Heritage Railway Issue 251 by Mortons Media Group Ltd

BAHAMAS BACK ON THE MAIN LINE AFTER 25YEAR ABSENCE

ISSUE 251

Feb 15 – March 14, 2019

TOP AWARDS FOR BROADWAY, HELSTON, RAVENGLASS, WIGHT

DUCHESS OF SUTHERLAND

TO KICK OFF ‘GREAT BRITAIN XII’

GREAT CENTRAL BUYS & SAVES A

‘HOOVER’

■ NEW COMPANY TO REBUILD TODDINGTON BARRY 4MT ■ MINEHEAD SELLS GWR TANK TO DARTMOUTH ■ CLUN CASTLE: POISED FOR TOURS

OPINION

Beneath an unbroken azure sky, Severn Valley Railway-based GWR 4-6-0 No. 7802 Bradley Manor powers past Swithland sidings during a January 30 photographic charter on the Great Central Railway, following its appearance at the line’s winter steam gala the weekend before – see News, pages 10 and 11. ROBERT FALCONER 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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Rich dividends reap a just reward T HE ‘Broadway Effect’ – which saw passenger levels on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway soar by an astounding 42.5% following the opening of its northern extension to the fabled yellowstone tourist honeypot – has deservedly brought the Heritage Railway Association’s Annual Awards (Large Groups) to the Cotswold line. Since Broadway station opened on Good Friday last year, both the line’s officials, tourist chiefs and local traders and shopkeepers – have been astonished by the public response and soaring influx of visitors into the town, which vastly exceeded all expectations. The trains carried more than 144,000 passengers – compared with 101,000 in 2018 – sending records tumbling in a domino effect. Not only was the impact brilliant for the heritage line, but phenomenal for the town’s economy, too. Furthermore, tickets sold at the booking offices and online, soared by 49% to slightly more than 125,300. Surely there is now a robust business case for public assistance to help the railway extend into the former halt at Cheltenham High Street? Imagine the immense commercial benefits for all sides – Broadway visitors taken into the heart of Cheltenham town centre and its shops, and vice versa. Here, there is a veritable treasure chest just waiting to be unlocked. Then, what about the long-mooted northern extension to Honeybourne, where the station on the Oxford to Birmingham line has already been prepared, and there appears to be no major engineering difficulties along the rest of the road apart from overbridge maintenance? Yes, the flat Vale of Evesham does not offer anything like the best scenery on the former GWR Stratford-upon-Avon to Cheltenham

route, but a main line connection would make Broadway eminently ‘do-able’ for day trips by steam from London or elsewhere. What would traders make of an extra 4-500 visitors pouring into their town, at any time of the year? And if Stratford, the original goal of the revivalists four decades ago, is ever reached, ‘gold mine’ would be an understatement. The huge success of the Broadway extension has again showed the world just what heritage railways can achieve for the greater good, far beyond the enthusiast sector. Its results should now boost widespread support, including that of local councils and grant-funding bodies for the push into towns and tourist centres by other heritage lines. The Llangollen Railway’s building of its new Corwen Central station will again reap dividends for all concerned, and if any reader can help in any way, now is the chance to get on board with the next ‘big one.’ I was similarly delighted by the presentation of the Annual Awards (Small Groups) to the Helston Railway, for its marvellous re-creation of the original GWR pagoda building at Truthall Halt. Cornwall is a county steeped in history at every twist and turn, and while they might have been forgiven for settling for a modern functional ‘bus shelter’ at their first reopened station, the revivalists have excelled to re-create a part of local heritage and add to the Duchy’s legacy. At 14 miles, the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway is now established as a big player, but Helston has demonstrated that small can also be beautiful, too! Robin Jones Editor

“...there is a veritable treasure chest just waiting to be unlocked.”

Heritagerailway.co.uk 3

CONTENTS ISSUE 251

February 15, 2019 – March 14, 2019

News

Headline News

■ Soaraway Broadway success makes

Glos Warks best in Britain ■ Great Central Railway saves and buys Class 50 No. 50017 Royal Oak ■ Mayflower sparkles in unique double-header with British India Line ■ New company to restore Toddington’s ‘forgotten’ Standard 4MT ■ West Coast announces new steam trips to Stratford this summer

News

■ Great Central Railway winter steam

gala blows away the blues

■ Met No. 1 to haul final District line

steam specials in central London ■ New-build Standard 3MT No. 82045 moves on to SVR metals for completion at Bridgnorth Works ■ Welshpool gains £95,000 grant for enhanced visitor facilities ■ West Somerset sells Large Prairie to Dart Valley to help cut liabilities ■ Class 92 named in honour of the late Sir William McAlpine ■ Three guests and double-headers lined up for SVR spring steam gala ■ Flying Scotsman to visit Swanage

Main Line News

■ Tornado’s February 9 trip cancelled,

but now all set for future tours ■ Council rejects Cameron’s museum plans for A4 and K4 on appeal ■ Clun Castle test run to ‘springboard’ Vintage Trains’ tour programme

With Full Regulator

Don Benn describes the performance of No. 44871 on two main line runs in December 2018 and May 2010

4 Heritagerailway.co.uk

CONTENTS: ‘Black Five’ No. 45212 returned to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway on January 15 after tyre turning at Toton depot. Hauling West Coast Railways’ support coach Mk.2 BFK No. 35508, the train is seen crossing the River Don in Sheffield. The interesting composition includes the locomotive’s exhaust, blue sky, weir, birds and foliage – and most notably, the Grade 2 listed Norfolk Bridge, a road crossing built in 1856 for the Duke of Norfolk. ALAN WEAVER COVER: LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower and SR Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35018 British India Line storm past Salterwath at 50mph on the climb to Shap summit with the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’ on February 2. BRIAN SHARPE

Regulars

Features

Subscribe Today Centre

54 Main Line Itinerary

Railwayana

Platform

Up & Running

Steam and heritage diesel railtours

Geoff Courtney’s regular column Where your views matter most

Guide to the railways running in the autumn

The Month Ahead

Designated charter network capacity

In the latest in our series examining the issues of operating special trains on the main line with heritage rolling stock, Andy Castledine looks at what the future is likely to hold for pathing – and the processes and implications required in planning. He also shares the view of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s Graeme Bunker-James on the matter.

LNER B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower pilots SR Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35018 British India Line with the ‘Winter Cumbrian Mountain Express’

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70 74

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See page 30 Life in the booking office

In the latest in our Volunteers Blog series, which charts life at the sharp end on our heritage railways from the perspective of an individual, Adam Carpenter shares his experiences of volunteering as a booking clerk and porter at the Epping Ongar Railway on the popular Essex line.

Great steam engineers of the Nineteenth Century part four: The 1850s

In the 1850s, rail companies grew bigger. Brian Sharpe outlines how the locomotive superintendents of the emerging rail firms faced different challenges, but many stayed in their roles for considerable periods.

A 1967 camping coach holiday

In words and photographs, Trevor Gregg vividly recalls his 1967 camping coach holiday at Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, that included visits to Lostock Hall, Wigan Springs Branch, Crewe South and Birkenhead sheds.

The plan to re-create a D16/1

Following the ground-breaking purchase of an appropriate pair of bogies at a key plank in the project, as we reported in our last issue, the Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society has just launched a nationwide appeal for £100,000 towards its project to build a replica of Britain’s first main line diesel locomotive service in regular service – D16/1 LMS 10000. Robin Whitlock looks back at the history of this much-lamented and sadly extinct pioneer class and the rapidly-progressing project to build a new one in order to fill a major gap in the UK’s heritage fleet.

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HEADLINE NEWS

The award-winning Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway 4-6-2 Whillan Beck in Caledonian Railway blue livery. HRA

Somerset & Dorset Railway Trust-owned Peckett 0-4-0ST Kilmersdon arrives at the Helston Railway’s Truthall Halt. HR

Soaraway Broadway success makes Glos Warks best in Britain

By Robin Jones

REMARKABLE figures which showed that passenger numbers on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway rose by 42.5% in the wake of the Good Friday opening of the northern extension to Broadway have brought the coveted Heritage Railway Association’s Annual Award (Large Groups) 2019 to the Cotswold Line. The figures rose from 101,000 in 2017 to more than 144,000 last year, making it the line’s best season, with booking office ticket sales rising by 49%. Commercial director Colin Fewell said: “This success is astonishing and it has exceeded all of our expectations – we thought we might see a 20% increase in passenger numbers this year. “Almost every aspect of the railway’s operation has seen significant growth – whether ordinary operating days or special events. “Opening Broadway station was a very special occasion and it has changed the dynamics of the railway. All booking offices have seen big increases in sales but before

Broadway, less than a third of were sold at Cheltenham Racecourse. Now its 35%, accounting for some 40,000 tickets sold compared with 26,000 last year. We often see the first train out of Cheltenham filled to capacity as people head to Broadway for the day. “Anecdotally, those running shops, pubs, restaurants and tea shops in this delightful village tell us the railway has made a noticeable difference to their takings. “It’s clear that the railway is bringing people to Broadway rather than them using cars and struggling to find a parking space.” For the new season, which begins on March 9, the new pay-and-display car park at Broadway station will be open, and those travelling will get part of their parking cost discounted with purchase of a train ticket.

HRA award winners

Proud railway officials were presented with the award at the HRA’s annual awards dinner at the Burlington Hotel outside Birmingham’s New Street station on Saturday, February 9. The Annual Award (Large Groups) was won by the Helston Railway for its

re-creation of the original Trustall Halt. The Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award was won by the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway for its Train from Spain project, the importation and restoration of 1929-built Krauss 4-6-2 No. 8457 and its relaunch its traffic and renaming on May 5 as Whillan Beck. The Morgan Award for Outstanding Achievement was carried off by the Seaton Tramway for its new £3 million state-of-the-art Seaton four-platform terminus, which provides a contemporary, all-year round facility, cafe and gift shop, and an interpretation centre, highlighting the story of the line. The HRA award for the Outstanding Large Visitor Attraction went to the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, while that for the Outstanding Small Visitor Attraction was won by the Isle of Man’s Douglas horse trams. Matthew Wilson, from the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, carried off the Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award, which is presented to a person under the age of 26, for significant achievement. The Carriage and Wagon Awards (Carriages) was won by the

Downpatrick & County Down Railway for the Holywood Railmotor. Belfast & County Down Railway carriage No. 72 was converted from a steam railmotor built in 1905, and around the time of the First World War, later having the steam motor bogie removed so it could run as an auto coach, and later converted again to locomotive-hauled stock. The carriage has run for the first time since the 1950s following a 10-year restoration, and carried its first passengers on September 8-9 last year.

Excellence

The Merseyside Tramway Preservation Society came first in the Carriage and Wagon Awards (Self Propelled) category for Liverpool tram No. 245. Carriage and Wagon Awards (Wagons) also went to the Chasewater Railway for its GWR Toad brakevan and Ffestiniog Railway for FR ‘Sentry-box’ brakevan No. 3. The most prestigious honour of all (see also HR 250) – the Peter Manisty Award for Excellence, for an exceptional and outstanding contribution to railway preservation

Above: The Ffestiniog Railway’s ‘Sentry-box’ brakevan No. 3. The Downpatrick & County Down Railway’s restored Belfast & County Down Railway carriage No. 72, known as the Holywood Railmotor, back in traffic after nearly 70 years. BCDR

6 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Left: He’s a winner: Matthew Wilson, of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, is Britain’s young volunteer of the year. HRA Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

Great Central buys and saves Class 50 No. 50017 By Robin Jones

Ivatt 2-62-T No. 41298 in steam at Havenstreet on the Isle of Wight Steam Railway, which won the award for Outstanding Large Visitor Attraction. HRA – was presented to the NER 1903 Electric Autocar Trust for the restoration to running order of petrolelectric autocar No. 3170. The citation read: “For the restoration of the pioneering 1903 NER autocar, the first railway vehicle to combine an internal combustion engine with a generator and traction motors, and thus the forerunner of all modern trains.” The railcar also won the Mortons Media (Rail Express) Modern Traction Award. A HRA spokesman added: “This was viewed by many as an impossible engineering project, yet a combination of new-build,

up- cycled components from NIR trains, HSTs, 08s and many more has kept the design of the ‘new’ bit true to the original design concept.” The Mortons Media (Heritage Railway) Interpretation Award was won by the Statfold Barn Railway for its Grain Store, an outstanding museum of international narrow gauge railways and a repository of information and artefacts relating to the Hunslet Engine Company. The Railway Magazine Annual Award for Services to Railway Preservation went to John Bate for more than 65 years of unbroken and unstinting service to the Talyllyn Railway.

➜ The general public has the chance to be among the first to ride in the autocar during a series of reinauguration specials at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway on April 17-18. Prices for the specials are £15 (adults), £14 (concessions), £7.50 (children) or £40 (family), and can be booked at https://tickets.tygit.com/ tickets Visitors on these days will receive a complimentary bottle of special Pioneer Ale; a gift pack, including certificate of attendance; and will hear an introductory speech from the NER Autocar Trust chairman, Stephen Middleton, who founded the project.

New Broadway footbridge taking shape at fast pace EXCLUSIVE

By Ian Crowder PROGRESS at the award-winning Broadway station has just taken a big leap forward... at least visually. Platform 2 at the station, which remains out of use to passengers this year, has not only been cleared of the

The new Down platform (platform 1) stringers for the footbridge in place on a very wet January 30. The station canopy will be extended to reach the entrance to the steps, which will enable passengers to cross the line entirely under cover. JO ROESEN

signalling and communications equipment stored on the platform, but the basic structure for the footbridge has been installed. The steelwork for the steps – which, like the station canopy is of authentic all-riveted construction – has been installed following its completion at Toddington. The steelwork, designed and manufactured by the GW/R, has also been galvanised, which should prevent the kind of deterioration that affected the structure which originated from Henley-in-Arden – of which the span has been reused but the stringers for the steps and landings are brand new. The stringers were installed on January 30. Over the ‘close season’ the cafe has been prepared in the main Broadway station building. It should be up and running for the first trains which restart on March 1, with much additional cosmetic work. In the longer term, the new platform 2 building will be constructed. Meanwhile, considerable work has been done in linking up the former Aller Junction frame in the new signalbox on platform 2, and a barrow crossing it has being installed to enable access to platform 2 for those less able to manage the steps of the footbridge. ➜ Blue King No. 6023 King Edward I will visit the GW/R for four months – picture, pages 30-31.

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

THE Great Central Railway has bought Class 50 No. 50017 Royal Oak from Boden Rail. The sale of the ‘Hoover’ – minus its main line running safety systems – was completed on February 1, finally ending fears it could be used as a spares’ donor locomotive for Boden Rail’s No. 50050 Fearless, or even scrapped for parts. As we closed for press, GCR officials were arranging transport for the ‘50’ to be brought by road from Boden Rail Engineering’s new Nottingham Eastcroft site to where it moved from Washwood Heath, in Birmingham. One of a class of 50 diesel locomotives designed to haul express passenger trains at 100 mph, the 50s were built by English Electric at the Vulcan Foundry in Newton-le-Willows between 1967/68. They were first used on express passenger trains on the then nonelectrified, section of the West Coast Main Line between Crewe and Glasgow, but were redeployed on the Western Region to replace diesel hydraulics. No. 50017 (D417) was outshopped in April 1968, and worked its last train in September 1991. It was withdrawn the same month because of main generator damage, becoming the 41st member of the class to be taken out of traffic.

Diesel gala star?

Following withdrawal, No. 50017 was restored to working order by Project Defiance volunteers on the West Somerset Railway, before being placed with VSOE at Crewe. It was later moved to Tyseley Locomotive Works and then taken to the Plym Valley Railway, where further major work was carried out, including an extensive external restoration. No. 50017 was bought by Neil Boden in 2014 and relocated to the former Alstom facility at Washwood Heath. Last October, both it and No. 50050 joined nine fellow class members at the Severn Valley Railway’s Class 50 Jubilee gala. Boden Rail bought 1964-built Class 37 No. 37240 (D6940) from the Llangollen Diesel Group late last year (HR 249) and will run it on the main line with No. 50050. It was understood No. 50017 may go straight into traffic on Britain’s only double-track heritage main line, and speculation was mounting it may appear as a major attraction in the April 13-14 spring diesel gala, in which East Lancashire Railway-based Class 14 D9537, which has been on hire to the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, has been booked as special guest. Heritagerailway.co.uk 7

NEWS

Above: No. 46521 passes through Quorn & Woodhouse with the vans destined for Loughborough. KENNY FELSTEAD Right: No. 73156 passes Kinchley Lane with the 12pm from Loughborough on the Sunday. NICK GILLIAM

Arctic blasts cannot halt GC gala action! By Robin Jones

THE Great Central Railway’s winter steam gala has for many years built up an enviable reputation for being the ‘first big event’ of the heritage calendar. The sector traditionally follows the example set by nature and goes to sleep in the weeks following the festive season, giving a breathing

space for locomotive, stock and infrastructure maintenance to be carried out. However, the sight of a fleet of locomotives in steam on a doubletrack heritage main line is guaranteed to blow away those winter blues. This year, the January 25-27 event saw nine engines in steam, the star guest being GWR 4-6-0 No. 7802

Is an Austerity 0-6-0ST really about to head a TPO run? In reality, No. 68067 is only on station pilot duties at Loughborough. KENNY FELSTEAD

10 Heritagerailway.co.uk

Bradley Manor from the Severn Valley Railway. In steam from the home fleet were ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45305, 8F No. 48624, BR Standard 2MT 2-6-0 No. 78018, WR 4-6-0 No. 6990 Witherslack Hall, LMS ‘Jinty’ 0-6-0T No. 47408, BR Standard 9F 2-10-0 No. 92214 Leicester City, BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73156, LMS 2MT 2-6-0

No. 46521 and Hudswell, Clarke Austerity 0-6-0ST No. 68067. More than 3000 visitors attended, although the numbers were slightly down on last year’s events, possibly because of the Arctic blast from noon on the Sunday, although the weather held for the gala days before, and maybe only having one guest engine was a factor in fewer visitors.

No. 92214 Leicester City leaves Loughborough with the 10.30am to Leicester North on January 27. NICK GILLIAM Find us on www.facebook.com/heritagerailway

Defying the icy blasts, Bradley Manor and Witherslack Hall make a spirited departure from Loughborough on Sunday, January 27. ROBERT FALCONER

Apart from passenger trains, the TPO set, box van set and mixed freight were run throughout the weekend. Double headers included the Manor and Hall and the ‘Black Five’ and BR Standard 5MT. Among the visitors was a party of 17 who had flown in to Luton Airport from Poland. They were led by Howard and Trevor Jones, who run the Wolsztyn Experience steam driving course. From the airport, a quick run up to Loughborough via East Midlands Trains made a day trip for them possible! All scheduled services ran, with any delays described as “pretty minor” by Great Central CEO, Richard Patching. He added: “This was achieved on the Sunday in the face of certain adverse operational issues which made it a rather trying day, especially in the extreme cold. Without everyone’s hard work, commitment and most importantly professionalism the railway would not have been able to operate the full published timetable.” Bradley Manor stayed on to take part in a Western Loco Weekend on February 2-3, along with Witherslack Hall and No. 92214.

‘Black Five’ No. 45305 heads the TPO set at the moment of mail bag collection at Quorn & Woodhouse on January 27. Two mail bags also dropped off and were caught in the lower netting. RODNEY TOWERS

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

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NEWS

Simon Marsh appointed KESR chairman – 50 years after ﬁrst role as a volunteer By Geoff Courtney RETIRED civil servant Simon Marsh has been appointed chairman of the Kent & East Sussex Railway (KESR) , nearly 50 years after he started volunteering in the railway’s souvenir shop. The 61-year-old, who lives in Sandwich with his wife Sandra, a priest, has had an interest in railways since his earliest days. “I am told that as a baby I reacted to passing trains from my pushchair – I think it must be in the blood,” he said. He began volunteering in the railway’s shop at the age of 12, and in the ensuing five decades has helped to construct and maintain signalling installations, worked on the permanent way and on the railway’s Wealden Pullman dining train, undertaken vegetation clearance, and helped to maintain the 10½-mile line’s telegraph pole route. He has also fulfilled a number of backroom functions and been a guard on freight and passenger trains, signalman and operations controller. In his first interview since becoming chairman, Simon told Heritage Railway of the importance of volunteers to the railway, which runs from Tenterden to Bodiam: “We currently have a surprisingly large number of really good young people. We could always do with more, for after all they are our future. “Perhaps we should be better at getting across the message that volunteering on the railway is not

Simon Marsh, the newly appointed chairman of the Kent & East Sussex Railway, at Tenterden station in the company of the railway’s former SR USA class 0-6-0T No. 30070, now carrying the identity of another member of the class, Longmoor Military Railway No. 300 Major General Frank S. Ross. PAUL WOODMAN only fun, but also develops life and technical skills as well as the opportunity to take responsibility. “Maintaining the enthusiasm of the hundreds of unpaid enthusiasts who keep the railway running is a key task. “We must ensure that everyone feels they are valued and a part of the KESR family. Among other things, this requires good two-way communication, quality training where appropriate, and providing opportunities to do things that wouldn’t be possible in the day job.” The railway, he said, had a huge range of ways that enabled people of all ages, preferences and abilities to

be involved: “Volunteers can commit to several days a year or several days a week. It’s all about the people, working together and maintaining the unique friendliness of our railway and the passion of all who are involved.” Simon, whose son Jonathan is a volunteer driver on the railway, emphasised the need to analyse, plan, and “to think outside the box”, adding that a priority was to develop a vision and strategy that would allow the railway to flourish in an increasingly challenging environment. “It is tough for all of us in the heritage railway world.

“Visitor expectations increase every year, and we are subject to a lot more regulation that we used to be,” he explained. “Together, these mean we must be even more professional in the way we go about our business. We are a business – we currently attract nearly 100,000 visitors and turn over more that £2 million per year.” Simon succeeds Ian Legg, who remains a KESR trustee. One subject that will doubtless occupy much of the new chairman’s thinking is the proposal to link the KESR with its neighbour, the Rother Valley Railway (RVR), a privately funded £4½ million project that would create a 14-mile heritage line linked to the national network. There is currently a two-mile gap across fields between the eastern end of the RVR at Northbridge Street and the western extremity of the KESR at Austen’s Bridge, but the two farming families who own the land over which the gap would be bridged are fiercely opposed to the scheme. An application for a Transport & Works Act Order that would enable the link to be built has been submitted by the RVR to the Government, and much of the infrastructure at the RVR’s base in Robertsbridge, beside the Charing Cross-Hasting main line, is already in place, including a five-coach platform and a link to the main line. Currently however, there is deadlock between the railway and the two families.

Tributes paid to LGCB founder and career railwayman Jack Turner THE Locomotive Club of Great Britain (LGCB) is in mourning following the death of its founder member Jack Turner at the age of 86. Jack, who was member No.1, passed away in a care home on December 27. Chairman Bob Breakwell, said: “From the formation of the club in Aylesbury in 1949 until his unfortunate stroke in 2015, from which he never fully recovered, Jack kept up a full involvement with both the main club and his local branch in Bedford. “During this period of almost 70 years, Jack undertook a variety of roles for the club, culminating in his

12 Heritagerailway.co.uk

appointment as club president. He saw and made a major contribution to the LCGB growing from a small, essentially trainspotting organisation to a major national society, famous for its steam railtours in the 1960s, and since then for its comprehensive and often unusual overseas tours, which continue to this day.” Jack had an autobiography published – From Nationalisation to Privatisation, My Life on British Railway – about his life as a career railwayman. Starting as a goods clerk, he moved to the footplate as a cleaner at Bletchley and then a fireman at the ‘Wessie’ shed at Aylesbury. He then

progressed into signalling, firstly on the Marston Vale line and then the Midland Main Line. Relief stationmaster came next, before a BR reorganisation moved him again, this time in charge of Motor Rail at Kensington Olympia. “He swore that it was not him on duty when the cars got swapped over resulting in bewildered passengers arriving at Newhaven whilst their cars arrived at Dover and vice versa!” recalled Bob. His final posting was as chief operating inspector of the Euston Division. Jack retired in early-1993 after more than 46 years of service. He was married to Pat, who sadly

predeceased him. They lived in the country for many years, bringing up their two children, before moving two miles into their retirement bungalow in Wootton, near Bedford. During this time Pat and Jack worked tirelessly for Toc H, helping within the community to ease the burdens of others. Through this Jack and Pat made many friends around the world. Bob said: “Jack is a great loss to the LCGB and the railway fraternity and will be fondly remembered by both railway professionals and enthusiasts alike. Our thoughts go to his daughter Jane, son Peter and their families.”

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Last steam trip tops bill in District line 150 celebrations By Robin Jones THE last steam-hauled passenger rides through the central section of London Underground will be run as part of a series of events to celebrate the District line’s 150th anniversary. The modernisation of signalling on the Hammersmith & City, District, Circle and Metropolitan lines means this will be the last time a steam train will be able to travel through the section beneath the heart of the city. The train – run by Transport for London in conjunction with London Transport Museum – will be headed by Metropolitan Railway E class 0-4-4T No. 1, as per similar events over the past few years, with the Chesham set of wooden-bodies coaches hired from the Bluebell Railway. Fares and availability had yet to be announced as we closed for press Metropolitan Railway Jubilee coach No. 353, which later ran on the Weston, Clevedon & Portishead Railway, and former District coach No. 100, from the Kent & East Sussex Railway, will be added to the rake. Nobody is certain about the exact origin of No. 100. Its body was found at Dymchurch in 1976, where it was in use as a storage shed, and it was

Services to the London Olympics at Wembley in 1948 are advertised outside this view of the entrance to Westminster station. TFL thought to have been moved there from Ashford in 1902. The restored body was mounted on a cut-down PMV underframe and ran for the first time in August 1980. At the rear of the train will be Metropolitan-Vickers Bo-Bo electric No. 12 Sarah Siddons, which is currently undergoing an extensive service at Eastleigh involving the fitting of four new axles bought from South Africa. The District line, the second oldest on the network, has 60 stations – more than any other Underground line, and more than 220 million journeys take place on the line annually.

It initially consisted of five stations and opened on December 24, 1868. The first phase was built using the cutand-cover method. Workers would dig a trench, build a tunnel, and then cover it over again. Around 2000 workers were employed to dig the tunnel and 200 horses were used to move the soil. In 1869, the service was extended westward to West Brompton, and in 1870, eastwards to Blackfriars. Within 40 years of opening, it was running services to Ealing, Hounslow, Putney, East Ham, and New Cross, and for a short time, there were even District line trains to Windsor and Southend-on-Sea.

The original District Railway trains could fit more than 400 people per train, but today, a District line train can carry more than 1000 people during rush hour with the help of the new S-stock trains, which currently operate with seven cars. Tours of Acton Town station and an open weekend at London Transport Museum’s depot in Acton will take place in April. As previously reported, the Covent Garden museum is also trying to raise £200,000 to restore a rare part of the District line’s heritage – the last three surviving 1930s Q-stock Underground carriages, which were in service from 1938 until to the late-1960s.

Fry’s Chocolate engine for Easter A LOCOMOTIVE which was rediscovered in a garden shed a decade ago will make its heritage-era debut in steam at the Avon Valley Railway over the weekend of April 19-22. Sentinel 0-4-0T No. 7492 of 1928 spent most of its working life on the internal railway at the Fry’s chocolate factory in Somerdale, near Keynsham, a mile away. It was withdrawn from service in 1964, and over the years changed hands several times. In 2009, railway volunteer Eric Miles tracked it down in 2009 to a garden shed in Essex, before bringing it to Bitton the following year. Since then, a group of volunteers has worked tirelessly to restore the Sentinel to running order. During the ‘Chocolate Train’ event from Good Friday to Easter Monday there will be displays of historic Fry’s memorabilia. There will be free Fry’s chocolate available for every child, plus a chocolate-themed trail around

the Bitton station site. Mark Simmons, the railway’s commercial and business manager, said: “We are thrilled to see the restoration work on the Sentinel nearing completion. “It’s been a real labour of love for Eric and his team over the last decade and we’re so much looking forward to seeing such an important part of our local railway heritage brought back to life.” Normal train fares apply and more details can be found at the railway’s website www.avonvalleyrailway.org The event is aiming to raise funds for the restoration of resident Robert Stephenson & Hawthorns 0-6-0T No. 7151, and up to six locomotives will run during an industrial mixed traffic gala on Saturday, March 16. Hudswell, Clarke 0-4-0ST No. 1742 Millom will be visiting from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre. Also rostered are Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST WD132 Sapper, Barclay 0-4-0DM WD

Alan Ward’s painting of Sentinel No. 7492 in operation outside the Fry’s Somerdale chocolate factory. COURTEST AVR No. 70043 Grumpy, Barclay 0-4-0DM No. 426 Kingswood, Ruston Hornsby 0-6-0DH No. 429 River Annan and BR Class 08 0-6-0DE No. 08202. A special timetable will be in operation with slightly enhanced fares. ‘Driver for a fiver’ will be on offer, while brakevan rides and footplate

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

rides must be pre-booked. In a separate development, the AVR has bought Manning Wardle 0-6-0ST Littleton No.5 from a private owner. A veteran of the Cannock Chase coalfield, the former Littleton Colliery locomotive has been stored at Bitton for many years pending restoration. Heritagerailway.co.uk 13

NEWS

Bridgnorth’s resident Class 08 D3585 shunted 3MT No. 82045 into the shed yard on January 26. PAUL APPLETON

Allelys Installations Ltd brought specialist equipment to move the 3MT from its isolated length of track onto the cattle dock siding on January 23. GARETH EVANS

New-build Standard 3MT moves on to SVR metals

By Gareth Evans

SEVERN Valley Railway-based new-build BR 3MT No 82045 took a major step forward on January 23 when it was lowered onto the running line at Bridgnorth and, in the days that followed, it made its first moves – albeit as an 0-6-0 – as part of a shunt into the locomotive shed from its hitherto outdoor home. It was November 2008 when the two main frame plates for No. 82045 arrived on site at Bridgnorth and were erected in two support stands on the concrete base opposite the boiler shop near the old café. In the intervening period, work has proceeded on the construction of the chassis, culminating in fitting the driving wheels last April. Since then, the locomotive continued to reside

on the concrete base on an isolated length of track. All that changed on January 23 when Allelys Installations Ltd arrived to raise No. 82045 a few inches off its track and traverse it sideways to lower it down on to the adjacent cattle dock siding. Three days later, No. 82045 was shunted through the station and into the yard by Bridgnorth’s resident Class 08 shunter D3586 (08471). Entry into the erecting shop beckons. The project’s publicity officer Chris Proudfoot said: “We’re hoping to steam the engine in 2021. Stanier Mogul No. 2968 will be finished in the boiler shop first. Then we’ll be next – ours will be done alongside No. 4150’s boiler. Both locomotives’ boilers are essentially the same – 82000s designed to have WR route availability,

Toddington faces bridge dilemma THE award-wining Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has discovered that one of its bridges is in need of significant repair. The bridge carries the B4632 road over the line on the ‘skew’, near Stanton, between Toddington and Broadway. The road now has a three-ton vehicle weight limit imposed following an independent inspection and a detailed examination by specialist consultants. This showed that there has been considerable deterioration of the deck by water ingress, which may have been caused by third-party work to access services that cross the bridge. G/WR chairman Richard Johnson said: “This is an unwelcome situation to find ourselves in and we are exploring the degree of responsibility that the railway may

14 Heritagerailway.co.uk

have for necessary remedial work. “On the positive side, this comes when the railway is in a strong financial position, although any funds we need to spend on this is money we can’t spend elsewhere. “It is better that the bridge is sorted out now and we do have a lot of experience with restoration of similar steel span bridges – albeit those carrying the railway over a road rather than the other way round. “We will want to see that the job is done to the highest possible standards, regardless of responsibility. That, in turn, will future-proof the bridge for the next century. “Given the age of the bridge, it is a testament to early 20th century engineering that it has carried weights far in excess of those envisaged when it was designed.”

so BR adapted the GW No. 2 boiler. “The SVR’s job is to assemble the kit of parts we have for the boiler. The South Devon Railway built the firebox components and the tubeplates are ready, having been drilled. Only the foundation ring is needed, which is on order – plus tubes and stays of course. “The boiler barrel is ready too, having been rolled by Barnshaws. The tubes don’t have to be fitted until the locomotive is within sight of steaming or else the clock starts ticking on its certificate.” Chris added: “The pony trucks are well underway. Parts for the rear truck have been ordered in tandem with those for Bluebell Railway-based No. 84030. Other costly items are the motion parts – which are on order from Arthur Stephenson Engineers

Ltd of Atherton, Greater Manchester, a highly reputable firm.” The next stage is to temporarily mount the side tanks on the locomotive. They were received from the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways’ Boston Lodge Works last autumn and have been stored since. Having been successfully tested for leaks, they are to receive a base coast of green paint on top of the primer. The balance pipe will then be fitted. The cab and bunker are complete and already on the locomotive. Chris concluded: “I’m looking forward to the opportunity to recreate a Talerddig bank double-header with a Manor 4-6-0 up Eardington bank – that will be a sight to behold!” ➜ To support the project, visit www. 82045.org.uk or call 01928 787255.

The Sherwood Forester in surprise Fort William run By Cedric Johns THE late Bert Hitchen’s ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 45231 The Sherwood Forester has at last given the green light for its main line comeback since joining the Jeremy Hosking fleet based at Crewe. Since the 4-6-0 left Carnforth for Crewe 18 months ago, the engine was transferred to Southall, where it underwent an annual inspection and then returned to Crewe for more maintenance, including a retube. Prior to that, the 5MT was rumoured to be sent on loan to the Severn Valley Railway. Last autumn, it was booked to head a charter for Arriva Trains Wales, but in the event both commitments were cancelled. Suddenly, without a public announcement, The Sherwood Forester was signed off for main line work and was booked to work a

private ‘Hosking’ charter from Crewe to Fort William via a guest pick-up at Moss End. Departing Crewe on Friday, February 15, the charter was scheduled to make a two-day stay in the Highlands before returning south on the Sunday. The two-way trip will add to the engine’s working mileage and demonstrate its steaming abilities to those who select motive power for Saphos Trains, and maybe other charters. When Bert completed the task of rebuilding a half-assembled engine at Loughborough, he brought it to Ropley and applied the finished touches before booking a main line proving run. Routed from Alton to Fratton and return, the ‘Black Five’ gained its ticket and worked a significant number of ‘Cathedrals Express’ trips for Steam Dreams.

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