News

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…

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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.…

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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…

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By Phil Marsh HARRY Robinson, thought to have been the oldest surviving member of London Underground’s Metropolitan Line’s steam crew, has died aged 96. He joined the Met as a cleaner at Neasden in April 1938 and drove several notable anniversary trains in his long career. The return to steam at the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre…

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THE Bury Standard 4 Group recently took delivery of the repaired boiler for its former Barry scrapyard BR Standard 4MT 2-6-4T No. 80097. The boiler has undergone a major overhaul, which comprised a complete new boiler barrel, a new lower throat plate section, new ¾ outer firebox sides, extensive copper welding to the firebox tubeplate,…

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The Bodmin & Wenford Railway’s (BWR) GWR prairie No. 5552 has been reunited with its smokebox numberplate that was lost during a 25-year period in Barry scrapyard. The 1928-built locomotive was withdrawn from Truro shed in Cornwall in 1961, and ended up at Dai Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry. It languished until 1986 when it was…

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THE Rother Valley Railway welcomed local MP Huw Merriman to Robertsbridge station in August to hear about progress on its plans to link the line to the Kent & East Sussex Railway. The Conservative MP for Bexhill and Battle also officially opened the first building construction at Robertsbridge, in the form of new heritage washroom…

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The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust have announced plans for a new multi-million-pound main line-connected base in Darlington, ending months of talks and speculation. The trust aims to move into the four-track Whessoe Road engine shed, which was built in 1861 by the Stockton & Darlington Railway, and which in 1825 became the world’s first public…

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By Geoff Courtney The world of railway preservation has paid tribute to Roland Kennington, who died on September 17, after a career in engineering that included nearly two decades working with No. 4472 Flying Scotsman during its ownership by firstly Sir William McAlpine and then Tony Marchington. Roland, who was 80 and leaves wife Chris,…

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THE return of the Severn Valley Railway’s popular autumn steam gala got off to a flying start – with the announcement that the heritage line had scooped a major local tourist award. The railway was named Best Visitor Attraction 2017 in the Visit Worcestershire Awards for Excellence, which aims to highlight the best tourism businesses…

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