Sam Hewitt

THE site for the Bala Lake Railway’s new town centre station has been cleared. The demolition of the derelict warehouse in Heol Aran marked the first physical construction work on the ground-breaking extension of the 2ft gauge railway. The cleared site, where the new Bala Town station building is to be located, has been levelled…

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THE Devon Railway Centre is to celebrate its 20th anniversary with a gala over the weekend of May 12-13. Many of the home-based locomotives will be in use on the centre’s 2ft gauge line alongside the River Exe, including Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0WT No. 5744 of 1912 Rebecca, the oldest working steam engine in Devon,…

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THE Leighton Buzzard Railway ‘s new season began on Sunday, March 4, when the mayor of Leighton-Linslade, Coun Syed Rahman flag off the first train from Page’s Park and took a ride to Stonehenge, accompanied by town crier Peter Hailes, who announced its departure. The season started two weeks earlier than usual, to coincide with…

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A STEAM locomotive type not seen running in Britain in more than half a century will be one of the stars of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways’ Hunslet 125 event. The railways will be celebrating the 125th birthdays of former Penrhyn Railway pair Linda and Blanche during the June 22-24 event, at which it…

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INSTEAD OF reaching the end of its line, this locomotive has gone way over it, when around 47 years after it was left hanging over a cliff edge, it has since entered regular service on the Bodmin & Wenford Railway following restoration. Maesteg Comprehensive schoolgirl Linda Paschali, one day in 1971, heard what she thought…

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THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway’s March 17/18 spring diesel weekend was saved from the sudden and severe winter storms and snow that comprised the second ‘Beast from the East’ to hit the UK last month. Commercial manager Leigh Gration said: “Our team of volunteers worked as one throughout the weekend and made sure we delivered a…

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THE cylinder block for new Gresley P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales is now fully funded two months earlier than schedule, and considerable progress has been made on its redesign, builder The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust has announced. In October 2017, the trust launched The Cylinder Club to raise £100,000 from 100 supporters each…

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ISLE of Wight Steam Railway chairman Stephen Oates has been appointed as chief executive officer of the Heritage Railway Association. Stephen, who has been with the IoWSR for more than 30 years, has wide commercial experience, having founded and managed a number of commercial radio stations, and served as economic development manager for Chichester District…

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THE award-winning Lynton & Barnstaple Railway is planning to raise £16.5 million to extend its running line to Blackmoor Gate and Wistlandpound Reservoir after being given the green light by the Exmoor National Park Authority. On March 6, at its meeting in Lynton Town Hall, members of the park authority voted 15-0 to give the…

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