News

GB RAILFREIGHT raised a record £125,100 for charity following a four-day nationwide charity charter train tour which included a visit to the Swanage Railway. The tour, which set out from london Victoria on September 8, marked 15 years of operations for the company. Using a mixture of the company’s Class 20s, Class 59s, Class 87s…

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The controversial restoration of one of the world’s flagship express locomotives has received a boost with the signing of a contract to repair the Pacific’s boiler, leading to a bullish forecast by a spokesman for the team working on the frequently delayed project that the engine will return to service next year. Former New South…

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THE Betton Grange Society marked the 80th anniversary of the introduction of the Collett Grange 4-6-0, when in 1936, No. 6800 Arlington Grange rolled off the Swindon production line, the first of a class of 80. The ticket-only event at the Llangollen Railway on Saturday, September 24 included a full programme of Grange activities, starting…

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Dennis Robinson started work at Lower Darwen shed (coded 24D) on December 27, 1961 as a cleaner aged 15. He carried on with footplate work and retired in December 2011 after completing a 50 year career ending up at Manchester Longsight depot as a Cross-Country Voyager driver. Within a month of retiring, he joined West…

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THE landmark reopening of the entire Swanage branch moved a step closer with the official opening of the new £500,000 Norden Gates level crossing by the High Sheriff of Dorset. During Victorian times, the family of Sir Philip Williams were among the promoters who brought the 1847-opened railway from Southampton to Dorchester via Wareham –…

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WHAT has been hailed as the world’s most successful traction of all time celebrated its 40th birthday at the National Railway Museum. On Sunday, October 2, visitors had the unique chance to see the original HST Class 43 power car in its now-restored blue/yellow livery, as it would have been seen for the first time…

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A Kent & East Sussex Railway volunteer whose early role was to prepare the line for a royal visit 34 years ago has been appointed commercial manager. André Freeman’s interest in railways started at an early age while living opposite Whitstable & Tankerton station on the Faversham-Margate route. Canterbury-born André became a KESR volunteer in…

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Steam enthusiast John Bryant must be the country’s most dedicated heritage railway volunteer. For the 62-year-old retired university lecturer is a regular fireman on the Bluebell and Kent & East Sussex railways despite the minor obstacle of living 3300 miles away in the Canadian capital Ottawa. Speaking to Heritage Railway during his latest volunteer turns…

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TORNADO builder The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust is to construct a Gresley V4 as its third all-new engine project. Work on the 2-6-2 mixed-traffic engine – Gresley’s last design before he died in 1941 – will begin in the next 12 months, long before the rapidly advancing construction of P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of…

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NOT only is The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust planning to realise its long-held dream by running A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado at 90mph on the main line in 2017, but it is also planning to build a state-of-the-art charter train to regularly run behind it. The train is to be constructed from locomotive-hauled Mk.3…

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