Sam Hewitt

By Geoff Courtney A previously untold Welsh Highland Railway story of nearly 100 years ago involving two awkward tradesmen, unused land at a remote station, and an intervention by light railway king Colonel Holman F Stephens, has been unearthed by WHR Heritage Group archivist Dick Lystor. The 1ft 11½in gauge railway opened between Portmadoc and…

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By Geoff Courtney A love of steam and railways may be considered purely a man-thing, but try telling that to Emma Safe and Christine Pulham, two artists who are proving that ladies are as capable of successfully depicting the genre as men. Both have in recent years become associate members of the prestigious Guild of…

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A FOUR-year project to re-erect a Victorian footbridge on the Caledonian Railway has been completed. Dating back to 1895, the bridge was erected by the original Caledonian Railway at Dunblane station and was the second footbridge on the site. With its attractive lattice-work and decorative piers it is an unusual survivor, particularly with its covered…

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LONDONDERRY’S mothballed Foyle Valley Railway Museum is to reopen over the summer – enthusiasts wishing to visit it before it officially reopens will be welcome as long as they make a prior booking. That’s the news from Destined, the disability charity which has taken over the museum building as its headquarters with the agreement of…

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On April 7, the Talyllyn Railway welcomed Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy for a special train trip along the line – and included in the itinerary was a stop at Hendy Halt! Sir Peter’s train consisted of one of the line’s first locomotives Dolgoch hauling a train composed of all the railway’s original carriages,…

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By Geoff Courtney The fashions of the 1940s will link up with rail travel and music from the era – plus a very special guest – as the Kent & East Sussex Railway goes back in time on May 20-21. The occasion is the railway’s annual Fabulous 40s’ gala, an event where nostalgia will rule,…

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THE Southwold Railway Trust has bought a one-acre site to develop a steam centre in the Suffolk town. The former gasworks site in Blyth Road lies near the original terminus of the legendary 3ft gauge line, and alongside the old formation. Last year, the trust obtained planning permission for a visitor centre, railway and nature…

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By Geoff Courtney Among the huge crowds that greeted Royal Scot during its recent visit to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway was a railway enthusiast whose interest ran far deeper than simply admiration for one of the country’s most iconic locomotives. For 89-year-old Keith Ware it was also an occasion that provoked pride and brought…

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