The RAILWAY Magazine

TIMEWARP: Looking almost like a scene from a

A job well done!

AS the Railway 200 year draws to a

OUR WRITING TEAM

JOHN HEATON Practice & Performance CLIFF THOMAS Narrow

Government publishes Railways Bill

The proposed legislation will establish the future GBR structure.

ORR approves access to Temple Mills depot for Virgin Trains

The decision brings it closer to competing against Eurostar as the DfT seeks investors for new train maintenance facilities, potentially for multiple international operators.

SHAP DERAILMENT

The West Coast Main Line in Cumbria was

Passenger demand grows but revenue lags behind

BETWEEN April and June this year, a 7%

Man charged with the Huntingdon stabbings

A MAN has been remanded in custody after

Lumo seeks rights extension for Stirling to Euston service

Trains will not start running until spring, but the open access operator’s parent company FirstGroup already has a case for paths to continue beyond May 2030.

PLYMOUTH ‘TURBO’

There was a rare visit of a GWR

Early December launch expected for the first of EMR’s ‘Aurora’ fleet

EAST Midlands Railway expects the first of its

New Docklands trains stopped

CAF-built B23 fleet temporarily withdrawn after a stopping incident in wet weather.

IRISH RAIL REOPENING

The Irish Government has confirmed that the line

Railways in Parliament

Assaults tackled NEWTON Abbot MP Martin Wrigley asked

The Duke is back

Guinness World Record: Longest-running railway series, established in 1901

70 years and counting

Photographer and writer John Vaughan looks back over his railway photography career – including his first ever published photo in the November 1965 issue of The RM.

Meet Mr Headboard

Mel Thorley describes his career as an amateur headboard maker, having created more than three dozen so far as an enthusiast, trainman and driver.

The spark that lit the flame

To round off the Railway 200 year, we present a third and final selection of memories about how rail enthusiasm began for you.

A safe pair of hands

Neil Taylor describes the dark tale of a watchful guardian angel.

MEETINGS

Please check with organisers before travelling to events.

From the archive

Subscribe and read previous issues at www.railwaymagazine.co.uk/archive

The RCTS: then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

PANORAMA

A showcase for the best in railway photography

Railway 200 keepsake

THIS bookazine is a great way to remember

‘Western’ calendars

THE Western Locomotive Association has again released calendars

From Chocolate to Cider

FIVE generations of Paul Stanford’s family have been

Rails around Manchester

MANCHESTER has nearly 200 years of railway history

British Railways Freight Terminals Since 1960

THIS is a good quality and well-presented publication

The Long View: December

Locomotion No. 1

The NOSTALGIA Collection

The crossword winner and two runners-up can choose

TRACK RECORD

TERRIFIC PACIFIC: Newly restored ‘Merchant Navy’ No. 35005

Clun Castle recreates 1965’s Paddington farewell to steam

Swindon-built 4-6-0 recreates famous railtour from 60 years ago.

‘Manor’ suffers piston failure

AN unfortunate turn of events has seen GWR

‘Merchant Navy’ bows out

WITH its 10-year boiler ticket due to expire

Chinnor gala breaks records

THIRTY-ONE years ago, few volunteers at the Chinnor

Britannia headlines NNR’s 50th finale

BRINGING the curtain down on a challenging, yet

Eddystone’s first steam over restored East West Rail route

A HIATUS of 58 years was brought to

Main line tour in Kent commemorates Armistice Day

‘WEST Country’ Eddystone has certainly been making the

BLUEBELL RED:

Repainted red for its role in a new

Pump trolley challenge raises funds for Pannier appeal

THE Kent & East Sussex Railway pulled an

SIDELINES

Dunrobin regains boiler WHILE under long-term overhaul at

No ‘Santa’ season for Weardale

Shortage of serviceable locos leads to ‘sad’ cancellation

BLS PAIR:

LNWR ‘Coal Tank’ No. 1054 pilots LMS ‘Jubilee’

Spooks galore on the Bluebell’s Halloween specials

THE sight of a ghoulish face on a

Strathspey Railway’s £1 million anonymous donation

A DONATION said to be in excess of

SIDELINES

Pendennis Castle to spend winter at GSWR HAVING

DIARY

In addition to the listed events below, many

Beamish Museum hands over two locomotives to the Tanfield Railway

The donation has been described as a ‘massive

Progress with reassembly of Slough Estates No. 3

THE reassembly of Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST Slough Estates

Gala features all of Stephenson’s working locos

Ashington Colliery No. 5 and No. 401 are

New shed crucial to East Somerset Railway carriage restoration project

Covered accommodation and further helping hands will be needed to return up to six late 19th and early 20th-century coaches to traffic.

ONE IN AND ONE OUT:

A 1959-built Hurst, Nelson & Company Esso fuel

Wensleydale home for Brake Gangwayed No. 92347

THE Wensleydale Railway has become the new home

DIARY

Please check with railways before travelling to events

British Rail blue locomotive steams on the Rheidol again

VoR shows-off BR era during its late October Steam Festival.

Fiftieth anniversary of last MER mail service marked at end of season

THE Manx Electric Railway (MER) closed its main

Ernest Twining locomotives’ reunion at Romney

THE Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway’s October 18-19

RUSTON SURVIVOR:

Newly added to the Vale of Rheidol Railway’s

Office of Rail and Road requires LBR to end flagging of road crossings

THE Leighton Buzzard Railway (LBR) will require upgraded

W&LLR acquires Austrian observation carriage

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

Unique steam Monoloco returns to operation

The Monoloco pictured back in steam at the

New-build Hunslet 2-8-4T project is no longer a secret

THE existence of a new-build Hunslet 2-8-4T which

SIDELINES

■ REBUILDING of the Cleethorpes Coast Light Railway’s

Electrifying names for battery locos

THE two ex-Costain Tideway Tunnel Project 2012-built Clayton

Tunnel trains will return next year

LEICESTERSHIRE Industrial History Society’s 7¼-inch gauge railway inside

Severn Beach Miniature Railway plans abandoned

Preparations for a 10¼-inch line at Promenade Gardens

GUEST APPEARANCE:

South Downs Light Railway 0-4-2 Bagnall saddle tank

Return of heritage trams to Blackpool seafront was ‘huge hit’ with passengers

Trips during the town’s Lightpool Festival completely sold

TSO to sponsor work on Crich-based Johannesburg No. 60

MEMBERS of the Tramcar Sponsorship Organisation have agreed

SIDELINES

Highly successful Halloween at EATM EAST Anglia Transport

End of the road approaches for the final unrestored ‘Peak’

After more than two decades spent unrestored at the Battlefield Line, the former No. D14 now looks set to be scrapped.

AC Cars railbus returns to Cirencester Town after a gap of 63 years

AC Cars railbus No. W79978 on display at

‘HYMEK’ LOOKS THE PART:

Immaculate Class 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7018 approaches Swithland

Class 08 acquistion takes DEPG up to 11

THE Diesel & Electric Preservation Group (DEPG) has

EDWARDIAN ELECTRIC TAKES A STROLL:

One of the more unusual participants at the

SIDELINES

Progress on Ivatt revival WORK continues to progress

DIARY

Please check with railways before travelling to events

Popular railtours market still facing a challenging time as 2025 draws to a close

Following the excitement of Christmas-themed excursions, the year end will spell the beginning of a quieter period for operators.

ON HIRE:

The Belmond British Pullman stock is seen on

COASTBOUND ‘TRACTOR’:

On November 15, Class 37 No. 37240 worked

MAKING A SCENE:

The exhaust from ‘Black Five’ 4-6-0 No. 44871

New DRS Daventry to Coatbridge service is launched

DIRECT Rail Services launched a new Daventry-Coatbridge container

Freightliner holds event in remembrance of colleagues

CLASS 66 No. 66605 was named Tribute at

Longer trains launched to serve Teesport’s Scottish customers

PD Ports says the new service to Mossend and Grangemouth creates an extra 40 slots for containers each week.

Network Rail prepares to promote freight potential of Tavistock Junction Yard

FACILITIES at Tavistock Junction Yard on the eastern

Major repairs now completed to Metrolink’s Whitefield Tunnel

New precast concrete roof beams and supports have been installed to make the Victorian structure fit for the future.

‘Tap in, tap out’ fare payment system coming soon to West Midlands Metro

VALIDATION points are being installed at tram stops

Trial leads the way to permanent welcome for dogs on Supertram

DOGS can now travel on Supertram services on

SIDELINES

Step-free access for travellers at Warwick STEP-FREE access

SHAPING-UP:

Construction of a new station at Balgray on

Simpler fares mean average tickets will fall by 5.6%

CHANGES to rail fares in the Greater Manchester

More multi-dimensional maps of Southeastern stations to go online

One of the maps already produced of Ashford

Regulator makes redress mandatory for failed passenger assistance

THE Office of Rail and Road (ORR) told

NEW FOOTBRIDGE:

The Welsh seaside resort of Tenby is to

Network Rail launches Platform4 to regenerate land across its estate

NETWORK Rail’s new property development company, Platform4, was

Bridge due for installation

Staircases for the bridge are seen prior to

First-of-a-kind low-carbon track laid in South London

WHAT is believed to be the first installation

SIGNALBOXES CLOSE:

Completion of phase two of Network Rail’s Port

SIDELINES

SWR restores West of England timetable SOUTH Western

ORR gives the go-ahead for new Class 99s to enter into service

The first revenue-earning train to be hauled by one of GBRf’s new bi-mode locos is expected to run in early 2026.

Procurement process now launched for ScotRail’s suburban trains

MANUFACTURERS planning a bid to supply 69 new

Variable rate sanding equipment for Scottish DMUs

A TOTAL of 74 ScotRail diesel multiple units

Five-year ‘Electrostar’ refurbishment programme completed at Selhurst

THE return of Southern Class 387 No. 387305

Alstom and South Western Railway agree £66 million support and spares deal for Class 701 ‘Arterio’ fleet

ALSTOM has agreed a four-and-a-half-year deal worth £66million

WEARING POPPIES WITH PRIDE

AWC/SOUTHEASTERN Special cab-side poppy-themed designs were unveiled on

SIDELINES

No. 60060 may be set for return to

Wagon Report

YELLOW Rail, part of the Buckland Rail group

Stock Update

Former South Western Railway Class 455 EMUs Nos.

The network’s notable moves

Rail Head Treatment Trains (RHTT) The Rail Head

Foynes roof work under way as line advances towards reopening

October 2026 set as the target date for

DEMOLITION TRAIN:

SEAN CAIN Railway operations by Bord na Móna

Legal challenge threatens €650 million Enterprise fleet replacement contract

A HEARING took place at the High Court

King’s Award for Downpatrick & Co Down

THE Downpatrick & County Down Railway has received

Mixed fortunes for passenger operations in the United States

Ridership in some areas is yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, but 2025 has been a year of expansion in others.

BLS TOURS VIENNA

ANDY DAVIES The UK-based Branch Line Society organised

New Vectrons for Czech and Slovak operators

CZECH national rail company České dráhy (ČD) has

DB Museum in Halle to close due to costs

GERMAN national rail operator Deutsche Bahn (DB) announced