News

By Geoff Courtney A FIERCELY fought campaign by enthusiasts and preservationists to prevent the auction of many of the assets of one of Australia’s leading railway museums ended in failure when the sale went ahead on August 2. The controversial auction, which included two British-built steam locomotives, took place against a heated background of protests,…

Continue reading »

TRESPASSERS caused delays to main line services when A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado headed a special charity train to Walton-on-the-Naze to mark the 150th anniversary of the railway arriving in the resort. Once the main tour from Liverpool Street had arrived at Walton on Saturday, August 12, a series of five shuttles carrying around…

Continue reading »

REPATRIATED GWR 4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis Castle has been given a new coat of Brunswick green at its Didcot Railway Centre home in readiness for the high-profile visit of A3 Pacific No. 60103 Flying Scotsman on August 26-28. The seventh of the first lot of 10 Castles built in 1923-4, No. 4079 was completed at…

Continue reading »

EXCLUSIVE: By Geoff Courtney THE unmarked grave of an express steam train driver who lost his life saving his passengers from a potential major catastrophe may receive a headstone recording his heroism, following research by Heritage Railway. Wallace ‘Wally’ Oakes died from burns a week after being enveloped in flames and smoke on the footplate…

Continue reading »

THE recently-extended Gwili Railway has held a passing-out ceremony for its youngest female fireman. Nineteen-year-old Jemma Samantha Laurence first visited the Gwili Railway in September 2016 and became a volunteer soon afterwards. She enjoys working on all aspects of the railway, starting with events and guard duties before commencing her training as a fireman in…

Continue reading »

50 years ago, the last regular expresses hauled by pre-Nationalisation express steam engines ended; the LMS Jubilee’s last regular turns being on the Settle & Carlisle line. It was 13 years before the line saw the return of a Jubilee… but 50 years on from the withdrawal of the last three of the class, this…

Continue reading »

By Roger Melton AN ONLINE appeal to raised money to repair vandalism to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s world-famous LNER teak trains raised £42,000 from the public inside a fortnight. As Heritage Railway closed for press, more cash for the appeal, boosted by the seven-coach rake’s appearance in the international hit drama series Downton Abbey,…

Continue reading »

By Martin Creese The annual summer gala at Threlkeld this year marked the 50th anniversary of the end of steam working at Dinorwic Quarry near Llanberis in North Wales, the second largest slate quarry in the world and in Wales, only Penrhyn being larger. Elidir Fawr contains a vast bed of slate rock that was…

Continue reading »

BARROW Hill roundhouse will reinforce its position as one of the unique gems of the heritage sector when it is relaunched after a £1.2 million refurbishment. Sir Peter Luff, chairman to the Board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund, will visit Britain’s last remaining rail-connected steam roundhouse on Thursday, September 21,…

Continue reading »