Issue 231

ISSUE 231
July 28, 2017 – August 24, 2017

News
Headline News 6
National Railway Museum head Paul
Kirkman steps down; investigation
launched after child nearly falls
through hole in moving carriage
floor on South Devon Railway; shock
death of auction house boss rocks
railwayana movement and Wolverton
Works demolition begins.

News 10
Flying Scotsman and Tornado for big
Barrow Hill September reopening;
royal visit for South Tynedale Railway
as Slaggyford extension opens;
sudden closure of Penrhyn Quarry
Railway; Gwili Railway southern
extension launch picture special;
Foxfield Railway 50th anniversary gala
stunner; fresh hopes for Ashburton
revival; Darjeeling Himalayan Railway
closed by separatist riots; steam back
at Southwold after 88 years; wagon
shed planned for Severn Valley; NRM
denies reports of offer for Australian
UK-built Garratt; council boost for
Churnet Valley’s Leek extension; steam
back on Kingsbridge Quay and big
push to buy Tornado tender.

Main Line News 58
B1 Mayflower: owner David Buck
now aiming for Christmas comeback;
‘Black Five’ The Sherwood Forester
back on main line; why a diesel
worked the ‘Torbay Express’; A4 Sir
Nigel Gresley to keep blue livery and
Tyseley’s two Castles to Carlisle bid.

With Full Regulator 62
Don Benn reports on Southern steam
anniversary performances.

Regulars
Subscribe Today 30

Railwayana 44
Geoff Courtney’s regular column.

Centre 54
Clan Line on the ‘Bournemouth
Belle’ at Vauxhall by Mick
Alderman.

Main Line Itinerary 66
Steam and heritage diesel
railtours.

Platform 84
Where your views matter most.

Up & Running 94
Guide to railways running in
August.

The Month Ahead 106

Features

50 years after the end.
It is now half a century since Britain’s last steam main line went over to
electric traction overnight. Brian Sharpe gives a summary of how this
historically significant anniversary was marked.46

94 of the best
50 years ago there was only one
standard gauge preserved railway
running timetabled steam services
and time was running out to save any
more main line steam engines for
posterity. Brian Sharpe pays tribute
to the steam engines purchased
from BR during the 1960s to carry on
steaming in the first wave of heritage
railways to be opened.68

Western Cape Steam Revival
The recent reopening of an 11-mile
former closed railway through
Mitchell’s Pass in the Western Cape,
South Africa has led to new steam
excursions by Ceres Rail using two
former British-built locomotives.
Rodney Towers tells the story.76

All aboard the Jumbo Express
The Whipsnade Zoo railway leads a
quiet existence and is rarely
reported on. Peter Brown visited the
railway in July for an update.91