News

  • Revised HS2 second-phase route revealed following public feedback

    by

    –

    A REVISED route for the second phase of the construction of the high-speed line HS2 from the West Midlands to Leeds and Manchester has been revealed by the Department for Transport. This preferred route follows consultations over the original line and further refinements as a result of public feedback. The DfT has also reiterated the…

    Continue reading »

  • RPPR memories

    RPPR memories

    by

    –

    I WAS very interested in John Vaughan’s letter (RM Nov, p60) regarding RPPR tours, as I was one of the many modern traction railfans who participated in them. They were always well organised and had interesting routes and destinations, and there was certainly a camaraderie among those who participated. I recall a visit to Consett…

    Continue reading »

  • Shockwaves following Croydon derailment

    Shockwaves following Croydon derailment

    by

    –

    THE seven fatalities resulting from the derailment of a Croydon tram has sent shockwaves through the public transport industry. The incident happened on a sharp bend with the tram travelling at three times the permitted speed. It is the worst rail or tram accident on the UK network since the Ufton Nervet level crossing crash…

    Continue reading »

  • The greatest show on rails

    The greatest show on rails

    by

    –

    Keith Fender reports from Berlin’s Innotrans extravaganza, which takes over the city’s Messe exhibition complex every two years. Where would you find the latest trains before they enter service, every conceivable piece of railway technology, and for good measure free cab rides in a steam loco? Every two years the world’s railway industry converges on…

    Continue reading »

  • Steam restoration makes progress in South Africa

    Steam restoration makes progress in South Africa

    by

    –

    THE Sandstone Heritage Trust in South Africa has begun the restoration of the sole-surviving ‘NG10’ class narrow gauge (610mm gauge) Pacific No. 61 (Baldwin 42633/1915). It was constructed by US firm Baldwin during the First World War when British builders were unable to supply locos to the now-disused 610mm-gauge Avontuur Railway, between Port Elizabeth and…

    Continue reading »

  • Swiss cities invest in new trams… and sell old ones

    Swiss cities invest in new trams… and sell old ones

    by

    –

    SWISS company Basler Verkehrs-Betriebe (BVB) is currently taking delivery of 61 new ‘Flexity’ trams to operate in Basel. The trams are made by Bombardier and are are replacing older vehicles. Basel, in the north of the country, on the border with both France and Germany, has a large tram network run by two companies: BVB…

    Continue reading »

  • Mk3 train for 90mph-registered Tornado

    Mk3 train for 90mph-registered Tornado

    by

    –

    A NEW concept in steam charter train operation has been unveiled by the A1 Trust, which will see its ‘A1’ Pacific Tornado paired with a luxury train consisting of Mk3 rolling stock. The locomotive will be registered to run at a maximum of 90mph, fulfilling the Darlington organisation’s long-held ambition to raise its limited range…

    Continue reading »

  • Hand-over ceremony for £3.1m ‘showpiece’ Whitehead museum

    Hand-over ceremony for £3.1m ‘showpiece’ Whitehead museum

    by

    –

    THE completion of the construction stage of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s showpiece railway museum was marked with an official ‘handing over’ ceremony at Whitehead in September. Building contractor MSM Contracts of Portadown formally handed the new sheds and other buildings over to the RPSI on September 1 after a 12-month construction programme. This…

    Continue reading »

  • Locomotive gathering tribute for Tony’s work

    Locomotive gathering tribute for Tony’s work

    by

    –

    THE North Wilts Model Engineering Society (NWMES) honoured member and model builder Tony Newberry at Coate Water Miniature Railway (CWMR), Swindon on August 13-14. The Tony Newberry Locomotive Gathering brought together as many examples as possible of the 7¼in-gauge scale model GWR locos that Tony has built. This included those owned by NWMES members, invited…

    Continue reading »

  • East Lancs Class 504 future secured

    East Lancs Class 504 future secured

    by

    –

    THE sole-surviving Class 504 EMU – No. 504451 – which had languished at Bury until a group was formed to secure its future, has satisfied the railway management as to its competence to carry the project forward. Two members of the Class 504 Preservation Society met East Lancs Railway (ELR) officers on September 15, who inspected…

    Continue reading »