Punctuality slumps to lowest in a decade

Scotsman at 100

The cab of Flying Scotsman at the NRM

The world’s most famous locomotive… bar none!

The RM’s longest-serving editor Nick Pigott pays tribute to Flying Scotsman through a personal journey, from his days as a young spotter at Grantham, to covering its many highs and lows in the pages of this magazine, and then finally getting chance to fire the celebrity ‘A3’ at the one of the premier heritage lines.

100 years of history

The Railway Magazine has chronicled the many twists and turns in the fascinating and unique history of Flying Scotsman over the past 100 years, with the following extracts and notes highlighting some of the key moments from its career with the LNER, British Railways, in private ownership, and as part of the National Collection.

Flying ‘Talisman’

John Heaton FCILT examines two runs by Flying Scotsman from King’s Cross to Newcastle on the prestigious ‘Talisman’ service, one before and one after the loco was fitted with a performance-improving double-chimney.

A Baker’s dozen

SCOTSMAN ABROAD

The People’s Engine

We asked you for your favourite memory of Flying Scotsman and were overwhelmed with the response. The following is a selection of the many entertaining, insightful, touching and funny stories sent in, but we would like to thank everyone who got in touch.

‘OUR LOCO’ PHOTO WINNERS

After the rededication of Freightliner’s No. 66503 last August, to mark The Railway Magazine’s 125th anniversary year, we launched a competition to find the best photos of ‘our loco’ in action. The competition closed at the end of December, and the results are announced here.

Devon’s ‘Thirty- Sevens’

World Record Officially the world’s longest-running railway series, established in 1901

Farewell to a former editor of The Railway Magazine

It is with great sadness that we record the passing of Peter Kelly, one of only 10 men to have held the post of editor of The RM in its 126-year history.

WMCA agrees £36.8m ‘kick-start ’ for VLR

Investment will enable city centre demonstration track in Coventry and development of business cases for fully-operational Very Light Rail in the West Midlands.

LMMR takes first Class 153 ‘Sprinter’ into preservation – as a cafe

THE Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway (LMMR) has

SIDELINES

Boden ‘50’ for sale BODEN Rail has decided

Levelling Up Fund provides £170m for rail projects

Cornwall, Cardiff and Peterborough are among biggest grant award winners.

Bromsgrove ‘66’ crash driver was using mobile phone

The derailed loco awaiting recovery on March 24,

GBR plan in doubt

There is a growing belief that the proposed Great British Railways could become too powerful a body, acting in a centralised ‘command and control’ role rather than supporting the industry as a guiding mind.

South West Main Line closed by major landslip

FIRST ‘777’ ENTERS SERVICE: After reaching agreement with

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

HS2 claims ‘world first ’ with new bridge move

A structure weighing 12,600 tonnes that will carry the high speed route over the M42 motorway has been slid into place.

‘Gold standard’ award for construction sustainability

An electric digger being demonstrated at SCS JV’s

Refined Curzon 2 bridge design

A REVISED design for a 150m (164yd) long

Railways in Parliament

Coast to coast revival DAME Diana Johnson, the

10 MINUTES 10 QUESTIONS

Steven Knight’s ‘hotseat’ visits the West Midlands to put Severn Valley Railway managing director Helen Smith in the spotlight this month.

Model event’s the flower of Scotland

PERHAPS the first big setpiece event on the

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Readers ’ Platform

1923 Grouping locos WE are indeed fortunate in

MEETINGS

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1 Pennine Railway Society. Doncaster Town

Panorama

BENDY ‘BULLETS’: The wide angle lens gives a

Reviews

Books, videos and other items for possible review should be sent to: The Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle Lincs LN9 6JR

Prize crossword

£100 worth of Nostalgia Collection books to be won

FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

100 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY 1923 Armed raiders on

The RCTS: then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

All change at Gwili

Passengers will be able to start their journey at Abergwili Junction, the Gwili Railway’s new southern terminus, from this season.

Sir Lamiel’s overhaul takes shape at Loughborough

THE overhaul of SR ‘King Arthur’ No. 777

Severn Valley Railway stalwart bows out in style

GWR ‘28XX’ No. 2857, a popular member of

‘9F’ secured for Great Central

BR ‘9F’ 2-10-0 No. 92214 is to remain

DIARY

Feb 1-28 Spa Valley Railway: Steam Rides Kids

Impressive line up for Keighley gala

THE Keighley & Worth Valley Railway’s March 9-12

Embankment damaged

IN MID-January contractors were on site to repair

Severn Valley Railway ‘adapts to survive’

Savings to be implemented – including concentrating services into four days a week – and managing director to step down from her role in late February.

Corwen extension opening delayed by platform canopy

POST CHRISTMAS DUTIES: GWR 0-6-0PT No. 6412 passes

Tanks on way to the Dean Forest Railway

National Wagon Preservation Group secures 11 TTA tank wagons for preservation.

Overhaul progress at Wansford

Work to return the original Thomas and Derek Crouch to action is well underway at the Nene Valley Railway.

‘Austerities’ boost KESR Santa season

Right: No. 75008 Swiftsure alongside KESR No. 25

One steam locomotive out, one in at Midsomer Norton

RE-CREATING THE PAST: Sentinel 4wVBTG Ann (7232/1927) hauled

Talyllyn and Amerton share volunteers’ heritage award

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Rebuild of Caledonia boiler approaches completion at Severn Valley

MAJOR reconstruction of the boiler from Hollycombe’s Andrew

BEM for Manx heritage volunteer

ISLE of Man’s Andrew Scarffe was awarded a

Railways upgrade facilities

Major building projects making progress through winter at Rheidol, Ffestiniog and Groudle Glen.

STR looks forward to 2023 after successful year as an all-volunteer railway

FOLLOWING the difficult 2020 when the South Tynedale

Clocking up the restoration hours at ‘Workshop X’

THE astonishing achievements of the all-volunteer, mostly retired,

Second ‘duplicate’ loco from VoR museum collection sold

ALE of Rheidol Railway (VoR) has sold unrestored

WLLR passenger numbers down but revenue up

WELSHPOOL & Llanfair Light Railway (WLLR) carried 20,094

Russell calls at Porthmadog Harbour station

Welsh Highland Heritage Railway’s Hunslet 2-6-2T Russell steams

SIDELINES

WORK on Talyllyn Railway’s new two-road heritage shed

Winter boiler lifts in brief

THE boiler from 2ft gauge 0-10-0T Orenstein &

Ffestiniog winter loco works

New-build Double-Fairlie James Spooner takes shape at Boston Lodge.

Steam loco to remain at Haigh Hall Miniature Railway

No. 6284 pictured at Haigh Hall Miniature Railway

Steam Portfolio

THE LOWDOWN: GWR 4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis Castle

Miniature line for Stat fold

New attraction due to open at March enthusiast open day.

Crich gets tooled-up for in-house restoration work

Investment in equipment at the National Tramway Museum should lead to more efficient completion of joinery projects.

Date for 619’s official return at Manchester’s Heaton Park

Blackpool ‘Replica Vanguard’ No. 619 stands at the

Swindon & Cricklade DMU catches fire

An engine fire broke out on a DMU at the Wiltshire railway in December, but no passengers or staff were hurt, with minimal damage to the vehicle.

Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway gains a very useful vehicle

Baguley-Drewry railcar No. AD9117 and its flatbed trailer

ELR Class 104 DMU voted railcar of the year

The day after it was announced as being

A successful test run for DEPG locos

WEST Somerset Railway-based Diesel & Electric Preservation Group

Two Derbyshire railways to run a joint gala

THE Ecclesbourne Valley Railway (EVR) and Peak Rail

Drive a diesel at the EARM

THE East Anglian Railway Museum at Chappel &

DIARY

March 18/19 Llanelli & Mynydd Mawr Railway gala

A1 Tornado’s return could now be spring

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

More day excursions on offer from Pathfinder

Operator plans to run a number of itineraries in the coming weeks– including the Cambrian Coast and Settle & Carlisle.

BLS to try again for Whitby with a ‘Hoover’ for haulage

WITH a planned tour to Whitby last October

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Ravenscraig plan rejected

COUNCILLORS in North Lanarkshire have rejected plans for

Consultants appointed for Bakerloo study

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Fare freeze announced

WEST Midlands Metro announced a fare freeze in

Tube station mobile coverage expanded

HIGH-SPEED mobile internet coverage has been extended to

Services resume after ‘Metro Flow’ completion

Tyne & Wear system’s ‘biggest ever’ improvement scheme completed 10 days behind schedule.

Final track laid for Newhaven extension

FINISHING touches are being made to the £207

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Iconic New Street signalbox closes

Future use remains to be confirmed for listed Brutalist power signalbox in Birmingham city centre.

Green light for new station in Chelmsford

CONSTRUCTION work on a new station for north

Landslide blocks Oban route

THE line between Crianlarich and Oban was blocked

£3m of landslip prevention work due to get underway in Kent

A WEEK of work between Faversham, Canterbury East

WCML breached by floods

The damage seen from the air on December

DfT approves Cambridge South new station plans

A projected view of Cambridge South station from

New station planned for Butetown

WORK to build a new station at Butetown,

Award for Kettering station renovation

Kettering station’s platform 4 with its restored and

Brighton line connectivity enhancements

MOBILE phone and data connectivity along the Brighton

Major change to penalty fares

TRAIN operators who operate a penalty fare system

Festive £6m upgrade for track at York

IN an extended possession over the Christmas and

Chippenham to become fully accessible

WORK has begun on a £1million scheme to

More DB Cargo ‘Tugs’ up for sale

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Class 377/4 fleet refresh completed

REFURBISHMENT work has been completed at Selhurst depot

GWR cancels Class 769 fleet introduction

Porterbook explores options for units after operator decides to hand them back.

Revamp for Hull Botanic Gardens

The modernised shed at Hull Botanic Gardens depot

WAGON REPORT

RETURN TO CENTRO: Having recently been repainted into

Traction Portfolio

BACK TO THE FUTURE: The latest loco to

Operations

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Stock Update

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

Foynes Line reopening takes big step forward

€65m contract let for reconstruction to Sisk, with 2025 the opening date target.

Green signal for public trains at Maam Cross

THE Connemara Railway at Maam Cross took a

Downpatrick diesel gala proves a sell-out

On January 7, the Downpatrick and County Down

SIDELINES

Your reports and pictures are most welcome. Highly

All change in southern Germany

Latest section of new high speed line opens – and Go-Ahead begins operation of its second contract in Bavaria.

New locos, new lines

The new metre gauge GT38AC locos have taken

Union Pacific to refurbish 600 diesel locomotives

US Class 1 railroad Union Pacific (UP) and

Veteran electric back on the main line

Nearly 100 years old – 1925 built E77