News

More than 40 years of achievements have been officially recognised by Prince Richard, Duke of Gloucester presenting the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Award for Voluntary Service to the Swanage Railway. A first cousin to the Queen and a patron of the Severn Valley Railway, the duke visited the heritage line on Friday, June 8, accompanied by…

Continue reading »

THE Seaton Tramway has completed its new £3 million state-of-the-art terminus. The official opening of the Seaton station on June 28 marked the culmination of a 10-year project to provide a contemporary, all-year round facility, cafe and gift shop. It will allow visitors to learn about the history and operations of the 2ft 9in gauge…

Continue reading »

SATURDAY, June 9 saw the Romney, Hythe & Dymchurch Railway company and supporting association’s annual general meetings – held for the first time in many years without Sir William McAlpine as chairman. However, the 15in-gauge railway used the occasion to remember him, describing him as “perhaps the railway’s best friend”. It was in 1973 that…

Continue reading »

By Geoff Courtney THE controversial and much-delayed restoration of one of the world’s flagship streamlined steam locomotives has been hit by new problems that have led to its eagerly-awaited return to the main line being put back yet again. New South Wales Government Railways’ C38 class 4-6-2 No. 3801, built by Clyde Engineering of Sydney…

Continue reading »

By Geoff Courtney An 81-year-old steam crane that was in commercial use for nearly half a century is to be restored by Amberley Museum, the West Sussex attraction that has its own working steam railway and is home to the country’s most varied collection of different gauge locomotives. The crane, which runs on standard gauge…

Continue reading »

By Geoff Courtney A NEW exhibition set for Shildon’s Locomotion museum will be a notable double in the traditionally male-dominated world of railway art – as it’s the first time Christine Pulham will have had her own full exhibition, and it’s the first time the venue will have featured a solo artist. The show, to…

Continue reading »

THE Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway is to start running public services in and out of its new main line interchange station on Wednesday, August 15. On that day, the 100% volunteer-operated heritage line will become the nearest with a main line connection to London, just under 25 miles and 40 minutes from Marylebone. The…

Continue reading »

By Hugh Dougherty A WORKING replica of what is claimed to be the world’s first electric traction motor has gone on display at the Grampian Transport Museum. The original was used as one of four, powering Robert Davidson’s electric locomotive, Galvani, which made history by running successfully on the Edinburgh & Glasgow Railway in 1842.…

Continue reading »

By Martin Creese On June 29, 1968 the first steam open day was held at the Chasewater Railway, the railway’s roots having started years earlier with the formation of the Railway Preservation Society in 1959. The idea was to form the society into districts and each district would establish its own depot. The West Midlands…

Continue reading »

THE Dartmouth Steam Railway has celebrated the centenary of its Devon Belle observation car. Built in 1917 as an ambulance vehicle for the LNWR, it was converted in 1921 into a Pullman car with a new body. After the Second World War, it was again rebuilt, this time with an observation end for the Southern…

Continue reading »