Heritage Railway issue 198

INSIDE: COMPLETE 2015 EVENTS GUIDE

ISSUE 198

January 15 – February 11, 2015

BITTERN’S FAREWELL MAIN LINE RUN BRING STEAM BACK INTO BALA!

TAKE SEVERN VALLEY PICTURES THE OTHERS MISS!

■ ALLAN GARRAWAYTRIBUTE

NORTH YORKSHIRE MOORS NAMED BEST IN UK

CONTENTS ISSUE 198

January 15 – February 11

News

10

HEADLINE NEWS

6

Farewell to Allan Garraway, one of preservation’s founding fathers; major bid to bring steam into Bala town centre launched; British Empire Medal for National Railway Museum volunteer; ‘new’ tender for GWR heavy freight No. 3802 for Steel, Steam & Stars IV gala; and London Transport pannier L92 to make Severn Valley comeback at gala.

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NEWS

10

Pullman car Lydia returns to Churchill funeral train at National Railway Museum; Whitby platform helps North Yorkshire Moors Railway land top national award; the Great Central Railway’s white Christmas; Post Office underground railway passenger trains plan progresses; tribute to centenarian linesider Reg Batten; Talyllyn locomotives return to 1865 livery; more parts arrive for new Gresley P2; new Severn Valley diesel depot built by summer; fifth Garratt for Welsh Highland; Earl of Mount Edgcumbe ‘Christmas White Rose’ stunner; fresh hopes for Foyle Valley revival; NRM recalls classic railway safety posters of yesteryear; and Wensleydale poised to start Northallerton West services.

CONTENTS: George England 0-4-0STT Prince and Single Fairlie 0-4-4T Taliesin head away from Tanygrisiau on the Ffestiniog Railway on December 28. LEWIS MADDOX COVER: LNER A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern approaches Blankney with UK Railtours’ ‘Bittern Farewell’ on December 30. BRIAN SHARPE

Regulars

Features

Centre spread

54

Main Line Tours

72

Railwayana

74

Off the Shelf

92

Phil Waterfield’s view of No. 5199 in the snow at Garth-y-dwr.

Steam and heritage diesel railtours.

37

MAIN LINE NEWS

Geoff Courtney’s regular column.

Latest book and DVD releases.

63

Steam Dreams marks Second World War events with specials; seven final trips for Sir Nigel Gresley; Bittern heads for home at Ropley; work to start on Aberdeen’s Ferryhill turntable; and Blue Peter overhaul gets priority.

WITH FULL REGULATOR 68

Don Benn reports on fine performances form A4 Pacific Bittern.

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Scale Heritage Railway 94 Highlights of Hornby 2015 range.

Platform

98

Where your views matter most.

Up & Running

100

The Month Ahead

106

Guide to railways running in January.

Upcoming galas and events.

Severn Valley: The Alternative View

Since it opened as a heritage line, the thousands of visitors to the Severn Valley Railway must have taken well in excess of a million pictures. While every inch of the lineside will have been explored by photographers, most end up at a small number of the well-known locations and stand on the same spot as their predecessors. But there are different results to be had.

Paul Chancellor, of Colour-Rail, presents a selection of some less commonly-seen SVR views.

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2015 EVENTS GUIDE

51 The complete Heritage Railway guide to special events at preserved lines and museum centres for 2015. Events are listed in chronological order, concentrating on those of interest to the enthusiast. All railways will be holding additional events which are aimed more towards the family market, details of which can be obtained direct from the railway.

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Railway Adventure 2015: The Reinvention of Bala

Preservation powerhouse Julian Birley launches a £3 million scheme to bring the Bala Lake Railway into the heart of Bala town centre, reviving the fortunes of both the line and the local tourist economy at a stroke.

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88

Ruddington’s Industrial Wonders

76

Industrial locomotives come in many shapes and sizes, but there are certain distinctive types well-represented in preservation.

Mark Smithers describes the bulk restoration of a collection of related industrial tanks.

Heritage Railway 5

NEWS

LMS Ivatt mogul No. 46521 approaches Quorn & Woodhouse on December 27. ROBERT FALCONER

Great Central white Christmas

WITH long odds against a white Christmas in 2014, the sudden arrival of significant amounts of the white stuff across Central England on Boxing Day evening took a lot of people by surprise.

Perhaps even more surprising was

that the snowfall was followed by several days of clear, cold sunny weather at a time when most of us were off work and many heritage lines were in operation.

The Great Central Railway is noted as the only heritage line to run a

No. 46521 passes Swithland sidings. PHIL WATERFIELD

10 Heritagerailway.co.uk

steam-hauled dining train on Christmas Day itself and from Boxing Day through to the New Year, operated a two-train service.

BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell was in action, taking time off from its main

line schedule, and unusually facing north giving opportunities for some different views.

Supporting the Pacific was south-facing resident LMS Ivatt mogul No. 46521, running in unlined BR black livery.

OliverCromwellblowsasmokeringasitapproachesWoodthorpeLane. KEN WOOLLEY Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 OliverCromwelldeparts from Rothley on December 27. ROBERT FALCONER Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

Heritage Railway 11

News Vietnam turns to steam for tourism boost WHAT has been described as the first steam locomotive in Vietnam to be restored to running order in several decades as undergone its first test run.

Metre gauge Tu Luc coalburning 2-8-2 No. 141-190 ran over a 20-mile route from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Nai Province’s Trang Bom District on December 28.

After steam locomotives were replaced by diesels in 1996, No. 141-190 was sent to locomotive firm in Hanoi and was dismantled for scrap.

However, after Vietnam announced in 2009 that it wanted to restore steam locomotives for tourism purposes, three were bought by the Indochina Rail Company.

In late 2010, the components were transported to Di Binh Duong for reconstruction which was completed in late October.

Another steam locomotive also transported from Hanoi for assembly and restoration, is also being worked on at the Di An Rail Company. The type had its origins in locomotives built by Société Alsacienne de Construction Mecaniques in France, with the initial batch of 27 delivered between 1947 and 1950, before Vietnam became divided into North and South.

A total of eight are believed to survive.

Mallard 75 repatriation mastermind engineers The Railway Children

By Robin Jones

THE man who brought the two exiled LNER A4 Pacifics across the Atlantic for the Mallard 75 celebrations has made the latest stage production of the timeless classic The Railway Children possible.

The acclaimed production of BOS Productions’ version of the Edith A. Nesbit novel opened in a new purpose-built temporary theatre next door to King’s Cross on December 16 – following a marathon effort by Andrew Goodman’s Sutton Coldfieldbased haulage company Moveright International.

It was Andrew who brought A4s No. 60008 Dwight D. Eisenhower and No. 60010 Dominion of Canada back from North America for the National Railway Museum’s multiple award-

winning three Great Gatherings of all six class members to mark the 75th anniversary of No. 4468 Mallard’s 126mph world speed run in 1938.

Now his firm has enabled the new theatrical production of the novel, best known for the EMI big screen version filmed on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway in 1970 – to take place. Moveright International Group helped prepare the site, brought the guest steam locomotive – the NRM’s 141-year-old Nine Elms-built LSWR T3 express passenger 4-4-0 No. 563 – and carriage to the temporary theatre and organised the logistics of operating the train for every performance – including bringing railway equipment from as far away as The Netherlands – inside a specially-constructed 1000seat heated marquee.

The six-wheeled coach, Great North

Reprieve for Manx horse tramway

THE Isle of Man’s famous Douglas horse tramway is to continue on its present route until the autumn.

A scheme to remodel the resort’s promenade was due to have seen the 3ft gauge line closed for next year, the last services having run on September 14.

The scheme was set to see the route of the tramway altered, with the trams moved from the centre of the roadway over which they have run since 1876 on to a new alignment on the pedestrian walkway.

Accordingly, no trams were due to run until at least 2016. It was to be the longest period of closure since the Second World War. However, the scheme is being delayed by discussions over the new position of the tramline, and talks with local residents.

The delay is likely to mean that the trams will be back on their present alignment this year, and the route may be kept in a less modified form.

28 Heritagerailway.co.uk

SerenaManteghiasBobbieinspectstheT3insideKing’sCrossTheatre. JOHAN PERSSON

of Scotland Railway first class No. 63, was built in 1894 and is one of only two coaches from this railway company to survive. In a derelict state, it was saved initially at Aviemore and was later restored in a stable near Harrogate, before being moved to the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway. It is one of several vintage coaches owned by acclaimed restorer Stephen Middleton of Stately Trains.

Both the T3 and the coach had to be moved from the north of England to King’s Cross for the performance, which recently had its run extended to September 6.

Andrew said that ensuring the show opened on time in December took months of preparation. Much of the work had to be carried out at night, to keep local road disruption to a minimum.

During the show, the T3 and coach ‘steam’ into the auditorium, powered by a quiet, battery-electric locomotive specially brought in from Holland.

Railway Support Services Ltd, part of the Moveright International group, provided and installed the track materials as well as the crews and support staff to move the rolling stock in and out of the auditorium, on-cue for performances.

Andrew said: “Technically and logistically, this has been quite a challenge. Clearly, given the live audience and specially-prepared site, safety is absolutely paramount.

“It was an inspired idea to use a battery-electric shunter to move the 60-tonne locomotive and its coach during performances which eliminates the excessive noise and exhaust fumes that would be produced by a diesel.

Heritage first as Class 68 steals Dereham show IN a first for a heritage line, of Britain’s newest main line locomotives – Class 68 diesel No. 68007 Valiant made its debut – on the Mid-Norfolk Railway.

The 85-ton locomotive, built in Valencia, Spain by Vossloh with a 3800hp Caterpillar diesel engine and leased by Direct Rail Services, hauled passenger trains during the line’s December 27-28 diesel gala, which attracted more than 2000 visitors.

While it can operate at speeds up to 99mph, on heritage railways it has to keep to 25mph – although not while it is running on the Mid-Norfolk Railway.

DRS has a depot at Stowmarket, operates locomotive-hauled local passenger trains for Greater Anglia to Yarmouth and Lowestoft, as well as infrastructure trains for Network Rail, SMNR commercial director James

Class 68 No. 68007 Valiant at Wymondham Abbey loop on December 27 during the Mid-Norfolk Railway’s Winter Warmer gala.

PHILIP GREENSLADE

Steward said: “We are extremely grateful to DRS. “It’s a great example of the spirit of co-operation between the heritage rail sector and our main line

colleagues, and of course we’re pleased that the Mid-Norfolk Railway is the very first heritage line in the country to welcome one of these brand new locomotives.”

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Backing for South Tynedale line extension

Stop that train! Following in the footsteps of Jenny Agutter, Serena Manteghi as Bobbie becomes the latest to wave her red knickers in The Railway Children. JOHAN PERSSON “Of course, the steam locomotive has not worked for more than half a century and is incapable of being steamed so that was out of the question. But our search for something suitable took us to Holland as there was nothing available in the UK.” “Clearly it’s important that everything works without a hitch and that the train runs to time for every performance!”

Inside the theatre, the audience sit on both sides of a full-size replica of the KWVR’s Oakworth station.

The site of the temporary theatre was once the York Way servicing facility for locomotives operating East Coast Main Line train services. After the show ends, the theatre will be removed ready for construction of Google’s new UK headquarters.

The Railway Children is a revival of the Olivier Award-winning production written by Mike Kenny which was originally presented at the NRM in York and later at the redundant Waterloo International terminal, featuring GNR Stirling single No. 1. In 2011, it opened in Toronto, also in a temporary theatre, built at the base of CN Tower in Roundhouse Park.

The temporary King’s Cross Theatre has been erected next door to the GNR terminus. IAN CROWDER

Andrew Goodman of Moveright International with the newly-arrived LSWR T3 No. 563. IAN CROWDER The cast is led by Jeremy Swift as Mr Perks and Caroline Harker as Mother.

Also in the cast are Louise Calf as Phyllis, Clare Corbett as Mrs Perks, Jack Hardwick as Peter, Mark Hawkins as Jim/District Super, Connie Hyde as Mrs Viney, Andrew Loudon as Father/Doctor, Serena Manteghi as Bobbie, Blair Plant as Schepansky and Moray Treadwell as the Old Gentleman, along with a children’s ensemble made up of four teams of 10 children aged between nine

and 15.

The King’s Cross Theatre production is in support of the Railway Children which aims to help homeless and runaway children throughout the world, with £1 per ticket donated to the charity. ➜ The box office can be contacted on 0844 871 7604.

For further details on performances and ticket prices, visit www.railwaychildrenlondon.com

Lynsettosteamin2015 THE design for the pony trucks for the new-build Lynton & Barnstaple replica Baldwin 2-4-2T replica Lyn has been completed.

The 762 Club has placed orders with Alan Keef & Son to manufacturer the front and rear pony truck assemblies.

The work will be carried out by the Ross-on-Wye based manufacturer over the next three months, with completion scheduled for March.

This complex and expensive section of the locomotive is the final ‘large’ piece of Lyn to be designed. Only smaller components like boiler cladding and the manifold remaining before the whole locomotive is designed and drawn using 21st century SolidWorks 3D modelling.

The assembly of Lyn will begin in earnest in the spring when the cylinder block is delivered together with the frames. By this time, the full set of motion and valve gear will also be complete to allow rapid erection of the locomotive.

Fly crank fitting on the wheelset for new Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Baldwin 2-4-2T Lyn. 762 It is expected that Lyn will take up to 10 months to fully assemble, ready for a first steaming in December.

The group still has several spare memberships available at £762 each.

Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.

PLANS by the 2ft gauge South Tynedale Railway to revive the entire length of the NER Alston branch have been backed by councillors.

The South Tyne Railway Preservation Society says that 100,000 extra visitors would be drawn to the locality each year.

Chairing a meeting of Haltwhistle Town Council on December 1, Coun Alan Sharp said: “This is a great project going forward. It should bring in trade to support our shops, pubs, cafes and other services.

“I was really pleased with the enthusiasm of the society, and I think we should encourage this as much as we can.”

The society currently runs a 3.5 mile line from Alston to Lintley Halt, attracting 40,000 visitors per year, and has secured a £4.2million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund to extend 1.5 miles to Slaggyford.

However, if various parcels of land can be obtained, it could extend by another eight miles to Haltwhistle by 2022. The original standard gauge branch was closed by BR in 1976.

Blaenavon’s second Barclay THE Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway has taken on ownership of a second Andrew Barclay 0-6-0ST, No. 2074 of 1939 Llantarnam Abbey.

The locomotive has been on site for several years, owned by the Llantarnam Abbey group, and has been slowly undergoing restoration albeit while the group has been working on the other steam locomotives at the railway.

The group has decided to gift the locomotive to the railway and it will be moved under cover for work to begin.

The main problem has been the wheelsets, but donor ones have been located.

Last year, the railway was given ex- Stewarts & Lloyds Steel Tube Works Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 2201 of 1945 Victory by the National Museum of Wales earlier this year, The best boiler from either Llantarnam Abbey or Victory will be utilised to return the former to steam, while Victory will take its place next in the restoration queue.

The plan is that with three Barclays on board, the third being the lighter trains will never be without traction. Three identical boilers and many interchangeable fittings should mean that the PBR could have two in steam at any one time.

Heritage Railway 29

GWR 2-6-2T No. 5199 passes Garth-y-dwr on the Llangollen Railway on December 29. PHIL WATERFIELD

MAIN LINE NEWS

No. 4464 Bittern approaches Colton Junction with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Christmas White Rose’ from King’s Cross to York on December 13. NIGEL PRIORY

TABLEONENEWCASTLETOYORK Date Train Loco Load Driver Fireman Recorder Weather

Thursday, December 5, 2013 1644 Newcastle to York ‘The Tyne-Tees Streak’ A4 Class 4-6-2 No. 4464 Bittern 10 coaches, 344 tons tare, 370 tons gross Steve Hanczar Keith Murfin Alan Rawlings Cloudy, windy, dark

Newcastle Newcastle West Jct King Edward Bdge S Jct Bensham Low Fell Jct Birtley Jct Chester-Le-Street Plawsworth Durham Relly Mill Jct Croxdale Hett Mill Tursdale Junction Ferryhill Ferryhill South Jct Bradbury Aycliffe Jct Darlington Croft Spa Eryholme Jct Cowton Danby Wiske Northallerton Longlands Jct Otterington Thirsk Sessay Pilmoor Raskelf Alne Tollerton Beningbrough Skelton Bdge Jct Skelton Junction York

miles 0.00 0.16 0.74 1.19 2.72 4.90 8.26 10.13 13.93 15.19 18.20 19.84 21.14 23.23 23.85 25.81 30.74 36.00 38.61 41.15 42.93 46.34 50.13 51.40 53.55 57.91 62.13 64.10 66.73 68.88 70.40 74.60 76.98 78.48 80.18

sched mins secs 0.00 00 00 02 05 2.00 03 34 04 31 3.30 06 15 5.30 08 29 10.00 11 40 13 17 17.00 16 46 17 45 20 32 21 40 23.00 22 52 24 32 26.00 25 00 26 37 29 58 35.00 33 25 35 18 37 09 38 22 40 42 44.00 43 30 44 21 46 09 49.30 48 55 52 00 54.30 53 09 54 54 56 19 59.00 57 15 60 23 62 00 64.00 63 17 67.00 66 18 * speed restriction start to stop average 72.56 mph

68 Heritagerailway.co.uk

speed 14 35 41 57 60 68 65/63/74 70 63 81 75 73/78 77 77 84/86/78 83 94 89 82 86 88 76* 78 86 91 90 91 92 91 90 90 73 65

WITH FULL REGULATOR

LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW

By Don Benn THIS time I am going to take a look at LNER A4 Pacific No. 4464 Bittern and some of its performances in recent times as well as in Scotland in the 1960s.

Bittern was built at Doncaster in 1937, and after a career with the LNER and BR was withdrawn from service after working the ‘Farewell to A4s’ special from Glasgow to Aberdeen and return on September 3, 1966. It was bought for preservation by Geoff Drury and initially worked a number of railtours in the York area, before being taken off the main line with cracked frames.

It was not until 2000 that it was overhauled and then restored to main line running in 2007, hauling its first trip from King’s Cross to York on December 1 of that year, almost exactly 70 years since first emerging from Doncaster Works.

In 2009 it was renumbered from No. 60019 to No. 4492 Dominion of Canada and worked a number of trips in that guise. Finally Bittern was returned to its original condition with side valances and numbered 4464, then in 2013 had the honour of becoming the first engine in preservation to be allowed officially to run at 90mph.

There are well-documented cases of other engines, mainly Bulleid Pacifics, reaching 90-plus mph in preservation, but these are too recent for details to be made public – maybe in 50 years’ time!

Anyway, on June 29, 2013, as No. 4464, Bittern

reached 92mph on the first of three planned trips.

The other two had to be postponed due to the perceived fire risk in the hot summer conditions, and the trips finally took place on December 5 and 7 that year.

So that is where we start – the high-speed run from Newcastle to York on December 5, 2013... and even this nearly didn’t take place.

I could not be there so my colleague Alan Rawlings takes up the story of the train running log shown in Table One: “I travelled to York to join the special on a service train from King’s Cross to Edinburgh. After leaving London we were warned that due to the stormy weather in the north the train would terminate at Newcastle and also run at reduced speed after Peterborough.

“On arrival at York, the train was in fact terminated due to problems with the overhead wires. The charter train arrived on time, but to a station in shutdown mode. Finally, and nearly an hour late, we were the first train allowed to head northwards, steam hauled, but at a maximum speed of 50mph.

This was, of course, a great disappointment as the rain had by now cleared and the wind was less strong than earlier.

“But the issues soon became apparent as we tiptoed past Network Rail staff at Danby Wiske who were removing tree debris from the overhead wires.

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before high-speed running of any train could be allowed, never mind ‘The Streak’.

“Our journey to Newcastle took two hours instead of the booked 80 minutes, but we were reassured that Bittern would be turned in time for an on-time departure for the return.

“Much to everyone’s relief it was also confirmed that we would be able to run as planned. The schedule of 67 minutes for the 80-odd miles was, to put it mildly, rather tight and by far the most challenging of all the high-speed runs associated with the Mallard 75 event. Couple this with the fact that the first 15 miles to Relly Mill are ‘against the collar’ and that makes what transpired one of the best performances of locomotive and crew that I have experienced for quite some time.

“The schedule out to Birtley Junction was bizarrely not far short of even time and this section was taken fairly cautiously as the crew got to grips with the damp and gusty conditions. Speed then built up, only dropping from 68 to 63 on the 1-in-150 through Plawsworth, and then peaking at 74 on the easier grades before the final assault through Durham to Relly Mill Junction – this being cleared at a creditable 63mph.

“The momentum of the train then increased as we hurried through the dip at Croxdale, before sweeping over the slight rise through Ferryhill and coming to the top of what is effectively a 55-mile descent to our destination.

“This was the first section where 90mph running was possible. It was dark. All that could be seen out of the window was the blur of lights from the occasional landmark. Fortunately, the brilliance of modern satellite technology meant that the onwards rush of Bittern could still be captured in detail.

Acceleration was swift after Bradbury and we were up into the mid-80s with no apparent effort. After a momentary easing on the level stretch approaching Aycliffe we then plunged towards Darlington, where the maximum of the trip was achieved. Over a three-

quarters-of-a-minute period either side of Darlington we were travelling at 94mph with a momentary maximum of 94.7. But we were still heading downhill with another couple of miles to the Tees Bridge at Croft, so Bittern had to be eased or 100 may well have been reached.

“The pace of the train took us over Eryholme at 82 and we got close to 90 again before having to check for the speed restriction imposed by Network Rail across a road underbridge at Northallerton – a mere 75mph that would normally not have affected main line steam, but in this instance was a mere interlude before the final burst.

“The speed first hit 90 again just before Thirsk and there it remained for around 15 miles as Bittern flew across the Vale of York. By now it became clear that, amazingly, we were likely to match the schedule we had been given and all that was needed was for York to be ready for us. Indeed it was and full advantage was taken of the clear road as we swept across the track layout to come to a stand over a half a minute inside booked time at an average speed of 72½mph.’’

Anything following that is bound to be a bit of an anticlimax, but in 2008 I timed a fine run with Bittern then running as No. 60019 on a Railway Touring Company charter from King’s Cross to Scarborough and back, which was steam hauled between King’s Cross and Doncaster RMT in both directions.

The load was 12 for 440 tons and Ron Smith handled Bittern well going north, running the 41.79 miles from Stevenage, where we departed 19 minutes late on the slow line to a water stop at Holme just outside even time in 42 minutes 29 seconds with a maximum of 78½mph after St Neots.

This was despite slow running from Offord to the stop, and an average of 74.1mph for the 20 miles between mileposts 33 and 53.

Even better was to come. After a signal stop just short of Stoke summit, to allow a GN main line fast train past, we ran the 54.47 miles to the stop at Doncaster RMT in 53 minutes 10 seconds, 61.48mph

TABLETWONEWARKTOPETERBOROUGH Date Train Loco Load Driver Fireman Timed by Position Weather

September 27, 2008 15.15 Scarborough to King’s Cross A4 Class 4-6-2 No. 60019 Bittern 12 coaches 412 tons tare, 440 tons gross David Blair Perry Don Benn gps 11 of 12 warm and sunny

Newark

miles sched mins secs 0.00 0.00 00 00

Barnby Xing Claypole MP 112 Barkston Peascliffe Tunnel South Grantham MP 104 MP 103 Great Ponton Stoke Tunnel North Stoke Tunnel South Stoke Summit Corby Glen MP 94 Little Bytham Essendine Greatford Xing Tallington Helpston Werrington Jct Peterborough

1.08 4.78 8.03 10.44 12.30 14.68 16.03 17.03 17.95 19.13 19.63 20.12 22.97 26.03 27.90 31.33 33.03 35.32 38.23 40.50 43.74

*brakes or speed restriction

03 7.00 07 10 12 13 18.00 16 17 18 19 20 20 24.00 21 23 25 27 30 31 39.00 33 35 39 51.00 46

22 17 17 24 57 02 22 16 12 06 34 02 30 57 21 06 25 02 20 52 55

speed 1 min early 40 64½ 71½ 68½ sigs 61* 70½ 67 65½ 65 64½ 64 62 76 78½ 77 74 79 76 73 sigs 18*

net time 41 mins

Heritage Railway 69

THE MONTH AHEAD

LMS 4F 0-6-0 No. 43924 approaches Oxenhope on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on December 29. DAVE RODGERS

The 2015 gala season begins...

January is traditionally the heritage lines’ quietest month, with volunteers and locomotives needing a well-earned break after the Christmas season. By the end of the month though, the gala season is getting into full swing with the East Lancashire and Great Central railways getting the ball rolling as usual.

Unfortunately BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92212 will not be available to visit Lancashire as expected, but another goods engine, resident LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624, will be the centre of attention in Leicestershire as it sheds its maroon livery for authentic dirty BR black.

Happy New Year From Issue 199 is out on February 12 2015 Catch up with the latest news, views and great features every four weeks.

106 Heritagerailway.co.uk

30 – Feb 1: Great Central Railway: Winter Steam Gala ■

SPECIAL EVENTS January

10: East Lancashire Railway: Diesel Day ■ 17, 18: East Lancashire Railway: Steam Gala ■ The locomotive line-up for this event includes LMS ‘Crab 2-6-0 No. 13065, L&Y 0-6-0 No. 12322, LNER K4 2-6-0 No. 61994 The Great Marquess, BR Standard 2-6-4T No. 80080, LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0s Nos. 44871 and 45407, and Peckett 0-4-0ST May. There will be goods trains, on which brakevan rides are available, double heading and banking.

There will also be 3P20 Parcels Group photographic experiences at Buckley Wells Shed on Friday evening and along the line on Monday, which must be booked in advance.

KEY ■ Major or featured galas

This event will take place over three days with guest locomotives No. 7820 Dinmore Manor and 0-6-0PT No. 1501. BR Standard Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell will attend, and LMS 8F 2-8-0 No. 48624 will run in BR weathered black condition – with five locomotives in steam on Friday and eight over the weekend. On Saturday evening the renowned GCR Twilight Show returns. From 4.30pm, as dusk falls, there will be an intense period of activity at Quorn & Woodhouse station, including freight trains and a night-time nonstop mail drop by the Travelling Post Office train. The show is fully narrated with the sounds of the block bells from the signalbox also relayed over speakers, while a number of locomotives will be turned on the turntable

■ Diesel and/or electric galas

February

13-15: Mid Hants Railway: Steam Gala 14, 15: Locomotion Shildon: Winter Gala 21, 22: Churnet Valley Railway: Steam Gala 21, 22: Llangollen Railway: Days Out with Thomas ■ 21, 22: Nene Valley Railway: 35A New England Winter Steam 27 – Mar 1: Keighley & Worth Valley Railway: Steam Gala

RAILWAYANA JANUARY

31: Great Northern Railwayana, Poynton

■ Thomas and family events Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway