Features

Always popular with British enthusiasts, the Douro Valley in Portugal has been without any working steam for some years. Lionel Price reports on the return of steam to this scenic route. Working steam has returned to the CP (Comboios de Portugal) main line system this summer with the return to service of 1925-built Henschel 2-8-4T…

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Friday, July 29 saw the passing of another piece of history on Network Rail. Martin Creese reports on the closure of the two former Great Western Railway signalboxes at Banbury. The last mechanical signalling on the former GWR and now Chiltern Trains main line from Birmingham to Marylebone; the two Banbury ‘boxes had been as…

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The 9F 2-10-0 was described as the best of BR’s Standard steam designs. Robert Anderson outlines the history of the class and relates the story of a ride on the last steam-hauled ore train to Consett. The 9F 2-10-0s have been hailed as the most successful of the 12 Standard classes of steam locomotive introduced…

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In recent years the Llangollen Railway has developed a reputation as a centre of excellence for building new steam engines. Allan George investigates how the worshops have become the centre of new locomotive construction to fill in gaps in classes which have not been preserved. Currently the Llangollen workshops have no less than four engines…

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Which are Britain’s top 10 steam engines? Brian Sharpe compares the history and performance of the 10 biggest currently working main line engines in roughly chronological order of the introduction of the class. Britain’s elite working steam locomotives are those registered to operate main line trains on the Network Rail system. In recent years, there…

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The National Coal Board railway in the Dulais Valley was unique. Geoff Silcock recounts some of the incidents that punctuated the line’s last few years, including an encounter with a then unknown journalist… Into the 1970s two NCB Austerity 0-6-0STs; Hunslet-built Norma and a Bagnall dubbed locally ‘The Flying Dutchman’ regularly lugged 200-300 tons of empties…

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Want to take the children to see Santa this year? Forget the sleigh – there is now no better way than by train! Here, Robin Jones looks at 20 of the best festive season offerings on our heritage railway portfolio. Once upon a time, long, long ago, a year or more before Tom Rolt and…

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As the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group (NELPG) celebrates 50 years since it was formed on October 28, 1966, its volunteers past and present can be proud of achievements in locomotive restoration beyond their wildest dreams. Maurice Burns takes a nostalgic look back at how it all began, the successes and the challenges of being…

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In the final part of our series marking 30 years since unique BR 8P Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester returned to steam, Ian Murray looks at the record-breaking performances of the locomotive beyond which it could have achieved under BR. The year 1986 was to prove pivotal in many ways for the No. 71000…

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A record 45,000 people flocked to the eagerly awaited September 21-26 Pacific Power event which replaced the Severn Valley Railway’s traditional autumn steam gala, to watch the world’s most famous locomotive, Flying Scotsman, top the bill in action with Britain’s newest main line steam engine Tornado. Before that, Flying Scotsman wowed the crowds during a…

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