Heritage Railway 225 2017-02

12 BEST SPOTS TO PHOTOGRAPH SETTLE & CARLISLE

ISSUE 225 February 10 – March 9, 2017

‘PACIFIC POWER II’ for Barrow Hill relaunch

ROYAL VISIT TO MOUNTSORREL RAILWAY BLUEBELL Q AT GCR WINTER GALA: PICTURE SPECIAL

GRANT BOOST ■ TV’s JAMES MAY MAKES ANOTHER P2 PART for Aln Valley

■ DOUGLAS HORSE TRAMS UTURN ■ TOP AWARD FOR GREAT CENTRAL RAILCAR

OPINION

LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander passes Tulketh Mills at Fulwood north of Preston, shortly after sunrise on January 21. BEN COLLIER 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 magazine, 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 Friday. Advert deadline February 23, 2017 Next issue on sale March 10, 2017

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Magnificent Mountsorrel’s

magical moment T

HE royal seal of approval given by HRH The Prince of Wales on January 25, was no less than the 10 years of hard graft by the volunteers of the Mountsorrel Railway deserved. Nearly 12 months after the Great Central Railway’s industrial branch was presented with the Heritage Railway Association’s Special Award in 2015, following its official opening in late October that year, the line was graced by an official visit from the Prince. In the latest of his many adventures on heritage railways, the Prince rode on the footplate of‘Jinty’ No. 47406, and met hundreds of local schoolchildren and volunteers before unveiling a plaque to mark his visit to the recently-opened Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre. The Mountsorrel Railway is small beer in terms of the overall UK portfolio of heritage lines, but it encapsulates the very essence of what has made it so successful. In effect, it has not only created an attraction out of literally nothing apart from a disused length of track but a superb facility for use by local people. It has given the GCR the chance to authentically operate industrial locomotives and freight trains and to demonstrate how interchange sidings work, and as such has made a phenomenal contribution to the heritage sector. In advance of the building of the new museum at Leicester North in conjunction with the National Railway Museum, it adds a seemingly small yet potentially huge string to the GCR’s bow, in the drive to make it one of the leading attractions of any kind in Britain. The project has again showed just what ordinary people can achieve, and how history and heritage

can be revived and celebrated. This year’s HRA annual dinner at the Grand Central Station in Wolverhampton, formerly the GWR’s Wolverhampton Low Level station, takes place on February 11, after this issue has hit the shelves. However, the 2016 awards, which will be presented by guest speaker Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy, will be reported on in full on our www. facebook.com/heritagerailway page, the biggest enthusiast site of its kind in the world with more than 323,000 followers. While the Mountsorrel grafters have worked miracles to create their polished gem, I find it incredible that there are others who seem determined to water down priceless history and heritage. Yes, the Isle of Man Parliament has now decided that it will not cut the now-unique Douglas Bay Horse Tramway in half, but nonetheless will reduce part of it to single track, to make way for the “improvement”of the seafront promenade. We fully support the Manx Electric Tramway Society’s campaign to keep this wonderful living piece of global transport history and heritage intact. Yes, the tramway may make small losses, but does Tynwald not understand the concept of a“loss leader”in that an iconic yesteryear feature like this boosts tourism? Now that the line has been saved throughout its length, planners are back to the drawing board. One question – why not make it the primary feature of the newly-restyled promenade, rather than cutting, reshaping and disfiguring it to fit? Countless future generations will thank you for it. Robin Jones Editor Heritagerailway.co.uk 3

CONTENTS ISSUE 225

February 10 – March 9, 2017

News

6

Headline News

Flying Scotsman, Tornado and Rocket replica to star in Barrow Hill’s big relaunch; royal visit honours Mountsorrel Railway and heritage centre; Aln Valley to lengthen after grant aid boost and Douglas Bay Horse Tramway will not be halved after Tynwald U-turn, but protests continue.

6

15 News

10

TV’s James May makes another component for new Gresley P2; passenger records broken on several heritage railways; NYMR’s 10-year plan aims for sustainable railway; national award for Great Central DMU; four Deltics in exclusive Bluebell gala; former Swanage BR Standard tank set for Easter return after major overhaul; end of ‘Black Five’ dream for Duke of Gloucester engineer; Foxcote Manor to star at Kent & East Sussex; Aviva fund boost for three lines; Llangollen to mark two 50th anniversaries and Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway rebuilds Hayles Abbey Halt.

60

CONTENTS: LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander heads through the Lune Gorge at Dillicar with the ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ on January 21. DAVE HUNT COVER: LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander accelerates away from Carnforth on January 21. ALAN WEAVER

Regulars Railwayana

42

Centre

54

Main Line Itinerary

65

Platform

84

Up & Running

94

Geoff Courtney’s regular column.

LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053 at Corfe Castle by Andrew PM Wright.

Main Line News

56

Flying Scotsman to head Settle and Carlisle line reopening special on March 31, but Bluebell visit hangs on Network Rail plan; Vintage Trains celebrates half centenary and Diesel Traction Group appeal to keep Western Champion on the main line.

With Full Regulator

62

Don Benn reports on steam performances on the Great Central route out of Marylebone.

4 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Steam and heritage diesel railtours.

Where your views matter most.

Features Maunsell Q in GCR debut

The Bluebell Railway-based Maunsell Q 0-6-0 No. 30541 was the star guest at the Great Central Railway’s January 27-29 winter steam gala, making its first-ever appearance on Britain’s only double track heritage main line, with nine other locomotives in steam, writes Robin Jones.

44

Guide to railways running in February and the coming months.

The Month Ahead

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Photograph the Settle & Carlisle Line: 12 best locations

In a special feature to mark the imminent reopening of the much-loved Settle and Carlisle route to through trains following last February’s landslip and the completion of Network Rail’s £23 million repair programme, Brian Sharpe and Robin Jones look at a dozen of the best locations to capture the much-anticipated return of steam action from the lineside.

48

Steam Miracle – Ecuador 76

68 Steamy Affairs at Bradford

“Towing a failed DMU” were words which appeared regularly in the railway press in the 1960s, but such workings were rarely photographed. Robert Anderson, who was in a privileged position, remembers many such workings.

It is remarkable that the small South American country of Ecuador has seen a government-funded railway and steam locomotive rebuilding program on an unprecedented scale, including the setting up of a workshop for the manufacture of many new steam locomotive boilers. Maurice Burns, who made this discovery by chance, explains more.

Winter Chinnor Pannier

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88

The Chinnor branch has seen a succession of visiting pannier tanks from South Devon. Martin Creese describes a photo charter in wintry conditions in Oxfordshire.

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HEADLINE NEWS

Scotsman and Tornado set to reunite for £1.2 million relaunch of Barrow Hill EXCLUSIVE By Robin Jones

FLYING Scotsman and Tornado are to head a four-day celebration to mark the grand reopening of Barrow Hill roundhouse following the £1.2 million Heritage Lottery Fund-backed restoration of the former Staveley Midland shed. The showpiece celebration between Thursday, September 21 and Sunday, September 24 will also feature the National Railway Museum’s working replica of Stephenson’s Rocket and will build on last September’s phenomenally successful Pacific Power event on the Severn Valley Railway. More than 45,000 people turned out to see the world’s most famous locomotive of the 20th century run with that of the 21st, making it one of the most successful events of its kind in UK preservation history. It will be Flying Scotsman’s first visit to

the roundhouse since a BR Open Day in 1973, while Rocket is returning 12 years after it took part in the celebration of George Stephenson’s connections with Chesterfield in 2005. Although Flying Scotsman has been seen in Derbyshire since the completion of its long-running overhaul in 2016, this will be the first opportunity for many in the region to get up close to the locomotive alongside its sister East Coast Main Line racehorse Tornado, seen against the unique and authentic backdrop of the Grade 2-listed roundhouse.

Incredible survival

TheThursday will see the premiere of a specially commissioned play celebrating the incredible survival story of what is now Britain’s sole surviving rail-connected working roundhouse, with live steam providing the backdrop. The play will continue on the Friday

and Saturday evenings. During daytime on the Saturday and Sunday the roundhouse will open its doors to the general public for a full-blown steam gala at which visitors will be able to see for the first time the comprehensive but sympathetic Lottery-funded restoration. Barrow Hill founder and general manager Mervyn Allcock said:“This promises to be a fabulous celebration of all the hard work that is going on at the roundhouse at the moment and will mark the start of the next exciting chapter in the story of this amazing architectural survivor in the most appropriate way.” Built in 1870, the roundhouse was threatened with demolition in 1991 when the site was closed by BR. However, it was saved by Mervyn and a group of dedicated volunteers under the banner of the Barrow Hill Engine Shed Society and who have

transformed it into a unique heritage railway venue. The site is connected to the national railway network and this has encouraged several commercial rail companies to base their activities at Barrow Hill, generating over 40 jobs and making a valuable contribution to the local economy. Clients include Network Rail, Direct Rail Services, Freightliner, GBRF, Colas, BARS, West Coast Railways, VSOE (operator of the Orient Express), Harry Needle Railroad Company, NewRail (railway research facility affiliated to Newcastle University), Rampart, Vossloh, Hitachi, Intertrain, TCL and Pindari.

Sympathetic extension

In March 2016 the roundhouse was awarded £1.2 million by the lottery for its Moving Forward project, which aims to broaden the roundhouse audience to include families, a range of learners, the

Green light for Flying Scotsman mural to stay A MURAL of A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman commissioned to celebrate the opening of the Borders Railway has been given planning permission to stay in place. Local Scottish Borders community organisation Energise Galashiels commissioned artist Chris Rutterford to produce the mural, which also includes around 500 portraits of local people, to fill wall space at the town’s Douglas Bridge, and it was duly unveiled by Lord David Steel of Aikwood – one of the major protesters against the

closure of the Waverley Route in 1969 – on October 1 during the Creative Coathanger arts festival. However, it was erected without planning permission – and a fortnight after it was unveiled, a retrospective application was submitted to Scottish Borders Council. In January, councillors agreed that the mural could stay. Planning officer Carlos Clarke said:“The mural sits neatly between piers, flush with the wall, with the edging reflecting the colouring of the wall and tying through at its bottom

end with the café frontage’s stall riser. “The image appears to be very high quality and worthy of both distant and close public exposure.” A third section of the mural is due to be unveiled in the spring. Chris said:“In late 2015 I had a meeting with Energise Galashiels. Once dominated by a thriving textile industry and the subject of two Robert Burns poems, the group was concerned that Galashiels town centre was becoming bedraggled, and they were resolved to rectify this.

“The opportunity to work with a motivated local group in order to help change the destiny of a town seemed like another exciting artistic adventure. “We resolved to launch a new Galashiels crowd mural using the impending visit of the iconic Flying Scotsman train both as subject matter and as a launch event. “I brought my train to town on 12 bespoke 5ft squared canvas boards, and locals were invited to put their friends and family into the picture for a modest donation.”

The Galashiels Flying Scotsman mural. Famous faces added to it include those of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly, rugby players Jim Aitken, Chris Paterson and Gregor Townsend, football player John Collins, painter Anne Redpath and Sir Walter Scott, whose Waverley novels gave the original route its name. SHEILA MASSON/CHRIS RUTTERFORD STUDIO

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Having left Barry scrapyard in October 1986, No. 73156 is now in the final stages of its restoration inside Loughborough shed where it is pictured on January 18. ROBERT FALCONER

GC veteran Standard 5‘on last straight’ Bound for the big Barrow Hill relaunch event: The new-build £3 million Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado storms past Didcot North Junction on February 14, 2016. KEN BRUNT/A1 STEAM LOCOMOTIVE TRUST local community and corporate use. These aims are being achieved through essential conservation repairs, a sympathetic extension that will create a new visible and accessible entrance, upgrading facilities for educational visits and corporate use, the recruitment of a learning and access officer and development of a

new learning programme.The project will also improve access to the site and the collections, bringing it to life with new interpretation, appoint a volunteer coordinator, provide heritage skills, training and apprenticeships and develop events and activities. The roundhouse, which attracts around 23,000 visitors annually, is

currently closed to the general public whilst the conservation and building works take place. The commercial activities on the roundhouse site are unaffected by the temporary closure. Further details of forthcoming events can be found at www.barrowhill.org

Aln Valley to‘break out’of Lionheart with grant aid By Robin Jones A £37,000 grant from the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs Coast and Lowlands LEADER fund will enable the AlnValley Railway to‘break out’of its Lionheart Industrial Estate home and head towards Alnmouth station on the East Coast Main Line. The grant has been given for the purchase of track and materials to enable the running line to be extended by 900 yards to Bridge 6, the first underbridge, giving passengers an extended train as early as this summer. Ballast has already been laid on

the long embankment constructed by AVR volunteers to link Lionheart station to the original NER formation of the Alnmouth to Alnwick line. Sleepers are currently being laid in position and the AVR was, as we closed for press, awaiting the delivery of rail from Network Rail. Stuart and Mary Manley, proprietors of Barter Books, based in the original Alnwick station building, have agreed to match the grant pound-for-pound up to £30,000 and with the AVR’s own financial input, track materials worth £80,000 will be purchased. Stuart said:“As occupiers of Alnwick’s original station, we are

thrilled by the progress of the Aln Valley Railway project, and we are delighted to sponsor it in this way. “We are long-time supporters of the AVR, and are fully convinced of its future benefits to the town.” AVR chairman Martin Robinson said: “This LEADER award, combined with Barter Books’generous sponsorship, means we can at last start properly rebuilding the AVR to Alnmouth station.This summer, we will run our newly-refurbished steam locomotive and two wonderful carriages, so visitors can enjoy a 1950s-style short railway journey with the appropriate sights, sounds and smells!”

THE next former Barry scrapyard locomotive to return to running order looks set to be Doncaster-built BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73156, which, working out of Neasden shed, is a veteran of‘Master Cutler’ workings over Great Central metals from Marylebone to Sheffield. Later based at Leicester and Woodford Halse prior to its withdrawn in November 1967, the Bolton Steam Locomotive Company Ltd reached agreement with the Loughborough Standard Locomotives Group Ltd for its restoration at Loughborough, in return for a 10-year running agreement on the modern-day GCR. The boiler was replaced in the frames to allow the small and large bore copper pipework to be completed. All the motion is in place, and the all-new tender has had its frames assembled and is awaiting the fitment of its new wheelsets. The tank is also ready for fitting, as is all the brake gear, which has been made at Loughborough. A spokesman from the GCR said: “It is currently awaiting space over a pit.The boiler has been reinstalled and it should happen fairly quickly.”

Stockbroker takes place on Severn Valley Railway trust board WEST Midlands stockbroker Ron Treverton-Jones has joined the board of the SevernValley Railway CharitableTrust. Ron is the chairman of Birmingham-based stockbrokers EFG Harris Allday, having joined the company in 1972, after gaining a civil engineering degree and two years’experience in banking. Already a member of the SVR Charitable Trust’s investment committee, Ron is familiar with theTrust’s work, and oversees the management of its endowment future fund, which is intended to play an increasingly

important part in strengthening the line’s future financial stability. Ron’s company EFG is a member of the charitable trust’s Corporate Partnership Club and sponsored its charity race day at Ludlow in 2014. He said:“With my background in investment, I am of course particularly interested in helping the financial well-being of the SVR. I am impressed with the way in which its Heritage SkillsTraining Academy is training a new generation of apprentices so that essential, traditional skills will be kept alive at the railway.”

Welcoming Ron to the Board, the Charitable Trust’s Director of Development, Shelagh Paterson, said: “Ron joins as we enter a new chapter in our story. Having spent the past four years building up our supporter base, we’re delighted to be in a position to make significant financial contributions to the railway, both now and in the future. Ron’s expertise will prove invaluable in helping us achieve our charitable aims.” Right: Ron Treverton-Jones. SVR

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HEADLINE NEWS

Prince’s visit is the ‘jewel in the crown’ for Mountsorrel Railway By Robin Jones EIGHT years ago Prince Charles officially named new Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado atYork station before taking a cab ride as it hauled the Royal Train. He later gave his permission for Tornado’s builderThe A1 Steam LocomotiveTrust to name new Gresley P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. However, on Wednesday, January 25, Prince Charles downsized – riding in what may well have been the shortest royal train of them all, one pulled by gleaming black LMS‘Jinty’3F 0-6-0T, which displayed the royal headcode. Indeed, the question was being asked – was No. 47406 the first of its class to carry that headcode. The prince was welcomed by more than 800 schoolchildren from primary schools in Rothley, Mountsorrel, Quorn and Swithland, and volunteers, officials and civic dignitaries as he visited the Mountsorrel Railway to mark the opening of the Mountsorrel and Rothley Community Heritage Centre, which has been built in the former Nunckley Hill quarry. Accompanied by Mountsorrel Railway director Steve Cramp, and greeted by a piper, he boarded the train at Mountsorrel station around 1.25pm and, dressed in overalls, was taken on the footplate the mile to Nunckley Hill. There, he was given a tour of the new heritage centre and nature trail before unveiling a plaque to mark the work of volunteers who have restored the former mineral branch which joins the Great Central Railway at Swithland sidings.

Prince Charles in overhauls on the footplate of LMS ‘Jinty’ 3F 0-6-0T No. 47406. MATT SHORT

Ecological team

The prince met members of the ecological team that had built a dry stone wall as part of the Nunckley NatureTrail, which has an outdoor classroom, sensory area and wildflower meadow. Inside the centre, he toured the heritage rooms, which showcase the history of the railway – built to serve the giant Mountsorrel granite ballast quarry, and that of surrounding villages – including artefacts such as a Roman tub that was unearthed at the site. The prince met some of the 120 volunteers who had helped build the railway, centre and the coffee shop over a 10-year period, after raising money for the project. One of the volunteers, former Leeds train driver KevinWilliams, 58, who works for the French government, had flown from Paris every three months to help lay the track. Others present included local MPs Nicky Morgan, the former Education Secretary, and Edward Argar,

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Watched by railway director Steve Cramp, the prince boards the ‘Jinty’. CLARENCE HOUSE Leicestershire County Council’s leader Nick Rushton and its chairman Bill Liquorish. Steve said the visit was a“marvellous advert for the volunteers’efforts”. He said:“It has been marvellous, absolutely fantastic. I am lost for words - and I think His Royal Highness really enjoyed it too.

Royal seal

“Without the hard work of all the volunteers then none of this would have been possible.” He hopes the royal seal of approval will encourage even more visitors to the heritage centre.“Within the first three months of the coffee shop opening we have had 70,000 visitors. Plans are in hand to create an

Steve Cramp leads the prince up the stairs from the platform to Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre. BARRY PRICE/MR

historic quarry demonstration area, Mountsorrel Railway Museum, followed by a second nature trail and a garden railway. The prince’s Mountsorrel visit was the icing on the cake of a day-long visit to Leicester. Earlier, he met youngsters taking part in his Prince’s Trust programmes, teachers who are part of Teach First, a programme which trains and supports teachers, and of which he has been a patron since 2008, and other young people taking part in personal development programmes at the City of Leicester College. The prince, who is also Field Marshal of the British Army, visited St Philip’s Church, in Evington Road, Leicester, where he learned about the ongoing

work between the Army and ethnic minority communities, both in Leicester and across the UK GCR general manager Richard Patching said:“For obvious reasons of security, very little could be said in advance, but it was a memorable occasion for GCR and especially for our friends of the Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre – congratulations to Steve Cramp and the whole team there for everything they’ve achieved over 10 years. “This was something of a triumphant return for the‘Jinty’after its major axle box work in recent weeks, a test run having been possible only last Friday.” Meanwhile, two exhibits from the now-closed and demolished Snibston Discovery Centre at Coalville have now

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Manx horse trams: fight continues despite ‘U turn’ By Robin Jones

Prince Charles unveils the plaque to mark the opening of the Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre in Nunckley Hill Quarry. GRAHAM WIGNALL

Local children clamoured for vantage points to see the Mountsorrel Railway’s royal train arrive at Nunckley Hill. GRAHAM WIGNALL

CONSERVATIONISTS have vowed to fight on despite the Manx ParliamentTynwald making a U-turn on controversial plans to close part of Douglas Bay HorseTramway. On January 17,Tynwald voted to keep the double tracks in place between Summerhill and Broadway.The previous scheme unveiled last year involved the closure of the iconic tramway between Broadway and the SeaTerminal. So after the scheme to reconstruct Douglas promenade, which starts later this year is completed, the historic horse trams will continue to operate over the full length. However, an amendment from Douglas East MHK Chris Robertshaw to have the 3ft-gauge tramway reduced to a single track between theWar Memorial and SeaTerminal was also supported, with 17 votes for and 14 against. Following the vote, the island’s Department of Infrastructure will now draw up revised regeneration plans for the Douglas promenades, including the tramway, and return toTynwald to seek overall budget approval. The Manx Electric Railway Society has launched a petition at www.ipetitions.com basically asking for the tramway, a world-renowned symbol of the Isle of Man, to be left intact as it is. It has attracted signatures from as far afield as Germany, Spain, Sweden and Australia. The society has also set up a crowdfunding page at www.justgiving. com/crowdfunding/manxelectricrailwaysociety to fund its campaign. Society secretary Julian Nutter said that despite the reversal over the plans to cut the 1.6-mile tramway in half, a battle to stop the singling of the track over the section concerned will now be waged. He said that while the island’s Department of Infrastructure (which last year took over the tramway from Douglas Borough Council after it announced that it would close it after nearly 140 years) wanted to replace the historic grooved rails, such a move was

Douglas Bay Horse Tramway’s roofed toastrack coach No. 35 on Loch Promenade. S P SMILER unnecessary. However, a stockpile of rails obtained from Liverpool’s abortive light rail tramway scheme and currently in store at the department depot on South Quay in Douglas would be sufficient to do the job. The department has been looking at renewing the twin tracks between Broadway and Summerhill, with the possibility of MER electric trams running over them in the future. Other track materials from the Liverpool scheme went to Crich TramwayVillage. The society has also been fighting the borough council’s decision to sell the Summerhill tramway stables used by the port’s world-famous horse tramway. Offered for sale as part of the package were the three cottages that front the original 1877 stables building, which was developed by tramway founder and proprietorThomas Lightfoot. Last year, it was claimed that halving the line would save £750,000 and create more street parking.The line was voted BritishTramway of theYear 2016 in the BritishTrams Online annual awards, Speaking about theTynwald U-turn, lawyer Julian said:“This is no victory. With the new plan with the recent amendment there will be nothing left of the present horse tramway.The depot will go.The stables will go and all of the track will be brand new. “The promenade is a conservation area and we will challenge any bid to single a section of the line on planning grounds. We are now waiting for a planning application to be lodged, and we are hopeful of getting this stopped.”

NYMR abandons blue and grey The ‘Jinty’ carrying the royal headcode at Nunckley Hill station. BARRY PRICE/MR been loaned to the Mountsorrel and Rothley Heritage Centre. A 1956-built Ruston & Hornsby 48DS diesel which worked at Bardon Hill Quarries until 1982 and was bought by Leicestershire County Council Museums Service in 2000, and a yellow wooden-bodied mineral wagon painted in the colours of local merchants Ellis and Everard.

The two items arrived safely in Mountsorrel on December 16 and are now likely to be used in trains on the railway. Coun Richard Blunt, the country council’s cabinet member for museums, said:“I’m delighted that they will soon be used in an apt setting – a museum based in a former quarry.”

THE NorthYorkshire Moors Railway is set to repaint its remaining blue and grey Mk 1 coaches in either maroon or carmine and cream. Ironically, this has come at a time when a full brake has been outshopped in BR(S) green, a livery not seen on the NYMR for many years, but this has come about as a result of using surplus stocks of paint to tidy up a departmental stores vehicle. A small number of blue and grey-liveried coaches have been retained on the NYMR for occasional

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film contracts and at the request of owners, but as this is now an obsolete livery, filming requests have died away.The decision has thus been taken to provide consistency between sets of coaches. For the coming season it is also intended to make up standard sets of coaches with, as far as possible, standardised seating capacity and layouts, which will work with the new EPOS ticketing system to monitor and try to distribute more evenly passenger loads. Heritagerailway.co.uk 9

NEWS

Celebrity 31 owner looks for ‘serious offers’ The owner of celebrity Brush Class 31 No. 31106 says its transfer to the Midland Railway-Butterley for safekeeping does not mean that its main line career is over. “It is simply a secure location while its future is mapped out,” said Howard Johnston, who is interested in“serious offers”from a buyer for a locomotive he resurrected in 1997.“Preservation is now an option. No. 31106 (the former The Blackcountryman and Spalding Town), has been the subject of significant on-line gossip about its future since the contract with Network Rail ran its natural course and ended three years ago. Mr Johnston added:“Any speculation in print or otherwise that it is not in full working order should be dismissed. No. 31106 is simply in protected store. “I’m aware of the engine’s historic significance, and would like to see it used again. Until now, I have turned down many approaches for gala appearances because of the fear of any accidental damage.” No. 31106 has been mothballed at the East MidlandsTrains depot alongside the Midland Main Line at Derby Etches Park since November 2015. Although there were tentative plans to move it to Butterley under its own power just before the end of last December, the decision was taken instead to haul it with Michael Owen’s Class 20s Nos. 20142 and 20189. No. 31106, which started life as D5524 in 1959, is notable for having run over the remaining fragments of the M&GN system which closed a month before its delivery to Norwich in March 1959. It was unusually turned out in BR blue livery in 1991 as the last Class 31 to be overhauled at Doncaster Works, and was named The Blackcountryman at the August 1992 Bescot depot open day. After withdrawal, it was hand-picked from the dozens parked in Bescot yard and overhauled by Fragonset Railways in 2002 for a return to the main line. It was named Spalding Town with due ceremony at the South Lincolnshire station that May after arriving with a charter special from Carnforth. ➜ In a news story on page 19 of Heritage Railway issue 224, it was reported that main line registered Class 31/1 No.31106 was moved to Swanwick Junction“following confirmation that its tyres were too thin for network activity”. However, Heritage Railway has been asked by the owner to stress that this was not the reason for the move, and that the Class 31 has moved to the Midland Railway-Butterley purely for safe-keeping.We would like to apologise to the owner for the error and any distress caused.

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NYMR’s 10-year plan aims for a sustainable railway By Roger Melton NORTHYorkshire Moors Railway general manager Chris Price is in the throes of writing a 10-year plan for the railway, which will have the intention of improving its sustainability. The NYMR is thought to be wearing out its locomotives and rolling stock faster than it can repair them, leading to shortages of engines and carriages at times, with consequent overcrowding. Moreover, it is not generating sufficient operating profit to make provision for forthcoming infrastructure work, such as the £4 million-worth of bridge repairs and replacements at Goathland.

Ticket machines

Although ticket sales have increased greatly over recent years, so have associated costs, hence there is a need to decouple these two factors and increase the overall profit made by the railway. The new plan coincides with the introduction of EPOS (electronic point of sale) ticketing machines that will enable passenger loadings to be measured as tickets are sold, and for the booking office staff to offer discounts for later trains as loadings approach being full, in order to discourage overcrowding. With the standard coach set being seven coaches, and with scope only to add one extra becuase of lengths of

passing loops and locomotive haulage capability, ticket price is about the only means of controlling demand, and so the railway is to focus its efforts more on improving its yields. The LNERCA teak train will be marketed as a premium ride with supplementary fares wherever possible. With greater sophistication in ticketing, smaller and lighter trains formed of vintage coaches can be run in off-peak slots, allowing them to be worked by smaller engines such as NELPG’s J27 and the two Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Colliery 0-6-2Ts. All in all, therefore, the overall thrust of the plan is to run the railway in a“smart” manner, attempting to avoid both overcrowding and also light loadings, matching the locomotives in use to the loadings needed and to reduce the number of trains run wherever possible. However, managing passenger numbers at peak times is only part of the story. Although the NYMR’s capacity is more or less saturated at peak times there is plenty of underused capacity in the off-peak period. Consequently the railway will make more effective and imaginative use of its vintage rolling stock in ways that will make them more marketable than now. The final key part of the plan is to improve maintenance facilities at both Pickering and Grosmont. A large new

carriage storage shed at Pickering will reduce the maintenance burden, particularly on the vintage coaches, and will release much-needed storage space elsewhere on the railway; a second carriage shed will ultimately be required at Grosmont for sets stabled there, but is not currently planned.

Increase throughput

The carriage shed development will also include a larger carriage workshop to be shared by the permanent staff and volunteer groups, notably the LNERCA, which it is hoped will enable throughput of Mk 1s to be increased to five each year. Construction of these facilities will release the carriage works and associated Atkins Building for alternatives, or potentially even demolition for redevelopment of the station yard. At Grosmont, new volunteer accommodation is planned for the MPD site as well as an additional building for storage and restoration, while a site off the railway may also be sought to provide extra workshop facilities. With eight to 10 locomotives required in traffic throughout any given year a throughput of one engine overhaul every year is required to maintain the fleet size. The NYMR has an ambition to be in a position to hire locomotives out each year, rather than hiring them in.

The giant Royal Scot mural displayed in York city centre. NYMR

Royal Scot at Grosmont dazzles the crowds at York THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway has turned to the world of art to publicise its high-profile spring visit of Royal Scot. An artistic vinyl masterpiece measuring 4m x 3m and depicting LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 arriving at Grosmont station has been created by London-based firm Graffiti Life and displayed in the heart of York. Passers-by have been admiring the giant mural outside York Art

Gallery in Exhibition Square, which remained on display until January 31. Sir Gary Verity, chief executive of Welcome to Yorkshire, said:“This amazing 3D artwork really has the wow factor, just like the spectacular Yorkshire countryside the Royal Scot will be travelling through during its stay in the county. “There are few better ways to enjoy the beauty of the North York Moors

than by travelling on this world leading heritage railway line, with its beautifully restored carriages, and this iconic steam engine.” This year, Britain’s most popular heritage railway celebrates 50 years since the formation of the NYMR Preservation Society, forerunner of the current charitable trust. Royal Scot will be running at the NYMR on March 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and April 1 and 2.

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All clear for Middy extension ByRobinJones THE award-winning Mid-SuffolkLight Railwayhasbeengiventhegreenlight toextend400yardstoanewterminus, despiteoppositionfromthelocalparish council. OnJanuary25,MidSuffolkDistrict Council’s planningcommitteegavethe go-ahead totheline’s proposed400-yard extensiontoanewterminus,WilbyHalt, takingthestandardgaugelinetothreequartersof-a-mileforthefirsttime. Wetheringsett-cum-BrockfordParish Council,whichhadoriginally backedthe scheme,madeanaboutturnaftersome localresidentscomplained. Theparishcouncilexpressedconcerns overtheimpactoftheprojectonthe nearestproperty,PotashCottage, throughnoise,smokeandsmut,andalso itspotentialinterferencewithapublic footpath.ItwasalsosaidthatWilbyHalt wouldbetoolarge. However,areportbydistrictcouncil planningofficersrecommended that theapplicationtolaythe extensionbe approved. Theysaidthattheydid notbelievethe line extensionwouldhaveanadverse impactonthecottage. SeniorplanningofficerIanWard said:“TheMiddyisavaluedregional touristfacilitywhichisidentifiedas anopportunityforenhancementin theBaberghandMidSuffolkVisitor DestinationPlanActionPlan.

Steam in action at Brockford & Wetheringsett station in the form of Hawthorn Leslie 0-4-0ST Falmouth Docks and Engineering Co. No. 3 and Hudswell, Clarke 0-6-0ST Wissington. The Mid-Suffolk Light Railway has now been given the green light to become a ‘somewhere to somewhere’ line. BRIAN SHARPE “Thismodestextensionofthelinewill enablethatenhancedoffer. “Theproposedextension hasbeen carefully consideredwithregardtothe effectonneighbouringamenities and, fromtheoriginalsubmission, theeastern endoftheline hasbeen movedawayfrom PotashCottage,thenearestresidential property. “Withregardtothepublicfootpath whichcrossestheproposedextendedline, itisunderstoodthatunder theprovisions oflightrailwaylegislation, theoperators arerequiredtohavethe crossing manned atalltimes whiletrainsarerunning.”

TheoriginalMid-SuffolkLight Railway, nicknamedtheMiddy,wasbuilttoprovide transporttotheruralSuffolkcommunities, which hadnoreliabletransportlinks, under theprovisionsofthe1896Light RailwaysAct.Itopenedtofreighttraffic in1904 andpassengersonSeptember 29,1908,withtwotrainsineitherdirection onweekdays. However,manyofthestationswere sitedmilesfromthecommunities they weremeanttoserve,andthelinewasan earlyvictimofthemotorcar. ItwastakenoverbytheLNER in 1924andbecame partofBRin1948.

Itclosedfouryearslater.Therevivalof whatisSuffolk’s onlystandardgauge heritagerailwaywasstartedbyagroup of enthusiastsin1991. TheirfirsttaskwastorestoreBrockford& Wetheringsettstationasabase. In2012,theMSLRwasawarded theHeritageRailwayAssociation’s InterpretationAward,sponsoredby HeritageRailway, afterholdingitsfirst steamgalainJulythatyear.Itwasalso namedSuffolk MuseumoftheYear2014. Therailway,whichreopensatEaster,will holdawartimeweekendon April30-May1.

Railcar of the Year award for Great Central set ATHREE-carDMUsetthatrunsonthe GreatCentralRailwayandismaintainedby volunteersfromthelinehascarriedoffa majornationalaward. Theset,comprisingMetropolitan CammellClass101vehiclesNos.51427 and50321anduniqueClass111buffetcar No.59575,hasbeen namedRailcarofthe YearbytheRailcarAssociation. ItisownedbyGCR-basedRenaissance Railcarsandthis isitssecondwininthe publicvoteinthreeyears. Nos.51427and50321havebeena mainstayoftraffic sincearrivingattheGCR in2003,buthaverecentlybeensubjectto comprehensiverepairsandrepainting. No.59575wontheRailcaroftheYear awardwhenitenteredservicein2014. TomIngall,ofRenaissanceRailcars,said: “Weknowourhumble DMUvehiclesare popularwith thetravellingpublicand we’reveryproudtohavereceivedthis award. “Forourmembers who fundandcarry outtheworkitisjust recognition oftheir efforts.Puttingthethreevehiclestogether intip-top conditionistheculminationof morethanadecadeofgraft.

The award-winning Metropolitan Cammell three-car DMU waits at Leicester North. TOM INGALL/RR “We’redelightedtobepartoftheGCR sceneandmixamongstthesteamand heritagedieselservicesasa‘windowonto thedoubletrack’.“ ThesetwasnominatedbytheRailcar Association“for its continuedreliability, operatingmostweekendsofthe yearat theGreatCentral,forthequalityandspeed ofthelatestoverhaul,andforitsinterestas theonlyworkingDMUset inthecountry

currentlycontaining an(authentic)buffet car”. RenaissanceRailcarsisnowbeginning theoverhaulofanotherMetropolitan Cammell-builtvehicle,No.50203.It isenvisageditwillbepartneredwith anothermemberoftheRenaissancefleet, No.50266,creating asecondoperating DMUtrainfortheGCR.Thisworkis expectedtotakeabouttwoyears.

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

➜An appeal has been opened to fund the work on the second DMU set which will involve body work repairs and rewiring. Donations are invited by cheque (made payable to David Clarke RailwayTrust with‘Renaissance Railcars’written on the reverse) sent to DCRT, Lovatt House, 3Wharncliffe Road, Loughborough, LE11 1SL. Heritagerailway.co.uk 11

NEWS

James May makes another part for new P2 By Robin Jones

TV presenterJamesMayhasmade a secondpartforthenewGresleyP22-8-2 No.2007PrinceofWales. ThestarofTopGearandTheGrand Tourhadalreadyappliedhisengineering prowessincraftingthefirstcomponent forNo.2007whenhepreviouslyvisited DarlingtonLocomotiveWorksinFebruary 2013.Thenhemanufacturedthe smokeboxdoordart;thecomponentat thefrontofthelocomotivethatkeepsthe smokeboxdoorclosed(resemblingthe handsonaclock). OnJanuary23,hereturned tomake themorecomplexslackingcockflange forwhatwillbethemostpowerfulsteam locomotivetooperateintheUK.This componentconnectsthehigh-pressure hose (slackingpipe)totheboilerand controlsthevolumeofwaterusedtowash awaycoaldustonthefootplate. Jamessaid:“Notmanyman-made machinesstirthesoul,butafull-blown steamlocomotiveisrightupthere,and weinvented it.However,overthe decades we’velostsomuchofthetalent,skilland knowledgeneededtobuildthem. “That’s whyit’s suchathrilltowork alongsidetheteam building No.2007 PrinceofWales, determinedtonotonly resurrectthismonsterfromthepast,butto improveitusingmodernwizardry. “It’s arealprivilegetoknowthatwhen PrinceofWales eventuallyroarspastme atastation, Icanproudly sayalongwith manyothersthatIhelpedbuildthat...and itworks!” Inthe13thseriesofBBCTopGearin 2009, JamesMayracedaJaguarXK120 sportscaragainstaVincentBlackShadow motorcycleriddenbyRichardHammond andA1PeppercornPacificNo.60163 TornadowithJeremyClarksononboard fromLondontoEdinburghinthe‘Great RacetotheNorth’. MarkAllatt,chairmanofTheA1Steam LocomotiveTrust,said:“Wearedelighted thatJamesagreedtocraftanotherpartof No.2007PrinceofWales threeyearsafter hislastvisit. “Jameshasbeenaferventsupporterof oursovertheyearswithTornado andwe areverypleasedtocontinue tohavehim onboardwithournextadventuretobuild themostpowerfulsteamlocomotiveto

James May being filmed by BBC making the slacking cock valve at Darlington Locomotive Works on January 23. A1SLT operateintheUK.Thisisn’ttheonly time Jameshasgothishandsdirtywithus.He hasbeen outasavolunteermemberof Tornado’s supportcrew,helpingensure thelocomotiveransmoothly.” Thetrustisbuilding theseventh memberofthisclassoversevenyearsat anestimatedcostof£5million.Theproject willdemonstratehowthedesigncanbe fully realisedthroughuseofcomputer designtechniques,enabling thenew locomotivetodeliveritsfull potential haulingpassengertrainsathighspeed across today’s network. Constructionprogressonthe£5million P2to-dateincludestheframeplatesfor engineandtenderrolled,profiledand machined,theengineframeserected atDarlingtonLocomotiveWorkswith mostframestayspermanentlyfitted,all 20wheelsforengineandtendercastand machinedreadyforpressingontoaxles, enginetyres,axlesandmaterialforcrank pinsdelivered,theenginehornblocks, axleblocksandcannonboxescast/ machined,rollerbearingsdelivered,and

thecontractplacedtoassemblewheelsets. Thefootplateanglesandplatesprofiled andfitted,splashersmade,morethan 1000fittedanddrivenbolts andnuts delivered,andmorethan630fitted,the cabbuilt,andallglazingsandwindow framesprocured. Preliminarydiscussionshavebeen held withboilermanufacturers;forged foundationringcornershavebeen manufactured,avampirestudyinto rideandsuspension andfiniteelement analysisofcrankaxlecompletedwith redesignedcomponentstocomplywith modernstandards,andanAssessment andNotifiedBodyappointedtooversee certification. Apreliminarymeetinghasbeenheld with theOfficeofRoadandRail,the smokebox,chimneyandsmokelifting platesmanufacturedandthenameplates andchimewhistledelivered! The£500,000planforthenext12 monthsincludesthecompletionof wheelsetsandfittingtoframes,finishing cabandsmokebox,thecompletionof

ELEVEN IN STEAM AT KWVR WINTER GALA

TWO LMS ‘Black Fives’ have joined the roster for the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s March 3-5 winter steam gala. Nos. 45407 The Lancashire Fusilier and No. 45212 are

12 Heritagerailway.co.uk

both visiting from Ian Riley’s Locomotive Works, although the latter is technically part of the KWVR fleet. They will join other guests the B1 Trust’s Thompson B1

No. 61264 and LMS ‘Crab’ No. 13065 from the East Lancashire Railway. Also in action will be residents WD No. 90733, 4F No. 43924, S160 No. 5820 'Big Jim', LNWR Coal Tank

James May checking his work. A1SLT thedesign,makingandfittingofoutside motionbrackets,thefabricationofthe ponytruckframe,thefittingofthespring hangerbracketsandspringgear,the makingandfittingofthebrakelinkage, procurementoftheboiler,thecompletion ofthedesignforvalvegearandthe placing oftheorderforthecylinderblock. Thetrust hasinvitedmembersofthe public tosponsortheboilerasaValentine’s Daygift. Thenextinaseriesofpresentations ontheprojectwillbeheldattheGreat NorthernHotelinPeterboroughon February18. FordetailsofhowtohelptheP2project. visitwww.p2steam.com,emailenquiries@ p2steam.comorcall01325460163.

No. 1054, Taff Vale No. 85 and No. 1704 Nunlow. BR Standard 4MT No. 75078 also is booked to take part, but is currently undergoing repairs after failing over the Christmas period.

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Beamish recreates early road-rail vehicle

The recreated LNWR ‘Crewe tractor’ at Beamish: the next job is to see if it can be fitted for rail operation. BEAMISH EARLY steam market leader Beamish Museum has recreated a LNWR‘Crewe tractor’road-rail vehicle. Based on more than130 vehicles adapted by the LNWR at Crewe works in 1916-17, the project at the County Durham museum is the first phase in a multi-part programme of restoration work on three Ford ModelTs. The inspiration for the‘Crewe tractor’is said to have come from the daughter of the LNWR’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles BowenCooke, who had become aware of a lack of powered transport on the lightly-laid tramways operated behind the trenches across France and Belgium in the FirstWorldWar. The design saw the adaptation of a standard Ford ModelT (manufactured inTrafford Park) complete with a lightweight utility body and kit-form railway chassis.Within one hour, they could be adapted from road trim to a 2ft gauge locomotive with load space. They did not form part of theWar Department Light Railway fleet, rather being part of the motor transport pool – and were marked and numbered as such. It seems that the design was of indifferent success, and all remained in railway guise once so converted, possibly down to convenience but also perhaps owing to the poor state of the roads at that time, even though the design was more suitable for offroad work than might be expected. The new‘Crewe tractor’is a conversion a US-imported Model T with left-hand drive built in 1922, which had been brought to the UK at some point in the past and fitted with an English-style van body. At Beamish it worked as a general delivery vehicle until withdrawn for overhaul and conversion to the ‘Crewe tractor’. Paul Jarman, Beamish’s assistant director of transport and industry, said:“I was looking for

something different for this project and the first vehicle was likely to become my regular steed for getting around the 400-acre site at Beamish. As I was interested in the potential to recreate a‘Crewe tractor’in the future, and because I am too tall to see under the roof of theT in van form, the idea to do a‘Crewe tractor’in road trim was hit upon.” The conversion work was carried out in the museum’s Regional Heritage Engineering Centre and was largely the work of volunteer John Hodder, with assistance from Mike Davidson as well as Paul and his wife Sarah (a signwriter, who carried out the bonnet lettering based on images from the ImperialWar Museum collection). The work was completed at Christmas and the‘Crewe tractor’ can now be seen in use around the museum. The loadbed includes a toolbox as well as a storage container of suitable period style, in which Paul can pack his laptop and other work equipment with a FirstWorldWar padlock completing the picture! The final phase of the programme is the most challenging – the replication of the‘Crewe tractor’s’ railway underpinnings. By chance a complete set of drawings has recently been discovered in the National Railway Museum’s archives, and copies will be made for the Beamish project. These reveal that the work undertaken was more complex than might have first appeared and that the project in 1916 had received the very full attention of CreweWork’s draughtsmen and engineers. Paul said:“Whether the road version already completed will be mounted on this chassis, or another example be obtained and restored for such, remains to be seen.”

Fifty years ago, Albert Hawman is seen in the cab as he drives K1 No, 62005 towards Stanhope in Weardale during the ‘Three Dales Railtour’ up Wensleydale, Swaledale and Weardale. Both No. 62005 and Albert are very much still with us today. MAURICE BURNS

Still steaming 50 years on! MAY 20willmarkthe50th anniversaryofthe StephensonLocomotiveSociety’s‘Three CountiesRailtour’oflinesearmarkedforclosure andfreight-onlybranchesinYorkshire. ThemanwhodroveK12-6-0No.62005on thattrip,whichincludedatouroftheCatterick Camprailwaysystem,hasjustcelebratedhis 104th birthday. FormerDarlingtonsteamdriver,Albert Hawman,wasgivenanappropriatepresent oftheNorthEasternLocomotivePreservation Group’s newbook,KeepingNorthEastern SteamAlive. Albertwasmadeanhonorarymemberof NELPGwhenitwasfoundthathedrovetheK1 onthatlandmarktour. In1975,hedroveLocomotion atthehead oftheStockton&DarlingtonRailway’s 150th anniversarygrandcavalcadewatchedby 300,000people. Hesaidthathislonglifeis downtobeinginthefreshairbothonthe footplateandinretirement.

Albert Hawman at the Grange Nursing home, Darlington on January 17, reading the book he cannot put down – NELPG’s Keeping North Eastern Steam Alive. MAURICE BURNS

Corris marks 50th anniversary with gala THE Corris Railway is to hold a gala on May 28 as part of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of its revivalist society. The Sunday event will feature a variety of train formations working between Corris station and Maespoeth Junction including steam and diesel haulage and at least one demonstration gravity train. The locomotive and carriage sheds at Maespoeth Junction will be open and visitors will be able to view work on the construction of the next two carriages. Following work at Maespoeth to convert carriage No. 20 to a brake composite, trains will now be able to load up to a trio of carriages.

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

To accommodate these extended lengths and to allow locomotives to head trains up the Dulas Valley the platform at Corris has been lengthened as the next stage in the project to build a new station evoking the atmosphere of the original including an overall roof to protect passengers from the weather. In this respect, the building was highly unusual for a British narrow gauge line. Sadly, it was demolished in 1968, but the railway now hopes to partially recreate the scene as it once was, and has spoken to local residents.The enlargement of the station is being planned in tandem with its southern extension toTan-y-Coed. Heritagerailway.co.uk 13

NEWS Royal Scot for Nene Valley 40th gala By Brian Sharpe ROYAL Scot is to headline the 40th anniversary celebrations of the Nene Valley Railway. No. 46100 will join Deltic No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey, currently running as No. 55018 Ballymoss, for the June 2-4 anniversary gala. It is believed to be the first time that a Scot has run over the line. The NVR’s main running line from Peterborough to Yarwell Mill was built by the London & Birmingham Railway, later part of the LNWR. The LBR line was opened from Blisworth on the West Coast Main Line to Peterborough in 1845, making an end on connection with the Eastern Counties Railway and briefly formed the city’s rail link with the capital, until the GNR line from King’s Cross was opened. The line split at Yarwell Junction, with routes to Northampton and to Rugby, the latter forming the main rail link from Birmingham to East Anglia. Northampton trains ceased in 1964 and Rugby trains in 1966 with through services diverted via Leicester but freight traffic continued to Oundle until 1972. The Peterborough Development Corporation acquired the double track line which ran through its proposed Nene Park, part of the plan for the doubling of the size of the city. Local vicar, the Rev Richard Paten had bought a BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73050 from BR in 1968 and from this grew the heritage line, which reopened over the five miles from Orton Mere on the outskirts of Peterborough, to Wansford in May 1977, initially using predominantly Continental locomotives and stock. The reopening train in May 1977 was headed by French Nord Compound 4-6-0 No. 230D116 and Swedish 2-6-4T No. 1928. The line was extended east from Orton Mere into Peterborough in 1986 and west from Wansford to Yarwell to give a length of 7 ½ miles. It has seen a steady flow of visiting locomotives with LMS power ranging from 4F 0-6-0 No. 44422 to Pacific No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton, as well as LNER Pacifics including three A4s, A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman and A1 No. 60163 Tornado. There was initially no direct connection between the LBR and GNR but a 1¼mile loop line was built later by the GNR. This branch from Longueville Junction which now forms the line’s connection with Network Rail is used for stock movements and occasional railtours. Although the line saw LMS Jubilee and Patriot 4-6-0s in steam days, there is no record of a Royal Scot having worked over the line. Royal Scot will be running on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on March 25, 26, 28, 29, 30 and April 1 and 2. The visit will mark the start of the 50th anniversary celebrations for the line’s charitable trust.

14 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Standard procedure: Standard Class 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80078 nears completion of a major overhaul at Sonic Rail Services in Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex, on January 14. The former LTSR stalwart has been pencilled in for a return to service at the Mangapps Railway Museum Easter gala in mid-April. JOHN JOLLY

Standard tank set for Easter return after major overhaul By Geoff Courtney

THEreturnfromoverhaulof Barrysurvivorandformer SwanageRailway4MTNo.80078,whichwassoldtoan anonymousbuyerfouryears ago,hasbeenpencilledinfor Easter. HeritageRailwaycanrevealthatthepurchaserwasformer BRtrainee civilengineerStewartRobinson,whofounded railinfrastructurecompanySonicRailServicesin1997 asa one-manbandinBurnham-on-Crouch,Essex,butnowhas 70employeesandtwosatelliteofficesincentralLondon andKent. StewartwasonetheoriginalvolunteersatMangapps RailwayMuseum,whichopenedin1989atafarmashort distancefromBurnham,anditonthisrailwaythatNo.80078 willmake itseagerly-awaitedreturn.Itwillbethe largest steamlocoevertohaverunonthe museum’s ¾-mileline. The connection between the museum and Stewart runs deep, for not only was he an original volunteer, but James Jolly, son of Mangapps founder John, works for Sonic Rail Services while the company name comes from Stewart’s nickname, which was given to him by James’s mother June. John Jolly, who as a railway aficionado has watched with interest the overhaul of the Standard 2-6-4T just a few miles from his museum, said:“When Stewart bought No. 80078 the original intention was to replace the tubes, the stays as necessary, overhaul the wheelsets and patch up the bunker. “However, what has actually been done is much more extensive and pretty impressive. In addition to the originally expected work, there’s new cylinder and valve liners, cylinder heads, wheel and motion bearings, ashpan, and chimney, and a completely new bunker. Then, of course, numerous pins and bushes, pipes, unions and all the other bits and pieces “After being transported to Mangapps there will doubtless be teething troubles to sort out as it has had a very thorough overhaul, but I feel reasonably confident that it will be in service at our Easter gala.” No. 80078 was built at Brighton in February 1954 and was a stalwart on the London, Tilbury & Southend line, thus giving it an Essex link which has now been revived.

It was withdrawn from Croes Newydd, Wrexham (6C) in July 1965, arrived at Woodham’s in Barry a year later, and in 1976 was rescued by the Southern Steam Trust. It was returned to steam in 1999 after a 21-year overhaul and worked on the Swanage Railway until 2010, when it was taken out of service on the expiry of its boiler certificate. The 2-6-4T then became embroiled in controversy, when in late 2012 its owner, Southern Locomotives Ltd, sold it to Stewart, although his identity and details of its new location were not revealed at the time. Some enthusiasts were furious, one likening the sale to disposing of the family silver, and another criticising the lack of information about the sale and saying that“this is not a way to run a heritage railway.” Others, however, took a different view, one saying that Southern Locomotives Ltd could do what it wanted with the 2-6-4T and that it was of no use to Swanage or anybody else sitting in a siding. As the controversy raged, Southern Locomotives Ltd director Simon Troy told Heritage Railway:“The decision was not taken lightly, but the alternative would have been to struggle along on a shoestring while an increasing number of our fleet came out of service needing 10 year overhauls.” Four years later the controversy has died down, the locomotive itself will soon be delighting enthusiasts and the public once again, and John Jolly is keeping his fingers crossed for a special Mangapps’Easter gala over the weekend of April 14-17. “I shall be delighted to see No. 80078 working at Mangapps,” he enthused.“Apart from it being the largest steam loco that has ever run here, these Standard 2-6-4Ts are one of my favourite classes of steam engine, the others being the GER J67/69 and J15 classes. “Having been brought up near Southend, I was very familiar with the Standard 4MTs on the LTSR, including No. 80078, and I think them the most handsome of the three 2-6-4T classes that worked the line, and indeed of all the BR Standard classes. “The pride of my model railway was a Hornby Dublo Standard 4MT, but back then I never seriously imagined that I would have the pleasure of seeing a real one working on my railway!”

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LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053 and the ruins of Corfe Castle are thrown into silhouette by the setting sun at it hauls the last train of the day, the 4pm from Norden to Swanage on the Swanage Railway on January 14, as its 10-year boiler ticket comes to an end. ANDREW PM WRIGHT

New owning group, 2874 Trust, starts work on 28XX THErestorationofex-BarryscrapyardGWR 2-8-0No.2874issettobeginfollowingthe transferofthelocomotiveto a charitable trust. Formerly owned by Dinmore Manor Locomotives Ltd, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway-based 2874 Trust took possession of the 1918-built Churchward locomotive on December 20. Thetrust,chairedbyformerG/WR chairman,MalcolmTemple,willnow assesstheconditionofthelocomotiveand ascertainwhatneedstobedonetorestore ittofull workingorder.WithdrawnbyBRin 1963,ithasneverrunintheheritageera. A statement from the new owning group said:“This truly is another milestone for the railway heritage

movement as a further Barry internee is truly safe and will one day steam again. “It is a superb engine, ideally suited to run on heritage railways, efficient, reliable, strong and designed to plod along all day with heavy loads and at a steady speed. Plus, and it is a huge plus, it will be the only 28XX running as designed by Churchward, with inside steam pipes .“Restoration when it eventually begins will be totally reliant upon funding, but it will be restored as close as possible to how it left Swindon Works all those years ago. A testimony to Swindon, to the GWR, to GJ Churchward with his innovative design and the first ground-breaking 2-8-0 wheel arrangement locomotives.

GWR 2-8-0 No. 2874 at Toddington on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. DAVID HOLMES ➜ If you would like to help restore No. 2874, visit www.2874trust.org

Seven Valley’s open weekend to feature 30 model railway layouts FROM Manors to intricate miniatures, locomotives of all sizes will be running at the SevernValley Railway’s April 8-9 Open HouseWeekend. Up to 30 model railway layouts will on display in the Kidderminster diesel depot and the Engine HouseVisitor Centre at Highley. Visitors will also be given the opportunity to experience the inner workings of the SVR, with behind-thescenes tours of Bridgnorth Locomotive Works and BewdleyYard, as well as Bridgnorth, Bewdley North and Kidderminster signalboxes open for visits. The line’s resident steam fleet will be running an intensive service through the weekend, and the Paddock Garden Railway at Hampton Loade will be in operation on the Sunday. Lewis Maddox, the SVR’s events coordinator said: “We expanded and enhanced the event for the first time

Among the model railways on display at the Open House Weekend will be Chollerford, a GWR-themed OO gauge layout. LEWIS MADDOX last year and received such a positive response from our supporters, volunteers and the general public alike, that we are delighted to be running it again, and this

year featuring even more model railway layouts – the intricacy of which is often breath-taking.” One of the layouts, Ashburton, will

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

depict the much-missed terminus of the GWR branch fromTotnes to Ashburton, and which is now the subject of a revivalist campaign. Heritagerailway.co.uk 15

NEWS

Steam railway revivalists mourn death of popular chairman By Geoff Courtney RAILWAY revivalists in west London are coming to terms with the shock death of their popular chairman, with one of their members saying her passing had “left an enormous void because she did so much for the railway”. Elizabeth Scholefield, who was known as Rick from one of her middle names, Rickwood, died shortly before Christmas at the age of 63 after a short illness. She was chairman of the Metropolitan Water Board Railway Society, which was founded in 2003 with the long-term aim of restoring two miles of a former 3½-mile 2ft gauge line that transported coal from a wharf on the Thames to waterworks at Hampton and Kempton Park, both of which are still operational today.

Rick was not only one the few women to be chairman of a railway society, but also the proud owner of Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Darent, bought by her three years ago after she had inherited some money and which she subsequently learnt to fire and drive. The society has built a 300-yard loop near the Kempton waterworks which has its own platform, and it was here that Rick was taught her footplate skills. Called the Hanworth Loop, it is also used for public trains hauled by Darent, which this year start on March 18 and are run as the Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway. Jim Hewett, editor of the society’s quarterly newsletter, said of Rick:“She has left an enormous void because she did so much for the railway and outside it,” while Colin Clode, the society’s vice-

chairman, said:“She was a dedicated and professional chairman and discharged her duties with her unique blend of enthusiasm and charm.” He said that Rick cared passionately about the railway, and decided to do something about the society not owning a locomotive by“raiding her savings”to buy Darent, which she found immense fun.“She soon decided that a railway needed high quality refreshments to attract visitors, so she transferred her efforts to refining that service, and in a short space of time she was producing a range of delicious home-baked produce.” In addition, said Colin, she was in charge of volunteer schedules.“She was loved and respected by everybody so had a head start persuading people to do duties. They said‘yes’merely

because Rick asked them – I know I did.” As chairman, he said, her contribution was to create a gentle atmosphere of respect and warmth. “I think everybody who met her came away feeling a little bit happier. She will be sorely missed by everyone who knew her.” Ownership of Darent, which was built as a 2ft 6in gauge side tank for Provan Gasworks in Glasgow by Barclay in 1903 (works No. 984) but rebuilt to a saddle tank and converted to 2ft gauge about 16 years ago, has passed to Rick’s widower Jerry, who plans to keep it at the railway. Against the background of sadness at Rick’s passing, a sliver of good news for the railway was that passenger numbers in 2016 were 9% up on the previous year, ticket income up 25%,

Toddington’s Merchant Navy preparing for Southern comeback By Robin Jones

Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34081 92 Squadron heads west from beneath the A1 bridge at Wansford during driver familiarisation sessions on January 22. ROBIN JONES

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GLOUCESTERSHIREWarwickshire Railway-basedBulleid Merchant NavyPacific No. 35006 Peninsular &OrientalS.N.Co. isto make its first visit to Southern Railwayterritory since its restoration. The 1941-builtlocomotive is one of fourBulleid Pacifics thatwill star at theMid Hants Railway’s July 1-2 and 7-9galain order tomark the 50th anniversary ofthe end of Southern steam. OntheWatercress Line it will run alongside Battleof Britain 4-6-2 No. 34053 SirKeithPark fromthe Severn ValleyRailway,JeremyHosking’s No.34052 LordDowding aka 34046 Braunton and the recently-restored No.34081 92Squadron from the Nene ValleyRailway. Builtat Eastleigh and given the Southern Railway number 21C6, No.35006was allocated to Salisbury shed, where itremained based throughout its workinglife Itwaswithdrawn in August 1964, with afinal mileage of 1,134,319 and was sentto Barry scrapyard. Stripped of parts by other restoration groups,the remains of No.35006 were purchased for preservationin 1983 with the intention of restoring it to running order. OnAugust 10, 2015No. 35006

moved under its ownpower forthe first time inhalf acentury. Itsfirst public runs came during the G/WR’s CotswoldFestivalof Steam Gala at theend of May2016. The restorationearned the railway andowning group the 35006 LocomotiveCompanyLtd the Heritage Railway Association’s John CoileyAward for Locomotives2016. The citation said thatthe award was for“the provision bythe G/ WRof facilities thathaveenabled theowning grouptorestorethis MerchantNavyclasslocomotiveto anexceptionally high standardfor future use onthe railway”. Asweclosedforpress,92Squadron was still undertakingtest runs on theNVR followingthe successful completion of a£280,000 overhaul. When it entered traffic in September 1948,itwas the 101st Bulleid Pacific to be completed. Itwasoutshopped inmalachite green, the liveryitcarries today, and repainted intoBR Brunswick green inApril1950 whenits nameplates were fitted forthe first time. Ittoo was withdrawn in 1964, withafinal mileage of 741,511, andit also ended up at Dai Woodham’s scrapyard. Itwasboughtby the newly-formedBattle of Britain Locomotive Preservation Societyin September 1973 andleftBarry three yearslater, at first being taken to thePeterborough factory of British

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Sadly missed: Metropolitan Water Board Railway Society chairman Rick Scholefield, who has passed away at the age of 63, on the footplate of her beloved locomotive Darent, a former gasworks 0-4-0ST built by Andrew Barclay in 1903. The society runs the Hampton & Kempton Waterworks Railway, based on a line that from 1916-46 ran from the Thames to the waterworks at Hampton and Kempton Park. MWBRS and Santa special passengers 15%. The original Hampton-Kempton line operated from 1916 until 1946,

Sugar, andtowedbyrail toWansford. No.34081 movedunder its ownpower forthe first time in34 yearsonMarch 9, 1998, and afterentering NVRtraffic two monthslater, becamea mainstay ofits fleet. Itfirst visitedthe Mid Hants Railway forits 2003 gala. Aftervisiting several other heritage lines, 92Squadron spentseveralyears onthe North Norfolk Railway,whereit failed aboilerinspection onMay21,2008. Aftera benefactorprovided £50,000, it was movedback to the NVR in2010 fora 10-yearoverhaulto commence.Chatham Steam overhauled the boiler,which returnedtothe NVRinNovember 2013, being steam-testedout the frames in June2015 beforebeing reunitedwith the frames inthatOctober. Awarming firewas litin the firebox onDecember 12 last year beforeitmovedunder its ownpowerthe following day. Societychairman Ian Bowskill said:“It cost about £280,000 to dothis overhaul – it isnotcheap –withabout £180,000 going onthe boiler alone. “Atany one time there were about 35 people involved,taking partin boththe technical andfundraising side. “Weneeded a new smokebox,ashpan, andgrateforthe firebox. “Wedid the best we couldtocomplete the job tothe higheststandards.We think itstands comparison with any other example in the country.” No.34081 willtake partin adrivers’ courseon February10 and the NVR’s Bulleid 50 eventonFebruary25-26, alongside visiting No.34053 SirKeithPark. Itisalso plannedtostarinthe Severn ValleyRailway’s March17-19 spring steam gala(see separatestory,News, page 20), makingits firstvisit to that lineand alongside fourother Bulleids in the Swanage Railway’s March 31-April 2springgala (see separate story, News, pages 26-27).

and was worked throughout its life by three Kerr Stuart 0-4-2Ts, none of which survive.

Saved South African trio move to New Zealand THREE British-built steam locomotives have been exported from South Africa for a new life in New Zealand. Two of the engines are South African Railways Class 25NCs and the other is a Garratt articulated locomotive. They were bought by the founder of the Mainline Steam Heritage Trust, Wellington-based businessman Ian Welch, who is also said to be the owner of the largest private collection of steam locomotives in the world. Trust spokesman Mike Tolich said:“Because of the turmoil in South Africa these engines were going to be cut up for scrap, so the founder decided to save them and bring them to New Zealand and have them restored.” The trio are stored alongside Tamaki Drive in Auckland while the trust completes a new depot at Mercer, which is expected to be completed in 2018. In addition to its fleet of main line certified locomotives, the trust also has a large number of locomotives currently under restoration in Wellington and Christchurch.

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NEWS More steam on Ecclesbourne Valley this year

THE EcclesbourneValley Railway is to mount its most ambitious steam programme yet this summer. The line, noted for the superb restoration of first-generation DMU vehicles, will be hiring LMS 3F‘Jinty’0-6-0T No. 47406 from May to August and working trains between Duffield and Wirksworth. Two industrial steam locomotives based atWirksworth, 1944-built ex-Port of London Authority Hudswell-Clarke 0-6-0T No. S102 Cathryn and 1944-built Bagnall Austerity 0-6-0ST The Duke are being overhauled and making major progress. It is hoped that one or both of them will be completed by the autumn. Class 14 D9537 Eric will also be visiting from the East Lancashire Railway and will be operating trains at the line’s diesel weekend on March 18-19.

Raiders target Buckfastleigh coaches POLICE are investigating an incident of vandalism at Buckfastleigh station on the South Devon Railway. Officials of the line were left counting the cost after intruders smashed several coach windows after breaking into the stationmaster’s office and billing office on January 19-20 after 7pm. A spokesman said:“This was a fairly serious break-in. It’s all very sad for us because it not only costs time and money to carry out these unnecessary repairs, but also it distresses our dedicated staff and hard-working volunteers – all of whom find it abhorrent that our charity has been targeted by mindless thieves and vandals. “It’s the second time in less than 12 months that we have suffered such an attack at Buckfastleigh. The last time, in March 2016, a local woman launched an appeal which raised some £500.”

All seven surviving Deltics including the prototype were united at the Locomotion museum in Shildon from October 7-9, 2011, in an event organised by the Deltic Preservation Society to mark the 50th anniversary of the production Class 55s. The unique line-up was followed by a gala at the East Lancashire Railway the following weekend. ROBIN JONES

Four Deltics in exclusive Bluebell Railway gala By Robin Jones ONCE a defiantly steam-only line, the Bluebell Railway is to stage as major gathering of Class 55 Deltics this autumn. The railway hosted two Deltics during its 2015 diesel gala – but will now stage a gala featuring all four operational class members. The three-day event beginning on Friday, October 6 will also celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Deltic Preservation Society. The showpiece event will feature D9002 The King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, No. 55009 Alycidon, No. 55019 Royal Highland Fusilier and No. 55022 Royal Scots Grey – plus what the society described as a“surprise visitor”which is still subject to negotiations.The event

will be exclusive to Deltics, with only class members running on the line. All are currently operational barring No. 55019, which is undergoing an overhaul and is set to be ready in time for the gala. The society hopes to run at least one dining train on the line during the gala, plus an associated special on the national network organised by Avocet Travel Management. The East Midlands Railway Photographic Society has been asked to organise an event on the Friday evening. The event is being held in conjunction with the National Railway Museum and its KOYLI Group and Beaver Sports. The Bluebell will also be holding a spring diesel gala from March 31 to April 2.

As we closed for press, guest locomotives were still being booked, but the appearance of Class 50s No. 50035 Ark Royal and No. 50049 Defiance has been confirmed. Owned by the Class 50 Alliance Ltd and based at the Severn Valley Railway, the pair will travel to East Grinstead via the national network. The event will mark 50 years since the first‘Hoover’was built. Entering service in August 1968 and December 1968 respectively, Ark Royal and Defiance will be the first of the class to visit the Bluebell Railway. Ark Royal was withdrawn in August 1990 and Defiance a year later. Defiance was the last passenger diesel locomotive built for BR and Ark Royal was the first of the class to be preserved.

Great Central Railway salutes its‘old hands’ The Great Central Railway has celebrated the volunteers who keep Britain’s only double-track heritage main line – by inviting 300 of them to

a slap-up meal. Of that number, 66 have clocked up more than 40 years’service each – making between them a total of 2600

years. The aim of the dinner event at Leicester’s King Power stadium was to celebrate all who give their time to the

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Could this be a heritage railway? Fledborough station has its running-in board and platforms intact. TOM MERRIL

Bid to revive Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast station MOVES to establish a new standard gauge heritage railway centre in Nottinghamshire have been started. A group of enthusiasts want to form a society called the North Notts Railway with the aim of operating over a section of the Lancashire, Derbyshire & East Coast Railway, which in 1907 was bought by the Great Central Railway. The short-term aim is to create an operating site and museum on the old High Marnham Power Station sidings near Fledborough station, which opened in 1897 and closed on September 17, 1955. As time and funds progress, the aim is to extend back into the station’s bay platform and operate in push-pull mode over at least 2500ft of track. After the line between Chesterfield Market Place and Lincoln closed, the line was used by summer excursions until 1964. It was retained for freight, but a derailment east of Fledborough Viaduct on February 21, 1980 led to the immediate closure of the line from the power station through Fledborough to Pyewipe Junction, with the tracks being

subsequently lifted. A group called Friends of Fledborough today looks after the abandoned station keeping the trackbed tidy and platforms clean.The trackbed eastwards from the station across FledboroughViaduct, through Clifton to Doddington & Harby forms an off-road part of National Cycle Route 647 which is part of the National Cycle Network. Once the station is restored, the revivalists aim to look at operating along the Network Rail track toTuxford, initially to a loop.The track is still in situ 150 yards away from the station and may require just the tracks being connected. In the longer term, the group aims to create a western terminus at Ollerton if the Robin Hood Line is extended to there. If the Robin Hood Line is not extended, the revivalists aim to operate through Edwinstowe to the site of Thoresby pit site with a new station opposite the Sherwood Forest Centre. ➜The revivalists have launched an appeal for more members. Anyone who is interested is invited to email Nick Raithby at [email protected]

Two to steam at Penrhyn this year THE revived Penrhyn Quarry Railway in Bethesda is to have a steam locomotive for the 2017 running season. John Sutton’s 2015-built 0-4-0VBT Fernilee, currently based at the Llanberis Lake Railway, visited the line last June line.The evening culminated in the presentation of long-service awards. Chief executive, Andy Munro, said:“As we started adding up the numbers, we couldn’t believe how many people have been committed to the railway for so long. “It is the sort of record many companies can only dream of, so it was absolutely right that we salute their dedication. Along with all of our volunteers, it’s their effort which continues to keep the railway alive.” The last part of the original Great Central Railway Marylebone Extension in the East Midlands closed in 1969.That year, several Some of the Great Central Railway volunteers collect their long-service certificates for 2600 years of service. SCOTT MATLOCK

2016 for its Evolution ofTransport event. Fernilee will arrive at the line in early May. In August, it will be joined by an original Penrhyn Quarry locomotive, when Hunslet 0-4-0ST No. 316 of 1883 Gwyneddvisits from Bressingham. people met in the waiting room at Leicester Central station to discuss how a section of the line could be preserved as a home for large steam locomotives. At the dinner some of those founding fathers were present, meaning they are approaching half a century of service. Andy added:“We have around 700 volunteers at the GCR from all age groups and it’s great to see young people working alongside more experienced engineers and volunteers. People are passionate about volunteering and helping to shape the future.With major developments coming down the line in the years ahead, there is a real buzz of excitement in the air. It’s a great time to get involved and experience the passionate team spirit.”

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NEWS

9F completes SVR spring gala line-up BR green-liveried 9F 2-10-0 No. 92214 will be returning for a second visit to the SevernValley Railway. Traditionally a branch line-style gala, the March 17-19 event has a distinctly large engine feel to it, with NeneValley Railway-based unrebuilt Bulleid No. 34081 92 Squadron, also set to take a starring role, the newly restored Pacific appearing in the early BR livery of SR-style Malachite green, but with BR number (see separate story p16) – although it will be minus its nameplates as these are to be unveiled at a later ceremony by owner the Battle of Britain Locomotive Society. The SVR’s traditional autumn steam gala last September was replaced with the Pacific Power event to accommodate the visits of No. 60103 Flying Scotsman and No. 60163 Tornado, and instead an end of season‘finale’event was staged in November, which took on the mantle of a branch line event, featuring the railway’s smaller tank engines. Because of this, the spring gala is set to take on a different feel, with larger resident and guest locomotives handling the full-line eight-coach trains, while local services between intermediate stations will be hauled by the freshly-overhauled GWR 0-6-0PT No. 7714, PortTalbot Railway/ GWR 0-6-0ST No. 813 and the third visiting locomotive, Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41312, from the Mid Hants Railway.

Freight turns

These last three locomotives will also be rostered for freight turns, along with the 9F, in an intensive timetable which will feature doubleheaded combinations including No. 7714 and Collett 0-4-2T No. 1450, and the Ivatt pairing of No. 41312 and resident 4MT 2-6-0 No. 43106.The Friday and Saturday will have no less than 10 locomotives in operation, with nine scheduled for the Sunday. Other locomotives from the home fleet will include Hawksworth 0-6-0PT No. 1501, Churchward 2-8-0 No. 2857, GWR 4-6-0 duo Nos. 7802 BradleyManor and 7812 Erlestoke Manor, and Bulleid Pacifics Nos. 34027 TawValley and 34053 Sir KeithPark,which together with visiting unrebuilt No. 34081 will be a nod to this year’s end of Southern Steam 50th anniversary. The event will also feature brakevan rides at Highley, while the Engine House visitor centre will have three new exhibitions for the 2017 season:The Art of the Railway Poster, 2007 Storm Damage – 10Years On, and Signs of theTimes. The railway is offering aVIP breakfast package, including a full works breakfast served at the Engine House at a table overlooking the railway and River Severn, including exclusive all-day access to its viewing balcony.Visit www.svr.co.uk for further details.

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GWR 4-6-0 No. 6000 King George V during a night photography event at the STEAM museum. JACK BOSKETT

GCR bridge: work starts for autumn completion By Robin Jones WORK on the £1 million bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough, to reconnect the two heritage era Great Central railways and create a unique 18-mile heritage inter-city trunk line, has begun. Contractors are now on site, and their first work will see further trial holes dug and foundations prepared for the start of construction of the bridge supports. This initial phase will be followed by a short period of relative quiet on site while specialist concrete and the metal work is prepared elsewhere. However, the major construction work will take place over the summer, with the necessary track possessions in late August or September, and the completion of the 33-yard bridge now scheduled for early autumn, when it will be craned into place. In the meantime, design work for the future phases of reunification, including the replacement of embankments between Loughborough station and the bridge continues. Around 550 yards separates the Great Central Railway at Loughborough from the bridge site.The new bridge is the first key piece of infrastructure to be reinstated. GCR chief executive Andy Munro said:

Contractors’ temporary buildings have appeared at the bridge site. TOM INGALL/GCR “Our supporters have waited a long time to see theVictorian link between the two lines restored. Rebuilding this bridge is a bold statement of intent which secures a vision for the future, where heritage trains can run between Leicester and the south of Nottingham.To see our supportive contractors MPB in action on site is very exciting and we look forward to bridging the gap!”

Public appeal

A million pound public appeal to help fund the work exceeded its total when the local community and enthusiasts from across the country rallied to support the scheme.The final cost of rebuilding the bridge will be close to £3 million, with contributions from the

Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership and the purchase of shares in the Great Central Railway by Leicestershire County Council. A consultants’report has shown the revived line will generate economic benefit and create jobs across the area by attracting tourists. Construction of the new bridge and rail link will also give the southern half of the Great Central access to the national network via its northern sister line the Great Central Railway (Nottingham). In turn this will mean excursion trains can access the planned new Heritage Lottery Fund-backed railway museum to be built at Leicester North. Andy added:“I would like to thank everyone who has supported our appeal or worked hard behind the scenes so this project can proceed.That includes Network Rail, Charnwood Borough Council, Leicestershire and Leicester City Councils and our immediate neighbours next to the bridge, Preci-Spark. Seeing the physical work begin is a rewarding moment and the whole community can be proud.” ➜ Anyone who would like to contribute toward the Bridging the Gap project is invited to visit www.gcrailway.co.uk/ unify for more details.

Grange to star at Tyseley open day NEW-BUILD GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange is to line up alongside fellow Swindon greats at this summer’s Tyseley LocomotiveWorks open day. With the bottom end of the locomotive complete, it will be taken from its construction base at the Llangollen Railway toTyseley for the June 24/25 annual event.

Still carrying the boiler from unrestored GWR 4-6-0 No. 5952 Cogan Hall for cosmetic purposes, it will be positioned around the turntable to stand alongside the likes of Castle class No. 5043 Earl of MountEdgcumbe and No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall for the first time.The Grange will be positioned with a tender from one of theTyseley-based locomotives.

Tyseley is overhauling the boiler from ex-Barry hulk No. 7927 Willington Hall for use on the Grange.The boiler was taken there from Llangollen last November. At Llangollen, the connecting rods are currently being fitted to BettonGrange. The cylinders are being pressure tested, and the sheeting for the boiler is underway.

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End of ‘Black Five’ dream for Duke of Gloucester engineer EXCLUSIVE

By Geoff Courtney AN ambitious project to recreate one of a pair of LMS‘Black Five’4-6-0s that were the forerunners of No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester has been called off, so ending the dream of Peter Kenyon, a former engineer on the restoration of the unique Standard Pacific. Peter is a member of the locomotive’s custodian, the BR Class 8 Steam LocomotiveTrust, and organised the manufacture of all the Caprotti valve gear parts for the 14-year‘mission impossible’restoration that saw No. 71000 return to steam in 1987. The Duke of Gloucester incorporates a British-developed outside drive form of Caprotti valve gear that was fitted by BR to the Pacific and also to Standard Class 5MT Nos. 73125-54, while its use had also been employed by BR earlier on 1951-built LMS-designed ‘Black Five’Nos. 44686/7. Like the Duke, one of the Class 5MTs, No. 73129, survives in preservation. Peter, a former Rolls-Royce engineer, is a strong advocate of what became

known as British Caprotti valve gear, which was developed after the Second World War from the Italian inside drive design by former GWR engineerTom Daniels in his role as chief engineer of the Worcester engineering company Associated Locomotive Equipment.

Vast improvement

“In service, Nos 44686 and 87, which were the last members of the class to be built, were a vast improvement on the 20 built with Caprotti inside drive at Crewe three years earlier,” he said. “They were strong and powerful at lower speeds and retained the impressive Caprotti characteristic of plenty of power above 45mph. “They also had the ability to achieve and maintain high speeds, and their performance was so remarkable they were considered the equivalent of a good Class 6 engine.” Such is Peter’s admiration for this British engineering development that in 2013 he launched a campaign to build a new British Caprotti‘Black Five’, a project which he estimated would cost £1 million.

At the time Peter, who is 72 and lives in Derby, said:“We have drawings and patterns for valve gear parts, and I have obtained from the National Railway Museum copies of drawings of outside cylinders and smokebox arrangement and saddle.” Such parts as valves and cages, camboxes and reversing boxes, he said, were identical to those of Nos. 71000 and 73129, and drawings for all of these parts existed. Peter formed a company, Caprotti Black 5 Ltd, launched a fundraising drive, researched possible sites for the project, and he set his heart on returning to the tracks what he describes as an “underrated but landmark British steam locomotive invention”. With donations received, plus his own funds, he has had cast two‘Black Five’ reversing gearboxes and cambox covers, and received the donation of an original Horwich 1951 worksplate, the build date and works location of Nos. 44686/7. But following a meeting with engineers at Midland Railway-Butterley before Christmas, Peter realised his dream was unlikely to become reality, and he came to the reluctant decision to

call a halt to the project.“I offered them the chance to finish my project and so create a‘new’44686 or 87, but they need funds to restore No. 73129, so taking on my project would not be on. “So, sadly, I have called a halt to the project. I obviously feel very disappointed, but given my age, lack of help, and not enough finance, the project has no realistic hope of succeeding.”

What might have been

The supporter who donated the Horwich worksplate had said he would not expect it to be returned –“He said I could keep it as a reminder of what might have been,” said Peter, who added that the company Caprotti Black 5 Ltd would remain alive, albeit mothballed, to enable the project to be revived should such an opportunity arise. “All the documents will be retained and I will continue research, as some interested party just might come along.” “To complete the British Caprotti family by adding a‘Black Five’to Nos. 71000 and 73129 is still my dream, and I won’t let go.”

One of the few: LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 44687 rests at Crewe on June 3, 1952. The 1951 Horwich-built 4-6-0 was one of only two members of the 842-strong class to be fitted with British Caprotti valve gear, which was also subsequently fitted by BR to No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester and Class 5MT Nos. 73125-54. A project to recreate one of the ‘Black Fives’ has foundered due to lack of finance. BKB GREEN/NORMAN PREEDY ARCHIVE

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LNER steam nameplate mystery baffles experts By Geoff Courtney THE mystery of an altered main line LNER locomotive nameplate has intrigued railwayana collectors following its sale at auction. It comes fromThompson B1 No. 61237, which was built by North British Locomotive Co in September 1947 and named GeoffreyHKitson three months later. The plate was sold for £5500 by Great Central Railwayana at Stoneleigh Park on December 3, and so brought into sharp focus an enigma that has fascinated one of the country’s leading LNER nameplate experts and intrigued historians to whom such apparent railway minutia is a captivating subject. After emerging from NBL’s Glasgow works, the then-unnamed 4-6-0 was allocated to Leeds Neville Hill, and was fitted at Darlington with nameplates GeoffreyHKitson, after an LNER director, who was a member of the famous Leeds-based locomotive building family. Its Doncaster-cast plates may look conventional, but to the trained eye of nameplate specialists they are not, for the middle initial was at some stage changed from an N to an H.When, and why, is not clear, as explained by LNER plate expert PaulTilley. “What is known is that the B1 ran for about three months without nameplates,” said Paul.“It was then named at Darlington without any ceremony, which was unusual. It transpired that the plates were cast with a middle initial N, but this was changed to the correct H.” Paul said that the correction, which can still be seen today, was made by grinding off the diagonal part of the N and replacing it with a horizontal bar that was riveted on to form an H. It is believed no photographs or records exist of the loco carrying incorrectly-initialled nameplates, leading to the conclusion that the error was spotted, probably at Darlington, before they were fitted.

Another unusual feature of the plates is that there is no full stop after the initial, which is contrary to the usual LNER practice.The nameplate A.HaroldBibby, carried by another B1, No. 61250, had a full stop, and indeed the Ian Allan ABC books incorrectly record the plates on No. 61237 as being with full stops. How delightful it would have been to have overheard the conversation when the error was realised, be it at Doncaster or Darlington, by perhaps an apprentice, a foreman, or – horror of horrors – Geoffrey H Kitson himself. Perhaps it was spotted only minutes before an official ceremony when the plates were due to be fixed, so resulting in the event being postponed and thus explaining why there was no formal ceremony when they were put on the loco.

Perhaps misread

And how could such a mistake, involving no less a person than one of the company’s directors and a member of one of the country’s highest-profile locomotive building firms, have been made? A scribbled H on a piece of paper looking like an N and therefore misread by the plate’s pattern maker perhaps? B1 names were a constant source of bewilderment to us young trainspotters in the 1950s and early 1960s. A number of the antelope names were unpronounceable and sounded unreal, and why was the name of just one director – Ralph Assheton – carried among the antelopes? And then again, to young minds, some of the personalities seemingly came from another planet. How aboutStrangSteel, or Murray ofElibank? Then there was the gap in the names that left No. 61239 anonymous. Research by PaulTilley has suggested that this loco was to be named after LNER director Rupert Evelyn Beckett, but for unknown reasons he declined, making him the sole company director not to be so honoured.

Initial thinking: LNER B1 No. 61237 in York shed yard on May 23, 1965. The 4-6-0, which was withdrawn at the end of the following year, was named Geoffrey H Kitson, one of 18 in the class named after the company’s directors. The plate carried by No. 61237 appeared to have an altered middle initial, while unusually for the LNER, there was no full stop after the initial. Inset: The B1’s nameplate that recently sold at auction for £5500. NORMAN PREEDY/GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAYANA Right: LNER great and good: Geoffrey H Kitson’s entry in the list of directors in the 1947 LNER pocket diary. Kitson’s name was carried by Thompson B1 No. 61237 on a plate that appears to have been originally cast with an incorrect middle initial. Nine other directors on the page also had B1s named after them – Geoffrey Gibbs (No. 61248), Sir William Gray (No. 61189), AHS Hinchliffe (No. 61240), Sir Harold Mitchell (No. 61243), Lt-Col Arthur Cecil Murray (No. 61245), Viscount Ridley (No. 61241), WL Runciman (No. 61238), Sir Samuel Strang Steel (No. 61244), and Fitzherbert Wright (No. 61249). The only other director on the page, Andrew K McCosh, trumped his peers by having a Gresley A4, No. 60003, named after him. It is worth noting that the directors’ personal addresses are listed, a reflection of the less security-conscious life in Britain immediately after the war. GEOFF COURTNEY The GWR policy of naming its locomotives after mainly buildings, the SR with its fictional characters, schools and towns, and the LMS with countries, regiments and cities, must have seemed so straightforward to

those who were responsible for the LNER naming policy, as they grappled with the obscure antelope species that few people had ever heard of and the machinations of its own board of directors.

South Devon homecoming for Beattie well tank THE South Devon Railway is to welcome back one of its former residents for its February 11-19 half-term week services. The National collection’s LSWR Beattie 2-4-0WT No. 30587, which was for many years displayed inside the Buckfastleigh station museum, is returning from its Bodmin & Wenford Railway home. A second guest will be GWR 2-6-2T No. 5542. The home fleet, subject to Left: No. 30587, one of two surviving Beattie well tanks, in action on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. PETER ZABEK/SDR Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

availability, will comprise GWR 0-6-0PTs Nos. 1369 and 6412 and GWR 0-6-0 No. 3205, so reuniting the Wenfordbridge pair of Nos. 1369 and 30587. There will be between two and five engines running each day. Every train will have a buffet and bar serving a selection of craft ales and the refreshment rooms, expressway models and the museum at Buckfastleigh will all be open every day during the week. On selected days, the Lee Moor Tramway museum and the old signalbox will be open to visitors too. Heritagerailway.co.uk 23

NEWS Running day in memory of enthusiast John THE South Devon Railway is to honour diesel enthusiast John Frood following his death from a heart attack on November 19 at the age of 56. There will be a running day on February 25 with the traction being Class 33 No. 33002/ D6501, a type with which John, a big supporter and helper of Buckfastleigh-based South Devon Diesel Traction Ltd, was most closely associated as an enthusiast. At his funeral on December 9, at the Exeter & Devon Crematorium, more than 250 mourners attended to celebrate his life and the ceremonies ended with a recording of No. 33002 departing from a station stop. Arrangements are still being finalised but the provisional plan is for a private train to depart from Buckfastleigh around 10am to the location where John’s ashes will be scattered followed by a second trip worked in top-and-tail mode with a steam locomotive; this will be followed by a number of round trips powered by No. 33002 on its own. No. 33002 will carry a commemorative wreath on the day and a memorial cab plaque is currently being made.

IN BRIEF ➜ THE new shop being built at the entrance to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Goathland station is now externally complete and attention has now turned to fitting it out. This building is a replica of the existing shop on Platform 1 at Goathland, and its completion will allow that building to revert to its original use as a waiting room. ➜ THE recent sale of Boden Rail Class 50 No. 50007 Hercules to the Fifty Fund, based on the Severn Valley Railway, was completed on January 16 when Devon & Cornwall Railways Class 31/4 No. 31452 transferred it from Washwood Heath to Kidderminster. ➜ SWINDON’S Steam Museum is marking the 90th birthday of one of the town’s star products after GWR 4-6-0 No. 6000 King George V, built in Swindon in 1927, arrived on loan from the National Railway Museum. ➜ THE Severn Valley Railway’s diesel gala on May 18-20 will include the return of Class 17 D8568 and a pair of GB Railfreight locomotives, expected to be a Class 66/7 and a 73/9.

24 Heritagerailway.co.uk

BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76017 heads past North Street on the Mid Hants Railway on January 2. EDWARD DYER

Coaches needed for new Stranraer centre By Hugh Dougherty

STRANRAERTown and RuralTrust (START) is on the lookout for two carriages to park at the end of the tracks at Stranraer station as the nucleus of its proposed railway heritage centre. It is planned that the coaches will also house a model engineering training centre for local young people and a cafe. Network Rail has given the society space at the end of the pier on which the station is situated as part of START’s drive to put the station, served by trains on the Stranraer-Girvan line, firmly on the map while providing community and tourist facilities on the town’s waterfront. START chairman, John McCutcheon, who is also a Scotrail conductor based at Stranraer, said:“We have been working hard to promote Stranraer and its railway since Stena Line moved its Belfast ferry operation to Loch Ryan Port in 2011 and are eagerly awaiting the regeneration of the Stranraer waterfront. “We now have the go-ahead for our centre at the end of the railway pier, and are keen to hear from any heritage railway or museum that would be able to either sell or lend us one or two railway carriages. “One possibility would be restoring them in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway College, which has a campus in Stranraer, and we’d be happy to look at any possibilities. “We had been offered a Glasgow Subway coach by Strathclyde Partnership forTransport, but only when it comes out of service in 2020, and

Stranraer’s railway pier and station. START’s carriages will be situated between the train shed and the end of the pier. HUGH DOUGHERTY that’s too long to wait.We’re particularly keen to hear from anyone who can help as Stranraer is marking its 400th anniversary as a borough this year, and we would like to be able to launch our project with a coach or coaches on site this year to tie in with marking this historic year.” John also revealed that START has been in discussions with steam excursion operators to explore the possibility of running a steam train to Stranaer in June or July as part of the Stranraer 400 celebrations. “We would use the steam train to showcase the superb scenery on the Stranraer line as well as taking passengers into the town to join us at the 400th anniversary celebrations, so showcasing Stranraer to potential visitors,” said John. The last steam train to run to and

from Stranraer was the RailwayTouring Company’s ‘Great BritainV’which ran on April 26, 2012. Abelio promised at its franchise launch in April 2015 to look at the Stranraer line as a route for regular steam trains but, apart from designating the line as one of its Great Scenic Rail Journeys of Scotland, has taken no further action. Both START and the Stranraer Ayr Line Support Association, the local community rail partnership, are committed to introducing and sustaining regular steam trains between Ayr and Stranraer as part of the local tourism offering. ➜ Any museum, heritage railway or reader who can help START procure two railway carriages for use at Stranraer should contact John McCutcheon at jmccutcheon@ googlemail.com

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NEWS

Main line glamour to star at KESR gala By Geoff Courtney THE glamour of a named main line express locomotive will be a highlight of a Kent & East Sussex Railway gala in May, when GWR-designed, BR-built No. 7822 Foxcote Manor makes a guest appearance. Built at Swindon in December 1950, the 4-6-0’s first-ever visit to the KESR will include starring in a 1940s weekend on May 20-21, one of the line’s most popular annual events. The visit has been sponsored in part by the railway’s Guest Engine Club, which was formed by volunteers 18 months ago to assist with the hire of guest locomotives. In the case of Foxcote Manor, the club is paying the high cost

of transporting the engine from the Llangollen Railway, where it is based, to Kent. No. 7822, one of nine members of the 30-strong class to have been saved for preservation, was built to the 1930s’ design of GWR Chief Mechanical Engineer, Charles Collett. Named after a Grade IIlisted 17th century Gloucestershire house, the loco was withdrawn from Shrewsbury (6D) in November 1965. During its 15 years of BR service it was a‘Cambrian Coast Express’regular on the Shrewsbury to Aberystwyth route – an image that will bring misty-eyed nostalgia to GWR aficionados – and also reached the heights in railway terms by hauling the RoyalTrain in 1963.

After withdrawal it languished at Dai Woodham’s Barry scrapyard until being rescued by the then newly formed Foxcote Manor Society in 1974 and moved to Oswestry, headquarters of the Cambrian Railways Society, and then to Llangollen in 1986. Meanwhile, 20 miles away, another heritage line is celebrating after a marked increase in visitor numbers. It isTunbridge Wells-based SpaValley Railway, which last year recorded more than 42,500 visitors, nearly 40% above the 2015 figure of 30,500. General manager JonnieWesson said: “Since the opening to Groombridge 20 years ago, the railway has achieved many things – we extended to Birchden

Junction in 2004 and to Eridge in 2011, and we have become home to a wonderful fleet of steam and heritage diesel locomotives.” Jonnie said the success was down to the dedication of the railway’s volunteers,“without whom we would not exist today.” He also pointed to the introduction of signalling at Groombridge that has enabled an increased service, and heavy investment in infrastructure such as track relaying. It was on August 23, 1997, that the railway opened the 3½-mile line to Groombridge, an anniversary that will be celebrated in style with a 20th birthday gala over the bank holiday weekend August 26-28.Two resident 0-6-0ST steam locomotives – No. 72, built by Vulcan Foundry in 1945, and 1950 Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns No. 62 Ugly – will be joined by four SpaValley Railway diesels and a Class 73 electro-diesel. There will also be Class 207 DEMU ‘Thumper’No. 1317, which closed the line in 1985, and additional visiting steam and diesel locomotives.

To the Manor born: With the driver gazing intently at the adjacent track, No. 7822 Foxcote Manor is at Saltney Junction, Chester, in 1959, heading towards the former Roman city with a Down train from Wrexham, its rake of carriages including GWR elliptical roof coaches. The 4-6-0, one of nine in the class saved for preservation, is to travel from its home at Llangollen to star in the Kent & East Sussex Railway 1940s weekend on May 20-21. J DAVENPORTNORMAN PREEDY ARCHIVE

Waterman becomes vice-president POP mogul and locomotive owner Pete Waterman has been appointed as a vicepresident of theTransportTrust. StuartWilkinson, chairman of the UK charity dedicated to the preservation of the nation’s transport heritage, said:“He has a very high profile in rail preservation and brings with him a huge amount of experience. “On behalf of the trust, I would like to extend the warmest possible welcome to him as we prepare to work together to further develop our UK transport

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preservation activities and programmes.” Pete began his working life in the winter of 1962 as a fireman on a steam locomotive. Over the years he has been a part-owner of Flying Scotsman, as well as the driving force behind the modernday LNWR, which operated a rail vehicle maintenance business, ran tourist and charter trains, and promoted railway heritage through its steam locomotive and carriage restoration arm.Through that venture, PeteWaterman also promoted engineering apprenticeships.

He is best known for being part of the 1980s multi-award winning music production team Stock, Aitken and Waterman, whose Hit Factory generated more than a dozen chart-topping songs and launched the musical careers of stars including Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley. In 2015, Pete auctioned a tenth of his massive model railway collection in order to raise funds to secure the future of theWaterman Railway HeritageTrust, which houses his collection at various sites around the country.

JEFF MORGAN/ALAMY Pete said:“As an enthusiast myself it is so good to be asked to be involved in an organisation that is so dedicated to preserving the transport heritage of the nation.”

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British-built preserved steam locomotive “could be scrapped” By Robin Jones A NORTHEast-built4-8-2donatedto preservationistsayearagorisksbeing scrapped –becausethenewowning groupdoesnothavethefundstobringit backtotheUK. Nowanationwideappealhasbeen made forother heritageorganisationsto takeitonbeforeitistoolate. SouthAfricanRailways’Robert Stephenson Hawthorns19D4-8-2 No.2767(laterSaiccorNo.3)wasofferedto theNBLPreservationGroupfreeofcharge bythecountry’s SappiPulpMillnear UmkomaaslastJanuary. Itwasplannedtobringthelocomotive backtoDarlingtonforstaticdisplayinthe town’s HeadofSteamMuseum,whichis devotedtothelocalrailwayindustry.

Hopes were high thattherewouldbea goodlevelof supportfromtheDarlington areaandthepossibilityofHeritageLottery Fundgrant aid. Morethan£6000 wasraisedbygroup membersinthefirstfewmonths,but theanticipatedlevelofsupportfromthe NorthEast didnotmaterialise. Themuseumthentoldthegroup thatnospacewillbeavailableforthe locomotiveintheforeseeablefuture. Sincethen,thegrouphasapproached severalother UKorganisationsand museumsinabidtoraisefundsandfind ahomeforthe19D,butwithout success. Groupofficials appealedtotheNational RailwayMuseumandalso madeadirect approachtothemayorofDarlington,but without success. Thewornconditionofthelocomotive’s

tyreshasprecludedmovementbyrail, androadhaulagecoststoDurban’s docks, just35miles away,hasbeenquotedin excess of£25,000.Thehighcostispartly downtothe30% fallinthevalueofthe pound againsttherandinthelast12 months. Furthermore,shippingcoststobring the 19D back tothe UKhavebeenquoted ataround£40,000inaddition toroad haulagecharges ateitherend. Sinceitwastakenoutofservice inAugust2015,thelocomotivehas remainedstoredatthemillinSouthAfrica. Groupsecretary,KenLivermore,said: “Wearebecomingseriouslyconcerned thatifitis notcollectedfromthesitesoon, theofferfromSappimanagementwillbe withdrawnandNo.3willbescrapped. “Whilewefullyappreciatethehistoric

GRANT TO RESTORE WW1 DIESEL THAT NEVER FOUGHT A FIRSTWorld One diesel that missed out on the Western Front is to be restored to running order with the aid of a £13,000 PRISM grant from Arts Council England. The locomotive, part of the Moseley RailwayTrust collection, was built by the Motor Rail &Tramcar Company Ltd of Bedford in 1918 as works number 1320. It was built as a 40hp locomotive intended for operation by the British military light railways that served the front lines and was a‘protected’ locomotive, with bodywork intended to shield the crew from enemy fire. However, No.1320 did not leave Bedford until September 1918, and hence was too late to see any active service. Like many other locomotives of its type, it was sold to a Hertfordshire gravel quarry, where it worked until it was preserved in 1978. It is now owned outright by the trust following a bequest by its late owner in 2012. When new, this locomotive would have been fitted with a Dorman 4J0 petrol engine. However, when at the quarry, it was heavily rebuilt with the current Dorman 4DWD diesel engine. At, or around this time, the bodywork was changed to give the locomotive its current appearance. No. 1320 will now be sympathetically restored to the condition in which it worked at the gravel quarries.

When complete, it will contrast with another 40hp Motor Rail locomotive in the trust collection in No.1369, which is still in‘military specification’ condition. It is planned to complete the restoration of No.1320 during 2017, which will allow the locomotive to be demonstrated at the Moseley RailwayTrust’s 2018 Tracks to theTrenches event, which will take place in July 2018. Trust chairman, Phil Robinson, said:“We are really grateful to Arts Council England for its support.This restoration project will be delivered by our volunteer members, so not only will the loco be restored, but our members will be able to learn new skills and pass experience to our younger members.”

No.1320 at the Moseley Railway Trust’s Apedale Valley Light Railway. MRT

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

SAR 19D No. 2767 (Saiccor No. 3) desperately needs a new home. KEN LIVERMORE natureofthis finelocomotive,weare unfortunatelynot inapositiontospend around£75,000topreserveitandwehave thereforedecidedtoinviteothergroupsor individualstoparticipateintheschemeor totakeitoveratnocost. “Please be assured that if we are forced to wind up the 19D project, all those who have contributed towards the scheme will receive a refund of their donations or the option to transfer the money to another of our appeals such as the Dubs tank, LNER tender restorations, or the Hendrie Class 1. “Weverymuchregretthecurrent situationandwouldliketothankeveryone fortheircontinuedsupport andinterest.” ➜ Anyone interested in taking on the 19D is invited to email Ken at ken. [email protected]

Five Bulleids at Swanage end of Southern steam gala FIVE Bulleid Pacifics will steam at the Swanage Railway’s March 31-April 2 spring gala. Four confirmed visiting locomotives appearing at the Strictly Bulleid extravaganza are West Country No. 34046 Braunton – appearing in its current guise as Battle of Britain No. 34052 Lord Dowding – West Country No. 34092 City of Wells and the Battle of Britains No. 34053 Sir Keith Park and No. 34081 92 Squadron. Swanage Railway general manager, Matt Green, said: “It will be the first time that City of Wells has run on the Swanage Railway and the first time since the mid-1960s that Sir Keith Park has run at Swanage. “Steam days railway photographer, John Scrace, captured Sir Keith Park at the head of a London train at Swanage in June, 1964.” No. 34081 is owned by the Battle of Britain Locomotive Society. Based at the Nene Valley Railway, its owners have just completed a general overhaul of the locomotive, boiler and tender. Sir Keith Park, owned by Southern Locomotives Ltd, is currently based on the Severn Valley Railway while City of Wells was based on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for many years. Unrebuilt Battle of Britain No. 34070 Manston from the Swanage Railway’s home fleet will also appear. An intensive service of both passenger and demonstration goods trains will be operated. There will be a bistro dining train on the Friday evening and the‘Wessex Belle’dining train will run on the Saturday evening. Heritagerailway.co.uk 27

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Aviva boost for heritage trio By Robin Jones

THREE heritagerailwayshavebeen givengrantsfromtheAvivaCommunity Fundtotalling£38,000afterfending off competitionfromhundredsofother volunteerorganisationsinanationwide competition. TheGloucestershireWarwickshire Railwayhaswon£25,000towardsthe constructionof anew£300,000visitor centreatWinchcombestation. Thecentrewillbeusedforarange of communityandeventpurposes while enhancingthestationfacilitiesatthe delightful station. Thecentrewillmainly beusedto provideeducationalfacilitiesforthe growingnumber ofschoolvisitstothe railway,suchasthepopular‘wartime evacuation’days. Inaddition,thetwo-storey,stone-built buildingwillbeavailableforpublicuse suchassupplementinglocalvillagehall facilities,adisplayspaceforlocal artsand craftseventsandexhibitions;atraining facilityfortherailway’s volunteerstaff,use asareceptionfacilityforspecialoccasions suchasSantaSpecialsandtohousethe railway’s archives. Aviva’s nationwideinitiativewas launchedin2015andprovidesfinancial supportforprojectsthatwillmake a positiveimpactonthecommunity.It calledonlocalpeopletosubmitaproject closetotheirheart,tobeinwithachance ofsecuringfunding. Thefund’s aimistogalvanisesupportof localpeopleforprojectsinsixcategories: health, disabilityandwell-being; supportingtheyoungergeneration; supportingtheoldergeneration;sport inthecommunity;environmentand communitysupport. Morethanfive millionvoteswereplacedonline with450 projectsbenefittingoverall. ChrisBristow,therailway’s volunteer financedirector,said:“Thisisatremendous successandthatsomanypeoplevotedfor thevisitorcentreatWinchcombe,resulting

The front elevation of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s new £300,00 visitor centre at Winchcombe. It will be built of stone, have two floors, and will be redolent of the other buildings at the station. The current station building came from Monmouth Troy in the heritage eras. G/WR inthe£25,000award,speaksvolumes fortheaffectionthatpeoplehaveforour railway. “Weareplayinganincreasingly importantroleinthelivesoflocalpeople aswellasthewidertourismeconomy andthisprojectwillhelptocementthat relationship forthelongterm.” AswellastheAvivagrant,fundingis comingfromtheFriendsofWinchcombe StationandthecharitableGloucestershire WarwickshireRailwayTrust. TheEast LancashireRailway’s ongoing WheelchairAccessible Carriagesproject hasreceivedan£8000 grantfromthe Avivafund. Therailwayappliedlast Septemberand receivedalmost 8000votesintheinitial phaseofthecompetition,allowingits projecttocontinue tothefinal judging stages,whereitreceivedafinancialreward. Thegrant will seea1950s brakecoach undergoanextensivetransformationso

thatitcancomfortablyaccommodateup tofourwheelchairuserswith additional seatingandstandingroomavailable foraccompanyingguests.Therailway successfullyconvertedabrakevaninto their firstwheelchair accessible carriage lastJuly. ELRchairman,MikeKelly,said:“We arealwayslookingatwaysthatwecan enhancethecustomer experienceand improvingourAccessforAlloffering.As aregisteredcharityandapredominantly volunteer-runorganisation,raisingthe typeoffundsneededforaprojectlikethis canbequitechallenging.”

Workontherailway’s secondwheelchair accessible carriageisexpectedto commencewithinthenextfewweeksand should befinishedbytheendoftheyear. Elsewhere,a £5000awardmadetothe EcclesbourneValleyRailwaywillsupport therestorationtoworkingorderofarailcar thathadbeenconvertedintheearly2000s toactasarescue vehiclefortheSevern Tunnel. Replacedseveralyearsagobyroad/ railvehicles,apairofspeciallyconverted railcars hadremained instoreinSouth Walesuntilpurchased byvolunteersat Wirksworth.Theirpotentialforuseas supportvehiclesfortherailway’s track teamwasrecognisedbecausetheyare equippedwithloadingrampsandinternal storageidealformovingequipmenttoa worksite. EVRprojectsdirector,EricBoultbee, said:“Wearedelighted.Thiskindaward byAvivarecognisesthetrackrecordour teamattheEVR hasinrestoringtrains andmakingrealuseofthemratherthan creatingmeremuseumpieces.” TheAvivafundingwillallowthe restorationteamtobuymaterialsand hard-to-find sparepartstoallowtherailcar torunagain,hopefully re-enteringservice in2018. One of the two railcars as when first converted in the early 2000s. EVR/DEPARTMENTALS.COM

The East Lancashire Railway’s new wheelchair-accessible carriage. ELR

New B17 Spirit of Sandringham: timetable for 2017 THE team behind new-build B17 4-6-0 No. 61673 SpiritofSandringhamhas set its goals for the coming year. The B17 Steam LocomotiveTrust’s key objective in 2017 is to procure and assemble frame stays and spring hangers to complete the static chassis structure. The frames and bufferbeam are already in position at the Llangollen Railway workshops and delivery of the dragbox was achieved last year. The trust has also signed an agreement with A1 Pacific Tornado’s principal sponsor William Cook Limited (Cast Products) of Sheffield for the manufacture of cast steel frame stays and spring hangers. CAD/ CAM data has been created from the original LNER drawings and this design data will interface with the manufacturer’s

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moulding design tools to simulate the moulding process in real time. Wooden patterns will be used for each frame stay because of advantages compared with patterns made of polystyrene or polyurethane foam, which being flexible, are susceptible to bending when packing out the mould with moulding sand.The order has been placed withWilliam Cook Limited for midyear delivery to Llangollen. The frame stay brake is planned to be manufactured and delivered during the same timescale by North View Engineering Solutions Limited of Darlington, after previously producing the drag box. Manufacturing drawings are available where both the basic structure conforms to the original LNER design and

where separate operating arrangements for both air brakes and reversing gear in this area have been subjected to redesign. Dual air brake cylinders have successfully been added in place of the original vacuum type maintaining all the key interfaces and the necessary access for service and maintenance. Remaining fabricated items consisting of gusset stays and the plate frame stay will also be produced from the same Darlington supplier. Static chassis assembly has already been appraised by Graham Elwood (Head of Engineering) on behalf of the Llangollen Railway.The two largest components; the dragbox and frame stay brake will be fitted first to align the frame plates after which the remainder of the

frame stays will follow progressively. The key design objective for 2017 is to define the running gear with supporting cost plan and suppliers.The rolling chassis design will be submitted to the rail authority for approval. For the boiler and firebox the objective for this year is to define the requirement specification for an all-steel fabricated round-topped boiler and firebox based upon the LNER diagram 100A version for which indicative design and manufacturing costs will be obtained. *If you wish to find out more about the project, and/or become a member of the B17 Steam LocomotiveTrust, contact Brian Hall on 07527670436, email [email protected] or visit www. b17steamloco.com

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SRQ 0-6-0 No. 30541 with a morning goods charter at Freshfield Bank on the Bluebell Railway on January 3. ROBERT FALCONER

Llangollen to mark double 50th anniversaries

THE 50th anniversaries of the closure of the GWR route to Birkenhead and the last ‘Cambrian Coast Express’are to form the theme of the Llangollen Railway’s March 3-5 gala. Titled‘Along Birkenhead Lines’, the gala will recall the end of both the famous named train and the Paddington to Birkenhead (Woodside) expresses. Three star visitors will be LMS Stanier 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 from the Great Central Railway, GWR 4-6-0 No. 6960 RaveninghamHall from theWest Somerset Railway and LMS Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No. 43106 from the SevernValley

Railway – the last BR steam locomotive to travel between Chester and Shrewsbury, on August 1, 1968. The locomotive’s journey was carefully routed to limit movement‘under the wires’and travelled via Frodsham, Chester, Wrexham and Shrewsbury on its way to Stourbridge Junction for preservation on the SevernValley Railway at Bridgnorth. The home fleet in action will comprise LMS‘Black Five’4-6-0 No. 45337, making its return after overhaul, BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80072, GWR large prairie No. 5199, BR 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor and Class 03 diesel No. 03162, a

former Birkenhead shunter. The gala will feature an intensive timetable of both passenger and mixed traffic trains with special attractions taking place along the line. A railway spokesman said:“Work is in hand to make this gala one of the most historically accurate and authentic steam events yet achieved at Llangollen. Expect to see cameos, displays, re-creations and all the appropriate paper ephemera!” A free advance information booklet on the gala can be downloaded from: www. llangollen-railway.co.uk/event/springsteam-gala-3rd-march

Birkenhead Woodside station opened on March 31, 1878 and closed on November 5, 1967. Jointly owned by the GWR and LMS before Nationalisation, in its day it was the principal main line station in Birkenhead and the terminus of the route from Chester, Birmingham and Paddington. The station building was known to local rail users as “the wrong way round”, because for the majority of its life, its original rear entrance was used as the main booking hall, whereas Woodside’s ‘front’ entrance was mainly used for handling parcels. BEN BROOKSBANK/CREATIVE COMMONS Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

IN BRIEF THE Churnet Valley Railway has added two locomotives to its resident diesel fleet in English Electric Class 08 No. 08633 and Class 20 D8057 from the Midland Railway-Butterley. No. 08633, which was bought from DB Cargo and originally numbered D3800, is to be based on the line for a minimum of five years. It first entered traffic in 1959 at Stoke shed. UNESCO and Indian Railways have signed a fresh agreement to preserve the British-built Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. The agreement, signed in the in presence of railway minister, Suresh Prabhu, in Darjeeling on January 20, will help UNESCO prepare a comprehensive conservation management plan. THE Railway Correspondence & Travel Society has been granted official status as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation. Having operated since its founding in 1929 as a private members’ club, it is one of the first national railway societies to achieve CIO status. THE locally based Armed Forces Veterans’ Association is to transform a toilet at Dumbarton Central station into a mini-heritage centre to display its memorabilia collection later this year. The association is applying for grants from the Railway Heritage Trust, Scotrail and Scottish Memorabilia in order to raise the necessary funds to conduct the renovation. BR Mk.2 BSO coach No. 9406 has left the Mid-Norfolk Railway for the Telford Steam Railway. It was previously based at the Great Central Railway (Nottingham). Heritagerailway.co.uk 29

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Class 26s on the move CLASS 26 doyen D5300/26007 was finally collected from Peterborough in late January and returned to its base at Barrow Hill. It had been stabled at Peterborough since early November following its retrieval from the Nene Valley Railway where it had suffered damage when derailed while returning after the October diesel gala. Class 26 26043, normally based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway, will be visiting the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway during August when it is planned to be operating for 21 days – including the line’s diesel gala event over the weekend of August 12/13. Sister No. 26010 is set to visit the Spa Valley Railway this autumn.

Discover secrets of the Underground A RARE opportunity to see inside LondonTransport Museum’s Action depot West London, will take place on April 22/23. Visitors to the Secrets of the Underground Open Weekend will have the chance to explore this working depot, a treasure-house of over 320,000 artefacts. Amongst several talks,Transport historian Oliver Green will reveal the story of a forgotten space below London streets in the unique KingswayTramway Subway. To buy advance tickets visit www. ltmuseum.co.uk/whats-on/museumdepot/open-weekends.

IN BRIEF ➜ MARTIN Creese, operator of 30742 charters, has published a review of his 2016 programme, noting that he operated 26 events at 18 different locations, which raised £30,000 for preservation. He said that this was due to the support from both photographers and the heritage lines they visited and looks forward to an equallyvaried 2017 programme. ➜ CHURNET Valley Railway-based Class 04 D2334 has moved to the Mid-Norfolk Railway where its overhaul is expected to be completed prior to re-entering service. ➜ THE South Devon Railway has issued an appeal for more volunteers to join its mostly Wednesdays Cutting Back Gang, which deals with vegetation growth at 12 locations on the seven-mile line. ➜ THE National Railway Museum’s Class 71 E5001, which has been on long-term loan to Barrow Hill roundhouse, has moved by road to the Locomotion museum at Shildon.

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The approach to the station before the remodelling. NR

The remodelled approach to Sheringham station in late January. NNR

North Norfolk remodels Sheringham approach By Robin Jones

THE North Norfolk Railway spent January remodelling track work on the approach to Sheringham station, to cope with bigger trains in future years. The revised track layout will also facilitate the operation of dining trains over the Bittern Line to Cromer. The remodelling, one of the most complex projects ever undertaken by the Poppy Line and the biggest update of operational infrastructure since the opening of the extension to Holt 26 years ago, followed two years of planning. The railway was faced with the necessity of renewing the existing track and associated points at a cost exceeding £100,000. However, officials decided to plan ahead and extend the project to ensure that future requirements could be met. The approach track layout at Sheringham had remained largely unchanged since the NNR took over

the station from BR: one of the replaced sleepers was found to still bear a plate dated 1942. In view of the ever longer and heavier trains the railway operates to satisfy public demand, it was decided to change the layout. The new arrangement has the additional advantage of simplifying shunting procedures as well as providing greater flexibility during galas. The key to the improved future operational flexibility was to install a double slip, to replace an existing switch which will, in due course, enable trains from Platform 3 to access the main line.The opportunity was also taken to replace the switch allowing access to the platform lines from the main line. This work, along with the associated track renewal, was undertaken by Trackwork plc assisted by NNR staff and volunteers. The renewal is the second phase of a six-stage project, the next step being essential changes to signalling, which

will also be substantially redeveloped, and the replacement of the frame in the Sheringham West ’box with a 40-lever frame acquired from Brandon ’box on the Norwich- Ely line.The first phase of the project took place a couple of years ago, with the conversion of the carriage siding at Sheringham into a loop to enable improved access to the stabled stock. The next few phases, which will take place as finance and resources permit, will slew the Platform 3 road to join the double slip, allow direct access from the yard lines to both loops, increase the siding space available and enable direct shunting from the two loops to Platform 1.The railway will also bring a number of the locally-operated switches under the control of the signalbox. The project was planned meticulously to ensure all works could be completed during the non-running period in January and the first week of February prior to the school half term holiday when the railway operates a full service.

Oliver Cromwell main line comeback in April? A POPULAR choice for many passengers – and the RailwayTouring Company in particular – BR 7P 4-6-2 No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell has been absent from the main line for far too long with mechanical problems, but it seems that is to change shortly. Out of traffic for over a year, the 4-6-2, currently at Loughborough on the Great Central Railway, will reach the end of its confinement on the heritage line when repairs to its

superheater elements are completed. Providing the engine is passed as fit for purpose, its first appearance on the main line this year will be a light engine move to Edinburgh where it is booked to head the second day of RailwayTouring Company’s‘Great Britain X’on Sunday, April 30, working the Edinburgh-Dundee and Perth to Inverness legs of the nine-day tour. OnTuesday, May 2, the 7P is booked to work the tour from

Inverness via Aviemore to Perth. Once these trips are completed it is probable that No. 70013 will return south and feature in many main line trips, the engine being a favourite with Nigel Dobbing and his regular railtours to East Anglia and other destinations. As matters stand, Oliver Cromwell might well make its main line‘debut’ before sister engine No. 70000 Britannia is released from Crewe.

LNERCA contracts out Gresley bogie overhaul WITH NER Open Third No. 945 having joined the LNER Coach Association fold, thoughts are turning to its completion. Although work on the interior is now more or less finished, there is still much to be done on the exterior when space

becomes available under cover in the Pickering workshops. In particular, its wheel tyres are thin and the bogies will require overhaul. The LNERCA has a spare pair of bogies with good tyres and has sent these to DC Engineering in Shildon for

an overhaul expected to cost in the region of £10,000 and has launched an appeal to raise this sum. Details of how to donate may be found on the LNERCA website www. LNERCA.com or at www.facebook. com/LNERCA/

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NEWS

Broadway share offer hits £1m ByRobinJones

THE GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway’s shareissuetofinanceitsnorthern extensiontoBroadwaymayhavepassed the£1 million markbythetime thisissue hits thenewsstands. ChrisBristow,therailway’s volunteer financedirector,istosayitmildly,thrilled with theresult.“Wehadbudgetedto havesold£900,000worthofsharesby Christmasandwehadexceeded thatby morethan£50k. “Butitisimportantthatweraiseallof the£1.25mweneed–notjusttofinish the tracktoBroadway,buttocompleteworks onthestationbuildingsothatwewillhave afunctioningstationbythetimeweopen onMarch30,2018.” However,hewarnedthattheproject nowfacedthesame problemsthat besettheheritage line in past years, with landslips at Gotherington and Winchcombe. He said:“There remains significant work to do – not least of which is some important stabilising works on the high embankment just south of Broadway station.There have been signs of movement in the earthworks – but given our past experience of problematic embankments on the line, we are confident that we can carry out this work to a high standard that will serve the railway well over the next century. “The cost of doing this work – it’s looking like around £400,000 – was not altogether unexpected but it would certainly have made life easier if we didn’t have to do it – and that’s a key reason why we must realise the full amount of the share offer.” The share offer closes on April 30. Meanwhile, clearance of the trackbed, laying the membrane and the first layer of ballast has reached Childswickham, just short of the embankment that needs stabilising.The track has reached Peasebrook and has crossed the border intoWorcestershire.“We are a two-county railway now!”Chris said. “However, no work is currently being carried out on the Broadway extension as during the closed season (the railway reopens on March 3) concentration is being placed on maintenance of the running line as well as preparation

An evening view of the new Broadway station taking shape in late December. JO ROESEN/G/WR for eight-coach trains.The extension tracklaying will be picked up in March, from Peasebrook Farm. “Also necessary is stressing of about 2000 yards of newly laid continuously welded rail from Laverton up to a point between Little Buckland and Peasebrook. When this is done it’s possible that the present DMU service to Laverton could continue further up the Broadway extension as far as Buckland. But, I stress, no decision on that has yet been made.” At Broadway itself, the station building is reaching eaves level and the next stage will be to begin work on the roof. When the initial designs for the new Broadway station building were drawn up, while the brick elevations closely followed the GWR design of the original (and other station buildings on the line) it was felt that a more modern and costeffective solution could apply to the cantilever roof design. However, there was a strong feeling among volunteers that given the historic design of the building (albeit with modern cavity wall and steel frame

structure to meet modern planning requirements) the steel frame of the roof should also follow the original design. This is a cantilever structure with the apex of the roof and thus the centre of gravity, set back slightly from the front elevation of the building, which means the canopy over the platform is unsupported by columns. The steam locomotive department atToddington is helping out in this respect. Station project leader, Ian Carpenter, said:“One of the first challenges was to source suitable steel – of course material to the imperial dimensions of the original is no longer available so our design had to reflect that. “Although the new Broadway building is outwardly similar to the original, it’s somewhat longer (about one and a half times the length of theToddington station building). And, while the width of the building is about the same as the original, the weight on the front elevation will be borne by the hidden steel frame of the new building, which is

Drewry shunter No. 11230, which spent most of its life at Wellington power station, takes a ballast train heading northwards over the new bridge at Laverton on November 29, 2016. Laverton loop has now gone and the track is being taken to Broadway for eventual re-use there. JO ROESEN/G/WR

32 Heritagerailway.co.uk

set further back.” The design then had to be approved by a structural engineer. In all, the steelwork will amount to about ten tons. It is about a third complete and volunteers of the Broadway Area Group have set about priming and painting the finished items in the car park at Toddington while work continues apace with manufacture of the remaining components.The whole will be constructed as a‘dry run’atToddington, before being dismantled again and moved to Broadway. Riveting is being carried out with a 19th-century patented squeeze riveter suspended from a three-ton gantry in the David Page shed at Toddington.“We think this is how the original structure was built,” said Ian. “So we set about looking for a suitable riveter and eventually located one in Northamptonshire that we could borrow – one of, we think, just two or three remaining in the country.” ➜ If you would like to subscribe to the share issue, visit www.gwsr.com

One of the A frames for the Broadway station roof. IAN CROWDER/G/WR

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The newest station to be added to the UK heritage railway portfolio is Hayles Abbey Halt, seen under construction on January 16. JO ROESEN/G/WR

Rebuilding the heritage sector’s newest station! BROADWAY is not the only new station on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway taking shape, for in advance of the 2018 opening of its northern extension, the historic Hayles Abbey Halt has been rebuilt. In 1928, the ruins of former Cistercian Hayles (now spelled‘Hailes’) Abbey was opened to the public and, recognising the contribution the nearby line could make, the GWR constructed a twocoach-length halt to serve the attraction the same year. It was a simple affair – with a timber platform face backfilled with earth, illuminated by oil lamps and with a corrugated iron waiting shelter. However, it closed in 1960 when the local train service between Cheltenham St James and Honeybourne was withdrawn. Progress by the Gloucestershire Warwickshire RailwayTrust is well advanced in replacing the Halt and it will look much like the original. However,

the new timber platform face is purely decorative as behind that facade is a block-built wall, while the platform is being edged with concrete slabs. In all other respects the platform will be similar, complete with iron shelter. Tim Bazeley, one of the volunteers building the platform to replace the former Down platform), said:“The bridge at Hayles is a popular spot for photographers as the line is on an attractive curve, particularly for trains heading south and accelerating from Toddington. “But you would never have known that there was once a platform there – pretty much every trace had disappeared. Now there is a platform once again and we hope that it will open during 2017, as a request halt. “It’s ideally placed for visits to the abbey, which is owned by the National Trust, and managed by English Heritage and is about a five-minute walk from the halt.”

A GWR Collett 0-4-2T and an auto-trailer calls at Hayles Abbey Halt in the steam era. G/WR

Replica 12in letters for the running-in board. JO ROESEN/G/WR

Preparing the way for eight-coach trains through Winchcombe station THE growing popularity of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway – and expectation that passenger numbers will be significantly boosted in 2018 with the opening of Broadway station – means that the present formations will be strengthened to eight coaches in future. To accommodate this, the Down (southbound) platform at

Winchcombe has been extended. Meanwhile the railway’s permanent way gang is moving the south turnout closer to Greet Tunnel and, at the same time, replacing about 500 sleepers towards the tunnel mouth during the railway’s closed season. Elsewhere on the line, extensive drainage works are underway at Woodmancote, where a stream running off Cleeve Hill passes under

the railway – during periods of heavy rain the area is prone to flooding. At Toddington, concreting the floor of the David Page Shed has been completed, while plans have been drawn up for a staff facility to replace the existing‘mess coach’. GWR spokesman, Ian Crowder, said: “The railway has scope to extend both south and north. It was once a double-track main line so it’s possible

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to reinstate at least some double track again. And meanwhile, with growing visitor numbers, facilities for those visiting the line look set to be improved further. “Estimates suggest that for every £1 spent on a heritage train fare, another £2.50 is spent elsewhere locally in pubs and restaurants, shops, bed-and-breakfasts, and other tourist attractions.” Heritagerailway.co.uk 33

NEWS

Bagnall 0-4-2T No. 3023 of 1953 Isaac approaching Woody Bay in the winter sunshine on Santa special duty on December 18, 2016. Despite its short length, the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway carried a record 52,000 passengers in 2016 – making it a prime candidate for the highest number per mile on any heritage railway. TONY NICHOLSON

Heritage lines enjoy a record-breaking year in 2016

By Robin Jones

THE East Lancashire Railway has recorded the highest number of visitors in its 30year history. A total of 201,000 visits were made in 2016, achieving its Locum Report target of “200,000 visitors in 2020”four years early. The numbers are a 25% increase on the previous year and highlight how the railway has grown over the past few years to become the second most popular paidfor visitor attraction in Greater Manchester. Specific areas of significant growth are the railway’s special events and dining experiences. Events such as Scotsman in Steam, Sci-Fi on the Sidings,The Pirate Adventure andThe Princess Adventure brought in 28% more visitors than special events the previous year. The railway’s steam-train hauled luxury dining experiences saw a 35% increase in 2016, with services running at an average occupancy of 92%,The Dining with Distinction trains are considered to be the best restaurant in Bury and regularly rank among the top three restaurants in Greater Manchester according to TripAdvisor. The railway received an estimated £1.5-million worth of free publicity over the Scotsman in Steam event in January 2016 and subsequently received a greater amount of interest from production companies, with popular television programmes Peaky Blinders,Tina & Bobby and Deal or No Deal being filmed there last year.

34 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Chairman, Mike Kelly, said:“The ELR is continuing to go from strength-tostrength and we’re really excited about the year ahead with new events and even more unique experiences planned for 2017." Passenger records have again been broken on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway. As the last train of the 2016 season pulled away from Cheltenham Racecourse station on January 2, it was carrying travellers who had taken the railway’s passenger numbers just over the 100,000 barrier for the first time.That marked a 13% increase over the 88,500 carried during the 2015 season, itself a record.

Significant milestones

The railway ran on 187 days over the 2016 season, somewhat less than many of the other‘premier league’lines.Yet it has a turnover of something like £1.7 million and, given that it is almost entirely volunteer-run (there are just three employees) it means that the profit from operations can go straight back into maintaining and developing the line. Significant passenger-carrying milestones during the year included Wartime in the Cotswolds now in its fourth year, which carried 2300 passengers over the event’s two days. Similarly, the Cotswold Festival of Steam carried well over 4500 fare-paying passengers. Colin Fewell, the railway’s volunteer

commercial director, said:“This is a fantastic achievement for our volunteerrun railway and throughout the year, the records have tumbled. “Almost all of our special events attracted more visitors than before and especially the Santa Specials which this year, carried more than 10,000 people travelling to meet Father Christmas. “It’s great news for the local economy, too. People who visit our railway also visit local shops and other attractions in the Cotswolds; they stay at local hotels and B&Bs, as well as visiting pubs and restaurants. “Events such as Days Out withThomas, War in the Cotswolds, Real Ale weekends, classic car and bus days and our first Food and Drink Fayre, attract people who might not otherwise have come – and many re-visit because they enjoyed their day. This year we have another new event: Bricks andTrains in conjunction with the Southern LegoTrain Club – a fascinating exploration with huge appeal for youngsters and adults!” Elsewhere, the SpaValley Railway’s figures roared by 39%, from 30,518 in 2015 to 42,566 last year. On the South Devon Railway saw passenger figures increase by 6.9% last year. A total of 103,906 passengers were carried, an increase from 97,200 in 2015. Revenue from the train business was also above the £1 million mark for the second year, running at £1.14 million. The line saw a big increase in the group’s market of just over 100% on both numbers and revenue along with numbers for the

Thomas event and joint tickets with the Totnes Rare Breeds Farm and Dartmoor Otters & Buckfast Butterflies attractions. The Bluebell Railway saw visitor numbers for both the 2016 Santa season and the year overall rise by nearly 3% over 2015, from 155,500 to an estimated 159,650. TheTalyllyn Railway carried more than 45,000 passengers, its highest number for several years, a 4% increase on 2015. Santa special bookings were 60% up on the previous year and two extra trains had to be run. The Lynton & Barnstaple Railway carried 52,000 passengers in 2016, 8% up on 2015’s total of 48,000, which was itself a record since the line reopened in 2004 – and on just one mile of track . The NeneValley Railway recorded its best passenger figures for many years with general visitors up by nearly 18%, passengers up by 15% and platform tickets by 9.5%.The railway saw 10,500 more people through its doors in 2016 when compared with 2015 which itself showed an increase on the previous year. The line was forced to cap the Santa specials at 20,500 visitors for fear that its grotto would run out of presents! While Bodmin &Wenford Railway passenger numbers were around 55,000, a disappointing drop of 3% on 2015, there was a slight increase in revenue thanks to dining trains, cream tea specials, murder mysteries, and driver experience courses. An end-of-season fillip was the 40 Santa By Steam trains, which were almost all full and a well-attendedWinter Steam Up on December 31.

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Double ‘firsts’ at two galas

LOCOMOTIVE pairings will take centre stage at two major early-season galas this year. Marking its 25th anniversary, the ChurnetValley Railway will celebrate with the return to steam of USATC S160 2-8-0 No. 5197 at its February 25-26 winter steam gala. It will run with sister No. 6046 – and will be the first time two of the class have run together in the heritage era in Britain, and the first such pairing since 1944. They will be joined by SECR P 0-6-0T No. 323 Bluebell from the Bluebell Railway and home-based PolishTKh No. 2944 Hotspur. Track relaying at Minehead has seen theWest Somerset Railway’s spring steam gala shifted forward by a month to

the later date of April 27-30. It will feature both surviving Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway 7F 2-8-0s, Nos. 53808 and 53809, and for the first time in the heritage era, two Midland 4Fs double heading. The Keighley &WorthValley Railwaybased No. 43924 – the first locomotive to be saved from Barry scrapyard, in September 1968 – will be paired with No. 44422 from the home fleet. Another visitor will be GWR large prairie No. 5199 from the Llangollen Railway. Also in service from the home fleet will be GWR Modified Hall 4-6-0 No. 6960 Raveningham Hall, while Peckett 0-4-0ST Kilmersdon will be operating shuttles out of Minehead with the Somerset & Dorset RailwayTrust’s restored SDJR coach No. 4.

NYMR overhauls unique Pullman THE NorthYorkshire Moors Railway has begun the overhaul of its unique Pullman Brake/ParlourThird, Car No. 79, with work likely to take at least nine months. The overhaul is expected to be a major task, with extensive repairs required, for example the complete replacement of the steel roof. The interior has been stripped

out and the marquetry panels are to be assessed by a professional contractor. In the meantime, the NYMR is to use Gresley BTO No. 43567 as a replacement brake coach in the dining train but would like to hire in a Pullman carriage if one can be found. Anyone able to assist should contact the NYMR.

Rapid visual progress is now being made on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway’s new terminus alongside the main line station at Princes Risborough. As seen on January 17, ground clearance has now allowed the next phase, track laying and platform building, to commence. PHIL MARSH

School days approaching at NYMR Grosmont works ON the NorthYorkshire Moors Railway, work is rapidly approaching completion on the chassis of Schools 4-4-0 No. 926 Reptonwith the boiler not too far behind. The new tender for‘Black Five’ No. 44806 is progressing well and the body has been mounted on the chassis, but for the early part of the season the locomotive is expected to run with the tender from under-overhaul classmate No. 45428, allowing the on-hire tender

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from Great Central Railway-based classmate No. 45491 that it ran with in 2016 to be returned to Loughborough. No. 45428 is also progressing well with work on the chassis progressing rapidly and the boiler expected to need relatively little work. It is hoped to have No. 45428 back in action for the peak season at least. Other locomotives in the fleet, including 4MTs Nos. 76079 and 80136 are also receiving routine maintenance.

Heritagerailway.co.uk 35

NEWS

July debut for ‘world’s biggest’ steam locomotive By Robin Jones WHAT is claimed to be the world’s largest steam locomotive is set to make its heritage-era debut hauling passenger trains on July 1. TheWestern Maryland Scenic Railroad has set the official roll-out date for restored Chesapeake & Ohio Railway H6 class 2-66-2 No. 1309. The Fourth of July week will feature a variety of regular trains, special moves, celebratory events, and railroad activities. Turned out in September 1949, No. 1309 was the last Class 1 main line engine built by Baldwin, ending a century of production in which the firm turned out more than 70,000 locomotives. The advantage of the 2-6-6-2 design was that it could be used on the relatively light, tightly curved, branch lines inWest Virginia and Kentucky coal country. The class was unusual for the time in that they were true Mallets, since their steam was expanded once in their smaller rear cylinders and then a second time in their larger front cylinders.The C&O had a long history with Mallets and found them ideal for slow-speed work inWestVirginia. Dieselisation meant that the C&O retired the locomotive after just seven years of use, and transferred it to the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Museum in 1972.The

Final Class 08 shunter dispersal

THE final buyers of DB Cargo’s 24 surplus Class 08 and 09 shunters have now been confirmed with Arlington buying No. 08879; the Harry Needle Railroad Company Nos.08428/623/706/742/782/799/8 04/904 and 09106; the RSS bought Nos. 08405/480/632/703/752), and RivieraTrains No. 08605. Those entering the heritage sector are No. 08495 (North Yorkshire Moors Railway); No. 08633 (ChurnetValley Railway, see separate story); No. 08757 (toTelford Steam Railway); Nos. 08784/922 (Great Central Railway (Nottingham); No. 08888 (Kent & East Sussex Railway) and No. 08907 (Great Central Railway). An omission from the list of sales is 08735, which is thought to have been withdrawn from sale but, as of the end of January, there are no reports of a move from its current location at Eastleigh.

36 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Sister H6 2-6-6-2 No. 1308, the second but last one to be built, is preserved on static display in Memorial Boulevard in Huntington, West Virginia. Also built in 1949 by Baldwin, the locomotive is listed on the US National Register of Historic Places.

museum sold it to theWMSR in 2014 for $50,000, on the condition that it was restored to operating condition. TheWMSR said that a two-year rebuild will bring the locomotive back to“better than new”condition. It will have an improved lubrication system, new tyres

and updated driving boxes, a 26L air brake system, improved electrical system, and almost complete replacement of studs, pins and bushings, and other wearing parts. The boiler will feature almost 400 new staybolts and all-new flues and tubes.The

1309 will have refurbished superheater units, new ashpan and hopper as well as a completely rebuilt tender. However, it will remain a classic American coal-fired Mallet. Test and training runs are set to take place in June.

Rare Doncaster artefacts go on display RARE artefacts, many of them of LNER origin, will be displayed in public for the first time in many years at Doncaster’s Frenchgate shopping centre until March 7. The artefacts will be on show during as the MakingTracks – Past, Present and Future exhibition, a collaboration between Frenchgate Shopping Centre, Doncaster Council, Business Doncaster, as well as Doncaster Museums and Art Gallery, which highlights the town’s rail history past, present and future. The legendary Doncaster Grammar School collection will also be on display.This collection started in the 1930s when pupils and teachers at the school (now Hall Cross Academy) established a railway society. Over the years, members collected signs, nameplates, lamps, signal posts and thousands of other items of railwayana, building up an archive of items from the golden age of steam. As the industry threw out artefacts in the rush to modernise, the collection grew to some 2000 objects. Collection trustee Dave Rogerson, who is helping to stage the event in two units on the ground floor of theWest Mall, said the exhibition was of“national importance.” Adding:“It is an amazing collection, but it has been hidden away for too long. It’s well-known among railway circles, but it is time it was brought to a much wider audience.We are hoping many people will come out to see the items at Frenchgate – only a few people have had a glimpse, so hopefully this will make people aware of what is within the archive.” The Doncaster Grammar School collection first came to wider attention after featuring onTV programme Michael Portillo’s Great Railway Journeys, and, more recently, on BBC’s Antique RoadTrip, but has never been open to the public. Coun Bill Mordue, Doncaster Council’s cabinet member for

Part of the extensive Doncaster Grammar School railwayana collection which rarely goes on public display. SHAUN FLANNERY/DONCASTER COUNCIL business, skills, tourism and culture, said:“Doncaster is known the world over for its rail heritage – Flying Scotsman and Mallard were both built here.We not only have a wealth of rail history but we are embracing rail into the present day and our future.The National College of High Speed Rail, which will open in September, will help inspire and train the rail engineers of the future.“ The National College for High Speed Rail will train the thousands of engineers needed to fulfil rail contracts over the coming decades – including the controversial HS2 highspeed line, which will eventually connectYorkshire with the capital. A new generation ofVirgin Azuma trains, running at conventional speed on the East Coast Main Line from next year, will also be serviced there, at a new Hitachi depot. Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

NEWS

UK preservationists strengthen links with Russian steam abandoned plinth in Moscow in 2014 and has now been returned to working order. Many of the delegates said that railway preservation in Russia had in recent years received increasing support from both the state and public, although there were still problems, such as the absence of a proper legal framework for the operation of steam locomotives and narrow gauge tourist trains, and uncertainty over the current status of monuments of technical history.

By Geoff Courtney RAILWAY preservationists in the UK are set to forge closer links with their Russian counterparts following a nationwide conference in the former Soviet country. The inaugural all-Russia narrowgauge forum, held in November in Ekaterinburg – Russia’s fourth-largest city located in the Ural Mountains in the west of the country – was hosted by the Sverdlovsk Railway, a 4500-mile long section of the iconicTrans-Siberian line. The location for the landmark two-day event was an educational centre in the grounds of a 1¾-mile 750mm gauge steam railway, close to which a narrow gauge museum is currently nearing completion after being founded in 2013 by local railway officials and enthusiasts. With the support of the Sverdlovsk Railway, the museum has acquired rolling stock and a number of locomotives, including a veteran vertical-boilered 0-4-0 steam tram with British connections and a Class P24 0-8-0 from Moscow.The 0-4-0, which was brought to the museum from Volgograd – formerly Stalingrad – was built at the turn of the 19th century by Cockerill, an iron, steel and manufacturing company founded in 1825 in Liege, Belgium, by British industrialist William Cockerill and his family.

Huge diversity

Sergei Dorozhkov, director of the Pereslavl Railway Museum near Moscow and one of the country’s leading narrow gauge experts, was a member of the team organising the conference. He said: “Russia once boasted a huge diversity of industrial and public narrow gauge systems, with more than 30 different gauges and a total estimated length of about 150,000 kilometres (93,000 miles), although it is not easy to confirm that mileage as industrial lines are difficult to trace. “I was elected director of the Pereslavl Museum in 2001, having been a volunteer there for seven years, and

Fares soar on Volk’s railway

FARES on Brighton’s historic seafront Volk’s Electric Railway will cost up to 29% more when it reopens in the spring following its £1.65 million Heritage Lottery Fund-backed winter upgrade, which includes a new visitor centre, conservation workshop and refurbished carriages. An adult single ticket will increase by 28% to £3.70, with a return increasing by £1 to £4.80 and a family return rising to £12.50.

38 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Unscheduled third day

Russian cracker: Orenstein & Koppell No. 9, a former mining railway 0-8-0T built in 1931, waits for the off on November 5 with a special train for delegates attending the first-ever railway conference for narrow gauge enthusiasts in Ekaterinburg, Russia, where No. 9 is based. TIMOFEY GORLOV in time new state and private narrow gauge preservation schemes appeared in the country, and I acted as consultant for many of them. It is good that in such a vast country historic assets are well distributed.” Sergei said meaningful resources had been put into the Ekaterinburg project – currently the largest narrow gauge railway preservation scheme in Russia – and the idea of holding an all-Russia forum began to gather pace. “It was decided the time had come for a major public event, bringing together preservationists from different parts of the country. “Most key people in the narrow-gauge movement and steam preservation

scene were invited, including delegates from private societies, state-owned museums, enthusiasts’organisations, tourist lines and Russian Railways, and its aim was to unify efforts and promote cooperation in saving railway relics, exchanging restoration experience, and work out common approaches in relations with the public and official boards.” It was chaired by Evgeniy Zdorovenko, a senior Sverdlovsk Railway official, with other high-profile representatives in attendance. Delegates were able to see for themselves restoration work carried out by the nascent museum, including No. VP4-1425, an 0-8-0 built by Votkinsk in 1956 that was rescued from an

Other highlights of the conference included a trip on the 750mm gauge steam line headed by former German mining railway 0-8-0T No. 9, built by Orenstein & Koppell of Berlin in 1931, and a visit to another 750mm gauge railway, at Alapayevsk, north-east of Ekaterinburg, where delegates were taken on a diesel-hauled 16-mile journey to an ancient centre of the metallurgical industry. Such was the forum’s success, said Sergei, that some delegates stayed for an unscheduled third day, while preparations have already started for another conference later this year. Stephen Wiggs, chairman of the UK-based New Europe Railway Heritage Trust, has closely followed the unfolding events in Russia, as it was a wish to help preservation in the country in the early post-Soviet years that led to the formation of the trust, which has now spread its interest to more east European states. “The forum was a landmark event for preservation in Russia, and reports indicate that it was a successful conference,” he said.“The narrow gauge preservation scene in the country is looking very positive, and we have therefore told Sergei we could arrange a study tour of Welsh narrow gauge lines. “He has shown an interest and plans to discuss it with fellow enthusiasts. He himself has previously visited Wales, and I believe such a tour could be of mutual benefit to both parties.”

Spa Valley Railway celebrates its 20th anniversary TWO diesel events are set to mark the Spa Valley Railway’s 20th anniversary year. The first visiting locomotive this year is Buckfastleigh-based Class 33/0 D6501, courtesy of South Devon Diesel Traction. It will be the first visit of a BR green Crompton to the line since the 1970s and will arrive in time for the March 11-12 spring diesel weekend.

The event, which will see intensive operation and trains running until 11pm, will also see the final runs of Class 14 D9537, which will leave the Spa Valley during the following week. D6501 will be staying into the summer, and will take part in the August 3-6 summer diesel gala. The second visitor for the summer event is the Somerset & Dorset Locomotive Company’s Severn

Valley Railway-based Class 20 D8188 – a 20 in the line’s 20th year! The line-up for the summer event so far is Drewry No. 2591 Southerham; Class 09 No. 09026 Cedric Wares; Class 10 D3489 Colonel Tomline; D8188; Class 31 No. 31289 Phoenix; Class 33/0 D6501; Class 33/0 No. 33063 RJ Mitchell; Class 73 No. 73140 and Class 207 DEMU No. 1317.

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Rebecca Dougan is Ireland’s first-ever female guard THE Downpatrick & County Down Railway has achieved another first for the Irish heritage sector, with the passing out of the railway’s first woman train guard. Rebecca Dougan, 20, from Comber in County Down, is not only the youngest guard on the line, but she is also believed to the first female guard on any heritage railway operation in Ireland. Railway chairman Robert Gardiner, himself a guard on the DCDR, said: “She’s put in a lot of hard work to get this far, with practical training, building logs of hours of training runs, rules and regulations and eventually the nerve-wracking exam day with practical, written and verbal exams. But she did it! We knew she would, of course.” Rebecca said:“I have been coming down to the DCDR since I was born as my parents, Margaret and Raymond Dougan and my uncle Paul McMullan are also volunteers there. “As I grew older I started lending a hand by doing small things such as brushing out the passenger carriages and assisting passengers on and off the trains.” “My dad and uncle were both DCDR guards and when I came into my early teen years I started to take an interest in their work as shunter/guards.When I became old enough I was allowed to start training as a shunter/guard last year.You have to learn how to safely shunt a train first before learning the guard duties, but I stuck at it but it seemed to take a long time. “The exam entailed a shunting/guard exam, both written and practical, which

The way ahead is now clear: the fence will come down at Glengonnar to take the railway on to Wanlockhead. HUGH DOUGHERTY

Exploratory work to begin on Wanlockhead extension At last, she’s allowed out solo! Downpatrick’s newest guard smiles for the camera before heading off on her own for the first time. DCDR included for my first time taking out a passenger service on my own without anyone assisting me.” Rebecca’s father Raymond said:“When Rebecca passed out as a DCDR shunter/ guard on January 7, I was a very happy and proud father! I have been a DCDR volunteer and shunter/guard for about 25 years. “Her mother and uncle are also pleased and proud of Rebecca’s achievement – that now makes three guards from our family at the DCDR.” Rebecca now hopes to become a diesel driver on the line.

Two Yvonnes to feature at big Belgium steam festival THE theme of this year’s festival at Belgium’s Stoomcentrum Maldegem will be 200Years of Cockerill – from Horse to Steam. Two UK-based locomotives will attend the festival, which runs from April 29-30 and on May 1.These will be De Winton 0-4-0VBT Chaloner from the Leighton Buzzard Railway, and Barclay gasworks 0-4-0T Jack. It is planned to have up to seven locomotives in steam. Maldegem’s own narrow gauge Hanomag 0-4-0WT Yvonne, which is in an advanced stage of restoration with the return of the boiler from the North Norfolk Railway’s Weybourne works imminent, may be ready to take part. Three standard gauge locomotives will be in steam: Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. WD196, Avonside 0-4-0ST Fred, St Leonard 0-4-0T Yvonne (the second locomotive on the site to carry that name) and visitingTubize 0-6-0T No. AD05 fromTheThree Valleys Railway

at Mariembourg. Sadly, the Belgian National Railways Canadian-built 2-8-0 No. 29.013, which it was hoped would attend, will not be available in time. Intensive services will operate on both lines, while three Cockerill-built preserved main line diesels have been promised for static display. As a secondary attraction, horse drawn carriages will attend and display. On the Saturday and Monday, there will be re-enactments of passengers in historic costume transferring from horse-drawn carriages into a vintage train hauled by St Leonard 0-4-0T Yvonne of 1893. In Maldegem there will be the usual selection of international trade stands. For groups wishing to attend from the UK, transport from Zeebrugge P&O ferries terminal (nightly sailing from Hull) or Bruges railway station can be arranged by preserved bus. More details are available at www.stoomcentrum.be

By Hugh Dougherty EXPLORATORY work is to start this spring on rock clearance and trial pit digging on the planned half-mile extension of the 2ft gauge Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway. The move follows Land Register registration in December 2016 of the lease of the trackbed from its current terminus at Glengonnar to Wanlockhead, Scotland’s highest village, at Radar Road, close to the site of the original station. The 25-year lease agreed with landowner Buccleuch Estates at a token rent of £1 per year, allows the Lowther Railway Society to progress the extension it has sought for almost 20 years, using the original trackbed of the former standard gauge light railway, which opened in 1903 and closed in 1939, linking Wanlockhead with Elvanfoot The society said that £3500 needs to be raised immediately to meet planning

and building warrant fees, while sources of grant aid are being actively explored. It has also issued an appeal for funds to meet the cost of the extension and is actively seeking volunteers who would like to work on building the extension. Society secretary Harvie Paterson said:“We are delighted that the Buccleuch Estates lease has been successfully lodged and we will meet soon with Dumfries and Galloway Council planners. “We will start immediate rock clearing from Glengonnar onwards and dig trial pits to see what needs to be done to make the trackbed ready. But there is much to organise before we can start track-laying and building Wanlockhead station and run-round loop. “Right now, we need to raise funds and add to our volunteer base to build the line. “Anyone who can help, either with money or skills, will receive a warm welcome and can contact us at [email protected]”

The cutting leading towards Wanlockhead, where rock clearance and test pit digging will start this spring. HUGH DOUGHERTY

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NEWS

Railway artefacts saved from fire to go under the hammer Stanier masterpiece: No. 46227 Duchess of Devonshire makes a fine sight at Hartford, near Warrington, as it heads southbound with the Up ‘Royal Scot’ on June 19, 1954. A pattern for the Pacific’s nameplate will be coming up for auction, with a number of others from the class, on February 22. NORMAN PREEDY ARCHIVE

By Geoff Courtney A COLLECTION of express locomotive nameplate patterns saved from a bonfire will be going under the hammer at an auction near Derby on February 22.They include some of the most classic names carried by LMS Princess Royal and Princess Coronation Pacifics, including five Duchesses and six cities. The 50 patterns, which are made of wood and were used to form the mould into which molten metal was poured to form a nameplate, were acquired by John Wood, a retired BR engineer at Derby and Crewe. In addition to the Princess Royals and Coronations, other classes represented include Patriot, Jubilee, Royal Scot and Standard Pacifics built at Crewe. The Princess Coronation nameplate patterns coming up for sale include the Duchesses of Gloucester, Devonshire, Montrose, Sutherland and Abercorn (Nos. 46225/27/32/33/34), and the Cities of Birmingham, Edinburgh, Manchester, Leeds, Lichfield and Nottingham (Nos. 46235/41/46/48/50/51). A majority of the Princess Royal class names will also be in the sale, as will Britannias – there are more than a dozen different size patterns for this class alone, said John, ranging in length from 15in to 6ft – and Clans from the BR Standard classes. He told Heritage Railway that he was selling the collection as he was downsizing from his home near Derby. He said he obtained the patterns, which are currently housed in a 19th-century former private chapel attached to his property, from an ex-BR colleague who in the 1960s had saved them from being burned. “He worked at Crewe and had rescued them when all the old steam locomotive component wooden patterns were burned at the works to clear workshop space. About 30 years ago, by which

time he had retired, I acquired them from him, taking the entire collection from his shed. It was an unforgettable moment, and I helped him renovate his shed in return.” John said that some of the patterns were also used as mock-ups on locomotives and could be seen in official black-and-white photographs, which are archived at the NRM. The auction will also feature other items that were saved by John in 1978 within literally minutes of them being lost, including manuscripts relating to locomotive naming ceremonies in the 1930s and 40s and other documents such as steam tender record cards. “They were in a skip full of historic paperwork, and I had 15 minutes

Nene Valley railcar During the traditional January low season, the Nene Valley Railway has been using 1958-built Swedish Y7 diesel railcar No. 1212 for special Sunday trips along the line. The showpiece railcar was imported for the NVR in 1984 and ran there until 1989 when its owner died, after which it ended up at the Fleggburgh Bygone Village in Great Yarmouth. When that attraction closed in 2004, it was moved to Tweddle Animal Farm in Hartlepool where it was used

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as an undercover picnic area. In early 2011 it was bought by a private individual and returned to Wansford that November, re-entering NVR traffic the following October in its original orange/yellow colours. It won the Railcar Association’s Railcar of the Year 2012 award. It is seen arriving back at Wansford on January 22. Built to continental loading gauge, the NVR is the only UK heritage line on which it can run throughout. ROBIN JONES

before the collection truck was due to arrive. I went to see the chief engineer to plead with him to let me rescue the paperwork, and he gave me permission but also gave me a severe dressing down for interrupting him.” He said:“Saving such historic artefacts for preservation has given me great pleasure over the years, but now it is time to find a new home for the collection. Owning a nameplate is the next best thing to actually owning a locomotive, and it would be lovely to think that the nameplate patterns could be united with the nameplates.” John, who is 67, was a steam-era trainspotter in Lancashire who witnessed the end of BR steam in 1968. He ran his school railway

society, and such was his passion that he persuaded his headmaster at Hutton Grammar School, Preston, to release £10 from school funds –“my pocket money wasn’t enough”– to rescue a former LNWR signalbox from Longridge near Preston when it was closed in 1967 and have it re-erected at the school. The sale is being held on February 22 by Hansons auctioneers at its saleroom in Etwall, near Derby, starting at 3pm. Hansons’associate director, Adrian Rathbone, said:“John was a railway enthusiast from an early age, and it could be said that he has steam running through his veins,” while John added:“I will be sad to see it go and will doubtless be very emotional.”

Miniature line owner given 24 hours to quit By Robin Jones THOUSANDS ofpeoplehave signed apetition tosavePoole’s 101/4in gauge Poole ParkRailway after it was closed by its localcouncil landlord. The700-yard circularrailway’s owner wasgivenjust aday’s noticebyPoole Borough Council toremove his rolling stock from the line in Poole Park, Parkstone Road, whilefreshbiddersto operateitwere sought. Thenextoperatorwillhave toupgrade it tomeetmodernhealthandsafety requirements,with newfencing around it alonecosting £30,000. Theline datesback to1949, whenit waslaid byagroup trading as Southern Miniature Railways Ltdalso ransimilar lines atStokes Bay, Bognor Regis and Southsea. Chris, 53, who has been running the railwaysince 2004, and is only the third operator of the line since its inception said he would need toraise £200,000, which includes the cost of replacing the railwayand its other facilities, and would like a 22-year lease. However, a petition to savethe line set up atyou.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/ save-poole-park-railway received nearly 6000 signatures in its first 24 hours. A Facebook pagehas also been set up to help him raise the money. The council originally told him to lift the track by March 1, but was understood to havenow backed down over that

The main station on the Poole Park Railway. LET’S GO OUT BOURNEMOUTH AND POOLE demand following receipt of the petition. Chris said:“After a meeting with the council,Iwaspreparedtowalkawayfrom the railway. However, since the news has broken I have been verysurprised by the countrywide support.” Despite the line’s maximum speed of 4mph, the council has also decided to implement the Health and Safety Executive’s 28-page“Passenger-carrying miniature railway guidance on safe practice”document. Chris said:“I have invested in new carriages and trains, all of which have been builtto Poole Park’s peculiar needs. We havenever had a public liability claim.” A crowd of onlookers also gathered at the line on January 18 to watch as the stock was lifted off the track on to low loaders. Some of them noticed that

one of the carriages carried theVirgin logo and subsequently tweeted the company’s founder Richard Branson asking him to step in and save the line. The latecomedian Ronnie Corbett was once photographed standing in front of the miniature railway. Poole Borough Council said the operator’s lease to run trains in Poole Park had expired and it would invite bids for a new contract. It saidthat the 24-hour notice period was“standard”. Anthony Rogers, the council’s recreation manager, said:“The railwayis a much-loved featureof Poole Park, and therefore the council is keen to secure its future for many years to come. “We will shortly be inviting proposals from experienced operators to secure the necessary investment to develop this popular attraction.”

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Liverpool miniature line on the move A MINIATURE railway in a Liverpool park is set to expand if it moves to a new home nearby. The 600ft Merseyside Live Steam and Model Engineers line, which has been based in Calderstones Park off Harthill Road for 75 years, may move across the park to make way for a housing scheme if that gets the go-ahead. The railway comprises two dual gauge tracks, one at ground level (5in and 7¼in gauge) and the other elevated (dual 3½in and 5in gauge) and offers free rides to children on most Sunday afternoons. The club has now applied for planning permission to move to a more central position within the park, and hopes to relocate by the end of this year. Club chairman Arthur Brooks said the proposed move, which will also give the railway its own clubhouse, will allow it to open more often and allow bigger engines to be run. If the club wins planning permission, it may to move by the end of 2017. Before then, the club will continue to operate the railway on most Sundays at 2pm.

Heritagerailway.co.uk 41

RAILWAYANA

BY GEOFF COURTNEY

GWR flexes its muscles in face of Big Four opposition

AS IS the norm, the GWR is making its historical presence felt at Great Central’s March 4 sale, with a five-pronged attack, comprising a Saint, Bulldog, two Halls and a Castle.The first is a previously unknown survivor, Lady of Lyons, from No. 2903, which was built in May 1906 and withdrawn by BR in November 1949 after a service life of 43 years. The Bulldog is Jamaica (No. 3402), the Halls Condover Hall and Umberslade Hall (Nos. 4915 and 4975), and the Castle Earl of Ducie.This last plate was initially fitted to Dukedog 4-4-0 No. 3211, on which it lasted for six just months, from March to September 1937, before being transferred to Castle 4-6-0 No. 5054. The sole Southern Railway contender is King Leodegrance from No. 30739, one of the early batch of Urie King Arthurs built at Eastleigh in February 1919 and withdrawn from Bournemouth (71B) in May 1957, and from the LMS comes the inevitable Jubilee – Swiftsure from No. 45716 – and The Prince of Wales’s Volunteers South Lancashire (Royal Scot No. 46137). Interestingly the latter plate is listed in the Ian Allan ABCs as having the last two words in brackets, but these are not on the plate, a rare discrepancy between the locospotters’usually accurate

reference books and a plate itself. From the LNER there is Trigo (A3 No. 60084), Airborne (A2 No. 60511), and The Bedale (D49 No. 62740).The smokebox numberplate from the A2 will also be going under the hammer, separately from the nameplate, while the D49 plate comes with fox. g Numerically, the final nameplate offering is Iron Duke from Standard Britannia No. 70014. The selection of GWR cabside numberplates includes 1013 from County of Dorset, 2930 from Saint Vincentt – the second member of the class to feature in the auction – and 6995 from Benthall Hall, in this case the third member of its class to be involved in the sale.This category also includes GWR 3028, carried by a former ROD 2-8-0. Two LNER Gresley A4s headline the worksplate selection, aided and abetted by another Gresley product, a P2 class 2-8-2.The Pacific offerings are Doncaster 1937 and Doncaster 1938 from Nos. 60004 William Whitelaw and 60001 Sir Ronald Matthews, and the P2 from No. 60506 Wolf of Badenoch, this Doncaster 1936 plate also carrying a‘rebuilt 1944’plate, recording its controversial conversion by Edward Thompson from a P2 to an A2 Pacific. Others in this section include

Darlington 1943 and North British 1947 examples from B1 Nos. 61002 Impala and 61240 Harry Hinchliffe, North British 1920 from D40 No. 62279 Glen Grant, and Darlington 1936 from B17 No. 61658 The Essex Regiment. LMS enthusiasts may like North British 1934 from Jubilee No. 45573 Newfoundland and a 1930 Beyer Peacock from a 2-6-6-2T Garratt in the 47967-99 series. Among the smokebox numberplates are 6830 and 6850 from Buckenhill Grange and Cleeve Grange, 30863 from SR Lord Nelson 4-6-0 Lord Rodney, and 61037 from another named B1, Jairou. There is also a headboard from‘The Mid-Day Scot’London Euston-Glasgow

express a selection of 51 Central express, pre-Grouping, Big Four and BR posters, including a North Eastern Railway example, and a pair of totem station signs that have to railway enthusiasts a certain historical ring about them – Stockton and Darlington. Two chime whistles will also feature, comprising that from A4 No. 60017 Silver Fox and another believed to be from a Standard Britannia that comes complete with all its fittings, while a veteran survivor is a pull-bar 1d platform ticket machine that retains its original LSWR enamel plate. The auction, at the usual Stoneleigh Park venue, starts at 10am.

Mayflower sails to a model success

A 5IN-GAUGE live steam model of LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61379 Mayflower realised £6800 at a‘trains galore’railwayana and models sale held by Special Auction Services of Newbury on December 15. Further 5in-gauge live steam successes

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included Southern Railway L1 4-4-0 No. 31758 (£4000) and GWR 0-6-0PT No. 5783 (£2950), while in the same gauge came two battery-powered models – Midland Railway compound 4-4-0 No. 1034 (£3300) and LNWR

Precursor 4-4-2T No. 44 (£2700). Two gatecrashers into the 5in-gauge party were O-gauge electric LNER P2 2-8-2 No. 2002 EarlMarischal,produced by Marklin of Germany in the mid-1930s (£6000), and a 3½in-gauge live steam

LNER A3 No. 4479 RoberttheDevil (£2900). As reported in last month’s Heritage Railway, top of the tree was a 5in-gauge live steam model of No. 4472 Flying Scotsman, which fetched £30,000. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 15% (+VAT).

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BY GEOFF COURTNEY

Vast model sale raises £231,000 for charity A HUGE collectionof modeltrains raised £231,000 forcharityat anauctionheld by WrightMarshall inTarporley,Cheshire,on January 11-12. Thetoprealisation was£1250foran OO-gauge BrightonBelle Pullman set made byGolden AgeModels of Swanage. AsecondGolden AgeOO-gaugemodel, LNERA4No. 4498SirNigelGresley, went for £1000, with other pricesincluding £780 for aCorgi Bassett-Lowke O-gauge No.6201 PrincessElizabeth and£760for SNCF 2-12-0 No. 160-A1, made in HO-gauge by Micro-Metakitof Germany. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of17½% (+VAT). Thecollectionwasamassed over35 yearsby Oldhamsolicitorand councillor AntonyAdler,andcomprised no fewer than 4000 models in mainly HO gauge, but alsoOO and Ogauges,built by manufacturersthroughout the world, including theUK,Europe,USAand Japan.

PeterAshburner,fine art director at Wright Marshall,said hehad neverbefore seensuch a collection.“It wasincredibleto beable toworkwith such anastonishingly vastand variedcollection of trains from aroundthe world. “Itwas fascinating cataloguingthe collection and learning about a number of makes that Ihad never come across before.” Mr Adler,whodied in2015 aged 81, wasinspired tostart the collection while sheltering from rain neara model train shop,and suchwasits sizethatittook three vans todeliverthe items to the Wright Marshall saleroom. ➜Great Central’s next biannual sale at Bloxham, nearBanbury, is being held on February 18,witha selection of about 1000 lots of railwayanagoingunder the hammer in rapid-firesuccession. It’s the salewherethe rathermore

normal – and formal–style of auction goesout of the window.Noreserves, no telephone or commission bids, and viewingnotonly the evening before and the morning of the sale, but also during the auction itself. The event is beingheld atTheWarriner School,startingat 9.30am.It’s an occasion tobe on your toes ifyou’vegotan eye on one (or more) of the items coming up. Blink,orhesitate, and youwill probably havemissed yourchance! ➜Locomotionhad togive way toa collection ofaccessories in theVectis railwayana and model train sale at Thornabyon December 16, when a motorised crane made byHeljan of Denmark,adock crane byRocoof Austria, and a second motorised crane,all inHOgauge,wentunderthe hammer for £520. The priceexcludes buyer’s premiumof 20%(+VAT).

150-year-old survivor stars in ticket sale

A TICKET issued by the Caledonian & Dumbartonshire Junction Railway in the first half of Queen Victoria’s reign was the star of a Great Central Railwayana ticket postal auction in January, selling for £240. It was for a journey “in a closed carriage” from Dumbarton to Renton, and would have been bought between the

opening of the railway in 1850 and its acquisition by the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway in 1862. At the other end of the country, a LBSCR pre-First World War 1s 9d third class ticket from Midhurst to Chichester went for £220, while another pre-Great War example, for an 8d GWR bus journey from East Pentire

to Watergate Bay via Newquay, fetched £130. Close behind, at £120, came a late-Victorian ticket for a journey from Haverhill to Castle Hedingham on the Colne Valley Railway, a trip that cost just 10d. The auction featured 3700 lots. Prices quoted exclude buyer’s premium of 10% (+ VAT).

RAILWAYANA

What’s in a name? THE eagle-eyed among you may have spotted that Simon Turner’s GW Railwayana auction house now carries the website branding GB Railwayana Auctions. Was this, I wondered, a name change, following the retirement of Simon’s co-director Tony Hoskins? Apparently not.“We are still trading as GW Railwayana Auctions, but I have changed the website name to give a better indication of what we are about,” Simon told me. “We started in 1994 as Gloucestershire Worcestershire Railwayana, and this became GW Railwayana, but now that so much business is done on the‘net’, this has become slightly restrictive, as those outside the world of railwayana tend to think it means we specialise in the GWR. “With live internet bidding at our auctions we are a worldwide company, and I wanted our website to reflect that in a better way. “I have registered the new name as a limited company, but our trading name has not changed.”

Carriage print is prince of internet auction

THE original watercolour artwork by Rowland Hilder (1905-93) for a carriage print of the Yorkshire Dales, issued by the LNER in 1937, sold for £1125 at an Onslows internet vintage poster auction on December 16. It was part of

a collection of LNER carriage prints put together by former BR North Eastern Region publicity manager Albert Cook. A 1928 LNER poster of South Shields by Henry George Gawthorn (1879-1941) went for £900, while a

BR Scottish Region poster by Jack Merriott (1901-68) promoting Loch Etive in Argyll & Bute, released in 1950, sold for £700. Two further Big Four posters were Dunoon by John Littlejohns (1874-

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1955) published by the LNER in 1930, and Ullswater Lake District by Clodagh Sparrow (1905-57) issued by the LMS in 1928, this pair selling for £600 and £550 respectively. Prices exclude buyer’s premium of 20% (+ VAT). Heritagerailway.co.uk 43

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

Maunsell

Q

in GCR debut The Bluebell Railway-based Maunsell Q 0-6-0 No. 30541 was the star guest at the Great Central Railway’s winter steam gala, making its first-ever appearance on Britain’s only double track heritage main line, with nine other locomotives in steam, writes Robin Jones.

A

round 5000 people attended the Great Central Railway’s winter steam gala over January 27-29, one of only a handful of events which provide a welcome break in the otherwise silent weeks of post-new year. The guest locomotive for this year’s event was the Maunsell Locomotive Society’s 1939-built Q 0-6-0 No. 30541, the sole survivor of a class of 20.

SR Q class 0-6-0 No. 30541 accelerates away from Quorn on Friday, January 27. MICHAEL ANDERSON

SR Q class 0-6-0 No. 30541 and King Arthur 4-6-0 No. 777 Sir Lamiel round the curve at Kinchley Lane in dramatic lighting conditions on Saturday, January 28. ROBERT FALCONER

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Heritagerailway.co.uk 45

BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018 and ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45305 doublehead past Kinchley Lane on January 28. ALAN WEAVER

LMS 3F ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No 47406 passes Rabbit Bridge near Swithland viaduct on January 28. PAUL BIGGS

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Designed by Southern Railway chief mechanical engineer Richard Maunsell, the class was built under his successor Oliver Bulleid, just before the Second World War. They were intended for use on mediumdistance freight trains, replacing old pre-Grouping types. However, their design was old fashioned in itself, and were soon eclipsed by Bulleid’s own and more powerful Q1s. Nonetheless, the Qs were by no means obsolete, and remained in service until 1965. It was thanks to Woodham Brothers scrapyard at Barry that one of the class survived. No. 30541 was bought by enthusiasts in 1973 and at first moved to the Dowty Preservation Society’s base at Ashchurch near Tewkesbury. After five years it was taken to the Bluebell Railway where it has remained ever since. Its owning group merged with those of U class No. 1618 and S15 No. 847 to form the Maunsell Locomotive Society. Major restoration work saw it return to steam in 1983, operating for the following decade in Maunsell livery as No. 541. It ran until 1993 when its boiler ticket expired, and

BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell stands in Loughborough Central station with a photo charter goods train on the night of January 18. ROBERT FALCONER

LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46521 and 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 on shed at Loughborough on the evening of January 28. ALAN WEAVER

had to wait in the overhaul queue until work on returning it to steam again began in July 2011. It returned to service on April 28, 2015, carrying 1960s BR livery as No. 30541. No. 30541 is not the first Q to have been taken over GC metals. No. 30538 was withdrawn at Fratton in June 1964 and scrapped at Ward’s at Killamarsh in Derbyshire later that year. No. 30532 also made its last journey by rail from Salisbury to Killamarsh around the same time, and would also have been taken over the Marylebone extension to meet its fate. Also running during the gala were BR Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell, WR 4-6-0 No. 6990 Witherslack Hall, Stanier 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624, BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018, SR King Arthur 4-6-0 No. 777 Sir Lamiel, LMS ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No. 47406, ‘Black Five’ No. 45305 and Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 No. 46521. Both passenger and freight trains were run and the line’s Travelling Post Office set ran on the Saturday and Sunday. Witherslack Hall was withdrawn for half a day, reportedly with firebar problems, but everything else ran according to plan.

BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92214 approaches Swithland sidings with a freight train on January 28. JOHN STORER Heritagerailway.co.uk 47

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

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Photograph the Settle & Carlisle Line again

12 BEST LOCATIONS In a special feature to mark the imminent reopening of the much-loved Settle and Carlisle route to through trains following last February’s landslip and the completion of Network Rail’s £23 million repair programme, Brian Sharpe and Robin Jones look at a dozen of the best lineside locations to capture the much-anticipated return of steam action.

SR West Country Pacific No. 34027 Taw Valley is another engine no longer main line certified. It has just crossed Ribblehead viaduct southbound and passes the signalbox and loops at Blea Moor on December 14, 1991.

M

arch 31 will see what many people regard as a dream steam excursion. Flying Scotsman no less, will haul a special train over the entire 73 miles of one of the most beautiful main line railways in Europe, the Settle and Carlisle line. As highlighted in Main Line News, pages 5661, the trip from Oxenhope to Carlisle is being run by the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, in conjunction with Northern, Network Rail and the Friends of the Settle & Carlisle and will be operated by West Coast Railways. It will be the precursor to many, many more steam trips over this stunning trans-Pennine route, notably the ‘Fellsman’ and ‘Statesman’ excursions, following its repair reopening by Network Rail after being out of action for nearly 14 months. The reopening of the line throughout, which vies with the Dawlish sea wall route and the West Highland Line for drama, will undoubtedly bring visitors flocking back in droves, not only to ride on the trains and savour some of the north country’s most stunning upland scenery from the elevated comfort of a carriage, but to photograph trains in action from the lineside. This is the route that was so nearly lost three decades ago, only to be saved by people power in the form of nationwide protests. Indeed, it is a line that might never have come into existence, but for the often-petty rivalries of railway companies in the Victorian age. Plans for the Settle and Carlisle line were drawn up by the Midland Railway as the culmination of a long-running dispute with the LNWR over access to Scotland. The Midland’s trains ran to Scotland via the ‘Little North Western’ route to Ingleton and Lowgill, where it joined the Lancaster & Carlisle Railway, which was operated by the LNWR. The LNWR and Midland could not agree on sharing the use of Ingleton station, so two stations were built a mile apart. Eventually the LNWR gave ground and allowed the Midland

Among the unusual steam workings to have been seen on the S&C was the run from Falkirk to Rainhill by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s NBR J36 0-6-0 No. 673 Maude and two Caledonian Railway coaches. The 0-6-0 passes Horton-in-Ribblesdale on May 17, 1980. Heritagerailway.co.uk 49

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL to attach through carriages to LNWR trains at Ingleton, so passengers could continue their journey north without leaving the train. Yet the LNWR persisted in petty awkwardness, attaching the Midland’s through coaches to slow freight trains instead of fast passenger services. The Midland accordingly decided to solve the problem once and for all by building its own route to Scotland, bypassing lines under LNWR control and the troublesome Ingleton connection and linking straight to the Caledonian Railway at Carlisle. Surveying of the route began in 1865, Parliamentary approval for the line was gained the following year, and following a period of uncertainly during a financial crisis in Britain sparked by a banking failure, building work began in November 1869, with more than 6000 navvies toiling with their bare hands in the harsh Pennine weather. Engineered by Leicestershire man John Crossley, the Settle & Carlisle line needed 14 tunnels and 22 viaducts, and had its summit north of Garsdale at Ais Gill, 1169ft above sea level, the highest point reached by main line trains in England. The most famous of its structures is the 24-arch Ribblehead Viaduct which stands 104ft high and 440 yards long. The swampy ground meant that the piers had to be sunk 25ft below the peat and set in concrete in order to provide a suitable foundation. There is also a 16-mile section of 1-in-100 known to enginemen as the ‘Long Drag’. To maintain speed, water troughs were laid between the tracks at Garsdale enabling steam engines to take water without losing speed. The line, which took Midland services between Leeds and Carlisle, cost 50% more to build than had been originally estimated, around £250 million by 2012 values. It opened for goods traffic in August 1875 and passenger trains in April 1876, after which

BR Standard 9F No. 92220 Evening Star was a regular performer on the line in the 1980s and crosses Ribblehead viaduct southbound on April 23, 1984.

the Midland took an increasingly greater share of Glasgow-bound traffic, as it offered more daytime trains than the LNWR and more comfortable coaches, including Britain’s first Pullmans. Yet the Settle and Carlisle could never match the West Coast Main Line for speed, because of the route’s steep gradients. The Midland’s London to Glasgow route was also longer, and trains stopped many more times, to serve the big urban areas in the East Midlands and industrial north. The Settle & Carlisle was built as a duplicate line, and after Nationalisation in 1948, it become increasingly recognised as such, and quickly came to the attention of Dr Beeching, who sought to prune the national network by eliminating doubling up. In his 1963 report Report on the Reshaping of British Railways, under the lengthy list of passenger services to be withdrawn, there was Carlisle-Skipton. The recommendation was not at first enacted, but all stations on the Settle and Carlisle line apart from Settle and Appleby West were

LMS Princess Royal Pacific No. 46203 Princess Margaret Rose storms up the ‘Long Drag’ past Selside on September 7, 1991.

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closed on May 4, 1970. DalesRail, an initiative promoted by the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority to encourage ramblers, began operating services to closed stations on the Settle & Carlisle during summer weekends in 1975. Freight kept the Settle & Carlisle open, but British Rail was reluctant to invest in the line, and by the Eighties, the majestic line was handling only a handful of trains each day. Pre-empting fears of total closure, the Friends of the Settle-Carlisle Line was formed at a meeting in Settle Town Hall in 1981 to campaign against the closure even before it was announced. It was in December 1983 that the longdreaded announcement came. British Rail was to close the line because of mounting losses, including the estimated colossal expense of repairing and waterproofing Ribblehead Viaduct, stated as £6 million. Protestors banded together and formed a joint action committee, bringing together the Friends, the Railway Development Society (a national rail pressure group) and

Transport 2000. As such, the protest became nationwide, with more than 32,000 written objections. Local councils joined forces with the protestors, claiming that the route had been deliberately run down and was an example of closure by stealth. British Rail appointed a project manager, Ron Cotton, to close the line, but he became instrumental in saving the route, believing that it had a future. In 1986, he reopened eight of stations closed in 1970; Horton-in-Ribblesdale, Ribblehead, Dent, Garsdale, Kirkby Stephen, Langwathby, Lazonby & Kirkoswald, and Armathwaite. Bizarrely, nobody in the higher echelons of British Rail challenged him, leading to historians to wonder whether the national rail operator was secretly doing its best not to bow to political pressure to close the route. The Transport Users Consultative Committee inquiry in Appleby, Skipton and Settle which opened on March 24, 1986 reported that closure of the line would cause extreme hardship. In May 1987, English Heritage offered £1 million, towards the repair of Ribblehead Viaduct and local councils raised £500,000 to help save the line. Nonetheless, in 1988, Paul Channon, the transport secretary in the Thatcher government, announced he was “minded” to give consent to the closure. However, another saviour was at hand. In 1986, London solicitor Edward Album was recruited by the Friends to fight the closure plans, and he became a key lobbyist, outwitting BR at every twist and turn of the closure process. And in April 1989, Michael Portillo, minister of state for public transport, wrote to Edward telling him that British Rail had been refused permission to close the line. On Tuesday, April 11, Channon announced to the House of Commons that he had changed his mind owing to the increased traffic on the line. The Settle and Carlisle line then had a second life in more ways than one. It was promoted

Then in the ownership of Paddy Smith and carrying LMS livery, ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 5407 crosses the River Ribble at Sheriff Brow, north of Settle on November 28, 1989. Behind the engine is the InterCity-liveried ‘Ethel’ (Electric Train Heating Ex-Locomotive), used during the winter months when steam heating was not permitted by BR because of health and safety concerns.

Now a well-established member of the West Coast Railways’ pool of engines at Carnforth, LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48151 made its debut on the S&C on June 25, 1988, and emerges from the north end of Blea Moor tunnel into Dentdale.

Heritagerailway.co.uk 51

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL to tourists, and congestion on the West Coast Main Line, meant that bulk freight traffic began running over the Midland’s alternative route. Imported coal from the Hunterston deep water coal terminal in Scotland was carried over the Settle & Carlisle to power stations in Yorkshire, and gypsum is still transported from Drax Power Station to Kirkby Thore. Major engineering work to upgrade the line to the standards required for such heavy freight traffic was financed, along with additional investment to reduce the length of signal sections. In May 2011 early-morning services were reintroduced, with one train in each direction arriving in Leeds and Carlisle before 9am. The winter of 2015-16 saw services over the route repeatedly disrupted by flooding and a serious landslip north of Armathwaite. Storm Desmond saw the line closed for several days at the beginning of December by flooding at several different locations, while the landslip at Eden Brows near Armathwaite resulted in the closure of the southbound line between Cumwhinton and Culgaith from January 29, 2016 to allow the damaged embankment to be inspected and stabilised. Problems had first been reported in mid-December 2015, but repairs were carried out and services resumed on December 22. Single line working was in place for several days over the northbound line whilst the remedial work continued and an emergency timetable was in operation. However, further ground movement at the site, owing to the base of the embankment being eroded by the river and the saturated nature of the fill material originally used to construct the embankment. This led to the complete closure of the line between Appleby Below: Tornado’s runs in February are not the first regular stopping steam passenger trains on the S&C in the preservation era. BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80080 rounds the curve at Smardale with a BR all-stations crew-training run from Carlisle to Skipton in March 1992.

Then in LMS maroon livery, Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 5690 Leander crosses Dent Head viaduct after emerging from Blea Moor tunnel on April 20, 1980.

Double-chimneyed LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas runs through the Eden valley at Baron Wood, south of Armathwaite on August 17, 1989.

LNER A2 Pacific No. 60532 Blue Peter approaches Birkett tunnel with NELPG’s ‘North Eastern’ on March 6, 1993.

& Carlisle on February 9, with buses replacing trains over this section. A £23-million repair solution for the affected site was designed by Network Rail. The operation to build a 110-yard-long piled retaining wall and support platform for the track to stabilise a section of the gorge bank above the River Eden began last July. In the meantime, the section of line between Appleby and Armathwaite was reopened to traffic on June 27. It is over this section that a series of 12 steam specials headed by A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado will run on February 14-16, replacing standard Northern Rail DMU services. This operation is thought to be the first time in 50 years that steam has been used to haul scheduled passenger trains in England. Regarding the key repairs, which will once again allow trains to run over the whole route, Rhiannon Price, project manager for Network Rail said: “The viaduct-like structure we’re building will safeguard this section of railway for generations to come. If the land gives way again, the railway will not. “This is a complex repair job many months in the planning. We are now focused on getting this iconic and much-loved line fully reopened right the way to Carlisle as soon as possible, which is on schedule for March 31.” Paul Barnfield, regional director at Northern, said: “The work carried out on the Settle to Carlisle line is nothing short of remarkable. “We are delighted that, in the near future, we will once again be able to provide a full rail service to our customers travelling between Yorkshire and Cumbria on this iconic line.” Once the railway is reopened Network Rail plans to carry out earthworks improvements to the foot of the embankment below the line and above the River Eden. This will include drainage ditches and pipework, rock armour to guard against erosion when flows are high, and finally replanting trees over the entirety of the affected area. Great care is being taken to ensure ecology is protected, including badger setts and spawning salmon. Natural England will advise on the tree replanting.

Now sadly withdrawn from active service. LNER V2 2-6-2 No. 4771 Green Arrow was a popular engine on the S&C having hauled the first steam railtour over the route in March 1979. It crosses Ais Gill viaduct on September 30, 1989.

LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton tops Ais Gill summit with hardly a trace of exhaust on August 25, 1990. Heritagerailway.co.uk 53

Shortly before expiry of its boiler certificate, LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053 heads away from Corfe Castle on the Swanage Railway on January 14. ANDREW PM WRIGHT

MAIN LINE NEWS

Flying Scotsman heads official Settle and Carlisle reopening

By Cedric Johns Main line correspondent

GRESLEY A3 4-6-2 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman is set to steal the limelight when the Settle and Carlisle line is officially reopened on March 31 following Network Rail’s £23 million repair programme. No. 60103 has been undergoing winter maintenance in the National Railway Museum’s workshops. The locomotive will head a special £220-a-head railtour from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s Oxenhope station, organised by the heritage line, and travelling via Haworth, Keighley and Skipton to Carlisle.The tour marks the full reopening of the route which has been closed for repairs since some 500,000 tons of soil and other debris blocked the line at Armathwaite north of Appleby a year ago. The timings for this trip are to be confirmed, but the railtour is expected to depart Oxenhope at 8:30am.The return journey will include a cream tea. In January 2016, Flying Scotsman – then still in black livery following its £4.8-million overhaul - was the last steam locomotive to travel over the line, making the reopening special even more significant. KWVR chairman Matt Stroh said:“To have Flying Scotsman on the KWVR branch line and depart Oxenhope to the main line and officially open the line is a fantastic achievement for our railway. “We have worked in partnership with Network Rail, Northern Rail and Friends of the Settle & Carlisle Line to create this opportunity to take place.” Douglas Hodgins, chairman of the Friends of the Settle & Carlisle Line, added:“Fixing the landslip at Eden Brows has been an enormous achievement by Network Rail and their contractors. For Flying Scotsmanto reopen Britain’s third route between England and Scotland is symbolic.” More details are available at http://kwvr. co.uk or by telephoning 01535645214. The tour is of course, the forerunner to the A3 visiting the KVWR during

Flying Scotsman in the National Railway Museum’s workshops on January 26, as it is prepared for a second headline-grabbing year. ROBIN JONES April 1-9, when unprecedented crowds are set to descend on the line. Following the railtour, the A3 will be displayed at Ingrow on Saturday and Sunday, April 1-2 only. Entry tickets will include unlimited travel on the line’s steam trains. Monday, April 3 to Sunday April 9 allows the public to travel from Haworth to Oxenhope to Keighley, where the A3 will be hauling passenger trains. Visitors arriving by car are advised to either park at Oxenhope – free parking – or an overflow car park a short walk away.The KWVR will be operating a park and ride service from Penistone Hill at Oxenhope. However, before the reopening of the entire Settle & Carlisle route, A1 4-6-2 No. 60163 Tornadois set to make more heritage-era history by hauling regular scheduled Northern Rail DMU services over the part of the line which remained open, between Skipton and Appleby, from February 14-16. The schedule has been organised by a consortium including Northern Rail,

Network Rail,The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, DB Cargo and the Friends group, with Tornado taking over DMU services from Leeds to Appleby, which for the purposes of the three-day event will terminate at Skipton. According to reliable sources, Tornado will work tender first from Skipton to Appleby in the morning and afternoon. A DB Cargo Class 67 diesel will be attached to provide train heating. A typical timetabled service sees the A1 depart Skipton at 10.45am, arriving Appleby at 12.16pm with stops at Settle and Kirkby Stephen en route. Other departures from Appleby are 3.07pm and from Skipton at 5.10pm. Northern Rail regional director Paul Barnfield said:“We are proud to be delivering steam trains on the Settle and Carlisle.This is a ground-breaking operation on a fantastic railway.” The event will give passengers the unique opportunity hop on a steam train using a standard National Rail ticket and travel in Mk 2 carriages. The Skipton to Appleby section offers

53 miles of steam through Ribblehead, Blea Moor and Dent. Flying Scotsman can also be seen in action at the National Railway Museum during the February 18-26 half term week, before it heads off to the KWVR and the Settle and Carlisle line. The museum’s SouthYard will host rides behind No. 60103 and footplate experiences on the legendary locomotive in addition to a funfair with rides and stalls. Visitors will have the chance to climb into the driver’s cab and make their own personal journey on the track in the world’s most famous steam engine. They can also upgrade their footplate experience to include afternoon tea at the luxurious Countess ofYork tea room, including a glass of Prosecco. For youngsters, there is a Need for Speed science show. For more information, visit nrm. org.uk/febfun and nrm.org.uk/ Scotsmanexperience *Feature: how to photograph the Settle and Carlisle route: pages 48-53.

Scotsman’s Bluebell visit hangs on Network Rail plan THE visit of Flying Scotsman to the Bluebell Railway in April was hanging in the balance because gauging issues at Dormans station, two miles down the line from East Grinstead, have led to steam locomotives being banned from entering the final section. As a result, Steam Dreams’

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plans to run a tour from Sheffield Park to Oxford with the A3 on April 18 had to be postponed. The gauging issue has also placed in doubt the Bluebell’s plans to run three Pullman dining trains and a‘Breakfast Special’behind the 4-6-2 in April. Such has been the

demand that all four trains have sold out. A Network Rail spokesman said:“We are working as hard as we can to enable steam charters to run as planned. “We have a plan to correct the issues at Dormans for Flying Scotsman’s move to the Bluebell Railway”.

He said that the full route is being assessed for any other issues along the route.“A full plan will be available in the coming weeks,” he added. The‘coming weeks’will need to be early February at the latest to enable workers, plant and machinery to be in place to salvage the Bluebell’s all but

sold out event. Steam Dreams’Marcus Robertson confirmed that the ‘Cathedrals Express’to Oxford had been postponed and passengers notified. “We can only redate the plan once Network Rail give us the green light which might be months away,” he added.

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LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander passes Docker on the climb to Grayrigg with the Railway Touring Company's 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express' from Manchester Victoria to Carlisle on January 21. HENRY ELLIOTT

Hectic festive season for Steam Dreams ASKED to review the hectic build-up of the railtour programme towards Christmas, Steam Dreams’Marcus Robertson reveals the pressure which he and other tour promoters experience when plans are disrupted. “Unlike recent years when the ‘Cathedrals Express’programme has been plagued – like everyone else with a constant diet of wet and windy weather, this last year was blessed with much better conditions. “On November 29, for example, a beautifully-presented Bulleid 4-6-2, Braunton, running as Lord Dowding, set off out of West Brompton (although not Victoria as originally planned) on a short notice, revised route to Salisbury, instead of Bath. Happily, the weather was fine, cold, frosty with clear blue skies. “The Bullied performed faultlessly throughout the day and set the tone for the remainder of December. “Steam Dreams had rostered the 4-6-2 for that and other trips but our original plans – made at the start the year – featuring a mix of Mayflower and‘Lizzie’ doing the bulk of the festive work was changed when it became clear during the summer that the B1 was not going to make it back after overhaul. However, what was more of a shock was when

‘Lizzie’, booked for its first pre-Christmas train, to Lincoln on December 1, was failed and would be out of action for the remainder of the year…” Marcus continued:“Happily, several ‘Thunderbirds’were at hand with Locomotive Services Ltd, the Duchess and the usual‘Thunderbird-in-chief’, played by Riley & Company, coming to the rescue. “The two ‘Black Fives’– No. 44871 and No.45407 – filled in with ease, picking up an‘Express’, starting from Ashford (Kent), at Hanwell for a trip toWinchester on December 3. “The engines performed excellently maintaining a 100% record for turning up for‘Cathedrals Express’diagrams. “Next up on the roll of honour was Duchess of Sutherland, which would have filled one and a half itineraries, but in the end managed only one. However, that one was a storming run from King’s Cross to Lincoln with 12 on and no diesel anywhere to be seen. “Its second job was a well-planned move that helped the Duchess move from London to Norwich for a job booked by RTC the next day, by filling in for‘Lizzie’one way from Hanwell to Ely for a carol service in the cathedral. “Unfortunately, even the best laid laid

plans can come to grief, and although the move through Ely station to Norwich for the next day’s work had been in the Network Rail system for months, gauging was literally done at the last minute and it was 10.30 on the evening before the train was due to depart that the news came that the Duchess was out of gauge and the train would have to be diesel-hauled. “West Coast was able to summon a diesel to take the train from Horsham to Ely, but the diesel ran into problems before leaving Southall with the empty stock, making it clear that the train would not be able to depart from Horsham in time to make the carol service, so the trip was cancelled. Luckily we had posted a representative at each pick-up station (as normal) and they were able to pass on the not good news to passengers. “Locomotive Services Ltd had already committed to three‘Expresses’but when Royal Scot was declared not ready after maintenance work, Braunton stepped into the breach for the trip to Bath on December 10.The Bulleid then covered for‘Lizzie’on an additional job – to the West Somerset Railway on December 17, where carols were enjoyed at Dunster, and there was a bagpipe welcome for passengers at Minehead.

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

“What has now become a traditional fixture that ends Steam Dreams’season – the‘White Cliffs’luncheon train – almost missed its slot in 2015 when the two ‘Black Fives’looked to be the last steam over the Dover to Folkestone route after being signalled to walking pace over the sea wall section to Shakespeare tunnel as heavy seas attacked the defences. (As it turned out the line was closed very soon afterwards and Network Rail’s orange army moved to do a‘Dawlish’and reopened the line mid-December). Marcus added:“Yet again an immaculate-looking Braunton performed in style, treating passengers on the sold-out train to some good Bullied noises climbing Martin Mill bank in sparkling sunshine. I was delighted that so many people pulled together to fill the gaps left by Mayflower and‘Lizzie’. “I really can’t praise our partners enough for keeping steam going on the main line in December. Riley has helped out on many occasions, his reputation for ‘Thunderbird’work goes before him and his crews… equally Simon Scott with the Duchess and Bob Allen with Locomotive Services’Bulleid 4-6-2, and of courseWest Coast, which pulled out all the stops to cope with last-minute route and timing changes and other late alterations.” Heritagerailway.co.uk 57

MAIN LINE NEWS

DTG launches Maybach appeal THE Diesel Traction Group, owner of former Western Region class 52 diesel, Western Champion, has launched an appeal to ensure that its popular maroon 90mph locomotive is returned to the main line this year. As reported last month, the 52 managed to complete its booked ‘East Yorkshireman’ trip to Scarborough albeit on one engine, on December 17. Subsequent inspection revealed it was the diesel’s ‘B’ Maybach engine that had failed with a serious fault. In fact the problem is so serious that DTG engineers took the decision to find a replacement power pack to speed up the locomotive’s return to traffic. In order to achieve a relatively quick

return the DTG gave made contact with a German firm with a view a replacement being made available within months rather than years. An estimated cost has already been provided and says the DTG: ”We are looking at around £50,000 to complete the work required. “To enable D1015 to continue on the main line we are launching an appeal to raise the money required. “We will be grateful for donations however small. Any amount more than £1000 will automatically buy shares in DTG Limited and allow those donating (that sum) to become part owner of the locomotive.” Minimum shareholding is “£1000 or

10 shares of a £100”. Further details can be obtained at [email protected] This news caused Pathfinder Tours to immediately postpone selling tickets for its proposed ‘Western Glory’ railtour marking the withdrawal of the Western Region’s 52s 40 years ago, February 1977, when BR ran a doubleheaded farewell trip with D1013 Western Ranger and D1023 Western Fusilier leading the way… Pathfinder’s Peter Watts commented that he had kept a close eye on the situation and had provisionally re-dated the trip for March because the Whiteball tunnel part of ‘Western Glory’s route is to be closed for a month

in February for engineering work. When it became obvious that the tour had to be postponed, he said that taking into consideration of the time factor involved with the provision of a new engine for D1015 and a subsequent running-in period, the 40th anniversary tour has been put back to March 5, 2018. Meanwhile Pathfinder’s ‘Heart of Wales’ tour, which starts out of Burton-on-Trent on June 17, calling at stations along the Birmingham New Street-Gloucester-Chepstow-SwanseaShrewsbury route will be hauled by the Deltic Preservation Society’s locomotive No. 55009 Alycidon, standing in for Western Champion.

Overhaul review for Duke of Gloucester ON January 7, members of the Duke of Gloucester’s management committee, along with engineers Alistair and Bob Meanley, met to discuss modifications to the 4-6-2 as part of its current overhaul programme. It was decided to produce new cam boxes for the exhaust vents to the Duke’s original design plus opening the blastpipe diameter to its original specification. These moves are considered to return No. 71000’s exhausting arrangements to how they were intended if a Kylchap chimney had been fitted by BR at Crewe when the unique three-cylinder engine was built. Thought was also given to the benefits of replacing steel pistons with cast-iron replacements to reduce wear on liners and perhaps extend the life of the piston rings. As it is work on the Duke’s overhaul is making good progress with the possibility of re-fitting minor parts in the near future.The day also coincided with a well-attended meeting of the Duke’s support team members – see photograph – held at the nearby Railway Institute’s Social Club. Addressing the meeting, the 4-6-2’s management’s committee chairman,

The Duke’s support team members at the Railway Institute’s Social Club at Tyseley on January 7. 71000 LOCOMOTIVE TRUST TrevorTuckley, began by saying that he felt privileged to be a member of the Duke’s family. In summary he said:“None of is more important than any other member of our family, we all are cogs in the Duke’s machinery and as a result our combined efforts are second to none! “Equally, our partnership withTyseley Locomotive Works, whose reputation for quality and reliability goes before it, is a bonus. He continued by saying that:“We have a fantastic support crew team whose

contribution to the Duke’s overhaul is the envy of others. “Equally, our unsung back-room team play a vital role in supporting the engine’s current overhaul, as do the management committee, which works continuously to make sure that the essential ingredients of enthusiasm and integrity are present to ensure that the business of the trust is carried out in a tried and tested manner. “Our joint achievements this year have been nothing short of amazing ensuring that we are on target to return the Duke

to main line traffic at the end of next year or early 2019.” During the meeting, trust-sponsored Tyseley apprentice Edward Robinson, spoke of his mother’s support when making an application. He revealed that he had left school with nothing particular in mind but his involvement with heavy engineering has changed his life for the better. “I am thoroughly enjoying my hands on job, it is giving me a great deal of personal confidence and job satisfaction.”

TWELVE EXCURSIONS FOR WEST SOMERSET PLANNED

Subject to tour promoters finalising their plansWest Somerset Railway’s boss, Paul Conibeare, has confirmed that he expects 12 main line trains to visit Bishops Lydeard - for Minehead this year. As is usual practice, visiting engines will come off trains at Bishops Lydeard, turn on the triangle and be coaled and watered for the return journey.

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Meanwhile the incoming trains are taken forward to Minehead by locally based engines and returned to Bishops Lydeard later in the day where, after exchanging motive power tours depart on homeward journeys. It may be remembered that the Mid Hants’ ‘Green Train’pioneered a heritage tour from Alton to West Somerset metals back in

the early Twenties when Standard Five 4-6-0 No. 73096 worked the ‘Quantock Belle’as far as Bishops Lydeard. Then, the 4-6-0 had to run light engine and coach more than 50 miles to Westbury for turning, much later a diesel hauled the train back to meet up with the 4-6-0 in Wiltshire. As Mr Conibeare pointed

out, the West Somerset is now able to offer visiting engines a choice of turning facilities at both ends of the railway. On May 17 the BBC’s Antique Road Show visits West Somerset for two sessions of filming its popular programme celebrating its 40th year of screening. Flying Scotsman is booked

to visit the line in May and will work two Steam Dreams’ trips from the railway. On September 4 the A3 makes a return visit for week’s stay. West Somerset officials are already considering safety plans in order to cope with the expected large numbers of people anxious to see the world’s most expensive engine.

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LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander storms up Shap at Greenholme with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ on January 21. ALAN WEAVER

Roger Barker support coach for Cranmore AFTER some months of considering tenders for the overhaul of A4 No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley’s support coach, the locomotive’s owning trust has decided to place the vehicle on the East Somerset Railway at Cranmore. The work is to be carried out by Cranmore Traincare & Maintenance Services mainly for body repairs and the fitting of a larger kitchen. Following that the coach – E21096 – will be moved to Barrow Hill where Rampart Engineering will fully overhaul the coach’s roller-bearing fitted BR 1 bogies, some of the last type to remain operational on the national network . Overall completion of the work on the coach is projected as being the summer of 2018, to ensure it is available when No. 60007 is steamed again. Roger Barker, the A4’s long-term ebullient custodian passed away in

2015 and so the coach is to be fitted with nameplates in his memory. Commenting, Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust’s deputy chairman, John Wilkinson, said:“The coach has now been with our locomotive for 40 years, first arriving at Carnforth in the 1970s. “The concept of a support coach has long been accepted as an essential part of operating steam on the main line but ours was one of the first coaches dedicated solely to a particular engine. “E21096 has given excellent service over the years but is now in need of refurbishment to see us through the next 10years or so”. Trust chairman, Nigel Wilson added: “This is one of the last pieces of the overhaul programme‘jigsaw’in place. “Cranmore Traincare has a good reputation for this type of work and we have the advantage that some of our volunteers work there”

When the coach is returned into service it will be officially named the Roger Barker Coach. Donations to the coach’s Roger Barker fund are still open and can be made by visiting www.sirnigelgresley. org.uk/rogerbarker.shtml Talking to the A4’s marketing director, Tod Slaughter, it was hinted that a possible change of livery might be carried out when then 4-6-2 is in its final stages of being prepared before its proving runs. Possibly BR lined green to give the engine a‘new’look. The ceremony joining No. 60007 to its support coach will most probably be held atYork. When Main Line News asked if a special, inaugural train might be organised by the trust, sayYork-King’s Cross and return – the reply was to the effect that it might be considered much nearer the time that Sir Nigel Gresley regains its certificate for the national network...

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‘Torbay Express’ programme The well-established‘Torbay Express’trains that run from Bristol to Paignton and Kingswear during the summer months is already accepting bookings for this year for when the trains commence running on June 18. That said, there is a transfer of timetable shift in balance, more trains are routed out ofTemple Meads via Bath,Trowbridge, Westbury andTaunton than the original Bristol-Weston super Mare,Taunton route, which this year includes an additional pickup atYatton. ‘Express’trains running from Temple Meads viaWestbury are dated for June 18, July 2, August 20 and September 10. Those trains taking the more direct route from Bristol viaYatton are booked to run on July 23 and September 3. A1 4-6-2 Tornado is the booked engine for the first three trips while Bulleid 4-6-2 Braunton is down to work the remaining three trains. The ferry from Kingswear to Dartmouth is included in the ticket prices and say booking agents PathfinderTours, a 10% discount is available for tickets bought before March 31. Heritagerailway.co.uk 59

MAIN LINE NEWS

Vintage Trains half centenary TO CELEBRATE its 50th year of operations VintageTrains has planned to run an anniversary special‘Zulu’and ‘Farewell to the GreatWestern’trip on Saturday, March 4. In the build-up to the‘combined’trip, VintageTrains reminds those interested that on March 4, 1967 Ian Allan ran two trains to Birkenhead to mark the last through working from Paddington. The first train was the‘Birkenhead Flyer’, hauled by 4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis Castle, and the second was ‘The Zulu’, worked by 4-6-0 No. 7029 Clun Castle, which worked the train from Banbury to Chester then from Chester to Birmingham Snow Hill via Wolverhampton Low Level. Clun Castle was in action the following day, again running fromTyseley to

Birkenhead, heading a Stephenson Locomotive Society railtour.The return journey terminated at Snow Hill and so No. 7029 became the last steam locomotive to work out of a former Great Western station, In the first of several 50th anniversary specialsVintageTrains is due to run this year it was thought important to remember not only the closure of Snow Hill to steam but also operating steam out of that once impressive station. As the original route from Birmingham Snow Hill toWolverhampton is no longer accessibleVintageTrains say it is planning to haveTyseley’s Castle 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe to head the special out of Snow Hill to Didcot, and after a few hours break at the GreatWestern Society’s railway centre,

take the return trip back to Birmingham with a photographic stop at Banbury thrown in. Parents might like to note that the visit to Didcot coincides with a Day Out with Thomas event. Despite the excitement generated by the news that Clun Castle is expected back on the main line later this year, work on the final stages of the engine’s overhaul is subject to other and possibly more important commercial contract agreements. As it is No. 7029 is in a busy queue of locomotives receiving attention.These include other Great Western engines – No. 4936 Kinlet Hall and prairie No. 4555. Then there is the widely publicised overhaul of BR three cylinder 4-6-2 No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester, which

is well under way, and which is to be joined by another BR engine, Standard 2-6-0 No. 78019. The list, which includes GNR N2 0-6-2T No. 1744, illustrates just how busy Tyseley is besides looking after its Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall. Besides this list of six engines, LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas is, it is understood, being given priority attention to return the 4-6-0 to steam and completion for the Bahamas Locomotive Society. Add the activities of main line Vintage Trains and the operation of the summer Sunday‘Shakespeare Express’trips to Stratford-upon-Avon, it must rank Tyseley as one of the busiest steam centres in the country.

Irish 2-6-4T to be fitted with new radio at Whitehead CONNOLLY-BASED LMS (NCC) 2-6-4T No. 4 has returned to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Whitehead base to be fitted with a new radio. It will allow footplate crews to communicate directly with Irish Rail’s centralised traffic control system. The 2-6-4T is expected to be out of traffic until just before Easter, and its return toWhitehead is the loco’s first since 2015 when the engine was

allocated south to Dublin to work trains in the republic. Once the tank is back in traffic it is possible that the other Connolly engine – 2-6-0 No. 461 – will require similar attention in terms of the latest radio system.That said, No. 461 is rostered to work‘The Midlander’trip from Dublin to Maynooth on March 15. No. 461 is subsequently back in action on April 17 working Easter Monday ‘Dublin Riviera’specials to Greystones.

Meanwhile, if No.4 has returned from Whitehead the 2-6-4T will be booked to head a trip from Dublin toTullamore and Athlone on April 30. No. 461 will act as standby engine should No. 4 not be available. In the north, the new season opens with‘Easter Egg Express’trains running between Belfast andWhitehead on April 17-18.Two trains will be operating on both days, probably with 4-4-0 No. 85 Merlin providing the motive power.

On May 4, the blue 4-4-0 works south fromWhitehead and Belfast to Dublin as part of the‘Shannon & Suir’international weekend. A diesel works a trip from Dublin to Killarney on May 5 then No. 85 and 2-6-4T No. 4 pair up for trips to Athenry and Limerick on the following day. On May 7 the pair bring the train back from Limerick to Dublin after a night stop viaWaterford and Kilkenny. The following day, No. 85 heads the train back toWhitehead via Belfast.

LMS Royal Scot 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman passes Shap Wells with the Railway Touring Company's 'Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express' on January 28. The ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ returned to Carnforth round the Cumbrian Coast. DEREK PHILLIPS

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SEE CLASSIC TRACTION ON THE NATIONAL NETWORK By Fred Kerr RECENT interest has been centred on the traction being used for the Serco Caledonian sleeper service, which has been in a state of flux in recent times while continuing to use heritage traction in the guise of classes 73.9/90/92, and is regularly monitored despite its overnight operation. The initial arrangement was for Class 92 locomotives (built 19931996) to power the trunk hauls to and from Euston, while a dedicated fleet of Class 73.9 locomotives (reengineered from Class 73 examples built during the 1960s) would operate Aberdeen-Fort WilliamInverness services to and from Edinburgh. This practice quickly stopped when the Class 92 locomotives proved unable to cope with line voltage variations between Crewe and Preston, and Class 90s (built 1987-1990) were hired from firstly DB Schenker then Freightliner while the Class 92s underwent modifications at the Wabtec facility at Loughborough. The Class 73.9s were then subject to alternator problems when powering services and providing ETH resulting in modifications being also being applied at Loughborough while train services saw the sleeper portions being powered by Class 66.7s. The Class 73.9s are being used to provide heating only until the modifications have been applied. At the end of January Freightliner advised that it was withdrawing from the haulage contract, leading to modified Class 92s being returned to the service supported by class members still awaiting the implementation of modifications and the trio of locomotives hired from the AC Locomotive Group in the guise of Class 86/1 No. 86101 Sir William Stanier FRS, Class 86/4 No. 86401 Mons Meg and Class 87 No. 87002 Royal Sovereign.

Still going strong

This situation has highlighted the fact that, despite the age of the locomotive fleet, electric traction is rarely considered as being‘heritage’, yet most locomotives are more than 20 years old, with Freightliner’s Class 86/6 fleet still going strong after 50 years in service. Despite this age the locomotives are operated in

pairs on container services between Glasgow and the East Coast ports via the West Coast Main Line yet there are few reports or images of class members at work. The Class 92 fleet used on the sleepers is operated by GB Railfreight (GBRf) and, when the company took over the weekly Antwerp to Irvine china clay service in January, it resulted in the sight of a Class 92 operating between London and Carlisle via the WCML in daylight hours. DB Schenker had already replaced Class 92 traction with pairs of Class 90s on container services during 2015 and this policy has been adopted by Freightliner as it replaced the Class 70 haulage of the pair of intermodal services operated on behalf of Russels Logistics container services and the consequent non-availability for Serco’s Caledonian Sleeper services. Heritage traction, however, is more closely identified with diesel traction and there are still a number of classes that have regular work on network services, albeit with freight operations rather than passenger services. The most common of these are Class 37s and 47s although the Class 37 fleet has daily network passenger diagrams on both Cumbrian Coast services between Carlisle and Barrow and Norfolk branch-line services around Norwich. The Class 37 fleet still continues to change ownership and duties with Europhoenix unveiling recently bought Class 37 37608 in Europhoenix livery and bearing the name Andromeda prior to its hire to Colas Railfreight to supplement the latter company’s fleet. This locomotive was bought from Direct Rail Services, which has also offered Class 37/6 Nos. 37607/12 for sale, while showing them available to view yet considering the‘as available for traffic’. The Colas Railfreight Class 37s are dedicated to Network Rail services but, having identified a need for 100mph locomotives on some services, it has bought a pair of Class 67s (BNos. 67023/27) from DB Schenker/Cargo to cover the need. It is thought that the sale will follow the same principle adopted for the sale of Class 60s: the locomotives will be overhauled and painted in Colas Railfreight livery then future maintenance will be

contracted to DB’s depot at Toton. In the main it is Class 47 locomotives that work passenger services operating charter trains and associated stock movements, supported by Class 57.3 (re-engineered Class 47s) from their Carnforth base of West Coast Railway Company. The recent purchase of the Riviera Trains fleet by Rail Operations Group has seen class members operating on stock movements with the Eastleigh to Ely move of Class 442 trainsets now being complemented by a further contract to move off-lease Class 319 trainsets from Wolverton to Long Marston for storage. This contract is in addition to the use of Class 37s on its contract for Ramsgate–Derby stock moves of Class 377 trainsets for overhaul and upgrade. Freightliner has only one Class 47 on its books but has recently made greater use of it on route learning and driver training duties; its most recent duty during January has been working between Basford Hall and Trafford Park.

Over a decade

Colas Railfreight returned Class 56 No. 56049 to active service on January 13 following the completion of its overhaul and its first start-up in over a decade. This locomotive was one of 30 that were hired to French infrastructure companies and operated in France during the early part of this century. Having returned to storage in the UK during 2006, the fate of the fleet in January has seen six locomotives at work with Colas Railfreight (Nos. 56078/87/94/96/105/113), two locomotives at work with UK Rail Leasings (Nos. 56081/104), one locomotive at work with Devon & Cornwall Railways (No. 56103), three locomotives under repair for a return to traffic with Colas Railfreight (Nos. 56049/51/90), nine remain in store with UK Rail Leasings at Leicester (Nos. 56007/18/31/32/38/60 (stored off-site at Brush Works, Loughborough)/65/69/106), one remains in store with Devon & Cornwall Railways at Washwood Heath (No. 56091), two have been sold to Hungarian train companies (Nos. 56115/17), and six have been scrapped (Nos. 56058/59/71/74/95/118).

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MAIN LINE NEWS

WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW

By Don Benn MY theme this time is steam out of Marylebone in the 1960s and 1980s. I didn’t cover the Great Central line in its heyday; only when it was in serious decline in the mid-1960s, and then as a change from the South Western main line. In September 1964, the‘Atlantic Coast Express’finished as the Western Region took over the lines west of Salisbury and gradually ran them down and so I looked elsewhere for steam action, even though there was plenty left on the Southern. In early September I had my first venture to Scotland, followed on the 26th of that month by a trip out of Marylebone behind LMS‘Black Five’4-6-0 No. 44932, now preserved and back on the main line, though currently awaiting overhaul and a new boiler certificate. Run One covers the section as far as Brackley where unaccountably I alighted to wait for the 5.15pm from Nottingham Victoria back to London. I had intended to catch the 4.38pm so not sure why I didn’t stay on the earlier train to Rugby. While killing time by walking in the nearby countryside I was very annoyed to see across the fields that a rebuilt‘Scot’was on the 4.38pm train. However the running on the 2.38pm was competent enough with the by then usual four coaches for 145 tons and sectional times were kept throughout.

Utterly thrashed

Particularly good was the noisy climb up the 6.4 miles of mainly 1-in-105 from Rickmansworth to Amersham where speed settled down at a steady 43mph, tending to rise slightly. My notebook states‘utterly thrashed’ and although this was without doubt exaggeration the engine was certainly being worked hard. Nothing of note was needed down to the Aylesbury stop to reach there a few seconds early after leaving Harrow-on-the-Hill a minute-and-a-half late. On the undulating section to the dip after Calvert speed was maintained in the mid-50s, just exceeding 60 a couple of times and then the mainly 1-in-176 past Finmere to the summit at milepost 150¼ saw a good minimum of 52½. Arrival at Brackley was a minute-and-a-half early. The return to Marylebone on the 5.15pm from Nottingham was behind No. 44848 on six coaches for 215 tons and the Woodford Halse driver struggled a bit due to lack of steam. We lost over a minute-anda-half to Aylesbury on the 23 minutes booking with nothing higher than 63mph and arrived there over four

LNER Pacifics No. 4472 Flying Scotsman and 4468 Mallard await departure from Marylebone with two tours to Stratford-upon-Avon on October 12, 1986. DON BENN minutes late but recovered a couple of minutes at the station stop and then just kept the 38 minute booking on to Harrow sustaining a steady 38mph up the long 1-in-117 to the summit at milepost 31½. Final arrival in London was very nearly on time due to cutting the stop at Harrow to just over a minute plus a final 67mph after Neasden South Junction. My next foray into Great Central territory was soon after the schedules on South Western lines had been slowed down for electrification work and was on June 19, 1965. In the morning I had gone down to Southampton on the 11.15am from Waterloo behind BR Standard 5MT No. 73092 and although the Nine Elms crew had kept time easily enough on the new schedule, despite a number of checks, it was a bit of a let-down compared to some of the running prior to the new timetables. I returned to Waterloo on the 1.15pm nonstop and this took no less than 119 minutes with a Bournemouth crew, almost unbearable compared with the sub 80 minute runs which had become commonplace prior to the changes. Even worse the engine was the superb

SR West Country Pacific No. 34092 City of Wells passes Seer Green with the 10.15am Marylebone to Stratfordupon-Avon on November 2, 1985. DON BENN

62 Heritagerailway.co.uk

record-breaking Merchant Navy No. 35005 Canadian Pacific, which only a few days before had produced nearly 3,000 indicated horsepower climbing past Brookwood and just over a month earlier had gone down to Basingstoke in a record time for steam and reached 105mph down Roundwood bank! I gave up in disgust and caught the Bakerloo line to Marylebone where‘Black Five’No. 44777 awaited me on the 4.38pm to Nottingham Victoria. Driver Andrews had the usual four coach load. His driving technique was different to the driver I had in September the year before as the detail in RunTwo shows. He worked the engine less hard on the climbs but let it run fast downhill, so we had 73mph before Great Missenden and 72mph before Finmere, which gave us the impetus to get over the hump at milepost 150¼ at a good 61mph.Time was kept easily throughout despite a signal stop after Wendover. A good competent performance.

Lack of steam

The return run shown in RunThree was behind No. 45454 on six coaches for 215 tons. Well known Woodford Halse driver Pavey may also have been having problems with lack of steam, as after we had reached 75mph before Calvert the engine was eased somewhat, despite the train running seven minutes late. So it was something of a disappointment not to get an even time run to Aylesbury though we kept time on the 23 minute schedule for the 21.4 miles. We got away from the stop well to run over milepost 31½ at 47½mph but then suffered a temporary speed slack which cost about two minutes, without which we would have kept the schedule to Harrow.The 1-in-170 climb up to Amersham was also taken well at 42mph minimum but the running after Rickmansworth was lacklustre. Arrival in London was four minutes late. In the late 1980s it became fashionable for steam to return to Marylebone both on trips to Stratford-uponAvon and at Christmas time on Santa specials to High Wycombe which required two locomotives.The latter were very popular and seemed to be a financial success despite the apparently poor combination of relatively low fares and the high cost of using two engines, plus in many cases one of the‘Ethel’train heating diesel locomotives. Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton passes West Hampstead with a ‘Shakespeare Express’ on September 22, 1985. DON BENN

Date Train Loco Load Driver Recorder Marylebone West Hampstead Kilburn Neasden South Jct Northwick Park Harrow on the Hill MP 11 Northwood Moor Park Watford South Jct Rickmansworth MP 19 MP 20 Chalfont MP 23 Amersham MP 25 MP 27 Great Missenden MP 31½ Wendover Stoke Mandeville Aylesbury Town MP 41 Quainton Road Grendon Jct Calvert MP 155 Mp 153 Finmere MP 150¼ MP 148 Brackley

RUN ONE

RUN TWO

September 19, 1964 2.38pm Marylebone to Nottingham Victoria LM Class 5 4-6-0 No. 44932 4 coaches, 137 tons tare 145 tons gross Not recorded DB miles sched mins secs speed 0.00 0.00 00 00 2.05 05 47 30/29 3.00 07 04 39 5.20 09 41 55½ 8.45 13 29 45 9.25 17.00 15 11 0.00 0.00 00 00 1.75 02 31 54½/57 4.50 05 52 50 5.90 07 22 58/61 6.95 08 36 48½* 8.00 10 00 27* 9.75 12 52 38/42½ 10.75 14 19 42 12.35 16 54 43 13.75 18 39 43½ 14.40 19 51 46 15.75 21 14 65 17.75 23 02 67½ 19.65 24 59 61/62 22.25 27 36 53½ 24.15 29 37 61 26.50 31 57 65½ 28.70 37.00 35 12 0.00 00 00 3.05 04 34 59½/61 6.25 07 53 56½/61½ 8.90 10 45 54½/60 10.90 12 49 56/53½ 13.10 15 07 62 15.10 17 05 60 16.65 18 54 53 17.85 20 22 52½ 20.10 22 36 66 21.40 26.00 24 31 * Brakes or speed restriction

June 19, 1965 4.38pm Marylebone to Nottingham Victoria LM Class 5 4-6-0 No. 44777 4 coaches, 136 tons tare 145 tons gross Andrews DB sched mins secs speed 0.00 00 00 05 44 33 06 54 44½ 09 22 60/61½ 12 48 50 17.00 14 16 0.00 00 00 02 42 56/58 05 53 53½ 07 20 56/59 08 28 50* 10 06 33* 12 42 39 14 10 41½/40 16 52 42 18 33 44 19 45 47½ 21 02 67 22 47 73 24 32 64 27 02 60/65½ 29 42 19*/0* 34 04 53 37.00 37 49 0.00 00 00 04 30 50 08 28 51 11 36 53½ 13 40 63½/61 15 40 70 17 21 72 18 43 66½ 19 57 61 22 03 68½ 26.00 23 57 * Brakes or speed restriction *0 signal stop for 11 seconds net time Harrow to Aylesbury 34½ minutes

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RUN THREE Date Train Loco Load Driver Recorder

June 19, 1965 5.15pm Nottingham Victoria to Marylebone LM Class 5 4-6-0 No. 45454 6 coaches, 203 tons tare 215 tons gross Pavey,Woodford DB miles sched mins secs speed Brackley 0.00 0.00 00 00 MP 148 1.30 02 33 53 MP 150¼ 3.55 05 08 47 Finmere 4.75 06 34 59 MP 153 6.30 07 56 67½ MP 155 8.30 09 35 75 Calvert 10.50 11 26 71½/73 Grendon Jct 12.50 13 14 67 Quainton Road 15.15 16 07 56 MP 41 18.35 19 30 60/62½ Aylesbury Town 21.40 23.00 22 49 0.00 0.00 00 00 Stoke Mandeville 2.20 04 53 37 Wendover 4.55 08 21 45½ MP 31½ 6.45 11 02 47½ MP 30 7.95 12 37 64 Great Missenden 9.05 14 13 27* tsr MP 27 10.95 16 53 55 MP 25 12.95 19 22 44 Amersham 14.30 20 56 42 Chalfont 15.35 23 16 57½ MP 20 17.95 25 04 63 MP 19 18.95 25 58 68½ Rickmansworth 20.70 27 49 30* Watford South Jct 21.75 29 40 38 Moor Park 22.80 31 21 41/39 Northwood 24.20 33 27 39½ Pinner 26.55 36 05 59 Harrow on the Hill 28.70 38.00 39 06 0.00 0.00 00 00 Northwick Park 0.80 02 01 47½ Neasden South Jct 4.05 05 28 62½ Kilburn 6.25 08 01 50* West Hampstead 7.20 08 48 53 Marylebone 9.25 14.00 14 04 * Brakes or speed restriction net time Aylesbury Town to Harrow: 37 minutes

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Of course these trips were in the days before the introduction of most of the on board safety equipment and the rigorous fitness-to-run exams which have had such an impact on costs.They were also in the era of 60mph maximum speed for main line steam though this wasn’t always strictly adhered to, as can be seen from the train running logs. One of the big attractions was the variety of motive power which included No. 46229 Duchess of Hamilton, No. 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley, No. 4468 Mallard, No. 35028 Clan Line, No. 4472 Flying Scotsman, No. 34092 City of Wells, No. 777 Sir Lamiel and‘Black Five’No. 45305. I wonder how many of these would be deemed out of gauge today? I made a number of trips on these trains, usually au famille as our children were still young enough to enjoy the Santa experience, even if the adults were only there for the steam haulage! I also made a number of trips for lineside photography and although there were bad days weather-wise, often the low winter sun produced some spectacular shots. On December 21, 1986 the two engines were No. 777 Sir Lamiel and No. 35028 Clan Line.

Real struggle

The outward run was on the 11am from Marylebone and with 11 on for 430 tons, Sir Lamiel had a real struggle at the start on a very cold day with snow showers. Apart from a number of checks in the Neasden and Ruislip areas we had a clear run and the King Arthur did very well on the 1-in-175 climb through Denham, with 47-48mph sustained and again on the 1-in-254 to the summit before Beaconsfield, minimum 43½mph. A brief 63mph afterWhite House Farm tunnel resulted in a minimum loss of time on the 49 minute schedule with a net time gain of two-and-a-half minutes. A year later on December 6, 1987, we had A4 Pacific No. 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley, this time on 10 coaches plus ‘Ethel 3’, a mobile train heating Class 25 diesel, bringing the total load to about 460 tons.With the same driver,

RUN FOUR Date Train Loco Load Driver Weather Recorder Marylebone West Hampstead Kilburn Dollis Hill Neasden South Jct Wembley Park Sudbury Hill Northolt Park Northollt East Jct South Ruislip West Ruislip MP 3 MP 4 Denham MP 6 Gerrards Cross MP 9 Seer Green MP 10¾ Beaconsfield MP 13 Tylers Green High Wycombe

11.45 11.55 13.35 14.55 15.55 16.10 17.55 18.70 20.55 21.45 22.40 23.00 24.55 25.55 27.85

64 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Axtol, in charge on the second of the two trips that day, the start was much faster but we were stopped by signals at Northolt East Junction, as indeed we were on all four trips that day. My notebook gives no clue but maybe there was some single line working in force. The hill climbing was slightly faster than No. 777 but bearing in mind the difference in power classification the honours must go to the 4-6-0. As to the return runs, on December 26, 1986 Clan Line turned in a good competent performance on its 430 ton load, running up with a number of checks in just under 46 minutes against the 48 scheduled. Of note was the 56mph attained at the top of the 1-in-225 from HighWycombe. In December 1987 my first return to Marylebone

from HighWycombe was the best of the two that day with Clan Line. 53½mph was reached afterWhite House Farm tunnel and following the temporary speed restrictions through Beaconsfield and Gerrards Cross we had a lovely dash down past Denham, maximum 72mph. After the stop at Northolt East Junction we ran well enough to keep the 48 minute schedule. Net time was 40 minutes.These were interesting little interludes which weren’t repeated although the longer day trips to Stratford-upon-Avon have been. Next time, I will be covering the work of the BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0s, in my view the unsung workhorses of the 1960s, with some stunning performances in the south and in Scotland.

RUN SIX

RUN FIVE

December 21, 1986 11am Marylebone to High Wycombe N15 Class 4-6-0 No. 777 Sir Lamiel 11 coaches, 398½ tons tare 430 tons gross Axtol Snow showers DB miles sched mins secs 0.00 0.00 00 00 2.05 07 45 3.00 09 16 4.45 11 24 5.20 12 36 6.45 14 41 8.75 19 11 9.75 21 34

49.00

LNER A4 Pacific No. 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley climbs away from Marylebone and approaches Lords tunnel on October 12, 1986. DON BENN

December 6, 1987 2pm Marylebone to High Wycombe A4 Class 4-6-2 No. 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley 10 coaches + Ethel 3, 431 tons tare 460 tons gross Axtol Cold and damp DB speed sched mins secs speed 0.00 00 00 29/24½ 05 48 36/35 31½ 06 52 43½ 50 08 41 55½ 38* 09 40 38* 36 11 50 38/19* tsr 38/13* tsr 16 25 40 40/48½ 17 45 52½ 19* sigs 21 40 0* sigs stop 25 05 22 23 04 25 32 26½/41 24 42 27/33 28 43 32½ 28 22 29* 30 36 39½ 30 21 37½ 31 56 47 31 45 47½ 32 38 48½ 32 24 52 34 23 47 34 02 50 36 23 30* 36 35 22* sigs 39 28 39½ 39 59 41 40 48 43 41 17 45 41 57 43½ 42 23 45½ 42 54 51 43 27 38* tsr 44 34 60 45 21 56 45 33 63 46 20 63 49 37 49.00+ 51 05 + estimated * brakes or speed restriction * brakes or speed restriction net time 46½ minutes net time 42 minutes

Date Train Loco

December 6, 1987 11.20am High Wycombe to Marylebone Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line Load 10 coaches + Ethel 3, 431 tons tare 460 tons gross Driver Gordon Read Weather Cold and damp Recorder DB miles sched mins secs speed High Wycombe 0.00 0.00 00 00 MP 15 1.30 05 15 37 Tylers Green 2.30 06 33 50 MP 13 3.30 07 43 53½ Beaconsfield 4.85 09 35 42* tsr MP 10¾ 5.45 10 40 49 Seer Green 6.40 11 31 57 MP 9 5.30 12 25 64 Gerrards Cross 9.15 15 06 29* MP 6 10.30 17 01 58½ Denham 11.75 18 17 70½ MP 4 12.30 18 45 72 MP 3 13.30 19 36 70 West Ruislip 14.50 20 40 63/14* sigs South Ruislip 16.30 24 25 18* sigs Northollt East Jct 16.40 25 31 0* sigs stop 28 01 Northolt Park 18.10 32 43 37 Sudbury Hill 19.10 34 26 61 Wembley Park 21.40 36 53 58 Neasden South Jct 22.65 38 35 44* Dollis Hill 23.40 39 33 42/38½ Kilburn 24.85 41 46 42 West Hampstead 25.80 43 05 43 Marylebone 27.85 48.00 47 58 * brakes or speed restriction net time 40 minutes Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

MAIN LINE ITINERARY

LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander tops Shap summit with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ from Manchester Victoria on January 21. TREVOR LAW

February SAT 11: ‘Red Rose’ Victoria, Coventry, Telford, Shrewsbury and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. UKRT TUES 14: ‘Plandampf’ Appleby, Skipton and return (x2). Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. Northern Rail WED 15: ‘Plandampf’ Appleby, Skipton and return (x2). Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. Northern Rail THUR 16: ‘Plandampf’ Appleby, Skipton and return (x2). Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. Northern Rail SAT 18: ‘Valentines Diner’ Tyseley, Leicester, Trent Junction and return via Tamworth (evening train). Steam hauled throughout.

Loco: No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. VT SAT 18: ‘Cumbrian Mountain Steam Express’ Stevenage, Peterborough, Preston, Carlisle and return. Steam hauled: Preston, Shap, Carlisle. Loco: TBA. WCR SAT 25: ‘Buxton Spa Express’ Preston, Stockport, Buxton and return via Sheffield and Copy Pit. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: Nos. 76084 and 45690 Leander. RTC

March WED 1: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Euston, Holyhead and return. Steam hauled: Crewe, Holyhead and return. Loco: No. 45407. SD WED 1: ‘The St David’ Paddington, Cardiff and return via Gloucester.

Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 60163 Tornado. UKRT SAT 4: ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ Euston, Shap, Carlisle and return via Whitehaven. Steam hauled: Carnforth, Carlisle and return. Loco: No. 46115 Scots Guardsman. RTC SAT 4: ‘The Zulu’ Birmingham Snow Hill, Didcot and return. Steam hauled throughout. Loco: No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe. VT SUN 5: ‘Tin Bath’ Preston, Manchester, Sheffield, Penistone and return via Copy Pit. Steam hauled throughout. Locos: Nos. 45212and 45407. RTC TUES 7: ‘Cathedrals Express’ Ely, Bristol and return. Steam hauled: Hanwell, Bristol and return. Loco: No. 46100 Royal Scot. SD

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

Tour Promoters 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 0121 708 4960

WCR

West Coast Railways 01524 737751.

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 65

REAL STEAM DAYS

Steamy affairs

at Bradford

HAMMERTON STREET DIESEL TRACTION DEPOT

“Towing a failed DMU” were words that appeared regularly in the railway press in the 1960s, but such workings were rarely photographed. Robert Anderson, who was in a privileged position, remembers many such workings.

I

SPENT but six months of my railway career at Bradford’s Hammerton Street Diesel Traction Depot and I have to say those six months were not the happiest of my 36 years’ service on the railways. It was my first promotion and in 1965, at the age of 21, it gave me £15 a week and three weeks’ annual leave, which was quite good for someone with no more qualifications than a few ‘O’ level GCEs. The job description on the internal vacancy list read ‘compilation of casualty reports and assist with the making up of wages’ – in those days staff were paid weekly in cash. At the time I was working in the office of the district motive power superintendent at Leeds and was able to study a casualty report and had been somewhat taken aback by the vast

amount of information demanded by this report-cum-questionnaire. I did not own a car and for that matter I had no interest in the internal combustion engine, so the terms fluid flywheel, torque converters, cardan shafts and final drives were meaningless to me. However, I was undeterred, applied for the job, got an interview and later, while waiting outside the interview room, I got talking to one of the other applicants, who turned out to be doing the job on a temporary basis pending the filling of the post – in other words he was the sitting tenant – but lo and behold if he didn’t give me the low-down on the job! Then the door opened, another of the applicants came out and without much prompting he told me just what questions he had been asked. I was the next in and sure enough I was asked the very same questions and also if I had taken the trouble to find

out what the job entailed. Thus armed with the information I had gleaned in the last five minutes I had a good interview and came away feeling quite pleased with myself and in less than a month I learned I had got the job. This is the background as to why on November 22, 1965 I presented myself at Hammerton Street Diesel Traction Depot with a certain amount of trepidation. The poor lad who had been doing the job on a temporary basis and had spilled the beans outside the interview room now had to show me the ropes. To his great credit he never showed me any animosity but I nevertheless felt uneasy, especially when I learnt that the chief clerk had expressed his indignation at my getting the job. Because of this I decided to keep my head down and not to ask questions about anything that didn’t directly concern me. That was easier said than done as within days I nearly jumped out of my chair on hearing a steam engine sounding its whistle

I had been at Hammerton Street only a few days when I managed to snatch this shot of Fairburn 2-6-4T No. 42141 propelling a hybrid BRCW + Met Cam (Class 110+101) towards the inspection shed under the watchful eye of running foreman Lou Sutcliffe on December 1, 1965. Both railcars were ‘Blue Square’ so there should have been no compatibility problems. No. 42141 was working the 11am trip from Bradford Exchange to Adolphus Street goods yard, which was regularly used to convey failed railcars from Bradford Exchange to Hammerton Street depot.

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The very next day, December 2, 1965, came this gem. Low Moor B1 4-6-0 No. 61386 shunts Hunslet/Gardner class 2/15 (later 05) shunters D2606, D2604, D2607, D2603 and D2605 prior to attaching a brakevan to work forward as 8X56 10.20am Bradford Hammerton Street to Holyhead with D2607 being detached at Llandudno Junction. After reversal at Laisterdyke, the Low Moor engine and men worked the cavalcade via Diggle as far as Patricroft. Ardsley had got rid of these shunters with their dreadful crash gearboxes to Hammerton Street earlier in the year but this depot didn’t want them either, describing them as “absolute rubbish”.

outside in the depot yard. Dashing into the adjoining foremen’s office with its panoramic view of the yard, I was somewhat taken aback to observe a Fairburn 2-6-4T propelling an ex-works BRCW Calder Valley unit (now Class 110) down the yard under the watchful eye of the running foreman. In my previous postings I had always taken my camera to work but had thought this to be unnecessary while working at a diesel depot. Henceforth my 35mm Voigtlander CL resided in my desk. I had chosen this as it was less bulky than the medium format Rolleiflex I usually used because when necessary the smaller camera could be concealed in my jacket pocket.

Technical knowledge

For the first few weeks I struggled with the compilation of the casualty reports as they required some technical knowledge of which I had very little. It was a double-sided sheet of A4 paper, BR33582, initiated by the depot dealing with the repair irrespective of the unit’s parent depot and contained no less than 60 questions down to the minutest of details. Naturally the driver’s name was needed but even his payroll number was required. Then came the awkward questions ‘date of last classified repair when the part affected received attention’ and at which works. The questions were relentless ‘date of last routine mileage examination’ – which depot – by whom – what was his pay number – what was his grade? Only if the defective unit was one of ours and it had failed in our area and was dealt with at our depot could the form be completed in its entirety and only then after hours of questioning and consulting record cards. If it was another depot’s unit or, worse still, another region’s unit, then there were phone calls, letters, more phone calls and more letters chasing up the original letter. I began to wonder if I was being regarded as a spy, having just come from the office of the district motive power superintendent at Leeds as, at first, the foremen would not engage in any prolonged conversations with me. The one exception was Charlie Lincoln, the foremen’s assistant and telephone attendant through whom all phone calls were made. There was no such thing as direct dialling in those days! I occasionally received telephone calls from young ladies and Charlie would call

The day after Boxing Day, December 28, 1965, I had volunteered to go into work as I was still the new kid and I was anxious to please. I was rewarded by the sight and sound of 2-6-4T No. 42269 and B1 No. 61386 storming past the depot with the 9.25am Bradford Exchange to King’s Cross express running as an independent train. They are approaching Hammerton Street Junction box on the nasty 1-in-44 curve where on a bad rail anything and everything could get bogged down. I’ve seen a B1 with two coaches get stuck and even the mighty Deltics come to grief.

out from the adjoining lobby – with a huge grin on his face ‘personal call for Mr. Anderson’. Then another saviour came on the scene. I was trying to get my head around a casualty report question as to whether I knew of an alternative to sodium metasilicate for the topping up of the cooling system on the depot’s DMUs when I noticed Bob Reynolds, the Wakefield District technical inspector, who I had met in my days at Huddersfield. He was a weekly visitor to the depot and thanks to his guidance the casualty report system became a lot clearer. Another of my duties itemised on the vacancy list was ‘assist with the making up of the staff wages’. What was NOT mentioned was that the cash to do this with had first to be collected from the bank. This was certainly something different! Every Thursday morning two of us would meet outside one of the banks on the appropriately named Bank Street in the centre of Bradford, where we would be joined by the cashier from Adolphus Street goods depot. I was most impressed by the security – the guards in the bank together with officers from the British Transport Police who escorted our taxi back to the depot. This was far more exciting than filling in casualty

reports. In those days virtually everyone was paid in cash to the nearest penny in special translucent packets that bore the dire warning ‘immediately and before opening please see that this envelope contains the correct amount’ and furthermore that ‘no claims for shortages will be considered if this envelope has been opened’. To achieve this meant we had to arrange all the notes and every single coin to be visible to the recipient without the envelope being opened. It was most tedious and inevitably came the day when I had to make up a wage of £19 19s 11d.

Third GNR shed

The current depot was the third Great Northern Railway locomotive shed to be built in Bradford. This one, opening in 1883, was then officially referred to simply as Bradford. However, over the years the depot was referred to in various publications as Bowling, Bowling Junction, Bowling Back Lane (after the road from which access to the depot was gained) and Hammerton Street. Some sources claim that Hammerton Street became the official name after the 1948 Nationalisation, while Heritagerailway.co.uk 69

2-6-4T No. 42141 leaves Adolphus Street goods yard with the 11am trip from Bradford Exchange extended to Hammerton Street diesel depot conveying BRCW Trailer Second ‘Swinger’ NE59695 on January 31, 1966. Units ex-works from Doncaster were conveyed in parcels trains via Leeds to Bradford Exchange and tripped up to the depot.

others say it was in 1954 coinciding with the arrival of the first diesel railcars or 1956 when it became part of the North Eastern Region and was recoded 56G. However, the Ian Allan ABCs, which presumably got their information from official BR sources, referred to the depot as Bradford right through until 1960. The Ivatt N1 0-6-2Ts arrived in 1912 and remained to within months of the depot closing to steam in January 1958. These little engines with their harsh staccato bark were the epitome of the GNR in the West Riding and earned the respect and admiration of such famous names as Ted Hailstone and Dick Hardy. Praise indeed. The heroic performances of these engines are associated by today’s historians with the famed Queensbury lines but they were almost certainly worked harder on the dreadful climb out of Bradford Exchange to Laisterdyke with its 1-in-44/50 gradients, sharp curves and tunnels. Neither should we forget the ferocious climb from Batley to Adwalton Junction on the Wakefield Westgate to Bradford Exchange route, which included 21/4 miles at 1-in-43 with two intermediate station stops. Three of these N1s, Nos 69472, 69473 and 69474, remained in the West Riding for their entire working lives with the last of the trio to go being No. 69474 in March 1959, just a month short of its 47th birthday. It had been at Bradford until October 1957 before transferring to Ardsley on the imminent closure of Bradford to steam in three months time. By the time of the Grouping in 1923, Bradford was quite an important shed with an allocation almost equal to the parent shed of Ardsley and almost double that of its more glamorous near neighbour at Leeds Copley Hill. It also possessed a wheel drop installed in 1934 that resulted in a steady trickle of East Coast Pacifics sent from Copley Hill for attention. Exactly when this practice started I do not know but in Alan Whitaker’s book Bradford Railways Remembered (Dalesman 1986) there is a picture taken by H Leslie Overend of A4 Pacific No. 14 Silver Link minus front driving wheels taken in 1947 and Trains Illustrated for December 1951 noted No. 60034 Lord Faringdon on October 3, 1951 and A1 No. 60123 HA Ivatt two days later on the shed and that recent visitors to Bradford had been Nos. 60007, 60028, 60065 and 60144. All would have been there for the use of the wheel drop.

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All I ever saw were Copley Hill A1s but even these gave us young spotters something to do on a Sunday afternoon, as Pacifics anywhere at Bradford in those days were something of a trainspotters’ paradise. Probably the last Pacific to visit the depot was No. 60038 Firdaussi, which arrived on May 27, 1963 bringing two diesel shunters from Hull. In later days Bradford shed rose to fame in June 1954 when BR’s first-ever diesel railcars were allocated there. These were the Derby Works-built ‘Lightweight’ units Motor Third Brakes E79000 to E79007 and Motor Composites E79500 to E79507. Unlike the other batches that followed, the Bradford-based units had both cars powered to cope with the fearsome gradients of the West Riding. They were an instant success with the travelling public and a 400% increase in passenger traffic was reported. Understandably there were teething problems and four push-pull fitted N7 0-6-2Ts were drafted in from the Great Eastern lines to help maintain the new services. Nos. 69691, 69694, 69695 and 69696 were paired with train sets from the Alexandra Palace branch and were allocated to Copley Hill. Nos. 69691 and 69695 returned to the native GER in January 1956 with Nos. 69694 and 69696 following in November, but in the meantime No. 69696 had spent nine months allocated to Bradford.

Unable to cope

Fairly soon after the arrival of the ‘lightweight’ diesel railcars at Bradford depot the proposed closure to passenger traffic of the now-famed Queensbury lines reared its ugly head. The objectors suggested the use of these lightweight railcars, which had so successfully raised revenue levels on the routes to which they had already been introduced, could also be used on the Queensbury lines. One of BR’s responses to this was they would be unable to cope with the severity of the gradients. Bearing in mind the first route to host these very railcars was the Bradford Exchange to Leeds Central route with its most awkward two-mile slog to Laisterdyke, this seemed a ludicrous argument. BR, however, then went one stage further, for within months of the last passenger train running on May 21, 1955, the very units that were deemed incapable of coping with the Queensbury line’s gradients were being used for driver training specials from Bradford

to Keighley via Queensbury. Naturally, this caused much resentment with the locals, especially the objectors. In 1957/58 the Metropolitan-Cammell diesel units arrived. The two-car units again were both powered as they were to be used on the severely graded Bradford Exchange – Dewsbury – Wakefield service with three-car sets for less arduous duties. Steam started to move out with the depot’s last two N1s, Nos. 69443 and 69474 going towards the end of the year to Ardsley soon followed by the handsome GCR 04 2-8-0 No. 63920 – one of only four members of this entire class to be equipped with a side window cab. It must have been quite hectic over the New Year 1957/1958, for not only were more DMUs arriving but also Drewry diesel shunters D2260/61/64/65. These were later to become class 04 and were followed later by class 03s. One of several Fairburn tanks cascaded from the Scottish Region to the West Riding, No. 42689 now allocated to Huddersfield, battles with the wind and rain as it climbs from St. Dunstans to Hammerton Street Junction with a Manningham two-car Derby Works unit (Class 108) en route to Hammerton Street depot for an engine change on March 10, 1966. Since the closure in 1964 of the GNR line from Laisterdyke Quarry Gap to Shipley Windhill as a through route, such workings had to make the tedious journey via Leeds. The building above the locomotive is an earlier GNR engine shed built in 1867 and known as Adolphus Street. It was replaced in 1883 by the current depot but remained in use firstly as a carriage shed then a goods shed, until demolished in 1970.

No 42141 has propelled NE 59695 to the entrance of the running shed and the No. driver appears to be waiting for the shunter to give him the ‘all clear’ to depart.

The remaining steam allocation comprising six B1 4-6-0s, three J6 0-6-0s, eight J39 0-6-0s and 15 J50 0-6-0Ts went to Low Moor when Bradford MPD officially closed to steam on Saturday, January 18, 1958. This, of course, gave Low Moor quite a cosmopolitan atmosphere as a few of its new inmates were of GNR origin to add to Low Moor’s still operational L&Y locomotives and its Midland Railway visitors from Royston and Normanton. Added to all this frenzied activity was the arrival of the only ‘main line’ diesel locomotives ever to be allocated, albeit very briefly, to Bradford.

Further resentment

D8010 and D8011 had been transferred from Devons Road, Bow in East London to participate along with steam locomotive A3 Pacific No. 60081 Shotover in some secretive fume emission tests involving cancer research in the long and very wet Lees Moor Tunnel between Cullingworth and Ingrow. This was on the section of the Queensbury lines that

The driver of No. 42141 was suddenly descended upon by shedmaster Jack Hardacre ordering him to get his ‘kettle’ off his premises. He departed in such haste narrowly missing a railcar that was moving onto an adjacent line. At this point Hardacre became the nearest thing I had ever seen to a human being performing a vertical take-off.

had been completely closed to all traffic in May 1956. This had been perceived by many as BR’s determination to stop once and for all any attempts to open the line as a through route and naturally these events caused further resentment against BR. In charge at Hammerton Street was the Locomotive shedmaster – a certain Jack Hardacre, who I had been previously warned did not suffer fools and loathed authority – especially if that authority knew less than he did, and ran a diesel depot that ran rings round his neighbours at Hull Botanic Gardens, Leeds Neville Hill and especially Manchester Newton Heath. He also despised steam locomotives, referring to them as ‘mobile kettles’. A story I heard that related to the early days of the pioneer lightweight railcars in the mid-1950s was that Mr Hardacre was travelling in the cab of one of his units working a Leeds Central to Bradford Exchange service when it overtook on the quadruple track between Wortley West and Bramley a steam locomotive

towing one of his units that had failed. On arrival at Bramley station he rang the ‘box up, asked the bobby to stop the steamer while he climbed aboard the failed railcar, which still had its driver with it, got the unit going, told the driver of the kettle to b....r off and promptly set off with the now functioning unit to Hammerton Street.

Cause of concern

Newton Heath, which of course was on the London Midland Region, was a main cause of concern to Hammerton Street, as it was forever pinching its units. I remember doing a census on December 9, 1965. On this day Newton Heath had ‘borrowed’ four of our sets, Botanic Gardens had two and Neville Hill had two. On top of this Hammerton Street had attended to 19 Newton Heath unit failures in its area in the previous 10 days. This, of course, left us not only short of our own units but meant our staff were spending as much time sorting out Newton Heath’s problems as they were

Heritagerailway.co.uk 71

spending on their own. I remember overhearing a phone call between Jack Hardacre and Alf Owen, the district operating superintendent at Leeds, to the effect that if Jack didn’t get his units back from Newton Heath they would have to revert to steam traction on Hammerton Street diagrams. Now Alf was the top man on the operating side at Leeds and had rather a lot of clout and I suspect the conversation went something like “you didn’t hear this from me but...” as Jack started playing Newton Heath at its own game by using its units to cover Hammerton Street diagrams. Sure enough later in the new year several of Newton Heath’s important diesel diagrams reverted to steam including Manchester to Southport and Blackpool. The pace hotted up and one day I recall arriving at work one morning to find the depot virtually devoid of staff. I enquired from foreman’s assistant Charlie Lincoln as to where everybody was and he said there had been a raiding party on Newton Heath last night and that “all concerned” were resting. The story had it that Jack, obviously with some unofficial encouragement from higher-up, had led a small convoy of road vehicles conveying chargehand fitters, foreman electricians, a shunter plus of course driver and guard, who signed the road for Newton Heath depot and not just

Manchester Victoria to bring back some of his units. I feel sure the tale had been dressed up a little for my benefit. More likely, Newton Heath will have said something along the lines of “you can have your units back but you’ll have to fetch them because we’ve no drivers”. Otherwise a phone call from Newton Heath to Manchester North Control or even Thorpes Bridge Junction ‘box would have seen the end to this episode. Nevertheless, the business of depots having to make their own arrangements to recover their locomotives, or in this case units, from the London Midland Region was not new to me.

Particularly bad years

While working in the DMPSO at Leeds I had come across a file going back to 1961 relating to the recovery by Holbeck of its locomotives both steam and diesel from the London Midland Region. 1961, 1962 and 1963 were particularly bad years for the Peak diesels operating the Midland Main Line and North East – South West route with its important mail and sleeper services. One of the problems was that the Peaks were being delivered new from works at the rate of almost two a week. Depot staff, either maintenance or traincrew, could not be trained at that rate. I can only speak for Holbeck, a significant

2-6-4T No. 42116 pounds past Hammerton Street depot on March 12, 1966 with the 9.25am Bradford Exchange to King’s Cross express, which it is working to Leeds Central. The gradient steepens to 1-in-44 at this point. A Class 101 Met-Cam railcar slumbers in the sun. No. 42689 climbs across Hammerton Street Junction prior to propelling the Derby Works unit down onto the depot.

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player in the provision of power for these services where the authorities had been obliged to maintain at great expense a pool of class 5 and class 6 steam locomotives in reasonable condition to cover for diesel failures. Indeed, the five Royal Scot 4-6-0s transferred away as redundant to Low Moor and Mirfield had to be returned to Holbeck in June 1962. Only those really in the know realised how near to collapse the MML and NE-SW services were in those three years. The problem was exacerbated by the LMR, which not only failed to return the failed diesels, but also misappropriated the steam substitutes to use on its own diagrams. The Leeds District four-weekly motive power report to York HQ was continually full of “missing on the LM Region” and “retained by the LM for its own purposes”. Holbeck could not even get back its own diesel locomotives that had failed while on the LMR and on more than one occasion the steam locomotive sent to recover the failed vehicle was itself purloined. Even LMS 8F 2-8-0s were appropriated as the LM was also desperately short of freight engines too! Holbeck came up with a novel way round this problem, as on more than one occasion with authority at York HQ turning a blind eye, it borrowed an LNER V2 2-6-2 from York and sent it complete with traction inspector down to Saltley to bring home one or more of its failed Peaks, knowing full well even the LMR would have no use for such an alien locomotive. I knew most of the Leeds traction inspectors and they were not to be messed about with. As this could be considered a light engine movement, the loco would no doubt go ‘old line’ via Barrow Hill, a route that had been cleared for such engines for the ‘Starlight Express’ special trains following their reintroduction in 1957. This routing would pacify the North Eastern Region chief civil engineer, but what his counterpart on the LMR thought about it is another matter. In the ensuing years as the diesel crisis deepened, the LNER locomotives became quite regular sights at Birmingham New Street covering for diesel failures. These expresses would, of course,

A rare visitor in the form of WD Austerity 2-8-0 No. 90265 of Hull Dairycoates shed arrives at Hammerton Street Junction on March 16, 1966 with a three-car Met-Cam railcar (class 101) it had towed throughout from Hull where the unit had failed.

travel via Sheffield and some clearance work had been done to allow this.

Some expertise

Back to Hammerton Street. I had quickly realised that many of the staff were on ‘workshop’ rather than ‘conciliation’ conditions of service and I soon got the hang of the all-important paybills side of the job. Previous experience while working at Huddersfield had given me some expertise in these matters and I had developed the knack of convincing the staff in the Centralised Accounts Office at Stooperdale, Darlington that any mistake in calculating an individual’s wage was of their doing and not mine. Incorrect wages meant unhappy members of staff, which was no good for morale, especially when favours were to be occasionally asked. I became so adept with the paybills and getting mistakes sorted out quickly that the chief clerk slid most of this work my way. This suited me, as the more useful I made myself, the less chance there was of raised eyebrows whenever I disappeared down the yard to photograph a ‘mobile kettle’. The foremen seemed to appreciate my efforts too and they would tip me off if they knew a steamer was on its way with a railcar for the depot.

They didn’t do this at first and it was most frustrating, but this advance information gave me the chance to nip down the yard and photograph the cavalcade during its manoeuvring procedures at Hammerton Street Junction. Enquiries had revealed there to be three circumstances that brought steam locomotives onto the depot. Firstly, conveying ex-works railcars from Doncaster, which had been brought in parcels trains via Leeds to Bradford Exchange then put on the 11am trip working to the nearby Adolphus Street goods yard. Secondly, bringing Manningham’s Class 108 units for engine change. Since the closure of the line from Laisterdyke Quarry Gap to Shipley Windhill as a through route in 1964 these units now had to make the tedious journey via Leeds. Thirdly, towing in total failures. I left Hammerton Street on May 20, 1966 after just six months, conscious of the fact I had perhaps let the system down. My appointment, I had later learned, was to be an understudy to the chief clerk and to take his job on retirement, although of course this could not be guaranteed. As I shook hands on my last day I was most conscious of the fact my promotion to York had put me on the same salary structure as he was on, yet he was three times my age and

Under the watchful eye of maintenance foreman Vernon Broadhead, No. 90265 tows the railcar through the inspection shed. This was the only time I ever saw a steam locomotive pass through this shed.

probably had three times my length of service and I felt somewhat awkward. I did, however, leave with the utmost respect for locomotive shedmaster Jack Hardacre. Managers of his calibre were fast disappearing from the railways. A fitter could knock on his door with a problem on a Rolls Royce 130D engine and Jack would go into the shed and guide him through the process of how to sort it out. This, of course, commanded the respect of the staff. My farewell to him was most satisfying. I knew he was a beer drinker so I had bought him a couple of bottles. Unbeknown to me I had, by pure chance, bought his very favourite tipple, Wm Younger’s Double Century ale. His face lit up – a rare sight; “got my potty handy”, he opened his desk drawer and whipped out a pint dimple glass before supping both bottles in front of my very eyes. ‘You’ve not been a bad lad really’ – praise indeed from the man who ran one of the most successful diesel traction depots anywhere on BR. During my preparation for this article I have consulted Great Northern Railway Engine Sheds No.3 Yorkshire & Lancashire by Roger Griffiths and John Hooper (Book Law/ Railbus 2007) as well as numerous copies of Trains Illustrated.

No, this is not the latest in push and pull operations! It is simply Farnley Junction’s LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 44826 propelling failed BRCW ‘Calder Valley’ power car No. 51819 (class 110) across Hammerton Street Junction and into the depot yard on April 20, 1966. Note the Northallerton destination blind. Heritagerailway.co.uk 73

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OVERSEAS STEAM DISCOVERY

Steam miracle

ECUADOR

Steam locomotive restoration the world over is not generally funded by governments but by the valiant efforts of individuals, societies or private companies as in the UK. It is therefore remarkable that Ecuador has seen a government-funded railway and steam locomotive rebuilding programme on an unprecedented scale, including the setting up of a workshop for the manufacture of many new steam locomotive boilers. Maurice Burns, who made this discovery by chance, explains more...

T

he small South American country of Ecuador is perhaps most familiar to many thanks to the amazing wildlife images shown on various David Attenborough TV programmes about its province the Galapagos Islands. But over on the mainland its railways are no ordinary railways, climbing from sea level on the Pacific to the capital Quito, which stands at 9350 feet – a height gained in just 50 miles. With gradients as steep as 1-in-18 involving the Devil’s Nose zig-zag where 2500 men lost their lives during its construction, it is little wonder it is described as one of the world’s greatest railway building masterpieces. After its construction, journey times for the 200 miles were reduced from two weeks to two days using steam power. Opening in June 1908, it had a long period of prosperity, but by the 1970s it was in decline, though it still had 25 steam locomotives. By the 1990s, due to competition from road transport and lack of investment, the condition of track and locomotives, all railway operations with the exception of the Devil’s

Nose were completely closed down and abandoned. That is how the railway would be today had it not been for Rafael Correa, elected as president of the country in 2007. His vision was that most of the railway should be rebuilt not for scheduled everyday services for passenger and freight but for tourist use only, financed by the government. This was to be no patched-up railway system but total renewal on a scale tourist railways in the UK can only dream of. The whole refurbishment programme aim was not to introduce an intensive service such as the big preserved lines of the UK but initially at least, for just one very special train – the luxury ‘Tren Crucero’. This would operate as a four-day five star all-inclusive package using steam and diesel motive power, with passengers staying at the best hotels plus many excursions and sights such as the ‘Avenue of Volcanoes’. Priced at $1450 for the four day package, it is reportedly the best rail experience outside Europe and is in big demand.

The new locomotive workshop of contractor Thermacon – established in 2013 in Durán especially to manufacture new locomotive boilers. This view taken on November 27, 2016 shows locomotives No. 17, a Baldwin 2-8-0 of 1935 and No. 45 a 2-8-0 of 1945 under reconstruction. The new boiler on No. 17 was fitted on November 24. This was the seventh new boiler made in three years in these workshops. MAURICE BURNS

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The Tren Ecuador sign on all the new stations marking the rebirth of railways in the country that straddles the equator with 0 degrees going through the railway and capital Quito. Main picture: Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 18 – built in 1936 and rebuilt with a new boiler in 2015 – climbs towards the attractive town of Otavalo from Ibarra on December 1, 2016. MAURICE BURNS Heritagerailway.co.uk 77

The first locomotive rebuilt with a new boiler was No. 11, a Baldwin 2-6-0 of 1900. Here restored to its original red livery of 1900, it powers the the luxury ‘Tren Crucero’ away from Durán to Yaguachi on November 28, 2016. MAURICE BURNS

Left: Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 18 of 1936 is turned on the turntable at Otavalo on December 1, 2016. This new concrete pit and turntable was only constructed in 2014 to turn steam locomotives for tourist services. At first glance this is an ordinary picture of an engine being turned... but what is so different compared with the UK is everything in this picture is new and in state control. The station at Otavalo was new in 2013, track new in 2014 and the engine No.18 fitted with a new boiler in 2014. If all this was not enough, a new turntable was constructed to the left of the station so passengers could photograph the steam engine being turned. MAURICE BURNS Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 58 of 1954 departs from Calpi with the luxury ‘Tren Crucero’ to Riobamba on November 30, 2016. MAURICE BURNS

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Above: All railway stations were renewed to a high specification. The new station of Andrade Marin complete with landscaped garden is seen on November 28, 2016 just two years after construction. Baldwin 2-8-0 No. 18 awaits departure with the luxury ‘Tren Crucero’. MAURICE BURNS

New track and stations Starting with the track, hundreds of miles of new rail was bought from China and vast stretches of the mountainous sections relaid on new concrete sleepers made in Ecuador. All the civil engineering structures were upgraded with a lot of work done in the Devil’s Nose area where the line runs on a narrow ledge with a drop of thousands of feet below. The upgraded track was complete by 2010. In Britain we tend to ‘preserve’ tourist stations as those of a certain age remember them. Many were built over 150 years ago for a different era, but as time passes does the public seek or expect modern facilities, in particular waiting rooms, toilets and refreshment rooms? In Ecuador every station was redesigned to the highest specification for the modern traveller. Again these were not patched-up old stations but new construction – as the accompanying pictures illustrate. Such projects were to create employment and the results at the new stations are breathtaking with landscaped gardens with tropical plants, spacious waiting rooms with polished floors and stainless steel seating. Refreshment rooms are spacious and modern as are the toilet areas – as you would expect in a hotel. This government-funded investment in a 200 mile tourist railway is a stark contrast to the tourist railways of the UK which have to raise funds the hard way. Did the modern facilities fit in with a tourist train and a 1930s steam locomotive at the head of the luxury ‘Tren Crucero’? It certainly did due the tasteful design using a lot of local timber and red tiled roofs. The vision was to use steam and diesel motive power and facilities for these had to be provided. This has included a major undertaking in a completely new turntable and concrete pit being constructed at Otavalo in 2014 to turn the steam locomotives.

The new impressive waiting room at Andrade Marin station constructed in 2014 showing polished floors and fittings suitable for visitors in the modern era. The steam hauled ‘Tren Crucero’ tourist train is waiting outside on the left for the arrival of passengers on December 1, 2016. MAURICE BURNS

The multimillion dollar investment in steam boilers If renewals of track and new stations were not enough, the investment of the Ecuador government in steam motive power has been huge and again following the pattern of track and stations, nothing was patched-up but replaced with new. Initially the state railways tried to restore steam engines No. 11, a Baldwin 2-6-0 built in 1900 and No. 18, a 2-8-0 built in 1936. This was not totally successful. Following an examination of all available steam engines by an experienced engineer from Argentina, many new steam boilers were required if the engines were to be reliable. An approach was made to firms in the US and Germany, but after much negotiation no company would accept the terms and conditions laid down by the government. The government then looked for companies in Ecuador who could manufacture new steam locomotive boilers even though none had ever been made in the country. Eventually a company which manufactured heat exchangers in the capital Quito was chosen to not only manufacture two new steam locomotive boilers but carry out the total mechanical rebuilding and commissioning of the steam engines prior to handing over to the state railways to operate them. Of course this company had no locomotive workshop, machines to roll the boiler plate or do flanging of tubeplates. While it had qualified welders and substantial experience in manufacturing pressure vessels, it had no experience in making steam locomotive boilers but did have a full set of boiler drawings. Such challenges are nothing new to the resourcefulness of Latin American countries and if required, guidance from a consultant from the US was available. In 2010 the Ecuador firm of Thermacon was awarded a $2.5 million contract to rebuild Nos. 11 and 58 with new boilers and to establish a locomotive works and offices

in Durán. Here specialist heavy machines were bought to manufacture boiler plates and do flanging in addition to a heavy machine shop. All materials for the new boilers were imported; the boiler plates secured from Japan and boiler tubes from the US. At one stage such was the need for steam power to start the tourist services, to make progress on the new boiler for No. 11, three shifts were worked around the clock using 40 people and it was made in one month. Such was the quality of work that a further contract was agreed in 2012 to replace boilers on Nos. 14, 18 and 58 and undertake their full mechanical overhauls. There had been no need to use the consultant from the US. The contract included in all cases new tender tanks and in addition to rebuilding of the Westinghouse air pumps, the installation of new diesel-powered air compressors with package plant on the tenders as back up to the Westinghouse pumps. By 2015 five steam locomotives had been fully rebuilt with all-new steel boilers. A further contract was placed in 2016 to manufacture new boilers for Nos.17 and 45 and to undertake full mechanical overhauls. By November 2016 both new boilers had been constructed and after hydraulic tests were placed on the locomotive frames at the time of the works visit on November 27. The two locomotives illustrated in the works are expected to be fully rebuilt by March this year and after steaming and runningin will be handed over to the state railway authorities for operation. Up to 2016, regular steam has been confined to the ‘Tren Crucero’ with three different engines for the sections from Durán to Yaguachi, Calpi to Riobamba and from Otavalo to Ibarra. With seven steam engines available from mid-2017 more steam services for local people may materialise. Heritagerailway.co.uk 79

Street running The whole South American steam experience is far removed from anything in Britain where railways are fenced off from the public and road traffic. Steam journeys in Britain are rather predictable as a result. In Ecuador, as in other South American countries, travelling by train is more of an adventure... especially when the railway tracks go down the high streets of towns or villages without barriers separating the public and car traffic from the moving steam train. In rail enthusiast terms this is called ‘street running’ and opens up a different type of rail photography with people, cars and shoppers all within touching distance of the train. With the steam engines blowing their big chime whistles and ringing the bell, the sound travels far. All this sound makes cars and people move out of the way, but there are always those who think there is enough time to cross in front of the engines as there are few road barriers. The term steam is king definitely applies between steam and cars, perhaps due to the engine’s size going down a road. Even at roundabouts all cars stop as the steam train goes not round the roundabout but through the centre.

With the legendary initials of the Guayaquil & Quito on the tender, Baldwin 2-6-0 No. 11 prepares to depart from Yaguachi for Durán and, as is customary in South America, steam through `the main streets of the town with no fencing to keep the public from the tracks. MAURICE BURNS The fireman’s view from Baldwin 2-6-0 No. 11 as it steams down the road in Durán and approaches a car at a road crossing. The absence of fencing separating railway from the public is perfectly normal in South America. MAURICE BURNS

The immaculate cab of Baldwin 2-6-0 No. 11 shows the quality of the rebuilding as the driver opens the regulator to return the engine to Durán. MAURICE BURNS

The almost everyday occurrence of steam in the high street is unnoticed by lady shoppers buying shirts to support their favourite football team near where No. 11 sits at Yaguachi station. It is images such as this and the relaxed atmosphere of steam engines mixing with roads, traffic and shops that attract enthusiasts from all over the world to visit countries such as Ecuador. MAURICE BURNS

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In this unusual view from the tender of Baldwin No. 11 as it makes a right turn at a busy road junction through the streets of Durán, the blowing chime whistle and size of the locomotive would appear to overrule the above junction traffic lights! MAURICE BURNS

The term ‘street running’ is often used by enthusiasts who venture to distant shores to see steam action running through the streets of towns. With chime whistle blowing and bell ringing, Baldwin 2-6-0 No. 11 of 1900 steams through the streets of Yaguachi on the ‘Tren Crucero’ from Durán on November 28, 2016. MAURICE BURNS

The Devil’s Nose section of railway in Ecuador is described as one of the world’s greatest engineering masterpieces where 2500 men lost their lives during its construction. In this view taken on November 29, 2016 the line ahead is cut into the mountainside with a severe drop below. The train would shortly reverse direction to the line at the bottom of the valley with gradients as steep as 1-in-18 then reverse again to the station at Sibambo. Three trains a day run over this route (diesel hauled) six days a week from the town of Alauasi. Inset image The warning signs on the Devil’s Nose Railway, where inclines are as steep as 1-in-18. BOTH: MAURICE BURNS

The vision realised The vision of the president of the Republic of Ecuador has now nearly been realised and with a railway in first class condition and seven steam locomotives with new boilers, the future of steam looks assured. With so much steam availability on this

spectacular railway, many more services may be in the pipeline and there must be scope for one of the major railtour travel companies to charter a train over the whole network, including the spectacular Devil’s Nose.

In discovering this rebirth of a railway so far from our shores, and in particular the Ecuador government investment in so many new steam locomotive boilers as part of its successful drive to increase tourism, it is as the headline says, a steam miracle. Heritagerailway.co.uk 81

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PLATFORM

READERS’ LETTERS AT THE HEART OF THE HERITAGE RAILWAY SCENE

Faster running would improve flexibility CONCERNING the raising of the maximum permitted speed for preserved steam locomotives, David Ward writes in issue 223: “A mile run at 90mph instead of 75mph saves eight seconds. When allowance is made for the miles taken to accelerate from 75mph to 90mph and decelerate back to 75mph on any approved section of line, the time saved is negligible and of little use in timetable planning. The obvious, if unintended, implication here is that somehow part of that eight seconds is lost in the acceleration and deceleration, whereas in fact some further seconds would be gained. As for the timetable implications, I may be wrong, but I thought the reason for the requested increase was to give more flexibility. It would make it easier to make up lost time when that might otherwise mean losing the allocated path and then suffering long delays and possible disruption to other services. I had not thought anyone was advocating running heritage steam locomotives at a sustained speed of 90mph. It would however be useful to be permitted to run for short periods at speeds above 75mph, up to a very occasional 90mph in exceptional circumstances. Michael Huber, Lindford, Bordon, Hampshire

STAR LETTER

Missed connections? We strive to do our best

THE NorthYorkshire Moors Railway was the focus of Michael Learmouth’s letter in Platform, issue 223, highlighting the effect late running on heritage lines can have on individuals travelling by public transport. It may surprise you to hear I agree with every word of his email. I also apologise for his long wait following his missed bus. There are inevitably times when a heritage railway will not run to time. We are, after all, running lines with heritage equipment, often at much greater frequency than they ever did pre-preservation.This inevitably stretches resources and infrastructure. There is therefore, to a certain extent, an excuse for the occasional faux pas.

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come along and see how we do: be kind, this is work in progress. I would however add, the beauty of heritage railways is their quirkiness and I doubt we will ever eradicate the occasional late or even cancelled train. Steam engines are fickle things, built at a time when dad had to make sure the car was prepared for a long run. We are spoilt now with our cars that start on the button and need servicing every 20,000 miles. Maybe this is why we now judge heritage railways by a near 100% standard they were never envisaged to achieve? We can only do our best. Chris Price, general manager, North Yorkshire Moors Railway.

Lines which keep connections will thrive Your star letter from Michael Learmouth certainly strikes a chord with me. My wife and I always visit heritage railways by public transport and many such as the Severn Valley Railway provide useful public transport in their own right. Easy interchange at Kidderminster allows an onward journey to Bridgnorth and an excellent day out. We are certainly not alone as many other passengers interchange at Kidderminster. Others such as the North Yorkshire Moors and Bluebell lines also offer direct interchange with the national

Modern day conditions differ from steam era I was intrigued by David Ward’s response to my discussion of his points of view regarding steam traction. I had thought Doug Landau’s remarks in issue 223 particularly apposite and sufficient. As it is, Mr Ward’s reply to me seems to be a collection of spurious and misleading equivocations. I won’t waste time running the gamut of them but the three most blatant are: A. His asking“if maintenance standards for steam locomotives are higher than in 1968, why is the failureper-mile figure higher?” He then unwittingly answers his own question by pointing out that experienced staff are no longer available to make practical judgements about what is or is not passable.The logical result is, of course, that failure rates must rise as

What there is not an excuse for is continual late running to the point it becomes the accepted norm. I acknowledge that the NYMR has been guilty of this. We do, however, appreciate the impact we can have on somebody’s otherwise very enjoyable day when we run late. The good news is we have taken initiatives to improve this in 2016.The improvements range from not only an improved off-peak timetable, but also procedural reviews that look at operational practices that can be simplified without effecting safety. We will be constantly reviewing this in 2017 and I encourage people to

staff err on the side of caution. B. His assertion that I am “uninformed and lacking knowledge” about the results of trains losing their paths.The fact is that, once an unscheduled train has lost its path, it is prevented from disrupting scheduled traffic and therefore continues to accrue lost time. So, I repeat the losers are the charter company and their customers. C. His claim that“Network Rail does not insist on BR footplate staff on steam-hauled charters.” Maybe not – but their criteria to conform with the “Safety Case to operate”is so stringent as to obviate any other choice. Finally it occurs to me to enquire – has MrWard any footplate experience? I have. Martyn McGinty, Frome, Somerset

rail network and the Swanage Railway is now going further by starting direct services too and from Wareham. Those visionaries who fought so hard to rebuild these heritage lines clearly wanted to create a real transport link and it is unfortunate if that original vision has now been lost in favour of self-contained museum lines. We are fortunate indeed to have such a wonderful selection of heritage lines which have saved and preserved the best of our railway past. However, I do believe that those which continue to thrive and prosper will be the ones

OUSTED former cabinet minister Ed Balls not only has a glittering new career in the dance world, but it appears he can also travel back in time. The one-time Labour MP, who lost his seat at the 2015 election, has embarked on the Strictly Come Dancing live tour following his dazzling success on theTV show with his dancing partner Katya Jones. The Daily Mail’s Weekend magazine of Saturday, January 14, had the pair pictured on the cover, standing on the platform of the Great Central Railway’s Loughborough station. However, GCR officials knew nothing about the ’photoshoot’ which was also replicated inside the magazine. GCR general manager Richard Patching said:“The locomotive in the picture was Stanier 8F No. 48305. But it hasn’t turned a wheel here in five years.

also providing useful transport links. They are the ones most likely to benefit from external funding as public bodies recognise their wider contribution to society. Equally those lines going from ‘nowhere’to‘nowhere’and without ambition to develop a more useful role are likely to struggle for survival. So I join Michael Learmouth in praising the efforts of volunteers in helping to keep the lines running and also reminding them of the importance of good timekeeping. Paul Tetlaw, Edinburgh

““We are not aware off them h h having visited the railway.” Maybe the pair benefited from some computer wizardry to match their successes on the dance floor.

Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

UK preservation built to last with growing support WAS it carefully planned by Robin Jones that an article headlined,“SevernValley share issue hits half million”was followed on the very next page by“Shock closure of museum stuns railway enthusiasts”? In the first article, we learn that the SevernValley Railway has succeeded in raising“nearly £500,000”in the first five weeks and then, rig ht over the page, we also learn that, for the want of “approximately £300,000”the Canberra Railway Museum has just closed its doors and laid down in submission! This is, I’m very sad to say, pretty typical of the Australian mentality when it comes to railway heritage. I have written in the past about the beautiful Beaudesert Railway in Queensland and how the few enthusiasts who resurrected it failed dismally. The following quote fromWikipedia tells the story:“In 2001, a grant provided

by the federal government was given to a local group of Beaudesert people who traded as“ Beaudesert Rail”(BR). The group set about acquiring rolling stock and locomotives.The line was upgraded to C17 use. When QGR services still operated on the Beaudesert Branch, only PB15s, B13s, B15s and 60t diesels were used. In order for Beaudesert Rail to commence steam services on the line, they needed to upgrade their track to carry the weight of their C17.The first Beaudesert rail service was held on December 18, 2002 with a run from Beaudesert to LoganVillage and return. On March 8, 2003, Beaudesert Rail commenced steam-hauled services. Beaudesert Rail’s steam locomotive was an ex-QR C17 No. 967. Built byWalkers Limited in Maryborough, 967 was in service for 19 years before being placed in a park

at Caloundra. In 1985, the Ghan railway bought No. 967 as a gate train. In 2000, No. 967 was purchased and road-hauled to Beaudesert. Beaudesert rail then commenced services to Bethania on April 4, 2003.The last service to Bethania took place on June 28, 2003. On that date, Beaudesert Rail’s ex-Emu Bay diesel 1105 derailed about three kilometres (1.9 miles) south of Bethania, between the Dairy Creek Road and Easterly Street level crossings. Beaudesert rail experienced financial problems and the group disbanded in 2005.” I was fortunate enough to ride the train, hauled by No. 967, during the short time the railway was reopened and videoed it as well. If that line had been anywhere in Britain, there’s no way it would ever have closed the second time, but now it is all but gone. British railway enthusiasts don’t know how lucky they are.

But is it luck? As the SevernValley article very clearly illustrates, support for history is burgeoning and, coupled with Heritage Lottery Fund support, the country where steam railways first saw birth is undoubtedly the world Mecca of preservation today. If it even looks like the NSW Garratt isn’t going to continue running, every effort should be made to return it to the land of its birth where it will get the recognition it deserves as the world’s biggest operational steam locomotive. In passing, did you know that Ian Welch of Mainline SteamTrust in New Zealand has personally purchased and transported at least two 25NC and two GMAM Garratts from South Africa to New Zealand where they are being restored to working order? David Holt, Queensland, Australia

Corris claim at odds with Tom Rolt

IN reply to Glenn Lathall who recalled Tom Rolt’s account of the purchase by theTalyllyn Railway Preservation Society of the two Corris engines, I submit that the two accounts, mine in issue 223 and Rolt’s in issue 224, far from being at odds are actually complementary to each other. I had read Railway Adventure long before I met J I C Boyd and had forgotten the story of the Corris engines. I remember Jimmy mentioning the sum of £50 and, over the years I had assumed it represented the unit price rather than what it clearly was – the price for both the engines. Mr Boyd must have been the“individual member”who contributed the most. Doubtless he wished to remain anonymous at the time. Presumably the other members gave a smaller total of donations that

covered the cost of transport and some of the work needed on No. 4’s boiler. A similar situation occurred about a decade later when the appeal by Max Dunn for donations to save the LNWR‘CoalTank’had failed to raise the purchase price when the deadline was reached. A long list of individual donors can be found at the beginning of Pete Skellon’s excellent account of the class in Bashers, Gadgets and Mourners, but the total they raised was several hundred pounds short. The balance was provided by locomotive engineer and LNWR expert J P Richards, whose lifetime output of scale models, for which he gained an entry inThe Guinness Book of Records can be seen in the National Railway Museum. Peter Davis, Fishponds, Bristol

In response to A Hayes’letter in Heritage Railway issue 223, requesting pictures showing Banbury South signalbox, Chris Potter has sent these images. The above view, taken by his late brother, shows LNER A1 Pacific No. 60145

Saint Mungo at the town’s shed when it visited on a special train on September 4, 1965. The other photo shows Bulleid West Country light Pacific No. 34046 Braunton hauling the‘Cathedrals Express’past the signalbox on April 23, 2014.

The Corris locomotive‘myth’perpetuated THE email from Peter Davis in issue 223, which suggests that James Boyd was the sole funder of the Talyllyn Railway’s purchase of the two Corris Railway locomotives, perpetuates a myth which James was always keen to promulgate. Bill Faulkner also promulgated a similar myth in respect of No, 4 Edward Thomas. The two locomotives were offered to theTalyllyn by British Railways Western Region for £25 each.The £25 for No. 4 was donated by Mr J J Black of Sutton Coldfield – a friend

of Pat Garland.The £25 for No. 3 was jointly funded by James Boyd, Bill Faulkner and Pat Whitehouse who each donated £8 10s – the sum was also credited towards their life membership subscriptions of £15 each. Incidentally, the charge for delivery of the locos from Machynlleth to Towyn Wharf, together with cranage at both ends was more than the cost of the two locos. Michael Howard, former Talyllyn Railway archives officer

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

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NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL

Winter Chinnor

The Chinnor branch has seen a succession of visiting pannier tanks from the South Devon Railway. Martin Creese describes a photo charter in wintry conditions in Oxfordshire.

T

he early return of London Transportliveried 0-6-0PT L92 (5786) to its home railway in South Devon, brought about the unexpected return of former Weymouth Docks and latterly Wenford Bridge 0-6-0PT No. 1369 to the Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway to work its Santa and post-Christmas specials. The locomotive had spent the 2015 season on hire to the railway and, but for a quirk of fate, would have opened my 30742 Charters 2016 season. Instead its return, now resplendent in British Railways black livery, brought about the opportunity to close the season with a welcome festive season event. No. 1369 is the only survivor of a class of

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six locomotives designed by Charles Collett and built at Swindon in 1934 which were a development of the 1361 class represented by No. 1363 at Didcot in preservation – pannier tanks replacing saddle tanks. It spent much of its working life at Swindon works, shunting the extensive works complex. In 1960 and late in its career came the transfer to the Southern Region, for which it is much better known, and an allocation to Weymouth for working on the Weymouth Harbour branch. Then with dieselisation looming, came a further transfer in 1962 to Wadebridge to replace the Beattie well tanks on the line to Wenford Bridge. Withdrawal came in

1964 with the locomotive being acquired for preservation on the then Dart Valley Railway at Buckfastleigh where it has been based since. When No. 1369 steamed from Wadebridge to Totnes via Bodmin and Plymouth on February 20, 1965, it became the last steam engine to be operated by BR in Cornwall. It had been purchased by a fund comprising four joint Dart Valley/Great Western Society members and although it moved up the branch to Buckfastleigh, it still took part in GWS events at its Totnes base. When the GWS moved all its stock to Didcot in December 1967, No. 1369 stayed behind in the South West. It is now coming to the end of its latest

pannier

boiler ticket so the opportunity was taken to organise a photo charter at Chinnor. A short goods set of three boxvans and the railway’s GWR Toad brakevan was assembled and as always the weather forecast became a source of fascination to see what we would get on the day. As it was, Friday, December 30 dawned foggy. Our limit of operations was the former Thame Junction as a works train occupied Princes Risborough where work is ongoing to rebuild the former branch platform and create a run round loop. Work is also ongoing to restore the former Great Western Railway signalbox which, after the sad loss of Banbury North, the restoration of Princes

Above: GWR 0-6-0PT No. 1369 emerges from the fog at Wainhill on the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway with a photo charter goods train on December 30, 2016. Above right: As the sun begins to set, No. 1369 approaches Keens Lane crossing near Chinnor. Right: The fog bank is visible in the distance as No. 1369 continues its journey to Chinnor. Heritagerailway.co.uk 89

No. 1369 heads away into the setting sun.

The pannier tank stands in Chinnor station on the evening of December 30, 2016.

Risborough is a most welcome event. It is not possible to pretend that the Wenford Bridge branch can be recreated in Oxfordshire, but working our way back to Chinnor the locomotive looked at home on its short goods train with lots of nice little cameos presenting themselves. The fog persisted until late afternoon when it rolled back and some late winter sunshine brightened the scene. With the train out at the summit of the line at Keens Lane, the going away glint was

superb. The fog bank was sat not far away at Wainhill so the last runpast saw a long run up the bank, No. 1369 emerging from the fog with a superb exhaust hanging in the air catching the last of the sunshine was a remarkable conclusion to both the day and the year. We finished the day with an enjoyable short evening shoot featuring both the station with its superb recreation of the original Chinnor station building and also by the signalbox, which originated on the

Cheshire Lines Committee at Mobberley. No. 1369 finished its workings at Chinnor on New Year’s Day and returned to the South Devon Railway. With the New Year, the C&PRR is also working on the installation of a run round loop at Chinnor station itself, ending the need to shunt release locomotives or top and tail workings. The relationship between Chinnor and the South Devon Railway also continues with auto-fitted 0-6-0PT No. 6412 due to arrive in the spring for the 2017 season. No. 1369 poses with its goods train alongside Chinnor signalbox.

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EVENTS

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UP & RUNNING

Taff Vale Railway 0-6-2T No. 85 climbs towards Ingrow on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on January 14. PHIL WATERFIELD

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: Feb 15-24, 26, Mar 8-12.

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: Feb 11-26, Mar W/Es.

East Kent Railway

Standard gauge, two miles, Shepherdswell, Dover. Tel: 01304 832042. Running: April.

Eastleigh Lakeside Railway

Narrow gauge, 1¼ miles, footplate experience. Running: W/Es + sch hols.

Hastings Miniature Railway

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

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: Mar 19, 23, 26, 30.

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Kempton Steam Railway

Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Hanworth. Tel: 01932 765328. Running: Mar 18.

Kent & East Sussex Railway

Standard gauge, 10½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Tenterden, Kent. Tel: 01580 765155. Engines: 32670, 30065, 1638. Running: Feb 11, 12, 18, 19.

Lavender Line

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

Mid Hants Railway

Standard gauge, 10 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG. Tel: 01962 733810. Engines: 45379, 92212, 41312, 76017. Running: Feb 17-26. Mar W/Es.

Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway

Narrow gauge, 13½ miles, footplate experience. New Romney, Kent. Tel: 01797 362353. Running: W/Es + Feb 13-17.

Royal Victoria Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile. Netley, Southampton. Tel: 02380 456246. Running: W/Es + sch hols.

Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway

Narrow gauge, 1¾ miles. Sittingbourne, Kent.

Somerset. Tel: 01749 880417. Engine: 46447, 5637. Running: Mar 18, 19.

Tel: 01795 424899. Running: April.

Spa Valley Railway

Standard gauge, five miles, footplate experience. Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Tel: 01892 537715. Running: W/Es + Feb 14-17.

SOUTH WEST

Helston Railway

Standard gauge. Helston, Cornwall. Tel: 07875 481380. Running: Mar 16.

Lynton & Barnstaple Railway

Avon Valley Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile. Woody Bay, north Devon. Tel: 01598 763487. Running: TBA.

Bodmin & Wenford Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile. Ringwood, Hants. Tel: 01425 471415. Running: W/Es + sch hols.

Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Bitton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 932 7296. Running: Feb 11, 12, 14-16, 18, 19.

Moors Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 6½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Bodmin, Cornwall. Tel: 01208 73666. Engines: 4612, 30587. Running: Feb 12-16, 19.

Plym Valley Railway

Dartmoor Railway

Standard gauge, seven miles. Okehampton, Devon. Tel: 01837 55164. Running: TBA.

Dartmouth Steam Railway

Standard gauge, seven miles, wine and dine. Paignton, Devon. Tel: 01803 555872. Engines: 7827, 4277, 75014. Running: Feb 11.

Devon Railway Centre

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

East Somerset Railway

Standard gauge, two miles. Cranmore,

Standard gauge, 1½ miles. Marsh Mills, Plymouth. Running: Mar Suns.

Seaton Tramway

Narrow gauge, three miles. Harbour Road, Seaton, Devon. Tel: 01297 20375. Running: W/Es + Feb 13-17.

South Devon Railway

Standard gauge, seven miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Buckfastleigh, Devon. Tel: 01364 644370. Engines: 3205, 6412, 1369, 3205, 5542, 30587. Running: Feb 11-19.

Swanage Railway

Standard gauge, six miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Swanage, Dorset. Tel: 01929 425800. Engines: 31806, 34070. Running: W/Es + Feb 13-17.

The information in this list was correct at the time of going to press. We strongly advise that you confirm details with the railway concerned.

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UP & RUNNING Swindon & Cricklade Railway Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience. Blunsdon, Wiltshire. Tel: 01793 771615. Running: Mar Suns.

West Somerset Railway

Standard gauge, 20 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Minehead, Somerset TA24 5BG. Tel: 01643 704996. Engines: 44422, 53808, 6960. Running: Feb 11, 12, 14-16, 18, 19.

EAST ANGLIA Bressingham Steam Museum Narrow gauge, one mile. Diss, Norfolk. Tel: 01379 686900. Running: Feb 11-19.

Bure Valley Railway Narrow gauge, nine miles, footplate experience. Aylsham, Norfolk. Tel: 01263 733858. Running: W/Es + Feb 13-17.

Colne Valley Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience, wine and dine. Castle Hedingham, Essex. Tel: 01787 461174. Running: April.

East Anglian Railway Museum

Standard gauge, ¼ mile. Wakes Colne, Essex. Tel: 01206 242524. Open: Daily. Running: Easter.

Mangapps Railway

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

Mid-Norfolk Railway

Standard gauge, 11½ miles, footplate experience. Dereham, Norfolk. Tel: 01362 690633. Engine: 9466. Running: Feb 25.

Mid-Suffolk Light Railway Standard gauge, ½ mile. Brockford, Suffolk. Running: April.

Nene Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 7½ miles, footplate experience. Wansford, Peterborough, Cambs. Tel: 01780 784444. Engines: 34081, 34053 Running: W/Es + Feb 14-16. Not Mar 4.

North Norfolk Railway

Standard gauge, 5½ miles, footplate experience. Sheringham, Norfolk NR26 8RA. Tel: 01263 820800. Engines: 564, 92203, 8572. Running: Feb 11-19, Mar W/Es.

Wells & Walsingham Railway

Narrow gauge, four miles. Wells-next-the-Sea, Norfolk. Tel: 01328 711630 Running: Feb 11-19.

Whitwell & Reepham Railway

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

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: Feb 14, 16. Running: Feb 12, 15, 19.

Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway

Standard gauge, 3½ miles. Chinnor, Oxon. Tel: 01844 353535. Running: Mar 26.

Cholsey & Wallingford Railway

Standard gauge, 2½ miles. Wallingford, Oxon. Tel: 01491 835067. Running: TBA.

Didcot Railway Centre

Standard gauge, footplate experience. Didcot, Oxon. Tel: 01235 817200. Engines: 93, 6023. Open: W/Es + Feb 13-17. Running: Feb 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, Mar 4, 5.

Epping Ongar Railway

Standard gauge, five miles. Ongar, Essex. Tel: 01277 365200. Running: Feb 11, 12, 15, 18, 19.

Leighton Buzzard Railway

Narrow gauge, 2¾ miles. Leighton Buzzard, Beds. Tel: 01525 373888. Running: Mar 19.

Narrow gauge, one mile. Stowe-by-Chartley, Staffs. Tel: 01785 850965. Running: Feb 11-19.

Apedale Valley Railway Narrow gauge, ½ mile. Apedale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffs. Tel: 0845 094 1953. Running: April.

Barrow Hill Roundhouse

Standard gauge, ¼ mile. Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Tel: 01246 472450. Open: September.

Battlefield Line Railway Standard gauge, five miles. Shackerstone, Leics. Tel: 01827 880754. Engine: 30120. Running: March.

Chasewater Railway

Standard gauge, two miles. Walsall, West Midlands. Tel: 01543 452623. Running: Mar Suns.

Churnet Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 5¼ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Cheddleton, Staffs. Tel: 01538 750755. Engines: 323, 6046, 5197. Running: Suns + Feb 25.

Dean Forest Railway

Standard gauge, 4¼ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Norchard, Lydney, Glos.

LMS ‘Crab’ 2-6-0 No. 13065 crosses Brooksbottom viaduct on the East Lancashire Railway on December 4, 2016. DAVE RODGERS

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UP & RUNNING Tel: 01594 845840. Engine: 5541. Running: Feb 11, 12, 18, 19. Mar W/Es + Weds.

Ecclesbourne Valley Railway Standard gauge, eight miles. Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Tel: 01629 823076. Running: W/Es, Tues + Feb 16.

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

Foxfield Railway

Standard gauge, 5½ miles. Blythe Bridge, Staffs. Running: March.

Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway

Standard gauge, 12 miles, footplate experience. Toddington, Glos. Tel: 01242 621405. Engines: 2807, 4270, 35006, 7903. Running: Mar W/Es.

Great Central Railway

Standard gauge, eight miles. Loughborough, Leics LE11 1RW. Tel: 01509 632323. Engines: 48624, 47406, 46521, 92214, 45305, 777, 6990, 78018, 70013. Running: W/Es.

Great Central Railway Nottingham

Standard gauge, four miles. Ruddington, Notts. Tel: 0115 940 570. Engine: 8274 Running: Feb 11, 12, 18, 19.

Midland Railway – Butterley

Standard gauge, 3½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Ripley, Derbyshire. Tel: 01773 570140. Engine: 5619 Running: W/Es + Feb 13-17 (steam Mar).

Northampton & Lamport Railway

Standard gauge, two miles. Pitsford, Northants. Tel: 01604 820327. Running: Mar 26.

Peak Rail

Standard gauge, four miles. Matlock, Derbyshire. Tel: 01629 580381. Running: Mar W/Es.

Perrygrove Railway

Narrow gauge. B4228, Coleford, Glos. Tel: 01594 834991. Running: W/Es + Feb 13-17.

Rocks by Rail

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

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 TBA.

Severn Valley Railway

Standard gauge, 16 miles, footplate experience. Kidderminster, Worcs DY10 1QR. Tel: 01562 757900. Engines: 1501, 7812, 2857, 43106, 1450, 34027, 34053, 7802, 813, 7714.

98 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Visiting BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018 accelerates away from Castor past Sutton Cross on the Nene Valley Railway on December 27. ANDREW BELL Running: Feb 18-26. Mar W/Es.

Steeple Grange Light Railway

Narrow gauge, ½ mile, footplate experience. Wirksworth, Derbyshire. Running: Easter.

Telford Steam Railway

Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience. Telford, Shropshire. Email: [email protected] Tel: 01952 503880. Running: Easter.

NORTH WEST East Lancashire Railway

Standard gauge, 12 miles, footplate experience. Bury, Lancs. Tel: 01617 647790. Engines: 13065, 12322, 34092, 76084, 45212, 45407, 48624. Running: W/Es + Feb 22-24, Mar 10.

Preston, Lancs. Tel: 01772 728800. Running: Mar 25.

Tel: 01226 746746. Open: Daily. Running: Suns.

Stainmore Railway

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

West Lancashire Light Railway

Narrow gauge. Hesketh Bank, Lancs. Tel: 01772 815881. Running: Mar 26.

NORTH EAST Aln Valley Railway

Eden Valley Railway

Heaton Park Tramway

Standard gauge, 15 miles. British Steel Steelworks, Scunthorpe. Tel: 01652 657053. Running: Feb 25.

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

Isle of Man Steam Railway

Narrow gauge, 15½ miles. Douglas, Isle of Man. Tel: 01624 662525. Running: March.

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway Standard gauge, 3½ miles. near Ulverston, Cumbria. Tel: 01539 531594. Engines: 42073, 42085. Running: Feb 18-26.

Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway

Narrow gauge, seven miles. Ravenglass, Cumbria. Tel: 01229 717171. Running: W/Es + Feb 20-24.

Ribble Steam Railway Standard gauge, one mile.

Standard gauge, five miles. Embsay, North Yorks. Engine: 5643. Running: Suns.

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, 45407, 13065, 61264. Running: W/Es + Feb 20-24, Mar 3.

Kirklees Light Railway

Narrow gauge, four miles. Huddersfield, West Yorks. Tel: 01484 865727. Running: Feb 18-26, Mar W/Es.

Standard gauge, ½ mile. Lionheart station, Alnwick, Northumberland. Running: Easter.

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

Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway

Lincolnshire Wolds Railway

Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society

Standard gauge, 1½ miles. Ludborough, Lincolnshire. Tel: 01507 363881. Running: Mar 26.

Bowes Railway

Standard gauge, 1½ miles. Hunslet, Leeds. Tel: 0113 271 0320. Engine: 1310. Running: Mar 25.

Standard gauge, one mile. Springwell, Tyne & Wear. Tel: 01914 161847. Open: Mar 4, 5.

North Tyneside Railway

Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway

Narrow gauge, two miles. Cleethorpes, North East Lincolnshire. Tel: 01472 604657. Running: W/Es + sch hols from Feb 18.

Derwent Valley Railway

Standard gauge, ½ mile. Murton Park, Layerthorpe, York. Tel: 01904 489966. Running: Easter.

Elsecar Railway

Middleton Railway

Standard gauge, one mile. Footplate experience. Elsecar, South Yorks.

Standard gauge, two miles. North Shields. Tel: 0191 200 7106 Running: April 1.

North Yorkshire Moors Railway

Standard gauge, 18 miles, wine and dine. Grosmont, North Yorks. Tel: 01751 472508. Engines: 45428, 76079, 80136, 44806, 61264. Running: Feb 18-26.

South Tynedale Railway

Narrow gauge, 3½ miles. Alston, Cumbria. Tel: 01434 382828/381696. Running: March.

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EVENTS

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UP & RUNNING Railway Museums Beamish

County Durham. The Living Museum of the North. Open: Daily except Mon, Fri.

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.

WR 0-6-0PT No. 1638 rounds Orpins curve on the Kent & East Sussex Railway on December 27, 2016. NICK GILLIAM

Museum Of Scottish Railways

Tanfield Railway

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

Irchester Narrow Gauge Railway Museum

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

Kidderminster Railway Museum

Kidderminster, Worcs. 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: Daily. 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.

National Railway Museum

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

Penrhyn Castle Industrial Railway Museum Bangor, Gwynedd. Open: Daily except Tues.

Rail Story

Ingrow, West Yorks. Open: Daily. Tel: 01535 680425.

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.

Ulster Folk & Transport Museum

Cultra, Co Down. Open: Tues-Sun.

West Cumberland Railway Museum

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

Yeovil Railway Centre Yeovil Junction, Somerset.

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Standard gauge, three miles. near Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. Tel: 01913 887545. Running: Suns.

Weardale Railway

Standard gauge, five miles. Stanhope, Bishop Auckland, Co Durham. Tel: 01388 526203. Running: Mar 25.

Wensleydale Railway

Standard gauge, 22 miles. Leeming Bar, North Yorkshire. Tel: 0845 450 5474. Engine: 69023. Running: Feb 18, 22, 24, 25, Mar W/Es.

WALES Bala Lake Railway

Narrow gauge, 4½ miles. Llanuwchllyn, Gwynedd. Tel: 01678 540666. Running: Feb 16, 19, 21-23, 25, Mar 4.

Brecon Mountain Railway

Narrow gauge, 3½ miles. Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan. Tel: 01685 722988. Running: Feb 11, ???.

Cambrian Heritage Railways

Standard gauge, ¾ mile. Llynclys station & Oswestry station. Tel: 01691 728131. Running: TBA.

Corris Railway

Narrow gauge, ¾ mile. Corris, Machynlleth. Tel: 01654 761303. Running: Easter.

Fairbourne Railway

Narrow gauge, two miles. Fairbourne, Gwynedd. Tel: 01341 250362. Running: Feb 18-26.

Ffestiniog Railway

Narrow gauge, 15 miles, Porthmadog, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 516000. Running: Feb 18-25, Mar W/Es, Weds, Thurs.

Gwili Railway

Standard gauge, 2.5 miles. Bronwydd Arms, Carmarthenshire. Tel: 01267 238213. Running: Feb 18-26, Mar 5.

Llanberis Lake Railway

Narrow gauge, three miles. Llanberis, Gwynedd. Tel: 01286 870549. Running: Feb 19, 28.

Llangollen Railway

Standard gauge, 10 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine. Llangollen, Denbighshire. Tel: 01978 860979.

Engines: 5199, 80072, 7822, 45337, 43106, 48624, 6960. Running: Feb 11, 12. Daily from Feb 18.

Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway

Standard gauge, two miles. Blaenavon, Torfaen. Tel: 01495 792263. Running: April.

Rhyl Miniature Railway

Narrow gauge. Rhyl, North Wales. Running: Easter.

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: Feb 18-26.

Vale of Rheidol Railway

Narrow gauge, 11¾ miles. Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. Tel: 01970 625819. Engines, 8, 9. Running: Feb 11-26. Mar W/Es.

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile. Porthmadog, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 513402. Running: April.

Brechin, Angus. Tel: 01356 622992. Running: Easter.

Keith & Dufftown Railway

Standard gauge, 11 miles. Dufftown, Banffshire. Running: Easter.

Leadhills & Wanlockhead Railway

Narrow gauge, one mile. Leadhills, South Lanarkshire. Tel: 0141 556 1061. Running: April.

Royal Deeside Railway

Standard gauge, one mile. Milton of Crathes, Kincardineshire. Running: Mar 26.

Ayrshire Railway Centre

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: Feb 15, 16, 18, 19, 22, 23, 25, 26.

IRELAND

Welsh Highland Railway

Narrow gauge, 26 miles. Caernarfon, Gwynedd. Tel: 01766 516000. Running: Feb 18-25, Mar W/Es, Weds, Thurs.

Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway

Narrow gauge, eight miles. Llanfair Caereinion, Mid-Wales. Tel: 01938 810441. Engines: 822, 823. Running: April 1.

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: Mar 25.

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: Mar 17.

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: Mar 19.

West Clare Railway

Caledonian Railway

Standard gauge, four miles.

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

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APPEALS

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WEB WATCH

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STAY A WHILE Re-create carefree holidays of the 1950s... but this time in comfort!

Enjoy a

Scotland rail holiday

with the Caledonian Camping Coach Company The Railway Carriage, Pier Sidings, Loch Awe Station, Dalmally, Argyll PA33 1AQ A traditional railway carriage converted to comfortable and well furnished holiday accommodation is now available to book for your Scottish Highland holiday. This self-catering holiday coach is located on the shores of Loch Awe, beneath the splendid edifice of the Loch Awe Hotel, and offers magnificent views of the loch and nearby Kilchurn Castle. It is set in its own garden area, laid to grass and enclosed by fencing, providing protection from the loch and the railway line. Maintaining as many original features as possible, the carriage has two bedrooms (one double and one with a single and two full-sized bunks), kitchen, living room, shower room with

wash basin, toilet with wash basin, sitting room, and a dining room, which creates the impression of eating in a beautifully fitted-out restaurant car. There is parking for two cars – access from the car parking area is by a short walk over the footbridge across the single track line and down to the carriage, which has two flights of steps from ground level up to the side and rear doors. (Owing to this walk, the coach may not be suitable for people with mobility problems.) Amenities include: electric heating, electric cooking, dishwasher, fridge,TV (‘Freesat’providing national and local TV and radio) with DVD/CD player, and garden furniture on front deck. Bed linen and towels are provided.

[email protected]

07718 896390

CUMBRIA

CORNWALL/DEVON BORDER

www.scotlandrailholiday.com

NORTH YORK MOORS

MID NORFOLK

FFESTINIOG/WHR

75 miles from Glasgow, 21 miles from Oban, and just yards from Loch Awe station, getting there is easy by road or rail and there are lots of places of interest within easy reach. Following restoration the pub at the top of the station road is reopening and will be serving meals. Loch Awe Station is on theWest Highland Line from Glasgow to Oban, allowing visitors to travel easily to the holiday coach and, together with the local buses which pass the road end, reach many of the local places of interest by public transport. There are six return services a day from Glasgow to Oban with an additional return train to Oban from Loch Awe.

ISLE OF MAN

WEST HIGHLANDS

WORTH VALLEY

WEST SOMERSET

Heritagerailway.co.uk 103

CLASSIFIED AUCTIONS

BOOKS

104 Heritagerailway.co.uk

EXPRESS GOODS

Contact Sue Needham on 01507 529310 • [email protected] BOOKS

BUILDINGS

TILED MAPS

RAILWAYANA

WANTED

DVD

WANTED

ENGINEERING

FOR SALE

MODELS

EVENTS WEB DIRECTORY

Heritagerailway.co.uk 105

THE MONTH AHEAD

SR Bulleid Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34070 Manston passes Quarr Farm road crossing with the ‘Dorsetman’ dining train on the Swanage Railway on December 11, 2016. GRAHAM HUTTON

A year of 50th anniversaries

THE year 2017 marks 50 years since not only the end of Southern steam, but the end of steam on the Cambrian lines and the end of the GWR PaddingtonBirkenhead expresses.

SPECIAL EVENTS February

11, 12: Kent & East Sussex Railway: Days Out withThomas ■ 11, 12: NeneValley Railway:Thomas Branch LineWeekend ■

11-19: South Devon Railway:Winter Steam Gala ■

The now-traditional nine-day feast of branch line steam all week with several engines in operation. Special guest visiting locomotives this year are GWR small prairie No. 5542 and LSWR Beattie 2-4-0WT No. 30587.

17-19: Mid Hants Railway: Pre Spring Gala ■

This event will have a Somerset and Dorset theme, featuring all serviceable engines from the home fleet. It has not been possible to obtain a guest engine, but entry prices have been reduced as a result.

Issue 226 is out on March 10, 2017. Catch up with the latest news, views and great features every four weeks. 106 Heritagerailway.co.uk

From February onwards, many steam enthusiasts’gala events are being built around commemorating the anniversaries of these and other pivotal moments in British railway history.

The number of major events being staged by the heritage lines increases dramatically as winter gives way to spring and enthusiasts will be spoilt for choice in the coming weeks.

As well as an intensive passenger service, there will be a freight train with the Queen Mary brakevan available for rides. The workshop and loco yard will be open for visitors to explore in-progress restoration and the non-running fleet.

Britain Pacifics together for the first time in preservation; newly-overhauled resident No. 34081 92 Squadron and visiting rebuilt No. 34053 SirKeithPark

18, 19: East Lancashire Railway: Diesel Gala ■ 18, 19: Kent & East Sussex Railway: Days Out withThomas ■ 25, 26: ChurnetValley Railway:Winter Steam Gala ■

This event will feature services between Froghall and Leekbrook and on the steeplygraded Cauldon Lowe branch to Ipstones Loop. Star of the show will be the return to traffic of USATC S160 2-8-0 No. 5197, working alongside sister locomotive No. 6046.This will be the first time that two S160s have operated together on the same railway in preservation, and will be the first time since 1944 that two working S160s will have been seen together in the UK. Joining these powerful locomotives will be visiting SECR P class 0-6-0T No. 323 Bluebell, andTKh 0-6-0T No. 2944Hotspur will see action on both the ChurnetValley and Cauldon Lowe lines. Both days of the gala will be brought to a close by an afternoon eight-coach train to Ipstones Loop, hauled by doubleheaded S160s.

March

3-5: Keighley &WorthValley Railway: Steam Gala ■

In addition to the resident fleet of locomotives, this popular event will see three star visitors; LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61264, LMS‘Crab’2-6-0 No. 13065, and‘Black Five’4-6-0 No. 45407 from Ian Riley’s fleet at Bury.Which will join sister engine No. 45212.

3-5: Llangollen Railway: Spring Steam Gala ■

This is the first event of the year which commemorates the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on British Railways Southern Region. Bulleid 50 will see two Bulleid Battle of

The theme of this event will be‘Along Birkenhead Lines’and will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the end of the Paddington toWoodside expresses and the last steamhauled‘Cambrian Coast Express’. Featuring an intensive timetable of both passenger and mixed traffic trains, it is intended to make this gala one of the most historically accurate and authentic steam events yet achieved at Llangollen, with cameos, displays, recreations and all the appropriate paper ephemera! Visiting steam locomotives will be: LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624, GWR 4-6-0 No. 6960 RaveninghamHall, and LMS Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No. 43106 which was the last BR steam locomotive to steam between Chester and Shrewsbury, on August 1, 1968. Resident engines in steam will be: LMS‘Black Five’4-6-0 No. 45337 (returning after overhaul),

KEY ■ Major or featured galas

■ Diesel and/or electric galas

25, 26: NeneValley Railway: Bulleid 50

Heritage Railway will be covering all these and other events over the coming months. To ensure you don’t miss a copy, see our subscription offer on p30. BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80072, GWR large Prairie No. 5199 andWR 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor, not to mention Class 03 diesel No. 03162 (a former Birkenhead shunter).

10-12: East Lancashire Railway: Spring Steam Spectacular ■ This event will recall the heyday of Lostock Hall shed near Preston, one of the last of BR’s steam sheds. Visiting engines will be: LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624,‘Black Five’4-6-0s Nos. 45212 and 45407 and BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084 which will run alongside resident SR Bullied Pacific No. 34092CityofWells, LMS‘Crab’2-6-0 No. 13065, and L&Y A class 0-6-0 No. 12322.

11, 12: SpaValley Railway: Diesel Gala ■ 12: Great Central Railway: Quorn Swapmeet

RAILWAYANA February

11: Solent Railwayana,Wickham 18: Great Central Railwayana, Bloxham 25:Transport Auctions of London, Croydon

March

4: Great Central Railwayana, Stoneleigh Park

■ Thomas and family event

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