedd. Tel: 01286 870549. Running: Dec 4, 10, 11, 17, 18.

National Railway Museum Penrhyn Castle Industrial Railway Museum Shillingstone Station

Shillingstone, Dorset. Open: Sat, Sun 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. Tel: 01727 863131.

Llanberis Lake Railway

Llangollen Railway

Standard gauge, 10 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Llangollen, Denbighshire. Tel: 01978 860979. Engines: 5199, 80072, 7822. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22-24.

Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway Standard gauge, two miles, Blaenavon, Torfaen. Tel: 01495 792263. Running: Dec W/Es + 21.

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum

Rhyl Miniature Railway

Vintage Carriage Museum

Narrow gauge, Rhyl, North Wales. Running: Dec 17-20.

Cultra, Co Down. Open: Tues-Sun. Ingrow, West Yorks. Open: Daily. Tel: 01535 680425.

West Cumberland Railway Museum

St Bees, Cumbria Open: Monthly, dates as per Facebook entry or email [email protected]

Yeovil Railway Centre

Yeovil Junction, Somerset. Santa: Dec 4, 11, 17, 18, 23.

108 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Snowdon Mountain Railway Narrow gauge, 4½ miles, Llanberis, Gwynedd. Tel: 01286 870223. Running: March.

Talyllyn Railway

Narrow gauge, 7½ miles, footplate experience, Tywyn, Gwynedd. Tel: 01654 710472. Running: Dec 17, 18, 24.

Class 101 railcars E50266 & E51427 wait to depart Nunckley Hill on the GCRconnected Mountsorrel branch on October 22. MIKE HADDON

Vale of Rheidol Railway

Narrow gauge, 11¾ miles, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. Tel: 01970 625819. Engines, 8, 9. Running: Dec 17, 18, 21-23.

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile, Porthmadog, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 513402. Running: Dec 10, 11

South Lanarkshire. Tel: 0141 556 1061. Running: Dec 3, 4.

Royal Deeside Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, Milton of Crathes, Kincardineshire. Running: W/Es from Nov 26 + Dec 21-24.

Ayrshire Railway Centre

Welsh Highland Railway

Narrow gauge, 26 miles, Caernarfon, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 516000. Running: Sat, Wed, Thurs. Santa Dec 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 23.

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

Narrow gauge, eight miles, Llanfair Caereinion, Mid-Wales. Tel: 01938 810441. Engines: 822, 823. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17-19.

SCOTLAND Almond Valley Railway

Narrow gauge, ¼ mile, Livingston, West Lothian. Tel: 01506 414957. Running: TBA.

Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, Bo’ness, West Lothian. Tel: 01506 822298. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 22, 23.

Caledonian Railway

Standard gauge, four miles, Brechin, Angus. Tel: 01356 622992. Running: Dec 10, 11, 17, 18, 24.

Keith & Dufftown Railway

Standard gauge, 11 miles, Dufftown, Banffshire. Running: Dec 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18.

Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile, Leadhills,

Standard gauge, 1⁄3 mile, Dunaskin, Dalmellington Road (A713), Waterside, Ayrshire. Running: TBA.

Strathspey Railway

Standard gauge, 10 miles, Aviemore, Inverness-shire. Tel: 01479 810725. Engine: 46512. Running: Dec W/Es + 23.

IRELAND Cavan & Leitrim Railway

Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Dromod, County Leitrim. Tel: 00353 71 9638599. Running: TBA.

Downpatrick & County Down Railway Standard gauge, four miles, Downpatrick, County Down. Running: W/Es from Nov 26.

Giant’s Causeway & Bushmills Railway

Narrow gauge, two miles, Bushmills, County Antrim. Tel: 0282 073 2844. Running: TBA.

Waterford & Suir Valley Railway

Narrow gauge, two miles, Kilmeadan, County Waterford. Running: Dec 3, 4, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 23.

West Clare Railway

Narrow gauge, Moyasta Junction, Co Clare. Open: Daily.

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WEB WATCH

110 Heritagerailway.co.uk

STAY A WHILE

The Goodshed

Station Road, Little Dunham, Swaffham, Norfolk PE32 2DJ The Goodshed was converted 13 years ago and now provides a home for the owners and a lovely spacious apartment for two holiday guests. Sitting in gardens of over one acre on the old (closed in 1968) King’s Lynn to Dereham line, the setting is relaxing and peaceful and the garden is a wildlife haven. The Goodshed is centrally situated in mid-Norfolk not far from the busy market town of Swaffham, with its shops, restaurants and cafes. For railway enthusiasts there is a choice of heritage railways within easy reach: the Mid-Norfolk Railway, North Norfolk Railway, the Bure Valley and Wells and Walsingham narrow gauge railways. If you enjoy cycling or walking you will be spoilt for choice with the quiet country lanes and footpaths. For birdwatchers there are many reserves in Norfolk and Suffolk.The city of Norwich, the North Norfolk coast and many

NationalTrust properties are all within easy reach. The apartment is south facing and fully self-contained with its own entrance. Its super-thick walls and central heating make it a cosy retreat at any time of the year. The comfortable lounge is fully furnished and also has a flat screen

[email protected] CORNWALL/DEVON BORDER

TV, DVD, and CD player. If you like to curl up with a book there is a small library of books to choose from. The bedroom is large with a king-size bed. Exposed brick and flint walls and beams give the room lots of character. The bathroom is modern with excellent over-bath shower.The kitchen has an electric oven, fridge and microwave and is well equipped with all the little things to make life easier for the cook. Tea, coffee and milk are all provided to get guests started plus a few little extras. Laundry facilities are available in a shared utility room.

01760720617

www.thegoodshed.co.uk

CUMBRIA

NORTH YORKSHIRE

WEARDALE

MID NORFOLK

WEST HIGHLANDS

WEST SOMERSET

WORTH VALLEY

Heritagerailway.co.uk 111

CLASSIFIED

EXPRESS GOODS

Contact Sue Needham on 01507 529310 • [email protected]

AUCTIONS

BOOKS

BOOKS

MODELS

EVENTS

PHOTOGRAPHY

TILED MAPS

RAILWAYANA

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DVD

Deadline for the next issue of Heritage Railway is Friday December 2 On Sale Thursday December 15

WANTED

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WEB DIRECTORY

Heritagerailway.co.uk 113

THE MONTH AHEAD

GWR small prairie No. 4566 & LMS ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No. 47406 pass Kinchley Lane on the Great Central Railway on October 16. PAUL BIGGS

Steam and festive cheer THE autumn season is nearly over and virtually all heritage lines are now looking towards the busy Christmas season. There is just one more major enthusiasts’event to look forward to;

SPECIAL EVENTS November

19, 20: Great Central Railway: Last Hurrah of the Season ■ The last chance of the year to enjoy a final GCR gala before the Santa season is upon us. Six locomotives will be operating an intensive timetable including doubleheaders and top & tail working. As well as the main passenger services, there will be a local passenger train and two goods trains each day. Among the engines featured will by No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell and the newly-restored 2MT No. 78018.

December

27: Swanage Railway: WinterWarm-up ■ A day of steam and diesel locomotives in action with the home fleet working an intensive timetable of both passenger and demonstration freight trains with passenger trains departing at 40 minute intervals.

114 Heritagerailway.co.uk

on the Great Central Railway, before Santa, the elves and the reindeer take over in the weeks leading up to Christmas. After the holiday, most railways run a programme of mince pie specials

up to and during the New Year and several stage mini galas over one or more days during the holiday period. Heritage Railway will, as always, be bringing you the best of all the action from these and other events.

29, 30: Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway: Winter Diesel Gala ■

31 – Jan 2: Epping Ongar Railway: NewYear’s Gala ■

29, 30: GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway: Christmas Cracker ■

A two-day steam and diesel mixed traction gala with two steam locomotives and three diesels plus a diesel railcar in operation. Attractions at the gala will include an intensive passenger service with trains running the full length of the line between Laverton and Cheltenham Racecourse station, giving approximately a 24-mile round trip through the stunning Cotswolds countryside.There will be double-heading on certain trains, with top and tail locomotives on others.

29, 30:West Somerset Railway: Winter Steam Festival ■

This event will be a treat for lovers of the old GreatWestern Railway and the Western Region of British Railways with a quartet of steam engines heading the trains.

31: Bodmin &Wenford Railway: Winter Steam Gala ■

This event will feature three locomotives in steam, and an intensive timetable of 10 departures from Bodmin General.

RAILWAYANA November

19: GW Railwayana, Pershore

KEY ■ Major or featured galas ■ Diesel and/or electric galas ■ Thomas and family event

Issue 223 is out on December 15, 2016. Catch up with the latest news, views and great features every four weeks.

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2017 CALENDAR

LNER A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman approaches Hurworth, County Durham. MIKE CAVE

WD 0-6-0ST No. 132 Sapper penetrates through the early morning fog on the East Lancashire Railway. LIAM BARNES

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GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe passing Homedown Crossing, Ashchurch on the ‘Cotswolds Explorer’ from Tyseley to Oxford. MATT HYATT

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Manx Electric Railway Tunnel Car No. 9 and Winter Trailer No. 58 pause for photographs at Bulgham Head, the Summit of the Manx Electric Railway, while operating a special on July 29, 2016.

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Great Western Railway Castle 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe about to pass through Droitwich Spa working the ‘Cotswold Explorer’ from Tyseley Steam Trust to Oxford via Worcester, Cheltenham Spa and Swindon. SIMON POOLE

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Flying Scotsman sits under a golden sunset at the Shildon Shed Bash. PAUL BEGG

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Tom Rolt travelling over Dolgoch Viaduct on the Talyllyn Railway. DARREN TURNER

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SR West Country 4-6-2 No 34092 City of Wells at Duckworth Hall crossing on the East Lancashire Railway on September 16, 2016. EMMA SEDDON

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FRONT COVER

SEPTEMBER – OCTOBER

JANUARY – FEBRUARY

MARCH – APRIL

2017 CALENDAR

JULY – AUGUST

WELCOME TO OUR INTERNATIONALLY THEMED CALENDAR FOR 2017! To help make this publication extra special, we invited our Facebook fans from across the globe to enter their photos into a competition to feature in the calendar and this is the end result. With photos from as far afield as Australia, America and Bulgaria, as well as a few favourites from here in the UK, we hope you agree this calendar offers an eclectic mix of fantastic photography from Heritage Railway readers across the world. Join our Facebook community today at facebook.com/HeritageRailway

MAY – JUNE

For more subscription information call 01507 529529 or visit www.heritagerailway.co.uk

NOVEMBER – DECEMBER