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On July 19, 1908, a votes for women rally was held in Manchester’s Heaton Park. Present was Manchester-born Mrs Emmeline Pankhurst, the political activist who led the British suffragette movement She stopped a tram to highlight the issue, and a photograph was taken as a record of the protest. The modern-day Heaton Park Tramway Company…

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THE controversial move of the National Collection’s GWR 2-8-0 No. 2818 to Swindon’s STEAM museum was due to have taken place on Tuesday, August 21. The National Railway Museum was criticised in some quarters for gifting the 113-year-old Churchward heavy freight locomotive to the museum, after it has been on static display at the Locomotion…

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THE opening of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railways’ northern extension to the tourist honeypot of Broadway has seen passenger numbers soar by 52% at the halfway stage of the season. Figures revealed that by the end of June, nearly 72,000 passengers had travelled between Cheltenham Racecourse and the newly opened station at Broadway. That compares with…

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EXCLUSIVE By Robin Jones The second weekend of the Great Central Railway’s special gala to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of BR steam not only saw BR Britannia Pacific No. 70013 Oliver Cromwell in action hauling a ‘remake’ of the legendary ‘Fifteen Guinea Special’ – but for one train only, it carried the…

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EXCLUSIVE By Robin Jones TYSELEY Locomotive Works will be celebrating 50 years since its first open day on September 29-30 – and among the many star attractions will be two traction items from Birmingham’s legendary Sutton Miniature Railway. The 15in gauge line in Sutton Park was adored by tens of thousands of children for nearly…

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THE BATTLEFIELD Line is holding a gala in October to celebrate the 90th birthday of GWR 2-6-2T prairie No. 5542, which has been operating on the railway this season. The all-steam event on October 13-14 looks set to feature a decidedly GWR theme. Confirmed attendees so far include GWR Pannier No. 6412 and autocoach No.…

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A Danish steam locomotive at the Nene Valley Railway that has not run for more than three decades is now being returned to action by a group of primarily younger volunteers. Work to overhaul the Danish State Railways Class F 0-6-0T has resumed at Wansford shed after receiving the go-ahead from the Board. Withdrawn in…

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By Phil Marsh A LAST-ditch attempt to save the historic Wolverton Works from the bulldozer has failed. However, the future of the site is again enshrouded in uncertainty following a ‘surprise’ sudden sale. The London & Birmingham Railway opened the works on September 17, 1838 and it is likely to be under new ownership for…

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THE West Somerset Steam Railway Trust has been given a National Lottery grant of £40,000 to relaunch the Gauge Museum at Bishops Lydeard station. The grant will improve the displays in the museum, which is housed in the Brunel-designed goods shed and dates from the opening of the line in 1862. The museum contains a…

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Bagnall 0-6-2T Superb will be making a return visit to the Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway for the August 30-September 1 gala. Superb, built in 1940 for the Bowaters paper mill at Sittingbourne, and based at the Sittingbourne & Kemsley Light Railway, proved a big success on its inaugural visit to Mid Wales last year.…

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