News

THE Bowes Railway received two Ruston & Hornsby diesel-electric locos from the Port of Sunderland Authority, South Docks on March 21. These were the last two locos of a one-time significant fleet of steam and diesel locos serving the once extensive rail system of Hudson and Hendon Docks, collectively known as South Docks. The port is…

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  FORMER DRS Class 37 No. 37688 ran south from Scotland to the Mid-Norfolk Railway (MNR) in late March, de-branded and devoid of its Kingmoor TMD nameplates. It remains mainline registered and certified, so undertook the final leg of its journey running under its own power, light engine, from Norwich to Wymondham around lunch time on…

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EX-Penrhyn Large Quarry type Hunslet 0-4-0ST Gertrude (HE995/1909) has been repatriated by Statfold Barn Railway (SBR), having spent more than half a century in Canada. It was displayed at SBR’s March 25 open day. Gertrude was withdrawn from Penrhyn Quarry service in February 1955 and sold on September 13, 1960. It was bought by Charles…

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FULLY restored ex-Burton and Ashby Light Railway Tram No. 14 made its public debut at SBR’s March 25 open day. It offered rides over the newly laid railway to Oak Tree on the fields side of the roadway line. The dedicated shed to house the tram has been completed together with a street-style terminus with waiting…

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STATFOLD Barn Railway (SBR) opened its new season with a stunning March 25 open day. The two field lines featured 17 SBR locos plus Phil Mason’s visiting Kerr, Stuart ‘Sirdar’ class 0-4-0T Diana in steam. The home fleet included the public debut of newly restored ex-Rugby Portland Cement, Southam, Peckett Liassic (1632/1923), repatriated from Canada…

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SOUTHWOLD Railway Trust (SRT) has bought the site at Blyth Road, Southwold on which it will develop its Steam Works attraction. The land is next to the Southwold Railway’s 1879 trackbed. SRT secured planning permission to develop a workshop and tourist facilities, including 22 chains of track (3ft-gauge demonstration yard and a 7¼in-gauge miniature railway)…

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STATFOLD Barn Railway’s Kerr, Stuart ‘Wren’ 3128/1918 Roger was a late addition to Beamish’s April 6-9 Great North Steam Fair. It joined Phil Mason’s Kerr, Stuart ‘Sirdar’ class 0-4-0T Diana. The theme was the Kerry Tramway – the forestry line in mid-Wales where Diana originally worked – and there were also visiting timber-carrying wagons, including…

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‘THE Royal Scotsman’ luxury landcruise train started its 2017 season of tours on April 17 with a four-night ‘Classic Tour ‘ taking in Speyside, Kyle of Lochalsh and the Cairngorms. GB Railfreight, in its second year providing power for the train, sent Belmond red No. 66746 north to work the train. The immaculate train, formed of…

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LOCO-HAULED trains are seen at Kyle of Lochalsh on a fairly regular basis, but four Class 37s in the station at the same time on April 16 was exceptional. Pathfinder’s ‘Spring Highlander’ tour of Scottish scenic lines, powered by DRS No. 37609 and 37259, was joined by a Network Rail infrastructure management train top-and-tailed by Colas…

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THE first-generation DMU era will finally come to an end in May when Chiltern Railways retires its two passenger-carrying Class 121 railcars (see Traction News). To mark the event, the Branch Line Society ran the ‘Bubble & Squeak Tracker’ on April 9, visiting various rare crossovers, loops and sidings on the Chiltern system, as well…

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