Sam Hewitt

THE Cavan & Leitrim Railway at Dromod has launched a fresh appeal to raise the £40,000 (€45,000) required to complete the restoration of its Avonside 0-6-0T Nancy. A support group known as the Avonside “Nancy” Restoration Group has been established by volunteers from some of Ireland’s narrow gauge lines to oversee the project and return…

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NORTHERN Ireland’s newest tourist attraction – the Whitehead Railway Museum – has quietly opened its doors to the general public, ahead of a more formal opening at a later date. Contractors finished work on the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s £3.1million project in early March. The museum will open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. It…

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FORMER Aberdeen Gas Works Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST Mr Therm (2239/1947) has returned to its home in the Granite City’s Seaton Park Playground. The move follows cosmetic renovation by David Ogilvie Engineering of Kilmarnock. The colourful ‘Pug’ arrived back in pieces on February 15, and was reassembled in-situ over the next three days. The loco has…

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KENT’S Spa Valley Railway (SVR) will be able to call upon three operational steam locomotives this year when Hunslet 0-6-0ST Ring Haw (1982/1940) joins the working fleet on hire from the North Norfolk Railway. The ex-Nassington Quarry locomotive will be making its first foray to the south-west of England from May 22, and is expected…

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THE East Lancashire Railway held its spring gala just a week after the Keighley & Worth Valley, hanging a Lostock Hall tag on the proceedings. Around 3,000 passengers turned out to pay homage to the famous North West shed, the theme strengthened with the presence of Riddles ‘4MT’ No. 76084, ‘Black Fives’ Nos. 45212 and…

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THE presence of Hughes-Fowler ‘Crab’ No. 13065 at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s (KWVR) season-opening gala on March 3-5 added a welcome bit of colour to what was largely a dull and wet weekend. It was the Crimson Lake Mogul’s first foray onto KWVR metals, having made the journey from the East Lancashire Railway a…

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COLLETT ’14XX’ No. 1450 and auto-trailer No. W238W are to have their stay at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (see separate story) extended so that they can formally open the railway’s rebuilt Hayles Abbey Halt. The original halt was opened in 1928 specifically to serve the nearby Cistercian abbey (now spelt Hailes Abbey), and was a…

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THE ‘Wrexham, Mold & Connah’s Quay Railway Railtour’ of April 29, 1967 was re-created at the Llangollen Railway’s Along Birkenhead Lines gala on March 3-5, with an ‘8F’ once again in charge. This time it was the Great Central Railway’s No. 48624 that worked ‘1Z50’ from Llangollen, suitably adorned with train reporting number and headboard.…

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