News

By Niall Hammond AMBITIOUS plans to conserve and promote the route of the Stockton & Darlington Railway – the world’s first modern locomotive-powered line – in the lead up to major celebrations for its 200th anniversary are now taking shape. A partnership of the three local authorities, the Tees Valley Combined Authority, the National Railway…

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EXCLUSIVE: By Geoff Courtney A claim by an Australian syndicate that it had bought a “certain English locomotive” – widely believed to have referred to preserved No. 60010 Dominion of Canada – has been exposed as a hoax, after a ‘true or false’ mystery worthy of an Agatha Christie novel. The locomotive was donated by…

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VALE of Rheidol Railway 2-6-2T No. 7 is to make a comeback by pulling the line’s first train of the new season after a 20-year restoration. The 1923-built locomotive (pictured), which has previously carried the name Owain Glyndwr, will return to revenue-earning service on February 16 following restoration by the line’s craftsmen and apprentices. Trains…

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In the first of a new series examining the issues of operating special trains on the main line with heritage rolling stock, Andy Castledine examines the effects of forthcoming legislation into the heritage sector – this time on passenger carriages. It may seem premature to be thinking of the forthcoming year when we’ve only just…

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Peter Wright and John Peat of the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust outline the story behind new-build No. 61673 Spirit of Sandringham, reflecting on the past as well as the future of the LNER-designed 4-6-0. Established in 2011 as an organisation with charitable trust status, the B17 Steam Locomotive Trust is building a full-size working example…

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THE eagerly awaited return of Jubilee No. 45596 Bahamas to main line action remains on course – despite some unexpected delays to its commissioning process. In addition to confirming plans for its flagship for the first quarter of 2019, owning group the Bahamas Locomotive Society, has also revealed that further requests for the year ahead…

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Gareth Evans talks to volunteers of the Mid-Hants Railway-based Urie Locomotive Society and learns about the group’s two S15s: Nos. 506, which is set to return to action in the coming months and 499, which is currently being restored to original condition. As in the wider world of work, some people in the heritage railway…

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EXCLUSIVE By Geoff Courtney THE railway nameplate collector who in November paid a world-record £64,500 for a plate from No. 60103 Flying Scotsman, has revealed that it may be donated to the National Railway Museum on his passing. While he expressed a wish to remain anonymous, the collector, who lives in California, outlined to Heritage…

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THE Buckinghamshire Railway Centre received an early Christmas present when WR 4-6-0 No. 6989 Wightwick Hall became the 150th locomotive rescued from Barry scrapyard to be returned to steam. The fruits of a restoration project which has taken nearly 41 years of hard graft by volunteers, saw No. 6989 pass its formal in-frames steam test,…

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