Heritage Railway - Issue 203 - June 4, 2015

lottery backs £15m great central /nrm museum at leicester north

Issue 203 June 4 – July 1, 2015

Back ck in Business! iness!

West Coast‘on Coast ‘on probation’after probation’ after SPAD

TaW valley heads british pullman on severn valley

Tornado booked for scottish main line tours runaway quorn diesel crash: handbrake left off

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 Paul Fincham and Jonathan Schofield Production editors Dan Sharp and Sarah Palmer 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 June 18, 2015 Next issue on sale July 2, 2015

Member of the Professional Publishers’ Association

GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043EarlofMountEdgcumbeaccelerates away from Llandudno with Vintage Trains’ ‘Seaside Flyer’ returning to Tyseley on May 23. MARK FIELDING

A new museum for all Britain

A

t long last, the Great Central Railway will be home to a new outreach station of the National Railway Museum, after the Heritage Lottery Fund replenished its finances and indicated that it would give nearly £10 million towards the project at Leicester North provided that conditions are met.

Heritage Railway has been calling for such a project for many years. The GCR is the world’s only full-size double-track heritage line, admirably replicating a section of a trunk route, and will soon double its length when the biggest obstacle in the sector, the missing bridge at Loughborough, is replaced.

Meanwhile, the NRM is forever short of space in which to display its collection, and a new satellite station next to an operating heritage railway opens up an amazing array of possibilities.

Classic locomotives and stock which would never be certified for running on today’s national network would be able to operate in an authentic main line setting, and classic items relating to the history of the pre-Grouping Great Central will be displayed under cover in a historically appropriate location.

Leicester North is a perfect location for the museum, lying next to Leicester’s outer ring road, and therefore fairly easily accessible from the motorway network. The Great Central will become exactly that: a heritage line of international appeal, and unlike the NRM in York and its Locomotion counterpart at Shildon, right in the heart of the country. Boom times lie ahead for both the railway and Leicester itself.

Elsewhere, we must praise both the Office of Road and Rail and Network Rail for the constructive manner in which they have seen fit to tackle the crisis which has left the principal operator of main line steam suspended and a catalogue of railtours cancelled.

Nobody, least of all West Coast, can, or has tried to, excuse the circumstances of the Signal Passed at Danger incident at Wootton Bassett Junction on March 7 which could have lead to a disaster of monumental proportions and which sparked off the suspension of the train operator in the interests of public safety.

In the weeks that followed, ORR made scathing criticisms of the Carnforth-based operator and its safety management systems.

However, in carrying out its in-depth scrutiny of West Coast, the ORR also came to the crucial conclusion that rather than exercising its powers to revoke its operating licence, there is clearly much within the company on which an improved regime can be built, and that process is now well under way, with many of the scheduled trains running again.

Whatever action is taken must place public safety first and foremost. The contribution made by main line steam both to the nation’s tourist economy and as an ambassador for rail travel can, against that principle, never be allowed to come more than a poor second, but it is one which all parties appear to agree is worth fighting for. Again, while it is impossible to dilute the seriousness of the SPAD incident, steam on the main line has enjoyed an impeccable safety record since it returned 44 years ago.

It seems that rapid progress is now being made on bringing West Coast back up to scratch in the eyes of the statutory bodies. The whole incident has served as a resounding wake-up call to the whole movement, for if main line steam is lost or diminished, the heart of the heritage sector will be ripped out. Those who run main line steam have a huge responsibility to bear on several fronts, and must ensure that such incidents never happen again.

Robin Jones Editor Heritage Railway 3

CONTENTS ISSUE 203 June 4 – July 1

News

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headline neWS

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Heritage Lottery Fund indicates £10 million support for new Great Central museum at Leicester North; West Coast Railways back in business but “on probation”; new London Underground steam September dates; Abellio books Tornado for Scottish tours in June and British-built steam locomotive to be scrapped in South Africa.

10 News

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Taw Valley returns to steam heading Pullman over Severn Valley; Doubleheaded West Country ‘Spam Cans’ bring in the crowds at big Gloucestershire Warwickshire gala; official report into GCR runaway diesel crash said that handbrake was left off; Princess Royal lays wreath to remember Britain’s worst rail disaster a century on; Pete Waterman locomotives to Peak Rail; last standard gauge engine of steam era runs again at Quainton Road; Barber resteams at South Tynedale; carriage saved as Ballater station museum burns down; Heritage Railway joins buy-a-brick campaign to rebuild historic signalbox and how steam is helping Sierra Leone recover from Ebola.

CONTENTS: O2 0-4-4T No. 24Calbourne running as scrapped sister No. 33 Bembridge departs from Smallbrook Junction with a Don Bishop photo charter on May 9. KARL HEATH COVER: SR Bulleid West Country Pacific No. 34027TawValley departs from Arley with the Golden Jubilee Pullman from Victoria to the Severn Valley Railway on May 16. PHIL WATERFIELD

Regulars Railwayana

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Centre

54

Main line tours

66

Platform

86

up & Running

92

Features

68

Geoff Courtney’s roundup of the latest prices and items coming up for auction.

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Main line neWS

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Tours cancelled by several companies in wake of the now-lifted West Coast Railways track access ban; concern for future of main line steam over monopoly situation; Clan Line taken off Statesman trip at last minute and a tribute to engine owner Bert Hitchen.

With Full RegulatoR 62

Don Benn summarises the best of Britannia Pacific performances past and present.

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Clan Line departing from Bath with the Belmond British Pullman by Derek Phillips.

Brian Sharpe’s guide to steam and heritage diesel railtours.

The pages where your views matter most.

Guide to railways and heritage venues open in June.

the Month ahead

Upcoming galas and events.

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52F South Blyth all change for Wadebridge

For three decades, the Bodmin & Wenford Railway has dreamed of extending into the historic market town of Wadebridge, recreating the route of Cornwall’s first steam line back in 1834. Now a fresh impetus with backing from Cornwall Council may see that dream finally become a reality, writes Robin Jones.

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South Blyth was a North Eastern Railway shed which continued to use NER engines right up to the end of steam. Trevor Gregg takes a nostalgic look back at his local engine shed.

the Southwold Railway project

72

Three-foot gauge railways were a rarity on the British mainland. Mark Smithers reports on progress in the project to revive one long-lost line.

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The land of the midnight sun

Finland’s national collection of preserved steam locomotives is out of proportion to its small population. John Titlow reports from the country’s national railway museum.

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Terry Turner, former general manager of the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway and a member of the Heritage Railway Association’s operating and safety committee, explains how he came across a cost-effective development in level crossing technology which has now been successfully installed at Castle Caereinion.

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Heritage Railway 5

HEADLINE NEws

West Coast back in business – but ‘on probation’ by ORR

By Robin Jones FOLLOWING two months of uncertainty, the Office of Rail and Road has decided not to revoke the operating licence of West Coast Railways at this time.

However, an Improvement Notice has been issued – and the revocation decision could be reviewed in three months’ time.

The future of the Carnforth-based operator, which runs the majority of steam trips over the national network and indeed is one of only two Train Operating Companies licensed to run steam passenger trains, had been placed in doubt following the decision

by Network Rail to suspend its track access as from April 3.

That decision was taken more than three weeks after a Category A SPAD (Signal Passed at Danger) incident involving a ‘Cathedrals Express’ trip hauled by Bulleid Pacific No. 34067 Tangmere at Wootton Bassett Junction on March 7. The train came to a halt at a point which had been passed by a High Speed Train only a minute before.

It was later said that the TPWS apparatus had been disconnected by a member of the footplate crew.

On April 17, the ORR formally announced that it was considering revocation of West Coast’s safety certificate and began a consultation period with other operators which lasted until May 15.

However, as highlighted in Main Line News, pages 56-61, Network Rail lifted its track access suspension on May 7 after West Coast complied with remedial action that had been demanded.

That decision enabled the company’s ‘Jacobite’ season to start as planned on May 11, after fears were widely expressed for the West Highland tourist economy if it did not.

Despite earlier expressing criticism about West Coast’s safety management, and having carried out a full and detailed inspection of the company’s modus operandi, the ORR has now opted for a constructive approach in which it will work alongside the company in improving procedures, rather than withdrawing the safety certificate.

However, West Coast has been warned that such a ban could be imposed at a future date if satisfactory progress is not made within a set timescale. A review is likely within three months.

On May 21, the ORR’s director of railway safety, Ian Prosser, said in an official statement: “Safety on the railways is ORR’s absolute priority, and we will not allow services to run where we see safety risks. Following the serious incident where a West Coast Railway Company train passed a signal warning at danger near Wootton Bassett Junction on March 7, ORR inspectors have carried out an extensive investigation into the standards of safety on their passenger services.

“The regulator’s initial investigation found shortfalls in the WCRC’s safety management system and in response the company has introduced enhanced safety procedures and appropriate staff competence regimes.

“ORR inspectors have been on site examining the new safety

arrangements and inspecting WCRC passenger services to ensure that the necessary changes are being fully implemented by the company.

Improvement Notice issued

“ORR has issued an Improvement Notice to ensure WCRC delivers further improvements. This will ensure workers are provided with suitable training and effective systems to control safety risks and have clearly defined performance indicators in place.

“ORR will closely monitor the company and will not hesitate to step in if any non-compliance with the Improvement Notice is found.”

In effect, West Coast must now give the ORR notice each time that it intends to operate a train. The ORR will then stipulate whether an inspector should be included on the train.

In a letter to West Coast managing director, Pat Marshall, dated May 19, Ian said: “During the notice period, WCRC attended meetings on April 22 and May 15 at our offices, during which oral representations were made.

At the latter meeting we reiterated to you the seriousness of the incident at Wootton Bassett and our concerns which have led us to consider revoking WCRC’s safety certificate.

“We provided you with an opportunity to explain what steps you had already taken during the 28-day notice period. You informed us that you have recruited a non-executive director, general manager and additional staff to supplement your safety management team.

“We concluded the meeting by stating that we require you to

demonstrate that WCRC is committed to making the necessary changes from board level down to secure a Safety Management System which is fit for the scale of your operations.

“During the notice period we have also inspected driver management systems, train movements and maintenance facilities in England and Scotland.

“As part of our consideration whether or not to revoke WCRC’s safety certificate, we have fully considered the representations made by you during the two meetings and during our visits to your premises. We have also fully taken into consideration the representations received, and not withdrawn, from affected parties.

“No significant risk”

“Owing to the steps you have already taken to improve your Safety Management System and our satisfactory site visits, we are satisfied that there is no significant risk requiring the revocation of WCRC’s safety certificate.

“However, we still have concerns that the proposed changes to WCRC’s Safety Management System have not been fully embedded and that there are still some outstanding matters requiring attention. We therefore consider it necessary to serve an Improvement Notice, setting out: (a) the changes we believe are necessary to ensure there is no repeat occurrence of the incident in question, (b) the way in which you should evidence that these changes are being made or have been made and (c) the timescales for compliance.

Footplate ride for actors THE cast of community play In Fog and Falling Snow, which tells the story of the rise and fall of George Hudson, the Railway King, took a ride on the footplate of Britain’s

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oldest operational standard gauge locomotive, the 1863-built Furness Railway Sharp Stewart 0-4-0 No.20, at the National Railway Museum.

They included Olivia Ledden and Charlotte Wood, who both got a taste of being footplate crew ahead of playing the role of George Jenkins, a train driver’s daughter, who is the only one who foresees danger ahead.

Director, Damian Cruden, said: “I wanted to give our cast the experience of riding on a real-live steam engine, especially the feel of heat, the noise, the movement and the limited visibility the drivers would have, which is particularly important to this story.”

The show opens on Friday, June 26, and runs until Saturday, July 11, in the purpose-built Signal Box Theatre at the York museum. For tickets contact 01904 623568 or visit www.yorktheatreroyal.co.uk

New WWI loco for Leighton THE latest arrival at the Leighton Buzzard Railway is a Krauss 0-8-0T Brigadelok locomotive, built in 1918 in Munich for service with the German army.

Later seeing industrial service in France, it was retired in 1965 and preserved in 1970. It has been acquired with the help of the Froissy Dompierre Light Railway in France and is an important addition to the Bedfordshire line’s First World War collection. STEVE DOUGHTY/LBR

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It’s back! LMS ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45407 crosses Lochy viaduct on the first day of the summer season, May 11, as scheduled. JAMES SHUTTLEWORTH

“ORR will also require WCRC to demonstrate periodically that it is meeting all of the conditions of the revised Safety Management System and Improvement Notice.

“If we find any non-compliance, then we could consider you to be in breach of the Improvement Notice and could also look again to the revocation of your Safety Certificate.

“Your continued full compliance with the Safety Management System and Improvement Notice will also be considered when WCRC is required to renew its Safety Certificate.

“We will now need to agree with you the scope of your proposed future operations and a plan for ORR’s supervision of your management

systems over the next few months.”

The announcement by the ORR has lifted much of the uncertainty over steam charters pencilled in by West Coast customers such as Steam Dreams, Vintage Trains and the Railway Touring Company over the key summer months.

The footplate crew from the March 7 incident remains suspended, and it was thought unlikely that they will return to duties with West Coast.

The new “A Team”

After Network Rail imposed its track access suspension, West Coast hired experts from First Class Partnerships to advise and implement changes to the Carnforth operator’s Safety

Management System.

Alex McGregor, a principal consultant with Lloyd’s Register Rail Ltd, has been appointed as interim head of safety, pending a permanent appointment.

He has 30 years’ experience in UK railway operations and safety, including 25 years in management, and was a manager with British Rail, Railtrack and TOCs including ScotRail, Great North Eastern Railway and Midland Mainline. He had also been engaged as a specialist by the Rail Safety and Standards Board.

His skills include independent safety assessment, safety and assurance projects, general train and station operations, traction and rolling stock operations and incident management

and reporting.

Peter Babbage, formerly of British Gas, has been appointed as a new nonexecutive director.

In a letter to West Coast chairman, David Smith, Network Rail freight director Paul McMahon said: “We welcome the commitment West Coast Railways has made to improving safety management, the changes to your Safety Management System (SMS); and the three new roles (director/general manager, head of safety and non-executive director) being introduced to strengthen safety leadership and corporate governance.”

As we closed for press, the name of the new general manager had yet to be disclosed.

Abellio books Tornado for Scotland trips

By Cedric Johns THE A1 Trust’s 4-6-2 No. 60163 Tornado will shortly be heading for Scotland to work a series of excursions for new ScotRail franchise holder Dutch company Abellio during June.

A DB Schenker-registered engine, the A1 will be based at Thornton Junction courtesy of A4 No. 60009 and K4 No. 61994 owner John Cameron during its short stay north of the border.

This arrangement presupposes that Tornado passes its important main line proving run, after overhaul, provisionally dated for June 8 – over a route yet to be decided as this issue closed for press.

Assuming all goes to plan the 4-6-2 – now back in apple-green livery – has been booked to head four trips operated by DB Schenker,

which stepped in when West Coast Railways lost out because its track access was suspended in April by Network Rail.

The Abellio programme starts on June 20 with the ‘Highlander Rambler’ making a one-way trip from Stirling (1.45pm) to Inverness (7.15pm) via Perth, Blair Atholl and Aviemore.

Passengers return to Inverness by ScotRail service train.

On June 21, the ‘Seaforth Highlander’ departs Inverness at 10am, making a circular tour which takes in Dingwall, Invergordon, Culrain and Dunrobin Castle before returning to Inverness at 8.15pm.

The next day, June 22, the ‘Highland Caledonian’ departs from Inverness at 11.30am for Stirling travelling by way of Kingussie and Perth for another one-way trip arriving in Stirling at 5.15.

As on June 20, passengers make

the return journey by ScotRail services.

Before June 27, Tornado heads south to Carlisle from where the 4-6-2 will work the ‘Borders Reivers’ circular tour visiting Scotland’s west coast.

Departing Carlisle at 10am, the train heads up the West Coast Main Line to Paisley then heads northwest to Troon, continuing via Auchinleck, Dumfries and Annan, returning south through Gretna to Carlisle arriving at 5.10pm.

These trips plus the ‘Torbay Express’ bookings and the ‘White Rose’ King’s Cross-York two trips are the result of a reshuffle by VSOE of its steam-hauled ‘Belmond British Pullman’ dates. These do not restart until August 8 when the 4-6-2 takes its first Pullman train out of Victoria.

So, compared with last year when Tornado made rather less than a

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handful of main trips, the next 12 months should see the 4-6-2 chalk up around 30 appearances-maybe more-on the national network.

The trips in Scotland will utilise coaches supplied by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society, bookings and ticketing via www.scotrail.co.uk.steam-trains or booking agent Steam Dreams on 01483 209888.

These four trips – a fifth has yet to be announced – will increase focus on preparations for the launch of the Borders Railway on September 4, and the first passenger services starting September 6, between Edinburgh and Tweedbank.

A steam-hauled service will operate three times a week on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays during the first six weeks of operations to assess the public’s reaction to trains hauled by a steam locomotive.

Heritage Railway 7

HEADLINE NEws

Lottery £10 million boost for new GCR museum

By Robin Jones

THE Heritage Lottery Fund is backing plans by the Great Central Railway to develop a new £15 million national museum at its Leicester North terminus which could be opened by 2019.

The Lottery has earmarked £9.5 million towards the museum titled Main Line which is being developed in partnership with the National Railway Museum in York and Leicester City Council. It will house rolling stock from the National Collection including LNER V2 No. 4771 Green Arrow, GCR O4 No. 63601 and GCR Director 4-4-0 No. 506 Butler-Henderson, it was announced on May 20.

It is intended that as a second ‘outreach’ station of the NRM after Locomotion at Shildon, and indeed, an ‘operating arm’ of the York museum, it will become a major destination for international visitors, lying at the end of an 18-mile unique ‘steam highway’ once the missing bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough is replaced and the GCR is connected to its northern counterpart the GCR (Nottingham).

As the GCR(N) already has a main line connection, the new museum will become a destination for charter trains from elsewhere in the country.

The building will sit alongside Leicester North station and will be designed with floor to ceiling glass windows, facilitating close-up views of trains arriving. The series of halls and galleries would have direct access to the GCR’s track, allowing engines and rolling stock to move in and out of the museum – while permitting visitors to get close to the exhibits and experience the day-to-day workings of a heritage railway.

A key element will be to demonstrate how the tremendous feats of Victorian engineering can still inspire the engineers of the future, said a GCR spokesman.

Helen Ashby, the popular former head of knowledge and collections at the NRM, is working with the project

Announcing the Lottery Stage 1 Pass in front of BR Standard 9F No. 92214 (as 92220 EveningStar) at Leicester North on May 20 are, left to right, Bill Woolley from the NRM, GCR managing director Bill Ford, Atul Patel from the Lottery, Leicestershire County Council leader Nicholas Rushton and Sir Peter Soulsby, the Lord Mayor of Leicester. ROBIN JONES team. The museum scheme was first announced in December 2012, but the initial bid for £10 million of grant aid was turned down in the spring of 2014, not because there was anything wrong the project, but because the Lottery had run out of money. However, the GCR was invited to apply again, and did so last November.

However, at this time, the partnership’s application has reached only the Stage 1 Pass level. The Lottery has awarded development funding of just under £500,000 to help the partnership progress their plans to apply for the full grant. Lottery grants normally cover two thirds of the overall cost, so the GCR will have to raise the rest by itself.

It is estimated that 300 short-term construction jobs will be created while the museum is built and nine full-time posts once it is open.

An economic impact study indicated that the museum and railway will be worth £39 for the local economy over five years, while

A night view of the Leicester North museum. PURCELL

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additional spending could create more than local 700 jobs.

NRM director, Paul Kirkman, said: “We’re delighted that the plans for this exciting project are firmly on track.

Leicester had one of the world’s earliest railways.

“When the GCR opened in 1899 it was a calling point on the high speed railway of the time. The new museum will ensure that key parts of the National Collection are accessible at the heart of the country for the first time, but just as important we hope to inspire a new generation to get involved in our nation’s railway story.

This is a project with strong local connections but with benefits that will be felt nationally.”

GCR managing director, Bill Ford, said: “Main Line will combine our awardwinning double-track main line railway with a unique collection of priceless locomotives and objects, preserving them for future generations.

“Now the hard work really starts! We have a great partnership in place and will now look to secure match funding to develop the project to the point where we are ready to build it.”

Leicester Lord Mayor Peter Soulsby said: “We’re a step closer to creating an exciting new visitor attraction that will preserve and showcase the city’s rich railway heritage, while creating important new jobs. Main Line will house items, which are of both national importance and local interest, complementing the nearby National Space Centre and Abbey Pumping Station and helping to enhance Leicester’s reputation as a visitor destination.

“The museum will not only tell railway stories, but will aim to engage people with their own history, so they are inspired to be heritage champions in future.”

HLF trustee, Atul Patel, said: “The Great Central has had a lasting impact on industrial and cultural life in this area and this investment will continue the railway’s important role. Thanks to National Lottery players, a world-class museum will now be created providing a new home to some of our most significant objects and archives, which together tell the story of the British railways.”

Artist’s impression of LNER V2 2-6-2 No. 4771 GreenArrow on display inside the new Main Line museum. EVENT COMMUNICATION LTD Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

British steam loco to be scrapped in South Africa

Visiting LSWR M7 0-4-4T No. 30053 heads a goods train towards Tenterden during the Kent & East Sussex Railway Southern Steam Swansong gala on May 23.

PHIL BARNES

New September date for Met Steam LONDON Transport Museum is planning to run its next series of public steam trips over the Underground system over the weekend of September 12-13.

The trips are pencilled in to run between Watford and Chesham.

It had been planned to run similar trips using Metropolitan Railway E class 0-4-4T No. 1 backed up by Bill Parker’s GWR Prairie No. L150 (5521), and also tours between Ealing Broadway and High Street Kensington on the District Line.

However, those trips were cancelled when London Underground imposed a temporary ban on the movement of any heritage vehicles over the system.

The problem had nothing to do with steam traction, but emanated from the movement of the preserved Cravens unit from the Epping Ongar Railway last September.

While the unit was being returned to base on Underground metals after its appearance on its former ‘home’ line, it was understood that part of the subframe came loose.

London Underground ordered an immediate investigation before further movements of heritage stock would be permitted.

The ban, somewhat echoing the track access suspension imposed on West Coast Railways at the start of

April, has now been lifted, but that did not give the Covent Garden museum sufficient time to arrange the July trips.

As we closed for press, talks were underway not only about confirming the dates and arrangements for the September runs, but possible tours on the District and Circles lines next year.

London Underground and the museum won the Heritage Railway Association’s top accolade, the Peter Manisty Award for Excellence, in 2013, for its first series of trips through the tube tunnels in January that year. The event, which celebrated the 150th anniversary of the Met, the world’s first subway system, generated international headlines and greatly boosted the profile of London’s transport network. *The latest new heritage-style poster for London Underground will feature Greenwich Observatory as its main subject. The poster by Brighton-based illustrator, Eleanor Taylor, scooped the gold prize in the Prize for Illustration 2015 competition, run by the Association of Illustrators and London Transport Museum on the theme of London Places and Spaces.

The top prize was £2000 with the artwork being used on an Underground poster. The silver prize went to Carly Allen-Fletcher for Compound City, and the bronze prize

The Royal Observatory by Eleanor Taylor. LTM to Elizza Southwood for Parkour at the South Bank, making it an all-women top line-up. Museum director, Sam Mullins, said: “Our latest exhibition treats visitors to 100 snapshots of London life. These wonderful illustrations capture the many different aspects of our vibrant city.”

Top national honour for L’al Ratty THE Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway has topped the new Heritage Railway category of the National Coach Tourism Awards 2015, at a ceremony staged at the West Midland Safari Park The judges were looking to reward a heritage railway operator that could demonstrate a clear welcome and commitment to coaches and their groups. The line Left: Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway driver Phil Brown with the National Coach Tourism Award. RER

has shown a continued investment in, and development of, its coach offer, adding excellent new facilities, offering free wifi, creating on-site bakeries and opening picnic and play areas, in recent years.

All group passengers are welcomed by Meet and Greet visitor service staff and given a complimentary line guide, detailing points of interest along the line.

This year, the railway is celebrating its centenary as a 15in gauge line and is also opening a new museum at Ravenglass.

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SOUTH Africa’s Sandstone Heritage Trust has announced that it is to scrap a century-old British-built steam locomotive.

Class 14R 4-8-2 No. 1745 was one of 45 Hendrie locomotives supplied by Robert Stephenson & Company between 1913-15.

The 3ft 6in gauge locomotive ended its days in service at Natal Cambrian Collieries from where it was acquired by Sandstone several years ago, minus its middle two driving wheel sets, which had their flanges removed and thus prevents the use of the locomotive on Transnet lines.

It is currently stored at Reefsteamers in Germiston, badly rusted, devoid of its nonferrous fittings and needing a new tender and extensive boiler work. To restore it to running order would cost at least £270,000, Sandstone estimates.

“SHT is of the view that the funds that would be required to rebuild No. 1745 would be far better spent preserving and rebuilding other more important locomotives,” said a statement from Dave Richardson, Sandstone’s director of operations.

“In light of this Sandstone intends to scrap the locomotive and use the funds obtained for other preservation projects. The decision was taken only after exhaustive consultation with fellow preservationists and experts.

“The reasons for this decision are both economic and preservation based and also took into account that two examples of this class are already in private preservation in KwaZulu-Natal.”

Rushden museum hit by arson

POLICE are hunting arsonists who attacked the Rushden Transport Museum just after midnight on Bank Holiday Monday, May 25.

Class 121 Pressed Steel ‘Bubblecar’ No. 55029 was damaged in the fire, which gutted Bristol Coach No. 250 and was parked nearby.

A spokesman for Northants Fire and Rescue Service said that arson was believed to have been the cause. Nobody was injured by the fire, which occurred in the storage compound of the museum.

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NEWS

Taw Valley back in style on Golden Jubilee Pullman

By Robin Jones

IT HAD been out of action for nearly a decade. However, Bulleid West Country light Pacific No. 34027 Taw Valley – a much-loved performer on the main line and the original ‘Hogwarts Castle’ maroon locomotive – made its comeback when it hauled the luxury Belmond British Pullman along the Severn Valley Railway as the latest in a series of high profile celebrations to mark the line’s 50th anniversary year.

Staff at Bridgnorth works pulled out all the stops to ensure that No. 34027 would be able to carry out a series of test runs beforehand in readiness for its big day, the last task remaining being the setting of the middle cylinder.

The one-off visit, organised by UK Railtours, saw the luxury Pullman train, formerly the Venice-Simplon-OrientExpress, travel from London Victoria behind Class 55 Deltic D9009 Alycidon to the SVR at Bewdley.

First revenue-earning trip

There, it handed over its duties to Taw Valley, resplendent in its new coat of paint and carrying the ‘Golden Arrow’ headboard, all ready for its first revenue-earning trip since its comeback.

The Pullman departed from Bewdley at 12.49pm, arriving in Bridgnorth just after 1.30pm.

It left Bridgnorth empty at 2.20pm, arriving back at Kidderminster at 3.20pm, where it was berthed until 4.42pm before heading to Bewdley to

pick up its passengers. From there, it departed back to London just before 6pm. It was nearly 30 years ago, in August 1985 that the Severn Valley took delivery of partially restored Taw Valley, a 1946-built veteran of the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’ and ‘Devon Belle’. In 1957, after being rebuilt, with its air-smoothed casing removed, Taw Valley worked commuter services from Victoria based at Bricklayers Arms depot in London and then Brighton.

Taw Valley was withdrawn by British Railways in August 1964 and in December moved to Barry scrapyard.

In April 1980, No. 34027 became the 112th locomotive to leave Barry scrapyard, first being taken to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and then in November 1982 to the East Lancashire Railway.

Its restoration by then-owner the late Bert Hitchen was completed in the autumn of 1987. In September 1992, No. 34027 made preservation history when it worked the first steam train for 25 years out of Waterloo.

Nationwide tour train

In 2000, Taw Valley was painted in distinctive non-authentic red livery, becoming the first locomotive to masquerade as the fictional Hogwarts Castle from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter books.

That July, it hauled a nationwide tour train for the promotion of the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

However, it was not used for Warner Bros Harry Potter films because director Chris Columbus decided it

SR West Country Pacific No. 34027TawValley tackles the 1-in-50 of Eardington bank with 12 Pullmans and a dead Class 67 diesel in tow. BRIAN SHARPE

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was too ‘modern’ in appearance and a classic British steam locomotive was needed. He instead chose West Coast Railways’ GWR 4-6-0 No. 5972 Olton Hall.

Afterwards, Taw Valley assumed the guise of long-since scrapped sister engine No. 34045 Ottery St Mary, a favourite of No. 34027’s subsequent majority shareholder Phil Swallow. It became a regular performer on VSOE excursions.

Its main line career ended in June, 2005, when after completing a ‘Cathedrals Express’ run to Weymouth, the left-hand cylinder was found to be cracked.

No. 34027 returned light engine from the Mid Hants Railway to Bridgnorth patched up by John Robinson’s engineering team, and starred in the SVR’s September 24-25 autumn gala that year, under the identity of another scrapped class member, No. 34036 Westward Ho! After being given a three-month extension to its boiler ticket, No. 34027 was withdrawn in January 2006 for a heavy overhaul, which has taken until now to complete.

TawValleyaccelerates away from Bewdley alongside Northwood Lane. JED BENNETT

Deltic D9009 Alycidon departs from Kidderminster with the 4.42pm Pullman to Bewdley. BRIAN SHARPE

TawValley departs light engine from Bewdley on May 16 after hauling its first public passenger service since restoration.

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

Heritage Railway 11

News SR Bulleid West Country Pacifics Nos. 34007 Wadebridgeand 34092 Wellsdepart from Toddington during the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Speeding to the West gala on May 23. JOHN LEWIS

Double Spam Cans bring the

By Robin Jones

SR Bulleid West Country Pacific No. 34092Wells runs through Dixton cutting on May 23. MALCOLM RANIERI

12 Heritagerailway.co.uk

WHAT the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway believes may have been a heritage-era first – two unrebuilt Bulleid West Country light Pacifics double heading on services – formed the highlight of the line’s Speed to The West-themed May 2325 Cotswold Festival of Steam.

Nos. 34007 Wadebridge from the Mid Hants Railway and No. 34092 Wells from the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway helped push the passenger numbers for the Heritage Railway-sponsored gala up to 4000.

In the bay at Winchcombe, Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35006 Peninsula & Oriental SNCo was on display, but not in light steam. Minor adjustments still need to be made following its recent light steam test, but it is expected to make its heritage-era debut shortly.

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SR Bulleid West Country Pacific No. 34092 Wells rounds Chicken curve as it departs from Winchcombe on May 23. JOHN LEWIS

crowds headboard, recalling the occasion – 55 years to the day on May 23, 1961 – when it hauled the Pullman train for the maiden voyage of the ship of the same name. Also fitting the theme were old friends, Jeremy Hosking’s GWR 4-6-0 No. 6960 Raveningham Hall, a former Toddington resident now based on the West Somerset Railway, and No. 7820.

The timetable went to plan and there were no breakdowns during the gala. One minor hiccup, however, came at 7am on bank holiday Monday when a flock of sheep was found to have occupied Toddington station’s car park and had to be ushered by G/WR staff back into the fields.

“There was standing room only on trains which were double headed by the double Span Cans,” said G/WR spokesman, Ian Crowder. The pair stayed on the line to run service trains the following weekend.

Pristine GWR designed, BR built Manor 4-6-0 No. 7820 DinmoreManor rounds the newly ballasted curve at Didbrook with the 10.10am freight working from Toddington on May 25. GRAHAM NUTTALL

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Heritage Railway 13

News

Princess lays wreath to remember Britain’s worst rail disaster

By Robin Jones PRINCESS Anne made it a hat-trick of railway visits – but the saddest by far – when she was joined Scottish Nationalist Party leader Nicola Sturgeon at a ceremony to mark the centenary of Britain’s worst rail disaster.

Just before 7am on May 22, 1915, a train carrying 500 troops from the Leith Battalion of the Royal Scots collided with a local passenger service at Quintinshill, near Gretna, which had been mistakenly parked on the southbound main line.

Moments later, an express train bound for Glasgow ploughed into the wreckage, causing the military train’s wooden carriages to burst into flame, fuelled by gas from the interior lighting, The fire engulfed the three passenger trains and also two freight trains standing on nearby passing loops, killing at least 214 soldiers and 12 civilians, and leaving another 246 injured.

The precise death toll was never established as the roll list of the regiment was destroyed in the fire.

It has been suggested that some of the injured underwent on-the-spot amputations to free them, while others were so badly injured that they were shot to end their misery as a mercy killing.

Among the dead were four young boys, whose identities have never been established and who are speculated to have been runways.

The military train had been heading to Liverpool, from where the soldiers were due to sail to the front line in Gallipoli. Remarkably, around 60 of the survivors carried on to Liverpool and

Wissington for big Foxfield gala THE Foxfield Railway’s July 1819 summer steam gala – one of the biggest events of the industrial sector’s calendar, will feature the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society’s Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST No. 1700 of 1938 Wissington as a star guest.

Returning to action will be Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2842 of 1946.

They will run alongside Bagnall 0-6-0ST No. 3059 of 1954 Florence No. 2, Beyer Peacock 0-4-0ST No. 1827 of 1879, Haydock Foundry 0-6-0WT Bellerophon, built in 1874 and Dubs 0-4-0 crane tank No. 4101 of 1901.

went to Gallipoli. Susan Hughes, the granddaughter of a survivor of the Quintinshill rail disaster, said: “He went straight on to fight but said it was worse than anything he saw in battle.”

In Leith, a single street, Albert Street, lost 15 of its residents in the disaster.

The cause of the accident was neglect of the rules by two signalmen, George Meakin and James Tinsley, who were convicted of manslaughter in England and then the similar charge of culpable homicide in Scotland. Released from a Scottish jail in 1916, they were re-employed by the Caledonian Railway, but not as signalmen.

A century to the day after the crash, the tragedy was remembered by a march to Quintinshill rail siding, the unveiling of a roll of honour at Gretna Old Parish Church, a commemorative tree planting at Gretna Green war memorial, a reading of a poem about the crash at Stormont Village Hall and a wreath laying at Quintinshill Bridge. The Princess Royal laid a wreath after the ecumenical service, with a second one being laid on behalf of the Royal Scots.

She told one local man: “I’m really astonished at how little is known about Quintinshill.”

The day before, a memorial service was held in Larbert, Stirlingshire, when a procession walked from the town’s parish church to the railway station, from where the troop train had departed.

The Princess and First Minister of Scotland also attended a service at Rosebank Cemetery in Edinburgh on March 23, attended by 100 people. Several of the relatives of those

The Princess Ro lays a wreath at Gretna Green Old Parish Church during a special service to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Quintinshill rail crash, Britain’s worst rail disaster. PRESS ASSOCIATION who died had travelled from overseas to attend the service at the cemetery where many of the soldiers are now buried.

In April, the Princess visited the

Barclay fireless places Devil’s Porridge on the map A FIRELESS locomotive, Andrew Barclay No. 1550 of 1917, built as Sir James for the Gretna Ordnance Factory in 1917, has taken pride of place outside the Devil’s Porridge Museum in Eastriggs, and helped place the

museum’s new building firmly on the map.

Acquired from the Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway, and cosmetically restored at a cost of £30,000, the camouflage-liveried 0-6-0

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Severn Valley Railway as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations, and days later rode on the Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway to mark its 125th anniversary.

Barclay 0-6-0F No. 1550 of 1917 outside the Devil’s Porridge Museum in Eastriggs.

HUGH DOUGHERTY

has returned to the site of its original home after a career which included working at several English power stations before preservation.

The standard gauge locomotive is literally stopping potential museum visitors in their tracks as they pass the building, which records the life and time of cordite production during the First World War, the thousands who worked in the factory and lived in the new towns round the factory, its own, internal, narrow gauge railway system and the part the factory played in the war. An exhibit also recalls the Quintinshill railway disaster which took place just outside nearby Gretna in 1915.

A spokesman for the museum, which is marking its first, full season in its new home, opened thanks to £160,000 from the Coastal Communities Fund, said: “We were delighted to be able to bring the fireless locomotive back to where it began its working life. It is very eye-catching outside the museum and certainly helps to attract visitors.

“The story of the railways and the part they played in the life and times of the ordnance factory are well recalled in our exhibits and the fireless locomotive is very much part of that story.”

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Over the weekend of May 9-10, the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch Railway held its steam and diesel gala and one of the highlights was parallel running between New Romney and Hythe. On the Sunday the two trains are seen approaching Hythe with Nos. 3 SouthernMaid and 9 WinstonChurchillon the 9.35am from New Romney , while on the right is No.10, which had worked the 8.45am from New Romney, but going via Dungeness as part ofDrSyn’s 100plus miles of nonstop end-to-end workings. PHIL BARNES

‘First’ pannier to haul Tanfield passenger trains THE Tanfield Railway’s ninth Legends of Industry gala on June 20-21 will feature Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 71515 returning to the North East for the first time in 40 years, and Consett Iron Company Kitson 0-6-0 pannier tank No. 2509 of 1883 A No. 5 from the North Tyneside Railway.

The Consett Iron Co ordered its first 0-6-0PT, a type automatically associated with the GWR, from Kitson in 1883, the first in a long line of pannier tanks to be built for the firm.

Consett’s Class A comprised sixwheeled tank locomotives and it was the fifth of these that pioneered the pannier tank look. Built to the Stephenson long-boiler principle with all wheels forward of the firebox, it was a sizeable machine for the time, weighing 42 tons. The first pannier tank to appear on the GWR was a 4-4-0PT in 1898. Ironically that locomotive ended its days working for the Cramlington Coal Company in Northumberland.

As No. 41, A No. 5 was withdrawn by the National Coal Board in 1968, and passed into the ownership of what became Beamish Museum. It arrived at Marley Hill for storage in 1972, and was

later transferred to Monkwearmouth Station Museum where restoration was started. The work was finished at the North Tyneside Steam Railway and it now carries its Consett Iron Company identity again.

Tanfield Railway operations manager, David Allinson, said: “A No. 5 is special on so many levels; in terms of both its design and its history it means so much to the North East, and industrial locomotive evolution. We’re literally overjoyed that it’ll be starring in this gala.”

Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 71515 was built in 1944 by Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns Ltd at its Newcastle works, and is based on the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway, where it carries the Mechanical Navvies Ltd maroon livery from its days at the Swalwell opencast disposal point in County Durham.

An intensive timetable will include demonstration coal trains and shunting demonstrations at Marley Hill, while the 2ft gauge demonstration railway will also be in action.

Sunderland and District Classic Vehicle Society will have vehicles on display at East Tanfield.

Global honour for Forth Bridge?

THE Forth Bridge could become Scotland’s sixth World Heritage Site when Unesco delegates meet in Germany at the end of June.

The application said the bridge represented “the pinnacle of 19th century iron and steel bridge

construction,” adding “a world wonder of its age, this Victorian engineering marvel that was made possible by new steel production processes, is arguably the world’s greatest and most famous cantilever bridge.”

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Heritage Railway 15

News

Restoration boost as Waterman locos move home

By Geoff Courtney PEAK Rail joint managing director Jackie Statham has spoken of her and her volunteers’ delight after striking a deal with Pete Waterman that has seen three of his ex-GWR mainline locomotives, including No. 7027 Thornbury Castle, relocate to the Derbyshire railway.

The 68-year-old pop impresario has moved the out-of-ticket trio from Crewe Heritage Centre to Peak Rail, where he plans to use the proceeds of his recent £475,000 railway model collection sale towards the restoration of two of the engines, 2-8-0T No. 5224 and 2-6-2T No. 5553.

The three locomotives, with a Class 08 diesel shunter, were due to leave Crewe on May 27 and arrive at Peak Rail the following day, leaving just one of Pete’s locomotives at Crewe, Class 46 No. 46035 (formerly D172) Ixion, which is expected to be transferred at a later date.

All are owned through the Waterman Railway Heritage Trust, as are two other engines, former GWR 0-6-2T No. 6634, currently at the Severn Valley Railway, and ex-South African Railways 2ft gauge G16 class Beyer-Garratt 2-6-2+2-6-2 No. 109, which is in storage on the Welsh Highland Railway.

“Our volunteers were quite shocked when they learned that Pete’s locos were being transferred to us at Peak Rail,” Jackie told Heritage Railway.

“They’re obviously all delighted and enthusiastic, as I am.”

She said she had known Pete for

Davenport makes first outing THE Amerton Railway’s June 2021 summer steam gala will see resident locomotives WG Bagnall Isabel and Hunslet Jennie joined by Kerr Stuart Peter Pan and, from the Statfold Barn Railway, newly restored Davenport Ryam Sugar No. 1, making its first appearance at another venue.

Visitors will be able to view progress on the building of the new industrial railway. This project will see the old the old Stump Siding rail, together with more of the rails that originally served on the Middlesbrough transporter bridge, laid on recovered sleepers to create a spur line extending to Mason’s Folly drift mine, together with a turning Y and additional sidings.

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many years, and approached him when she learned he was looking for a new home for his locomotives. “It all happened very quickly,” she said, adding that the restoration work would be carried out at the railway’s Rowsley depot.

Pete said: “I have long been an admirer of Peak Rail, and they were a natural choice for me when I decided to relocate from Crewe.” He said that he intended to work with the heritage line to continue his tradition of giving young people the opportunity to learn engineering skills through apprenticeships.

A Peak Rail statement said that in the coming months, Pete would announce his plans to overhaul the Waterman locos and return them to steam. These plans, said Peak Rail, would include training opportunities for young people interested in a railway industry career.

Pete, who has spoken of his desire to leave a “legacy” to the world of railway preservation by training engineering apprentices, has not revealed any plans for the future of Thornbury Castle, although he has said he would be prepared to listen to offers for the 4-6-0. “It would have to be a very big cheque,” he said.

Facing the challenge: No. 5224 climbs the daunting 1-in-49 gradient at Darnholm on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway in 2005 en route to Goathland and Pickering. The 2-8-0T is one of Pete Waterman’s former GWR locomotives that is set to be restored at Peak Rail. BRIAN SHARPE

Heritage Railway supports signalbox rebuild BACKING for a ground-breaking scheme to rebuild a historic signalbox yards from where it was taken down by Network Rail are being supported by Heritage Railway.

The St James Deeping Signal Box Group in south Lincolnshire is inviting readers to buy a brick for £10 to help rebuild the 1876-built ’box at the level crossing in Station Road, Deeping St James.

Now Heritage Railway has given its backing to the appeal, after the appeal was featured in our last issue and also on our www.facebook.com/heritagerailway page, which now has more than 70,000 followers worldwide.

We have bought 10 bricks for £100.

Anyone who buys a brick will have their name inscribed on an appreciation list displayed inside the re-erected ’box.

Villagers fought hard but in vain to stop Network Rail pulling down the ’box as part of a £280 million modernisation of the Great Northern & Great Eastern Joint line between Doncaster and Peterborough, but it was dismantled on October 23.

HeritageRailway editor Robin Jones (left) buys 10 bricks from campaigners Lynda and Stuart Hall to rebuild the St James Deeping signalbox as close to its original site as possible. ROSS JONES However, pressure from local MP John Hayes and others led to an agreement whereby Network Rail would donate and store the components of the structure until such time as the campaigners had the

resources to rebuild it on a nearby site.

The Nene Valley Railway has offered to help reinstall the metal frame.

Heritage Railway editor, Robin Jones, said: “The importance of this scheme is that it shows that local residents who do not want to lose their historic signalboxes as a result of Network Rail modernisation can act to save their heritage.

“What is happening in Deeping St James will pave the way for others to follow, and should be supported by all.

The structure is considered of paramount historical importance to the village because it carried the only remaining sign with its original name, St James Deeping. ➜ Anyone wishing to buy a brick for £10 to help rebuild this historic signalbox is asked to send a cheque made payable to “St James Deeping Signal Box Group” to Mr A Bowell, 43 Burchnall Close, Deeping St James, Peterborough, PE6 8QJ. The group can also be emailed at saveoursignalbox@gmail.com

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First continuous welded rail for NYMR THIS winter’s work at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has included the first section of continuous welded rail mounted on steel sleepers, on Beckhole straight, as the railway strives to reduce maintenance costs.

Steel sleepers have been used at this location in an effort to reduce the weight

James Evans with Velinheli and the original receipt for the sale from the quarry.

JONATHAN MANN/LSR

Quarry Hunslet: 50 years in the same ownership A SPECIAL celebration was held on Monday, May 11, at the Launceston Steam Railway when James Evans’s Quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST No. 409 of 1886 Velinheli marked 50 years of his ownership to the day.

Velinheli spent its working life in the Welsh slate quarries at Dinorwic, before being purchased for preservation in 1965, moving to Cornwall’s now-closed private Inny Valley Railway four years later.

By coincidence, the LSR’s first locomotive, Quarry Hunslet No. 317 of 1883 Lilian was also bought 50 years ago by the railway’s managing director, Nigel Bowman, so the locomotives represent 100 years of ownership.

To celebrate this occasion, Velinheli and Lilian doubleheaded a special train to Newmills and back after the invited guests had been treated – in true railway fashion – to tea and a cake made for the event by James.

‘First’ Merry-Go-Round wagons rake arrives at Chasewater Railway THE Chasewater Railway has taken delivery of the first three MerryGo-Round wagons which will become half of an intended rake telling the final part of the story of the movement of coal from the Staffordshire coalfields.

The Merry-Go-Round trains, considered one of the big successes of BR chairman Dr Richard Beeching, revolutionised the way coal was delivered to power stations in the Sixties.

The MGR wagon fleet once numbered around 10,000, of which just 20 or so are believed to survive.

Several of the line’s industrial locomotives will now once again be able to be seen hauling the stock that was typical of the duties

that kept them employed.

Their first run in public will be on the coal train day on June 21.The line’s carpenters are also busy refurbishing the first of the wooden four-plank local coal wagons that will form the initial part of the story.

The railway has also taken delivery of the Midland Railway footbridge formerly located at Bagworth and Ellistown station on the Leicester to Burton line. It was donated by Network Rail following six years of negotiations.

It is believed to be the oldest surviving Midland footbridge, dating back to 1847. It will be restored and erected on periodstyle brick pillar supports at Chasewater Heath station.

of the track at this slip-prone location.

Although a somewhat controversial decision, it is planned to retain traditional chaired bullhead rails on wooden sleepers in the stations for appearance’s sake, but elsewhere there will be more use of heavier flatbottomed rail on concrete sleepers, welded where appropriate.

Quayside train may return

THE Kingsbridge & District Light Railway Company has submitted a planning application to South Hams District Council to bring back the South Devon town’s former quayside train, which ran

along the side of the estuary between 1969 and 1991.

Steve Mammatt of ActionWest, gained support from the local town council after making a presentation of his plans.

Three generations of Stanier family visit the Duchess THE National Railway Museum welcomed some extra-special visitors onboard streamlined LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 6229 Duchess of Hamilton in the Great Hall.

Sarah Garratt, the granddaughter of the preservation icon’s designer Sir William Stanier, visited the display of the locomotive and matching carriage.

Joining her were daughter, Becky Walker, and her two grandchildren, sixyear-old Finlay and three-year-old Isla.

The family live in Berkshire and the youngsters were keen to follow in their famous forebear’s footsteps and try their hand at building a steam locomotive; part of the family activities on offer during the May half term.

Sarah said: “It’s been a really moving

experience seeing the locomotives designed by my grandfather and explaining to my own grandchildren the important part he played in railway history. The museum has shown us an array of items connected with him and it’s helped me bring back some fond memories.”

Head curator, Andrew McLean, said: “Stanier played an instrumental part in the development of high-speed travel in the Thirties and it’s been a privilege to show his descendants his legacy on display here. Our museum is all about different generations coming together to have a great day out and learn about the impact of the railways through our vast collection that spans nearly 300 years of railway history.”

A ‘Fiver’ for the Duke TREVOR Tuckley, chairman of 71000 Steam Locomotive Limited, owner of BR 8P 4-6-2 No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester, said that he and fellow directors are actively seeking to enrol more members.

“Steam enthusiasts – especially readers of Heritage Railway – can play an important role in helping to restore our unique 4-6-2 to the main line for just a ‘fiver’ a month.

“Trust membership will enable those people to enjoy a range of benefits once the Duke is operational,” he said.

“It provides access to information

about the locomotive and other opportunities not readily available to the public,” he added.

Work on the Duke has already begun at Crewe but additional funds are required now to enable the locomotive to be moved inside so that a full overhaul can get under way as soon as is possible; and that depends very much on the interest shown in seeing the 8P back on the network…

Full details of membership can be obtained by email at membership@theduke.uk.com or by visiting www.theduke.uk.com

Three generations of the descendants of Sir William Stanier view one of his masterpieces. NRM

Horse tram secures HLF grant

THE restoration of East Anglia’s sole-surviving horse-drawn tramcar should be completed within three years as a condition of securing a £49,000-grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The Leeds-built wooden vehicle

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was withdrawn from service in Cambridge in 1914 and was used as a workshop in Ely. Volunteers from the Ipswich Transport Museum are rebuilding it at a cost of £59,000, and have just taken delivery of a new set of wheels.

Heritage Railway 17

News WSRA chairman quits board after vote

THE chairman of the West Somerset Railway Association agreed to stand down after dissenting members forced an extraordinary general meeting in a bid to remove trustees.

At the meeting inside Bishops Lydeard village hall on May 10, the rebels, under the banner of the Reform Group, saw their motion for a vote of no confidence in the association’s board passed, with 1178 for and 1127 against along with another for an independent review into the aims and objectives of the association, with 1317 for and 1010 against.

However, three motions to remove trustees David Williams, who is also chairman, Peter Chidzey and Michael Nicholls, were closely lost, the latter surviving only on the chairman’s casting vote.

The meeting was the latest event in an acrimonious dispute that has divided the railway’s supporters since the association surprised everyone by tabling a rival bid against the line’s plc company to buy the freehold from Somerset County Council – which subsequently withdrew the sale offer.

During the meeting, David said that he did not wish to continue as chairman, and would be stepping down to allow a replacement to be elected. He will remain as a trustee, however, along with Peter and Michael.

Afterwards he said: “While the trustees are naturally pleased that motions to remove them were unsuccessful, we acknowledge there is still an unhealthy disconnect between a section of the membership and the board of trustees and that much work needs to be done in terms of communication.

“The challenge going forward will be to find a solution that enables the majority of members who wish to contribute positively to both the association and the wider railway to do so constructively and in a more harmonious atmosphere in the future.

“Moves have already started to find a suitable independent candidate with relevant experience who will undertake a thorough review of the charity’s aims and objectives.”

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NYMR in loco crisis – again

By Roger Melton

AT THE end of May, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway entered what seems to be becoming its annual loco crisis, with just three steam engines and two diesels available to cover an operating diagram requiring five locomotives daily.

The departure of Ian Riley’s ‘Black Fives’ and NELPG’s K1 No. 62005 for ‘Jacobite’ duties following the lifting of the main line track access suspension on West Coast Railways ended the temporary respite provided by the three engines.

Fortunately, K4 No. 61994 The Great Marquess is set to remain on the NYMR until at least early July, by which time some of the other home fleet engines may be back in traffic.

The season started with ‘Black Five’ No. 45428 in traffic as well, but in early May it suffered a hydraulic incident at Grosmont resulting in the cylinder studs being stretched and piston rods being bent. Repairs were expected to be completed in early June.

The NYMR has been unlucky in suffering the loss of two locomotives because of wheel cracks, with both Nos. 61264 and 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley succumbing. Cracks have been found

in the B1’s driving wheel’s boss necessitating the removal of the offending wheels for attention at Ian Riley’s works. It is hoped that the loco may be reassembled and running in time for the peak summer season.

A4 No. 60007 is also stopped, but its crack seems to be in one of its spokes and therefore potentially easier to repair, without the wheel having to be removed.

In bad news for the A4 Locomotive Society but what may be relief for the NYMR, the A4 is currently marooned on the NYMR owing to, ironically, being out of gauge for Grosmont platform 1, the Network Rail platform.

The reason why it is out of gauge is unclear as the A4 has left and arrived back at the NYMR by this route on numerous occasions, most recently last autumn, and the track has not been relaid since then. Presumably there must have been some ‘creep’ in the intervening time.

Q6 0-8-0 No. 63395 is nearing the end of winter work that included attention to its axleboxes, but is unlikely to be unavailable to the NYMR for a while as it is booked to make a short visit to the Wensleydale Railway, both as compensation for the cancelled visit of J72 0-6-0T No. 69023 Joem, and for the purpose of running

in under gentler conditions.

Again it should be available for the peak season, all being well. One locomotive that is unlikely to be ready for this season, though, is ‘Black Five’ No. 44806, which is likely to be delayed by the extra work on No. 45428.

In addition to the home fleet, the NYMR should also have had GWR 4-60 No. 4936 Kinlet Hall on hire but it was due to arrive at the NYMR by rail and it too fell foul of the problem at Grosmont platform 1; a case of so near and yet so far. Since then, other efforts to attract another visiting engine for the summer appear to have been fruitless.

Even the diesel situation is not as good as it could be – the NYMR is down to two working locomotives (D7628 and No. 37624) with only D7628 capable of working to Whitby.

Class 37 D6757 had been expected to attend the NYMR diesel gala on June 26-28 and then stay on afterwards as a second Whitby-capable engine, but is need of repairs following a failure while attending the Swanage Railway’s diesel gala.

If it does not make the NYMR’s event it is hoped that it may still be based on the line for the rest of the season once it is repaired.

The original Fowler 2-6-4T No. 42424.

COLOUR-RAIL

New Fowler tank planned by Patriot builder THE LMS-Patriot Company is to follow in the footsteps of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust and build a second locomotive after No. 45551 The Unknown Warrior is completed.

The charity has decided to build a new Fowler 2-6-4T with a parallel boiler and numbered 42424.

Patriot project founder David Bradshaw said: “The Fowler 2-6-4T is another of the missing classes of which none were preserved. It was a hugely successful design and was the forerunner of other 2-6-4Ts which were built over a period of 25 years.” The type was used for banking trains over Shap.

The original batch of Fowler tanks were built in 1927 with a superheated parallel boiler designated G8S, based on that fitted to the 1902 Midland Railway Class 3 4-4-0s together with long travel piston valves. These engines are considered to be the first

truly modern locomotives to emerge from Derby (the Royal Scots being a joint North British/Derby effort) and it was this successful design that led to the Stanier two and three-cylinder versions, the shorter wheelbase Fairburn examples and later the 155 British Railways Standard 4MT 2-6-4Ts which appeared in 1951, and numbered 155 examples.

No. 42424 was the last of a batch of 29 Fowler 2-6-4Ts incorporating glazed side windows on the cab and other detail changes initiated by Stanier. It is this design the LMS-Patriot Company plans to build.

No. 42425 was the first of a batch of Stanier two-cylinder 2-6-4Ts and it is for this reason that it is planned to use the last number in the Fowler series.

Using the skills and experience gained from building the new Patriot 4-6-0, the construction of a Fowler

2-6-4T is thought to be a more straightforward task. Fundraising for the tank will not start until the Patriot is completed.

It will be built to run on heritage lines only, albeit to main line running standard. If enough interest is shown, a batch could be built, the company believes.

Drawings and some parts already exist as the Irish Northern Counties Committee 5ft 3in gauge WT 2-6-4T class were based on the Fowler version, No.4 has been preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland and is stored awaiting overhaul at Whitehead.

The company would be interested in hearing from anyone interested in researching the class and locating further drawings. Anyone who can help is invited to email chairman@lmspatriot.org.uk

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