News

THE Department for Transport has given the green light to a £60.4million programme of improvements to increase capacity on the Felixstowe branch in Suffolk. The project will see a second track installed between Trimley and Grimston Lane foot crossing, allowing an extra 14 freight trains to run each day. This will take the maximum capacity…

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SEPTEMBER 30 saw the long-awaited return of rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35018 British India Line to main line passenger service. Freshly repainted in BR lined green, the Bulleid Pacific worked ‘The Lune Rivers Trust’ tour from Carnforth to York via Skipton. Unfortunately, the day did not go entirely to plan as the West Coast Railway…

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RAIL Operations Group (ROG) operated a special charter train from Derby to Moreton-on-Lugg on October 8, writes Keith Fender, taking an indirect route, which included a visit to Peak Rail at Rowsley. ROG’s Nos. 37884 and 47848 were in charge, with the ‘Lickey Incliner II’ running to the Tarmac loading sidings at Moreton-on-Lugg, near Hereford. It…

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THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has confirmed an attractive programme of main line tours to mark the 10th anniversary of ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado in 2018. On February 24, the ‘North Briton’ will take Tornado back to the Settle to Carlisle Line, with the ‘A1’ joining the train at Doncaster Belmont Yard for the run to…

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DB CARGO operated a special train on October 10 to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Barmouth Bridge. A pair of Network Rail Class 97/3 diesels hauled a train of Riviera Trains Mk1s from Shrewsbury to Pwllheli, operating in collaboration with Arriva Trains Wales and Network Rail. The Grade II-listed timber bridge is a vital link…

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DOUBLE-GLAZING firm CR Smith has signed a two-year deal with Edinburgh Trams that will see advertising vinyls applied to 18 trams. Each will promote the company, and also feature a different Scottish town or city. The programme began in late August when Nos. 259 and 266 had vinyls applied, with the total reaching 16 as…

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WORK to safeguard the future of RPSI steam operations received a major boost in mid-October as two more Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail drivers underwent an intensive footplate-training course at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. The course was run in conjunction with West Coast Railways, and aims to ensure continued operation of steam locomotives on the IÉ…

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THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s ‘Munster Double’ tour on October 14 broke new ground in more ways than one. It provided ‘firsts’ for both the society, Iarnród Éireann-Irish Rail and the General Motors Class 071s. The ‘Munster Double’ was conceived by the RPSI’s loco representative in Dublin Gerry Mooney, and provided a rare opportunity…

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THE Lincolnshire Wolds Railway saw just one loco in operation – Class 08 No. D3167 – on its September 24 diesel day. Steam loco Spitfire was in light steam on ‘Thunderbird’ duty but was not needed. The van and three-coach train is seen at North Thoresby station. At the rear of the train is Mk2 coach…

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THE 50th anniversary of the sudden closure of the Oxfordshire Ironstone Company (OIC) system in 1967 was remembered at Rocks by Rail on September 17. The three former OIC Rolls-Royce Sentinel 0-4-0DH diesels now resident at the Rutland railway were featured. They took on the identities of former members of the OIC fleet for the…

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