West Coast buys Riviera Trains’ Mk.2 fleet

Be part of the DNA

THE Stockton & Darlington Railway may not have

NEWQUAY, NEW PLATFORM

A remarkable view of Newquay station close to

High-speed Midlands to Manchester link plan

Line north from Lichfield would pick up where cancelled HS2 Phase 2a project left off.

PORTISHEAD AWAITS:

A decision is expected this autumn on

GWR ‘TURBO’ UPGRADE COMPLETE:

Gemini Rail Services at Wolverton Works has completed

Winners and losers as figures show overall growth in freight

Freightliner is top and steady, while GB Railfreight’s rise continues and DB Cargo is in slow decline.

FINAL CDAs RECOVERED

DB Cargo’s No. 66152 visited the Fowey branch

Rail f irms aim to develop better and smaller trac tion bat teries

Hitachi and partners are working to develop a more compact design that can store greater energy.

SIDELINES

Class 325s withdrawn ROYAL Mail withdrew its final

Strathspey Scotsman incident report released

Communication at the root of the collision, RAIB investigation finds.

Revamped Wirral Transport Museum to open by spring 2026

FEATURING an expanded collection to tell the story

Tonbridge loco depot opens...

New GB Railfreight facility aids operations in South East England

…while charity event allows a peek inside Peterborough

GBRF opened the doors of its Peterborough depot

Tramway plan to connect Cardiff Central with Cardiff Bay

New Metro line would complement the existing branch line.

New Sheffield service outlined

HULL Trains has published its proposed timetable for

Borders extension study paused due to funding issue

HOPES of an extension of the Borders Railway

Railways in Parliament

£70m heritage grants BASILDON and Billericay MP Richard

Last deck piece positioned in 2.1-mile Colne Valley Viaduct

HS2 Ltd claims the title of building Britain’s longest rail bridge, as final section is put into place.

Final segments cast for Northolt Tunnel West

AT its Isle of Grain plant in Kent,

Bromford Tunnel boring reaches halfway point

TUNNEL boring machine Mary Ann reached the halfway

Celebrating 200 years of railways

2025 marks 200 years since the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, an anniversary that will be celebrated with hundreds of events across the country, as Paul Bickerdyke reports.

Deltic deliberations

The prototype diesel No. DP1 Deltic offered a step-change in power and acceleration when it was introduced in the late 1950s,

A Baker’s dozen ROYAL MAIL ‘325s’

John Baker presents a selection of Class 325 photos taken over the last three decades as the dedicated Royal Mail EMUs are about to be withdrawn from service.

Crewe Works lives on

The glory days of locomotive building may be over, but the remaining parts of Crewe Works are not only surviving but thriving as a centre of excellence for overhauling bogies and other major components,

‘Liberation’ locomotives

THE Vulcan‘Liberation’2-8-0s are forgotten locomotives (July issue), as

Talyllyn remembered

REGARDING the excellent article published in the September

Have West Coast times got that much better?

I ENJOYED reading John Heaton’s informative article on

‘Our’ loco details

THE article in your August issue about locomotive

Bartlow ‘Black Five’ legacy

I ENJOYED the article about the 1T57‘Black Five’No.

MEETINGS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3 GCR Soc. Farm Road Sports

PANORAMA

A showcase for the best in railway photography

From the archive

20 YEARS AGO: History was made on

The RCTS: then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

CROSSWORD & NEXT MONTH

Sponsored by The NOSTALGIA Collection The crossword winner

TRACKRECORD

CATCHING THE SUN

Tornado back after overhaul

60mph testing takes place as preparations continue for a return to the main line.

Spa Scottish steam up

THE 125th anniversary of Caledonian Railway 812 Class

Eddystone earmarked for the main line

SR Bulleid Pacific No. 34028 Eddystone, which has

East Lancs Railway introduces EDI training

THE East Lancashire Railway (ELR) has implemented Equality,

‘2884’ back in traffic

GWR 2-8-0 No. 3850 has rejoined the Gloucestershire

Loco part preview

ATTENDEES of the GCR 567 Group annual meeting

Expenditure go ahead

FUNDING to progress the overhauls of two steam

Gala cancelled

THE Swanage Railway has cancelled its October 25-27

‘Lizzie’ overhaul progresses

WORK to return LMS Princess Royal Class Pacific

BACK IN THE VALLEY:

LMS ‘Jubilee’ No. 45596 Bahamas returned to

Pendennis ‘stopped’ for boiler investigations

POPULAR Didcot Railway resident GWR‘Castle’4-6-0 No. 4079 Pendennis

Severn Valley apologises for working at height fall

SVR says there has been a “universal step change” in safety at the line after pleading guilty and being fined £40,000.

In tribute to David Buck

STEAM preservation has lost one of its gentlemen

Overhaul plan

THE overhaul of Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T No.

Carriage fleet boosted

THE Telford Steam Railway (TSR) has purchased Mk.2

Blood pressure checks

ON September 1, Midsomer Norton-based Somerset & Dorset

ON THE ROSTER:

LBSCR ‘H2’ Atlantic No. 32424 Beachy Head hauled

Prairie enjoys birthday weekend

THE centenary of GWR Small Prairie No. 4566

Groups’ tender deal

A MUTUALLY beneficial arrangement has been agreed between

Airmen honoured with Sir Keith Park renaming

No. 34053 is eased out of the bay

WESTERN 4-6-0 IN THE EAST:

New-build GWR ‘Grange’ No. 6880 Betton Grange

Team effort sees new KWVR bridge installed

Volunteers and contractors replace key piece of infrastructure as part of £1.25 million project.

Forest funding to boost public engagement and habitats

A GRANT of £85,000 has been awarded to

DIARY

OCTOBER 3-6 Great Central: Autumn Steam Gala 4-6

MIXED TRACTION ON THE MIDDY:

Fowler 0-4-0 No. 20337 ‘Shreddie’ leads Barclay 0-4-0ST

Boiler work contract awarded

THE boiler for BR‘4MT’No. 76077 is to move

‘Black Five’ moves to Riley’s works

LMS ‘Black Five’ No. 45163 made its longest

‘Castle’ deal completion to aid new-build ‘Night Owl’

THE acquisition of WR‘Castle’ No. 7027 Thornbury Castle

Bogie tanker preserved

New arrival to prove a valuable addition to Great Central Railway fleet.

Ballast boost

LLANELLI & Mynydd Mawr Railway took delivery of

Steelworks line steams ahead

Scunthorpe-based group tours prove a hit with the public.

Bury Transport Museum flourishes

Andrew Barclay 0-4-0ST BCGD No. 1 on display

BORROWS BACK:

Ribble Steam Railway welcomed Borrows 0-4-0WT The King

Palmerston stars at Rheidol Steam Festival

Unrestored ‘Collection X’ loco unveiled for the first time in four decades

Talyllyn Railway heritage interpretation projects progress

THE Talyllyn Railway’s project to re-interpret the site

Latest new-build Bagnall ‘Sipat’ locomotive to be named Stuart

CONSTRUCTION of a new-build 2ft gauge Bagnall ‘Sipat’0-4-0ST

SINGLE LINES

■ BRECON Mountain Railway’s Baldwin 2-6-2 No. 1

Welsh Highland NG15 ‘Kalahari’ steams at Dinas!

No. 134 moved under its own steam for

Ex-Velinheli boiler to see further life in new-build

AN historic boiler built by a North Wales

PUMPING STATION STEAM:

Graham Morris’ Kerr, Stuart 0-4-0ST ‘Wren’ Peter Pan

‘Protected’ Simplex returns to Leighton Buzzard metals

40hp petrol ‘protected’ Simplex WDLR No. 3098 pictured

Richmond event aids Riding for the Disabled Association

Hunslet 0-4-0STs Elin (leading) and ex-Pen-yr-Orsedd slate quarry

End of the line for Zillertal in Wales

Chattenden failure disrupts Welshpool gala timetable.

New-build Forney taking shape at Brecon Mountain

CONSTRUCTION of Brecon Mountain Railway’s (BMR) new-build replica

Old Kiln LR future threatened

THE 2ft gauge Old Kiln Light Railway is

Battery-electric loco runs on FR

ONE of the two ex-Costain Tideway Tunnel Project

DIARY

OCTOBER 4-6 Ffestiniog/Welsh Highland Railways: Bygones Weekend 4

Steam Workshop breaks into battery-electric traction market with eye on future

Known for its miniature steam experience, the firm has developed an ‘EVolution Class’ loco for use in Essex.

GREAT CENTRAL GALA WEEKEND:

At the beginning of August, Eastleigh Lakeside

BIG SWITCH:

A new station has opened on the 12.25in

STEAM PORTFOLIO

1 THE LOWDOWN: Stanier ‘8F’ 2-8-0 No.

Further funds required to restore Glasgow 488 to its former glory

East Anglia Transport Museum estimates another £50,000 will be required to complete work on ‘Standard’ car originally preserved in France.

Tramway Museum Society president inaugurated

JASON Hardy was inaugurated as the new president

Autumn catch-up on tram tasks at Beamish

THE end of the school summer holidays presented

Class 117 up for sale as group reduces fleet size

Shareholders of Cotswold Diesel Railcar Ltd have made the ‘difficult decision’to sell its main operational unit.

EWS ‘GOYLE’ IN ACTION:

In perfect afternoon sunshine, Class 31 No.

‘4-CIG’ work ‘unaffected’ by society closure

NEIL Bird, director of the project to restore

Weardale Class 108 DMU returns to traffic

WEARDALE Railway Trust-owned and maintained Class 108, consisting

‘37/0’ fired up

AFTER being sold privately by EWS in 2011,

Rides recommence at Ruddington

Class 08 No. 08694 Annesley MPD is seen

EOR welcomes ‘Sentinel’ and seeks buyer for ‘Tractor’

No. D6279 (37029) is seen running round its

INDUSTRIAL SCENES AT WENSLEYDALE: The Wensleydale

Railway held an industrial weekend over August 24/25.

Severn Valley resident railcar fleet strengthened

Acquisition of three-car Class 101 augments existing Class 108 vehicles.

‘Rare track’ bash at East Lancs

THE Branch Line Society (BLS) is offering enthusiasts

CLACTON NOSE JOB

Repainting of the cab end of Class 309

DIARY

October 2, 9, 16, 23 Keighley & Worth

CLASSIC TRACTION PORTFOLIO

1 BLUEBELL ‘SYPHON’: Type 3 No. D6851

Inaugural railtour to run over the East-West route

Excursion booked to be hauled by ‘Crompton’ pair, and feature ‘rare track’ elsewhere on the network.

Festive steam specials to York

VINTAGE Trains will be running two‘White Rose’ steam

PACIFIC POWER:

No. 35028 Clan Line approaches Stonehouse crossing

Second Class 507 farewell tour planned

Class 507 EMUs Nos. 507001 and 507003 are

Class 86 to visit Blackpool

BLACKPOOL and the illuminations are the destination for

CAMBRIAN DELIGHT:

Nearing journey’s end, Network Rail Class 37 Nos.

Tyseley books Bahamas for ‘Shakespeare Express’ excursion

LMS‘Jubilee’No. 45596 Bahamas has been lined up by

‘Polar Express’ set to hit London

AFTER a successful run in Edinburgh last winter,

New wagons expected to boost Mendip Rail efficiency

First batch of JHA hopper replacements is delivered to Whatley Quarry Sidings.

HVO fuel for DB Cargo Drax services

HYDRO-TREATED vegetable oil (HVO) is being used to

Thorney Mill sidings restoration

NETWORK Rail is working with Ashfield Aggregates to

GBRf contract extended

GB RAILFREIGHT has agreed a two-year contract extension

Tram schedules changed after public feedback

A three-service timetable launched after the opening of the new North Station terminus in Blackpool has been overhauled after passenger complaints.

THIRSTY WORK:

As part of a two-month partnership between

‘Huge strides’ for Supertram

SINCE operation of the Supertram system transferred from

Mayor seeks Metro improvements

NORTH East Mayor Kim McGuinness has set out

West Yorkshire tram consultation closes

AN 11-week public consultation on the various proposed

TfL highlights attacks on staff

TO raise awareness of ‘zero tolerance’ regarding aggression

Footbridge for the future

Prototype stainless-steel footbridge unveiled which is set to slash lead times for station accessibility upgrades.

Welsh trial of request stop kiosk

The bi-lingual request to stop system at Llanfairpwll

TfW improves two stations

TRANSPORT for Wales has completed a million-pound investment

Heathrow Western link axed after financial review

HOPES of building a connection from Heathrow Airport

Ore tunnel maintenance

NETWORK Rail will be carrying out work inside

Advances fare change

TRAIN operator Northern has reinstated the 12-week window

Island Line work

CLOSURE of the Island Line on the Isle

Landslip protection

A FOUR-DAY closure of the Medway Valley line

Vegetation clearance plan for Borders Railway

A PLAN to clear overgrown trees and vegetation

Levenmouth’s active travel bridge

PREPARATIONS to install the active travel bridge between

M62 closes for bridge replacement

TWO weekend closures of the busy M62 Trans-Pennine

PROGRESS AT BEAULIEU PARK

PICTURE: NETWORK RAIL Construction of the new Beaulieu

Hack delays contactless ticket rollout for Stansted

PLANS for the introduction of contactless ticketing to

Railcard discounts reduced

THE discounts given to the country’s five million

Ebbw Vale ridership up by a fifth

THE number of additional journeys made on the

TPE trials window film

TRANSPENNINE Express is trialling film tint for train

‘Shed’ named after Embsay line

GB RAILFREIGHT Class 66, No. 66305 was named

Stabling facility takes shape for GWR

CONSTRUCTION of sidings to the west of Long

Final stages of Class 777 introduction

CHANGES are being temporarily made to Southport-Hunts Cross

BACK ON LEASE:

Heaton depot in Newcastle has become the

Network trials for batteryfitted Hitachi Class 802

‘Nova 1’ set begins cross-Pennine testing following successful low-speed running at Newton Aycliffe.

GWR progresses inaugural Class 57/6 ‘G’ exam

Great Western Railway Class 57, No. 57605, is

ST PANCRAS ‘PARAGONS’:

Engineering work, involving the testing of digital

December introduction likely for GTR Class 379 EMU fleet

GOVIA Thameslink Railway has told The RM it

£17m investment in Clacton wheel lathe facility

Due for completion next summer, it should lead to Greater Anglia trains spending less time out of traffic.

‘Tractors’ at the ready as Europhoenix becomes a licensed train operator

At Earsdon foot crossing, near Backworth on North

Wagon Report

Modified BYA No. 966050 shows how ‘Stegosaurus’ is

STOCK UPDATE

Allocations 58023 Re-registeredWQ/WQDA 66001WBAT-WBRT 66019WBAT-WBRT 66054WBAT-WBRT 66056WBLT-WBRT 66060WBAT-WBRT

The network’s notable moves

On August 30, West Coast Railway’s Nos. 47848

OPERATIONS NEWS PORTFOLIO

DUCHY DEPARTURE: Heading for the Royal Albert

Timetable tweaked

Performance issues requires timetable for Connolly side of Dublin commuter services to be amended.

Titanic builder fabricates new underframe for preserved historic Ulster Railway carriage

Apprentices at Harland & Wolff are constructing a

County Cork doubling scheme to get underway

IARNRÓD Éireann (IÉ) has awarded a €29.5 million

SLIEVE GULLION RELAUNCHED:

After a 22-year absence, GNR 4-4-0 No. 171

Mk.4 tour to Limerick marks GSR centenary

TÁILTE Tours is due to operate the‘Great Southern

New commuter railways for Manila

Philippines Cape Gauge lines to be rebuilt as electrified standard gauge network.

Alpine tunnel reopens

THE Gotthard BaseTunnel, part-closed since a freight train

Uzbekistan orders EMUs

KOREAN engineering firm Hyundai Rotem has agreed a

Upgrades continue for Canadian passenger fleets

CANADIAN national rail passenger company Via Rail continues

New Zealand fleets benefit from modern rolling stock

Built in Mexico for use in Auckland –

Scenic modelling courses for adults

AFTER a break of four years, Pendon Museum

Fund-raising Darjeeling wagon

BOLE Laser Craft has produced a 16mm scale

Build a live steam tank

SILVER Crest Models has announced the launch of

The Railway Magazine binders and bound volumes

Binders High-quality binders to store your copies of

Modelling map of Britain... locate your friendly expert

1 JACKSONS MODELS Opening times: Monday, Tuesday,