Issue 226

ISSUE 226
March 10 – April 6, 2017

News
Headline News 6
David Smith’s Bulleid Merchant
Navy Pacific No. 35018 British India
Line to become next main line star;
Lynton & Barnstaple turn a major
obstruction into profit; ‘Great Britain
X’ line-up revised; Carnforth’s iconic
Brief Encounter clock stops following
a ‘race row’ and Bala Lake gets its first
foothold in Bala.

News 10
New Saint Lady of Legend ‘unlikely to
go main line’; Farewell to West
Somerset’s ‘No.1’ John Pearce; Great
Central ‘Black Five’ booked for big
Toddington festival; Dormans opens
door for Flying Scotsman’s Easter
Bluebell Railway visit; Beattie well tank
returns ‘home’ to South Devon
Railway; North Eastern Locomotive
Preservation Group and North Norfolk
Railway share top Heritage Railway
Association award; Bo’ness bid for £2
million steam facility; hurdles tumble
as Llangollen marches into central
Corwen; and go-ahead for Elsecar
level crossings.

Main Line News 56
Festive ‘Jacobite’ trains confirmed;
Settle and Carlisle ‘Plandampf’ big hit
with public; tour programme blitzed
by cancellations and gauging issue
forces Vintage Trains reshuffle.

With Full Regulator 64
Don Benn reports on performances
by BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0s.

Regulars

Railwayana 46
GeoffCourtney’s regular column.
Centre 54
Bristol waterfront at night by Karl
Heath.
Main Line Itinerary 67
Steam and heritage diesel
railtours.
Platform 84
Where your views matter most.
Off the Shelf 90
Latest book and DVD releases.
Up & Running 94
Guide to railways running in March
and early April.

The Month Ahead 106

Features
It’s a guard’s life
Been thinking about
whether to volunteer
at your local preserved
railway? Paul Appleton
encourages you to
step forward, just as
he did at the Severn
Valley Railway three
years ago

Why steam needs a 90mph limit
There has been considerable debate
recently about raising the speed
limit for main line steam to 90mph
and Tornado is about to undertake
some experimental runs. John
Forman argues that it is time for a
more realistic assessment of high
speed steam performance on the
main line.

Perfect for Snowdonia
Garratt articulated locomotives are
the perfect choice to handle the
heavy demands made on engines
operating on the Welsh Highland
Railway’s steep winding route
through Snowdonia. Allan George
outlines the history of the WHR fleet
of Garratts.

Life on Mars
National Coal Board steam lingered
on in the North East into the 1970s.
Chris Gee reminisces about a
trip to the remains of the Bowes
Railway in 1971, illustrated by more
recent photographs showing how
the preserved section of line has
changed little in the intervening
years