News

THE new Chiltern Railway service from central Oxford to London Marylebone began on December 11, the first new rail link between two major cities for 100 years. A formal opening with Transport Secretary Chris Grayling was held on the following day. Chiltern opened a new twin track line from Bicester to Oxford Parkway 12 months…

Continue reading »

THE first UK-built five-car Class 800 IEP has rolled off the production line at Hitachi Rail Europe’s (HRE) new £82million train building factory at Newton Aycliffe. It is just 15 months since the then Prime Minister David Cameron formally opened the facility. Set No. 800005 emerged to a fanfare from the commissioning shed on December 9…

Continue reading »

THE rejection by a High Court judge of an application by Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) for an injunction against the strikes on Southern by rail union ASLEF has failed. GTR had been given leave to appeal but the ruling means the strikes over driver-only operation (DOO) continue. GTR had argued the strikes were a ‘breach…

Continue reading »

THE CUSTODIANS of Hawthorn Leslie 0-6-0ST No. 3837 are appealing for help in the restoration of the Lavender Line-based locomotive after membership dropped from 40 to just 19. Brian Davis, of the Hawthorn Leslie 3837 Preservation Society, has contacted the local and railway press in an effort to drum up some support for the former…

Continue reading »

THE Lincolnshire Wolds Railway will have three working steam locomotives on its books during May when the Ludborough line plays host to a visit from the former Wissington Light Railway stalwart Hudswell, Clarke Wissington. The 1938-built 0-6-0ST (No. 1700) will visit the ex-Great Northern Railway line, courtesy of the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway…

Continue reading »

FOR many the withdrawal and scrapping of Churchward ‘Saint’ No. 2920 Saint David by British Railways in 1953 was the last opportunity to see one of the graceful 4-6-0s in BR’s lined black livery. Now, 64 years later, that opportunity is just around the corner once again. Thanks to an agreement between photo-charter specialist Timeline…

Continue reading »

BULLEID ‘Battle of Britain’ No. 34081 92 Squadron is back and looking better than ever following an extensive overhaul at the Nene Valley Railway’s Wansford workshops. The work has been carried out by the Battle of Britain Locomotive Society over the last six years, starting almost as soon as the Light Pacific arrived at Wansford from…

Continue reading »

THE tender belonging to Stanier ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas has been fitted with an all-new tender tank at the Bahamas Locomotive Society’s Ingrow base at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway. The new tank has been built by Hill & Websters Ltd, of Ashbourne, using Bahamas’ old tender as a pattern. It was lowered onto the…

Continue reading »

THE valley of the River Severn will regularly echo to the sound of a GWR ‘57XX’ 0-6-0PT once more during 2017 following the return to operation of the Severn Valley Railway’s (SVR) resident Kerr, Stuart-built No. 7714. Although there have been visits by South Devon Railway-based classmate No. L92 (5786), most recently in March 2015, and ‘64XX’…

Continue reading »

THE Thompson B1 Locomotive Trust’s No. 61264 has been confirmed as one of the star attractions at the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s curtain-raising steam gala on March 3-5. The railway is capitalising on the lifting of the year-long bridge weight restriction that prohibited locomotive movements to and from Haworth by bringing the BR black 4-6-0…

Continue reading »