SEVERN VALLEY PACIFIC POWER: SOUVENIR PICTURE SPECIAL
ISSUE 221
October 20 – November 16, 2016
90MPH REGULAR STEAM?
SANTA SPECIALS
20 of the
Best!
Tornado team
TO BUILD A
V4 AND V3
FLYING SCOTSMAN
opens newest station
■ WHY DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND MISSED THE ‘ROYAL DUCHY’ ■ GREAT CENTRAL MUSEUM: SIX DESIGNS ON SHORTLIST
CONTENTS ISSUE 221
October 20 – November 16, 2016
News
6
Headline News
6
Plans for dedicated Mk.3 train to run at 90mph behind Tornado; green light for new LNER V4 and V3 tank; Flying Scotsman opens new East Lancashire Railway halt; six shortlisted designs for new £18 million Great Central museum and Duchess of Sutherland derails at Butterley the day before the last ‘Royal Duchy’.
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News
10
BR Standard 2MT makes Great Central comeback 50 years after withdrawal; NELPG to stage its own 50th anniversary gala; National Railway Museum marks 40 years of the High Speed Train; Seaton Tramway gets £1 million windfall; the Bluebell and Kent & East Sussex regular volunteer who travels from Canada; gala action from Keighley & Worth Valley and North Yorkshire Moors; North Norfolk WD 2-10-0 set for return; official level crossing opening heralds Swanage-Wareham services and second Quirks and Curiosities gala for Porthmadog.
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CONTENTS: LMS Royal Scot 4-6-0 No. 46115 Scots Guardsman crosses the River Witham at Boston with a Derby Telegraph excursion returning from Skegness on September 25. ALAN WEAVER COVER: WR 4-6-0 No. 7822 Foxcote Manor climbs past Water Ark on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway on October 2. MICHAEL ANDERSON
Regulars Railwayana
50
Centre
58
Main Line Itinerary
65
Platform
96
Geoff Courtney’s regular column. Leander crossing Whalley arches by Kevin Whitehurst
Main Line News
60
Blower valve stops Princess Elizabeth on ‘Cathedrals Express’ at Gloucester; Steam Dreams’ plans for ‘gourmet’ trips hauled by Flying Scotsman in 2017; Tyseley Locomotive Works to become ‘King’ of the Castles with Defiant appeal launched and B1 Mayflower out until mid-March.
With Full Regulator
Don Benn reports on LMS Jubilee performance past and present.
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66
Steam and heritage diesel railtours. Where your views matter most.
Off the Shelf
100
Up & Running
102
The Month Ahead
114
Features Scotsman takes the West Midlands by storm
A record 45,000 people flocked to the Pacific Power event to watch the world’s most famous locomotive, Flying Scotsman, in action as the mass public clamour to see the greatest steam icon of them all showed no signs of abating, reports Robin Jones.
52
Latest book and DVD releases.
Guide to railways running in the autumn.
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Better than BR!
In the final part of our series marking 30 years since Duke of Gloucester returned to steam, Ian Murray looks at the record-breaking performances of the locomotive, beyond which it could have achieved under BR.
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NELPG Keeping North Eastern Steam Alive
As the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group celebrates 50 years since it was formed in1966, Maurice Burns takes a nostalgic look back at how it all began, the successes and the challenges of being involved in so many locomotives that once operated in the North East.
Santa specials 20 of the very best!
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Want to take the children to see Father Christmas this year? Forget waiting for the sleigh and reindeer – there is now no better way to see the man in red than by vintage train! Here, Robin Jones looks at 20 of the best festive season offerings.
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The Last Beasts of Man 88 Graig Merthyr – sadder, with other tales to tell... The National Coal Board railway in the Dulais Valley was unique. Geoff Silcock recounts some of the incidents that punctuated the line’s last few years, including an encounter with a then unknown journalist...
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NEWS
Dazzling Great Central debut for snowdrift survivor By Robin Jones
AUTUMN may be in its early days – but the Great Central Railway’s hugely successful seasonal gala brought back memories of a very cold winter. The October 6-9 event featured the public debut of the latest Barry scrapyard locomotive to be restored in BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018. This locomotive’s previous 15 minutes of fame came in February 1955, when it became marooned
on top of the northern Pennines. While working the Stainmore route fromTebay to Barnard Castle, it was filmed for the BritishTransport movie Snowdrift at Bleath Gill while embedded in a snowdrift. Built at Darlington North Road works, it entered traffic on March 3, 1954. First shedded at West Auckland, it was transferred to Kirkby Stephen, from where it was working when the snowdrift occurred. After 1960, it was based at Chester
Midland, Workington, Willesden and Nuneaton before it was withdrawn from Shrewsbury on November 12, 1966. It was first taken to Shackerstone station on the Battlefield Line after being bought for preservation from Dai Woodham in November 1978, and was passed on to the current owner, the Darlington Railway Preservation Society, in July 1981. Following years of slow but steady progress, in 2012 the society reached agreement with the Loughborough
Standard Locomotive Group, to allow final assembly of No. 78018 in Loughborough. Having undergone testing in August followed by painting into BR black, the locomotive turned in a superb performance at the gala – and did not get stuck again after returning to action after 50 years! It carried out all of its timetabled runs without a hitch. Officials were delighted at passenger numbers which were 30% up on the same event in 2015.
BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018 accelerates away from Loughborough on October 6. PHIL WATERFIELD
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NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL
Flying Scotsman heads away from Bewdley towards Kidderminster light engine. GRAHAM NUTTALL
52 Heritagerailway.co.uk
Scotsman
takes the West Midlands by
STORM
A record 45,000 people flocked to the eagerly awaited September 21-26 Pacific Power event which replaced the Severn Valley Railway’s traditional autumn steam gala, to watch the world’s most famous locomotive, Flying Scotsman, top the bill in action with Britain’s newest main line steam engine Tornado. Before that, Flying Scotsman wowed the crowds during a visit to Tyseley Locomotive Works for three open days, as the mass public clamour to see the greatest steam icon of them all showed no signs of abating. Robin Jones reports.
F
lying Scotsman fever struck Birmingham for three days in September, drawing more than 6000 visitors to Tyseley Locomotive Works. During September 16-18, the Brunswick-green liveried No. 60103 lined up on the Tyseley turntable to the delight of crowds before moving into the venue’s Warwick Road station platforms. There, as part of a special Flying Scotsman footplate experience, which was sold out within days of being announced,
hundreds signed up to walk through the A3 corridor tender and visit the footplate. There, they heard an explainer recount the locomotive’s exploits of being the first officially to reach 100mph, in 1934, and which, after being privately bought by the late Alan Pegler in 1963, continued to operate during the 1968-71 BR steam ban and visited North America and Australia before being saved for the nation by the National Railway Museum for £2.31 million in 2004. Heritagerailway.co.uk 53
MAIN LINE NEWS
COMPILED BY CEDRIC JOHNS
The end and beginning for Vintage Trains
Blower valve stops ‘Lizzie’ at Gloucester
VINTAGETrains’plans for the next six months reveal the Birmingham-based tour promoter ending this year with three trips and starting 2017 with four new excursions. Before then, the‘Pannier Rambler IV’departsTyseley (Warwick Road) on November 12 only.The ramble includes visits to Stratford-upon-Avon andWorcester, with a possible return to New Street via the Lickey bank to be confirmed. The trip will mark the return to the main line of 0-6-0PT No. 9466, partnered by either ofTyseley’s L94 or No. 9600. The penultimate train – the‘Lindum Christmas Fayre’– starts fromWarwick Road, calling at Coleshill, Nuneaton and Leicester for Lincoln on December 3, worked by GWR 4-6-0 No. 4965 RoodAshtonHall. VintageTrains’year ends on December 10 when Castle 4-6-0 No. 5043 Earl ofMount Edgecumbe heads forYork with the‘ChristmasWhite Rose’, which departs fromWarwick Road, picking up at Coleshill,Tamworth High Level and Burton-on-Trent. Looking ahead,VT’s new year opens with a trip around the Midlands as No. 4965RoodAshton Hall works a ‘Valentines’diner on February 18.The Pullman train starts out fromWarwick Road, picking up at Coleshill.
LMS Stanier 4-6-2 No. 6201Princess Elizabeth was stopped at Gloucester after working a‘Cathedrals Express’from Horsham (steam on atWillesden south sidings) on October 5. This is one of several niggling problems which have hit the loco since it returned to main line work. Having arrived at Gloucester, passengers left the train, which was then pulled back into the station’s yard for servicing by an accompanying Class 47 diesel. In addition to servicing, the layover included a crew change, and at this point
it was found that the 4-6-2’s blower valve – controlling the use of the blower – had failed. With no hope of resolving the problem on a hot engine,‘Lizzie’was declared a failure and shunted into a nearby siding – shades of Braunton –where its fire was dropped.
Weed-infested siding
Had the valve failure not been spotted, subsequent events, including the chance of a blowback, could have endangered the footplate crew working out on the road.
In the event, passengers were not affected by the incident, the 47 working the train back to Horsham, while No. 6201 literally cooled its heels in a weed-infested siding. ‘Lizzies’owning society’s chairman Clive Mojonnier confirmed events, adding that the engine’s newly appointed chief mechanical engineer Simon Scott visited Gloucester on October 9 to fix the valve. Assuming all went well‘Lizzie’was booked to return to Southall light engine and coach onThursday, October 13 in readiness for its next‘Cathedrals’trip –
Celtic flavour
On March 11, an excursion to Cardiff sees Tyseley’s operational Castle heading the ‘Welsh Dragon’out ofWarwick Road before making passenger stops at Snow Hill, Stourbridge Junction andWorcester Shrub Hill. After a water stop at Gloucester, the ‘Dragon’proceeds via Chepstow and Newport to theWelsh capital. VT’s next outing – the‘Welsh Marches’ on March 25 – also has Celtic flavour inasmuch as the train turns north at Newport’s Maindee Junction and heads for Hereford via Abergavenny and the 1-in-100/90 climb up to Llanvihangel before dropping down through Pontrilas. The‘Marches’returns by way of Craven Arms, bypasses Shrewsbury and continues homewards via Wolverhampton andWalsall or New Street, subject to confirmation. On April 8, No. 5043 makes a return visit to Salisbury with a‘Moonraker’ excursion. Starting from Solihull the train picks up at Dorridge,Warwick and Banbury. Because of pathing stop at Didcot, passengers can take advantage of ‘waiting time’to take a quick look around Didcot Railway Centre. From Didcot, the 4-6-0 heads on via Oxford, ReadingWest, Basingstoke and Andover to Salisbury.
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Princess Elizabeth at Swanage on September 28 along with SR U class 2-6-0 No. 31806. ANDREW PM WRIGHT
Steam Dreams’gourmet Flying Scotsman! SUCH is the continued popularity of A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman that Steam Dreams has booked the 4-6-2 for the whole of May and the first week of June next year for double day trips, featuring lunchtime menus. This venture marks a further development of afternoon tea trips, which the tour promoter ran earlier this year, running a second local excursion‘inside’the main tour. That said, next year’s Scotsman’s Steam Dreams’season begins with a four-day, three-night break in Edinburgh on May 13-16. From May 19, the lunchtime plus
evening trips programme starts with a journey from Cardiff to Shrewsbury, followed by an evening tour from Newport. On May 23, the 4-6-2 heads a Severn Estuary lunchtime tour from Bristol, and then from Bristol to Minehead in the evening.
Evening tour
Three days later, on May 26, Scotsman works aWest Somerset tour from Minehead, which is followed by an evening tour from Bishops Lydeard. May 31 sees a slightly different approach, a brunch trip around
Hampshire branch lines slotted inside the main tour from London to Salisbury. June 2 is based on a Surrey Hills luncheon train, which is followed by an evening trip around the same route, but possibly in the reverse direction. Finally, the 4-6-2 leaves London for a lunchtime tour of the Chiltern Hills on May 6 followed by an evening trip, again from London, retracing the train’s morning route. Steam Dreams’said that if the Chiltern Line is not available because of possible engineering work the trains will be run over the Surrey Hills.
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MAIN LINE NEWS
LMS Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander accelerates away from Plumley with the 'Coast to Coast Express' on July 30. BEN COLLIER
WITH FULL REGULATOR LOCOMOTIVE PERFORMANCE THEN AND NOW many years ago, probably around 1958, I saw No. 45602 BritishHonduras standing at signals at St Mary Cray Junction blowing off steam furiously and waiting for a clear road onto the Kent Coast main line with what I think may have been the 10.10am Birmingham Snow Hill to Margate, which ran via Kensington Olympia and should have changed engines in west London as Jubilees were banned in Kent. It stood there for quite a time, but eventually was
By Don Benn I HAD intended to cover the South Devon banks this time, but as the‘Royal Duchy’, which I had booked on September 18, was cancelled I ended up with no main line steam trip since August 13‘Robin Hood‘ trip with Tornado. So this time I have decided to cover some work of the excellent LMS Jubilee 5XP (or are they 6P/5F?) 4-6-0s. I have had a soft spot for these engines ever since
TABLE ONE: BASINGSTOKE TO WOKING Date Train Engine Load Driver Recorder Weather
August 10, 2016 16.35 Weymouth to Waterloo Dorset Coast Express Jubilee class 5XP 4-6-0 No. 45699 Galatea 10 coaches, 360 tons tare 390 tons gross + DL 33.207* Not recorded Don Benn Cloudy and mild
February 23, 1965 6.15 pm Weymouth to Waterloo BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0 No. 73170 Four coaches and nine vans, 368 tons tare 410 tons gross George Bowen, Nine Elms MPD Don Benn Cold and dark
Basingstoke Newnham Siding Hook Winchfield Fleet Farnborough Sturt Lane MP 31 Pirbright Junction Brookwood Woking Junction Woking
miles 0.00 4.10 5.59 7.92 11.27 14.55 15.60 16.75 18.26 19.76 23.00 23.46
sched 0.00
sched 0.00
38.00
mins 00 05 06 08 11 14 15 16 17 18 22 24
secs 00 40 55 52 33 13 00 07 28 59 48 23
net time 23 minutes * believed to have pushed from around MP 47½ for about a mile
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speed 71½/70½ 72½ 74½/75½ 72½ 75 73 64 62½ 61/* sigs 32* sigs
28.00
mins 00 05 07 09 11 14 15 16 18 19 22 23
secs 00 46 09 11 49 36 33 41 00 25 33 15
start to stop average:60.54 mph
speed 64 70 73/78 76 65 66½ 64 69 66½ 54*
allowed to proceed. Four Jubilees are preserved: Nos. 45593 Kolhapur, 45596 Bahamas, 45690 Leander and 45699 Galatea, and I have had runs behind all of them in preservation, though only recently with No. 45699. I also had a run behind No. 45593 in July 1965 on the 9.20pm St Pancras to Glasgow, which it worked from Leeds to Carlisle. No. 45690 has long since been a good sound engine, turning in competent performances, as indeed is No. 45699, though initially this engine didn’t run well and struggled with any kind of decent load. It is now running as it should, and has spent a good part of the summer working in the south; it was while working the return leg of a‘Dorset Coast Express’that I finally caught up with this fine engine. As is well known I have managed to avoid any train with a diesel locomotive involved for about nine years, but I knew that the‘DCE’s always carry a diesel on the back for operational purposes so my good record would be broken whether or not the diesel did any work, which shouldn’t be necessary in any case.
High hopes
I joined the train at Basingstoke for the short section to Woking and with 10 on for about 390 tons and an easy 38 minute schedule for the 23.46 miles I had high hopes that No. 33207 on the back would stay silent. The initial start from Basingstoke suggested that the Class 33 was asleep, but although I could hear some nice three-cylinder Jubilee roar from up front, I think the acceleration to Milepost 46 was just a little too rapid to be credited to Galatea alone and that the Crompton was giving a bit of a shove for a while. Table One shows the details and it makes a nice comparison with BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73170 working the last Weymouth in 1965 with a similar load. Indeed, the Standard was only 14 seconds slower to pass Hook, but if the Jubilee was indeed running Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway
FESTIVE FUN
SANTA SPECIALS 20 OF THE VERY BEST!
Want to take the children to see Santa this year? Forget the sleigh – there is now no better way than by train! Here, Robin Jones looks at 20 of the best festive season offerings on our heritage railway portfolio.
O
nce upon a time, long, long ago, a year or more before Tom Rolt and his friends stepped in to save the Talyllyn Railway, a man named John Wilkins placed a tattered old stag’s head from a local hotel over a Lister diesel named Gwiril on the 15in-gauge Fairbourne Railway. A bearskin rug was draped over the engine cover and a suitably decorated flat truck provided a seat for the man in red, none other than Father Christmas. Ever year from 1949, John would erect a large illuminated Christmas tree at Fairbourne and run private ‘Father Christmas Trains’ for pupils from the village school in Beach Road. The last such special ran in 1967 just before the school closed down. However, John had inadvertently stumbled on a phenomenon that would not only become a major source of revenue for the burgeoning heritage railway sector of the future, but a significant slice of the UK winter tourist economy: The Santa special. The Bluebell Railway has claimed to be the
80 Heritagerailway.co.uk
first standard gauge line to run a Christmas time special. In 1961, the nascent line launched ‘Boxing Day Specials’ between Sheffield Park to its then northern terminus of Bluebell Halt, just south of Horsted Keynes. They comprised a tank engine and a brakevan which would ‘collect’ Santa Claus (who had been in the brakevan all the time) and bring him to the station. And the Bluebell is still offering magnificent festive season trains today, 55 years on, with its beautifully restored Horsted Keynes station offering special Dickensian-themed activities. However, the Santa special as we know it may be deemed to have begun on the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, two years before it began running regular public services. Tinsel history was made on December 17, 1966, with a train consisting of experimental prototype English Electric diesel electric 0-6-0 shunter D0226 Vulcan, two coaches and J72 0-6-0T No. 59, which had been bought out of Departmental service by Ron Ainsworth.
The train, with Santa on board, delivered presents to waiting children at Oakworth, Haworth and Oxenhope stations. Fast forward to today, and there are few venues big or small that do not offer Christmas and New Year services. They range in size from rides on miniature railways to the US-style ‘Polar Express’ trips that are now the biggest events in the calendar of the Dartmoor and Weardale railways, which expand to the Telford Steam Railway and Seaton Tramway, too. Most offer presents for children and refreshments for their parents. However, the Santa season is by no means exclusive to families with children. As the superb pictures on these pages highlight, the colder times of the year more often than not offer unrivalled photographic opportunities to linesiders. And don’t forget: the fun does not stop after the big day itself, with many railways running Mince Pie and New Year specials too.
INDUSTRIAL STEAM
The Last Beasts of Man
GRAIG MERTHYR
– sadder, with other tales to tell...
The National Coal Board railway in the Dulais Valley was unique. Geoff Silcock recounts some of the incidents that punctuated the line’s last few years, including an encounter with a then unknown journalist...
It is 7.40am on May 26, 1978 as Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 3770 of 1951 Norma digs in up-grade with the first train of the day beside the native rhododendrons, just four weeks before the official closure of the line up the Dulais Valley to the Graig Merthyr drift mine from Pontardulais.
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UP & RUNNING
New-build L&B 2-6-2T Lyd approaches Woody Bay during the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway gala on September 24. PETER TICKNER
BRIAN SHARPE’S FULL LISTING OF OPERATIONAL LINES AND MUSEUM VENUES SOUTH EAST Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre Narrow gauge, ¼ mile, Arundel, West Sussex. Tel: 01798 831370. Running: Oct Wed - Sun.
Bluebell Railway
Standard gauge, 11 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Sheffield Park, East Sussex TN22 2QL. Tel: 01825 720800. Engines: 263, 178, 323, 592, 847, 30541, 73082, 8572, 70013. Running: Daily to Oct 30, W/Es.
East Kent Railway
Standard gauge, two miles, Shepherdswell, Dover. Tel: 01304 832042. Running: Oct 29, 30.
Eastleigh Lakeside Railway
Narrow gauge, 1¼ miles, footplate experience. Running: W/Es + sch hols.
Hastings Miniature Railway
Narrow gauge, 600 yards, Rock-a-Nore Road, Hastings, East Sussex. Running: W/Es + sch hols.
Hayling Seaside Railway Narrow gauge, one mile, Hayling Island, Hants. Running: W/Es, Weds + sch hols.
Isle of Wight Steam Railway
Standard gauge, five miles, Havenstreet, Isle of Wight. Tel: 01983 882204. Engines: 8, 11, 24, 41298. Running: Oct 19, 20, 23-30.
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Kempton Steam Railway
Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Hanworth. Tel: 01932 765328. Running: Suns.
Kent & East Sussex Railway
Standard gauge, 10½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Tenterden, Kent. Tel: 01580 765155. Engines: 32670, 30065, 1638. Running: Oct W/Es + 25-27.
Lavender Line
Standard gauge, one mile, footplate experience, wine and dine, Isfield, East Sussex. Tel: 01825 750515. Running: Suns.
Mid Hants Railway
Standard gauge, 10 miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Alresford, Hants SO24 9JG. Tel: 01962 733810. Engines: 925, 45379, 92212, 41312, 46100, 43106, 53809. Running: Oct 21-30, Nov 12.
Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway
Narrow gauge, 13½ miles, footplate experience, New Romney, Kent. Tel: 01797 362353. Running: Daily to Oct 31. Nov 5, 6.
Royal Victoria Railway
Narrow gauge, one mile, Netley, Southampton. Tel: 02380 456246. Running: W/Es + sch hols.
Sittingbourne & Kemsley Railway
Narrow gauge, 1¾ miles,
East Somerset Railway
Sittingbourne, Kent. Tel: 01795 424899. Running: Dec.
Standard gauge, two miles, Cranmore, Somerset. Tel: 01749 880417.
Spa Valley Railway
Standard gauge, five miles, footplate experience, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Tel: 01892 537715. Running: Oct 21-23, 27, 29.
SOUTH WEST Avon Valley Railway
Standard gauge, three miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Bitton, Bristol. Tel: 0117 932 7296. Engine: L150. Running:: Oct 23, 25-27, 29, 30.
Bodmin & Wenford Railway
Standard gauge, 6½ miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Bodmin, Cornwall. Tel: 01208 73666. Engines: 4612, 30120. Running: Oct 23-30.
Dartmoor Railway
Engine: 46447, 5637. Running: Oct W/Es + Weds.
Helston Railway
Standard gauge, Helston, Cornwall. Tel: 07875 481380. Running: Thur, Suns.
Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Narrow gauge, one mile, Woody Bay, north Devon. Tel: 01598 763487. Running: Oct 22-30, Nov 13.
Moors Valley Railway Narrow gauge, one mile, Ringwood, Hants. Tel: 01425 471415. Running: W/Es + sch hols.
Plym Valley Railway Standard gauge, 1½ miles, Marsh Mills, Plymouth.
Standard gauge, seven miles, Okehampton, Devon. Tel: 01837 55164. Running: Dec.
Running: Oct Suns.
Standard gauge, seven miles, wine and dine, Paignton, Devon. Tel: 01803 555872. Engines: 7827, 7820, 5239, 4277, 75014. Running: Daily to Oct 30.
Running: Daily to Oct 30.
Dartmouth Steam Railway
Devon Railway Centre
Narrow gauge, ½ mile, Bickleigh, Devon. Tel: 01884 855671. Running: Oct 22-30.
The information in this list was correct at the time of going to press. We strongly advise that you confirm details with the railway concerned.
Seaton Tramway
Narrow gauge, three miles, Harbour Road, Seaton, Devon. 01297 20375.
South Devon Railway Standard gauge, seven miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Buckfastleigh, Devon. Engines: 3205, 4612, 1369. Running: Daily to Oct 31, Nov 4-6.
Swanage Railway
Standard gauge, six miles, footplate experience, wine and dine, Swanage, Dorset. Tel: 01929 425800. Engines: 30053, 31806, 34070. Running: W/Es + Oct 24-28.
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THE MONTH AHEAD
Visiting the Bluebell Railway for its Giants of Steam event in October will be LNER B12 4-6-0 No. 8572, seen on the North Norfolk Railway, near Sheringham, on September 22. BRIAN SHARPE
The gala season winds down THE season when the heritage lines stage their major events of the autumn to appeal to the enthusiast market last for just a short two months, but the events involved come in a variety of forms. Two lines in the south take centre stage at the end of
SPECIAL EVENTS October
21-23: Mid Hants Railway: Autumn Steam Gala ■ This three-day event will see three guest engines joining the home fleet; class leader LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot, Somerset & Dorset 7F 2-8-0 No. 53809 and LMS Ivatt 4MT 2-6-0 No. 43106 will give an LMS theme to the gala.
21-23: Spa Valley Railway: Autumn Diesel Gala ■
Issue 222 is out on November 17, 2016. Catch up with the latest news, views and great features every four weeks. 114 Heritagerailway.co.uk
railways all stage one last gala to mark the end of the main operating season before they join all the other heritage lines in preparing for the busy festive season. Heritage Railway will, as always, be bringing you the best of all the action from these and other events.
October, with the Mid Hants Railway’s event taking on an LMS theme and the Bluebell Railway re-introducing its Giants of Steam gala. It all goes a bit quieter in November, but the Romney Hythe & Dymchurch, Severn Valley and Great Central
22, 23: Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway: Steam Gala 23:Tanfield Railway: Colliery Railways Day 28-30: Bluebell Railway: Giants of Steam ■
This event is back for 2016, with visiting LNER B12 4-6-0 No. 8572 and BR Standard Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell operating alongside the larger locomotives from the railway’s home fleet. There will be an intensive train service throughout the weekend between Sheffield Park, Horsted Keynes, Kingscote and East Grinstead, with a free vintage bus service from Brighton and Lewes to Sheffield Park on the Sunday. The Atlantic House will be open both days so visitors can take the opportunity to have a look at the building of our brand new locomotive; Brighton Atlantic No. 32424 Beachy Head, and carriage shed tours will be available at Horsted Keynes.
29, 30: East Anglian Railway Museum: Days Out withThomas ■ 29, 30: NorthYorkshire Moors Railway: NELPG 50th Anniversary ■
KEY ■ Major or featured galas
Celebrating 50 years since the formation of the group which saved so much of the North East's steam heritage, this event will see services operated by NELPG's LNER K1 2-6-0 No. 62005, and NER J72 0-6-0T No. 69023 and Q6 0-8-0 No. 63395, along with LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61264 and BR Standard 4MT 2-6-0 No. 76084.
November
Railway: End-of-Season Parade ■
An intensive service, with all available locomotives in steam, will mark the end of the well-known miniature railway in Kent’s main operating season.
5, 6: South Devon Railway: Diesel Gala ■ 6: MoorsValley Railway: Tank Engine Day
4-6: SevernValley Railway: End-of-Season Finale
6:West Lancashire Light Railway: BBC Children in Need ■
Following last year’s successful event, the SVR is again ending its main operating season with another spectacular. Visiting will be crimson LMS 'Crab' 2-6-0 No. 13065 and GWR 2-8-0T No. 4270, plus there will be the first gala appearances of Great Western Railway 0-6-0PT No. 7714 and PortTalbot Railway 0-6-0ST No. 813, subject to completion of overhauls. There will be an intensive service well into the evenings with double-heading and brakevan rides on goods trains. ■
9, 10: Great Central Railway: Last Hurrah of the Season ■
5: East Lancashire Railway: DMU Event ■ 5, 6: Romney Hythe & Dymchurch
■ Diesel and/or electric galas
The last major enthusiasts’event of the year will feature an intensive service of passenger and goods trains featuring a selection of locomotives from the home fleet.
12, 13: Kirklees Light Railway: Day OutWithThomas ■
RAILWAYANA October
22: Solent Railwayana,Wickham
November
19: GW Railwayana, Pershore
■ Thomas and family event
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