Heritage Railway - 17 Dec 2015 - Issue 210 - Preview

WEST COAST RAILWAYS AND DRIVER PROSECUTED OVER SPAD

ISSUE 210

December 17 – January 13, 2016

‘

NRM IN £78M

KING S CROSS OF ’ THE NORTH SCHEME ’

FLOUR MILL HOLDS

FIRST GALA!

WSR ASSOCIATION TRUSTEES TOLD TO QUIT  BY THEIR 'OWN' REPORT FLYING SCOTSMAN:

MORE REGENERATIONS THAN DR WHO

2 Heritagerailway.co.uk

OPINION

The locomotive that is all set to take 2016 by storm: Flying Scotsman, still in its wartime black livery, undergoes a gauging examination at Ian Riley’s Bury Works on November 11. See Headline News, pages 6 and 7, and feature, pages 66-71. NRM

The year of Flying Scotsman EDITORIAL

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WE’VE hadfalsestartsbefore,butI’mmakingthis statementhavingeveryounceofconfidenceinIanRiley’s crackengineeringteam:2016willbetheyearof FlyingScotsman.

ItisnownotjustweBritswhoaresayingitisthemost famouslocomotiveintheworld,butthewholeplanet.

ThemediafrenzyhasbegunbeforeScotsman hasturned awheelunderitsownpower,withticketsselling-out everywhereitisplannedtogo.

AswiththeNationalRailwayMuseum’s award-winning Mallard75celebrations,thiswillbetheoccasionthatwill turnthegeneralpublicatlargeontoourproudsteamand railwayheritage.AshappenedwhentheA3madeitslast mainlinecomeback,peoplewhonormallydon’thavethe slightestinterestinrailwayswillturnouttoseeit.

Weliveinacelebrityculture,andoursectorisaboutto givethepeoplewhattheywant.Itisabrilliantopportunity forheritagerailwaysandmuseums,bigandsmall,toentice thepublicwhiletheyareinareceptivemood.Occasions ofsuchmagnitudearetodayfewandfarbetween,and allvenuesshoulddowhattheycantofollowtheleadset bytheNationalRailwayMuseumwithitsmagnificent programmeofeventstomarktheoccasion.

Indeed,therewillbemuchtosavourin2016,notleast theSwanageRailway’s firstregularDMUservicesto Wareham,beginningonJune22:I’vealreadygotmyeye onaholidaycottage.

ThefinalreturnofFlyingScotsman,followingan expensiveoverhaulwill,hopefully,drawalineundera problematicchapterintheNRM’s history.

Hopefully,2016mayalsoseeaconclusiontotherunning sorethathasbesettheWestSomersetRailway(WSR)for thepasttwoyears,namelythedisputebetweentheline’s plccompanyanditssupportingassociation. TheWSRis Britain’s longeststandardgaugeheritagelineandoneof thefinestintheworld.

Thepreservationmovementisabroadchurch,andthose whohavethestrengthandcourageoftheirconvictions tovolunteeronourrailwaysdonotalwaysseeeyetoeye.

However,whatevertherightandwrongoneitherside,the netresulthereisanimagepresentedtothepublicofgrown menfightingoveratrainset.

Theassociationaccededtothewishesofitsmembership andcommissionedanindependentreviewintoits procedures.Theassociationevenchoseandappointeda chairmantohandlethereview.Nowthereportfromthat reviewhasbeenpublished,theassociation’s chairman saysheis“disappointed”withitsconclusionsand recommendations;moststrikingbeingthatthegroup’s trusteesshouldallstanddown.

Thewords“fromthehorse’s mouth”comeimmediately tomind.Iftheassociationnowdecidesnottoacceptthe adviceofitsownreview,atextbookcaseofcredibility evaporationwillsurelyfollow.

TheSPADnear-misscaseatRoyalWoottonBassettin March,theresultofaWestCoastRailways’staffmember switchingoffTangmere’s TPWSapparatus,willnowlead totheprosectionofboththeCarnforthoperatorandthe driver.Sincetheincident, WestCoasthasbeenworking withthestatutoryauthoritiestoimplementexactingsafety procedures,buttheOfficeofRail&Roadactedagain inNovemberafteritwasfoundthatTPWShadbeen de-activatedduringalightenginemove.

AProhibitionNoticewassubsequentlyservedonWest Coastbanningthemovementofsteamenginesnotfitted withapparatustopreventthedisconnectionofTPWS. Yetperhapsthesamenoticeshouldandcouldhavebeen issuednationwidetoallTrainOperatingCompanies, whetherornottheyemploytractioninspectorsas additionalwatchdogs?

Intheory,whilethereisroomforhumanerror,similar incidentscouldoccurwithstaffemployedbyany operator,notjustWestCoast.Thereisasimplemeansof guaranteeing100%thatthisvitalequipmentcannotbe switchedoff,anditmustbeinstalledacrosstheboard.

Thepublicdeservesnoless.

Robin Jones Editor Heritagerailway.co.uk 3

CONTENTS ISSUE 210

December 17 – January 13, 2016

News

6 HEADLINE NEWS

6

West Coast facing prosecutions over Wootton Bassett SPAD; Great Central Railway takes over responsibility for new Loughborough bridge from Network Rail; the world now agrees that Flying Scotsman is the most famous locomotive of all time; latest on Scotsman comeback events at the National Railway Museum; top national awards for Mid Hants, North Yorkshire Moors and Wensleydale railways’ building projects.

18 NEWS

10

National Railway Museum to become part of £78 million‘King’s Cross of the North’redevelopment; Barry Cogar returns to South Devon Railway; Flour Mill to run first gala on Dean Forest; Storm Desmond stops railtours in their tracks; Swanage clears way to Wareham for regular services with new Norden barrier crossing; action from Great Central‘Last Hurrah’gala; Severn Valley coach wins top carriage award; Ffestiniog appeal to restore superintendent’s house; Lynton & Barnstaple launch share issue to buy station inn; Scarborough North Bay new build taking shape; Sir William McAlpine reopens‘largest’surviving GWR signalbox on main line; Mallard speed record plate sells for £13k and Severn Valley ends 50th anniversary year with complete Santa sell-out.

MAIN LINE NEWS

56

Latest dates for Flying Scotsman and Royal Scot railtours; West Coast served Prohibition Notice over second TPWS infringement – but no trains are cancelled, and council calls for more steam trips on Borders Railway.

WITH FULL REGULATOR

Don Benn reports on another fine performance from Tyseley’s Rood Ashton Hall.

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62

Regulars Railwayana

52

Centre

54

Main Line Tours

65

Scale Heritage Railway

82

Platform

88

Off the Shelf

90

Up & Running

92

Features

Geoff Courtney’s regular column.

Phil Waterfield’s view of T9 No. 30120 on the Swanage Railway at sunrise.

Steam and heritage diesel railtours.

Prototype HST power car to appear in OO. Where your views matter most.

Latest book and DVD releases.

Guide to railways running over the festive season.

The Month Ahead

106

The Duke: Gestation, service, rebuild and future

The unique BR Standard 8P Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester has had its ups and downs, both in BR service and in preservation. Ian Murray clarifies its history and outlines how, after a period of uncertainty, the new trust is confident that the number of members will continue to grow as it becomes more and more clear that No. 71000 will once again grace the main line.

46

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CONTENTS: The notorious High Street level crossing in Lincoln is finally having its footbridge reinstated and as a result, high-powered floodlights are illuminating the building works. This proved very useful for taking photographs during the city’s Christmas Market GWR 4-6-0 when No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe departed for Tyseley on December 5. BRIAN SHARPE COVER: Newly returned to service, GWR 4-6-0 No. 7802 Bradley Manor approaches Kidderminster on the Severn Valley Railway. LEWIS MADDOX

Flying Scotsman: More regenerations than Dr Who!

Marking Manor finale

80

50 years to the day that the GW Manors ended their days on the Cambrian lines, three of the last working members of the class were reunited, as Martin Creese reports.

Flying Scotsman has always been rather more chameleon-like than most express engines. Robin Jones and Brian Sharpe summarise the regular and sometimes quite drastic changes in its appearance over the past 92 years.

66

Railway museums are now very different to their 20th century counterparts. John Titlow continues his examination of railway museums in Britain and Europe with a review of the history of railway museums in Swindon, past and present.

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A Great Western Excursion

84

The restoration of historic railway coaches is often taken for granted.

As the Severn Valley Railway unveils another priceless gem, Paul Appleton considers the work that takes place behind the scenes.

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HEADLINE NEWS

World’s most famous train – so says the entire planet!

WE’VE always known it – but now so does the rest of the world, according to the latest poll. Flying Scotsman is officially both the world’s most famous steam locomotive and named train.

On November 30, custodian the National Railway Museum announced the result of aYouGov survey carried out online across four continents that places the A3 Pacific right at the top of theTop 10Trains table.

Respondents in the UK, US, India and Australia were asked to name five trains or locomotives they had heard of.

Modern railway icons also feature in the top 10.The Japanese Bullet train, the only example of which outside of Japan is displayed in theYork museum’s Great Hall, squeezes into the number 10 spot.

However, other famous steam locomotives that at one time would have topped the railway charts are languishing outside theTop 10Trains table, including the Hogwarts Express of global Harry Potter fame, which lags behind at 25th place in the rankings (and is now displayed at Warner Brothers’Harry Potter StudioTour attraction at Leavesden in Hertfordshire).

The engine that established railways as the preferred choice of transport and set the blueprint for future steam locomotive development, Stephenson’s Rocket, comes in 14th place.

On November 30, 1934, Flying Scotsman reached 100mph on a London to Leeds run under the guidance of driver William Sparshatt. With the LNER’s dynamometer car in tow to record its speed, the locomotive set a new record and secured its place in history.

The 1905 built-car is currently being prepared for its starring role behind Flying Scotsman in the museum’s MarchMay, Stunts, Speed and Style display, part of its Scotsman Season to celebrate the return of the loco to the tracks after a decade-long, £4.2 million restoration.

A February inaugural run between King’s Cross andYork (rumoured to be February 27 but for which no date had been confirmed as we closed for press) gets the season off to a flying start during Flying Scotsman’s‘birthday’ month, as the locomotive was built at Doncaster and completed in February 1923.

Museum director, Paul Kirkman, said: “Our survey backs up the claim that it is probably the most famous locomotive and express train service in the world.

“We are thrilled to offer a unique opportunity to experience the essence of Flying Scotsman, first-hand at our museum, through a series of innovative and colourful exhibitions and events.”

NRM public events manager Kate Hunter added:“Our late February inaugural run is the first chance for the

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public to see and ride behind Flying Scotsman, our train league-topping locomotive, in its latest guise as BR Brunswick green No. 60103.

“This historic occasion is a chance to thank many of our generous supporters for their patience during this challenging decade-long project to bring a 1920s-built cultural icon back to life and there will be tickets available to the public.

“We expect that hundreds more will attend Flying Scotsman’s welcome home party at the museum where it will be displayed in light steam for a number of days after its triumphant arrival.There are a few logistical things to fall into place before we can confirm our date for the inaugural run; the starting point of this free museum event, so we’re asking Scotsman fans to watch this space! We are also hosting an arrival dinner to celebrate the loco’s long-awaited return.”

While a February-June Starring Scotsman exhibition examines the locomotive’s claims to fame, a six-week display in the Great Hall, Stunts, Speed and Style, which runs from March 25 onwards will tell the story of the renowned luxury service between London and Edinburgh throughout the eras. Visitors will be able to get on board the cabs of four locomotives that hauled the‘Flying Scotsman’train, which departed at 10am carrying business and leisure travellers from both capital cities.The locomotive line-up within the free display explores the beginnings of the high-speed service in the 19th century through to the Sixties poststeam era and will offer a unique photo opportunity.

Teak train assembled at NRM

A Flying Scotsman arrival dinner will be held at the museum from 7pm11.30pm on Thursday, March 3, at a cost of £80 per person.

The gala evening includes a FlyingScotsman themed arrival cocktail, a four-course menu, guest speakers and plenty of photographic opportunities

Above: Smoke deflectors fitted to Flying Scotsman. NRM

Right: Nearly there: Flying Scotsman inside Ian Riley’s workshop at Bury. NRM around the celebrity of the rails.

A ground-breaking ticketed exhibition, Service With Style, which runs from March 25 to May 8, uses three carriages of the type used on the‘Flying Scotsman’route to tell a story of speed, innovation, fame and luxury up to the present day with the modern London to Edinburgh service run by Virgin Trains East Coast. The flagship‘Flying Scotsman’service was known for on-board innovations such as the cinema car, cocktail bar and hairdressing salon.

Visitors will embark on a journey with each carriage giving a different sensory experience.

On December 3, the LNER Coach Association’s LNER BTK No. 3669 was moved to the NRM ready to take part in the Service With Style exhibition.

The other two coaches for the exhibition are East Coast Joint Stock TK No. 12, which is based at the NRM, and Thompson Buffet Lounge car No. 1706 from the Llangollen Railway.

The train will be displayed behind four locomotives that hauled the service over its lifetime.

Throughout the season, there will a family-friendly Scotsman science show on the theme of speed; craft activities during the school holidays, as well as a schedule of photography events, and a programme of fascinating talks. The season’s finishing flourish will be the chance to see Flying Scotsman in light steam at a Sixties-style‘shed bash’at the Locomotion museum in Shildon.

Coming soon... to a station near you

FLYING Scotsman will work for Steam Dreams on a wide variety of‘Cathedrals Express’duties in May. It will haul its first trains for the Railway Touring Company in Brunswick green livery in June, on itineraries ranging from Cleethorpes-Morpeth, King’s Cross-York via Lincoln, and HellifieldCarlisle-York, before embarking on a series of sevenYork-Carlisle and return ‘Waverley’trips in July and August.

Virtually all the seats initially made available for Flying Scotsman’s runs on the NorthYorkshire Moors Railway between March 12-20 have now sold out and an extra 64 seats will be added to each train to cater for demand.

Heritage minsterTracey Crouch said: “After a decade of regeneration, the anticipated return of the world-famous and much-loved Flying Scotsman is almost upon us.

“From early 2016 the Scotsman will tour the UK as a working museum exhibit, educating fans of all ages about the wonders of the engineering behind its steam traction.This is a wonderful way to tell the story of this iconic and well-travelled locomotive and will ensure that people now, and in the future, understand why it is such an important part of Great Britain’s heritage.” ➜ For details of Flying Scotsman’s railtours in 2016, see Main Line News, 56-61.

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THE WORLD’S 30 MOST FAMOUSTRAINS AND LOCOMOTIVES

Almost ready for its steam tests at the end of December: Flying Scotsman at Bury. Still to come is the completion of the motion and the fitting of valve rings ahead of the tests. NRM

Great Central takes over bridge project from Network Rail ByRobinJones GREAT Central Railway managing director Bill Ford has assured supporters that a decision by the heritage line to take over the management of the project to build the missing bridge at Loughborough will not mean that the project is further delayed.

In early December, it was announced the revised timescale of the electrification of the Midland Main Line, a project placed on temporary hold by the Government, has had an“inevitable”impact on the Bridging the Gap project, which will link the GCR to its northern counterpart, the Great Central Railway (Nottingham), creating the world’s first inter-city heritage trunk line.

The efficiency savings, which were originally anticipated as a result of contractors combining work on both projects,are now lost, following the reallocation of Network Rail’s electrification project staff.

A statement said:“Following meetings with Network Rail in both Derby and London, GCR plc has decided, with the full co-operation of Network Rail, to take over the management of the total project to reunify the two sections of the GCR north and south of the MML‘gap’at Loughborough.This includes replacing the missing bridge over the MML. “GCR’s project managers, FJD, have now taken over the management of the entire project on GCR’S behalf and will continue to liaise with Network Rail to secure the required consents and collaboration.”

The break in proceedings has provided the GCR the opportunity to review the £1 million single-span bridge design and look at both simplifying it and combining it with a new bridge over Railway Terrace to the south, together with the

stretch crossing Preci-Spark car park.

The two bridge decks obtained from the Reading station redevelopment will be incorporated into the overall structure to save costs, but the main bridge over the MML will still be an all-new single-span construction.

Bill said that the change in management oftheprojectshouldnotmeananyfurther delays, and a start will be made in the spring with building the new abutments for the main bridge.The abutments of the original are still in place, but the new bridge will follow a slightly different alignment and so cannot use them.

Work on other sections of the gap project will start in the spring with the restoration of the Grand Union Canal bridge and preparation work on rebuilding the approach embankments.

In November, the £1 million public appeal for the bridge passed its target, and as we closed for press, stood at £1.75 million, with more donations coming in on a daily basis.

The total cost of the Bridging the Gap project is estimated at £6.5 million, and the railway also has £1 million from the Leicester and Leicestershire Local Enterprise Partnership, part of which can be used for the associated works, said Bill. ➜Donations to the Bridging the Gap project are still very much sought despite the target having been passed.

They can be made with a cheque made payable toThe David Clark Railway Trust and sent to the GCR HQ at Bridge Appeal, Lovatt House, 3Wharncliffe Road, Loughborough, Leics, LE11 1SL. Standing orders can easily set up using an appeal form downloadable from www.gcrailway.co.uk/unify ➜Alternatively, donations can be made online at www.gcrailway.co.uk Click on the‘donate now’button.

(in order according to You Gov poll) ➜ Flying Scotsman ➜ Rajadhani Express ➜ Orient Express ➜The Ghan ➜ Shatabdi Express ➜ Amtrak ➜ Indian Pacific ➜ Mallard ➜ Duronto Express ➜ BulletTrain ➜Thomas theTank Engine ➜ Garib Rath ➜ Chennai Express ➜ Stephenson’s Rocket ➜ Overlander ➜Trans-Siberian Express ➜ Puffing Billy ➜ Eurostar ➜ Union Pacific ➜ Deccan Queen ➜The BlueTrain ➜ Palace on Wheels ➜ Rocky Mountaineer ➜ Brighton Belle ➜ Hogwarts Express

West Coast and driver prosecuted over Wootton Bassett SPAD ON December 9, the Office of Rail and Road launched formal criminal proceedings against theWest Coast Railway Company and one of its drivers following the Signal Passed at Danger incident at Royal Wootton Bassett on March 7.

TheORRhasalsolaunchedareview ofWestCoast’s safetycertificate;itwas announcedatthesametime.

TheprosecutionsfollowtheORR’s investigationintotheincident,which involvedBulleidBattleofBritain PacificNo.34067Tangmere,hauling a‘CathedralsExpress’backfrom Bristol.Thetraincametoastop550 metresafterthesignal,acrossabusy junctionontheGreatWesternMain Line,directlyinthepathofHighSpeed Trains.

Thedriver,whowasnotnamed inthestatement,isfacingcharges undersection7(a)and8oftheHealth andSafetyatWorkAct1974,relating tohisallegedintentionalmisuseof Tangmere’sTrainProtection&Warning Systemequipment.

AnofficialstatementfromtheORR saidthatitsinvestigationfoundthat thedriverdirectedacolleagueto turnoffthisessentialsafetysystem, designedtoapplyanemergencybrake ifthedrivermakesanerror.

WestCoastisfacingseparatecharges undersection3(1)and2(1)ofthe Act,onaccountofitsallegedfailure toimplementmanagerialcontrols, procedures,trainingandmonitoring topreventstaffturningofftheTPWS equipment,saidthestatement.

Thefirsthearingisduetotakeplace atSwindonMagistrates’Courton January11.

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“ORRhasbeencloselymonitoring WCRC’s operationsincethisincident.

ORRhasalsotodaylaunchedareview ofWCRC’s safetycertificate,whichis neededtooperateitstrainsontherail network,”saidthestatement.

IanProsser,HMchiefinspectorof railwaysatORR,added:“Thesafety ofstaff,volunteers,passengersand membersofthepublicisourabsolute priority.

“Britain’s railwayshaveagoodsafety record.However,therehavebeena numberofincidentsoverthepast yearinvolvingWestCoastRailway CompanyLimitedtrains.

“TheincidentatWoottonBassett Junction,whereaWCRCtrainpasseda signalatdanger,wascausedbyalleged intentionalmisuseofakeysafety system.Thiscouldhaveeasilyledtoa catastrophictraincollision.

“ORRinspectorsareworkingwith therailindustry,inparticularthemain lineheritagesector,toensurethat lessonsarelearned,andpublicsafetyis notputatrisk.”

AsoutlinedonMainLineNews (page56)theORRservedaProhibition NoticeonWestCoastonNovember 24,followinganincidentatDoncaster onOctober2inwhichtheTPWS ofLMS‘BlackFive’No.45231was switchedoff.WestCoasttookswiftand “severe”disciplinaryactionagainstthe footplatecrewmemberinvolved.The noticedidnotbanWestCoastfrom runningsteamtrains,providedthat thelocomotivehadbeenfittedwith adevicetopreventanyoneswitching offtheTPWSsystem,andasweclosed forpress,hasnotresultedinany cancellations.

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HEADLINE NEWS

National honours for Ropley, Scruton and Grosmont projects

By Robin Jones

THREE heritage lines have gained national recognition for major infrastructure works in the National Railway Heritage Awards 2015.

The Mid Hants, NorthYorkshire Moors and Wensleydale railways all carried off trophies while several others were highly commended.

The awards, founded by the late Ian Allan, recognise excellence in conserving heritage structures and features, and covers the national network and private railways including heritage lines.

The awards were presented by Lord Richard Faulkner, with English Heritage’s Steven Brindle as master of ceremonies at the MerchantTaylors’ Hall inTheadneedle Street, London, on December 2.

The Mid Hants won the Stagecoach Volunteers Award for the construction of an Up side waiting shelter at Ropley station.

Opened by the LSWR in October 1865, the main station buildings at Ropley are situated on the Down side. Until the 1930s, when it was demolished, there was only a small waiting room provided on the Up side.

In October 2013 work started on a two-phase project to construct a new waiting room on the Up platform in a style sympathetic to that of the LSWR. Once the initial groundworks were finished, construction was completed by

Ropley station’s new Up side waiting shelter. NRHA the line’s volunteers in early 2015.

Although most of the fabric is new work, the four cast-iron columns and spandrels were salvaged from Ringwood while the double-faced clock came from Aldershot.

Internally, the building has been fitted out in a style appropriate to a LSWR waiting room. It includes a table that was originally in the waiting room at Bentley station and a free-standing solid fuel stove typical of the type used in the 1920s.

Steven said:“This excellent new construction, in a style, which captures

perfectly the work of the LSWR, adds greatly to the ambience of an already attractive station complex.

“It successfully integrates salvaged historic material with new construction to provide a useful new facility for this important intermediate station. It is an object lesson in how projects of this sort should be approached.”

Runners-up in the same category were the Royal Deeside Railway Preservation Society for the restoration of derelict Scruton station and the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway for the restoration of the toilet block at Oxenhope station.

Entrance doors and the clock from Aldershot station in Ropley’s Up platform shelter. NRHA

Proud representatives of the Watercress Line receive their trophy for the creation of a new Up platform waiting shelter in traditional LSWR style at Ropley station, 85 years after the last one was demolished.

ROBIN JONES

Scruton back on line THE Railway HeritageTrust Conservation Award was won by the Wensleydale RailwayTrust for the restoration of Scruton station.

Opened originally by theYork, Newcastle & Berwick Railway in 1848, the existing building at Scruton dates from the late 1870s and was the work ofThomas Prosser. It is one of only two wayside stations designed by Prosser to survive.

Passenger services over the NER’s trans-Pennine route from Northallerton to Hawes ended on April 26, 1954 and over the next half-century the building fell into decay.

However, in 2008 work started on its restoration, the project being completed in 2014 at a cost of £150,000, of which the Railway HeritageTrust contributed around 50%.

The extensive work involved the fitting of replacement slate tiles from the same quarries at Penrhyn as the originals.The main casements of the sash windows were repaired and new glazing bars, made to the original patterns, fitted.

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Receiving the Railway Heritage Trust Conservation Award for the restoration of Scruton station from Lord Faulkner (centre) were Sir William McAlpine (left) and the Wensleydale Railway’s David Walker (right). ROBIN JONES Internally the timber floor has been replaced by one that replicates the original while replacement castiron fireplaces were sourced from reclamation yards and the booking hall and waiting room fitted out.

The whole station was repainted in the LNER colour scheme of 1937, based on meticulous research.

“This project demonstrates a considerable amount of care, both on the exterior and interior of the structure,” said Steven.“The result is

Above: The WensleydaleRailway’s magnificently restored Scruton station. NRHA

Left: Derelict Scruton station prior to restoration. NRHA that a once-derelict country station has been brought back into use.”

Runners-up were Chiltern Railways & Marlow and Maidenhead Passenger Association for the running-in board at

High Wycombe station and Network Rail for its refurbishment ofToft Green Chambers atYork, at Grade II-listed building once used as offices for the NER and its successors.

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Lord Faulkner of Worcester presents representatives of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway with their award for the resignalling at Grosmont. ROBIN JONES

B1 4-6-0 No. 61264, running as No. 61034, passes beneath the reinstalled Falsgrave gantry as it arrives at Grosmont with a 12.45pm Whitby to Pickering service. NRHA

Resignalling Grosmont THE NorthYorkshire Moors Railway was presented with the Siemens Signalling Award for the relocation of the former Falsgrave signal gantry from Scarborough and its reuse at Grosmont.

More than a decade ago, the NYMR constructed a new signalbox and new semaphore signals at Grosmont in connection with the line’s plans for the introduction of through services to Whitby. However, there were limitations to the operation of through services resulting from the layout at Grosmont.

A traditional disc signal has been installed at Porthmadog Harbour station controlling trains across the Cob. NRHA

In order to enhance the operation through Grosmont and facilitate the use of the increased capacity at Whitby, new signalling was required.

At the time Network Rail was seeking a suitable home for the Grade 2 listed NER signalling gantry at Falsgrave in Scarborough.

Built by McKenzie and Holland, the gantry had been supplied originally in 1911 before being reused in Scarborough in 1934.

In order to install the gantry at Grosmont, it needed to be shortened by about four metres.Three wooden signal dolls were recovered, refurbished and installed with three main arms and four shunt signal arms.

The alterations and additions to the signalling were extensive, with the provision of point motors, ground signals and extensive track circuiting and control arrangements to ensure safety in the transfer of trains between the two railways.

Stevensaid: “Allconcernedcanbe justifiablyproudofwhattheyhave achievedandthewaythattheyhave takentheopportunityoftheredundant gantrytoincorporateitwith advantage withintheirscheme.Theyhavethus providedanewuseforanhistoricpiece ofsignallingequipmentthatwould otherwise havebeendifficulttopreserve.”

Detail of part of Grosmont’s signalbox diagram. NRHA The runners-up were the Ffestiniog Railway Society for the installation of heritage disc signals, one of which, at the remodelled Porthmadog

station, is operational, and Poyntzpass and District Local History Society in Northern Ireland for the restoration of Poyntzpass signalbox.

Praise for Rheidol THE Vale of Rheidol Railway was a runner-up in theTaylor Woodrow Partnership award, for the restoration of its intermediate stations.

However, the award was won by Network Rail, Scotrail and IDP Architects for the refurbishment of Gleneagles station.

Also coming second was the North Queensferry StationTrust for its station regeneration project.

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

Refurnished Rheidol Falls station. NRHA

Continued on page 10

➜

Heritagerailway.co.uk 9

NEWS

Barry Cogar back at Buckfastleigh!

By Robin Jones

The Ffestiniog Railway’s former station in Blaenau Ffestiniog at Duffws, for decades used as a public toilet, has been upgraded. NRHA

The first Blaenau Ffestiniog station THE Great Western Railway Craft Skills Award went to Network Rail for its restoration of the Victorian waiting room at Worcester Shrub Hill station, which is thought to have been built in the mid-19th century as an exhibition piece to showcase the range of tiles manufactured by Maw & Company.

Shortlisted in this section was the Ffestiniog Railway’s original Blaenau Ffestiniog station building at Duffws.

It first opened in January 1866 and closed 1931 when services were

diverted into the town’s GWR station.

The building that remains today is the second station building on the site and it currently serves as a council operated public lavatory across the main road from the Queen’s Hotel.

The toilets and building have been refurbished by Cyngor Gwynedd in partnership with BlaenauYmlaen.

Also commended by the restoration of Newton Abbot’s station building by Network Rail, Frankham Consultancy and Firstcall Building services.

And there’s more…

THE Supporters Award was presented to Ladybank DevelopmentTrust and Fife Historic BuildingsTrust for the restoration of the Laird’s Waiting Room at Ladybank station.

Runners-up were MalvernTown Council for the refurbishment of traditional lamps in Station Road outside Great Malvern station, and Chiltern Railways for the reinstalled of Great Central Railway war memorials at Marylebone station.

The London Underground Operational enhancement Award was won by East Coast Main Line for the redevelopment of Newcastleupon-Tyne station, while commended were Network Rail, ArrivaTrains Wales and the Welsh government for the redevelopment of Aberystwyth station, andTranslink for the integrated bus and railway station at Antrim.

The Crossrail Award for Urban Heritage went to Groundwork Wakefield for the refurbishment of Wakefield Kirkgate station, which had been previously described as the worst medium-sized station in Britain because of its poor condition.

Commended were London Underground for the replacement of safety rails at four of its stations, as well as Network Rail and Northern Rail for the refurbishment of Blackburn station.

The NRCG Restoration Award went to Network Rail for the repairs and upgrading of Chelsea River Bridge, with Network Rail and Gateshead City Council in second place for the refurbishment of Gateshead Arches.

The NRHA Best Entry for 2015 award went to London Underground for the restoration of the roof at Farringdon station.

THE man who once sold the South Devon Railway after threatening to close it has been appointed as its new chairman.

Barry Cogar who, in the early Nineties, was asked by Dart Valley Railway plc to offload the loss-making Buckfastleigh branch, has been appointed to the top post of the South Devon RailwayTrust after being co-opted on to the board on November 25.

He replaces AlanTaylor who has stepped down from the post after a quarter of a century.

Barry, who lives in Paignton and came from a non-railway background as the manager of a Fine Fare supermarket in Plymouth, originally joined the Dart Valley Railway at Buckfastleigh in 1967, and three years later became a member of the company’s paid staff.

He has been involved with the Buckfastleigh toTotnes line since as far back as 1965. Initially he was one of the railway’s first volunteers, working on the permanent way before being appointed the line’s first general manager, when it was owned and operated by the Dart Valley Railway, which ran it as a commercial enterprise first and foremost.

Stunning coastal scenery

After the opportunity to buy the Paignton to Kingswear line arose in 1972, Barry became general manager of both railways. The Kingswear route with its stunning coastal and estuarine scenery was a far more lucrative concern and the board eventually decided to offload its original railway.

In 1990, Barry announced that the Buckfastleigh branch could no longer pay its way, and faced closure, with resources being diverted to the

profitable Paignton to Kingswear line.

He stood at Buckfasteigh station and told TV journalists that the branch was losing £100,000 a year, and was therefore up for sale.

Dart Valley volunteers subsequently took over the management and, later, ownership, of the Buckfastleigh line in March 1991, renaming it the South Devon Railway, after the company that built it. The purchase of the freehold was completed in February 2010.

Barry continued to manage the Paignton line and was also a director of DVR plc before retiring in 2008. By then, he had set a new world record, by becoming the longest-serving general manager of a railway anywhere.

A repeated target of criticism from enthusiast quarters for actions such as applying non-authentic names to steam locomotives and carriages in a successful bid to woo the family market in Torbay, under Barry’s helm the Kingswear branch became one of the most popular attractions in the West Country, at a time when holidaymakers were deserting traditional UK resorts for Mediterranean package deals.

Then known as the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway, it was a very rare example of a heritage line not only no longer relying on volunteers for its day-to-day operation but also paying regular dividends to shareholders – exactly what most railway companies were founded to do.

In April 1999, DVR plc bought Dart Pleasure Craft, not only restoring the Kingswear to Dartmouth passenger ferries to railway ownership but expanding into the pleasure boat business. Soon afterwards, the rival Red River Cruises was acquired, and the now-legendary Round Robin trips, steam train one way, boat up the river to Totnes and return to Paignton by bus,

Tribute to the awards founder IN HIS address after presenting the trophies, Heritage Railway Association president Lord Richard Faulkner of Worcester paid tribute to Ian Allan, and held a minute’s silence in his memory.

Ian, who laid the foundations for modern-day railway enthusiast publishing – and who has been credited with inspiring the success

10 Heritagerailway.co.uk

of the preservation movement - died on June 28, 2015, the day before his 93rd birthday.

A memorial service for Ian had been held at Guildford Cathedral on Monday, November 23, attended not only by his family and work colleagues but many leading figures from the railway and publishing sectors.

A quarter of a century ago, Barry Cogar stood on the bridge overlooking Buckfastleigh station and said that the heritage line would close if not sold. Now he has returned as chairman of the trust that runs it! SARAH ANNE HARVEY Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

was launched by Barry with resounding success.

Barry said:“I was very surprised but extremely honoured to have been approached to chair the South Devon Railway Trust. Having started as a volunteer on the line 50 years ago, it has always been very special to me and I am genuinely excited about becoming chairman.

“I know the SDR has big plans now and Alan’s will be very large shoes to step into; but I’m looking forward to working with the board, management, staff and volunteers to take the SDR forward over the next few years.”

Also co-opted on to the SDR board is regular volunteer Christine Thomas, the organisation’s first female director.

Christine, who lives in Marldon, has been regularly involved with the railway since 2001 and is a booking office volunteer. Her background is in local government and she brings manmanagement expertise to the trust.

She has been appointed to head the railway’s personnel committee.

She said:“I am delighted to have been asked to join the board. Having been a volunteer for many years, I know the railway very well as well as the staff and volunteers. I am looking forward to taking over the personnel responsibilities too and supporting the railway in every way I can.”

Unique insight

Alan said:“I am very pleased indeed with our two new appointments. Barry has known this line for 50 years and his career gives him a unique insight into the operation of a railway and of a tourist attraction. He is approaching the role with tremendous enthusiasm and I am handing over the reins to a highly competent successor.

“Christine brings us valuable people skills and we are also delighted to welcome her as our first female director – and one of the few women directors of any heritage railway operation.”

While Alan is stepping down from the board, he is remaining very active indeed, concentrating on a rules and training remit, sitting on the SDR’s newly formed strategy group as well as returning to operating duties, having recently regained his passenger and goods guard certificate.

SDR marketing director Peter Treglown said:“Both Barry and Christine have been enthusiastically welcomed to the board and will bring valuable expertise to the volunteer management of the SDR. “The contribution that Alan Taylor has made to the railway cannot be overstated. A volunteer since the Seventies, he has filled a huge number of roles while chairman over the last quarter of a century with consummate skill and enthusiasm.

“Stepping down from the board will enable him to concentrate on a range of operational activities. He deserves a rest from the railway, but we’re all most relieved that he isn’t getting much of one!”

LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 45379 leaving Washford with a Minehead-bound train on the West Somerset Railway on October 4, 2012. DON BISHOP

‘Black Five’ joins the biggest Somerset & Dorset Railway gathering in 50 years

By Robin Jones LMS‘Black Five’No. 45379 has been added to the Heritage Railway-backed Somerset & Dorset 50 spring gala on the West Somerset Railway.

Making a return visit, the Mid Hants Railway-based locomotive has joined the line-up for the event, which will take place over March 5-6 and between March 10-13.

The first ‘Black Five’to arrive on the S&D was LMS No. 5440 (BR 45440) which spent many years on the legendary trans-Mendip line and was a particular favourite of driver Johnny Walker.

Its arrival in 1938 signalled a step change in terms of capacity from the Midland 2P 4-4-0s, which had previously headed the main passenger trains over the difficult line between Bath Green Park and Bournemouth West.

Legend has it that on No. 5440’s first trip when the LMS hooter sounded in place of the usual Midland locomotive whistle on the approach to Poole the harbour authorities assumed there was a ship in the vicinity and opened a swing bridge.

The type worked on the S&D until the early Sixties and BR Standard 5MTs were active almost to the end with the final workings coming at the end of 1965 when regular services were replaced by the‘emergency timetable’(introduced when a bus operator due to provide

replacement services pulled out at the last moment and which kept the line open until March 5, 1966 – a date which coincides with the gala.

The gala will mark the 50th anniversary of the closure of the S&D system and also the 40th anniversary of the start of WSR passenger services.To celebrate this landmark, a special commemorative ale will be produce by Quantock Ales whose brewery and shop are adjacent to Bishops Lydeard station.

TheWSR will stage an additional gala day for readers of Heritage Railway magazine on Wednesday, March 9, inbetween the two gala weekends. HR readers who turn up atWSR ticket offices with two vouchers that can be collected from the magazine in forthcoming issues will be able to purchase a one-day rover ticket for just £10. A standard train service will operate on this date with suitable S&D locomotives working all trains.

Both surviving 7Fs

During most days of the event, the ale will be sold from a cask at Minehead station, and for the rest of 2016 it will be available exclusively in bottles from the WSR buffet cars and the brewery shop.

The beer has yet to be named, but it will be a golden ale with a 4.2% abv.

Commemorative goods including souvenir glasses will also be produced.

As reported in our last issue, the gala will feature both surviving S&D 7Fs, 53808 and 53809, in BR black livery and a pair of Bulleid Pacifics in No. 34070 Manston from the Swanage Railway, and rebuilt sister No. 34053 Sir Keith Park from the SevernValley Railway.

Former S&D-based 4F No. 44422, which is currently under overhaul at Crewe, is expected to be completed in time to attend, and the line’s 11 stations will be renamed to represent former S&D locations.

➜ Discounted advanced price rover tickets for the gala are on sale via www.west-somerset-railway.co.uk or 01643 704996.

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

This spectacular Lego model is being displayed in Covent Garden until December 29.

The locomotive and train were designed by the UK’s only certified Lego professional Duncan Titmarsh. Leading a team of eight builders, the model took three months to build and used 500,000 bricks. JAMES HAMILTON Heritagerailway.co.uk 11

NEWS

WSR Association’s ‘own’ report calls for all trustees to quit

By Robin Jones WEST Somerset Railway Association chairman Peter Chidzey said that its trustees are“very disappointed”by the “unjustified”findings of a report that the group itself commissioned into its conduct and proceedings.

The association appointed railway photographer Robin Coombes to chair an independent inquiry into its affairs, following criticism both from members and the separateWest Somerset Railway plc. However, one of the key recommendations of the report, published in full in early December on the association’s www.wsra.org.uk website as‘Coombes Report’under the About Us and then Documents sub sections, calls for all of the trustees to resign.

“As you would expect we are very disappointed indeed with this recommendation and do not feel it is justified,”said Mr Chidzey.

The report also said that members and a trustee who have been expelled from the association by its current administration should be reinstated, and also calls for an inquiry into the recent sale of the association’s shares in 4160 Ltd, owner of Minehead-based GWR large prairie No. 4160.

A major rift developed between the railway’s plc board and its supporting association with the latter mounting a surprise rival bid to buy the freehold of the line.The dispute ended with Somerset County Council, the vendor, withdrawing the sale offer.

The association’s hierarchy later expelled four members of a nine-strong Reform Group set up by members to campaign for change – barrister Robin White, Ken Davidge, Jeff Price, and retired Sussex Police Chief Constable Paul Whitehouse – and suspended trustee Ian Colby, a volunteer signalman on the line for 25 years.

A sizeable group of association

members expressed concern at the direction taken by the trustees responsible for the running of the association, leading to a vote of no confidence at a general meeting on May 10.The membership also passed a resolution for the setting up of the independent review despite opposition from the trustees.

Subsequently, as reported in HR 205, at a hearing at Bristol Civil Justice Centre on July 21, the association was left facing a £17,000 legal bill despite successfully defending an action brought by former Chief Constable MrWhitehouse, to stop him being expelled from the group. His Honour Judge Denyer turned down his application for an injunction on the grounds such an action should be activated by the Charity Commissioners, and they had not been given sufficient notice. However, the judge said the reasons given by the association for the termination of his membership were “woefully inadequate,”and made no order for costs against MrWhitehouse.

found the current governance is not fit for purpose.The association in its current form and structure is considered unsustainable as the trustees have not provided evidence they have the capability to perform their role.There is a lack of clarity of purpose and there is no agreed strategy for the organisation.”

The report later on said that there is a“stark choice facing the trustees, step down now and let others try to save the association or continue on its current trajectory and face a bleak, possibly long drawn out and slow death.”

It continued:“The trustees may argue that there is a third way which sees everyone finally understanding and appreciating that they only have the best interests of the railway at heart and they can play a leading and key part in its future development and success.This is laudable but without a firm plan as to how to make this happen it is no more than a hope and hope cannot be an objective or strategy.”

Call to step down

The report states in respect of membership terminations and trustee suspensions:“While the trustees claim they have had valid reasons for termination of membership, the review finds the procedure may have been flawed, though inept may be a better description.

“It is recommended the memberships are restored and if the new trustees feel it appropriate the process could recommence if there was any compelling evidence.

“The review finds there may have been no basis on which a trustee could be suspended and that the trustees appear not to have followed any recognised procedure and therefore may have acted beyond their authority.”

Regarding question marks over the sale of the association’s shareholder in No. 4160, as reported in HR 208,

In its executive summary, the report states:“The review concluded that to achieve the aims of the terms of reference to return the association to its core role as supporting theWest Somerset Railway as a whole, a new board of trustees is necessary to lead and direct this process.

“As a first step the review recommends all trustees... cease office immediately to be replaced by new trustees or an administrator with due process.

“The new trustees would be given the responsibility of rebuilding the association into a fit and proper organisation with a role and purpose for the benefit of theWest Somerset Railway family and the wider public, in full consultation with the membership.

“The recommendation is based on a review of the purpose, objects, structure and activities of the association, which

‘Inept’ procedure for suspensions

GWR 2-6-2T No. 4160 at Minehead in 2008. The Coombes Report has called for the sale of association shares in its owning company to be investigated. KRISTIAN THY/CREATIVE COMMONS

12 Heritagerailway.co.uk

the report stated:“The most serious governance issue over which the review panel has concerns is the events, within the public domain, surrounding the sale of shares in the locomotive No. 4160.

“It is claimed by members that an individual assumed to be an association trustee or association agent is understood to have been connected to the sale of the 4160 Ltd shares to himself without there being a testing of the market value.This may have been in contravention of basic rules of governance and guidance for trustees issued by the Charity Commission in disposing of the charity’s assets.

“The trustees are also alleged by a number of members to have failed to observe the rules concerning the declaration of conflicts of interest.

“In the review panel’s opinion, if these as yet unfounded allegations are correct these are extremely serious matters that should be investigated by the appropriate regulatory authorities.

“The review panel considers it is very damaging for the integrity and reputation of the association as a charity for these allegations to‘float around the internet’and be the subject of ‘messroom discussion’.

“The review panel is not aware if there is an understanding by the trustees of how serious these matters could potentially be.

“There is a presumption against the sale of a charity’s assets that fulfil the charity’s objective.The trustees can and must only act in the interest of the charity.There is a duty to maximise the value of any sale.There is a duty to avoid conflicts of interest.

“The review panel would urge the association to clarify matters by independent investigation or at the very least publish all the relevant documentation such as the board minutes to its members to demonstrate the relationships and interests of all parties involved. How the sale would benefit the association? What steps the trustees took to seek independent valuation and or advice? How the decision was formally recorded and who made the decision? How and by whom the sale of 4160 Ltd was instigated and to whose benefit? Given the timing of the sale immediately prior to the AGM, why such an important sale of interest to the membership was not announced at the AGM or subsequently as a positive good news story?

“While this is the most serious issue affecting the association’s governance and management, allegations fairly or unfairly, substantive or not, continue to surface on social media demonstrating the organisation is under scrutiny and appears not to have in place the robust governance necessary to properly rebut

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GWR 4-6-0s No. 7822 Foxcote Manor & Castle No. 5051 Earl Bathurst work across Ker Moor soon after leaving Blue Anchor on the West Somerset Railway on March 13, 2007. DON BISHOP allegations made against it.”

Robin White described the report as “dynamite”and said:“We are hopeful the Charity Commissioners sit up and take notice. There has to be a clean sweep of everyone in charge.”

“The Reform Group now calls on the chairman and trustees to follow the recommendations of the review they commissioned and carried out by a man they appointed and stand down for the good of the railway.”

The chairman’s response

In a statement, Peter Chidzey said: “Despite our concerns about various aspects of the report, which we found deeply disappointing, the trustees are taking it very seriously. Indeed prior to the report being issued we had already set up a management working group chaired by a very experienced West Somerset volunteer, Frank Courtney, who is working with others not on the trustee group who are very experienced in business and charity management.

We accept there are lessons to learn, but the partial and selective approach of the report is unfortunate.”

In a letter on the association’s website, he said:“The key recommendation of the review is that all the trustees should resign before any development can be instigated. The trustees fully acknowledge that the association needs to change and evolve, and there are some observations in the review that we accept.

“We are also very disappointed the report has not seriously addressed what direction the WSRA should take.

“We have already initiated change,

through setting up a management working group and we expect to have a new draft development plan available for consultation by the end of January.

And we agree there is more to be done.

“However, we consider that members should see this review and make their own judgment at the earliest opportunity.

“The period for returning comments and views will end on Monday, January 11. We will then convene a members meeting towards the end of January or in early February (date to be announced), during which we will also put forward our first draft of the development plan.”

“This will allow proper reflection on new permanent trustees to be put forward to members at the 2016 AGM along with fully-consulted proposals to implement the other changes recommended by the review.

“The trustees have asked for views on the Review by January 11. They can be

sent to the Trustees by e-mail to info@ wsra.org.uk or by post to the WSRA, The Railway Station, Bishops Lydeard TA4 3BX. “We urge all of you reading the review to leave the trustees in no doubt about how you now expect them to act.

“It is now time to heal.”

The road ahead?

In a statement issued on December 7, the WSRA Reform Group published its response to the report, saying:“The key recommendation of the review, that all present trustees should stand down, must be faced. We hope the trustees will swiftly act on this.

“We agree with the report that new trustees cannot include those of us who have led the fight against the present trustees for several years now, although we are happy to offer any help we can give to the new trustees.

“We are confident that a group of respected, responsible WSRA members can be found to take over as‘caretaker’ trustees very rapidly, with a person of standing (Robin Coombes, chairman of the review, comes immediately to mind as a possibility, given his high standing with WSRA members) engaged to manage that process.

On Saturday, November 28, BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92203 Black Prince was formally handed over to the North Norfolk Railway after its purchase from wildlife artist David Shepherd who bought it out of main line service and then founded the East Somerset Railway on which to run it. Having had the locomotive in their lives for so long, it was an emotional day for the family, and David in particular. The 9F is seen with the Shepherd family along with David (centre, left) and railway chairman Julian Birley at Holt.

NORTH NORFOLK RAILWAY

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

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NEWS

Sell-out Severn valley Santas!

By Paul Appleton THE Severn Valley crowned its 50th anniversary year by completely selling out all of its Santa specials, Santa Herald and Christmas carol trains before the first of them turned a wheel on Saturday, December 5.

The railway usually enjoys a good sell-through rate, but there are often a small number of seats available, especially on those trains running closest to Christmas. However, this year, prospective passengers who have left it late have had to be turned away disappointed as each day of operation is at capacity and there is no scope for squeezing in extra trains.

Clare Gibbard, the SVR’s marketing manager, told Heritage Railway:“It’s been a remarkable year with so many special events on the railway.This is the icing on the cake and testament to all of the hard work that goes on in the background.”

The season of special events culminated with the autumn steam gala in late September , which was a huge success, the visit of No. 60163 Tornado in October, and in November, the Manor 50 event at which GWR 4-6-0 No. 7802 Bradley Manor made its long-anticipated return to service, appearing alongside resident No. 7812 Erlestoke Manor and visiting No. 7820 Dinmore Manor.

With two Manors and two Bulleid light Pacifics on the roster, the railway has six home-based large engines available for its festive season trains, with heavyweight Hawksworth pannier No. 1501 as stand-by.The six are Ivatt ‘Flying Pig’No. 43106, Churchward 2-8-0 No. 2857, Manors Nos. 7802 and 7812, and light Pacifics Nos. 34027 Taw Valley and 34053 Sir Keith Park.

The railway was also having to field its Class 108 DMU as a staff relief train at the end of each day’s operation to get staff back to Bewdley and Kidderminster, while one train each day runs from and back to Bridgnorth to allow Bridgnorth-based staff to

participate in running the trains.

With 2015 successfully negotiated, the SVR is now focused on its event programme for 2016, while the six weeks that the railway is closed leading up to the February half-term will be packed with winter maintenance, the only period each year when the railway is closed for more than five days at a time.

Top of the agenda for the permanent way gang is the relaying of a section of track at the top of Eardington bank which has been subject to speed restrictions during the latter half of the season.

Public trains are running on the SVR over the full length of the line from Boxing Day through to January 3, and passengers are able to turn up and pay on the day, although a saving can be made by booking in advance. After the six-week closure, the railway opens for business again for the schools’half-term week, with nine consecutive days of operation from February 13-21, and on weekends until Easter.

The first special event of 2016 will be the March 18-20 spring steam gala, which returns to a rural branch line theme, with two auto trains operating with Mike Little’s resident Collett 1400 0-4-2T No. 1450 and Hugh Shipton’s visiting Collett 0-6-0PT No. 6430, which is making its first visit to the railway from its home at the Llangollen Railway. No. 6430 was once shedded at Kidderminster, so is no stranger to the area.

It is also hoped that PortTalbot Railway/GWR 0-6-0ST No. 813 will be available to operate‘local’trains utilising the railway’s beautifully restored GWR ‘toplight’coaches.The Hudswell Clarke, 1900-built locomotive is in the final throes of a major overhaul at Bridgnorth with reassembly at an advanced stage.

Further visiting locomotives are expected to be announced for the gala. Visit www.svr.co.uk for further details, including how to book tickets in advance.

Oliver Cromwell back in 2016

HAVING donelittleworkthroughout2015 becauseofitsunavailability,BR7P4-6-2 No.70013OliverCromwell willnotreturn tothemainlineuntilthe spring.

Currentlyundergoinganintermediate maintenanceprogrammeattheMidland Railway-Butterley,theenginehasrecently takendeliveryofnewdriving wheel crankpins,manufacturedinRiley&Son’s Buryworkshops.

Whenre-wheeled,the4-6-2is scheduled tomovetotheGreatCentral Railway,wherethebogiesetisbooked for attentionatLoughborough.

14 Heritagerailway.co.uk

No main line commitments have been registered against the 4-6-2 during the opening three months of 2016, but the ‘Brit’has been included in two stages of the RailwayTouring Company’s‘Great Britain IX’land cruise in late spring.

On April 30, the 4-6-2 is booked to work the Edinburgh-Dundee-AberdeenInverness leg of the nine-day tour and on May 3 it is down to head the PerthBeattock-Oxenholme section.

Afterwards, the 7P will be back in regular action on the main line working trains, mostly for the RailwayTouring Company.

GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe arrives in Platform 5 at Lincoln with Vintage Trains’ ‘Lindum Christmas Fayre’ from Tyseley on December 5.

Lincoln ‘firsts’ for two steam engine classes

By Brian Sharpe WE are getting used to seeing steam locomotives working far away from

what is regarded as home territory and there are few cities which have not now seen a representative of all the major classes in active main line service.

LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland crosses the crowded High Street as it departs from Lincoln for King's Cross on December 5.

Suspended jail sentence for Romney level crossing‘jumper’ A20-year-oldmotoristhasbeen givenasuspendedprisonsentence andbannedfromtheroadforayear afterjumpingaRomney,Hytheand DymchurchRailwaylevelcrossingand missingatrainbyametre.

DionDeWolfignoredredlights warninghimofthearrivalofthe 10-coachtrainatalevelcrossing inLydd-on-SeainJuly,Canterbury CrownCourtheard.

DeWolf,a20-year-oldpowerstation workerfromGwynedd,pleadedguilty todrivingdangerously.

Thejudgeimposedasix-month sentencesuspendedfortwoyearsand orderedhimtoundertake60hours ofcommunityservice.Hewasalso orderedtopay£900costsandto

takeanextendeddrivingtestafterthe banends.

ChristopherMay,prosecuting,said thatwhilethetrainwastravelling atonly10mph,itcomprised10full carriagesandwouldhaveneededat least130ftinordertostopsafely.“The driverofthetrainestimatedthatthere hadbeenjustonemetrebetweenhis trainandthecar,”hesaid.“Thiswas,in anyview,anarrowescape.”

Theincidentwaswitnessedbya womanmotoristwhohadpulledup atanearbyconveniencestore,the courtheard.

PhilRowley,defending,agreedthat DeWolf’s actions“weresilly”,butsaid thathebelievedhewasfurtheraway fromthetrainthanametre.

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Lincoln however, saw not just one but two locomotives in one day, December 5, representative of classes which had never visited the city before, either in preservation or back in‘real’steam days.

This was as a result of both tours having their originally rostered motive power

changed. GWR 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, substituting for No. 4965 Rood Ashton Hall, arrived on time at 11.47am, unusually in Platform 5, with VintageTrains’ ‘Lindum Christmas Fayre’fromTyseley.

Having deposited its stock inTerrace

Sidings and turned on the triangle, the loco whistled a greeting to LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland as it approached Lincoln with the RailwayTouring Company’s ‘Lindum Fayre’. It had been routed from King’s Cross via the GN/GE joint line

through Sleaford.

The two strangers to Eastern Region territory stood side-by-side in the sidings while passengers visited the city’s Christmas market and both departed westbound within an hour of each other.

LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No. 46233 Duchess of Sutherland approaches Lincoln with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Lindum Fayre’ and passes Earl of Mount Edgcumbe.

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Heritagerailway.co.uk 15

NEWS

Help buy back Blackmoor station for Lynton & Barnstaple

By Robin Jones ENTHUSIASTS are now able to buy shares in the Blackmoor station on the Lynton & Barnstaple railway in readiness for the day when trains stop there again.

The share issue in the new L&B Blackmoor Company plc, set up by the Lynton & Barnstaple RailwayTrust with the intention of raising the money to buy and operate the Old Station House Inn – the former Blackmoor station and a popular and profitable pub and restaurant complex at a major crossroads of North Devon holiday routes on the edge of Exmoor – was launched on November 17 following the official registration of the new company.

It has been approved as a financial promotion by the law firm Bates Wells & Braithwaite London LLP, a firm authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

As exclusively reported in issue 205, if successful in buying the inn, the railway plans to continue running it as a business, safeguarding the jobs of current employees. It is also planned to add a shop and museum as well as station facilities, with a new platform being constructed at a lower level.

If planning applications currently being sought from the Exmoor National Park Authority and North Devon District Council, to extend the 2ft line from Killington Lane to Blackmoor Gate and Wistlandpound Reservoir, are successful, the operational headquarters of the

Aerial view of the Old Station Inn, the former Blackmoor station and a key stepping stone in the bid to extend the Lynton & Barnstaple railway westwards. PHILIP LANE railway will be transferred fromWoody Bay to Blackmoor.

A new engine and carriage shed will be erected in the small valley on the Lynton side of the crossroads, where it will fold into the landscape.

Rather than demolish the post-war extension to the Old Station House Inn and destroy the successful hospitality

business, the main line will be realigned on lower ground a few yards to the west and rejoin the original route either side of the station.This adjustment will have the additional advantage of making it easier to get the railway under the crossroads.

Since the railway closed, the crossroads at Blackmoor Gate (the second summit of the line, from which it descended in

both directions) has been realigned.The plan is to lay the new track through a short tunnel under the junction.

Dividends will be paid to shareholders in the new company as soon as the business is sufficiently profitable.

More than 300 people have already registered their interest in buying shares at www.lynton-rail.co.uk

L&B ‘Yankee’ on show at Keef open day CONSTRUCTION of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway’s new Baldwin 2-4-2T Lyn is making rapid strides towards its anticipated steaming in 2016.

On Saturday, November 28 an open day at the works of Alan Keef Ltd in Ross-on-Wye allowed supporters and friends the opportunity to see an exhaustive array of parts which are coming together and are now almost complete.

The completed locomotive is 28ft long and the assembled frames made an impressive sight.To the front was

the complete pony truck with driving wheels, cylinders, smokebox saddle, coupling and connecting rods laid out. At the rear was one of the US-style cowcatchers which were an iconic part of the original engine. Other parts on show included the rear pony truck in large assemblies allowing an appreciation of the complexities of an Ellis truck.

The stovepipe chimney was laid on the floor alongside the smokebox saddle, while on tables alongside were a variety of impressive components from valves to steam brakes and the screw reverser

Left: The frames of new Baldwin Lyn on display inside Alan Keef’s workshops during the open weekend.

PETER MILES Right: The US-style cowcatcher which was a distinctive feature of the original Lyn. PETER MILES

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assembly. All of the parts were marked up with photographs and drawings to allow a clear understanding of what the parts were and how it all fits together.

Outside was the completed boiler – ready for use. In a separate store, but not on view, sat the side tanks, bunker and cab.

The whole of the locomotive has been computer modelled and designed using CAD technology allowing accurate checking and simple manufacture by engineering companies with suitable machinery. It has been a very advanced

design process as is the technical specification.

Assembly and completion is underway and should hopefully result in the completed Lyn appearing in steam in the coming year.

The original Lyn was a built in Philadelphia in 1898 for the railway. Like all the locomotives on the L&B, Lyn was named after a local river with a threeletter name. Because of its distinctive American outliner, Lyn was commonly referred to by the staff as‘TheYankee’.

Lyn was a popular and distinctive engine that was also the most powerful on the line – on occasion pulling five-coach trains, one more than usual on the line. However, after the auction sale following the closure of the line in 1935, Lyn was reduced to scrap very quickly with only the nameplates surviving.

In 2008, L&B revivalists formed the 762 Club, taking its name from the original Lyn’s Southern Railway number.

The idea was that 350 supporters would each buy a share for £762 and

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Three Ffestiniog Railway coaches on the move THE Ffestiniog Railway has sold saloon-third No. 117 to the Apedale Valley Railway.

The sale of the 1977-built vehicles follows that of saloon third No. 119 (built 1980) to the Golden Valley Light Railway at Butterley, which has subsequently taken No. 188 as well.

Although of relatively recent build, these carriages are of interest because they were built on recycled underframes bought from the Isle of Man Railway.

These underframes had been built by the Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage & Wagon Company (later the Metropolitan Carriage Wagon & Finance Company) at various dates from 1909-26 to allow the IOMR to create 26‘new’ bogie carriages by mounting two old

Four in steam at Mid-Suffolk LNER Y7 0-4-0T No. 985 will be visiting the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway in 2016.

The 1923-built locomotive is normally based on the North Norfolk Railway.

It will be arriving in the new year and will be in use throughout the summer season and at the steam gala in September.

It will give the railway four steam engines in 2016, with Cockerill 0-4-0T steam tram locomotive No. 2525, resident Bagnall 0-4-0ST No. 2565, and returning visitor Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Wissington, from the North Norfolk Railway.

four-wheeled carriage bodies on each one.

In the 1960s the life-expired bodies were removed from 11 of them (Nos. F51-53, 55-6, 58-61, 69 and 72) so that the underframes could be used as ‘runners’for container traffic.

They were numbered R1 to R10 with one left unnumbered.

When the containerisation venture failed, they were surplus to requirements and eventually sold to a scrap dealer, from whom 10 were bought by the FR, their dimensions being very close to the then-standard for FR underframes.

Two all-new replacement vehicles are under construction at Boston Lodge, with new No. 117 virtually complete.

KESR Channel crossing TheKent&EastSussexRailway’s NSBClass21c2-6-0No.376 Norwegianwillbetakingatrip overtheChanneltostarintheBaie deSommeRailway’s April15-17 FêtedelaVapeursteamgala.

The Norwegian State Railways locomotive will run alongside expatriate Avonside 0-4-0ST Fred from the Stoomcentrum Maldegem.

Both will haul a standard gauge rake between Noyelles and StValery-Port.

The boiler of new-build Lyn, which will be the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway’s first replica original locomotive of its own. PETER MILES raise the £266,700 needed to build the locomotive.

Lyn – which was 96% complete with just the brake assembly, ashpan and manifold to build – will be finished in the colours and configuration of the original as it returned from overhaul in

1929.The dream scenario is to have it team up with the Ffestiniog Railway’s new-build ManningWardle 2-6-2T Lyd, based on the original Lew, atWoody Bay. Further funds to pay for the erection are being sought at www.762club.com

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

Heritagerailway.co.uk 17

NEWS

NRM to become part of £78m ‘King’s Cross of the North’

Artist’s impression of a new public square fronting a new entrance to the National Railway Museum. YORK CITY COUNCIL

By Robin Jones THE National Railway Museum is set to be expanded under £78 million plans to redevelop land around York station and turn it into what is being dubbed the‘King’s Cross of the North’.

On December 7, City of York Council, Network Rail and the NRM released details of a blueprint to redevelop a 72-hectare site in the heart of the city – which could give more valuable land to the museum.

One option is the closure of Leeman Road to traffic. This would allow the two‘halves’of the award-winning museum, a world-class attraction currently preparing for a year of events to celebrate the return to steam of Flying Scotsman, currently connected by a pedestrian underpass, to be joined together.

During the past 12 months, the council has been working in collaboration with Network Rail, the NRM and the Homes and Communities Agency towards a highlevel masterplan of the site, which is to be named York Central.

The site is located to the rear of the station extending north-westwards towards the former British Sugar site. While it currently incorporates a range of uses including the museum, private housing and businesses, the site is largely used in conjunction with the rail industry. On relocation of the rail uses (museum apart), the redevelopment will provide a mix of new housing and a new central business district with office, leisure and retail uses.

As well as expanding and greatly enhancing the museum, the project, to be developed over a 15-year period, could provide up to 120,000 sq m of high-quality office space, creating up to 7000 new jobs, a new residential community for up to 2500 new homes, improvements

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to the station and a network of vibrant public squares, green spaces and routes linking to surrounding neighbourhoods.

The‘King’s Cross of the North’ analogy derives from the successful redevelopment of the southern terminus of the East Coast Main Line, at the heart of a regeneration programme for what was for long considered one of London’s slum districts.

The improvements to the station could include the creation of a new entrance to the west of the station, facing the development site, as well as the transformation of the existing city-facing eastern entrance, to create a more welcoming arrival, and improvements to the way that buses, cars, taxis, cyclists and pedestrians use the space, potentially including the removal of Queen Street Bridge.

To properly connect York Central to the city centre and neighbouring communities, it is planned to create a new foot/cycle network, including a new bridge over the East Coast Main Line from within York Central.

With an additional new vehicular access bridge from Holgate Road also in place, options are also being considered for the potential to divert or close Leeman Road where it passes the NRM, to allow the museum to expand and modernise.

Big plans for museum

NRM director, Paul Kirkman, said:“We are working on big plans to transform our museum to tell the epic story of railways, increase our contemporary relevance and grow our visitor numbers to over one million per year.

“We aim to engage and inspire new and broader audiences, including schools, families, and more of York’s existing seven million visitors, with this world-changing story that continues to affect all our lives today.

“We want to be at the heart of this exciting York Central development, which offers once-in-a-generation opportunity to transform the museum and its surroundings.

“We are committed to working in partnership with City of York Council, Network Rail and the Homes and Communities Agency to make the development a success for the city and to provide an enhanced museum experience for both residents and visitors alike.

“We look forward to sharing our plans as part of the council’s consultation in the New Year.”

Council leader Coun Chris Steward, said:“The redevelopment of York Central represents an opportunity to deliver major growth in York. This will enable us to attract high-value jobs, deliver new and much-needed sustainable homes and create worldclass public spaces which will help define the future for our city. We will also reduce the pressure to build on York’s green belt.

Council deputy leader, Coun Keith Aspden, its executive member for economic development, said:“This planning framework outlines the key principles for redevelopment of York Central and the next steps forward.

It includes a vision to deliver highquality office space, new jobs and homes as well as proposals to expand the NRM, improve the railway station and create new public squares, green spaces and transport routes.

“The launch of this framework is the first step in an ongoing conversation with residents over York Central, including a full public consultation in January.”

Stuart Kirkwood, director of development at Network Rail, said:“By unlocking Network Rail owned land, we can open up this area to deliver new homes, create new jobs and drive economic growth for the city.”

Enterprise Zone

YORK Central was recently identified as an Enterprise Zone by the Government during its Autumn Statement, thanks to a joint bid by City of York Council and the York, North Yorkshire and East Riding Local Enterprise Partnership, which will potentially unlock more than £100 million to help deliver York Central.

Enterprise Zone status will mean that 50% of business rates for the York Central site, which would have gone back to Government, will be retained in the area.

“The council is now developing a funding strategy to deliver upfront infrastructure to facilitate development of the site. Further details will be brought back to councillors next year.”

On December 15, councillors were being asked to approve proposals at an executive meeting at its West Offices to progress a planning framework for the site, which will establish key principles for all development.

If approved, a detailed consultation will launch in January asking for views to help guide the framework and the different options presented.

To ensure the development scheme can be delivered, the executive will also be asked to approve plans to purchase plots of land on York Central, one owned by Unipart and one by a private individual, which are essential to the development of the site. The council is working closely with Unipart to secure an alternative site in York.

Further investment has also been allocated by the Homes and Communities Agency, which has earmarked £9.4 million of equity investment in to the site . The council is set to invest up to £250,000 to help fund professional advisers and the NRM are also set to invest £20,000 towards further development costs, subject to final agreement of the partnership arrangements.

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