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EXCLUSIVE By Geoff Courtney The world record realisation for a railwayana auction may be under threat on September 2 when a George Cross awarded in 1965 to the driver of a Britannia Pacific for heroism is to go under the hammer. Interest in the medal is bound to be high, among not only those railwayana…

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By Geoff Courtney The UK’s newest, and one of its most innovative ever, railway restoration projects received royal approval on June 13 when Princess Anne unexpectedly rode its tracks, to the delight of everyone connected with the £26-million scheme. The princess was at the Royal Mail’s Mount Pleasant centre in Clerkenwell, near King’s Cross station,…

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THE Downs Light Railway – one of Britain’s ‘secret’ miniature lines – has held its first public open days in its 92-year history. Geoffrey Hoyland, the first headmaster of the Downs Malvern School, a preparatory school in Colwall, started a miniature railway in its grounds in 1925, with the aim of a creating not just…

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Princess Anne, who has shown a real interest in railway preservation over many years and is no stranger to heritage lines, will be unable to view the innovative Mail Rail underground attraction in central London when she visits the site on June 13 due to safety concerns. Mail Rail is part of a £26 million…

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HISTORY was made on Thursday, May 18, when not one, but two, Bulleid Merchant Navy class 4-6-2s made initial main line test runs on the national network on the same day. By pure chance, No. 35018 British India Line made its long anticipated appearance and morning departure from Carnforth on its first run since being…

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THE London & Birmingham Railway’s northern terminus of Curzon Street station is to be given a new lease of life with the arrival of the new High Speed 2 link between the two cities. The Grade I listed entrance building will become a visitor centre and education hub alongside the projected HS2 station under newly-revealed…

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LSWR Beattie 2-4-0 well tank No. 30587 is to return to the city of its birthplace for the first time in 143 years. No. 30587 was built in Manchester in 1874 and had a working life of almost 90 years, it was one of a trio retained in service in Cornwall for decades after its…

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As HAS been usual practice, Scottish Railway Preservation Society officials have taken advantage of RTC’s ‘Great Britain’ railtours to ‘borrow’ a steam locomotive enabling them to promote and run what amounts to its annual ‘Forth Circle’ trips. This year, two such trips have been flagged up to take place Sunday, May 7. Utilising the availability…

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By Cedric Johns In WHAT may turn out to be a surprise ‘cop’ for Southern enthusiasts, the Railway Touring Company has announced A4 4-6-2 No. 60009 Union of South Africa will head its ‘Swanage Belle’ on June 8. As previously reported, the ‘Belle’ was originally down for B1 4-6-0 No. 61306 Mayflower haulage but with…

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I felt deeply honoured to have been invited to join a small group of guests aboard the train that was to prove to the world whether A1 Peppercorn Pacific No. 60163 Tornado is capable at regular running at 90mph. And it was with great trepidation that I drove to Doncaster station on the late evening…

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