Tunbridge Wells-Hastings line closed for a week

Sending mixed messages

TRAIN OF THOUGHT Editor ’s Comment Lumo’s No.

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Features

Rail Adventure’s HST power cars Nos. 43484 and

Freightliner switches to diesel haulage for electric diagrams

Temporary move is due to ‘unprecedented’ increase in electricity prices

£7bn transport boost for Regions

THE Chancellor Rishi Sunak was due to deliver

Lumo is go!

The new open access operator is now running its budget services between Edinburgh, Newcastle and London

The benefits of open access

Challenger entrants bring new ideas that keep established operators on their toes

DRS to sell off redundant locomotives and carriages

Operator’s eight Class 20s up for sale in first phase of older traction disposal

Controversial Battlefield ‘Peak’ set to be scrapped

AFTER almost 20 years in limbo, the end

SIDELINES

Digital signalling for heritage stock AS part of

November start for Dartmoor line services

Regular, all-year-round services to restart for first time since 1972. 

Extending the Borders Line is ‘best idea’ for the region

REOPENING the remaining section of Borders Railway to

SIDELINES

Waterloo to Bristol campaign SEVERAL campaign groups have

SIDELINES

Track monitoring trial DB ESG has announced a

Debut for innovative Very Light Rail vehicle

First of a kind Revolution VLR prototype offers lower cost option for railway reopenings

‘World first’ autonomous transit system for Shildon

LOCOMOTION, the National Railway Museum’s site at Shildon

SIDELINES

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STRABAG will open factory in Hartlepool to fulfil order

The site of STRABAG’s Hartlepool factory, already rail-linked

First mile of tunnelling under Chilterns completed

Looking south towards London from inside one of

Electrification rate ‘behind schedule’

RIA says railway electrification is running at less than half the rate needed to decarbonise by 2050

SIDELINES

Rail catalyst for jobs RESEARCH commissioned by the

Railways in Parliament

Traction costs rise GATESHEAD MP Ian Mearns asked

Readers’ Platform

STAR LETTER Bridge bash woes READING the article

FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

100 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER 1921 ‘Conductor-Guard’ Trains THE

The RCTS: then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

Panorama

There seems to be little interest amongst the

CHRISTMAS GIFT GUIDE

Nottingham to Mansfield By Vic Mitchell and Keith

Prize crossword

The crossword winner and two runners-up can choose books worth £50 and £25 respectively from the extensive Nostalgia Collection

Where is it?

Our pictorial quiz, for fun only

Farewell No. 9

Destined for a future on static display only, ‘A4’ No. 60009 has now worked its last train on both the main line and in preservation, a boiler tube leak scuppering plans for it to see out the last few months of its certification at the East Lancashire Railway

PUTTING IT BLUNTLY

John Heaton FCILT rounds off his coverage of the ill-fated GBRf ‘This time it’s personal’ tour, before looking at some extra detail of the West Coast Main Line record attempt earlier this year, and then comparing attacks on the climb to Whiteball summit in Somerset by different traction

BREAKING BR’S STEAM BAN

October marked the 50th anniversary of ex-GWR ‘King’ No. 6000 leading the return to steam on the main line. Chris Milner recalls how the ban was broken, and how steam then developed under British Rail up to the point when the railways were Privatised

BERTHED IN PERTH

Hidden away at the north end of Perth station is the little-seen Up Carriage Sidings and shed, but earlier this year Jordan Kearney had permission to visit and take this photographic record

Tetbury remembered

Stephen Roberts looks back over the history of the former branch to Tetbury in Gloucestershire, where there is now a project to preserve memories of the line in the station’s former goods shed

SIDELINES

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Furness Railway No. 20 returns to action

Britain’s oldest working standard gauge steam loco back in traffic

‘Lizzie’s boiler needs £165K

LMS ‘Princess Royal’ Pacific No. 6201 Princess Elizabeth

Unique GWR carriage relaunched at Severn Valley

Robert Smallman, who saved No. 6045 nearly half

Supporters greeted by ‘face’ of ‘4MT’

SHAREHOLDERS and supporters of Toddington Standard Locomotive Ltd

Spring hopes for Rother Valley Railway Transport & Works Act Order decision

IT IS anticipated that a decision will be

SIDELINES

East Lancs upgrades THE project to improve the

Autumn galas delight

Varied line-ups generate welcome ‘feel good’ factor

Tyres back on the Duke

WELCOME BACK: LMS 4-6-2 No. 6233 Duchess of

West Somerset passenger trains all set for Minehead return in 2022

WEST Somerset Railway (WSR) passenger trains are on

Llangollen Railway secures future

THE Llangollen Railway Trust (LRT) says thanks to

New Gresley ‘P2’ ‘Mikado’ on course as cylinders and boiler take shape

THE project to build new Gresley ‘P2’ No.

DIARY

■ November weekends Didcot Railway Centre: Exhibition Days

Help ‘N2’ steam again

Gresley’s sole tank survivor needs your support to

Bluebell seeks to return sparkle to ‘jewel in the crown’

THE Bluebell Railway has launched an appeal for

‘County’ tender takes shape

STEAMING INTO BIRKHILL: Caledonian Railway (CR) 0-4-4T No.

SIDELINES

Derwent Valley Railway anniversary THE Derwent Valley Light

Iron ore opens to remain in Rutland

Former National Collection wagon pair gifted to accredited museum

Restored PalVan boosts Midsomer Norton fleet

THE Somerset & Dorset Railway Heritage Trust (SDRHT)

SIDELINES

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Telford’s Rocket boosts Dean Forest’s gala

THE Dean Forest Railway may have been unable

Hunslet Hastings moves to the Chasewater Railway

Running-in gets underway on 133-year-old veteran in Staffordshire

Williton workshop to return Barclay Victory to action

ANDREW Barclay 0-4-0ST Victory (2201/1945) is to be

Steam Portfolio

COLLIERY SERVICE: Orenstein & Koppel 0-4-0WT (2378/1907) Utrillas

SINGLE LINES

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Ogwen returns to steam – as Durham!

Former Durham County Water Board and Penrhyn Quarry locomotive hauls first trains for 56 years

‘Workshop X’ marks its fourth loco restoration

DURHAM (Ogwen) made a second appearance in DCWB

Delivery of Blyth replica to Suffolk home is imminent

SOUTHWOLD Railway Trust anticipated delivery of replica 3ft

£3.1 million lottery win for Ff&WHR

Ffestiniog Railway Double-Fairlie David Lloyd George runs across

Quadruple-header at Scarborough gala

SCARBOROUGH North Bay Railway celebrated the 90th birthday

Thornhill to be returned to steam?

PRIVATELY owned ex-Isle of Man Steam Railway (IoMSR)

Restored 3ft gauge Wickham Trolleys go to Crowle Peatland

THE Rail Trolley Trust (TRTT) has placed 3ft

Go-head given for overhaul of Sierra Leone No. 85

THE Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway (W&LLR) has

Ferry Meadows Railway for sale

Opportunity to operate Peterborough 10¼in gauge Nene Park line

An efficient portable railway for hire

There and Back’s two current locos. Nomi (left),

SIDELINES

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Work underway on new halt for Seaton Tramway

Devon line’s fifth tram stop will give visitors access to marshland nature reserves

Wirral volunteers help prepare site for reopening

IN anticipation of a date being announced for

Newcastle 114 fit for traffic at Beamish

A WASH AND BRUSH-UP: One of the youngest

SIDELINES

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Nene Valley Railway stages three ‘Peaks’ challenge

PICTURE: ALISDAIR ANDERSON The gala featured a tripleheader

Ivatt 10000 diesel project makes further progress

THE Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society (IDRS), like all

A safe future assured for Island Line Class 483 in non-rail use

FORMER Island Line Class 483 EMU No. 483004

Porterbrook Leasing gifts 8000th Crewebuilt loco to Crewe Heritage Centre

Class 43 HST power car No. 43081 in

Two 400 series cars to boost East Kent battery-powered EMU project

THE 400 Series Preservation Group (400SPG), based on

Highs and lows of visiting ‘Choppers’

THE North Yorkshire Moors hosted four main line-registered

Class 40 No. D345 makes a comeback

Making its first appearance following repainting in BR

CEPs relocate from Eastleigh Works to Southall

THE EPB Preservation Group has had to remove

Glos/ Warks celebrates 40th anniversary

THE Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) rounds off

Wickham trolley escapes from Dartmoor

WICKHAM 10841, a Type 18 fourwheel diesel permanent

Yorkshire Wolds Railway launches Fund the Fowler appeal

FOLLOWING arrival of its second loco, the recently

Dartmoor disposals, some saved, some scrapped

FIRST USE OF MID-NORFOLK RAILWAY’S Mk.3 STOCK: Stratford

Steam Dreams adds more main line Santa specials

Popular excursions hauled by Mayflower to run from London Victoria

Scotrail to operate charity HST Santa trains to Boat of Garten and Fife

SCOTRAIL is to operate its own ‘Santa Specials’

Northern Belle hopes for ‘Lizzie’ as it outlines 2022 steam plans

Making its West Coast Railway debut, Class 86

SIDELINES

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£25m project to protect Wales and Borders link

Strategic Anglo-Welsh corridor to benefit from increased resilience

£8m investment to stabilise GSW embankments

Cutting sides are being regraded on the Glasgow

Hitachi wins Gloucester area signalling upgrade contract

A DESIGN contract to replace the signalling in

First section of Dawlish sea wall completed

NETWORK Rail has finished upgrading the first section

Surbiton station to receive £6.7m capacity upgrade

NETWORK Rail has announced Surbiton station is set

Leeds prepares for minor remodelling

IN preparation for remodelling of the approaches to

Nine-day closure of Brighton Main Line

FOUR weekend closures plus a nine-day closure of

Second Ely capacity consultation begins ahead of TWAO submission

A PUBLIC consultation on proposals and options to

Disused track removed for Levenmouth line revival

THE Levenmouth rail link project has now completed

FM unveils Queen Street plaque

SCOTLAND’S First Minister Nicola Sturgeon unveiled two plaques

DfT development funding for Stratford improvements

Passenger numbers continue to grow at London’s busiest non-terminal station

Hayes & Harlington becomes step free

NETWORK Rail has completed an upgrade at Hayes

Network Rail and Amey develop innovative tunnel drill

BRUNEL BACK AT TEMPLE MEADS: A Statue of

Trackworkers turn rescuers in the Peak District

TWO Network Rail workers have been hailed as

SIDELINES

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Freightliner receives its first FFA-G wagons

New fleet will allow more energy-efficient carriage of freight

DBC Class 66 on display

DB Cargo Class 66, No. 66004, which was

SIDELINES

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Pride roundels revealed

Ten designs by well known LGBTQ+ Londoners and staff displayed at stations

Lower cost VLR track design developed

ENGINEERS working on the Coventry Very Light Rail

Dual fuel trial for GC '180'

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Alzheimer’s helpline promoted

DISPLAYING the Alzheimer’s Society support line number, vinyl

New jacks for SWR depots

MECHAN has supplied new lifting jacks for South

Final ‘Paragon’ unit launched into traffic

Anniversary livery for fifth Hull Trains Hitachi Class 802 unit

Cumbrian rail heritage remembered with unit naming

BARROW-IN-FURNESS station was the venue for the naming

TPE Class 802s to enter WCML service next month

TRANSPENNINE Express has confirmed that, from December, Class

All five Lumo Class 803s authorised for public use

UNHAPPY JOURNEY: Scrapyard-bound convoys of Class 365s began

Bescot naming

FIRST THREE-CAR UNIT: On its first day of

'Pendolino' progress

WORK on Class 390, No. 390125, the first

Nine-year-old Freya names IET for GWR

PRIDE of Britain Award nominee Freya Bevan unveiled

COP26 launch for ‘next generation’ battery train

Daily services planned for Vivarail unit during climate change conference in Glasgow

WAGON REPORT

EUROPEAN Metals Recycling, Kingsbury has completed the scrapping

Stock Update

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Operations

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Operations

Sunny Scarborough sees the departure of Nos. 37401

‘Strengthened’ NIR 4000 Class enters service

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Restored Guinness grain van relaunched

A FORMER Guinness Brewery grain van that was

Drumboe in triumphant Donegal homecoming

County Donegal locomotive returns to spiritual home after six decades away

Container service begins between Port of Waterford and Ballina

IARNRÓD Eireann-Irish Rail (IÉ) and XPO Logistics have

Stadler wins New Zealand loco order

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Sandstone moves Cape gauge locos to safety

South African heritage collection relocated to main site

New ‘EMD’ passenger diesel locos built in Argentina

ARGENTINIAN national rail operator Trenes Argentinos has taken

Massive Soviet electrics fade away

Ukraine Railways (UZ) VL8M No. 1449 and VL8M

European heritage lines bounce back from Covid

On the 700mm gauge Hedelands Railway near Roskilde

Electric railways set for renaissance in Costa Rica to help cut carbon

THE Central American country of Costa Rica is