Sam Hewitt

The Gigantic Locomotive Association has launched a public appeal for £5000 to build a replica Bassett-Lowke 15in Gauge Class 60 Pacific locomotive, which once ran on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. The Class 60 was a development from the earlier Class 10, 20 and 30 Atlantics built by the company. Bassett-Lowke built one Class 60,…

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THE boiler of GWR 56XX 0-6-2T No. 6695 has been moved to Bill Parker’s flour Mill workshops at Bream in the Forest of Dean for overhaul. Work to remove the foundation ring and wasted steel plate from the firebox outer wrapper began immediately. The overhaul will include any necessary repairs to the foundation ring, replacement…

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The official launch of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’s Krauss Pacific ‘Train From Spain’ will take place on Saturday, May 5. At the launch, the 1929-built locomotive, No. 8457, will be named Whillan Beck. The launch will mark the start of a special three-day Welcoming Whillan Beck event running over the bank holiday weekend. Extra…

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THE world’s fastest-growing standard gauge new-build project has appointed Daniela Filová as its new assistant mechanical engineer. Daniela, who comes from the Czech Republic, has relocated to Darlington to be part of the team building Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive, P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. She has a background in intellectual property and…

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DETAILS of one of the first stages of the National Railway Museum’s redevelopment were unveiled on February 14, in the form of the blueprint for the creation of a £5 million interactive engineering gallery – Wonderlab. Making the announcement during the 2018 Year of Engineering and hot on the heels of Tim Peake’s spacecraft arriving…

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By Hugh Dougherty County Donegal Railway Restoration Limited has appointed Donna Maskery as its new museum manager at Donegal Railway Heritage Centre in Donegal Town. Donna replaces Ann Temple who has retired from the centre after 15 years in charge. Married mother-of-two Donna comes from Copany outside Donegal Town and is a graduate of Harper…

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IN a sector that was long regarded an exclusively male-oriented domain, three ladies have been appointed to top jobs. In a move that had been widely anticipated for several months, Judith McNicol has been confirmed as the permanent director of the National Railway Museum, one of the top jobs in world railway heritage and becomes…

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PLANS to extend the Bala Lake Railway into the heart of the town have begun. In February, the removal of the very toxic brown asbestos cladding on the disused industrial building on the site of the new station began. Once it was removed, the main demolition of the ‘eyesore’ building started. Fundraising is progressing with…

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THE tender from WR 4-6-0 No. 6984 Owsden Hall has been taken to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre to be paired with fellow ex-Barry hulk and sister No. 6989 Wightwick Hall, in anticipation of a possible steaming this year. The 6989 Wightwick Hall Restoration Group said that its locomotive, which was built at Swindon in 1948…

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By Geoff Courtney CLOSER links between British narrow gauge preservationists and their counterparts in Russia are set to be forged in April, when a small delegation from the former Eastern Bloc country visits the UK. Sergei Dorozhkov and Dmitrii Kalinovskii, two narrow gauge enthusiasts and specialists from one of Russia’ s leading railway museums, will…

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