Sam Hewitt

In just two months Weardale Railway supporters raised £54,000 to buy a DMU from the Bodmin & Wenford Railway. The Derby, 1960-built Class 108 unit will allow the heritage line to carry twice as many passengers, as it extends back into Bishop Auckland after an absence of several years. The DMU can accommodate 120 people,…

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By Geoff Courtney One of Russia’s leading narrow gauge railway specialists has urged even closer cooperation between enthusiasts in his country and Britain after a fact-finding visit to the UK which he described as “exciting and helpful.” During his visit in early April, Sergei Dorozhkov visited Bressingham Steam Museum, Southwold Railway Trust and the London…

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THE Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways has scooped £454,500 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to keep traditional skills alive for future generations. Part of the Lottery’s Skills for the Future scheme, the money will fund an ambitious programme which is now seeking to recruit 20 trainees over a two-year period. Under the scheme, the railway…

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By Phil Marsh THE controversial demolition of Wolverton Works is to be challenged in the High Court. On April 4, Historic England announced that its application for a Judicial Review challenging Milton Keynes Council’s decision to grant planning permission to property developer and owner St Modwen had been granted. The hearing is set for May…

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VANDALS who attack historic sites like heritage railways could face prison sentences of up to four year under tough new sentencing guidelines for judges and magistrates. For the first time the Sentencing Council for England and Wales has specifically said “arson or criminal damage to national heritage assets” should be seen as an aggravating factor…

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By Geoff Courtney When the fire of Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Class 27 No. 1300 was lit for the very first time 122 years ago, Queen Victoria still had five years of her long reign remaining, the Prime Minister was the Marquess of Salisbury and the world’s first mass production car, the Ford Model T,…

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By Phil Marsh Friday the 13th proved to be a lucky day for Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway when it ran its first train into the new platform at Princes Risborough in April. Following the major track lift and relocation overnight on March 10/11, as highlighted last month, the CPRR infrastructure team bolted together the…

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THE builder of the 81st Grange, the Betton Grange Society, has secured a hire agreement that will see a genuine GWR tender paired with its locomotive for use on heritage railways from 2019. No. 6880 Betton Grange, which incorporates the boiler from former Barry 10 Modified Hall No. 7972 Willington Hall, and components from other…

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THE Heritage Shunters Trust has launched a £15,000 appeal to bring back a Class 04 shunter from Italy. A supporter has already agreed to fund the purchase price of the locomotive, D2289, but extra money is now needed for transport costs. Isle of Sheppey company Shipbreaking (Queenborough) exported around 15 redundant Class 03, 04, 06…

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A NEW project is seeking help from local communities as it compiles a new history of the Midland Railway main line between Derby and Manchester. The first phase of the Derwent & Wye Valley Railway Trust project has just received £10,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund for the Tracking Our Heritage project. The money will…

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