News

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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TREADING in the footsteps of royalty, TV historian Dan Snow opened the new quarter-mile extension to Hampshire’s Exbury Gardens Railway on April 11. The 12¼in gauge line, opened in 2001 as an added attraction alongside the award-winning gardens, has welcomed many famous guests including the Queen, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall…

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THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway has received a £22,800 grant towards a project to create an African train. During its heritage era, the railway has regularly looked beyond our shores for locomotives and rolling stock, because it is built to the comparatively rare gauge of 2ft 6in. One source of rolling stock was Sierra…

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STEAM returned with a vengeance to the sunny south to mark the 50th anniversary of its passing on the region’s main line – as the Swanage Railway held its most successful gala ever. The March 31-April 2 Strictly Bulleid event not only starred the largest number of working Bulleid Pacific locomotives since the summer of…

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