Sam Hewitt

AN ENGINEER accused of failing to properly inspect a steam locomotive which suffered a blow-out on the Beer Heights Light Railway, injuring the trainee driver, has been cleared. Andrew Lake was badly burned after being showered in hot cinders and boiling water while driving the 1999-built 0-4-2T Samastipur when its ashbox blew out on July…

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By Geoff Courtney THE sound of new trains that will carry members of the public for the first time have echoed through the century-old tunnels of a closed railway that ran beneath the streets of central London for 76 years. Photographs released exclusively to Heritage Railway show a train on test on November 16, preparing…

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Preservation powerhouse Julian Birley has announced the final choice of the route of the planned green and brownfield extension of the Bala Lake Railway into the heart of the town. Instead of using the former trackbed of the long-closed GWR route to Blaenau Ffestiniog, and building a new bridge to cross the River Dee, it…

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By Phil Marsh THE demolition of Wolverton Works – the world’s oldest, longest continually open standard gauge railway works – was sanctioned at a Milton Keynes Council planning meeting on November 17. The council’s development control committee approved the controversial outline planning application of the property developer and owners of the Works, St Modwen’s. There…

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By Paul Appleton GWR 0-6-0PT No. 7714 has made its first loaded test runs at the Severn Valley Railway and is set to make its public debut during the line’s busy festive season. Having just missed out on the SVR’s Season Finale gala – where it was due to star alongside fellow returnee 0-6-0ST No.…

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THE South Devon Railway has won the Heritage Railway Association Interpretation Award – bringing to 10 the total honours won by the Buckfastleigh line in 2016. The award, sponsored by Heritage Railway magazine, is to be presented to the railway for the completion of a new – yet authentic – GWR country station at Totnes…

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THE Swanage Railway is in talks with Train Operating Companies about running its debut services to Wareham, which are due to start in June 2017. However, concerns have been expressed with the delayed delivery of two heritage DMU sets, currently being overhauled and upgraded at Eastleigh, and financed with the aid of a £1.47 million…

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