THE Weardale Railway is staging a Brush Type 2 gala on April 21-22, the railway currently being home for nine examples.
The event will feature Nos. 31106 and 31190, which have not been seen on passenger trains for many years. A naming ceremony on the Saturday will see Howard Johnston’s No. 31106 reunited with its old name of Spalding Town, which it carried from 2002-2010.
Also booked to run at the event are Network Rail-liveried No. 31285 and Nos. 31459 and 31465, both of which featured on the WR’s very successful ‘Train to Christmas Town’ services (RM Feb, p89).
The five-loco line-up is likely to be the biggest for the class this year, and all working InterCity-liveried Mk2 stock.
It is hoped other Class 31s – Nos. 31454, 31468, 31601 and 31602, which are not currently serviceable – will be positioned where they can be seen and photographed from passing trains.
Trains run from 09.00 to 19.00 both days. Advance bookings can be made by telephone, 01388-661394, or online through www.ba-rail.co.uk/weardale-railway
■ Weardale Railway’s heritage service will be running from Easter until the end of October, operating between Stanhope and Witton-le-Wear. Cream tea specials will be run on the last Sunday of the month.
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