‘Jacobite’ jostling

THERE have been some fun and games on

OUR WRITING TEAM

IAN SMITH Industrial steam JACK BOSKETT Classic Traction

‘Jacobite’ resumes – but steam loco stalls on first trip of the year

West Coast’s operation is back – but rival Locomotive Services Group runs crew training trips available to the public on a ‘turn up and go’ basis over two days.

Betton Grange steams into action

For the first time since 1965, a ‘Grange’

NEW-BUILD LOCOS TAKE SHAPE

Members of the public were invited to view

BRUSH TYPE 4 MAKES HISTORY

No. 47712 Lady Diana Spencer is believed to

New train order reprieves Derby factory at the eleventh hour

Additional trains for the Elizabeth Line give Litchurch Lane hope for the future.

Funding confirmed to build new cross-border ‘Enterprise’ fleet

PLANS to replace the crossborder‘Enterprise’fleet and deliver a

More Class 153s readied for Heart of Wales line

‘Active Travel’ units will be attached to standard classmates on previously singlecar services, boosting capacity on the scenic Shrewsbury-Swansea route.

First daylight electric run to Pontypridd

Class 756 test movement is another step towards completion of major modernisation on the ‘Core Valley Lines’.

SIDELINES

Class 18 to Freightliner CLASS 18 No. 18006

LNER removals container unearthed – in Antwerp!

Pre-Nationalisation Conflat rail-road box discovered buried in earth bank.

‘THE CARMYLLIE PILOT’ IS BACK:

The return to steam of BR ‘2MT’ 2-6-0

Signalling a digital future with £4 billion investment in control systems

NETWORK Rail says its 10-year signalling plan will

Heritage line landslip

The side of a cutting that slipped just

Landslip watch

A round-up of disruption across the network caused by problems with cuttings and embankments.

Memorial Day celebrates the life of RM writer Peter Nicholson

Preservationist and long-time Railway Magazine writer remembered at Somerset museum tribute.

Railways in Parliament

Combatting strikes LORD Taylor of Warwick asked what

SIDELINES

Interest sought for people mover deal BUSINESSES interested

Colne Valley Viaduct crosses the Grand Union Canal

Just over half-a-mile more of high-speed route structure to assemble as it strides out over historic waterway.

SPECIFICATIONS APPROVED:

Designs for two viaducts on HS2’s approach to

Back in the ring

After a gap of more than seven years, the DTG’s ‘Western’ No. D1015 successfully defended its title as the sole main line diesel-hydraulic, as John Heaton FCILT reports.

Remembering the all-line timetable

To mark the 50th anniversary of British Rail’s first all-line timetable, Dr Joseph Brennan looks back over the history of such guides to services from the earliest Bradshaws to today’s digital offerings.

West Coast wires

Mike Jones reflects on the fortunes of the West Coast Main Line over the five decades since electrified services began running through to Glasgow in May 1974.

Bodmin bouncing back

There is much that is authentically Cornish to discover at the Bodmin Railway, as Paul Bickerdyke finds out.

Yellow Submarines

John Heaton FCILT visits Merseyside to sample the new Class 777 EMUs on third-rail and battery power, whilst looking back to the outgoing Class 507 and earlier Class 502 sets.

Neville Hill

125 years old and still evolving

Lightbulb moment

PANORAMA in the April issue (pages 46/47) offered

Living in the past

HAVING read in The RM (April issue) about

Where is it?

Our pictorial quiz, for fun only MANY congratulations

PUTTING THE RECORD STRAIGHT

■THE note on page 68 of the April

MEETINGS

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1 Bradford Railway Circle. Bradford Mechanics’Institute

PANORAMA

A showcase for the best in railway photography

PANORAMA

A showcase for the best in railway photography

The RCTS: Then and now

Britain’s leading Railway Society

Pannier pair are now resident at Minehead locomotive shed

West Somerset Railway fleet gears up for the future as overhauls progress.

MOGUL SHINES:

JOHN TITLOW The Severn Valley Railway allowed a sneak

MAKING AN ENTRANCE:

Construction of the new pedestrian entrance to Didcot Railway

Four in steam for Dee Valley event

GWR 0-6-0PT No. 7754 and GWR ‘38XX’ 2-8-0

Gala proves a hit and young volunteering is put in focus

THE East Lancashire Railway has described it’s March

SIDELINES

Itemised thefts A REGISTER of stolen items is

Wheel milestone reached

New-build ‘G5’ locomotive takes shape in Shildon.

SIDELINES

Cotswold gala roster THE latest visiting locomotive has

COLOURFUL COMBINATION:

Ahead of its return to main

Moors confirms oil-firing future for Dame Vera Lynn

THE North Yorkshire Moors Railway (NYMR) is working

PEAK TIME ON SHED:

An impressive line-up of motive power was on

Avon Valley celebrates half-century with four-day gala

THE Avon Valley Railway (AVR) marked its 50th

Relaid sidings set to boost Severn Valley Railway revenue

SIDINGS have been reinstated at Foley Park to

FAMILY GET-TOGETHER:

Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway kicked off its 2024

DIARY

MAY May 3-6 West Somerset: Spring Steam Spectacular

Boughton opens for business!

Volunteers delight as new station on Northampton & Lamport Railway ceremonially opened by local MP.

Broadway train services resume after first phase of viaduct repairs

GLOUCESTERSHIRE Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR) services began running

Chinnor upgrades its ‘independent line’ track

GWR 2-6-2T No. 4555 is on hire to

No scheduled Swanage trains to Wareham

REGULAR Swanage Railway passenger services will not operate

‘28XX’ stopped for repairs

GWR ‘28XX’2-8-0 No. 2807, which returned to the

Milk train reborn

Half-a-dozen tankers gathered to re-create the past at the East Somerset Railway.

Steam loco fleet strengthened

Trio of operational 0-6-0STs now on Aln Valley Railway roster following arrival of recently overhauled Renishaw Ironworks No.6 from Tanfield.

Contemporary Edwardian Barclay suits the ‘Middy ’

Roster THE Mid-Suffolk Light Railway (MSLR) has hired

READY FOR A DAY’S WORK:

Two Hunslet ‘Austerities’ being prepared for work at

£500k redevelopment appeal

Talyllyn Railway unveils development plans for for Tywyn

FREIGHT IN FOCUS:

Beamish Museum’s April 6/7 Wheels of Industry event

Gertrude enters Leighton Buzzard service after overhaul

ANDREW Barclay 0-6-0T Gertrude (AB1578/1918) entered service at

SINGLE LINES

■ GRAHAM Morris’ Kerr Stuart 0-4-0ST ‘Wren’ Peter

FR plans carbon-neutral shuttles to transport visitors to Boston Lodge

DURING a behind-the-scenes tour of Boston Lodge in

Guest locos gear up for galas

ENTHUSIAST events at two 15in gauge heritage lines

One in, one out at Statfold

A debutant at Statfold’s Spectacle of Steam Weekend

EASTER MONDAY STEAM

Devon Railway Centre began its 2024 operating season

Gowrie boiler appeal launched

THE Gowrie Locomotive Trust has launched an appeal

SINGLE LINES

■ WELSH Highland Heritage Railway’s (WHHR) ex-WDLR Baldwin

New boiler needed for 19B

Good news, bad news and surprising news for Statfold-based Darjeeling loco.

SPRING STEAM IN THE SUN:

Threlkeld Railway & Mining Museum resident Bagnall

DIARY

MAY 4-5 Ffestiniog Railway Friends Day 4-5 Welsh

Manx Northern Railway carriage repatriation plan

THE Isle of Man Steam Railway Supporters’ Association

Battery power boosts fleet

Brand new loco debuts at family railway attraction in Mid-Devon.

Essex galas

TWO lines in the county of Essex are

Electrical issues delay start of new season

Movements of trams resumed at Crich during the four-day bank holiday weekend, but a substation failure led to cancellation of the Easter Sunday launch at Heaton Park.

SIDELINES

Tramtown workshop tours begin THE first workshop tours

‘Terror Tram’ back in service

EAST Anglia Transport Museum’s (EATM) 2024 season began

Successful test runs for DEPG’s preservation pioneer ‘Hymek’

West Somerset Class 35 is one step closer

SIDELINES

Pioneer 26 for East Lancs FIRST-BUILT Class 26

DPS ‘Deltic’ round-up

THE Deltic Preservation Society’s No. D9015 (55015) Tulyar

Class 20s for WSR gala

TWO Class 20s will visit the West Somerset

BR BLUE FOR MOORS ‘37’:

The North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Class 37 No.

MARGATE ‘47’ SWAP:

Locomotive Services Ltd’s Type 4 No. 47841 The

Midland ‘Pacer’ is ready for comeback in September

FORMER Northern Trains Class 142 ‘Pacer’ No. 142013

FUNDING AWARD FOR LLANELLI

Two Government grants worth £60,000 have been awarded

SIDELINES

Four guests announced for Keighley gala THE Keighley

DIARY

May 5 Midsomer Norton Railway Diesel Brake Van

Trouble-free trial for CVR ‘47’

Type 4 in final stages of extensive overhaul.

Large Logo repaint for Class 50 Alliance ‘Hoovers’

THE Class 50 Alliance has announced that Nos.

CLASS 90 PROGRESS AT CREWE

Good progress is being made on the restoration

MERSEYRAIL ‘507’ SAVED

The Class 507 Preservation Society has reached an

Classic Traction Portfolio

1 HEAVY LOCO, LIGHT RAILWAY: The remarkable sight

SIDELINES

Bookings are open for ‘Peak’ return WITH the

Tornado to face S&C test

FOLLOWING the completion of a major overhaul,‘A1’No. 60163

Rail trespassers beware

GoPro camera to be used on Vintage Trains steam tour to help identify trespassers.

TYPE 3s FOR CAMBRIAN TRIP:

Network Rail Class 37 Nos. 97304 John Tiley

‘SKODA’ AT SUNDERLAND BRIDGE:

LSL Class 90 No. 90001 Royal Scot works

‘Cromptons’ to tackle the S&C

RARE traction over the famed Settle & Carlisle

ROYAL SCOT IN KENT

LMS 4-6-0 No. 46100 Royal Scot breaks new

‘Whistler’ tour to Skegness

PATHFINDER Railtours is heading to Skegness on July

Andania to head charity charter

THIS year’s annual Railway Benefit Fund (RBF) fundraising

RARE TRACK TOUR:

In a heavy storm, GB Railfreight Class

SIDELINES

Revenue check A CRACKDOWN on fare evaders using

Void filled after derailment

Investigations and extensive repairs required after incident involving DMU on the north side of Morecambe Bay.

£150m Hope Valley upgrade completed

TO mark the completion of the Hope Valley

40% of UK stations remain inaccessible

ASTUDY by German travel comparison site Omio has

Trial build of new Dumfries footbridge

ANEW £3.6 million footbridge for Dumfries station has

£4.8bn investment for Scotland’s railways over next five years to boost resilience

FUNDING for Scotland’s rail network over the next

SIDELINES

Glenfinnan viaduct repairs to cost £3.4m NETWORK Rail

Partners ‘proud’ of successful nuclear material movements by rail

Programme to move over 1000 containers of low level radioactive waste was completed ahead of schedule.

Rail takes the RAP as target is set for use of reprocessed asphalt

AGGREGATE Industries (AI) is aiming to move 40,000

Solent Rail Terminal opens following joint investment of £17.5 million

RAIL Minister Huw Merriman officially opened the Solent

SIDELINES

Bulwell derailment report published THE Rail Accident Investigation

Supertram investment case submitted to the Government

New fleet proposed and options for expansion considered as part of vision for ‘bigger and better’ system, integrated with other transport.

COLINDALE

UPGRADE: The first in a series of partial

Further five ‘Super Voyagers’ are set to boost CrossCountry fleet

Operator sets out plans for gradual introduction of former Avanti West Coast sets to strengthen capacity following last year’s HST withdrawals.

GETTING READY FOR A RETURN:

Europhoenix has confirmed that Class 91 No. 91117

Another 31 DB Cargo ‘Tugs’ released for sale

A TOTAL of 31 locomotives have been put

£60m revamp for EMR ‘Regional’ and ‘Connect’ trains

East Midlands Railway Class 360 No. 360108 at

SIDELINES

Inter7City power car repairs SCOTRAIL has confirmed that

SIDELINES

Class 350/3 interior work is completed DIAMOND Rail

Locotractors to replace ‘08s’ at Celsa

Vehicles to be used by GB Railfreight for shunting at former Allied Steel & Wire site.

Wagon Report

Compiled by Steven Fredrick Lappage

The network’s notable moves

Avanti West Coast Driver training and fault free

End of the line

Movements of peat by rail in Ireland has

Bridges back in as Foynes line track laying due to start

WORK on rebuilding the Limerick to Foynes line

BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR TARA TRAFFIC:

NEIL DINNEN It was announced on April 17

Direct Dublin – Rosslare trains could be axed

THE National Transport Authority (NTA) is considering terminating

RPSI railtour to mark 30 years of ‘201’ locos

THE Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) plans

SIDELINES

Go-ahead for brand-new international railway AFTER many years

‘Chargers’ are taking over

New Siemens-built locos are replacing vintage 1990s ‘Genesis’ design.

Financial troubles impact on Argentina’s passenger train operations

PASSENGER services have been suspended or reduced on

RAILTOUR DUTY:

A pair of NClass locos used by Victoria

Locos acquired for new Spanish railway

EIGHTEEN new triple-voltage locos have been acquired by

Fastest trains in South America enter scheduled passenger service in Chile

New bi-mode set No. SFB503 at Curicó on

Railways of Cornwall A decade of change

THERE is something so appealing about the railways

Steam on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway 2023

FOLLOWING on from its compilation of action on

The Railway Magazine binders and bound volumes

Binders High-quality binders to store your copies of

BOOK CORNER

Steam Portfolio

EVENING DIAGRAM: As No. 4079 Pendennis Castle