News

By Cedric Johns STANDARD class tickets sold out within hours for the mainline comeback of Jubilee 4-6-0 No. 45596 Bahamas, which is set to work a special train from Oxenhope to Carlisle on February 9. Handed over to Bob Meanley and his engineering team at Tyseley Locomotive Works for a major overhaul in November 2013,…

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A Branch Line Society railtour on November 17 raised over £20,000 in aid of the 125 Group’s £100,000 HST Depot Appeal, which will see a maintenance facility built at the Ruddington base of the Great Central Railway (North). Carrying 292 passengers, the six-car HST comprised power cars Nos. 43423 Valenta 1972-2010 and 43467. At Ruddington,…

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By Cedric Johns ENGINEERS are continuing to work on Tornado with the aim of getting the 4-6-2 cleared to head the first of a series of ‘North Briton’ excursions on February 9, taking in the Settle and Carlisle line. Working in conjunction with DB Cargo’s fitness-to-run engineers, attention is being paid to both the A1…

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Rebuilt ‘Merchant Navy’ Class 4-6-2 No. 35028 Clan Line worked the Chiltern & Downs tour on Saturday, November 24 with 13 carriages in tow. Operated by UK Railtours, the trip departed London Paddington, before stopping at Oxford Parkway and Shalford for water. The train returned to London Victoria via Redhill and East Croydon. The locomotive…

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It was smiles all round for Transport Auctions of London boss Michael Wickham and his team after his autumn sale set a record realisations total for the auction house and also raised the benchmark on prices for a number of lots, including one railway item. His take of more than £78,000 was his highest ever,…

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Wherever it goes, No. 60103 Flying Scotsman steals the limelight, and that was clearly evident at GW Railwayana’s auction at Pershore on November 17. However, the sale’s support cast didn’t roll over against the might of the LNER Pacific, instead putting on a strong show that managed to attract the attention of the packed hall.…

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Gareth Evans reports on how the heritage railway sector marked the centenary of the end of the First World War. The UK’s railway heritage sector marked the centenary of the Armistice in a variety of ways. World War One began on July 28, 1914 – the calamitous conflict ended four years, three months and 14…

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DEVON’S Tarka Valley Railway has installed veloSTRAIL level crossing panels for the foot crossing at Torrington station. The panels, installed onNovember 20, have sealed flangeways which provide an uninterrupted path over the crossing so that cycle tyres, dog paws and buggy wheels do not get stuck. The same day, 16 tons of 50/20 limestone ballast…

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THE last few stays and rivets went into the refurbished boiler that will operate with new-build GWR 4-6-0 No. 6880 Betton Grange, at Tyseley Locomotive Works in November. All three sections of the boiler were assembled in time for trial-fitting in the locomotive’s frames on December 3. It had originally been hoped that a fire…

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THE Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway has boosted its diesel fleet with the acquisition of 0-6-0DM Rachel. Built in 1959 by Guest Engineering, Rachel was originally designed for the Shillingstone Light Railway as a 10¼in gauge locomotive, but was eventually completed as a 15in gauge machine. Rachel is best known for running between 1961 to 1984…

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