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THE Buckinghamshire Railway Centre received an early Christmas present when WR 4-6-0 No. 6989 Wightwick Hall became the 150th locomotive rescued from Barry scrapyard to be returned to steam. The fruits of a restoration project which has taken nearly 41 years of hard graft by volunteers, saw No. 6989 pass its formal in-frames steam test,…

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By Brian Sharpe SOUTHERN steam enthusiasts are in for a treat next summer, when West Coast Railways’ Carnforth-based Merchant Navy Pacific No. 35018 British India Line visits the Southern Region for the first time since its return to action. The Railway Touring Company is promoting two trips with the locomotive. The first is the‘Bournemouth Belle’…

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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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