News

HEAVY snow across the Midlands and Wales during the early hours of December 10 resulted in a number of heritage lines making the difficult choice to cancel or postpone that day’s ‘Santa Special’ services. Such decisions are not taken lightly; the festive specials are some of, if not the, most financially lucrative events for preserved…

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PACIFICS from the Southern Locomotives Ltd (SLL) fleet were on the move during December as the Bulleid-designed locomotives entered or left Herston Works to proceed with the next stages of their respective overhauls. On December 14 the rolling chassis belonging to ‘West Country’ No. 34028 Eddystone returned to Herston following overhaul at Tyseley Locomotive Works –…

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COULD the preservation world see a GWR-designed ‘Grange’ 4-6-0 move under its own power before the end of this year? Twenty years ago the highly regarded Collett locomotives were consigned to the history books only; a member of the “if only one had been preserved” league. However, 2018 could be the year which sees all…

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‘MANOR’ 4-6-0 No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor was expected to work the last trains of its 10-year boiler certificate on December 31 during a special farewell weekend at the Severn Valley Railway. The ‘Manor’ had already enjoyed a stay of execution on its ‘ticket’, having had an extension granted back in February that would see the…

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HERITAGE Boiler Steam Services Ltd (HBSS) of Butterley has been awarded the contract to assemble the boiler for new-build Fowler 4-6-0 No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior. The development brings to an end months of uncertainty over how and where the boiler would be completed. In May of last year, Crewe-based LNWR Heritage, which has been given…

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THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway’s long-held dream of returning steam to the Cotswold honeypot of Broadway is just over 11 weeks away from becoming a reality as this issue of The RM goes on sale. As the opening day of Good Friday (March 30) draws ever closer, the Broadway project team has been working flat…

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THE next South Eastern and Midland Main Line franchises will be the first to be let under the new ‘partnership’ model announced by the Government in late-November. The Invitation to Tender (ITT) documents for Southeastern were issued on November 29, with three bidders confirmed – Abellio, in partnership with JR East and Mitsui, Govia and…

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ONE of the key features of the Government’s new vision is promoting increased local control of routes and services. As a result the DfT will open a consultation on the splitting of the current Great Western franchise to create a new Devon and Cornwall train operator. The new franchise would take responsibility for local and…

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