Published Ever yfourweekson aFriday. Advertisingdeadline March26,2025 Next issueonsale April11,2025
‘Never saydie’–t he keynotetosur vival
THE Severn Valley Railway carriedoff four prestigious accolades at theHeritage Railway Association Award2025 ceremonyinGatesheadon February 8,butithasnowpassedtheacid test bigtime to show onceand forallwhyitisamarketleader –notinjustour heritagesector, butinthe overallschemeof tourismin ourcountry.
Thelinesuddenly founditselfcutofffromits Bridgnorthterminus andenginesheds by an unexpectedfreaklandslip onJanuar y29.Undeterred, officialssetaboutsuccessfully replanningtheimminent half-termservices,moving alocomotivebyroad to Kidderminster to run them andothers,maybeonlyasfar asHampton Loade,butthen initiatedfootplate ridesas asignificantdrawat Bridgnorth,beforedeciding to gofullsteamahead with itseagerly-awaited SpringSteam Gala at Easter.
“A once-in-a-lifetime opportunit yarosetosee theworld’s most famous steamlocomotivehaula freightrake...”
Meanwhile,thepublicdemonstratedthe valueit placesontheline by donatingmorethan£90,000 towardsaresiliencefundinlessthan amonth inthe wakeoftheslippage.
In time gone by,itwould have beenso easyand convenienttohaltallproceedingsandcut costs, butinits60th yeartheSVRhas yetagainshownthe worldthatitis madeoffar sterner stuff,and forits determinedactionplanand rescueefforts,richly deser vedtosurviveasashiningexample to usallin these cash-strappedtime.
Last year,theNene Valley Railway foundits financial reser vesdepleted followingthe Covid-19 pandemicand launchedits£300,000BackOn Track appeal to replenishthem –intheeventthatitmight suffer asimilarcalamityasjusthappenedonthe SVR.
Thevast and,inmanycases,untappedpotentialof thisheritageline wasmagnificently showcased by the recent visitof Flying Scotsman,whichsawsixdays ofpassengerservicesand10,000tickets completely sold out,with otherpeople choosing to paya modestsum to visitthe footplate and walkthrough the tender corridor.Midway throughitsvisit, aoncein-a-lifetimeopportunityarose to seetheworld’s mostfamous steamlocomotivehaul afreight rakeon aday-and-evening photographiccharterbooked by theexcellentNene Valley Railway WagonGroup. Here is aheritage railway whichboasts amainline connection to nothinglessthantheEast Coast MainLine,withtheabilitytoacceptincoming tours andalsostableandservicetheirlocomotives.Atits Peterborough terminus,whichhastheadvantage ofbeing ashortwalk from avibrantcitycentre, the long-forgottenstationbuildingfrom WansfordRoad isbeing re -erected and will form ajoint gateway fortheheritagelineandthefascinating Railworld complexnextdoor,itself amuch-variedfamily attraction. Then,as reportedinissue328,the wagon grouphasdrawnupplans to create aworkinggoods yard at Overtonfor Ferr yMeadowsstation. Thenet resultofalltheseinitiativeswillcreate akey destinationnearthe centre ofEngland formanydaytrippers,generating asignificantboon forthelocal economy–whichisexactlywhathappenswhenthe publicandthepowersthatbegivetheirsupportto localheritage.
RobinJones Editor
With
locomotive movedtorun most Severn Valley Railwayservicesafter theMor Brok landslip left the
As itopeneditsdoors forthe startofthe 2025 operatingseason,the Isleof WightSteam Railway took partinRailway 200celebrationswitha four-day galathat welcomed backoneoldfriend andmarkedthelong serviceofanother.OwenHayward crossedthe Solent to discoverwhat wastakingplace.
Once in alifetime: Flying Scotsman deliversthe goods foronedayonly!
Thesell-outvisitof Flying Scotsman to theNene Valley Railway wasan all-roundsuccess,with twohistoric momentstakingplaceononeday. OwenHaywardsignedup to witness histor ybeingmade.
Of lastingappeal:74
Seasideminiaturerailways
In viewoftheimminent returnofa miniaturerailway to the ‘lost’resort of Severn Beach,DrJosephBrennan examinesthehistor yofthe concept asmajorUK attractions at numerous seaside venues,beginning at Blackpoolin1901.
Sidingssupreme!
Swithland,ontheGreatCentral Railway,hasthelargest sidingsof anyUKheritageline,coupled with fourrunning roadsalongside.Itssize foraheritage railway isdifficult to comprehend,plusithastherealistic feelof amainline,reportsJohn Titlowinwordsandpictures.
61264:Backon 86 the road to recovery
With overhaulofLNERB14-6-0 No.61264nowunder way, Owen Haywardspoke to ThompsonB1 Locomotive Trustchairman Dave Hortonabouttheprojectandplans forthefutureofthismissedstalwart ofEasternRegionsteam.
CONTENTS: LEFT: On March1,LMS Stanier‘BlackFive’ 4- 6-0No. 45212passesthe ConwyCastlewith1Z67‘TheMancunian,’ whichran from Manchester Victoria to Holyhead.Built by Edward Ibetween 1283-89duringhis conquest of Wales, it formspartofaUNESCOWorld Heritage site andisconsideredtobeone of the finest examples of late 13th centuryand early14thcentury military architecture in Europe.Asitapproached theend of itsboilerticket, ‘The Mancunian’ was oneofthe last fewbookeddutiesfor theStanier expresslocomotiveprior to its upcomingwithdrawal, followingwhich it is expected to seeworkcommenceto return it to servicefairlyswiftly.Aresidentofthe Keighley &Worth Valley Railway betweenits main line commitments,No. 45212workedits last passengerservices thereinJanuary,which included afirst forthe railwaywhen, on January18, it was worked by itsfirst all-female locomotive crew. RICHARDWALLIKER
ABOVE: Settingthe scene: Anight shootatSheffield Park on February 18 saw Bluebell Railwayresident‘Terrier’ No.72 Fenchurch posedatthe frontofthe former Metropolitan RailwayChesham carriages. Reenactors were positioned on theplatforms either side,all of whom wore period attire to help furtherenhance thescene.While notstrictlyanauthentic combination, many visitors,volunteers andenthusiasts agreethatthe sightofthe ‘Terrier ’and thesecarriages combined ‘justworks’, with thecombination having worked together during therailway’s February half-termservices. NICK GILLIAM
COVER: An historic day: On February 28,A3Pacific No.60103 Flying Scotsman emergesfromYarwell Tunnel on theNeneValleyRailway during itsfirst freight photographic chartersince 1994.Gresley’s A3 waspartway throughasell-out visittothe Cambridgeshireheritageline;see Headline News,pages 6/7, andour specialfeature,pages 50 -53. OWEN HAYWARD
Models
ModelNews 80
Bachmann’s latestannouncements includefurtherpreser ved identities,whileRapido continues to expandits rangeofthemore unusuallocomotivedesigns.
Talyllyn:82 Fletcher ’s finest? Daniel Long recountsthelifeand timesofoneofpreservation’s reverednarrowgaugeicons.
Nene Va lley line is da zzledby Scotsman sell-out stunner!
By RobinJones
THE Nene Valley Railway is celebrating whatmay have beenthemost successfuleventinitshistor y–when LNERA3 PacificNo.60103 Flying Scotsman madeitsfirstpassenger journeysofthe yearaspartofthe nationwide Railway 200 celebrations.
Theworld’s mostfamouslocomotive anditssupportcoacharrivedfrom York by railviaSpaldingon February 19.All10,042seats(costing£30 peradult)onthefivedaily round tripshauled by thelocomotive from WansfordtoPeterboroughon Februar y22/23and March1/2and 8/9 were soldout,withdepartures at 9.30am,11am,12.30pm,2.15pmand 3.45pm.
In addition,theA3hauledevening fish-and-chipsspecialsonFebruary 22,March 1and8, attractinganother 477bookings.
Onnon-operatingdays,visitors were allowedtovisitthe footplate at Wansfordand walkthroughthe corridor tender for£10 atime.Atotal of1628bookings were madeforthis, not counting walk-insfrom visitors whoturnedupontheday.
Keen to catchaglimpse
Onseveraldays,visitors’carslined bothsidesofthe roadleadingfrom theA1 to the Wansfordstation levelcrossing foradistanceseveral hundred yards, while at every overbridgeand vantagepointalong the 7½-mileline,spectators turned out to see Scotsman pass.Onseveral days,visitorshad to buy£5platform tickets to access Wansfordstation.
As highlightedinourspecial featureonpages50-55,theNene Valley Railway WagonGroup stageda photographiccharteronFebruary 28 giving aonce-in-a-lifetimechanceto
GresleyA3 PacificNo. 60103 Flying Scotsman headswestwiththe 2.15pm Peterborough to Wansford ServiceonFebruary22, thefirst dayof itshugelysuccessfulNeneValleyvisit. PE TERFOSTER
see Scotsman haul alengthy rakeof superbly -estoredBRgoods vehicles.
Thedazzlingsuccessofthevisit by theA3, whichonNovember30, 1934,becamethe world’sfirststeam locomotivetobeofficiallyrecorded at 100mphon alightengineround fromGranthamdownStoke Bank about25miles to thenorth,cameless than yearaftertheNVR launchedits BackOn TrackSOSpublicappeal for £300,000 to boostits contingency fundsinthe wakeofthe Covid-19 pandemic,withoperationalexpenses alsoincreasing rapidly.
As thisissueclosedforpress, £102,913hadbeen raised.ANVR spokesmansaid:“Obviously, we are thrilled to have raisedmorethana thirdofourtargetthroughdonations.
“Peoplehave been very generous. Of course,thereare other ways they cansuppor tustoo,the mostobvious
Right: Emerging from beneath theatmospheric three-arch Mill Lane bridge at Castor,No. 60103 headstowards Wansford on March1. ROBINJONES
being to buy aticket to ridethe trainor attendanevent. Rightnow, people can save up to 27%offlast year ’s standardtravelprices, which reallyis abargainwhen youconsider the cost to run alocomotive. This year we have murder mysteries,afternoon teasandfish-and- chipstrains,among manyothers.
afteranoverhaullastingmore than twoyears.Fur thermore, the railway hasbeenusedas astablingpointfor locomotivesonmainlinechar ters.
In asecond‘BestofBritish’event markingthe Railway 200 year,the nextvisitorwillbeBR Standard7 4-6-2No.70000 Britannia, whichwill haulpassenger ser vices on March 15/16.On March15,itwillhaul theevening ‘Jollyfisherman’fishand- chips special.
On March12,No.70000willtake centre stageintheRuleBritannia photographicchar ter; formore detailsvisit nvr.org.uk,telephone 01780784444,or email enquiries@ nvrwagons.co.uk
➜ To donatetotheBackOn Track appeal,visittheabovementioned websiteorWansfordstationbooking office, oraskoneofitstravelling ticketsinspectors.
1. ROBINJONES
Canadian Pacific prepares fordebut at Mid- Hants
Wordsandpictures
by OwenHayward
SOUTHERN Railway 4-6-2 Merchant Navy No.35005 Canadian Pacific had juststartedrunning-intrialsonthe Mid-Hants Railway asits returnto publicservicerapidlydrewnearas thisissueof Heritage Railway closed forpress.
Theline’s flagshiphasbeenthe subjectofanoverhaullasting more than adecade,whichsawitbased inthe former SouthernRegion workshops at Eastleigh,thebuildings ofwhichare nowownedArlington Fleet Services.Arrivingtherein 2011 forundercoverstorage,overhaul started twoyearslaterwhenit was stripped to allowthefullextent ofthe work to beassessed.
Theboiler wasoverhauled at Ropleywhile Mid-Hants volunteers andengineeringstaff focusedon thechassis at Eastleigh.However,a weightrestriction waslaterimposed on abridgeproviding roadaccess to thesitethatmeantthe rollingchassis becametrappedthere. Severalyears passedandnumerousoptions were exploredbeforerepairswereeffected to thestructurethatstrengthened it,allowing fordispensation to be grantedwhichfinallyallowedthe departure, which tookplaceonApril 28last year.
Home at last Sincethen, reassembly work saw theboiler refittedon September19 followingitsfirststeam testsinJune –thefirsttime afirehadbeenlitin thefireboxsincethelocomotivewas withdrawnin2008.
Overthewinter, work has concentratedon refittingallof thepipework, boilercladdingand backheadfittingsastheplanned publiclaunchdate of March20rapidly approaches.OnFebruar y26,the
boiler ’s finalsteam test wasconducted inthepresenceofaninspectorwho passedit forservice. Followingthis, Canadian Pacific madeits firstmoves underits ownpowerwithinthe confinesof Ropleylocomotiveyard.
Thefollowingday itundertooklight engine testrunsbetweenAlresford and Medstead &FourMarksstations, withregularstops to checkthat bearings were notrunning hotand that allmechanical components wereworkingastheyshould. Further tripsalongthefull routetookplace on Februar y28andintothe startof March,withloadedtestrunsdue tocommence.
Testing wasbeingcarriedout withthelocomotive in asemicompleted condition;someofthe claddingandsmokedeflectors hinderaccess to someparts of the locomotiveanditwasdetermined thatitwouldbebetter fortheseto befittedoncesufficienttesting was completedincaseanyproblems arosewhich requiredaccess to the areas concernedand which would otherwisehave been hindered.
Whileithasrunduringtheheritage erainBRexpressblue,aninauthentic liver yforitsclass,No. 35005 willbe turnedoutinBrunswick green; with nostandardpaint code forthis colour, theexactshadewasdetermined by ameetingoftheHeritage Advisory Group,withthe colourmatchingthat applied to Battleof BritainlightPacific No.34059 Sir ArchibaldSinclair on the Bluebell Railway.
Following aprivate eventfor supportersand railway volunteers, Canadian Pacific wasdue to enter service on Thursday, March20, departingAlresfordatabout9am with atrain comprising BR(S) green Mk.1 andSR Bulleidcarriages,the latter being atypeonceusedon named expressessuchasthe‘Atlantic Coast Express’whichthelocomotiveonce worked.Breakfastwillbeser vedon boardduringthejourney.
Laterthatsameday, further diningtrainswillalsorun offering three-coursemealsas Canadian Pacific worksits waythroughthe Hampshirecountr yside.
Above: With draincocks open andanattempt beingmadetohideitselfbehind acloud of steam, No.35005 Canadian Pacific makesits firstmoves outalong the line on February 27 as testingcommences.
Right: Canadian Pacific sits in theglorious afternoon sunshine at Ropley following aday of test runs alongthe MidHantsRailway on February 27.
On March21,No.35005 will work itsfirststandardpublicservicetrains, prior to aweekendoffurthertrains immediatelyafter.
Long-awaitedachievement
Mid-HantsCEO Rebecca Dalleysaid: “Thisfantastic restorationofthe historiclocomotive Canadian Pacific is atestamenttothe dedicationof our volunteersandtheunwavering suppor tofourpartners. Canadian Pacific isnotjust alocomotive–it representsthe richheritageofBritish engineeringandtheenduringspirit ofour railway community.
“Duringthepastdecade,the commitmentfromour volunteershas beennothingshortofextraordinar y. This projectbreathes newlifeinto anhistoric locomotiveandhelps usinspirefuturegenerations to appreciate and preser ve ourrailway heritage.”
Canadian Pacific restoration team volunteerSteveWilsonsaid:“Both my
parents worked at EastleighWorks. My fatherwas ablacksmithbefore the warand waslater takenas aPOW ontheBurma Railway.Mymother workedas amachinistonthe capstan latheduringthe war. It is wonderful to thinkthatshemaywell have made studsthatare stillin Canadian Pacific’s frames today.
“Intheearly1950s,ataboutfive yearsofage Iwastaken to the Eastleigh Worksopendays,andthat wasit–I washooked! Beingable to gobackthereand work on Canadian Pacific inthesameplacemyparents worked wasreallynice.
MARCH 3saw the BluebellRailway signanewagreementthatwill see redundantrailway assetsfrom Network Rail’s Sussexroutedonated to theheritageline includerailsand sleepers.
Withheritage railwayslikethe Bluebellrunningpassengerservices at slowerspeeds,thematerialscan besafely reusedand repurposed foranewleaseoflife, ensuringthe linecan continue to welcomeabout
150,000visitorseach year.Under theagreement, NRwillalsouse theBluebell’s facilitiesaspartofits communityengagement activities, includinghosting rail experience days to promotethe roleof rail to people considering acareerinthe industry.
In return,theBluebellwillbenefit fromNR’s in-kind expertiseand time,withstaffbeingable to use volunteeringleave to support
themaintenanceandrunningof theline.
NR’s Sussexroutedirector, Lucy McAuliffe, said: “Wherever we can, we will workwithheritage railways throughoutournetwork to forgea newpartnershipsothatmaterials that wouldotherwisebe recycled elsewheretobereusedcanfinda newpurpose.
“Inturn,theBluebell Railway also hassome excellentfacilitieswhich,
becauseitisseparate fromthemain linenetwork,providetheperfect opportunityforour colleagues to contributetothelocalcommunity.
“Working togetherthroughthis RouteAgreementprovides aclear frameworkand we areexcitedabout the possibilitiesitbrings,notonly to Network RailandtheBluebell Railway,butwidersociety– and what bettertime to do itthanin 2025,thebicentenaryofthe railway.”
Sever nValleyspr inggalaset to go aheaddespite la ndslip
By John Titlow
THE Severn Railway Valleyhas given the greenlighttoitsplannedSpring Steam Gala at EasteronApril18-21 despiteitsBridgnorth terminusbeing cutoff by thelandslip at MorBridge. Trainswilloperatebetween KidderminsterandHampton Loade,withLMSJubilee4-6-0 No.5596 Bahamas bookedand anannouncementwillbemade aboutfurtherguestlocomotives.A timetableisbeing workedon.
TheJanuary 29 slip,repor tedin the lastissueof Heritage Railway, wasthe major featureonthe BBCMidlands Todaynewsprogrammesoonafter ithappened.
Forthoseunfamiliarwiththe SVR, thebridge at MorBrookisnot to be confusedwithSternswheremuch remedial work hasbeencarried out.TheSVRhasneverhadany issues at MorBrookbridgebefore, whichiswhythelandslipcameasa completeshock.
As investigativeworkprogresses ontheslippage, the railway put acompletelynewtimetablein placeforhalf-term.Bridgnorth departures wereremovedfromsale withpassengerstransferredonto Kidderminstertrains.
BRStandard4MT 4-6-0No.75069 hasturnedouttobethehero ofthe hour,leavingBridgnorthon February 6bylow-loader forKidderminster to operatehalf-termand weekend servicesontheopensectionofthe line to Hampton Loade.Coal was alsotranspor tedfromBridgnor th to Kidderminster.
In asurpriseand unexpectedmove, steamdidrunatBridgnorthduring half-termonFebruar y15/16,18-20,
TheSevernValleyModelufigurines
and22/23andwill continueon all operatingdays.
Forabout15minutes,visitorscan jointhedriverandfiremanonboard the footplate at acostof£20 fortwo tripstravellingupanddownthe platformatBridgnorth,venturing asfarasthesectionsignalby Oldbur yCutting.
Thelocomotiveinuse was supposed to beGWR0-4-2TNo.1450, but aleakinglubricationpipeunder thecladdinghad to be repaired and wascompleted by February 20. In themeantime,GWR4-6-0No.7812 ErlestokeManor wasused.
To encouragepeople to Bridgnorth, parkingchargesareremoved forthosejoiningthe footplate days,andthe refreshmentroom and Railwayman’s Armspub are open. Theline’s StoveR brake vanwaspositionedonPlatform1 forexhibitions.
From Kidderminster,timetables on Februar y15/16and22/23saw threesteamdepartures at 10.15am, 12.40pmand3.10pm, andtwo diesel services at 11.10am and1.40pm.
Midweeksteamanddieselservices during Februar y18-20 were identical but withtheadditionofDMUtrains at 12.05pmand2.35pm. Paddington BearvisitedtheEngineHouse at Highleymidweekandthe12.05pm DMU wasforhisticketholdersonly. Theseservicesproved very popular and were packed.
Obser vationsaloonsoperated asplanned.Onthephotographic shoot at Hampton Loade(seeNews, pages38/39),No. 75069 coveredfor GWRpannierNo. 7714which was undergoing routine valveandpiston examinations.Therewasalsono change to theBoogieLightsExpress,
twotrainseacheveningdeparting Kidderminster at 6pm and8pm, departingfrom Kidderminsterand runon FridayandSaturdayevenings until March29.
Adieseldraggedthetrain to Highley,whereNo. 75069 took over forthe returntoKidderminster.The trainmade adramaticentrance into Kidderminster festoonedwith internalandexternallights.
Themusicaljourneystar tedinthe 1960sand reachedup to today, with the RollingStones,Abba,Boy George andthe Village Peopleamongthe tracksplayed. Colouredwristbands and changinglights createdafun sceneofthelikeneverexperienced onanSVRsteamtrainbefore.
Eventhoughthelineissplit, agood daycan stillbehad by visitors,firstly onthe footplate ridesbeforetaking thetrain at Hampton Loade fora
rideontheopen sectionbetween thereand Kidderminster. Park ingis restrictedatHampton Loade.
Carefulassessments
Astatementfromthe railway said: “TheSVRis work ingcloselywith structuralandgeotechnicalexperts to narrowdownrepair options forthesignificantlandslipithas recentlysuffered.
“Externalexpertsmet on February 12withtheSVR’s consultingengineer to reviewthe available topographical andboreholedata,gathered since theincidenthappened at MorBrook onJanuar y29.”
Antony Bartlam, of consulting, structuralandcivilengineer firmJ Turnerand Associates, said: “I twas aver ypositivemeeting.Thegood newsisthatwehavenarrowed downthepossibilities to acouple of
Thefirst Boogie Nights trainatKidderminster Town on February 28. JOHN TITLOW
Astill from
Adrone imageshowing theextentofthe MorBrook slip,withNetwork Rail engineersadvisingonthe engineeringsolutions. GARY ESSE X/SVR
EngineersfromSEP Rail Servicesdrilla borehole to investigategroundconditions at theMor Brookslipsite. GARY ESSE X/SVR
potentialsolutions. However, thereis somefur ther work to dobefore the projectteamfinalises the routewe willtake,andthat’swhen we willbe able to understandmoreaboutthe timescaleandthe costs.”
SVR’s headofinfrastructure, Chris Bond,added: “This reallyisn’ta thing we canrush. It ’s importantto bearinmindthatthereare extra complicationsinvolved withthis particularproblem.
“Aswellaschoosingthebest repair option, we willhave to liaisewith externalagenciesand thirdpar ties, suchaslandownersandNational Grid,whosepowerlinesarevery close to theslipsite.
“There’salotofpreparator ywork to dobeforethere arespadesonthe ground.Weare determinedto deliver asafe, long-lastingand cost-effective repairasquicklyascircumstances willallow, so we canopen up the northernmostsectionofourline.”
TheSVRisnowrunning athreetrainserviceatweekends. No.75069 whichfacessouthwill top-and-tail serviceswith adiesel to avoidrunrounds at Hampton Loade,with departuretimesfrom Kidderminster at 10.15am,12.40pmand3.05pm.
Thepublicappeal forfunds to help tackletheslippagehadexceeded £90,000asthisissueof Heritage Railway closed forpress.
Four awards forthe SVR SouthShropshire MP Stuart Anderson congratulatedtheSVR onits recent HeritageRailway Association2025 Awards success, at whichit wonfourprestigious accolades,andhas also askedhow he canoffersuppor tinthe restoration effortsasheappreciateshow vital the railway is to thecommunity andheritage.
As repor tedlastissue,Eardington stationscoopedtheHRAaward for StationoftheYear.
TheSVR wasalso ajointwinnerof the Achievementofthe Year award foritslandmarkpartnershipwith Network Rail,thefirstand only one of itskindintheUK.
VeteranSVRsuppor terand volunteerDavid Williams won alifetimeachievementaward, becomingthe RailwayMagazine Preser vationistofthe Year for2025. DavidhasbeeninvolvedwiththeSVR sinceits very earlydays, andser ved 57 yearsaseditorofitssuppor ter publication,SVRNews. Hehasalso volunteeredasa locomotivedriver andheldpositionsatboardlevel.
TheSVR-basedDieselTraction Group receivedthe RailExpress ModernTraction Award, which recognisesits continuinginvolvement inpreservingmainline diesels.
Lookingsouth into OldburyCutting, thesection signalis thelimit of running from Bridgnorthas GWR0 -4 -2TNo. 1450 performs footplate duties on March1. JOHN
Meanwhile,socialmedia trainspottinglegend Francis Bourgeoisisbackingtheappeal. Hevisitedthesiteofthelandslip and wasshown round by Jonathan to see forhimselfhowbad the damageis.
In aspecialfilm releasedin Februar y, he explained to hismore thanfivemillion followerson TikTok and Instagramwhattheycando to help.
“I wasshocked at thetrueex tent ofthedamage,” he said. “Froma railway enthusiast ’s point ofview, thatsectionoflineis my absolute favourite. Thisbrilliantpar tof theSVRhasnowbeencutoff by thelandslide.”
Healsoheardhow theSVRhas receivedoffersofassistancefrom Network Railandothermainline companies,aswellasfinancial suppor tfromthousandsof individuals.“It highlightshowmuch this railway means to people really,” headded.“It ’s amazing to seehow thishasn’t justpulled togetherthe heritage community–it’sa railwaywideoperationnow.”
Jonathansaid: “Wewillbelooking at abillofhundredsofthousandsof pounds,withoutdoubt.
“I t’samassiveboost to know that we have hisbacking to get this sor tedout,andthatheisreaching outviasocialmedia to millionsof people.” *Donations towardsthe cost ofthe repairsareinvited at https:// svr.co.uk/resilience/
Amodel contribution
Chipping Sodbur y-based Modelu hascreatedasetofeightfigurines that accuratelydepictindividualSVR volunteersin avarietyofrailway roles, includingfootplate crew, signalman andinspector. Thecompanyhas useditsspeciallydeveloped3D scanner to capturethelikenessesof the volunteers.
Modelu ownerAlanButtlersaid: “Wewanttocreatefiguresthatare incrediblyaccurate, down to the last detail.Working with real-life volunteersmeansthatwecan get posesthatare authenticand realistic.
“When we heard abouttheSVR’s landslipand realisedhowmuchit’s going to impactthe railway,itgaveus anidea. We wanted to give something backtotheline in recognitionofthe timeandsupportits volunteershave givenustohelpdevelopourbusiness.’
Jonathansaid: “Thisis awonderful showofsupportfromModelu,and we aresograteful to the companyfor doingthis.
Ra ilway200 exhibition trainmakes Severn Va lley it sfirstpor tofcall
By RobinJones
THE Severn Valley Railway hasbeen announcedasthefirststop fora uniquetrainon a12-month tourof Britaincelebrating200 yearsofthe modernrailway.
TheRailway200train,named Inspiration,isplanned to call at 60 destinationsup to summer2026 aspar tofitsjourney to promote thepast,presentandfutureof the railway andinspirethenext generationof workers.
More than200,000people, includingmanyschoolchildren,are expectedtovisittheone -of-a-kind trainasitmakesits wayaround thenational railnetwork. It willbe madeupof fourspeciallydecorated carriages,eachwithits owntheme and focus.
Sportinganeye- catchingliver y, Inspiration willcomprisefour reconfiguredMk.3coachesprocured by Network Rail.Themobile Railway 200exhibitionisdesigned to inspireschoolchildrenandothers toconsider acareerinrail,shining aspotlightonthewide rangeof roles available,and to create amore diverse workforce.
Engaging exhibition
Rail’s innovationandpioneering pedigreewillbeexploredin Railway Firsts,highlightinglandmark momentsinthedevelopmentof the railway.Alongsidewillbea Wonderlabon Wheels,inviting visitors to testtheirengineeringskills with arangeofinteractiveexhibits.
Acarriagecalled Your Railway Futurewillshowcasesomeof themorehidden rolesin railand encouragepeople to join the railway to shapethenext200 years.There willalsobe aPartner Zone,offering free,flexibleexhibitionspace.
Admission to thetrainwillbefree, butnormalentr ycharges to heritage
NetworkRailCentral routedirectorDeniseWetton, station staff, Severn Valley managing director Jonathan ‘Gus’ Dunsterand No.75069 with itscrewatKidderminster Town on February 27. JOHN TITLOW
railwaysandprivate siteswhereit islocatedwillapply.Priorbooking is required,withearly registrations ofinterestnowopen at railway200. co.uk/inspiration.
Inspiration willarrive at Kidderminster TownstationonJune 26,aheadofbeingopen to visitors betweenJune27andJuly6.
To celebratebeing the firststation to hostthetrain, teamsfromNetwork Rail’s CentralrouteandtheSVR attended Kidderminster Townon Februar y27.
Thesecondstop fortheexhibition trainwillbeBirmingham MoorStreet stationonJuly8-10,beforethetrain resumesitsjourneyandheads to Eustonstation.
Denise Wetton,Network Rail’s Centralroutedirector, said:“Birminghamandthe West Midlandsareatthe hear tofBritain’s railway,soitisfittingthatthis fantasticexhibitiontrain,celebrating 200 yearsofthe railindustr y, is makingitsfirst twostopshere.
“The railway hasalwaysbeen,and remains,avitalpar tofBritainandthis train celebratesthepast,presentand futureofaninventionwhichchanged the world.
West Midlandswhowillbesomeof thefirstpeopleinBritain to seeit.”
Perfec ttiming
SVRmanagingdirectorGusDunster said: “Weare delighted to have been chosen as Inspiration’s first regional venue.Duringitstimewithus,there willbe aspecialprogrammeof schoolvisits,duringwhich children willbeable to travelon aheritage train.
“Inspiration’s 10-daystayatthe SVRwill coincidewiththe Railway 200 weekendonJuly5/6,with plenty ofexciting attractions.There willbe athemeof trainsthrough theages,and we hope to have special guest vehiclesspanning fromthe1800s to the very latestin moderntechnology.”
Emma Roberts,Railway 200’s programmemanager,said: “This specialexhibitiontrain willprovide auniquevisitorexperiencefor hundredsofthousandsofpeople aroundBritain,includingmany schoolchildren. Inspiration will excite, enlighten,entertainand encouragepeople to take afresh viewofthe railway as par tofits bicentenar ycelebrations.
“I twillalsoinvitevisitors to consider acareerin rail by
showcasing theextensivevariety of roles available.Welook forward to welcomingthem onboardfor anunforgettableandpotentially life- changing experience.”
TheNRM’s CharlotteKingston added: “Weare thrilledthat Inspiration willbe touringthe countr y, sharingour stories with so manypeople.Railways have shaped our worldinsomanyways, from whatweeat to wherewegoon holiday, and to inspirepeopleand give them achancetogetinvolved inthis celebrationis aonce-ina-lifetimeopportunity.”
Thetrain’s itinerar yafterthe West Midlandsis Euston (July 12-15); Waterloo (July18-19);Margate (July 20/21);Bluebell railway (July23-29); Alstom’s LitchurchLane site forThe Greatest Gathering (August1-3); Norwich(August7-10);Lowestoft (August11-14); Freightliner Doncaster Railpor t(August16/17); National Railway Museum, York as par tof50thbirthdaycelebrations (August23-31);Darlington station, aspar tofStockton &Darlington Railway200(September 10-17)and LocomotioninShildon(September 20-October1).
Thameslinkoffersfreetravel to Rail 200 @Bluebell for9000 youngsters
AS summergetsunderwaythis June,theBluebell Railway willbe celebrating Railway 200 at Horsted Keynesstation –andBritain’sbiggest trainoperatorisofferingfree tickets onitsservices forstudents to help them attendtheevents. Schoolvisits to theheritageline willbe availableeveryMondayWednesdaybetweenJune 2and July2,with afocusonscience, technology, engineeringand maths(STEM)learning,featuring workshopsdelivered by industry
experts,displays of cutting-edge rail technologyandmore. In order to helpthoseplanning to take advantageofsucheducational visits,mainlineoperator Govia ThameslinkRailway isoffering9000 schoolchildrenand collegestudents fromSurreyandGreater London freeticketsaboardits services for thejourney to EastGrinstead.
oursociety. Theinventions,science and technologythatcreatedit makes forfascinatinglearning, whichtheBluebell Railway isthe perfect partner to deliverin afun, engaging way. Working together, we hope to educate andinspire youngpeoplein rail’s pastand future. We want to attractanew generationfromallbackgrounds into anindustrywitharichheritage thatremains relevanttoday.”
areanimportantpartofour Railway 200event. GTR’sgenerousdonation offreetravelticketswillmake these evenmoreaffordable forschools close to Southernstationsin LondonandSurrey.
“Schoolvisits to Railway 200 @Bluebell Railway areheavily subsidised,andschools taking advantageofGTR’s freeticketswill save furtherontravel costs.
An artist ’s impression of theinteriorof Inspiration carriage RailwayFirsts. NR
UK’s oldest working steamlocomotiveboosts steamrosterfor summertime Greatest Gathering
By RobinJones
FURNESS Railway A50-4-0No. 20–theoldest workingsteamlocomotive inBritain –hasjoinedtheline-up for TheGreatest Gathering to bestaged at Alstom’s LitchurchLanesitein Derbyasoneofthepremiereventsof the Railway 200programme.
Anothernewaddition to the guest list fortheUK’s biggest-evergathering ofhistoric rail vehicles,tobeheldon August1-3,isLNWR0-6-2CoalTank No.1054,whichwillaccompanyLMS Jubilee4-6-0No.45596 Bahamas to theevent–forwhichall24,000 ticketsavailable to thegeneralpublic soldoutwithindays.Alstom aimsto welcome10,000visitors aday to the festival,the remainder comprising industr yguests.
Histor yisrepeatingitself forthe Bahamas LocomotiveSociety,which ownsNos.45596and1054. For theStockton &Darlington150th celebrations at Shildonin1974,it was also representedbyapairofengines, JubileeNo.5690 Leander and McEwan Pratt0-4-0 Jacob,the world’soldest standardgaugeinternal combustion railway locomotive.
This year,however,willbethelast for Bahamas.Themainlineticket fortheJubileeexpires at theendof September,whenitwillbewithdrawn foritsnextoverhaul to returnittothe mainlineassoonaspossible.
Thesocietyisalsoplanning to stage its owneventstohelp celebrate Rail200 at itsEngineShedmuseum at Ingrow ontheKeighley &Worth Valley Railway,andmore information
will followoncearrangementsare inplace.
Othersteamlocomotiveguests bookedsofar forThe Greatest Gatheringasthisissueclosed for pressareLNERA4No. 60007 Sir NigelGresley,MerchantNavyPacifics Nos.35018 BritishIndiaLine and 35028 ClanLine,LMS No.46115 Scots Guardsman andanLMS ‘Black Five’ from West Coast Railways.
Tulyar andNo. 55019 RoyalHighland Fusilier fromthe Deltic Preser vation Society, aClass 60 cour tesyofDCRail and CappaghGroup,andClass66 No.66301fromGB Railfreight. Electric locomotivesontheguest listare Class 91No.91110 BattleofBritainMemorial Flight and aClass93 from the Rail
OperationsGroup.Unitsinclude4 VEPNo.3417 Gordon Pettitt, Class 507No.507001, aClass43fromthe 125Group,a Class108fromtheDMU Group (West Midlands),Class390 No.390119 Progress,aClass331from Northernand aClass755andClass 720fromGreaterAnglia.
Annual Cotswold Festival will have aRailway 200theme
THE firstguest forthe May24-26 Cotswold FestivalofSteam at the GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway –whichwillhave Celebrating Railway 200asits theme –willbeBulleidWest Countr ylight PacificNo.34092 Cit yofWells No.34092, owned by theEast LancashireR ailway, previously visitedthe festivalin2015. It willagainrunalongside ‘big sister ’M erchant Navy Pacific No.35006 Peninsular &O rientalSN Co;bothlocomotives wereresidents ofSalisbur ydepotinthe1960s.
Therailway expec ts to announce furthervisitors over coming weeks.
TomWillson,chairmanofthe event’sorganising team,said: “The Cotswold FestivalofSteam hasbecome alandmarkevent for the railway,alwaysputtingona spectacularshowwith an interesting rangeofvisitinglocomotives.
“Weexpec ttobeworking at least eightsteamlocomotives to an intensivetimetable.
“Wewillalsobethrowing open the doorsofourlocomotivedepotat Toddington,as wellasthecarriage and wagon worksatWinchcombe.”
Severaltractionengineswillin steam at Toddingtonas wellas miniatures,whilethe Toddington NarrowGauge Railway at Toddington plans to runtwo steamlocomotives.
Theevent willalsoseetheprivate grounds at Gotheringtonstation open,includingitssidingonwhich visitorscan work apumptrolley. Advancediscountedticketsare nowavailableonline at ww w.gwsr. com
Meanwhile,Toddington’ sGWR 2-8-0No.2807is to visitthe West Somerset Railwayatthe endof Marchandwill work regularservices thereuntiltheline’s May2-5Spring SteamSpectacular.I twillrun alongside other guests,LBSCRA1 0-6-0T ‘Terrier ’No. 72 Fenchurch, fromtheBluebell Railway,and LMS Jubilee4-6-0No.45596 Bahamas,as repor tedlastissue,andWR Manor
West Countrylight PacificNo. 34092 City of Wells arrivesatBuryBoltonStreeton theEastLancashireonAugust14, 2024.Itwillbeheading to theGloucestershire Warwickshire RailwayinMay. TONY WINWARD
4-6-0No.7812 ErlestokeManor,from the Severn Valley,which will remain thereonhireuntil2027. Af terthe gala,No.2807will returnhome to Gloucestershire.
Advancetickets forthe WSRgala andotherevents canbepurchased from www.west-somersetrailway.co.ukor by telephoning 01643704996.
Tenterden’s‘tiny’spr ingt imesteam ga la
By OwenHayward
ACELEBRATIONoflocomotivesof smallerstaturewillbetakingplaceon April26/27astheKent& EastSussex Railway breaksnew groundwith ‘DwarvesofSteam’– itsfirstgalaof the yearwhichpromises to showthat smallcanbemighty.
Theheritagelineisnostranger to smalllocomotivesbothinitsheyday andaspartofits50-yearpreser vation era.However, thedemands ofmodern operationmeanthatthesesmaller enginescannotalwaysbeusedand aresometimes overlookedinfavour oftheirlargerand(arguably) more glamorous counterparts.Dwarves ofSteamwill celebratetheunique characteristicsofdiminutiveengines, allowingvisitors to enjoythesights andsoundsofthesesteamheroes demonstratingtheirtruepower.
Sponsored by localmodel manufacturer Rapido TrainsUK andplanned by AndyHardy,the company’sgeneralmanager,the eventwillplacethetiniestmembers ofthe railway ’s fleetin the spotlight includinghis owndiminutive Peckett 0-4-0TNo.1631 Marcia, as wellas Mike Hart’sHunslet0-6-0ST No 469 Hastings andKESRstalwartLBSCRA1X ‘Terrier’ 0-6-0TNo. 2678 Knowle
To accompanythese,two suitably smallvisitorshave beenprovisionally arranged to attend(subject to the signingoffinal contracts).
Swapping Cornish countr yside for thatofKent,Bagnall0-4-0STNo.2572 Judy isthefirstofthese.Builtin1937, havingbeenspecially commissioned to dealwiththechallenging restrictionsof Parharbour,where engineshad to pass abridgejust eightfeetinheight, Judy and fellow Bagnall Alfred gained celebritystatus notonly fortheirunusualsizebut alsobecausethey were twoofthe last workingsteamlocomotivesin Cornwall.For manytheyareknown betterasthecharactersofBilland Ben
Still residentinthe regionandbased at theBodmin Railway, Judy’s visit to theKESRwillmarkits firstappearance inthesouth-eastofthe countr y.
Continuingthetrendof quirky designs, KerrStuart0-4-0WT No.3063 Willythe Well Tank isalsoplanned to appear,courtesyof Bill Parker. Built to anearlierEBorrows &Sons design in1918, Willy spentits whole workinglifeattheNationalShipyard inChepstow.In1982it wassoldand movedtothe Flour Mill Workshops at Breaminthe Forestof Dean, where it wasoverhauledand first returned to steamin2012. Asubsequentoverhaul wascompletedin2023.
Smallbutmighty
Together,thesefive locomotiveswill operatethelineasfarasWittersham Road,wheretheywillheadback towardsTenterden Town and tacklethesteep gradientbetween Rolvendenandtheline’s main terminusstation. Atwo -train service willrunwithonesetofcarriages comprisingthree Victorian-erafourwheel vehiclesandanotherof two largerBRMk.1s.
Toursof Rolvenden workshops willbe availablewhich will offera glimpseofGWR42002-8-0 No.4253, alocomotive at theoppositeendof thespectrumandwhichisnearingthe endof acomprehensiverestoration.
“Whilemanyofusenjoy mar velling at thesheer size ofmanysteam engines,itissafetosay thatthe humblelittleones were thebackbone ofthe railway system,”saidAndy.
“Manyheritage railwayslook to bigenginesasgalaguests,but we thoughtitwashightime tocelebrate
Bagnall0 -4 -0ST Judy will be making arare trip away from itsCornish home this Apriltovisit the Kent &EastSussexRailway.
Right: Kerr Stuart No.3063 Willy will roundoff thelineup of quirky lookinglineup of steamlocomotives at theDwarves of Steamgala on April26/27.
SWINDON& CRICKL ADE RAILWAY
thesepocket-sizedones.Having recentlybought Marcia,and with Rapidomakingsomanylittle models ofsmallerprototypes,wecouldn’t thinkof abettertime to tr ysomething newwith Dwar vesofSteam.
“I, forone,cannot wait to seethe littleenginestackling theclimbup to Tenterden.”
KESRgeneral manager Robin Coombesadded: “Heritage railways have long celebrated the giants of steam,butthiseventhighlightsthe
Abandonedrailway tunnel setfor brief reopeningatanniversary gala event
OnJune13-15,theSpa Valley Railway will mark60yearssincetheclosureofthe Cuckoo Line,which ranfromPolegate to Eridgebefore branchingoff towardsTunbridge Wells at Birchden Junction. Thenickname wasusedbydrivers over the routeandcamefrom atradition at theannual Heathfield Fair,whereawoman would release‘the firstcuckooofspring’fromabasket.
Theline wasbuilt by theLBSCRintwo parts, with thestartingbranchfrom Polegateto Heathfield on May14,1849,andEridgebeing reachedin September1880. Trainservicesduringtheevent areexpectedtofeatureanumberoflocomotives
onceregularly seenalongthelineinBR days, including the railway’sClass207 ‘Thumper ’DEMU which ranoneofthe finalservicesprior to itsfull closure.
As partofthiscelebration, therailway isalso workingwithHeathfield Parish Counciland WealdenDistrictCouncil to temporarilyreopen the265-yard-longHeathfieldtunnel forwalking tours.Althoughit waspreviouslyopenaspartof the Cuckoo Trail footand cyclepath,antisocial behaviourhasmeantithasbeenclosed to public use forsome years,with thetemporar yopening duringthiseventlikely to be theonly opportunity to stepinsideit forthe foreseeable future. Photographicdisplays andartefacts from the linewill also feature, with further details expected to bepublishedsoon.
unsungheroes –smalllocomotives that played avital roleinkeeping industr yandbranchlinesrunning.The Dwar vesofSteam Galais awonderful opportunitytoshowcasethestrength and versatilityoftheseengines,and we aredelightedtobring together such aunique collection,including twover yspecialvisitinglocomotives.
“Itpromises to be afantastic weekendfor enthusiastsandfamilies alike,provingthatwhenit comes to steampower, sizeisn’t everything.”
tunnel maytemporarilybereopenedfor public access when theSpa Valley Railwaycelebratesthe 60th anniversaryofthe Cuckoo Line closurethisJune.
Heathfield
SPAVALLE YR AILWAY
Above:
DAVIDNEL SON-BROWN
BradleyManor back runningagain –after sixyears
WR 4-6-0No.7802 BradleyManor moved underits ownpowerwithinBridgnorthshed’s yard on Severn Valley Railway on March3 forthefirsttimesinceits recent overhaulat Tyseley LocomotiveWorks.Afterpassingits steam test at TyseleyonJanuar y10,itwas transpor tedtoBridgnorth fortestingand wasanticipatedtocomplete fulllinerunning induties,butthelandslip at MorBrookhas stoppedthis.
It willsoonenterBridgnorth’s paintshop, withthe repaintanticipatedtotakeabout three weeks.
No.7802last raninser viceinJuly2019when itsuffered asmashed right-hand cylinderand brokenpiston rodwhile runningonthe West Somerset Railway.New cylinderblocks were cast at aPreston foundr ysoonafterwards.
No.7802ispicturedalongside sister No.7812 ErlestokeManor at Bridgnorth. ErlestokeManor is to visitthe Gwili Railway, andfollowing agauging run–alocomotiveofthistypehas notrun theresince the1980s –willtakepart in theMarch 15/16galaand remain therefor photographic charters thefollowing weekend. It will then return to Kidderminster(having been marooned at Bridgnorth following theMor Brooklandslip) andwill take part in the Easter steamgala. JOHN TITLOW
Promotions amongchanges at thetop forthe ErlestokeManor Fund
JA NE Preecehas taken over as chairmanoftheErlestoke Manor Fund Trust Board.
Jane wasappointedfundsecretary in September2020andelec ted as atrusteein2021.She wasthe Severn Valley Railway ’s firsthuman resourcesmanager,alsorunningthe HeritageSkills Training Academy from2016until Februar y2020,
whenshebecameanSVR work ing member.Hercareerinthe public, private, andnot-for-profitsector has focusedonhuman resourcesand governance, and shecurrently sits on anumberofhousingassociation boards.Shebecamethe fund’s membershipsecretar yin2021, alongwith regularly runningits sales coach at Bewdleystation.
Youngblood Chris Field,the youngesttrustee withinthefund,hasbecomevicechairman.
Onceoldenough, Chrisjoined theSVRmotivepowerdepartment at Bewdley.Professionally,hehas
been work inginmaintenanceat TyseleyTMD formorethan adecade and recentlygainedthe reliability technician role.Heisalsoa qualified firemanontheSVR,alongsidebeing akeenandactivefine-scale Ogaugemodeler.
TimHargestisbecoming company secretar yalongsidehis role astreasurer.
Chinnorbooks S160 to seelinethrough this year’s season
THE Chinnor &Princes Risborough Railway hasbookedUSATC 2-8-0 No.6046asitslocomotivetosee it throughits2025operatingseason, makingitthelargestlocomotive to work onthe formerGWR Watlingtonbranch.
Built by theBaldwin Locomotive CompanyinPhiladelphiain1945, it wasexpor tedstraighttoFrance to helpwiththe wareffort.Once theirusewiththe Frenchstate railwayscame to an end,manyof itsclassmateswerescrapped,with No.6046beingexpor tedtoHungary whereitworkeduntilwithdrawal.
It wasformallypreservedaspar tof theHungarianNational Collection, butdue to anadministrativeerror it wassentforscrap.
No.6046willbe work ingthe CPRR’s servicesfrom March30and isexpectedtofeature aspar tofthe line’s October31-November 2steam gala.Tofacilitate the visit of this particularlocomotive, volunteers have undertakenrepair work on someofthebridgesalongthe route to ensurethattheywilltakethe weightofthe2-8-0.
USATCS160No. 6046 will become thelargest locomotive to work theChinnorlineintheheritage era. OWEN HAYWARD
LeoBarcoe(right),who became theyoungestpersontodate to qualifyasfireman on theChinnor &PrincessRisborough Railway, is seen shakinghands with assessor AllanVigar followinghis promotion at theend of 2024.
JIMHENDERSON/C&PRR
Keen to encourage younger volunteers to star tbeinginvolved, the railway alsoannouncedthat at theendof its2024operating seasonithadalso passedout LeoBarcoeasfiremanwithinthe steamdepartment. At 21 yearsold, Leoisthe youngestvolunteer to makethe grade to date among the volunteersthere.
“Ijoinedthe railway when Iwas about12 yearsold as I’dbeen
fascinatedwithsteamenginesfrom being alittle kid, with acer tainblue tankengine to blame,” Leosaid.“I star tedasalocomotivecleaner when Iturned16andfromthereI learned moreabout howthey work,whatthe differentcomponentsdo,andintime howtofirethem.
“Idon’t think I’dbewhereI am todaywithoutthepeople Imethere who Inow consider goodfriends. Thanks to their knowledgeand
support, Ihavequalifiedafter four yearsoftraining.That’swhat’sso greataboutour railway –it’sonebig family.Weall work together to give thepassengers afeel of whatitwas liketravelling by railbehindthese machinesallthose yearsago.
“Ihopemoreyoungpeoplewill join usinthesteamdepartment; we’ve currently got acouple of young traineefiremen,soit ’s astar t,butthe morethemerrier.”
Autocar drawst he crowds to curtailed Moor sline school holidayser vices
By OwenHayward
OPER ATION mayhavebeen restricted to thelinebetweenGrosmont and Goathland,butthatdid notstop the North YorkshireMoorsRailway from reopeningitsdoorsintime forthe recent schoolhalf-term.
Thecaptivemarket thatcomes withtheholidays wasgiven afurther boost by theaccompanyingvisitof theuniqueNERautocarwhich was draftedin to work in betweenthe steam-hauledservices to theport townof Whitby.
Twopetrol-electricautocars were built by theNERin May1903. They originally contained a85hp Napier enginedriving adynamo to produce powerfor twoelectricmotors, alhoughtheNapierequipmentwas laterswapped forWolseleyengines afterprovingproblematic.
Numbered3170and3171,they were put to usebetweenHartlepool and WestHartlepool(wherethey could completethejourneyinhalfthe timeoftrams)and Scarboroughand Filey.Bothledshort lives,withNo. 71 withdrawnfirstin1930andNo.70the followingApril.
Thefirst wasscrapped,whilethe latter wassold to aNorth Yorkshire landownerwho convertedthebody foruseas aholidayhome.Itwaslater boughtbyStephen Middletonin 2003,whoplaceditinstoragewhile searching forasuitableunderframe onwhich to rebuildit, with theNER 1903Electric Autocar Trust laterformed to managetheprocess.
Followinganextensiverestoration, whichincludedfitting motors toa former SouthernRegionClass416 bogiewhichinturnwasfittedunder
Accompanyingthemotor coach istrailerNo.3543,whichhad been instore at theNYMRprior to being donatedtorunwiththe revived No.3170 by its previous owner, theNorthEasternRailway Carriage Association.
Thebodywork of both vehicles wasrestoredback to NER condition, withdriving controlsbeingadded to theendoftheautotrailertoallow it to form an Edwardianeramultiple unit. Thoughthese twovehiclesare notbelievedtohaveeverworked together,archivepictures show No.3170pulling aclerestory coach of similarappearance.
AN 86-year-oldwhosurviveda hear tattackhas walked the 11-mile Bluebell Railway to raisemoney for theBritishHear tFoundation.
JohnDeane, ofEastHoathly,in Sussex,strodethefulllengthofline fromEastGrinstead to Sheffield Park on March4inwhatisdescribedas a“remarkableturnaround”inhis health,having fearedhemaynever enjoyhispassion forwalkingagain. Having retired to Spain,John workedas amountain walkleader butin2008began to experience symptomsincludingfatigueand breathlessness,whichheinitially dismissedascaused by avirus. However, whentheypersisted hesoughtmedicaladviceand was rushed to hospitalwhenit was discoveredthathehadsuffereda silenthear tattack.
ratheraptthat the pairshouldfinally visitand work onpart of itbetween Februar y15-23.
Servicesbetween Goathland and Pickering were suspended for theduration of theweek owing to engineering work taking placealong thissection.Thiscurtailmentofthe linefailed to detervisitors,with theunusualtraininhighdemand andoftendeparting full.A railway spokesmansaid: “Wehaveloved havingthebeautifully restoreddieselpoweredNERElectric Autocar at the NYMRduringhalf-term,and families have reallyenjoyedtravelling onthis special vehicle.
“Weare also pleased that itis staying withusand running onSundays inApril,May andJunebetween PickeringandGrosmont.”
Bluebell linefor charity
“Onthe waythere, Iwas able to seeoneof my favouritemountains, the Puig Campana,throughthe ambulancewindow,” Johnsaid.“I recallthinking,‘Iwon’t be climbing youagain.’
“Atthehospital,I learned I’dhada silenthear tattack.Thesurgeonput twostentsinlaterthatday to reopen ar teriesin my hear tand another stentacoupleofdays later.”
Following atwo -weekstay, he was dischargedandallowedtorecoverin the comfor tofhis ownhome.
“I wasinprettylow spirits,” hesaid. “Onmyfirst attempt at walking,I onlygotasfarasthehousenextdoor beforeIhad to stop.”
Aftergraduallybuildinguphis stamina,John returned to walking themountainswithin12months. Hemovedback to theUKin
2011andjoinedtheheritage line wherehehashelpedwithlineside vegetationmanagement.
In 2022,Johnhadfurthertreatment to hishear twhichsawhis aortic valve replaced.Ratherthanthroughopenhear tsurgery,a specialist wasable to replacethe valvebyimplanting an artificial valvevia ablood vesselinhis upperleg.
Grateful forwhathedescribed as a“17-yearextension”tohis walking life, Johnarrangedhistracktrekwith aview to raising£1500 fortheBritish Hear tFoundation –atargethehad almostdoubledasthisissue went to press.
“I’vebenefittedfirst-handfrom theamazingdevelopmentsin cardiac technology,” heexplained. “Sincemyhear tattack,I have been able tocontinuepursuingseveral
On Februar y22, aminorincident occurredatGrosmontwhichsaw trailer coachNo.3543 collidewith asetofportablesteelsteps.No injuries were reported, but No.3170 workedthefinal twodayssolo while itsaccompanyingcarriage was inspected. Thespokesmansaid: “We can confirmthatanincidentoccurred whentheautocar collidedwitha steelgantr yneartherunningshed at Grosmontstation. This caused lightdamage to thenorthendofthe trailer car.
“Seniormanagersvisitedthesite, with ateam removingthetrapped gantr yandassessingdamage. When this work wascompleted,theautocar wasthen parkedintherunningshed andthe owners were contactedand made awareoftheincident.”
activities Ilove. By supporting BHF research, Ihope to contribute to newdiscoveriesthatwillhelp otherssufferinghear tproblemsin thefuture.”
➜ To donate to John’s fundraiser, visitjustgiving.com/page/ johndeanebluebellwalk
Taking flight:No. 4464 Bittern is collectedfor thelongjourney by road to Crewe, whereoverhaulofthe ‘Streak’ will be started...
Bittern fliesthe coop in steamswapatMargate
FEBRUARYwas abusymonth for LocomotiveSer vicesGroup(LSG),as notonly wastheboiler forNo. 5029 Nunney Castle returned to theframes asits overhaulapproaches conclusion (seeseparatestory,Main LineNews, page60),but twoofitsotherhighprofilenamedlocomotives were spottedtravellingaboutthe country –but by road,ratherthan rail. Followingitssecond ‘final’farewell on aprivatechartertoHolyheadon Januar y13,LMS4-6-0No.46100 Royal Scot departedLNWRCreweWorks to headsouth to thefirm’sMargate storagefacility(Heritage Railway issue
‘Tiv
328),whichisearmarked to open astheOne:One Collection museum inthenearfutureandiswhere the tenderarrivedfirston Februar y25 beforethefronthalf of thelocomotive followedthenext day.
Theopportunitywasthentaken to utilisethelorriesinvolved to extract LNERA4No.4464 Bittern andreturn it to Crewe, where thefirststeps towardsits returntosteam willtake place.
It waslastoperationalin2015and followingwithdrawalwasmovedto Margatein June2018,where ithas remainedoutofpublicview.
vy Bumper’celebrates90th birthday with museum talks
THE TivertonMuseumof Mid-Devon Lifehasbeen celebratingthe90th birthdayofitslong-termresident, GWR 0-4-2TNo. 1442,k nownasthe ‘Tivvy Bumper,’ which workedthe linesthatser vedthe town.
Afamily-fun Railway Dayheldon Januar y25featuredamodel railway, evacueestories,butter-making, seasidephotographs,andplenty of hands-onactivities.Itwas followed by aweekofhands-onfun,creative craftsand railway-themed festivities from Februar y15-22.
Themuseum’s spring Talks& Walksprogrammeincludes atalk by local railway exper tAmyasCrump celebratingthe ‘Tivvy Bumper ’and exploringideas forlocal railwaysthat nevercame to fruition.
Built at SwindoninApril,No. 1442 originallyalternatedbetweenbeing
based at Marlow andSloughbefore going to Oxford,with abriefspell at Reading,whereitremained forjust threemonths,afterwhichit returned to Oxford whereitwas based for nearlynine years.
In 1962, No.1442 wastransferredto Westbur yandthenExeter and Yeovil Town,spendingitslast years work ing between Tivertonand Tiverton Junctionstations.InMay 1965,it becameoneof thelast twomembers ofitsclass to bewithdrawn,after whichit wasboughtbyLordAmory in1965 forstaticdisplayatTiver ton.
Thetalkinthemuseumin Beck ’s SquarewilltakeplaceonThursday, May22from7pm to 8pm. Tickets cost£8or£6.50 formuseum membersandcanbebooked at https://tiver ton-museum-of-middevon-life.arttickets.org.uk/
In May2023 it wasannouncedthat LSGhadpartneredwiththeSir Nigel Gresley LocomotiveTrusttoformSNG Engineering,with the twoseparate entitiesjointly working together to overhaulNo.4464.
The‘Streak’wastransferredtothe Creweworkshops where theboiler will be removed, before thechassis movestoa privatesiteinYorkshire whereitwillbethe focusof theSNGLT engineering team,which wasbased in York between 2015and 2022 when No.60007 returned to ser vice. At the timeoftheannouncement,it was hopedthat Bittern’s overhaul wouldbe
completedinsufficienttime to allow bothofthe remaining operatingA4s to run together.Ofthesixsurviving membersof the class,two (Nos.60008 and 60010)areoverseas,while Mallard is apermanentfixtureattheNational Railway Museumin York.
Thefinalexample,No. 60009 Union of South Africa,isowned by John Cameronandnowresidesonhisfarm in Fife,havingbeenwithdrawnin 2021.
It toohadbeen aregularmainline per former,itslastsuchoutingbeing the March7,2020 ‘Yorkshireman’from EalingBroadway to York.
ADECADEafterthe reopeningofthe Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, thegreenlight hasbeen giventolookinginto extendingit to Carlisle.
Up to £5millionhasbeen allocated by the Scottishand UKgovernmentsthroughthe Borderlands InclusiveGrowthDeal to appointa projectmanager for work to assess thecase forrelaying thelinebeyond Tweedbank.
UK GovernmentScotland Office Minister KirstyMcNeillsaid: “Growthis aprioritymission for theUK Governmentand we’ve beenclearthatthe £450million Borderlands InclusiveGrowth Dealspanningsouthern Scotland and northernEnglandisvital to achievingthis.It’sgreat newsthat theUKDepartmentfor Transport has confirmedup to £5million towardsfeasibility work to explorethepotential to extend the Borders Railway from TweedbanktoCarlisle.We look forwardtoworkingwith
dealpartnersasthe feasibility workprogresses.”
Rail Minister PeterLordHendy said: “Weare working to improve rail connectivityforpassengers andaspartofthe Government’s Plan forChangeareinvesting in transportinfrastructure, driving growth,jobsandhousingacross our communities.
“Iampleased to commit to the progressionoftheBorders Railway extension,which wouldopen upthe routefor morepeople to explorethe region’s picturesque landscapesandrichheritage,and Ilook forwardtoseeing howthe proposaldevelops.”
The98¼-mile Waverley RoutefromEdinburgh to Carlisle reopenedthroughout1862and wascontroversiallyclosedin1963. Passengerserviceonthe Borders Railway beganon September 6,2015, followedbyanofficial openingbyQueenElizabethII threedayslater,asfeaturedin Heritage Railway issue207.
No need to poptothe shopsinfourweeks’ time...simplyorder your next HR from mrtns. uk /pre-order-hr or call 01507529529.
...asNo. 46100 RoyalScot arrivesinMargate on February 26. BOTH:ANDYSTROUD
Fromt he Spatot he coast: Norfolkto become newhomefor ‘lost’ Hunslet
By OwenHayward
HUNSLE TFitzwilliamclass0-6-0ST
No.1589 Newstead isset to call WeybourneontheNor thNor folk Railway home,withthe once ‘lost’ locomotivedue to makeitsdebut therethis comingEasterafterleaving KentonMarch5.
Savedfromscrapin the1970s buthidden away so well thatitwas presumedlost forever, Newstead was discoveredin ashedin the grounds of aHertfordshireCarmeliteconvent in2016 followingthe death ofits previous owner,MalcolmSaul.
BoughtbyAlex Alderinearly2017 and temporarilymovedtothe Nene Valley Railway,itarrivedontheSpa Valley Railway intheautumnofthat same year,whereithasundergone anextensiverestoration to bring itbackinto operational control, ashighlightedin Heritage Railway issue330.
As the overhaulnears completion at Tunbridge Wells West,thoughts turned to thelocomotive’s operating future. Whileit washoped to debut thelocomotiveattheSpa Valley, discussionswiththeleadership team thereconcludedthatitwouldnot seesufficientuse to warranta longterm operatingfuture. SpVRgeneral managerJonnie Paysaid: “Sincethe
arrivalof Newstead in2017,other locomotiveshave come to Tunbridge Wells Westundershort,medium and long-termhireagreements.
“Furthermore, we have completed thepurchaseofLMS ‘Jinty ’0-6-0T No. 47493,whichis rapidly approachingtheendofits overhaul.
“Ifthe railway hadenteredinto anoperatingagreementfortheuse of Newstead,due to events,other visitinglocomotives,andthose we alreadyhave operating,itwouldhave resultedinminimaluseof Newstead during2025.
“After Mr Alder ’s largeinvestment, it wouldnotbefairforeitherparty
The Newstead team pose with theirlocomotiveasthe Hunslet‘Fitzwilliam’ prepares to depart TunbridgeWellsforNorfolk on March5. OWEN HAYWARD
to tr ytosqueezeinuse andimpact otherplansorhave nouse at all.
“The work undertaken by the team led by Mr Alderin restoring Newstead issomething they shouldbe very proudof,and we wishthem well intheirfutureendeavoursandin operatingthelocomotive.
“I tisanticipatedthatitwillvisit Tunbridge Wells West at somepoint inthefuture.”
Discussionswithpotentialhomes beganin December,andon February 26it wasannouncedthattheNNR wouldbecomethenewhome for Newstead,which wasestimatedto move therearoundthetimethis issue went onsale.Weybourneisalso home to fellowFitzwilliamNo. 1982 RingHaw,whichis currentlyunder overhaulinthe railway ’s workshops. It is ahappycoincidencethat Ring Haw wasonhiretothe Spa Valley when Newstead arrivedthere, andthatthescenarioisnowto be reversed.
NNR generalmanagerGraham Hukinssaid: “Weare delighted to be welcoming Newstead to the railway. Alexandhis teamhave done an outstandingjobin restoringit and we arelooking forwardtoitbeing part ofourfleet,especiallyinour 50th anniversar yyear,whereitwill help conjureupthespiritofthe early yearsofpreser vationwhenthe servicewas handledentirely by small tankengines.”
Recallingthemomentof Newstead’s discover y, Alexsaid: “Ineverexpectedtobedriven
THE VolksElectric Railway Association hasannounceda seriesoflaterunningeveningservices,starting at 5pmandstopped at allstationsonthe Brightonseasideline.
On Saturday, May17,theevening
journeywill commemorate the openingoftheShoreham to Brightonlineaspartofthe Railway 200 celebrations. Eveningserviceswillalsorunon Sundays,June22and27.
On Saturday, September20, illuminatedtrainswillrunafterdusk, andother attractionswillbestaged to celebrateVERA’s30thanniversary. TheVER’s runningseasonstartson April5,afterwhichtrainswill then
Left:When Newstead’soverhaul commenced in 2018, sister Fitzwilliam 0-6- 0ST Ring Haw (left) wasonloan to theSpa Valley Railway. The situationissoon to be reversed, withtheformer settoenter traffic at theNNR while itsclassmate undergoesits own overhaul.
OWEN HAYWARD
down aHertfordshirecountry lane, following awildtip -offabout alost engine,norhave imaginedtaking teaandbiscuitswiththe Mother Superior at aconvent and hearing of ‘Malcolm’s engine.’
“Ifullyexpectedtosee arusty 5in gauge modelbutthere, quite impossibly,beneath athinlayerof dust, wastheunmistakablelines of a16inHunslet. Thanks to thelate MalcolmSaul,itwas wellcared for and givenanoverhaulintheearly 1990s.I gained asense of debt toward Malcom forsavingand preservingtheengineso well,and asenseofdutythathisgoodcare shouldbe continued.
“Restoringtheenginehasbeena labouroflove forthepasteightyears and Iamthrilleditwillbe joiningthe runningfleet at the NorthNor folk Railway –itwas childhoodvisits to thatlinewhich sparked my interest in steam and engineering.”
FollowingitsarrivalinNor folk, Newstead willundergofinal completionjobs before its last boiler insurancetestiscarried outand testingbegins.TheNNRadvised ithoped to see Newstead work ing trains at the April18-21 Spring Into Steameaster weekend.
runeveryday until September. As reportedinissue316,theVER carriedofftheHeritage Railway Association’s Railway ofthe Year 2024 Awardatthe annual awards ceremonyinBrighton.
Museum tr io awardedgra nt sin £270mGover nmenta rt spackage
By RobinJones
THREE museumswith aheritage railpresencehavebeen awarded Governmentgrantsaspartofan Arts Ever ywhereFund packageof morethan£270millionfromthe Departmentfor Culture, Media andSport.
Hundredsofarts venues,museums, librariesandheritagebuildings will receiveashare, withtheaim ofsupportingjobsandcreating opportunities foryoungpeople to
Peckett0 -4 -0ST LeeMoorNo.1 on static displayinsidethe WhealMartyn museum in St Austell. CHRISALLEN/ CREATIVE COMMONS
learncreativeskills, whilealsohelping to boostpeople’s senseof pridein wheretheylive.
Announced by Labour ’s Culture Secretar yLisaNandyonFebruary 20,thecashwillbe awarded to organisationsinurgentneedof financialsupporttokeepthem upandrunning,carry out vital infrastructurework, andimprove long-termfinancial resilience.
At aninaugural lecturemarking the60thanniversar yofthe first-ever artswhite paperby former Minister
Jennie Lee, LisaNandydelivereda speech at the RoyalShakespeare Company, in Stratford-upon-Avon. Sheset out howLee’s visionof the ‘artsfor ever yone,everywhere’ will bemade areality as part of the Government’sPlan forChange.
“Artsandculturehelpus understandthe worldwelivein, theyshapeanddefinesociety, and areenjoyed by peopleinevery partofour countr y. Theyarethe buildingblocksofour world-leading creativeindustriesandmake ahuge
Take aSprinttothe newCynheidre café!
TH ELlanelli &MynyddMawrRailway willhave anewcafé andelectrical supply foritsheadquar ters at Cynheidre, nearLlanelli, ready for thestar tofthenewseason by midMarch.
Earlylast year,the railway was awarded grantfunding towards furtherdevelopingthe railway. Thegrantscomprised£40,000 fromtheUK GovernmentShared ProsperityFundand£20,000from
Carmarthenshire County Council Targeted Financefund.
TheUKShared ProsperityFund grantwasused to helpfundthe developmentofa community hub at Cynheidre, includingcafé facilities.Thehubincorporatedthe recycledbodyshellof Class153 single -car‘Sprinter ’unitNo.1533764 provided by Transpor tfor Wales and givingit aunique railway feel.The much-neededprovisionof amains
Thecounty council grantfurther suppor tedtheprovisionofelectricity to the siteandthedevelopmentof thecaféforvisitorsandthelocal community, while alsofacilitating the creationof twojobopportunities at the railway.
Thecaféwillbelaunched to the public at 12.15pmonApril19during the railway ’s Eastereventunderthe name TheSuperSprinterCafé, anod to itslifeasacommutertrain.
It willthenbeopen to thepublic and communityonselecteddates throughoutthe restofthe year,with openingdetailspostedonthe café’s dedicatedFacebook pageandthe railway ’s socialmediaoutlets.
Mark Thomas,chairmanofthe 100% volunteer-run charity, said: “Weare very pleased to have receivedthese grantsand are delighted to repor tthattheproject isnearing completionwiththe cafe professionallyfittedout and electricitynow onsiteand connected up.”
➜ SeealsoUpand Running,page98.
contribution towardsboosting growthandbreakingdown barriers to opportunities foryoung people to learnthecreativeskillstheyneed to succeed,” she said.
“Thisfunding will allowthearts tocontinue to flourishthroughout Britain,creatinggoodjobsand growth by fixing the foundations in our cultural venues,museums, librariesandheritageinstitutions.”
As part ofthepackage, BressinghamSteamand Gardens inDiss,Nor folk,hasbeen awarded £429,719.
ABressinghamstatementsaid: “Thefundistoenable museumslike us to deliver abetterexperiencefor visitorsandstaff,makeaccessand environmentalimprovements,and tocontinue to protecttreasured buildingsand collections for futuregenerations.
“Thismuch-neededfundingwill enableus to putanew roofonour locomotiveshed.This keybuilding housesnotonlysomeofour own collectionbutalsosomeofthe National Railway Collection. It also housesour workshop,whereour hardworking teamofstaffand volunteersper form thevital work needed to maintainandpreser ve these wonderful featsofengineering.
HunsletWren0 -4 -0ST Thomas Wicksteed on the2ft gaugelineatthe London Museumof Waterand SteaminBrentford. ROBINJONES
“The grantwillbeused to replace theoriginal corrugatedroofpanels withmoderncompositeroofing.
“Thismaketheshedmuch warmer andbrighterandcreate amuchmore welcomingexperienceforboth our visitorsandour volunteers, anda betterenvironmentfortheengines, carriagesandartefactsthatwe displayinthere, including,ofcourse, theBRstandard9F2-10-0 No.92203 Black Prince andthe royalcarriages.
“WorkwillbegininNovember 2025, at theendofourmain visitorseason, andwill continue overthewinterso thatwecan avoidanydisruption for ourvisitors.
“Weestimate thatthe workswill finishin Februar y2026,intime for thestartofourmain visitorseason. Ipswich-basedS&G Roofingis appointedasprincipal contractor.”
Generalmanager Phil Rookeadded: “Ultimately,this wonderfulnews allows us to betterfulfilourmission to preser ve andmaintainworking steamengines forthebenefitand enjoymentofthepublic,and we can’t wait to beable to welcome youto thismuchimprovedspacein2026.”
Thelargest grantawarded underthecurrent package was £2,626,277 to London Museum of WaterandSteam to restore itsGreatEngineHouse,making thebuilding watertight,improve environmental conditions,remove harmfulpast repairs,conser ve theengines,andsafelyeliminate asbestos-containing materials.
Basedin aGeorgian water pumpingstationinBrentford, the
museumcares forthe world’slargest collectionof Cornishsteampumping engines,whichpumpedclean waterintothehomesofmillions of Londonersbetween1838and1944 –helping to transformitintothecity itistoday,andshowcasing200 years ofengineeringinnovation. It isan anchorpoint onthe European Route of IndustrialHeritage.
Themuseumhas a400-yard 2ft gaugerailwaywhichin2009sawthe introductionof anew-buildHunslet Wrenclass0-4-0ST,namedafter Thomas Wicksteed,who,asengineer to the East London Waterworks Company, wasresponsiblefor
introducingthe Cornishpumping engine. Thelineis open for passengertrips at weekendsand at specialevents.
Whilenotanoriginal featureof thewater worksatKew Bridge, therailway wasinspired by similarfacilitiesprovided at major water worksinthe UK,notablythe Metropolitan WaterBoardRailway which ranbetween Hamptonandthe KemptonParkwater works.
Thirdly,Wheal MartynClayWorks inStAustell, the UK’s only chinaclay miningmuseumand aScheduled AncientMonument,has been awarded£707,200.
Themuseumhas asection displayingexamplesoftransport usedintheclayindustr y, including 1899-builtPeckett0-4-0ST Lee MoorNo.1, one of twolocomotives supplied to Devon’sLee Moor Tramway, which wasbuilt to the ‘Dartmoor Gauge’of4ft 6in. Itssisterlocomotive, LeeMoor No.2,isexhibitedinthe South DevonRailway’smuseum at Buckfastleigh station,along with the sole-survivingwagon.
TheGovernmentgrant willbe used to repairtheasbestos roofofa pre-1907extension to the PanKiln& Linhaybuilding.
FOLLOWINGa periodof review,the Ministr yofHousing,Communitiesand Local Governmenthas confirmedthe £15millioninvestmenttothe National Railway Museum’s transformative masterplanand CentralHallproject.
In recent weeks,fearswere expressedthatthe grant mightfallvictim to current Governmentcutbacks.
However, itwillsafeguardthe museum’s plans forvisitor growth, thefutureexpansionofitsestate, andpreser vationofits collections, inspiringthenextgenerationwith thepast,presentandfutureof the railways–inayearinwhichit celebratesits50th birthday.
DeputyPrimeMinister Angela Raynermet NRMinterimdirector CraigBentleyonFebruary13, alongsideDavidSkaith,the Mayor of York andNorth Yorkshire, andthe leaderofthe York CityCouncil,Claire Douglas,tocongratulate the team.
Thefundingannouncement follows areview by the Government of acommitmentmadeinspring
2024 by theprevious Conser vative administration,buildingona generousearlierinvestmentof £18.6millionin2019underthe Cultural InvestmentFund from the Departmentfor Culture, Media andSport.
ThroughtheNRMmasterplan, about£100millionis beinginvested incapitalprojectsthatwillextendand improveboththe York museumand itssistersite LocomotioninShildon, County Durham.
Mr Bentleysaid:“Itwas apleasureto welcomethe DeputyPrime Minister to the NRMtodemonstratehow this £15millioninvestmentwilltransform thismuch-lovedsite.
“Thisinvestmentispivotal to our plans forgrowthand to developthe museumasa placewhichisglobally
Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner visits theNationalRailway Museum,where shewas joined by theMayor of York andNorth YorkshireDavid Skaith.She was shownaroundthe museum andthe plannednew site by museum director Craig Bentleyand otherlocal stakeholders. SIMONWALKER/ DEPUTY PRIMEMINISTER’S OFFICE PICTUREBYSIMON WALKER /DEPUT YPRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE
rightacross the ScienceMuseum Group. We aredelightedwiththe Government’scontinuedstrong support fornationalmuseumsand thewiderculturalsector.
“Museumsbenefitsocietyin manyways, inspiringaudiences with engagingstories,contributing tocohesive communitiesand showcasingcreativitythathelpsdrive tourism.”
On Easter Sunday andMonday, April20/21,Bressingham SteamMuseum& Gardenswillbeholding a150th birthday celebrationfor resident LBSCRA1X ‘Terrier ’0 -6 -0TNo. 662 Martello,which will be in full steam, allowing visitors aridein thebrake van. BRESSINGHAM
Pa nnierbackont he Br istol ha rbourside29yea rs later
Wordsandpictures
by Martin Creese
ONE visitingenginethathas slipped under theradarintheearlypart of2025isthatofthe South Devon Railway ’s Collett1366classpannier tankNo.1369 to theBristolHarbour Railway.
It wasdeliveredonits wayhome fromitsappearanceatthe Battlefield Railway ’s Winter Warmer Galain Januar y(as reportedlastissue),aspart ofanagreementthatsees Peckett 0-6-0STNo.1940of1937 Henbury pay ashortvisit to Buckfastleigh.
It wasthesecondtimethatNo. 1369 hasvisitedtheharbourline,the first being29yearsagoin1996,when itcarriedBRblackliver y. Giventhe class’s associationwiththeline to WeymouthHarbour,No. 1367 beingthefirstallocatedtherein 1935,beingbackin adockside environmentshouldalmost feel home to sisterNo.1369,althoughit
spent themajorityofits working life from constructionin1934 to April 1960allocatedtoSwindonandused aroundthe wagon worksandsaw mills.
AmovetoWeymouthin1960saw it workingpassengerandgoods workingsalongthetramwayfrom Weymouthstationtothe quayfor ChannelIslandsboattraffic,albeit this wasacomparativelyshort stay, No.139beingreallocatedto Wadebridgein August1962 forchina claytrain workingsonthe Wenford Bridgeline,replacingtheBeattie welltanks.
Happybirthday
Ihadthepleasureofrunninga photographicchar teratBristolon Februar y24withNo. 1369,which givenit enteredtrafficin February 1934,became aratherniceway to markthelocomotive’s 91stbirthday.
Adding to the maritimeambience, MVBalmoral,which wasbuiltin1949 forthe RedFunnelLineservicefrom Southampton to Cowes, iscurrently alongside,aswellastugs Mayflower and John King,plusfireship Pyranaut
Since No.1369’slastvisitin 1969, much gentrification hastakenplace aroundthearea,includingmanynew apartmentblocks,restaurantsand moderndevelopment. As such,the industrialandrailway footprinthas understandablyshrunk, butwhat remainsstillhasthatunique railway andharbourside feel.
Theharbour railway continues to operatetrainsonselectedweekends throughoutthe year between MShed and aplatformdowntowardsthe SS GreatBritain.There isalsothebranch alongCumberland Road which sees therailway sandwiched between the aforementioned roadandtheRiver Avon,thesectionof whichisalso knownastheNew Cut.
Fora time,the railway wassevered when part of theretainingwall collapsedinto the river. Thewall was repairedand following reinstatement ofthetrackshouldallowthis section round to aformer tobacco warehouse to be usedagain.Sadly, thelinewhich once crossed overthebridgeand
went to AshtonJunctionwiththe Portisheadbranch wasconverted into abusway some yearsago.Also lost istheextensionfrom theeastend ofthequaysidewhich,via atunnel, went through to Bristol Temple Meadsstation.
As passenger ser vicesarenormally propelled towardsthe Great Britain, it wasalsounusual to seea locomotive chimney-first.
Thecharter wasalsoan opportunitytouse the collectionof wagons,andthe sound of buffers clangingas we shuntedaround was ratherevocative, bringinghistory to life. We were able to cordonoffthe harboursideareawiththecranes, allowing clearimages,andthanks to the volunteersfrom MShed,small groups were liftedupontoone of thecranes to viewtheharbourfrom heightandthe sightofNo. 1369 steaming underneath. It shouldalso benotedthatthree of the fourcranes areworking.
Themuseum collectionBritish Road ServicesBristollorry alsomade anappearance, furtheradding to the quaysideambience.
No.1369isexpectedtoreturn to the South DevonRailway in the middleof Marchandhopefullyitis notanother29 yearsbeforeitgraces theBristolquaysideagain.
