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including EXTRA STEAM NEWS
REALTIME TRAINS THE WEBSITE EVERYONE’S TALKING ABOUT - WE SHOW YOU HOW TO USE IT
GCR MISSES OUT ON MUSEUM CASH BUT GOOD NEWS ON BRIDGE PASSENGER TRAIN TRAVEL DOUBLES IN 20 YEARS
CLASS 68: FIRST ACTION SHOT RAIL HOLIDAYS ■ CORNWALL ■ LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY ■ COAL TRAINS
Features 16 Real Time Rail Times
For Practice & Performance, John Heaton meets the creator of the Realtime Trains website and looks at what it provides and how it benefits enthusiasts.
22 British Freight Today
In the first of a new series looking at the changing face of rail freight, Paul Shannon puts the coal and biomass operations under the spotlight.
RIGHT TIME: Livetrainrunningtimes-p16
4 • The Railway Magazine • June 2014
30 The Duchy in a Day
48 A ‘Great’ Railway Indeed
Gareth David explains how to travel over all the main and branch lines in Cornwall in the space of a day.
There were plans, well before the Grouping, for the Great Northern, Great Eastern and Great Central railways to merge. Peter Bateman tells the story.
42 A Willing Little Workhorse
65 Railtour Guide 2014
FREIGHT FOCUS: Moving coal and biomass - p22
DAY TRIPPER: Cornwall in a day - p30
Launching a boiler appeal, Chris Proudfoot details the major advances with the project to build a new BR Standard 3MT 2-6-2T, No. 82045.
In our bi-annual railtour guide, there’s some great ideas for rail-based holidays in Britain, Europe and the rest of the world.
Contents
June 2014. No. 1,359. Vol 160. A journal of record since 1897
Headline News
Class 50 on freight. See p8.
On the cover
MAIN IMAGE: Smeared with limescale deposits in true mid-’60s style, 9F No. 92214 is seen from the footplate of a passing loco on the Great Central Railway on May 11. NICK BRODRICK INSET 1: Class 68 No. 68004 working its first revenue earning train - see main picture left. JOHN WHITEHOUSE
Govia wins lucrativeThameslink, Southern & GN franchise; New trains for GN suburban and Gatwick Express; Derby celebrates 175 years of train building; Gresley’s grandsons launch frame cutting for P2; GCR collision investigated;‘Castle’5043 smashes 50-year-old record; Council shelvesWest Somerset sale.
Track Record The Railway Magazine’s monthly news digest 94 Traction Portfolio 96 Freight 97 Network
Renewals taken back in-house by Network Rail; Cambrian reopens to Harlech; Borders Rail construction anniversary.
99 Railtours
MoD rejects charity charter; New gauging idea mooted.
102 Classic Traction
Class 50 and‘Deltic’star at Swanage gala;‘Daisy’to make Llangollen DMU debut; Rare outing for Dean Forest ED. ‘Terriers’ double-head at Isle of Wight. See p78.
76 Steam & Heritage
£500,000 bridge contract awarded by G-WR;‘Patriot’ outside cylinder cast; Authentic tender for Stirling Single. Above: The first working of a Class 68 on a freight service took place on May 28 when No. 68004 Rapid worked ballast train 6Z76 from Crewe to Willesden Euroterminal. The new loco worked with No. 47805 and 66426 and was removed at Rugby with the 47 in readiness for a return working from Daventry. The ensemble is seen passing Hanch, near Lichfield. JOHN WHITEHOUSE
The Railway Magazine’s audited circulation of 37,853 copies per month makes it by far the
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86 Steam Portfolio 88 Traction & Stock
More Class 68s delivered; First Class 387 built; Cold weather tests for Class 700Thameslink EMU.
93 Traction Update
Scrapped, sold, renumbered, repainted? Full details here.
107 Narrow Gauge
Leighton Buzzard buys a‘Feldbahn’; LappaValley jobs assurance; Bala Lake extension and museum plan.
110 World
Political instability affects Egyptian Railways; Closure threat for rural French lines; Russia tests hybrid loco.
112 Metro
Final bow for Metrolink T68 trams; May 31 start for Edinburgh trams.
113 Operations
News from the train and freight operating companies.
Regulars
28 Subscriptions Offer 34 Multiple Aspects 34 Railways in Parliament. 37 Readers’Platform 39 Timetable Changes 45 100Years Ago What The RM was reporting 20, 50 and 100 years ago.
46 Meetings
Details of railway society meetings near you.
53 Heritage Diary
A comprehensive listing of dates when heritage railways and steam centres will be open.
57 Panorama - Landscape Special Classic landscape images from the 1950s and 60s.
The last day of T68 trams on Manchester Metrolink - p112.
121 Reader Services 122 Prize Crossword and Where Is It? June 2014 • The Railway Magazine • 5
PRACTICE & PERFORMANCE
REAL TIME RAIL Lineside photography can be a frustrating pastime, as can waiting for a train on a station possessing no passenger information system. But thanks to the inventive mind of student Tom Cairns, all that is now history. John Heaton FCILT went to meet him to find out how his revolutionary Realtime Trains website works.
H
AVE you ever wanted to know when the next freight train is likely to come along, or where the delayed train you want to catch might be when the station screens are showing gibberish? Well, if you have a smartphone, tablet or computer, you can now find out. A quiet revolution has occurred. Until recently, working times for trains had almost become a state secret and sources of such information were jealously guarded. Train performance was quoted in percentage terms every four weeks, but digging any deeper was usually treated as a matter of commercial confidentiality. It seemed that the general public’s interest in knowing how its railway was running was an unwarranted irritation to the operators. It is probably fair to say that Network Rail and ATOC (the Association of Train Operating Companies) were too busy with other matters to spend time talking to amateurs who would obviously be incapable of handling the sheer complexity of their data banks. After unexpected political sources pressed for more open access data to be released, a system of licensing was granted (although many applications were initially refused) before direct Cabinet Office intervention resulted in NR capitulating and opening its files to everyone. This about-turn has resulted in working timetables being readily available on the NR website in the same way one might ask ATOC’s National Rail Enquiry System the time of the next train to London. Matters have gone even further though. The train planning database for
short-term specials and engineering alterations is also now obtainable… and even individual standard sectional running times, although access to the latter still takes some expertise and perseverance. A few individuals were in the forefront of exploiting the new opportunities. One was Southampton University M Eng student Tom Cairns who, in October 2012, launched a website known as Realtime Trains (realtimetrains.co.uk) and has developed it so quickly and with such sophistication that it is now difficult to imagine what life was like without it. If you want to know the departures from any British station, a simple enquiry delivers it. Here are just a few of the questions Realtime Trains can answer, and in a surprisingly userfriendly manner. n Working timetable information, including recovery, pathing, performance allowances and public/working differentials n Platform allocations n Predicted arrival times of late trains n Identity and punctuality of passing freight trains n Actual running of all trains for the past week n Chronological list of arrivals/departures/ passing trains at all railway locations The panel on the following page provides a basic user guide for getting started on the system for those who prefer not to learn by random button-pressing. Following an absorbing talk given by Tom
to the Railway Performance Society, The Railway Magazine arranged a meeting near his academic base. Modest, unassuming and still only 22 years of age, he gives an initial impression that he does not fully appreciate the size of the obstacles he has overcome – but dig a bit deeper and his determination soon becomes evident. He quickly realised that he would be unable to use his website development work as part of his studies because he would have to concede ownership rights to the university. He has a number of clients within the rail industry who use his data, but National Rail Enquiries is not among them. Although Tom has developed a technological fix for the ills of its customer information scheme, he says he has been offered only a “pittance” to divulge it. Presumably, NRE thought it Left: One of the greatest advantages of Realtime Trains is its ability to inform enthusiasts about the movements of freight as well as passenger services – something that in previous years has largely been a matter of chance for most linesiders. On May 3, DB Schenker No. 66092 passes Huntingdon with a Hams Hall (Birmingham) to Dollands Moor working; its revised path due to the Watford blockade would have been fully documented on the RTT website. SAM MIDDLETON
16 • The Railway Magazine • June 2014
e world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901
TIMES
The young man who has made it all possible.... student Tom Cairns. The technical and geographical knowledge he has accumulated is phenomenal. TRANSPORT REPORTS LTD.
would seem like a lot of money to a student. Tom’s mobile rings and he informs me that Reading platform 10 has just reopened after reconstruction work. He says he will thus need a new ‘offset’ time in Realtime Trains (RTT) to estimate the time from passing the signal to arrival at the platform. His database has such times for most of the
railway system, the exceptions being manually signalled areas where there is no automatic reporting. The resultant geographical and operational knowledge Tom has accumulated is phenomenal. However, his success has not come easily, for he lost a lot of his youth to ME, the chronic tiredness syndrome. He is reluctant to discuss
how it affected his school work but he recognises that publicity of his current situation might give encouragement to sufferers and their families. Our meeting coincided with the news that a rival site run by Peter Hicks and known as OpenTrainTimes, had closed down due to the amount of work involved and £100 per month costs. I felt that an assistant could surely have
East Midlands Parkway, built relatively recently south of Trent Junction, which is where the Derby, Sheffield and Nottingham lines meet on the Midland Main Line, is one of the stations featured in this article. On March 4, 2011, EMT ‘Meridian’ No. 222019 heads south with a Derby to London St Pancras. CHRIS MILNER
June 2014 • The Railway Magazine • 17
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN
A ‘GREAT’ RAILWAY INDEED
The strange story of the GNR/GCR/GER amalgamation plan Railway history is littered with events that, if taken to their conclusion, would have changed the face of the network for ever. Many never progressed beyond the idea stage, but Peter Bateman recalls evidence of a remarkable merger bid that would have pre-dated the ‘Big Four’ Grouping by more than a decade..
O
absolute control of NE day in the joint committee. 1907, the Although not general specified in the manager agreement, there of the Great Central were also plans to Railway, Sam Fay, met co-ordinate the his counterpart at the companies’ London Great Northern, suburban services with Oliver Bury, to discuss a proposal to build a the resolution of link from Pinner to outstanding disputes Edgware to connect between the two the two networks and companies. Once the enable trains of the differences had been GCR (whose terminus resolved over lunch in was Marylebone) to a Sheffield hotel, the penetrate further into conversation turned central London. to wider matters, in Both meetings particular closer approved the heads working ties between of agreement but the two companies the approval of the with a view to a Railway and Canal possible merger. Commissioners was The two men required before the agreed to raise the arrangements could topic with their be put into effect. respective boards. Twenty seven Showing just how close the merger came to taking place, the three railways got as far as amalgamating their The GNR and objections were road service departments. This GN,GC&GE delivery van was one of several so branded – and a number of station the then Manchester received – and, carts also bore the initials that so nearly adorned the tenders and tanksides of locomotives. ROBERT HUMM COLLN. Sheffield & unsurprisingly, rival Lincolnshire Railway miles of the GC while the GC had running railway companies such as the Midland and had entered into a joint working arrangement powers over 169 miles of the GN. With a the Great Eastern were among them. as early as 1858, which was laid down in an combined route mileage of 1,332, 40% of the There were also objections from the Act of Parliament. The powers granted by that total networks of the companies was thus corporations of Hull and Grimsby as well Act were due to expire in 1908, which was subject to running powers. The companies as two county councils and a number of a reason for acting quickly to renew the also shared in joint lines totalling 177 miles agricultural trade associations. Locomotive partnership further. and enjoyed identical running powers over and carriage manufacturers, fearing a loss The opening of the GCR’s London 41 miles of tracks belonging to third party of business, also objected. extension at the turn of the century had been companies. The Board of Trade, while not a formal seen by the GN as a hostile act that breached The agreement excluded joint lines such objector, had a number of key reservations the spirit of the agreement, but by 1907 both about the plan: It drew attention to the way companies had come to realise that aggressive in which the GC’s London extension – which competition for London traffic – or spending had been open for less than a decade – had 21 shillings to make 20 as a contemporary changed the commercial landscape and it commentator put it – benefited neither suggested that Parliamentary approval for that of them. The time was ripe to renew line would not have been granted if it had co-operation and the personal warmth been thought at the time that the GC and GN between Fay and Bury assisted the process. might amalgamate. The companies’ boards were initially It considered that the 999-year term of the sceptical, but the two managers were able to agreement was too long and that, although persuade them of the benefits. Heads of as the Midland & Great Northern and the the proposal stopped short of a formal merger agreement were thus drawn up and put to Great Central & Great Western. of the companies, it was a merger de facto and meetings of shareholders, both held on It was proposed that there would be a that there should therefore be a unification of December 20, 1907. joint committee consisting of 13 GN directors rates and fares. It also queried whether the Opening the meeting of GC shareholders and 12 from the GC. The chairman was to 1858 Act even granted powers for such a in Manchester, chairman Sir Alexander be Lord Allerton, chairman of the GN, with Henderson told them: “Today, we are going scheme. Henderson as deputy. Fay would be the to ask you to renew a treaty of peace that On March 2, 1908, the Commissioners existed with that company prior to our making general manager. announced their decision, which was that the the extension.” He drew their attention to the The locomotive and rolling stock fleets of proposed agreement was ultra vires (beyond fact that the GN had running powers over 326 both companies would be placed under the the power) under Section 1 of the 1858 Act.
“e locomotives of the companies were to be under joint control”
48 • The Railway Magazine • June 2014
Above: Great Northern Railway C2 class Atlantic No. 1450 storms through Hadley Wood circa 1922. All pictures: RM ARCHIVE
Right: Great Central Railway Class 8B Atlantic No. 1086 heads through the north London suburbs near Wembley in 1912.
Below: Great Eastern Railway D15 class 4-4-0 No.1830 makes a spirited start from Ipswich with a down express in 1919.
June 2014 • The Railway Magazine • 49
Narrow Gauge Track Record COMPILED BY
CLIFF THOMAS
Call: 01507 529589 email: railway@ mortons.co.uk
Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly-competitive rates are paid, especially if exclusive to The RM.
New owner, new future for Diana KERR Stuart ‘Sirdar’ class 0-4-0T 1158/1917 Diana has been moved to a private location in Hampshire after being bought by a new owner. Diana, built for stock in 1909, was finally sold in 1917 to the Kerry Tramway in Montgomeryshire. It was acquired in 1925 for the Oakley slate quarries (Blaenau Ffestiniog), and in 1945 went to the Pen-yr-Orsedd quarry (Nantlle), where it remained until the boiler was condemned in 1950. In preservation, Diana has been at various sites, including Gilfach Ddu and the Brecon Mountain Railway.
Boiler
In 1978, the locomotive was bought by Denis Davies and moved to Clydach in South Wales. In the late 1990s, considerable restoration work was done both at Denis’s home and by Alan Keef Ltd, with a new boiler built by Bartlett Engineering. As Diana approached the final stages of restoration, Denis Davies died, sadly never having seen the engine steam in preservation. Diana’s new owners, who prefer not to be identified at present, hope to complete the overhaul over the next couple of years, the aim being for it to return to steam at an established line in Wales. However, the intention is to reinstate Diana’s original appearance as closely as possible, including reverting to an original-style weather board, rather than the enclosed cab that was subsequently added. The loco’s owners are seeking photographs of Diana during its prepreservation working life. If you can help, contact Cliff Thomas via The Railway Magazine.
LBR buys a‘Feldbahn’
LEIGHTON Buzzard Railway has bought Krauss 0-8-0T ‘Feldbahn’ works number 7455. Built in 1918, it carried (or was allocated) German army No. HFB 2023, but is thought to have just missed First World War service. Post war, it worked at the Guignicourt sand pit in the Aisne department of France, and entered preservation in 1965. It was subsequently stored at the Pithiviers Railway, then St-Eutrope Railway. It was sold in 2001 and moved to the Tramway Touristique de Saint Trojan on the Ile d’Oléron, a line operated since 1963, but worked by steam-outline diesels due to fire risk. Intended conversion to gas firing never proceeded, and its sale will finance a petrol-electric
The Leighton Buzzard Railway’s newly bought Krauss 0-8-0T ‘Feldbahn’, pictured on April 22 on arrival at Froissy, being shunted from the yard into the museum building by a Billard diesel. ALAIN BLONDIN/APPEVA
locomotive project. The boiler was last inspected in 1963, and has not worked since 1965. It substantially retains its First World War condition and the acquisition,
Further trials problems for new IoM diesel-electric THE Isle of Man Railway’s £400,000 diesel-electric locomotive encountered further pre-commissioning problems in April after suffering a failure during January trials. Although it was said at the time to relate to overheating (RM March), it has now been reported by IoM Director of Public Transport Ian Longworth that this was not the case, rather that the Cummins engine had “shown distress, possibly due to manufacturing defect”. A new engine has been supplied and fitted, but in mid-April there appeared to be issues relating to the temperature at the turbo air intake. Replacement components are being supplied by Cummins. The cost of resolving the problems is being met by the
loco supplier, Motive Power and Equipment Solutions of South Carolina, USA, and its sub-contractor, Cummins Atlantic US. n The Isle of Man Railway’s ‘Rush Hour’ event expanded from the originally advertised two days into an April 18-21 four-day format. The Douglas-Port Erin steam line featured for the first two days, the Manx Electric Railway taking centre stage for the Sunday, with the focus shifting to the north of the island for the final day. A notable feature on the steam line was a ‘nautical goods train’ hauled by 2-4-0T No. 12 Hutchinson, which included a boat on one of the wagons. The new diesel (No. 21) was displayed in Douglas engine shed.
financed by members’ donations, fits well with LBR’s First World War collecting policy. An LBR spokesperson expressed the line’s gratitude to its friends from APPEVA
(Association Picarde pour la Préservation et l'Entretien des Véhicules Anciens) for their assistance in securing the locomotive. APPEVA, operators of the Froissy-Cappy-Dompierre line in Picardy, and the Leighton Buzzard Railway share a First World War-era heritage, and have been ‘twinned’ since 2001. Following its purchase, the ‘Feldbahn’ was moved to Froissy, to be ‘stored’ as a display in APPEVA’s museum, pending transportation to Bedfordshire. It is likely to remain at Froissy for many months. The loco is complete, having been stored under cover for most of its time in preservation, but needs significant work. Restoration to steam by LBR is a medium/long-term project.
New LappaValley owner gives assurance over jobs CORNWALL’S 15in-gauge Lappa Valley Railway has a new owner, writes Peter Nicholson. This railway tourist attraction – complete with associated 7¼in and 10¼ingauge lines – was put up for sale as a going concern in late 2013 (RM Jan) due to the pending retirement of the owners, the Booth family. The sale attracted considerable interest from potential buyers, and management and staff are delighted that the line has been acquired by railway enthusiast businessman Keith Southwell, who has given assurances that all jobs are safe. Although there will inevitably be some changes, the basic message is ‘business as usual’.
Mr Southwell has operated the Giant Model Railway and Railway Carriage Café on the seafront at Exmouth for many years. Claimed as being ‘probably the largest 00 gauge model railway in the world’, the present site has to be vacated and the opportunity for Mr Southwell to move on to a new venture was timely. The BR Mk. 1 (TSO No. 4039) will be moved from Exmouth to the car park at the LVR’s Benny station. Berwyn Engineering 0-6-0 No. 2 Muffin currently handles steam services on the 15ingauge Lappa Valley line; 0-6-4T No. 1 Zebedee (Severn Lamb 7434 of 1974) is being dismantled for overhaul and awaiting the return of its boiler from contract repair.
Three sites for Dean Forest industrial action in June
AFTER the big success of the first open day at Lea Bailey last September, a further open day has been arranged for June 8. The event will be spread across three sites: the Lea Bailey gold mine, Clearwell Caves and Perrygrove Railway. The September event was run in conjunction with Alan Keef Ltd and the Perrygrove Railway. Locos and rolling stock at Lea Bailey could include a visiting Clayton 1¾ ton 4wBE loco. Perrygrove is holding a diesel gala weekend, featuring the loco that used to run at Blenheim Palace (replaced by a
new Keef-built 0-6-0 steamoutline diesel – RM March). The underground incline at Clearwell will be operated with a wagon shunted from the top to the outside track by a battery loco. Further locomotives, rolling stock (including ex-colliery Manriders) and the addition of new points and track are anticipated at Lea Bailey during 2014. The LBLR has bought 150 new Douglas fir tanalised sleepers to upgrade its running line. As development of the LBLR accelerates, a Lea Bailey Light Railway Society has been formally constituted.
THE Ffestiniog Railway’s Double-Fairlie David Lloyd George has returned to steam, appearing during the May Day Bank Holiday in works grey. It is pictured at Minffordd during a trip up the FR to Blaenau Ffestiniog, with wagons carrying the cab and saddle tank from England 0-4-0ST Welsh Pony, which is partially dismantled prior to overhaul and return to operation. David Lloyd George’s overhaul has included provision of new bogies with monobloc cylinders and conversion from oil to coal burning. It last ran in June 2012. MICHAEL CHAPMAN
June 2014 • The Railway Magazine • 107
Narrow Gauge Track Record TR’s Talyllyn arrives at FR for repairs
TALYLLYN Railway’s Fletcher Jennings 0-4-2ST No. 1 Talyllyn, which suffered a major failure on April 6 (RM May), arrived at the Ffestiniog Railway’s Boston Lodge works for repair on April 22. Delivering the 2ft 3ingauge loco was achieved by loading Talyllyn on a 1ft 11½in-gauge flat wagon on a section of the Welsh Highland Railway in Porthmadog. The ensemble was hauled to Harbour station by Hunslet 2-4-0STT Linda, then across the Cob to Boston Lodge by 0-6-0DH Criccieth Castle.
‘Red Dragon’to fire up Bala Lake extension and heritage centre plan A £1MILLION project to extend the Bala Lake Railway to the town of Bala has been unveiled. Entitled the Ddraig Goch (Red Dragon) project, the proposal includes construction of a £1million heritage centre at the line’s Llanuwchllyn HQ.
Sources of funding are being explored. The concept of the line running into Bala dates back to 1969 when plans to build the new 2ft-gauge railway (which opened in August 1972) initially became public. However, it never
RH&DR name loco after late John Snell
THE Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway renamed its 1983-built Bo-Bo diesel No. 12 John Bernard Snell on May 10 during its steam and diesel gala. John Snell, RH&DR managing director from 1972/1999, died in January (obituary, RM Feb). No. 12 was previously named John Southland. The Bure Valley Railway’s ‘ZB’2-6-2 No. 7 Spitfire visited the RH&DR for the gala.
June 7 Statfold Barn Railway, invitation open day 8 Clearwell Caves, open day 8 Lea Bailey Mine, open day 8 Perrygrove Railway, diesel gala 14 Lincs Coast Light Railway, open day 14-15 Apedale VLR, mining gala 22 Chasewater Railway, coal train day July 5 Abbey Pumping Station Railway, Leicester, gala 5 Leighton Buzzard Railway, NG model fest 5-6 Evesham Vale Light Railway, steam gala 5-6 Llanberis Lake Railway, Pen-yr-Orsedd gala 5-6 Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, slate/steam/sail 8-10 Great Yorkshire Show, Harrogate, Barber on display 12 Apedale VLR, steam & industry 12-13 Amberley Museum, railway gala 13 Perrygrove Railway, vintage trains
time Bala Junction. A replica Penrhyn directors’ saloon will be constructed by David Hale in his Somerset workshop for use on the Bala Lake line. The original is in the Penrhyn Castle Industrial Railway Museum.
Pen-yr-Orsedd theme for Llanberis Lake gala
High commissioner names No.11 Fiji
STATFOLD Barn Railway’s Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 ex-Lautoka Mill No. 11 (972/1912) has been named Fiji by His Excellency Mr Solo Mara, High Commissioner for the Republic of Fiji Islands. The naming took place during a ceremony on May 2 at the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway’s Porthmadog Harbour station. Following its visit to the WHR (RM May), Fiji will return to Statfold to appear at the June 7 open day.
proved possible to overcome the numerous issues involved, and the Bala Lake Railway has remained restricted to the trackbed of the old standardgauge route between Llanuwchllyn and the present terminus, just short of the one-
BEYER Peacock Garratt 0-4-0+0-4-0 K1 (5292/1909) works Ffestiniog Railway stock back to the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway’s Porthmadog station on May 3. The train was loaned free of charge by the F&WHR for the WHHR’s May 3-5 gala after it became clear that the anticipated star, Hunslet 2-6-2T Russell, would not be ready in time (the ‘Russell Returns’ headboard prepared in expectation is being carried by K1!) Also in action at the WHHR were resident Buch LYd2 0-6-0DM No. 60 Eryri (23389/1977) and on-hire Andrew Barclay 0-6-0T Gertrude. MICHAEL CHAPMAN
LLANBERIS Lake Railway’s July 5-6 steam gala will have a Pen-yr-Orsedd theme. Hunslet 0-4-0ST Britomart will visit from the Ffestiniog Railway, joining fellow ex-Pen-yr-Orsedd slate quarry Hunslet 0-4-0ST Una, from the nearby National Slate Museum, on the LLR line. Following work on its braking systems, Una should appear working passenger trains solo. Una may once have handled passenger services on its own many years ago, and has appeared double-heading passenger trains during previous special occasions, but this will be a novel occurence in recent times.
Resident Hunslet 0-4-0STs Elidir (back in service following a rapid winter 10-year overhaul) and Dolbadarn will also be in action. Additional attractions will include steam-hauled slate trains and demonstrations of the Vivian quarry incline at Gilfach Ddu in full-working mode, with hand shunting of wagons. The LLR’s Hunslet 0-4-0ST Thomas Bach is withdrawn in need of a new boiler, likely to be ordered this summer. Winter work at Gilfach Ddu included rebuilding the platform face and the addition of a picnic patio on the platform outside the café.
Railworld puts ex-Matheran locomotive on the market FORMER Matheran Light Railway 0-6-0T No. 740 (O&K 2343/1907) has been advertised for sale. It arrived in Britain in late 1986 after being gifted to the UK by Indian Railways. Railworld in Peterborough became its owners in 1991 and it was plinthed in the city before going to the Leighton Buzzard Railway, where it was
returned to operation. It was last steamed at a July 5, 2008 event. It returned to Peterborough in October that year with a boiler ticket valid into 2011, with Railworld then sending it to the Statfold Barn Railway for storage. The loco is now in component form and requires significant work to return it to steam. THE Amerton Railway’s Bagnall 0-4-0ST Isabel (left) and Graham Morris’ 0-4-0ST Kerr Stuart ‘Wren’ Peter Pan pictured at Beamish on April 13. The visiting locos presented a shunting display on the 2ft-gauge tracks, near the colliery area, during Beamish Museum’s April 10-13 Great North Festival of Transport. DAVE HEWITT
O&K 0-4-0WT P C Allen shows off its new livery at a sunny Page’s Park on May 4. CLIFF THOMAS
PCAllen shows its true colours LEIGHTON Buzzard Railway’s O&K 0-4-0WT P C Allen (5834/1912) was very close to returning to service at the beginning of May, following overhaul. It has been out of traffic for five years, but was steamed a
couple of times in April, and steam trials were undertaken during May. It now has a livery from its industrial days, not seen in many years, replacing the all-black carried previously in preservation.
Jurassic to be returned to steam Ashover LRS to‘relocate’to DDLR LINCOLNSHIRE Coast Light Railway Historic Vehicles Trust has launched an appeal aimed at overhauling the LCLR’s Peckett 0-6-0ST Jurassic 1008/1903. Jurassic last steamed over the original LCLR line at Humberston in the year it closed, 1985. The locomotive and stock were relocated to Skegness Water Leisure Park, where a new line opened in 2009, which
108 • The Railway Magazine • June 2014
is worked by diesels. Significant donations have already been received, but more cash is needed for what is likely to be a £30,000 overhaul, with a completion date set for 2016. The trust is looking for volunteers to help with operation of Jurassic. All proceeds from the LCLR’s June 14 open day will go to the Jurassic Fund.
THE Ashover Light Railway Society’s 1926-built ex-Spondon power station Derby 4wBE battery-electric loco Spondon arrived at the Derbyshire Dales Light Railway in April. An agreement was expected to be finalised in mid-May aimed at the ALRS relocating its equipment from a workshop in Sheffield to the DDLR at Rowsley, the terminus of the
standard-gauge Peak Rail line. The deal under discussion brings mutual benefits. The ALRS currently has equipment, but no running line, while the DDLR would receive input from ALRS volunteers and extra motive power – in addition to Spondon the ALRS owns exLiverpool Corporation Water Works Ruston & Hornsby 20DL diesel.
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