News

EXCLUSIVE: By Geoff Courtney THE unmarked grave of an express steam train driver who lost his life saving his passengers from a potential major catastrophe may receive a headstone recording his heroism, following research by Heritage Railway. Wallace ‘Wally’ Oakes died from burns a week after being enveloped in flames and smoke on the footplate…

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THE recently-extended Gwili Railway has held a passing-out ceremony for its youngest female fireman. Nineteen-year-old Jemma Samantha Laurence first visited the Gwili Railway in September 2016 and became a volunteer soon afterwards. She enjoys working on all aspects of the railway, starting with events and guard duties before commencing her training as a fireman in…

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50 years ago, the last regular expresses hauled by pre-Nationalisation express steam engines ended; the LMS Jubilee’s last regular turns being on the Settle & Carlisle line. It was 13 years before the line saw the return of a Jubilee… but 50 years on from the withdrawal of the last three of the class, this…

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By Roger Melton AN ONLINE appeal to raised money to repair vandalism to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s world-famous LNER teak trains raised £42,000 from the public inside a fortnight. As Heritage Railway closed for press, more cash for the appeal, boosted by the seven-coach rake’s appearance in the international hit drama series Downton Abbey,…

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By Martin Creese The annual summer gala at Threlkeld this year marked the 50th anniversary of the end of steam working at Dinorwic Quarry near Llanberis in North Wales, the second largest slate quarry in the world and in Wales, only Penrhyn being larger. Elidir Fawr contains a vast bed of slate rock that was…

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BARROW Hill roundhouse will reinforce its position as one of the unique gems of the heritage sector when it is relaunched after a £1.2 million refurbishment. Sir Peter Luff, chairman to the Board of the National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund, will visit Britain’s last remaining rail-connected steam roundhouse on Thursday, September 21,…

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AN EARLY return to action of Maunsell U class 2-6-0 No. 31806 – which is being prepared for main line test runs – has helped get the Swanage Railway’s summer steam timetable back on track. High season services were left in the hands of diesel traction for several days after two steam locomotives collided during…

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FOLLOWING much speculation, the National Railway Museum has announced that GWR 2-8-0 No. 2818 is the third main line steam locomotive to be gifted to another organisation from the National Collection. The locomotive is to be given to Swindon Borough Council, operator of STEAM – Museum of the Great Western Railway in Swindon, which occupies…

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Although now in the middle of its busy summer season, the Railway Touring Company has taken an early opportunity to announce two extra excursions with Flying Scotsman in late autumn. The first of these, ‘The Cotswold Venturer’, departs Paddington on Saturday, October 28 heading for Worcester via the Cotswold Line and Evesham. The second train,…

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