Branch Line railtours raise £55,000 for two charities

by

TWO Branch Line Society railtours in March raised a total of £55,000 for charity.

More than £43,000 of the total was from March 18’s ‘Bound for Craigy’ InterCity 125 tour of unusual lines and depots along the length of the East Coast Main Line.

A bespoke lamp bracket had been made to fit the ‘Bound for Craigy’ headboard onto power car No. 43300 Craigentinny 100 on March 18 prior to the train’s departure at 05.30. The initial destination was Bounds Green depot. GEOFF PLUMB

Another £12,000 was raised on March 12, when the BLS ran a farewell tour for Southern’s Class 442 EMUs (see Railtours).

Article continues below…
Advert

Monthly Subscription: Enjoy more Railway Magazine reading each month with free delivery to you door, and access to over 100 years in the archive, all for just £5.35 per month.
Click here to subscribe & save

Funds raised by the HST tour will go to the Railway Children charity, which supports children at risk on the streets in the UK, India and East Africa, while those from the ‘442’ trip are being donated to Southern’s corporate charities – Eastbourne-based Embrace and Luton’s Keech Hospice.

The ‘Bound for Craigy’ tour was promoted by the BLS in conjunction with Virgin Trains East Coast, the 125 Group and Preserved Locomotives Enthusiasts Group (PLEG).

Those on board the tour included HST designer Sir Kenneth Grange, who said: “Four decades on, the HST remains the backbone of the rail network and has had a major impact on the general life of most people in this country.

Article continues below…
Advert

“I think it’s still fair to say that the Inter-City 125 remains one of my proudest achievements and it has given me a great deal of pleasure to share this anniversary with so many other HST fans for such a good cause.”

The 800 miles travelled by a one-day railtour was the longest in the society’s 62-year history, and has created a new UK record for a one-day charity railtour in terms of funds raised.

Read more News and Features in the April issue of The RM – on sale now!

Article continues below…
Advert


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


Article Tags:

About the Author