AN UPHILL STRUGGLE

There may be trouble ahead…

WE’RE now more than 12 months into this

Okehampton to regain regular passenger trains after 50 years

A LARGE area of North Devon will regain

ScotRail follows TfW into state ownership

DOMESTIC passenger trains in Scotland will be managed

GBRf wins deal to operate Melton test centre

A view of the workshops and London Overground

Dark days ahead at Llangollen Railway as operating company calls in the receivers

THE long-running financial crisis facing the Llangollen Railway

Driver escapes serious injury in buffer stop collision at Kirkby station

THE driver of Merseyrail’s 18.35 service from Liverpool

First Class 91 locomotive is sent for scrap

WITH more than 80 Mk4 carriages already scrapped

Grain branch to reopen for commuters?

PASSENGER trains could return to the Isle of

Cambridge area resignalling plan

NETWORK Rail has opened a public consultation into

Work starts on HS2’s 2.1-mile long Colne Valley Viaduct

CONSTRUCTION of HS2’s longest viaduct commenced on March

Are timber trains set to come for West Highland line?

A MEMORANDUM of understanding has been signed between

DfT due to open new offices in Birmingham and Leeds

UP TO 650 Civil Service jobs could be

Final funding agreed for Camp Hill line

Vegetation being cleared on the Camp Hill line

Freightliner ‘Jumbo Train’ trial declared successful

MARCH 17 saw Freightliner operate the heaviest freight

SIDELINES

S&D Trust Peckett moves to Mid-Hants THE Somerset

More can be done to handle extreme weather, says taskforces report

OVER 50 recommendations have been made by experts

GBRf reprises Trainload Freight livery on a ‘66’

GB Railfreight’s penchant for different coloured Class 66s

Rail devolution leads priorities in North East Transport Plan

FULL devolution of local services is listed as

DfT backs Hope Valley capacity upgrade

PASSENGERS and freight look set to benefit from

New carriages delivered to Northern Ireland Railways

THE first of 21 new carriages being built

Canada to Mexico with one railroad – Canadian Pacific to buy Kansas City Southern in deal worth $29 billion

CANADIAN Pacific has announced plans to buy fellow

More emergency financial support for TfL and metros

A FURTHER £33 million of emergency coronavirus funding

Crewe pool steam back in action for testing

LOCOMOTIVE Services Ltd had steam back out on

HST and new livery for ‘Staycation Express’ in 2021

An impression of the livery expected to be

Steam’s Covid outpost, but footplate experience to end

WITH a worldwide interruption to standard gauge steam,

Faulty fastenings blamed for Eastleigh derailment

FRACTURED rail fastenings and ineffective asset management led

Government challenges industry to cut upgrade costs

RAIL Minister Chris Heaton- Harris officially unveiled the

THE RAILWAY PHOTOGR APHY OF TOM WILLIAMS

Tom Williams’ passion for trains and photography led to a collection of superb images spanning three decades following the Second World War. Fraser Pithie meets up and ref lects with his schoolfriend, Phil Williams, who has been painstakingly restoring his late father’s colour photographs

EASTERN EXPECTATIONS AND EXCEPTIONS

John Heaton FCILT analyses the impact of LNER’s Hitachi ‘Azuma’ trains on East Coast Main Line schedules

Thompson Revisited

Former wartime CME of the LNER, Edward Thompson, was often viewed as intolerant and having a hatred of Gresley, yet others recalled his kindness and courteousness. What was the truth?  Nicola Fox presents the evidence

SWINDON’S ANNUAL TRAIN TRIP

Dene Bebbington recalls how the annual works staff trips began and how popular they became – at their height, taking 29,000 people on a seaside trip

Readers ’ Platform

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FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

100 YEARS AGO APRIL 1921 Mystery white posts

The RCTS: then and now

THE January 2021 edition of the Railway Observer

Many happy returns!

Our railways reopen for business post-lockdown

Locomotion No. 1 finally leaves Darlington… but it will make a return

THE Science Museum Group (SMG) and Darlington Borough

Betton Grange group set to relocate to Tyseley following the collapse of Llangollen

THE 6880 Betton Grange Society has reached an

Foxcote Manor will join West Somerset stable

THE situation at the Llangollen Railway has also

Fresh agreement gives the Gloucs-Warks railway ‘first option’ on ‘County’ 4-4-0…

THE Churchward County Trust’s (CCT) new-build ‘County’ 4-4-0

… as main frames are completed and coupled wheels are ordered for build

CONSTRUCTION of County of Montgomery continues to make

Appeal puts Severn Valley ‘Manors’ on comeback trail

MORE than £15,000 in donations and share purchases

New support coach for the Duke of Gloucester

UNIQUE BR Pacific No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester

Phased reopening planned for West Somerset Railway

WEST Somerset Railway trains will initially operate between

Swanage Railway launches £65,000 carriage shed appeal

Drummond ‘T9’ 4-4-0 No. 30120 runs past the

Dumbleton Hall leaves Devon for new home in Carnforth?

COLLETT ‘Hall’ No. 4920 Dumbleton Hall left its

Hidden failure risk leads to ‘Legacy’ motion replacement

SOME of the so-called ‘legacy’ motion acquired for

Spa Valley to recreate lost ‘West County’

LONG-LOST Bulleid ‘West Country’ Pacific No. 34095 Brentor

Auto-train working returns to Watlington branch

THE classic sight of a Western Region autotrain

New ‘fuss-free access’ coach is delivered to the NYMR

THE latest element of the North Yorkshire Moors

First dates for Scunthorpe steelworks tours in diary

THE Appleby Frodingham Railway Preservation Society has announced

Gala planned by North Norfolk line to mark ‘N2’ return

AN Autumn Steam Gala will act as a

Waterman Small Prairie returns at Peak Rail

PETE Waterman’s GWR ‘4575’ 2-6-2T No. 5553 has

£15,000 grants boost Uskmouth 1 overhaul

Uskmouth 1 played a key part in the

Industrial lines prepare for post-lockdown reopening

AFTER months of waiting, and more than a

Andrew Barclay Victory to be restored at Avon Valley Railway

FORMER National Museums of Walesowned Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST

New line to connect Niger to the Atlantic

A NEW railway will connect the land-locked west

Chinese open longest high speed line

CHINESE Railways opened the 185km long, 350kph Lianyungang

Island Line rebuilding delay

REOPENING of the Island Line between Ryde Pier

Former East Midlands HST power cars moved from Ely

EIGHT stored former East Midlands Railway HST power

Ex-EMR power car on network test train during ETCS fitment

TECHNOLOGY company Thales has released images of a

Avanti West Coast allocations become visible to all on RTT

THE latest train operator to make its fleet

Class 313 used as Covid-19 test centre at Brighton

GOVIA Thameslink Railway (GTR) is using a Class

Active travel carriage poised for May launch

SCOTRAIL is hoping the first of five single-car

ScotRail gets final refurbished HST Mk3s

SCOTRAIL has taken delivery of the final refurbished

Traction Portfolio

Colas Class 70 No. 70812 works a Network

Operations

With Class 707 EMUs starting to transfer from

SINGLE LINES

■ THE Isle of Man Steam Railway’s Beyer,

Reopening plans still subject to Covid-19 rules

AS THESE pages went to press, although narrow

More components for new-build Gowrie

No railways were operating amid January’s snowfall, but

Heatherslaw hit by floods again

FIVE days of constant rain, peaking on February

New owners for Scarborough North Bay Railway

JOHN Kerr and Peter Bryant took over ownership

Opening of new passenger line at Astley Green approaches

THE infrastructure of the new passenger railway being

Budget debate casts more doubt over full reinstatement of Douglas Horse Tramway

CONCERNS as to whether Douglas Bay Horse Tramway

Resident steam returns to GVLR

O&K 0-04-0WT 7529/1914 pictured working a lightly loaded

Volunteers complete phase one of project as Southwold Railway goods shed is restored

HALESWORTH to Southwold Narrow Gauge Railway Society volunteers

Rockfall blow to Steeple Grange Light Railway plans

STEEPLE Grange Light Railway’s (SGLR) plans to reopen

Appeal to restore surviving Sand Hutton building

THE Friends of Thorpe Light Railway (TLR) have

Bronhilde joins Richmond collection

RICHMOND Light Railway has acquired Schwartzke 0-4-0WT Bronhilde

New Tube train design unveiled

TRANSPORT for London and Siemens Mobility have unveiled

Gosforth depot demolition

WORK has begun on the phased rebuilding of

Railways in Parliament

HS2 impact on Crewe CREWE and Nantwich MP

TRAMLINES

Ffestiniog to construct ‘Railcoach’ underframe… THE Ffestiniog Railway

First heritage tramways welcome visitors back

JUST as Britain’s preserved railways are preparing to

Return of the ‘Terror Train’ to Blackpool’s seafront

THOSE who remember the bright and sometimes gaudy

Public appeal success for Blackpool’s famous ‘Western Train’

ESSENTIAL rewiring and repairs to Blackpool’s ever-popular illuminated

SIDELINES

CFPS ‘Whistler’ to stay on main line CLASSS

ELR Type 4 heads track replacement trains

THE second-built Class 47, No. D1501 (later named

Isle of Wight Steam Railway planning two non-steam events

CLASS 122 single-unit DMU Nos. 55001 and L101

Members form South Wales Railcar Group at Cynheidre after arrival of Pacer

THE arrival of a ‘Pacer’at the Llanelli &

Members’ donations allow preservation of Third HST power car by 125 Group

THE 125 Group has purchased Class 43 power

‘Pacers’ come and locos go at the Wensleydale Railway

A plethora of ‘Pacers’ at Wensleydale Railway, as

London Transport Traction overcomes setbacks

THE London Transport Traction Group (LTTG), which has

Dartmoor Railway stock is put up for sale

Wickham 10841 of 1975 is in operational condition

Another new date for UK Railtours’ ‘Merchant of Norfolk’

AUGUST 28 is the latest date for UK

‘Great Britain’ railtour is cancelled amid ongoing Covid-19 uncertainty

THE Railway Touring Company (RTC) has postponed its

First moves for LSL as ‘Tractors’ head up to Scotland

LOCOMOTIVE Services Ltd took its two Class 37s

Northern Belle’s tribute to romanitc heyday with commemorative train

LUXURY train operator Northern Belle is to recreate

Luxury service for ‘Lizzie’ on regular Carlisle turns

STANIER ‘Princess Royal’ 4-6-2 No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth

RTC’s end of Southern steam anniversary special

COMMEMORATING the anniversary of the end of Southern

COVID-19

■ NOTE: This list was current at the

SIDELINES

Clearance work for MML wires FOLLOWING the completion

First train through Gasworks Tunnel eastern bore since 1977

ON March 6, the eastern bore of Gasworks

Funding gives green light for Dawlish rockfall shelter

NETWORK Rail has unveiled its proposed design for

Extra masonry repairs are needed at Ribblehead Viaduct

SPECIALIST engineers working on Ribblehead viaduct have discovered

Revamp for bridge’s three historic land towers

WORK started on February 17 to refurbish the

GCR signalboxes removed in Sheffield resignalling project

Track replacement work on the former Great Central

Track to be replaced on Stourbridge Town branch

Locomotives of any kind are rare on the

Insulated paint saves Cardiff bridge from the bulldozer

IN A world first, electric resistant paint has

Engineering work brings locos to the Ayrshire Coast

WORK to replace around a quarter of a

SIDELINES

Lanarkshire bridge block plan faces local opposition EAST

Old Oak Common depots cleared for ‘super-hub’ station

WORK has begun to clear two depot sites

HS2 reveals Chiltern chalk grassland scheme

MORE than 127 hectares of new chalk grassland,

Long Itchington tunnel portal is ready

EXCAVATION of the massive north portal of Long

Regular Calvert deliveries are in full swing

REGULAR deliveries of aggregates to Calvert for HS2

Monitoring systems tender launched

MARCH 8 saw HS2 Ltd begin its search

Distributed traction trials in Germany

GERMAN operator DB Cargo has been trialling freight

Steam hauled timber trains in Taiwan

‘Shay’ No. 31 with the demonstration logging train,

New stations for Prague

ČD ‘CityElefant’ EMU No. 971 067 at the

Main line railtours return down under

AFTER a year when no special trains were

Classic Soviet diesel design withdrawn

The Belarus-based ‘TEP60s’ operated into Lithuania even during

Alstom wins Chicago commuter fleet order

Metra EMD ‘F40PH’ No. 124 pushes a train

‘Ludmilla’ for Sylt commuters

To provide space for social distancing, an extra

Class 321 to become freight unit

EVERSHOLT Rail has embarked on the conversion of

Early results impress in Class 69 tests at SVR

Class 66 No. 66706 hauls No. 69002 from

First TfW refurbished Class 150/2s

TRANSPORT for Wales (TfW) has begun the refurbishment

Class 717s tested at 100mph

CLASS 717 EMUs which normally work between Moorgate

GBRf names Class 60 in tribute to Farish models

No. 60002 Graham Farish – 50th Anniversary 1970-2020

Class 730 EMU on test

Set No. 730002 passes Cathiron, Rugby, on the

Last Class 365 ‘happy trains’ for withdrawal

THE remaining 21 Class 365 EMUs operated as

WH Davis secures wagon conversion contract

WH DAVIS, the UK’s only remaining freight wagon

Class 70s work Network Rail test trains

FOR the first time, a pair of Colas

£30m budget boost for proposed test track

IN THE budget on March 3, Chancellor Rishi

Class 377 upgrade underway

UPGRADED Class 377 EMUs have begun to reenter

Nuclear flask train takes 4½ hours to enter Bridgwater yard!

Picture by Peter Nicholson THE first nuclear flask

EMR Class 360s run at 110mph

AHEAD of the launch of Corby-London electric services

New life for old GWR Mk3s

TWO former Great Western Railway Mk3 HST trailers

WAGON REPORT

TRANSTECH Oy of Oulu, a division of Finnish

Give a boy a home

Michael D Foster, the author behind the successful

Stoneybridge Structures welcomes Model Sounds

MODEL Sounds is now a part of the

Rare models available

TWO large scale models have become available to

Hopes are growing for swift resumption of model shows

THE current roadmap out of lockdown has revived

Latest catalogue available from Bachmann

BACHMANN Europe has released its new catalogue –

Bluebell launches commemorative model wagon

THE Bluebell Railway and Dapol have worked together