March 2017

Paul McDonald & Braunton at Harman's Cross on SR
Veteran engineman reunited with loco at Swanage
Author/Source:
Editorial
Friday, March 31, 2017 - 10:58

Paul McDonald had the privilege of driving 1946-built West Country class Bulleid Pacific No. 34046 'Braunton' for the last nine-mile leg of its journey to Swanage where it is one of the stars of a major event marking the 50th anniversary of the end of main line steam trains in southern England.

Running from Friday, 31 March, to Sunday, 2 April, 2017, inclusive, the 'Strictly Bulleid' event will be the largest gathering of working classic 1940s Bulleid Pacific class express steam... read the full story

T3 class locomotive No. 563
Swanage Railway acquires rare T3 Class engine
Author/Source:
Editorial
Thursday, March 30, 2017 - 12:03

Built in February, 1893, for hauling express trains on the London and South Western Railway, T3 class 4-4-0 wheel arrangement locomotive No. 563 was withdrawn by the Southern Railway at the end of the Second World War in August, 1945, by which time it had run a total of 1.5 million miles.

Swanage Railway Company chairman Trevor Parsons said: "We are delighted, thrilled and very grateful to the National Railway Museum for donating such a rare Victorian steam locomotive to the Swanage... read the full story

Cadishead Viaduct
Proposal to create new heritage railway over Manchester ship canal
Author/Source:
Editorial
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 14:25

The £30m steam project is led by businessman and philanthropist Neil McArthur who is campaigning for support and permission to get the ambitious project underway.

The proposal has called for the reopening of 9.5km of the former Cheshire Lines railway from Irlam to Timperley, near Altrincham, starting with the 1.5km branch line from Irlam to Glaezbrook East Junction. The project would require the re-building of stations at Cadishead, Partington, and West Timperley. The Cadishead... read the full story

60103 A3 'Pacific' on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway last year
Free Flying Scotsman rides for kids on the West Somerset Railway
Author/Source:
Editorial
Tuesday, March 28, 2017 - 12:23

The WSR will be giving schools the chance to incorporate the visit into their curriculum by using the trip for history, geography and other subjects which could be related to social aspects.

Letters have been sent out to primary schools in the West Somerset and Taunton Deane areas offering places on the Flying Scotsman hauled trains to groups of children for Tuesday, September 5th. Schools will need to pay a £50 administration fee, which covers tickets for all pupils. 

School... read the full story

No. 5 loco 'Hercules' on the RH&DR
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway marks 90th anniversary
Author/Source:
Editorial
Friday, March 24, 2017 - 12:53
As well as the 90th anniversary, this week the RH&DR has been celebrating 70 years since the line reopened after the Second World War on March 21, 1947. The star guests for this reopening ceremony were the comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy who visited the railway to open the New Romney to Dungeness section of the line.
 
During WWII the railway was commandeered by the UK government's War Department to form part of the... read the full story
Flying Scotsman
Flying Scotsman to take part in historic ECML line-up
Author/Source:
Editorial
Thursday, March 23, 2017 - 16:22

The event will take place next month on April 23rd, when ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman will be joined by a Virgin Trains Class 43 HST, a Class 91, and the newest train: an Hitachi Class 800, which is yet to enter service.

The event, organised by Virgin Trains, Welcome to Yorkshire, Network Rail and the National Railway Museum will see the four trains depart at Tollerton Junction and head towards York in a staggered formation at 25mph.

During the event Flying Scotsman will be... read the full story

Hunslet Steam No. 3905 “Jennie”
Moseley Railway Trust announces Two Wrens for the May Gala
Author/Source:
Editorial
Wednesday, March 22, 2017 - 11:39
Kerr, Stuart was a Stoke-on-Trent based locomotive manufacturer – so “Stanhope” is now preserved less than five miles from where it was built. However, the intervening century saw it work in England, Scotland and Wales!

The first additional visiting loco - is Kerr, Stuart 3128. This is one of the iconic “Wren” class locomotives which had a particularly interesting career, including crossing the Atlantic four times! It was built in 1918 for a factory at Avonmouth which supplied Mustard... read the full story

Broadway - trains hope to be rolling into these platforms in 2018 as progress steadily continues
Broadway extension share scheme to close next month
Author/Source:
Editorial
Tuesday, March 21, 2017 - 15:03

Now, with just one week since the railway began its 2017 operating season, there is just £100,000 left of the projects £1.25m target to reach, thanks to a last-minute boost in share applications.

The extension will put Broadway back on the railway map and link the line with Cheltenham for the first time in almost 60 years, after the stations north of Cheltenham Racecourse were closed in March 1960.

Chris Bristow, volunteer finance director of GWSR Plc... read the full story

Enthusiasts special run in 1956 - When it seemed to be the end for the Llanfair Line…
Locals offered 14-shilling rides to mark opening of W&LLR season
Author/Source:
Editorial
Monday, March 20, 2017 - 12:14

Anyone proving that they live in an SY21 postcode can take a return trip on the line for just 70p - or 14 shillings in old money.  Back in 1963, the year that the Llanfair Line reopened as a heritage railway, 14 shillings was equivalent to what you’d pay for today’s return fare of £13.50.

The 2017 season will be the 54th in which the railway has been operated almost entirely by volunteers. This overtakes the 53 years – 1903 to 1956 – that it was run commercially by the line’s three... read the full story

60163 Tornado on a previous crossing of the Ribblehead VIaduct © Creative Commons Licence
Flying Scotsman to mark official Settle - Carlisle reopening
Author/Source:
Editorial
Friday, March 17, 2017 - 13:15

The rail tour will be part of an official reopening after a 500,000 tonne landslip closed a section of the line at Armathwaite, North of Appleby, over a year ago and will  tie-in with the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway's Scotsman event. 

The line, which was built in the 1870s, suffered a major landslip in early 2016 which resulted in the closure of the line at Eden Brows. ... read the full story

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