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  • FORTY YEARS OF IRELAND’S ‘BIG’ GMs

    FORTY YEARS OF IRELAND’S ‘BIG’ GMs

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    This month marks the 40th anniversary of the arrival of the General Motors Class 071s in the Republic of Ireland. The ‘Big’ GMs (as they became known) went on to transform the nation’s loco-hauled services. Four decades later, they remain wholly intact as an operating class, as Gary Boyd-Hope explains. THE date is Thursday, September…

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  • Mastering the Mendips

    Mastering the Mendips

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    This year marks the 50th anniversary of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset (S&D) line, and in the first of a two-part Practice & Performance Keith Farr looks at LMS locomotives that worked the famous and arduous route. The Nottingham to Bournemouth Saturday ‘extra’ was battling with the climb into the Mendip hills, the…

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  • Carving out a niche

    Carving out a niche

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Having held an operating licence for less than 18 months, Chris Milner catches up with the Rail Operations Group, which has created a niche business moving rolling stock for repair and refurbishment. During2015, there became a noticeable increase in the number of empty stock trains moving around the network for repair, refurbishment, or to be…

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  • Ceres rail revival offers hope for South African secondary lines

    Ceres rail revival offers hope for South African secondary lines

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    OVER the last 20 years many little-used rural lines in South Africa have been closed and mothballed often due to poor track condition or the loss of what freight there was to road transport. However, the scenic line through Michell’s Pass, between Wolseley and Ceres, in the Western Cape region, has been the subject of…

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  • Cromer, footbridges, turntable and toilets at booming NNR

    Cromer, footbridges, turntable and toilets at booming NNR

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The Railway Magazine visits the North Norfolk Railway to see the many ‘live’ developments as it prepares to make main line history THE North Norfolk Railway (NNR) has truly reached maturity. Having attracted a record 165,000 passengers in 2015, the Poppy Line is hoping for even better this year, and the aim is to break…

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  • FACING UP TO THE CHALLENGE

    FACING UP TO THE CHALLENGE

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The East Coast has proved something of a ‘poisoned chalice’ to franchisees in the past, but Stagecoach/Virgin are determined to make a success of it despite open access threats and jitters caused by the recent ‘Brexit’ vote. Nick Pigott meets managing director David Horne to find out how the operator intends to meet the challenges.…

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  • Steam’s newest works – where rails are not needed

    Steam’s newest works – where rails are not needed

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    Ian Riley is now ensconced in his fourth railway workshops as his engineering company celebrates 25 years in the business. Nick Brodrick paid a first visit to Riley & Son (E) Ltd’s new Heywood premises. WHAT do plastic bags and steam locomotives have in common? Answer? An industrial building near Rochdale that once served the big…

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  • Sweden disbands final strategic steam reserve locos

    Sweden disbands final strategic steam reserve locos

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    It’s hard to believe that 16 years into the 21st century, Sweden has disbanded its final Strategic Reserve, steam locos that were kept on standby in the event of war in Europe. Bob Sweet witnessed the removal of the final two locos from storage. TRAVELLERS on Sweden’s rail network over the past 60 years can…

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  • Two decades of steam at Perrygrove

    Two decades of steam at Perrygrove

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    The Perrygrove Railway is approaching its 20th anniversary. With an enthusiastic and experienced young family team at the regulator it looks set fair for the next couple of decades, as Cliff Thomas reports. THE 15in-gauge Perrygrove Railway, near Coleford, in the Forest of Dean, has always been a family-run operation with families at the forefront…

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  • From the Granite City to Mount’s Bay

    From the Granite City to Mount’s Bay

    by

    Sam Hewitt

    –

    John Heaton FCILT, rides Britain’s longest passenger journey, which runs from Aberdeen to Penzance – a distance of 776 miles. It is just before 08.00 as an insignificant Class 2 local train shuffles unassumingly into a bay platform at Aberdeen station. To the staff it is simply ‘2A01’ and, to its passengers, simply a humdrum…

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