News

By Hugh Dougherty A newly-formed community action group has vowed to save Ayr Station Hotel from increasingly likely demolition. The hotel, built in 1885, to a French renaissance style by the Glasgow & South Western Railway, has lain unused and deteriorating since its Malaysian owner, Eng Huat, closed it in 2010. Vegetation is growing out…

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Southerner up north: Southern Railway Schools class No. 926 Repton has been enjoying its first winter services for a number of years, following its return to steam on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway last summer after a three-year overhaul. The Richard Maunsell-designed 4-4-0, seen here on February 12 storming into the railway’s Goathland station at…

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HAMPSHIRE’S Hayling Railway has two reasons to celebrate this year. Operator the East Hayling Light Railway Society is marking 30 years since it was founded, while 2018 is also the 30th birthday of its steam-outline diesel locomotive Jack. The 2ft gauge line project grew from the ashes of an abortive 1980s scheme to rebuild part…

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HOLIDAY accommodation firm Railholiday in St Germans, Cornwall, will be celebrating the completion of their latest carriage restoration by holding an open day on Friday, March 16. The newest addition to the Railholiday portfolio is a GWR brake third from 1896, complete with ducket windows and lots of original features. Three years in the works,…

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The Gigantic Locomotive Association has launched a public appeal for £5000 to build a replica Bassett-Lowke 15in Gauge Class 60 Pacific locomotive, which once ran on the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway. The Class 60 was a development from the earlier Class 10, 20 and 30 Atlantics built by the company. Bassett-Lowke built one Class 60,…

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THE boiler of GWR 56XX 0-6-2T No. 6695 has been moved to Bill Parker’s flour Mill workshops at Bream in the Forest of Dean for overhaul. Work to remove the foundation ring and wasted steel plate from the firebox outer wrapper began immediately. The overhaul will include any necessary repairs to the foundation ring, replacement…

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The official launch of the Ravenglass & Eskdale Railway’s Krauss Pacific ‘Train From Spain’ will take place on Saturday, May 5. At the launch, the 1929-built locomotive, No. 8457, will be named Whillan Beck. The launch will mark the start of a special three-day Welcoming Whillan Beck event running over the bank holiday weekend. Extra…

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THE world’s fastest-growing standard gauge new-build project has appointed Daniela Filová as its new assistant mechanical engineer. Daniela, who comes from the Czech Republic, has relocated to Darlington to be part of the team building Britain’s most powerful steam locomotive, P2 2-8-2 No. 2007 Prince of Wales. She has a background in intellectual property and…

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DETAILS of one of the first stages of the National Railway Museum’s redevelopment were unveiled on February 14, in the form of the blueprint for the creation of a £5 million interactive engineering gallery – Wonderlab. Making the announcement during the 2018 Year of Engineering and hot on the heels of Tim Peake’s spacecraft arriving…

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By Hugh Dougherty County Donegal Railway Restoration Limited has appointed Donna Maskery as its new museum manager at Donegal Railway Heritage Centre in Donegal Town. Donna replaces Ann Temple who has retired from the centre after 15 years in charge. Married mother-of-two Donna comes from Copany outside Donegal Town and is a graduate of Harper…

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