News

THE Heritage Shunters Trust (HST) at Rowsley South, Peak Rail, received a particularly interesting addition to its extensive collection on January 11 (RM March, p84). Former BR No. PWM650 – one of five 165DE class Ruston & Hornsby 0-6-0DEs ordered by BR(WR) for departmental duties in the 1950s – joins No. PWM654, already in the care of…

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BO’NESS & KINNEIL Railway Class 47 No. 47643 crosses Avon viaduct with the 15.35 Bo’ness-Manuel on April 2. The Type 4 was used to make sure it was in perfect working order, prior to heading the ‘Royal Scotsman’ (RS) coaches on their warm-up runs on the line. This is currently the only working loco on the…

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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 Gertrude was withdrawn from Penrhyn Quarry service in February 1955 and sold on September 13, 1960.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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