Sam Hewitt

East Somerset founder David Shepherd: colossus of conservation

by

Sam Hewitt

–

9th November 2017

The world has been in mourning for East Somerset Railway founder David Shepherd, who died aged 86 on September 19, after losing a 10-week fight in hospital with Parkinson’s Disease. After becoming an international wildlife artist and later a leading conservationist, he also bought two steam ‘beasts’ from British Rail in 1967 and helped transform…
Continue reading »
Bring back Russell!

by

Sam Hewitt

–

9th November 2017

Eighty years ago, the old Welsh Highland Railway closed. Rebuilding the line has been a tremendous achievement, however, there is one thing missing. The iconic locomotive Russell from the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway, the only surviving locomotive of the original Welsh Highland, is barred from working on its former line to Beddgelert. In railway term,s…
Continue reading »
The day Galtee More derailed at Grantham

by

Sam Hewitt

–

9th November 2017

The reference to LNER A3 No. 60049 Galtee More in Geoff Courtney’s railwayana column in issue 232 brought back to me memories of the Pacific in about 1959, when I was a fireman at King’s Cross shed. The loco was turned on the triangle at Grantham for a run back to London, and we went…
Continue reading »
Real steam days: The cold north wind

by

Sam Hewitt

–

9th November 2017

The autumn of 1967 saw the end of steam on the Eastern Region and at the great railway centre of Crewe. BR also introduced a ban on privately-owned steam engines. Brian Sharpe recounts not only how BR’s steam operations rapidly contracted as the final curtain approached but also how many now-famous locomotives were being saved.…
Continue reading »
Glorious sunrise for P&O at its official launch

by

Sam Hewitt

–

6th November 2017

By Ian Crowder THERE were jokes a-plenty about the weather as some 500 people gathered at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s Toddington station to witness what many thought that they might never see. The joke is that on its first steaming last August, and subsequently, it always seemed to rain but no-one could complain about what…
Continue reading »
Grand home, top school and iconic mountain, in the Pershore frame

by

Sam Hewitt

–

2nd November 2017

GWR nameplates from a Saint and Bulldog, a Southern Railway offering from a Schools class 4-4-0, and a pair from across the Irish Sea, are among the headline acts in GW Railwayana’s November 18 sale at Pershore. The Saint is Tortworth Court, from No. 2955, named after the Victorian mansion home of GWR director the…
Continue reading »
Home on the Grange as £60k model shines

by

Sam Hewitt

–

2nd November 2017

A 7¼in gauge live steam model of GWR No. 6860 Aberporth Grange, featured in Heritage Railway issue 232, was the runaway success in a Dreweatts transport sale of live steam models at Newbury on September 20, with a realisation of £60,000. Built by leading modelmaker David Aitken and described by Dreweatts’ steam and model engineering…
Continue reading »
RAILWAYANA: Jubilee muscles in on GWR and LNER pricefest

by

Sam Hewitt

–

2nd November 2017

Like a lower league contender determined to mix it with higher level competition, an LMS Jubilee nameplate challenged the GWR and LNER at Great Central’s September 2 sale at Stoneleigh Park, and emerged not only with credit, but with the latter trailing in its wake. The gold medal for a £13,900 realisation went to Lydford…
Continue reading »
Group embarks on Garstang & Knot-End revival

by

Sam Hewitt

–

2nd November 2017

AN enthusiast group has been set up to rebuild part of the former Garstang & Knot-End Railway as a 2ft gauge line, in a bid to boost local tourism. The original line ran between Garstang and Knott End-on-Sea in Lancashire, and was built to provide an outlet for local farmers in the Over Wyre area.…
Continue reading »
Normal service resumes after ‘criminal bridge strike’ hits Spa Valley line again

by

Sam Hewitt

–

2nd November 2017

By Geoff Courtney THE Spa Valley Railway has returned to normal operations after one of the line’s bridges was damaged by a lorry in an incident that severed the link with the national network and infuriated exasperated officials. Their anger came to the surface after the incident in the early hours of September 15, when…
Continue reading »

Sam Hewitt

Latest Issue

Free Digital Issue

Search

Tags