STEEL, STEAM & STARS IV LLANGOLLEN 2015
ISSUE 194 September 25 – October 22
UNDERGROUND STEAM
ANOTHER FIVE YEARS
AN ‘ACE OF AN ACE’
STANIER POWER IN NORTHERN ENGLAND
No. 194
COCK O’ THE NORTH
£4.20
HORNBY’S P2
OPINION
EDITORIAL
Editor Robin Jones 01507 529305 rjones@mortons.co.uk Deputy editor Brian Sharpe bsharpe@mortons.co.uk Publisher Tim Hartley Senior contributing writers Geoff Courtney, Cedric Johns Contributors Fred Kerr, Roger Melton Designer Tim Pipes Reprographics Jonathan Schofield Group production editor Tim Hartley Editorial address Heritage Railway magazine, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Website www.heritagerailway.co.uk
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ISSN No 1466-3560
Published Every four weeks on a Thursday Advert deadline October 13, 2014 Next issue on sale October 23, 2014
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Lambton, Hetton & Joicey Collieries 0-6-2T No. 29 returned to County Durham for the first time since 1970 for the Tanfield Railway’s September 14-15 mining machines gala. The engine is seen approaching Sunniside with coal empties on September 13. HENRY ELLIOTT
Moving the front forward
H
ow do you measure real success in the heritage railway sector? One yardstick I have always used is the ability to accurately recreate scenes from yesteryear. Another, of course, must be crowd appeal, however, the reclamation of ‘lost territory’ must be among the biggest achievements to aim for. The stupendous success of London Underground’s operation of a passenger-carrying Victorian steam train in between electric tube services created a benchmark. Thanks to the efforts of Andy Barr and his team, we are now assured at least five more years of time travel in the tunnels beneath the city streets, turning locals and international visitors alike on to the fact that this network is not only the world’s first underground system, oozing with heritage in its own right, but the greatest too. Yet, you don’t have to have a big chequebook or be among the likes of the Severn Valley, North Yorkshire Moors or Bluebell railways to produce stunning results. This principle was never more evident than at the brilliant First World War-themed Tracks to the Trenches weekend at the Apedale Valley Light Railway near Newcastle-under-Lyme. In a comparatively short space of time, a patch of open land behind the line’s replica Silverdale station was turned into a section of Western Front trench, complete with its own supporting railway system. The line is run by the Moseley Railway Trust, which over the decades has built up a massive collection of industrial locomotives and stock considered less than fashionable at most major venues. Let’s be honest – Motor Rail Simplex petrol tractors are never going to have the mass public appeal of Mallard, Tornado or Flying Scotsman, and are firmly in
the niche interest category. Yet given an authentic panorama in which to operate, they wowed the crowds and made the September 14-15 event the most successful by far in the line’s short history. It was 1914-18 all over again. Simplexes, protected and unprotected, delivering ammunition supplies to the front line and tented encampment, driven by appropriately uniformed military personnel. The field railway created for the event easily ticked all the heritage-era success boxes for me. Once more, territory has also been reclaimed for the heritage portfolio. The use of railways in both world wars is an integral part of transport history, but so far only Apedale has been able to offer a fully fledged trench recreation to this standard. I was delighted to hear that the field railway will remain in place after the Heritage Railway-sponsored event; as a living museum that will be able to spring into action at the turn of a key. This is an educational resource that is now far too valuable to simply let slip away. I suspect that comparatively few people had visited Apedale before; this landmark event has placed it firmly on the map, and hopefully paved the way for more cameo scenes from the heyday of industrial narrow gauge to be recreated. The event also proves that ideas are often more productive than armies of volunteer labour ploughing the same old furrow. As was shown by former National Railway Museum director Steve Davies when he dreamed up the idea of repatriating two A4s from North America for Mallard 75, a momentary flash of inspiration can change the way people view railway preservation overnight and maybe forever. Well done all at Apedale! Robin Jones Editor Heritage Railway 3
CONTENTS ISSUE 194
September 25 - October 22
News
12
HEADLINES
6
Five more years for London Underground steam trips; fourth Steel, Steam & Stars gala booked for Llangollen in 2015; new Whitby second platform boosts North Yorkshire Moors’ visitor numbers, parish council withdraws support as Churnet Valley lifts Oakamoor line and the day that two Lancaster bombers swooped over Ludborough station.
22 NEWS
10
Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway in plea for last £32,000 to complete five bridges to Broadway;Tracks to the Trenches WWI stunner at Apedale; council calls for East Lancashire Castleton extension; lease gives Swanage control of entire branch; Tornado at Nene Valley gala; Richmond Light Railway’s first open day; P2Prince of Wales appeal tops £1.3 million; two former Quainton Road Ivatts to steam this year; Mayflower debut at North Norfolk gala; Isle of Man cuts heritage railway subsidies as protests mount over Douglas station future, rare Lewin engine makes Beamish debut; major sponsorship deal for new Patriot tender and the mystery Scottish halt that sets a new railwayana record.
CONTENTS: SR West Country Pacific No. 34046 and GWR 4-6-0 No. 5029 NunneyCastle pass the1864-built Wheal Hallenbeagle tin mine at Scorrier with Steam Dreams’ ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ returning from Penzance. DAVE COLLIER COVER: LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchessof Sutherlandmakes the ascent of Shap at Scout Green with a SRPS tour returning from Crewe to Polmont on September 12. KEN WOOLLEY
Regulars
Railwayana
46
Centre spread
54
Main Line tours
64
Platform
84
Scale heritage railway
86
Reviews
88
Up & Running
90
Auction news and events latest.
No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland climbing to Shap by Brian Sharpe takes centre stage.
Features Stanier steam supreme
Brian Sharpe reports on a difficult summer for main line steam but as the views of LMS steam in action prove, there was still plenty to enjoy in England’s northern hills during the summer.
Steam, diesel and electric railtours. Where your views matter the most.
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MAIN LINE
56
Braunton overhaul leads to steam shortage, Sir Nigel Gresley’s main line swansong; ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ rerun success; A4 and Deltic requiem repeat and Tangmere’s triumph on the ‘Royal Duchy’ by our timings expert Don Benn.
Hornby Railroad’s Cock O’ The North and 1960s ‘Brighton Belle’ Latest products
Heritage lines and railway museums
The month ahead
Upcoming galas and events.
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NEWS
LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower and B12 No. 8572 await departure from Weybourne on August 29. KIERAN HARDY
North Norfolk doubleheaders By Brian Sharpe
DOUBLEHEADED combinations from both the LMS and the LNER proved to be a big draw at the North Norfolk Railway’s September steam gala. Visiting engines for the event were WR 4-6-0 No. 7820 Dinmore Manor and LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 45305.
The presence of the ‘Black Five’ enabled the railway to doublehead the engine with resident classmate No. 44767 George Stephenson. Other members of the resident fleet in action for the three-day event, which took place under generally sunny skies, were BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084, 9F 2-10-0 No. 92203
WR 4-6-0 No. 7820 DinmoreManor heads a goods train towards Kelling. PETER FOSTER
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Black Prince newly returned from boiler repairs at Crewe, and LNER B12 4-6-0 No. 8572. However, as announced in Heritage Railway last month, a lastminute surprise was the arrival of LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower, which had been purchased by David Buck and is to be based on
the North Norfolk Railway. This gave the unexpected opportunity to doublehead two apple-green LNER 4-6-0s, and matched with the Gresley Quad-Art set of coaches, this is believed to be the first time that two apple-green tender engines have hauled a train of teak coaches in preservation.
LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 44767 GeorgeStephenson and WR 4-6-0 No. 7820 Dinmore Manor at Holt. KENNY FELSTEAD Find us on Facebook.com
Above: LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0s Nos. 45305 and 44767 GeorgeStephenson approach Weybourne on August 29. KIERAN HARDY Right: B12 No. 8572 approaches Weybourne with the Gresley Quad-Art set on August 29. KIERAN HARDY Below: LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflowerand B12 No. 8572 climb towards Kelling Heath. PETER FOSTER
Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.
Heritage Railway 43
Carrying the ‘Royal Scot’ headboard, LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchessof Sutherland heads south towards Shap summit at Great Strickland with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ on August 31, consisting of 12 maroon mostly Mk.1 coaches. BRIAN SHARPE
THE REAL STEAM DAYS
THE LAST DAYS OF THE UNREBUILT
PATRIOTS
A rare visitor to Laisterdyke: Newton Heath’s No. 45500 Patriot waits for the road at Laisterdyke station with a 350 ton empty stock working from Planetrees carriage sidings on June 15, 1960.
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With the new-build LMS Patriot No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior steadily taking shape, Robert Anderson looks at the history of the engines and presents a selection of views of their last days in service.
W
hen the LMS was born in 1923 it immediately became apparent there was a desperate need for a powerful express passenger locomotive capable of travelling at high speed over long distances and tackling Grayrigg, Shap and Beattock banks. The Royal Scot class was hastily designed and constructed, entering service in 1927. It did its job but as built was less than perfect. Right from the start the LMS had been plagued with bitter clashes of personality from its constituent companies – mainly between the former Midland Railway works at Derby with its small engine policy and those of the former LNWR at Crewe which went for larger locomotives with less recourse to double heading. Derby must therefore have felt victorious as when the next new passenger locomotive appeared in 1930 it was actually smaller than the Royal Scot. Classified 5XP and officially titled ‘Three Cylinder Converted Claughton’ they were quickly nicknamed ‘Baby Scots’, but by 1937 they had become known as the Patriot class. Certainly they were a bit of a hybrid design using the Royal Scot type frames and cylinder arrangement with the enlarged LNWR Claughton boiler. Indeed, the first two, which in 1934 became Nos. 5500 and 5501, were classed as rebuilds of large boilered Claughtons Nos. 5902 and 5971 and initially carried these numbers, but just how much Claughton material was actually used has been the subject of much debate. A further 40 locomotives were built in 1932-1933, officially classed as ‘Rebuilt Claughtons’ and these also carried Claughton numbers before being renumbered 5502-41 in 1934. This seems to have been an accountancy exercise in order to justify the withdrawal of 40 Claughtons which were only around 20 years old but proving expensive to maintain. Another 10 Patriots were introduced to traffic in 1934 numbered 55425551 bringing the class up to 52 members. Naming started in the late 1930s but apart from this, little publicity was ever afforded the class. Even the namings were never completed. Maybe the LMS publicity machine was too busy covering up the deficiencies of the Royal Scots or perhaps it was the ongoing in-house fighting within the top level LMS management that did not approve of the replacement and withdrawal of the Claughtons – the pride and joy of the LNWR and Crewe works. On top of all this of course, Patriots were turned out over a period when the LMS was under the jurisdiction of no less than three CMEEs – Fowler, Lemon and Stanier. Performance-wise, the Patriots were naturally overshadowed by the larger Royal Scots but they did take a share in the West Coast Main Line services. Their most notable work was on the Euston to Birmingham New Street two hour expresses. The highly respected writer on LMS Heritage Railway 67