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Breaking News: Chasewater Winter Steam Gala Postponed - 27th/28th February 2010
From Chasewater Railway: "Due to adverse weather conditions we have had to postpone our Gala on Sat 27th-Sun 28th February 2010 which will now be held over Easter Weekend 2nd-5th April 2010 please see our website for details
We apologise for any inconvenience caused.
Planet and Tornado, with the Liverpool & Manchester Railway terminus in the background. ROBIN JONES
News: "Steaming through the mountains"
The narrow gauge Welsh Highland Railway, which in 2009 runs through the Aberglaslyn Pass, voted the most scenic view in Britain in a Nationoal Trust poll, has just scooped five national awards.
Its engineer has been awarded an OBE. It is now Britain’s longest heritage line. The purpose of narrow gauge railways is to take trains through upland regions where normal-sized railways would be too costly to build. They negotiate difficult terrain in a comparatively cheap and cost-effective manner. The bookazine is looking at classic British narrow gauge lines, telling the story of each of them. They include the Talyllyn Railway, which started the preservation movement in 1950.
The bookazine is by no means limited to Wales, although that is the location of the most famous British narrow gauge lines. To greatly broaden the appeal, we will be including English and Scottish lines, as well as the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, which was built by the British and still uses British locomotives.
• Due for release 8 March | Pre-order secure on-line today - just £7.99
Prince uses second Tornado trip to fuel climate debate
STEVE Davies’ last day as director of the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester was also his proudest, as he welcomed the Royal Train carrying Prince Charles and Camilla – and headed from Preston by none other than A1 Pacific
No 60163 Tornado.
In another moment of crowning glory for the heritage sector, around 10.15am on a very murky 4 February, the £3-million locomotive pulled into the world’s
oldest railway station, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway’s eastern terminus, which is still main line connected but now part of the museum.
Once there, Tornado came face to face with another new-build locomotive which filled a major gap in Britain’s heritage steam fleet – the replica of Liverpool & Manchester Railway 1830 2-2-0 Planet, built by the museum’s Friends group in 1992.
The locomotives represented one of the earliest main line steam engines of the 19th century, and the first of the 21st century.
The royal couple arrived by train at the start of a day-long tour on several locations in Manchester, beginning with the museum, a high-profile visit announced by Clarence House after we closed for press last month.
As they alighted from the train, they were met by schoolchildren from Birchfields Primary School in Longsight, Manchester.
It was nearly a year since the prince formally named Tornado at York station on 19 February 2009, before it made heritage railway history by hauling the Royal Train.
Now it has joined the exclusive set of steam locomotives – the only other in recent times to be LMS Princess Coronation Pacific No 6233 Duchess of Sutherland – to perform the feat twice.
Sources said that the prince so much enjoyed last year’s steamy affair, in which he had a turn on the footplate as Tornado ran on the main line, that he had ever since regularly 'nagged' his aides to arrange a repeat visit, another landmark in the fairytale story of the celebrity locomotive.
Steve, who on 8 February started in his new post as head of the National Railway Museum at York, showed Planet to the prince and gave him a guided tour of the Power Hall, which tells the story of energy production – from the water wheel through to the steam engine – and includes one of the largest collections of working steam engines in the world. The exhibits included machinery that powered cotton mills in and around Manchester, which the prince called the 'cradle' of the Industrial Revolution. He was given a demonstration of steam power by exhibitor Stephen Howe, dressed in costume as pioneer inventor James Watts.
The prince responded by delivering a speech which warned of the dangers of global warming – the same climate change that many believe is the product of such exhibits.
Speaking to an audience of local dignitaries and business leaders at the museum, the prince launched an attack on those who claim that global warming is not a man-made phenomena.
He said: "I have watched with growing dismay and alarm the glee with which the sceptics have leapt upon the recent news stories that question the science that climate change is man-made and suggesting it is nothing more than a myth.
"Well, if it is but a myth, and the global scientific community is involved in some sort of conspiracy, why is it then that around the globe, sea levels are more than six inches higher than they were 100 years ago? This isn't an opinion – it is a fact.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be in no doubt that the evidence of long-term and potentially irreversible changes to our world is utterly overwhelming.
“But to those who seek to persuade us that there is no such thing as climate change, in the face of the now overwhelming peer-reviewed scientific evidence, I would ask just one question. Are you prepared to take the risk of being wrong?” Referring to the museum exhibits, he said: “I trust we do all know that these wonderful innovations carried with them a long-term cost that nobody at the time could possibly have foreseen."
He said it was “also a fact” that carbon dioxide levels are 40 per cent higher now than they were before the Industrial Revolution and spoke of the “alarming messages'” regarding the melting of the polar ice caps. The prince’s speech was immediately viewed as a reaction to the recent and growing furore over the accuracy of scientific data on global warming that followed in the wake of a series of leaked emails, which sceptics claimed showed data being manipulated to support a theory of man-made global warming.
One of the reasons for his visit to the city was to launch a new initiative called Start to provide the public with advice on how to lead more environmentally sustainable lives.
Mark Allatt, chairman of The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, who was on board the train, said: “The Trust and all of its supporters are deeply honoured that Their Royal Highnesses The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, who named Tornado last February, chose to travel on the Royal Train to the museum, hauled by Tornado. There couldn’t be a more appropriate occasion for this honour as the prince visited the amazing collection assembled by MOSI.”
The couple later met the team of nine Greater Manchester firemen who took part in the rescue mission following the Haiti earthquake, and who rescued a
two-year-old girl called Mia who had been trapped in the rubble of a collapsed school for three days.
The pair also visited Salford Lads' Club to launch an initiative for young people – Youth United. The prince also toured the M&I Materials factory in Trafford Park to celebrate its commercial success, while Camilla met environmentally conscious children at Canon Burrows Primary School in Ashton-under-Lyne.
The couple departed on board the Royal Train – again hauled by Tornado – from Manchester Victoria at 4.30pm.
Independence day at last for Buckfastleigh… for £1
AFTER nearly two decades of going it alone, the South Devon Railway is finally master of its own destiny.
Firstly, the long-running legal formalities to complete the purchase of the freehold from former owner Dart Valley Railway plc – operator of the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam Railway – ended with its purchase for a nominal £1 in a ceremony at Buckfastleigh station on 8 February.
The purchase was made possible by the granting of a Transport & Works Order by the Secretary of State for Transport, allowing the SDR to run trains in its own right independently of Dart Valley Railway plc which held the previous operating licence for the line.
SDR Trust chairman Alan Taylor handed over a £1 coin to Dart Valley general manager Andrew Pooley in front of GWR 0-6-0PT No 1369.
Enthusiasts were horrified in 1990 when previous Dart Valley supremo Barry Cogar announced plans to sell the loss-making Buckfastleigh line and instead concentrate all resources on the more profitable Kingwear route.
In stepped the Dart Valley Railway Association and took over the branch as a charitable trust on a 25-year lease, relying almost exclusively on volunteer labour, under the auspices of former general manager Richard Elliott.
Since then, it has grown steadily from having virtually no locomotives and rolling stock to become one of the West Country’s top visitor attractions, carrying more than 100,000 passengers a year. A total of 1,543,954 visitors have travelled over the line during the 18 years of SDR Trust operations.
Ten years ago, the SDR Trust began negotiations with DVR plc to buy the freehold of the line. The sale price of £1.15-million was raised and paid over by the SDR via a combination of a share issue, loans and donations, plus operating revenues.
In 2002, the line was leased to the South Devon Railway for 199 years on condition of a new Transport & Works Order being subsequently granted. That would then release the final transfer of the freehold title for a nominal payment. The new TWO has not only provided the SDR with statutory authority to cover future development plans for extra sidings at Totnes and Buckfastleigh, plus new carriage and locomotive restoration facilities and installing a turntable, but also to regularise some of the changes carried out in Dart Valley ownership.
Specialist London-based law firm Winckworth Sherwood was brought in to manage the TWO process and the draft order went for public consultation in 2008. The order was finally made effective on 30 December 2009.
Current SDR general manager Dick Wood said: “Monday 8 February was a very special day for all of the people involved with the SDR who have worked incredibly hard in the background to complete the transfer of the line’s ownership and achieve the granting of the TWO. It is certainly one of the highlights of the railway’s 138-year history from when it was first opened in May 1872.
Ebay sells a load of rubbish!
A LOAD of rubbish has been selling on the eBay internet auction site. And the buyers will never receive their goods in the post.
Yet the Bluebell Railway stands to benefit from the sales. The listing, number 150409672911, offers high quality 1960s domestic waste for sale, with a special deal for bulk purchases.
The offer continues: “This auction is for a discounted price for a whole wheelbarrow full of domestic waste.”
The rubbish in question is more than 40 years old, and was used to infill Imberhorne Cutting after the line between Horsted Ketynes, then the heritage railway’s northern terminus, and East Grinstead had been lifted by BR.
The landfill tip is the sole remaining obstacle of the planned extension back to East Grinstead, the subject of a major fundraising drive by the line.
While the topsoil covering the tip has been removed, the re-excavation of the domestic waste has to be carried out under strict health and safety regulations. When a trial amount of the waste was taken out last year, the first item to re-emerge was an old pair of trousers, still recognisable nearly half a century after they had been made.
The eBay listing explains that the waste will be carefully removed from the tip and delivered by train to another landfill site.
But the winning bidder will receive absolutely nothing, the listing states. “Please note that this item cannot be delivered anywhere else due to government legislation, and because you probably don't have a railway siding in your garden,” it read.
As we closed for press, two loads of rubbish had been sold – for £10 each.
The main bulk of the rubbish is expected to be taken out from April onwards.
The listing invites anyone wishing to make a sizeable donation to visit http://bluebellrailwaytrust.org.uk
Four ‘Black Fives’ and two A4s for NYMR spring gala
THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s 30 April-4 May spring steam gala will see A4 Pacific No 60019 Bittern make a welcome return visit to join classmate No 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley in action.
The LNER theme will be furthered by another returning visitor, albeit one which has not been seen for many years, N2 0-6-2T No1744 in its GNR livery. It is hoped that it will be paired with the LNER Coach Associationﾁfs teak train.
Indeed, the LNERCA is hoping to organise a photo charter with this pairing – anyone interested is invited to contact the association at webmaster@lnerca.org for further details.
However, for many enthusiasts, the highlight of the event will be the visit of Ian Rileyﾁfs two ‘Black Fives’, Nos 45407 and 44871, which should be able to line up with residents No 45212 and newly overhauled No 45428 to provide a four ‘Black Fives’ line-up.
The presence of two further LMS engines on the line, ‘Super D’ 0-8-0 No 49395 and S&D 2-8-0 No 53809, will give the NYMR an opportunity to stage an all-LMS line-up for one or more days.
No 45407 is due to remain on the NYMR for an extended visit until taking up ‘Scarborough Spa Express’ and ‘Jacobite’ duties later in the summer, while No 44871 will return to Bury after the gala for completion of fitting of ERTMS equipment in preparation for working Cambrian Coast services in the summer.
Top of the page >>Product News
Mortons Acquire Classic American Magazine
Lincolnshire publishers Mortons Media Group Ltd have purchased Classic American magazine from the Trader Media Group. The magazine is the market-leading title for all things relating to classic American cars.
Mortons are one of the largest family-owned independent publishing companies in the UK with a portfolio of magazine titles of a similar size to Classic American. They are probably most famous for their classic motorcycle titles, including Classic Bike Guide, a former stable mate of Classic American when both titles were owned by Myatt-Macfarlane Publishing. Their expertise is very much in publishing specialist titles and most recently they acquired Kitchen Garden magazine, the UK’s leading title for those who grow their own produce.
Managing Director of Mortons Media Group Ltd Brian Hill commented: ‘We are delighted to be taking on Classic American. It is well placed to sit alongside our growing portfolio of specialist heritage transport titles and we have exciting plans to maintain the title at the forefront of the classic American car scene.’
Editor Ben Klemenzson will be staying with the title which will be published from Morton’s centre of operations in Horncastle. Ben commented ‘The move to Mortons can only be good news and I’m looking forward to the next successful chapter in the Classic American story with our loyal readers, subscribers and advertisers’.
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British Steam 6: Memories in Colour - Volume 2
132 pages, £7.99• Out Now
Ron White’s second selection of images completing his photographic ‘railway walk’ down memory lane with many more rare and unseen images from Britain's railway past.
■ Pre railway nationalisation colour images
■ The Somerset & Dorset Railway
■ London Transport steam
■ Named trains of the steam era
■ Narrow gauge locomotives 1950-1960
■ Steam locomotives in Ireland
■ Built for export, British locomotives abroad
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Tornado (out of print)
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