News

ONE of the three Great Central Robinson 8K (LNER O4) 2-8-0s surviving in Australia has been cosmetically restored to its First World War condition. A sister to No. 63601 which returned to steam on the Great Central Railway in 2000, Railway Operating Division No. 2004 in February 1919 became the 350th ROD locomotive to go…

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THE Llangollen Railway has been boosted by £59,000 of subscriptions to its share offer The Big Push, which aims to finance the completion of a terminus station at Corwen. As highlighted in HR 228, the share issue, launched in early April, is attempting to raise £370,000 in £1 shares. During June, the volunteer workforce at…

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THE Great Central Railway has launched an appeal to raise another £100,000 to fund its bridge over the Midland Main Line at Loughborough after the discovery of unexpected problems below ground. Contractors have begun work to drive concrete piles that will support the abutments into the ground. However, the piling machine has encountered water, which…

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THE ground-breaking visit of GWR steam railmotor No. 93 to the Chinnor & Princes Risborough Railway has been postponed due to gauging issues on the main line. The Great Western Society’s Didcot-based No. 93 and its trailer, No. 92, were scheduled to visit between June 29 and July 16, with the first of the dates…

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A SPECIAL train ran over the Severn Valley Railway to mark 10 years to the day since double freak floods decimated the northern part of the line. The special train on Monday, June 19, used carriages from one of the UK’s most luxurious trains, the ‘Belmond Northern Belle’, which is stabled overnight on the heritage…

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THE Locomotive Conservation and Learning Trust, which is seeking to restore 1889-built NER J21 0-6-0 No. 65033 to steam over the line it used to work, has been awarded £954,900 by the Heritage Lottery Fund, it was announced on June 19. The award will also be used to develop a heritage and interpretation centre within…

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No other main line in Britain went from steam to modern traction overnight. Don Benn recounts the incredible locomotive performances recorded on the Waterloo – Bournemouth line in the days leading up to the sudden end of Southern steam. Monday, June 12, 1967 was the first day of the final timetable for steam and I…

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This year sees a number of significant anniversaries being celebrated. Brian Sharpe recounts the story of one of Britain’s heritage lines which has now been running trains for 40 years. The Nene Valley Railway has its origins in the boom in new preserved steam railway schemes in the 1960s but in this case the line…

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FIVE heritage railways and a unique museum have been awarded the coveted Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service. The awards, which recognise excellence in voluntary activities by community groups – and are considered their equivalent of an MBE, the Queen’s Award for Export Achievement or the Queen’s Award for Technology – were announced by Buckingham Palace…

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After eight years working trains to most parts of the country, 101mph A1 4-6-2 No. 60163 Tornado finally notched up a ‘first’ on May 29 when the 4-6-2 crossed the Royal Albert Bridge and entered Cornwall. Heading UK Railtours’ ‘Cornishman’, the A1 had departed Paddington with 420 tons on, travelling via Reading, the Berks &…

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