TYSELEY STEAMS THE POLAR EXPRESS INTO BIRMINGHAM CITY CENTRE!
ISSUE 248
November 16 – December 14, 2018
DOUBLE CALEY BLUES!
TORNADO
MARKS CLOSURE TO HAUL FIRST 60TH ANNIVERSARY SANTA SPECIALS
50 years since the Waverley Route closed
Visit 19 heritage lines in a day!
No. 248 UK Off-sale date: 14/12/2018 £4.30
PRINTED IN THE UK
SOUTH DEVON
Embsay’s world first Edwardian multiple unit
■ DRIVE A STEAM LOCOMOTIVE! ■ NEW PATRIOT BOILER IN FRAMES
■ GALA ACTION FROM MIDHANTS, BLUEBELL, EAST LANCASHIRE AND SWANAGE
OPINION
GWR 2-8-0 No. 2857 approaches Foley Park Tunnel with a driver experience special on November 1. JOHN TITLOW
EDITORIAL
Editor Robin Jones 01507 529305 rjones@mortons.co.uk Deputy editor Gareth Evans gevans@mortons.co.uk Senior contributing writers Geoff Courtney, Cedric Johns, Brian Sharpe Contributors Fred Kerr, Roger Melton Designer Tim Pipes Reprographics Paul Fincham, Jonathan Schofield Production editor Sarah Wilkinson Publisher Tim Hartley Editorial address Heritage Railway magazine, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 99, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ Website www.heritagerailway.co.uk
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Published Every four weeks on a Friday. Advert deadline November 29, 2018 Next issue on sale December 14, 2018
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On the cusp of magnificence
T
HIS year we have commemorated a low point in the annals of UK heritage traction, the eradication of steam from the main line and its scrapping en masse 50 years ago. There were many observers who believed back in 1968 that with the passing of a generation or two, steam would be slowly but surely forgotten, and interest would wane. However, as we have seen, the exact opposite is the case. Untold miracles have been worked in the sector of railway heritage since theTalyllyn Railway was taken over by volunteers in 1951, and they are still coming fast and furiously. Arguably one of the highest points of the movement came in October, and had little to do with steam. Our special feature on pages 50-55 outlines the comeback of one of the most phenomenal preservation projects of all – the rebuild of the world’s first modern traction passenger vehicle to running order in all its early Edwardian magnificence and complete with a matching auto-trailer. I was there at its launch on the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway and I can vouch for the fact that you have to see and ride in this vehicle to appreciate its true splendour, original woodwork, clerestory roof and all. However, there are many more big landmarks now queueing up to take the limelight. Next year should see the long-awaited debut of new GWR Saint No. 2999 Lady of Legend at Didcot Railway Centre, giving us another window on the age of Edwardian railways. And another glaring hole is set to be filled in the Swindon heritage fleet, in the form of Grange 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange, which now seems to be on its homeward straight atTyseley.
This month we have now seen the boiler inside the frames of the new LMS Patriot TheUnknownWarrior – admittedly just a trial fitting at this stage, but it is now on course for completion in the new date of 2020. It will not be long after that when the world’s fastest-growing new-build standard gauge project will be ready to wow all of Britain and the world too, in the form of the seventh Gresley P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 PrinceofWales. Locomotives apart, the railway sector is all set to reclaim even more lost territory from the age of steam. The temporary platform at Corwen has just seen its last train and next year’s Llangollen Railway service will run into the new town centre station, giving a town-to-town service. Already the passenger numbers from Corwen are stacking up – and just look at what has happened with the GloucestershireWarwickshire Railway Broadway opening this year! Big strides are being taken to bring the ChurnetValley Railway into Leek and in October we saw the opening of the rebuilt Leek Brook‘interchange’ station as a precursor to getting a town centre presence. There is also fresh talk about shuttles fromTaunton to theWest Somerset Railway at Bishops Lydeard, and what lies in store for the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway now it has its main line interchange open?Then there is the westward push for the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway toWistlandpound, and hopefully one day beyond; the taking of the Bala Lake Railway into its local town centre and of course, the big one – the linking of the two Great Central heritage railways over the bridge at Loughborough, which is already in place. We remain fascinated and enthralled by our proud railway past. Now we will be able to feel the same about the heritage future that lies just around the corner. Robin Jones Editor
“One of the most phenomenal preservation projects of all is the rebuild of the world’s first modern traction passenger vehicle to running order in all its early Edwardian magnificence...”
Heritagerailway.co.uk 3
CONTENTS ISSUE 248
November 16, 2018 – December 14, 2018
News
6
Headline News
6
■ Double Caledonian blues at Bo’ness
& Kinneil gala ■ Tornado to run its first-ever Santa specials on Nene Valley Railway ■ South Devon commemorates 60 years of BR closure to passengers ■ Patriot boiler lowered into frames of The Unknown Warrior ■ Llangollen last train to Corwen temporary platform
16
News
10
■ Vintage Trains brings US-style Polar
Express to Birmingham main line ■ Didcot to spend £300K overhauling first locomotive ■ Thieves bring Halloween horror to Blaenavon ■ SteamWorks now open at Bluebell’s Sheffield Park ■ New Aberystwyth station for Vale of Rheidol ■ Grant boost for Lynton & Barnstaple westward push ■ Union of South Africa wows Bluebell autumn crowds ■ Duchess of Sutherland sparkles in eight-locomotive Swanage gala
59
Main Line News
56
■ Flying Scotsman to haul memorial
Regulars
Features
Subscribe Today Railwayana
30 42
Centre
54
Geoff Courtney’s regular column A world first several times over! The first internal combustion powered passenger vehicle and the first DMU to appear on a Heritage Railway centre spread!
54 Main Line Itinerary
62
Off the Shelf
90
Platform
94
Up & Running
96
train for Sir William McAlpine ■ Business as usual at Railway Touring Company despite founder’s passing ■ Tornado cancels all main line trips until January
Steam and heritage diesel railtours
With Full Regulator
Guide to railways running in the autumn
64
Don Benn compares the performances of GWR and Southern locomotives on the South Devon banks
4 Heritagerailway.co.uk
Latest book and DVD releases Where your views matter most
The Month Ahead
106
The final days of the Waverley Route
Fifty years ago, despite the huge numbers of objections, The Waverley Route from Carlisle to Edinburgh was closed. Trevor Gregg looks at the history of the route and shares his recollections of both the line and his journey on one of the farewell tours.
44
CONTENTS: SECR O1 0-6-0 No. 65 climbs Freshfield Bank with the 2.45pm from Sheffield Park on the Bluebell Railway on October 26. NICK GILLIAM COVER: A magical combination: Caledonian Railway 4-4-0T No. 419 and 0-6-0 No. 828 look the part together at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway. BRIAN SHARPE
50
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See page 30 Embsay’s world first! Second dawn of modern traction
Banking over the alps!
October 19, 2018, is now indelibly etched in the annals of heritage railway history as this was when the world’s first internal combustion powered passenger vehicle gave its first rides in 88 years. The NER petrol-electric autocar No. 3170 was the train the world forgot until now, reports Robin Jones.
Gareth Evans reports on the wealth of interest which was to be enjoyed at the Mid-Hants Railway’s three-day Autumn Steam Gala, held between October 19 and 21. He finds a railway that appears to have regained its confidence, with positivity the order of the day – perhaps helped by the recent appointment of a new general manager.
A taste of the regulator! 80
The railway rally
Gareth Evans samples a steam taster driver experience course at the Swindon & Cricklade Railway and also learns how the railway manages the process from an operational perspective.
84
Mike Huckfield shares his experience of organising a day out with a difference with a group of like-minded friends to visit as many heritage railways as possible in a single day
How the steam age began
In the second part of his series about the dawn of steam, Brian Sharpe investigates the background to how the position of chief mechanical engineer came about in the early days – leading to the evolution of locomotive design. He examines the period between the passing of the Stockton & Darlington Railway bill – to the building of Planet.
Irwell in action!
86
Gareth Evans reports on the East Lancashire Railway’s autumn steam gala with special guests GWR 2-8-0 No. 2857, 2-8-0T No. 4247 and Princess Coronation Pacific No. 6233 Duchess of Sutherland.
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HEADLINE NEWS
No. 828 runs along the banks of the Firth of Forth past Bo’ness town centre with No. 419 on the rear on November 4. BRIAN SHARPE
Double Caledonian blues
By Brian Sharpe
ONLY a select few heritage railways are able to run a complete train of one of Britain’s pre-Grouping railway companies. One that can is the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway with its Caledonian Railway 0-4-4T and two CR coaches of similar vintage. This year though, in addition to returning CR 0-4-4T No. 419 to service again after yet another overhaul, the railway hired in the other working Caley locomotive, the Strathspey Railway’s 0-6-0 No. 828, and staged a gala weekend featuring a double-headed Caledonian train over November 3/4. The two coaches were originally restored by BR in 1958 to run with CR 4-2-2 No. 123 which is now in Glasgow’s Riverside Museum. Brake Composite Corridor No. 464 was built in 1923. After BR declared
it surplus to requirements, it was purchased by the Scottish Railway Preservation Society in 1968. It has been restored with its later number 7369. Third Corridor No. 1375 was built in 1921. It was initially preserved on the Bluebell Railway in 1968, but moved to the SRPS base at Falkirk in 1974 to be reunited with No. 464. CR 0-4-4T No. 419 was designed by JF McIntosh and built by the CR at St Rollox works, Glasgow in 1907. It was withdrawn by BR as No. 55189 from Carstairs shed in December 1962. The SRPS was formed in the early 1960s and was keen to preserve this last CR 0-4-4T. Fortunately, cash was provided by a Worcestershire farmer, WEC Watkinson, who also paid for external restoration to CR blue livery, carried out at the former North British Railway Cowlairs works in 1964.
Caledonian Railway 0-6-0 No. 828 at Birkhill on November 4. DAVID COLLIER
6 Heritagerailway.co.uk
SRPS members returned No. 419 to steam at Falkirk in 1971. It has seen regular use on the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway since the society relocated there in 1988. It was withdrawn for overhaul in 2008 and this was completed this year in time for a return to service at the November gala. The visiting CR locomotive, 812 class 0-6-0 No. 828 was also designed by McIntosh and built in 1899. It was one of a small number of the class to carry blue livery for working boat trains out of Glasgow. It was withdrawn in 1963 and after purchase for preservation, was externally restored at Cowlairs works in 1966, before going on display in Glasgow museum. It was moved to the Strathspey Railway in October 1980, where it was returned to steam and has seen regular use on the line. Both locomotives have run in
preservation in the darker version of CR blue livery, but No. 419 now carries the lighter version. The darker blue was introduced by the CR’s chief engineer J Lambie in the early 1890s. His successor, McIntosh, introduced a lighter blue for certain locomotives with a different style of lining. Although light blue and dark blue locomotives ran side-by-side for a while, the light blue was eventually adopted as standard, but with the normal style of lining. Although the Caley engines were the stars, the gala saw a strong supporting cast of industrial steam power. Neilson 0-6-0T No. 5710 of 1902 (in Thomas blue) and Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 3818 of 1954 took turns on the branch passenger train to Manuel, while Barclay 0-4-0ST No. 6 (2219 of 1946) acted as Bo’ness station pilot.
No. 419 shunts the CR coaches at Bo’ness station after both locomotives had taken water. BRIAN SHARPE Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway
Tornado all set to head its first-ever Santa specials
By Robin Jones
A FEW weeks ago, the star quality of A3 No. 60103 Flying Scotsman brought crowds flocking to the Nene Valley Railway, to the extent that the demand for tickets caused the website to crash. Now, in an unexpected turn of events, the 21st century 101mph A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado is to haul this year’s festive season trains – and will head Santa specials for the first time in its history, potentially sending attendances soaring again. Tornado will be spending the remainder of this year and early 2019 on the Nene Valley Railway near Peterborough, hauling Santa steam specials, mince pie specials, winter steam specials and conducting driver experience days. As reported in Main Line News, page 56, Tornado has cancelled all of its planned main line tours for the rest of 2018 because of continuing repair work and then testing at the NVR’s Wansford workshops, where it has been since failing on the‘Ebor Flyer’from King’s Cross to York on April 14.
With the repairs to Tornado now complete, the locomotive has been running in on the NVR awaiting recertification and a main line test run. Accordingly, Tornado, which is celebrating its 10th birthday, is available to haul its first-ever Santa specials. These will run on November 24/25: yellow ticket prices, December 8/9, 15/16 and 22-24 red ticket prices. On the Classic Santa package (£15 for yellow days and £20 for red days), the children will have visited Santa’s grotto and received their presents, before sitting down in a heritage carriage for the Tornadohauled steam train trip. Drinks and a mince pie will be served to the adults and the children will receive a drink, a cracker and some sweet treats, along with a second opportunity to meet Santa. On the first class package (£20 for yellow days and £25 for red days),there will be allocated table seating in the NVR’s Belgian carriages and a luxury service with extra refreshments and crackers plus the option of a prebooked platter served at the table
(breakfast for four people at £20, festive nibbles selection for two to three people at £25 or traditional buffet for four people at £35). The premier first class compartments (£200 for yellow days and £240 for red days) will offer compartments for up to six people inclusive of a sandwich platter, hot mince pies, hot sausage rolls and pigs in blankets. Unlimited hot drinks, two rounds of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, with fruit juice for the children, are also included. The St Nicholas Lounge (£550) offers a premium service for groups of up to 16 people, with their own personal steward. Incorporating all the features of the premier first class service, additionally the exclusive bar will host a selection of complementary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. All Santa trains depart from and return to Wansford and cannot stop at any intermediate stations. For more details or to book online, visit www.nvr.org.uk or call 01780 782833/784444 between 9.30am and 3.30pm. Infants under the age of one
travel free and also receive a gift from Santa. Tornado will also be hauling the winter warmer mince pie specials on December 29/30, with a complementary mince pie for adult passengers and sweets for children. The A3 will also be hauling the winter steam services on January 6 and 12. Tornado can also be booked for driver experience courses on January 5 and 11. The starter package includes theory and practical driving of Tornado and is priced at £295 per person. The advanced course is an in-depth experience of over three hours for two participants and is priced at £840. Graeme Bunker-James, trustee of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust said:“We are very grateful to the NVR for hosting Tornado since April and we are pleased to be working our first-ever Santa steam specials.” Tornado will be conducting its main line test run from the NVR later in January and is set to pick up its 2019 programme of main line excursions on February 9 with‘The North Briton’.
End of an era marked at Dwyrain Corwen East THE Llangollen Railway ran the last public service train of the 2018 season with commemorative bilingual headboard and flags, to mark the end of four years of successful operations to the Phase 1 temporary platform at Dwyrain Corwen East. Fittingly, on Sunday, November 4, GWR 2-8-0 No. 3802 performed the honours as it did with the first train on October, 22, 2014 – even the same three Welsh flags were reused and Harry Barber was the same driver. This time, the train was not topped and tailed as in 2014 and No. 3802 performed the final propelling move back to Carrog with a select passenger complement of members and others on board. A fortunate spell of blue sky for the 3.40pm arrival brightened the occasion when station staff were on hand with others to mark the occasion. Stationmaster Wayne Ronneback said: “Although provided as a temporary measure in 2014, the platform has been successful in introducing passengers to the western end of the line and has attracted a growing number of passengers to start their journey through the Dee Valley from Corwen. “This was necessary while the project team tackled the immense task of building the Phase 2 station
with a loop line to allow the train to terminate and for the locomotive to run round at the island platform in preparation for the return journey. “As of a date to be announced in 2019, visitors will be able to travel from and to the centre of Corwen, where the train will stop over for a 20-minute interval. We expect the new arrangements to attract more visitors from a wider segment, to travel on the only standard gauge heritage railway in North Wales.
Positive figures
“End of season figures show that passengers starting their journey at Corwen are up by 20.81%, passengers alighting at Corwen are up by 17.16% and ticket sales are up by 31.43%. “As of the end of the season on November 4, it was announced the appeal to raise £10,000 to match fund the cost of the infill for the island platform at Corwen Central had met its target. “Thanks are due to all those who contributed to this particular appeal, which remains open for further donations c/o Paul Bailey, Dolwen, Bryn Eglwys, Corwen LL21 9LY.” Infilling of the space between the two platform walls continues, with the finish of the platform 1 wall east end to be concluded
shortly. Once completely infilled and compacted, the next challenge is to have contractors lay an estimated 40,000 pavers on the surface, as well as the provision of other items of platform furniture. ➜ New signalbox installed at Corwen – News, page 24.
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No, it’s not a Beeching closure, but a portent of better times ahead! GWR 2-8-0 No. 7802 carried the Last Train to Corwen East on November 4, signalling the end of the temporary platform as a new permanent station nearer the town takes shape. GEORGE JONES Heritagerailway.co.uk 7
HEADLINE NEWS IN BRIEF ➜ DIAL Cottage, the Grade II* listed three-bedroom stone cottage where railway pioneers George and Robert Stephenson once lived in Great Lime Road, Forest Hall, Co Durham, is for sale. North Tyneside Council is inviting ‘expressions of interest’ for the freehold, saying it is in need of modernisation. ➜THEWest Somerset Railway is to submit an application to GreatWestern Railway’s customer and communities fund to trial a connecting shuttle to link the national network atTaunton with the heritage line at Bishops Lydeard. The announcement was made at a packed public meeting of the Minehead Rail Link Group on October 30. ➜ THE Isle of Man Railway’s 1892-built Port St Mary station has been listed of ‘special architectural and historic interest,’ affording it greater protection. ➜THE Dartmouth Steam Railway’s WR 4-6-0 No. 7827 LydhamManor will visit the ChurnetValley Railway for all of February. It will be the first time that the locomotive has worked north of Somerset since it first ran in preservation in 1973. ➜ The Talyllyn Railway has raised £7380.58 or about 37% of the £20,000 target to restore its Corris carriage No. 17. More donations are always welcome via JustGiving at: tinyurl.com/Corris17. The TR has also confirmed it will be launching a £4000 appeal at the Warley Model Railway Show on November 24-25 to restore Ty Dŵr – the original watering point for the railway above Abergynolwyn. ➜BULLDOZERS have demolished theVictorian carriage and repair shed in Brunel Road near Newton Abbot after a devastating fire on October 21, believed to be arson. It had been due to be demolished on October 26 to make way for a new Aldi store, despite opposition from rail enthusiasts and local action group Save Our Shed. ➜ A TEMPORARY exhibition opened in the Narrow Gauge Railway Museum at the Talyllyn Railway’s Wharf station in Tywyn on October 12, marking the 150th anniversary of the birth of light railway magnate Colonel Holman F Stephens. It will be in place for at least six months. ➜ THE restoration of regular train services on the Okehampton to Exeter line via the Dartmoor Railway is second on a list of four major projects for Great Western Railway in 2019, according to the firm. ➜ INDIA’S Golden Rock Railway Workshop has begun manufacture of two new steam locomotives for the Nilgiri Mountain Railway next year.
8 Heritagerailway.co.uk
Closure’s 60th anniversary marked by South Devon By DickWood THE South Devon Railway has run a special train to commemorate the last BR services on the GWR Ashburton branch 60 years to the day. Regular timetabled passenger trains on the 10-mile Totnes to Ashburton branch, which opened in 1876, ran for the last time on November 1, 1958, with a final special train running on Saturday, November 3. However, unlike most West Country rural branches that fell victim before, during or after the Beeching Axe of the 1960s, this one has now enjoyed a new life for nearly 50 years since 1969, when it was reopened as the Dart Valley Railway, and is now run by the South Devon Railway Trust. The SDR Trust museum marked the withdrawal of timetabled services on Thursday, November 1 with commemorative displays, including photographs, personal memories from people who used the line, and a variety of objects from those early days, such as the now redundant single line train staff used between Buckfastleigh and Ashburton. The museum also displayed one of the original BR posters giving notice of the closure.
Commemoration
The steam locomotive working the day’s trains, GWR prairie No. 5542, carried a headboard bearing the legend‘Totnes to Ashburton LastTrain 1958-2018’, and also bore a wreath to mark the occasion. Station and museum staff were dressed in mourning to suitably mark the sad events of 60 years ago. Invited guests helped the reenactment of events, including some who used the railway in the years before closure. The main event at Buckfastleigh station that day came when the wreath was ceremonially carried to the front of the locomotive at lunchtime, and there was a eulogy for the passing of the much-lamented train service. The final Western Region passenger train ran between Ashburton and Totnes and back on the first Saturday in November 1958, hauled by GWR Class 14xx 0-4-2Ts Nos. 1466 and 1470. To mark this other 60th anniversary of closure, the SDR also ran a special evening steam-hauled service on November 3, leaving Buckfastleigh at 7.58pm and returning from Totnes at the same time as the last train did 60 years ago, arriving back in Buckfastleigh at 9.21pm, this time round behind No. 5542. The museum was open during the evening.
In the 1950s, many children travelled to school every day on the train. Three of them – Sandra Coleman, Janet Masters and Cathie Sparkes – have been friends ever since. They are pictured standing by No. 5542 on November 1. JOHN BRODRIBB/SDR Left: The last passenger train of the 60th anniversary commemoration featuring prairie No. 5542 on November 3. JOHN BRODRIBB/SDR
Below: The last train arrives back at Totnes station just before 8pm on November 1, 1958. Not everyone looks sad. TOTNES IMAGE BANK
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Huge step for Patriot as boiler in frames at Crewe By JonathanWebb NOVEMBER 5 saw the Heritage Railway-backed project to re-create an LMS Patriot class take a significant leap forward, with the boiler being lowered into the frames of No. 5551 The Unknown Warrior at Crewe Heritage Centre. Although only a trial fitting, it was deemed important to get the boiler, being constructed by Heritage Boiler Steam Services, into the frames for this year’s Remembrance Day commemorations, with it marking the centenary of the Armistice at Crewe on November 11. The trial will ensure it is correctly lined up and all fits snugly into the frames before its construction is too far advanced. Stays remain to be fitted, along with internal pipework, tubes, dome and safety valves and other items before it can be steam tested, something expected to take place in the spring of 2019. It returned to HBSS’ works in Huyton a few days after the Crewe event.
Following the recent move from the Llangollen Railway, agreement has been reached for No. 5551 to remain at Crewe until the end of March, although the LMS-Patriot Project says that this may be brought forward, depending on which company is awarded the contract to finish the locomotive. Parties shortlisted are Tyseley Locomotive Works, Ian Riley Engineering, the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust and one other supplier which has shown an interest. The tender chassis is going to Leaky Finders, a new firm based in Brixham, formed by ex-Dartmouth Steam Railway staff who have set up their own business. The contract for the tender tank remains under discussion. Most of the motion destined for No. 5551 is from long-scrapped Jubilees Alberta and Achilles and even a Patriot, with the parts stamped up as Fleetwood. The aim is for No. 5551 to be steamed in time to mark the centenary of the Unknown Warrior’s body returning from France in 1920.
‘Black Five’ No. 45379 was displayed on the Alresford station forecourt during the autumn steam gala (see page 68), where it was pictured on October 20. GARETH EVANS
Mid-Hants’ ‘Black Five’ moves to Margate By Gareth Evans THE Mid-Hants Railway Preservation Society has moved its‘Black Five’ No. 45379 to Locomotive Storage Ltd.’s undercover facility in Margate, Kent. The 4-6-0’s boiler certificate expired on September 9. The MHRPS confirmed the locomotive is likely to stay there for up to five years while it awaits its turn in the overhaul queue. However, should the preservation body have funds for the Stanier to be overhauled prior to that, it may return to Ropley earlier. Society trustee David Ford, trustee said: “I’m pleased to announce that agreement has been reached with Locomotive Storage Ltd to store 45379 alongside Bittern at its facilities at Margate. This new facility is part of
the old Hornby factory and already houses a number of interesting railway exhibits, and is next door to the Hornby Visitor Centre. “This new facility can house up to 30 locomotives in a dry, clean and ventilated environment. In the future, it is likely that the facility will be open to the public adding to the Hornby Visitor Centre’s 40-50,000 visitors a year. With a shop, cafe and existing car parking, the centre could become a major local attraction.” The building, which is the former Tri-ang/Hornby factory warehouse is already home to the Crewe breakdown crane, A4 No. 4464 Bittern and its two tenders, plus former Coventry Electric Railway Museumbased four-car 4-SUB (Class 405) set No. 4732 and the unique three-car Merseyside Class 503 unit.
Railway wagon‘glamping pods’ near completion alongside NYMR
In rapidly fading light, No. 5551 sits outside at Crewe Heritage Centre, having just had its boiler lowered into the frames on November 5. JONATHAN WEBB
Online NYMR bookings overtake office sales for first time IN 2018, for the first time, the North Yorkshire Moors Railway has seen online ticket sales exceed those of its primary sales point, Pickering booking office, in a year that has seen income increase by around 9%.
While some may bemoan the decline in the use of traditional sales and tickets, online booking sales provide valuable data on sales which allows the seats available to be adjusted, within reason, to demand.
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THE Llangollen Railway Carriage and Wagon Works at Pentrefelin has completed the contract conversion of two former railway wagons, which are destined to be installed at the site of the old trout farm lake at High Mill crossing on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway at Pickering, as part of a railwaythemed redevelopment of that site. Further conversions are expected to follow, with additional wagons already sourced. The first two ‘pods’ have been converted from a GWR Toad
brake van which had previously been adapted to become a tunnel inspection vehicle, and a former Southern Railway PMV four-wheeled van. The NYMR is assisting with this development by providing track materials. Rail and concrete sleepers, recovered from the site of last winter’s relay in Newtondale will result in six short lengths of track being in place, constructed by the railway’s permanent way department, for the wagons to stand on.
Vacuum brakes for Harlech Castle FFESTINIOG Railway 0-6-0DH Harlech Castle has been fitted with vacuum brakes. As a result, its bodywork, with a revised wider bonnet, now more closely resembles that of sister diesel
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locomotive Criccieth Castle. Previously fitted with RAF wagon couplings and no vacuum brakes, Harlech Castle is also now equipped with the standard FR ‘chopper’ couplings like its sister. Heritagerailway.co.uk 9
NEWS
Vintage Trains brings Polar Express to Birmingham Hunslet 0-6-0ST Newstead has moved from the Nene Valley Railway, where it is seen at Wansford on July 22. GARETH EVANS
Newstead moves between valleys to its new home HUNSLET 0-6-0ST No. 1589 of 1929 Newstead, which was rediscovered in a corrugated shed in the grounds of a convent after it was thought‘missingpresumed scrapped’has been moved from the NeneValley Railway to the Spa Valley Railway. Restored in the early 1990s by Malcolm Saul at his home but never used, Newstead arrived at Wansford in 2016. Due to overhauls of other locomotives taking priority, it was moved to its new home on October 29. With little work believed to be required, a return to steam is expected within three years. Finance for Newstead’s overhaul is in place and there is now a drive for volunteers to assist. Owner Alex Alder and the railway are forming a volunteer support group. Anyone interested in joining is invited to contact Alex on 07710 750366 or alex@ accolademeasure.co.uk
Santa steam takes GWSR by storm FOLLOWING its opening to Broadway, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway has found its festive services to be more popular than ever. There will be more than 40 steam and 30 diesel railcar specials running through December and a special train for disadvantaged children is due to operate on November 25. Commercial director Colin Fewell said: “We expect to carry more than 10,000 people on our festive trains.” Full details at www.gwsr.com
By Robin Jones NEW Train Operating Company Vintage Trains is to bring the hugely-successful US-style Polar Express to Birmingham city centre this Christmas. The theatrical recreation of the classic children’s tale by professional dancers and actors has been phenomenally successful as prime family entertainment on heritage lines like the Telford Steam Railway, Dartmoor and Weardale Railways – but the VT venture will be the first time it has visited a UK city centre by train. VT has now been licensed by Warner Brothers to run steam-hauled trips between Birmingham Moor Street station and the North Pole (aka Tyseley Locomotive Works’Warwick Road platform) starting on November 29 and running four trains per day on
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays and five trains on Sundays until Sunday, December 23. Fares start at £25 (standard class) and from £35 (first class include an exclusive ceramic souvenir mug). The locomotives will be GWR 4-6-0s No. 7029 Clun Castle and 4936 Rood Ashton Hall. VT has been fully supported by Chiltern Railways, West Midlands Railway and Network Rail in this new venture. During the journey, scenes from
the Polar Express movie come to life as dancing chefs and waiters arrive serving cookies and hot chocolate. On arrival at the North Pole, Santa will welcome the train with his sleigh, a bag of toys and a giant Christmas tree. As the train returns, Santa presents each child with their very own ‘First Gift of Christmas’, a silver bell from his sleigh. Chefs on board will lead the passengers in singing carols, while children can see what the elves have created in their workshops and visit the post room to write and send their letters to Santa. VT’s Polar Express is directed by Chris Brookes, a Birmingham Conservatoire graduate, along with assistant director Tom Hendryk, who is also a graduate of the Conservatoire. Full details are available at www. thepolarexpressbirmingham.com
Rebuilt Leek Brook station now open THE Churnet Valley Railway has gained a key foothold in its bid to extend into Leek town centre by rebuilding the former‘interchange’station at Leek Brook Junction. Using grants from Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and Peak Leader, which helps rural business and communities, the station has been built as an exact replica of the 19th century building formerly attached to Leek Brook signalbox, a Grade II listed building. The station, to which there has never been public access, was officially opened on October 14 by Coun Sybil Ralphs, and a special train to Ipstones ran behind USATC S160 2-8-0 No. 5197. Coun Ralphs said: “I am confident that this is the start of an exciting future for the railway. The next project is the extension of the track to Leek and we at SMDC are working closely with CVR to drive this project forward as quickly as possible.” It is hoped that work on the push
The opening special at the rebuilt Leek Brook station. DAVE GIBSON/CVR to Leek could begin within the next year. CVR director Tony Hancock said: “We now have full planning permission to install the track to Leek and we are looking at a station in Leek similar to the one
in Kingsley & Froghall. We are also looking at reinstating the railway to Oakamoor, as we already own the trackbed.” In the coming year, the new Leek Brook station is likely to see use at galas.
Branch Line Society ‘rare track’ special derails at Dee Marsh sidings A BRANCH Line Society tour over ‘rare tracks’was derailed in Dee Marsh Reception Sidings at Birkenhead on Sunday, November 4. The society’s ‘Ruby Vampire’ charter train, 1Z86 9.05am from Crewe to West Kirby, operated by West Coast Railways and raising money for Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes, was subject to a low speed derailment on DB
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Cargo infrastructure at Dee Marsh Reception Sidings. The train was topped and tailed by West Coast’s Class 33 No. 33025 and Class 47 No. 47826. One axle of a Mk.1 TSO carriage was derailed, no injuries occurred and all vehicles remained upright. Passengers were moved to Wrexham by rail for onward connections or to Chester and
Crewe by rail later in the day. The derailed vehicle was successfully rerailed by the DB Cargo BRUFF team from Wigan and was left on site pending inspection. In a statement, a Branch Line Society spokesman said: “The BLS would like to acknowledge the professionalism of the West Coast Railways team and the response teams from DB Cargo and Network
Rail in resolving the incident promptly, safely and successfully. “Combined with the previous week’s ‘Ruby Shoesday’ charter, in conjunction with Merseyrail, the two events have raised more than £8000 for a good cause. “The society will be working with its operator, West Coast Railways, to agree and announce a suitable date to complete the planned itinerary.”
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Heritage sector mourns tour operator supremo By Robin Jones THE railway sector has paid tribute to RailwayTouring Company founder Nigel Dobbing, who passed away in hospital following an illness on October 14 at the age of 66. Nigel, a father, brother and grandfather, died in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn, where the popular tour operator was based. Coming from a farming background, his passion for steam began back in his early days as a child near Melton Mowbray, often watching trains on the LNW & GN joint line from Market Harborough to Bottesford, or the Midland main line, with its Jubilee-hauled express.
Pursing his dream
During his career as a hotelier while managingThe Duke’s Head in King’s Lynn during the late Eighties, Nigel pursued a dream and decided to organise a steam-hauled charter. Buoyed by its success, he decided that a business could be made from steam charters and set up the Railway Touring Company as a result. Taking advantage of opportunities offered by rail privatisation and the opening of the British railway network in the mid-Nineties, he launched the Railway Touring Company in 1997. Slowly the business gathered speed and took many customers to such far flung places as New Zealand, South America, Cuba and many destinations within Europe.
Carrying a wreath on the smokebox in tribute to Nigel Dobbing of the Railway Touring Company, who had died a few days before, LNER A4 Pacific No. 60009 Union of South Africa accelerates away from Nigel’s home town of Melton Mowbray with ‘The Yorkshireman’ from Ealing Broadway to York on October 20, one of only a handful of special trains each year that picks up passengers in the town. BRIAN SHARPE From the early 2000s, Nigel worked closely and then exclusively with West Coast Railways and achieved some notable successes and firsts with an annual programme of an average of 70 UK tours a year. The pinnacle of them was the ‘Great Britain’ series of week-long trips, that ran the length and breadth of the network. Each year he began by saying that it would be the last – but it never was and 2019 will be the 12th. RTC managing director Kelly Osborne said: “Nigel’s sudden and untimely passing has shocked all that knew him and our heartfelt sympathies go out to his family and close friends. “Personally, I feel honoured to be able to say I knew and worked for Nigel for over 23 years and he
will forever be remembered for his achievements, determination and strength.
Paved the way
“His presence will be greatly missed by us all atThe RailwayTouring Company but his passion will live on amongst us and we will continue in his memory to provide steam-hauled excursions, both here in the UK and throughout the world. “Many would say he paved the way for others to follow.” Steam Dreams founder Marcus Robertson said: “It was a huge shock to hear the very sad news of the sudden death of Nigel Dobbing. “He was a man of steam through and through and his passion informed everything he did for his
Double grant boost for Northampton southern push THE Northampton & Lamport Railway has been awarded £60,000 in grant aid to complete its half-mile southern extension. The EU’s Leader Fund has provided £45,160 followed by £15,000 from Daventry District Council. The money will cover 77% of the cost of refurbishing a low seven-arch viaduct and a cast iron-beam cattle creep, while constructing a new five-coach station platform adjacent to the Windhover pub at Boughton Crossing by the A5199 Northampton Road. The extension will give the railway a main line presence for the first time, boosting public access and awareness.
The pub has provided some land to help make space for a future station building. In order to complete the project, the railway itself needs to contribute a further £18,000 and it is appealing for donations to help achieve this. Extra volunteers are also needed, especially anyone with bricklaying experience. Work started on the extension around 10 years ago. Most of the track has been laid and signalling has been installed. The signalling includes an LNWR signalbox from near Betley Road on the West Coast Main Line, just south of Crewe, which was donated by Network Rail. The railway hopes to start
work in early 2019 and, subject to obtaining a Transport & Works Order, it aims to open the extension in spring 2020. Elsewhere on the railway, work on a new small engine shed is also progressing well. More than 80% of the £12,000 total cost has been raised in the last year. ➜ Anyone who would like to donate to the southern extension project is invited to email the NLR at societysecretary@nlr.org. uk or to send cheques payable to ‘Northampton and Lamport Railway CIO’to Southern Extension Appeal, Northampton & Lamport Railway, Pitsford & Brampton station, Pitsford Road, Chapel Brampton, Northampton NN6 8BA.
Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.
passengers in his very successful business, both overseas and here in the UK. “We will all miss him greatly – he may have been a competitor, but away from the public gaze we talked privately on a regular basis about the many vicissitudes of trying to promote main line steam and we enjoyed many laughs about the ridiculous things that could happen and it is just so sad to think that he is no longer with us.” His funeral took place at Lynn Minster on Friday, November 2, followed by a private cremation at Mintlyn Crematorium. Donations were invited to the Settle and Carlisle Railway Trust and the Mid-Norfolk Railway Preservation Trust.
IN BRIEF ➜ THE West Somerset Railway has been given £96,000 by the Hinkley Point C Community Fund, which is designed to mitigate against community impacts resulting from the construction of a third nuclear power station on the nearby site. The award will spread over two years and it includes the employment of a dedicated WSR community engagement officer. ➜ ON November 8, Grade II listed Barrow Hill roundhouse was presented with an Engineering Heritage Award by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, recognising its importance as Britain’s last surviving working roundhouse. Heritagerailway.co.uk 11
NEWS IN BRIEF
➜ THE Aln Valley Railway has launched a £75,000 appeal to buy Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No. 1243 of 1917 Richboro from owner Michael Fairnington, so it has a steam locomotive of its own. Members, supporters and friends are invited to contribute £15 monthly for two years to raise the balance of the purchase price. Standing Order Forms can be requested from ‘The Richboro Appeal’, 32 North Ridge, Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear, NE43 7LP to which donations can also be made, or from richboro@ alnvalleyrailway.co.uk ➜ LBSCR 0-6-0T No. 32678, one of two ‘Terriers’ owned by The Terrier Trust CIO and resident on the Kent & East Sussex Railway, is to undergo a fast-track overhaul at the line’s Rolvenden locomotive works, commencing before the end of the year and expected to take six to seven months. The trust’s other ‘Terrier’, No. 3 Bodiam, is stored at Rolvenden awaiting overhaul, but is scheduled to return to action in time for celebrations to mark its 150th birthday in 2022. ➜ PATHFINDER Tours has asked us to clarify that it was acting only as booking agents for the September 23 Arriva Trains Wales ‘Sugar Loaf Mountaineer’, not as organiser, and therefore had no control over the non-availability of steam in the form of ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45231, of which it was notified only at the last minute. ➜ THE Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, which has recently embarked on an ambitious expansion plan to extend its line, is looking for an experienced person to look after the maintenance of its signalling and telecommunications equipment. The line’s supporters want to hear from any recently retired ex-Network Rail/British Rail employees with a good knowledge of electrical and mechanical signalling systems who would like to keep their hand in. Call 01507 363881 for more information or email contact@ lincolnshirewoldsrailway.co.uk ➜ THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway probably has more dry-stone walling on its land than most railways, notably the section of wall north of Beck Hole which measures some 688 metres in length. This is gradually being rebuilt by the NYMR’s dry stone walling volunteers and junior volunteers. Following summer work, around 57% of the wall has now been rebuilt.
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Didcot to spend £300k overhauling first engine By JonathanWebb and Robin Jones THE Great Western Society is gearing up for its 60th anniversary in 2021 and has announced that Collett 0-4-2T No. 1466 is to be overhauled in time for the big event. The locomotive was the first to be acquired by the GWS, along with auto coach No. 231, so it is fitting that it should be returned to steam for the anniversary. No. 1466 is also a rare example of a locomotive which broke BR’s post-August 11, 1968 main line steam ban. Before the ban was imposed, the GWS had already obtained permission for it and auto trailer No. 231 to operate a service on the Cholsey to Wallingford branch on September 21, 1968, and BR kept its word. Several thousand passengers rode from Cholsey station to the ABM sidings at Wallingford. No. 1466 is due to leave Didcot by road on November 11. Timeline Events is organising a last chance to photograph the locomotive in BR black before departure on November 17. The overhaul will be carried out at
the Dean Forest Railway by Western Steam Engineering Ltd and will include repair or replacement of the cylinder block, axleboxes, brake gear, valve gear, motion and plate work – including new bunker, repair of water tanks and manufacture of ashpan. The boiler also requires a new barrel, back plate, throat plate, bottom portion of wrapper, front tube plate, smokebox, blower ring and cladding. Although quite a long list, these are only the faults that the GWS is aware of and is mindful that there may be other issues discovered during the stripping down of the locomotive. With that in mind, No. 1466 will be dismantled in such a way that, in the unlikely event that anything is discovered which cannot be financially supported by the GWS, it can be reassembled without too much effort and returned to Didcot, to avoid having the locomotive in bits during the anniversary celebrations. It has been estimated that the cost of the overhaul will be £300,000, with the GWS saying it has raised 70% of the total.
No. 1466 will depart for the DFR on a date which coincides with the availability of a DB Cargo Class 66 to haul the auto-tank from Didcot Railway Centre to the nearby loading area, via the west yard. GWS chairman Richard Croucher has said that it is planned to have repatriated GWR 4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis Castle in steam at the event, but No. 6023 King Edward II will miss out on the celebrations, unless its boiler certificate can be extended beyond 2020. It is also hoped to have 0-6-0PT No. 3650 ready for 2021, with the overhaul having recently commenced. That year could also be the last opportunity for a while to see GWR steam railmotor No. 93 in operation, as its boiler certificate expires in 2021. In preparation for that, work is progressing on the steam crane’s boiler as this will be required to remove the railmotor’s boiler for overhaul. Next year should see broad gauge replica Fire Fly undergo a ‘relatively simple’ overhaul, with the GWS saying that it may only require a retube.
The band formerly known as Buck’s Fizz, which won the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981, and now reformed as The Fizz, was filmed at Didcot Railway Centre on November 1 for a forthcoming video to be released this year alongside an album of Christmas hits. Pictured are original members Jay Aston, Mike Nolan and Cheryl Baker with prairie No. 4144. In its 50 years of operation, Didcot has been host to hundreds of production companies and can be spotted as the backdrop for countless films and TV shows. Notable examples include the Academy Award-winning film The Danish Girl, Dan Cruickshank’s documentary series Great Railway Adventures, Anna Karenina starring Keira Knightley and BBC Two comedy Thank You, Comrades starring Sir Ben Kingsley and David Howey. FRANK DUMBLETON Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway
LMS ‘Black Fives’ Nos. 45212 and 45407 climb to Corrour on October 27 during the journey from Fort William to Carnforth at the end of this year’s ‘Jacobite’ season. The locomotives were hauling only four carriages as the remaining empty coaching stock was due to return diesel-hauled in the following days. The photographer commented: “I was delighted with the shot. I’ve being going to Corrour for more than 30 years and it’s the first time I’ve got a photo of steam with some snow on the ground. Mind you, it was not easy getting there – a last-minute decision based on the weather forecast leaving Oldmeldrum, near Inverurie at 4.30am and having to negotiate ice and snow on the roads as I drove to Tulloch to catch the late running first service train from Fort William, delayed by frozen points! I believe the photo was well worth the effort.” TREVOR GREGG.
Eleven home-based steam locomotives for NYMR in 2019? THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s locomotive availability turnaround since the early part of this decade is continuing, and it could have up to 11 resident engines in steam in 2019 – an increase of three over this year, which in turn saw‘Black Five’ No. 5428, J27 No. 65894 and Q6 No. 63395 returned to action. In 2019, a further four locomotives are expected to be outshopped, consisting of SR S15 4-6-0 No. 825, Lambton Collieries 0-6-2T No. 29, Cockerill 0-4-0VBT Lucie and 9F 2-10-0 No. 92134. SR 4-6-2 No. 34101 Hartland is unlikely to be completed in 2019, but remains a possibility. By contrast, it is still hoped that
Lucie can be made available for carriage-warming duties for this year’s Pickering-based Santa specials. The NYMR’s big locomotives tend to run high mileages, so require quite a lot of attention over the winter. The late-season availability of Nos. 65894 and 63395 has enabled an early start to be made on other members of the fleet. No. 926 Repton has had its driving wheels removed for turning as it had developed an increased propensity for slipping, an indication that its tyre profiles are worn. Winter maintenance on BR 4MT No. 80136 will include extensive work to its valves, pistons and motion.
Thieves bring Halloween horror to Blaenavon By Robin Jones A HUGELY successful four-day Halloween event at the Pontypool & Blaenavon Railway attended by more than 4000 visitors ended with burglars stealing a safe containing £14,000 in takings. Intruders broke into the railway’s headquarters between 10pm on Wednesday, October 31, and 9.45am on Thursday, November 1, causing thousands of pounds’ damage to doors and windows. They then made off with the safe, which had been bolted to the floor and which contained takings from two nights. The raid was discovered by volunteers who turned up to take decorative lighting down.
Gwent Police were investigating the raid and the railway has examined its CCTV footage in an effort to find those responsible. Chairman Phil Tiley said: “This is our biggest event of the year. “We rely on the ghost train to keep us running throughout the rest of the year. It’s a real shock to us all. “The burglar broke through the platform doors and got into the booking office. “He must have seen the camera as he went and turned it around.” Not to be beaten, an appeal fund was set up the day after the burglary in a bid to cover the cost of repairing the damage. Within two days, more than £4500 was raised.
Left and right : West Coast Railways driver Alec Iain MacDonald officially retired on October 26 after 79 years following his last day of driving. A special ‘The Jacobite’ headboard marked his years of railway service from March 3, 1957. At Mallaig, he is seen far left with the other ‘Jacobite’ drivers on the day and locomotive owner Ian Riley looking out of the cab of ‘Black Five’ No. 45157. DAVE COLLIER Write to us: Heritage Railway, Mortons Media Ltd, PO Box 43, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6LZ.
Heritagerailway.co.uk 13
NEWS 75029 enters Grosmont Works WITH BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92134 and West Country light Pacific No. 34101 Hartland expected to be the main overhaul projects for the NorthYorkshire Moors Railway fitters and boilersmiths teams respectively over the coming winter, work has nevertheless also begun in Grosmont Works on a third project, a general overhaul of BR Standard 4 4-6-0 No. 75029, which will involve both teams. With the boiler lifted from the frames, large areas of the inner and outer firebox have been cut away for what will represent replacement of a substantial proportion of both the copper inner firebox and the steel outer wrapper. This work is to be undertaken in conjunction with building a second, more or less identical copper inner firebox for BR Standard 4 2-6-4T No. 80135. At the same time, the first of the driving wheel sets have been dropped out and the axleboxes are being remetalled.
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Ryde tram gifted to Wight steam railway By Gareth Evans
A 107-YEAR-OLD tram has been gifted to the Isle ofWight Steam Railway and is now on display at Havenstreet station. The standard gauge vehicle is the only surviving example of a tram built by Pollard and Sons, carriage and motor car builders of Hill Street, Ryde. Although the body was new in 1911, the tram incorporated running gear from one of the 1871-built Starbuck cars which had been converted to electric traction in 1886. The tram was designed to carry 20 passengers along the east track of the half-mile of Ryde Pier to make ferry connections to the mainland. Following withdrawal in 1927, the underframe was scrapped, but the body was sold off. It spent much of the next 90 years being used as a holiday chalet in Brighstone and then a chicken coop, ending its days at Grange Farm, Brighstone, before being saved. In 1978, the body was offered for sale by auction. The IoWSR considered bidding, but funds were extremely limited and storage space at a premium. Bernard Pratt, a senior lecturer at the Isle of Wight College and a supporter of the IoWSR, who was also a county councillor, purchased the body for £2 and arranged for it to be taken to the IW College, where it was restored under a Manpower Services Commission Youth Training scheme. When completed, it was displayed at the council’s Cothy Bottom Heritage Centre, later moving to the Isle of Wight Bus and Coach Museum. In 2011, the tram returned to Cothy Bottom and was stored out of public view until moving to Havenstreet on March 13, 2017.
The 1911-built Ryde Pier tram is on display at the Isle of Wight Steam Railway’s Train Story Discovery Centre at Havenstreet. JOHN FAULKNER More than 90 years after this unique island-built electric tram was last used to transport visitors along Ryde Pier, it is once again back on public display. On October 18, the tram was formally presented to the IoWSR by the leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Coun Dave Stewart. The ceremony was attended by a number of representatives of both the local authority and the steam railway, who worked together in making this important piece of island transport history accessible to the public. Coun Stewart said:“We are delighted that this tram is again accessible to the public. The original donor requested that the tram was eventually placed on display at Havenstreet and we are very grateful to the steam railway for finding space in its Train Story Discovery Centre to accommodate the historic tram and making it accessible once again for people to enjoy.” Accepting the vehicle on behalf
of the railway, Peter Taylor, director and trustee, said:“This tram is an important part of the island’s transport history and is a valued addition to our collection. In the coming years, the railway has a vision to develop a bespoke museum that will allow us to display the tram alongside a number of other important Ryde Pier exhibits.” The tram ran with another locallybuilt car, No.4, affectionately known as the‘Grapes car’because of the carved decoration on the corner pillars. This vehicle was preserved when withdrawn in 1935, being taken to Hull, where it is currently on display in the Streetlife Museum. The IoWSR has also commissioned the restoration of a diesel Drewry Car Company tram of the type which took over the Ryde Pier service in 1927. Restoration is being undertaken in the workshops of Alan Keef Ltd in Ross on Wye and it is hoped to have this tram in working order by late 2019.
Duke of Gloucester welcomes new supporters By Cedric Johns THE announcement that the sole BR three-cylinder 4-6-2 – No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester – has joined the Vintage Trains’stable appears to have boosted public interest in the locomotive, which is currently being overhauled at Tyseley in Birmingham. This upsurge was reflected in questions asked by visitors to the Duke’s display stand at Tyseley during the venue’s September 29-30 gala 50th anniversary weekend, as featured in our last issue According to the BR Class 8 Steam Locomotive Trust chairman Trevor
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Tuckley, the stand was kept busy throughout the event, interested visitors enquiring about membership and many purchasing merchandise. More importantly was the fact that a number of enthusiasts signed membership and joined the Duke’s supporting ‘family’ of friends. Members are offered a seat on the Duke’s loaded test run for just £10. In terms of raising money towards the 8P’s overhaul – which is well on track – only a few new washout plugs are left and available for sponsorship at £50 each. Sponsors are being supplied with working diagrams showing where each
individual plug is positioned within the Duke’s boiler. Updating the support coach appeal, more than a dozen 1ft lengths (and widths) have now attracted sponsorship of £500 per length, raising over £6,000 towards the internal rebuild of the BR Mk2 coach. With regard to the progress of the 8P’s overhaul, inspection of the driving axle bearings was scheduled to take place on November 6. The tender body is to be lifted from its frames in order that work can be started to overhaul the running gear. The support coach is being
‘winterised’ to protect it and the roof has been cleaned and repainted. Add-ons in the form of TPWS and OTMR parts have been ordered and a detailed design for electrical installations on the tender is being prepared. Meanwhile, gauging the Duke is being carried out to ensure maximum route availability. Enthusiasts wishing to learn more about the Duke and various ways of supporting this unique express passenger engine are advised to visit www.theduke.uk.com or write to the trust’s secretary at Aurora House, Deltic Avenue, Rooksley, Milton Keynes MK13 8LW.
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