Letters

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway was the focus of Michael Learmouth’s letter in Platform, issue 223, highlighting the effect late running on heritage lines can have on individuals travelling by public transport. It may surprise you to hear I agree with every word of his email. I also apologise for his long wait following his…

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HAVING read the comments about Flying Scotsman in recent issues of Heritage Railway I feel it is about time someone spoke up for the loco in its present form – numbered 60103, double chimney, proper green not LNER undercoat, and yes – with the German deflectors. I reach my 70th birthday in 2017 and the…

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In issue 222, I loved Geoff Silcock’s Last Beasts of Man, Graig Merthyr – vintage railway heritage, great stuff. An ex miner told me in or around 1980 that he and his mates were struggling to mine anthracite from a vein only 18in deep in the final few weeks at Graig Merthyr, so it really…

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The article by Geoff Courtney in last month’s issue of Heritage Railway on the continuing and controversial restoration of former NSW Government Railways C38 class No. 3801, provided a stark contrast to our recent experience at Glenbrook Vintage Railway near Auckland, New Zealand. We have recently taken delivery of not one, but two new boilers…

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I enjoyed reading the article on the humble 4F in issue 217 and especially liked the picture of No. 44405 displaying the W1 ‘target’ as one of the works shunters in 1966. This took me right back to a visit to Crewe Works on November 8, 1964 with the Locomotive Club of Great Britain, hauled…

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You invited comment on a possible new-build of The Great Bear.  An intriguing proposition;  this was GJ Churchward’s experiment based on his view of probable future requirements for more powerful express locomotives. As a departure from traditional GWR motive power design it didn’t do too badly. The main drawback was a seeming lack of availability…

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I was so pleased to learn (issue 21) that my late friend Diana Clementson had been honoured by the refurbishment and renaming of dining car No. 4779 Diana on the Churnet Valley Railway. Di and I had been good friends since we first met in the 1970s, and had many railway adventures together, including some…

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Referring to Phillip Crossland’s letter, (platform, issue 215) and Mark Rand’s comments in issue 214 concerning the Settle and Carlisle Railway, it seems that most people are more than well aware that Dr Richard Beeching’s 60-year-old view of the future of railways in Britain was extremely short on foresight as motorways and, even more so,…

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I WAS sad to read of the passing of Ray Towell in issue 214. Former National Railway Museum operations manager Ray Towell (second from right) with former BR drivers on the footplate of City of Truro at Swindon in 2004. TED ABEAR I and my retired railway colleagues first met Ray in September 2004 at…

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One of the motor coaches from the EPB Preservation Group’s unit No. 7105 under restoration at Eastleigh. BOB BAINES It was with sadness that I read of the notice to leave given by the East Kent Railway to the EPB Group. Electric units deserve their place on the preservation scene every bit as much as…

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