Issue 243

ISSUE 243
June 29 – July 26, 2018

Headline News 6
West Coast Railways saves the day in
‘takeover’ of Windermere branch after
Northern Rail services halted; Former
Hornby HQ now houses full-size
electric trains as well as A4 Bittern;
Talyllyn runs live on internet; touts
selling tickets for Flying Scotsman
Nene Valley specials and an MBE for
Railworld volunteer.

News 10
Passenger train back at Slaggyford
after 42 years; Stephenson’s Rocket
back in home town; Channel 4 show
brings four coaches back from the
dead; new head for Locomotion; MP
angers Rother Valley-KESR link
supporters; Churchward centenarian
returns to Severn Valley service;
Chasewater celebrates 50 years;
Princes Risborough main line
interchange opening; Seaton
Tramway opens new terminus; builder
sought for new Gresley P2 No. 2007
Prince of Wales boiler and Calder Valley
DMU steals the show at the Llangollen
Railway gala.

Main Line News 56
Vintage Trains tops £800k target
to launch new Train Operating
Company; new main line DMU
services running into Corfe Castle;
Union of South Africa is back and
Railway Touring Company cancels
end of Southern steam special.

Subscribe Today 30

Centre 54
Oliver Cromwell on Stanway viaduct.

Main Line Itinerary 68
Steam and heritage diesel
railtours.

Railwayana 70
Geoff Courtney’s regular column.

Platform 82
Where your views matter most.

Off the Shelf 92
Latest book and DVD releases.

Up & Running 94
Guide to the railways running in July 2018.

The Month Ahead 106
The final week of BR steam
BR steam came to an end on Sunday, August 4, 1968. Trevor Gregg
remembers the final week of steam operations and the specials that ran
to mark the end of steam.


With Full Regulator 64
Don Benn reports on Clan Line’s
stunning performance on the
‘Torbay Express’.

‘End of Steam 52
Commemorative Railtour’
Several railtours were run to mark
the end of BR steam on August 4,
1968. Chris Scott, then aged 22,
travelled on one of the trains and
this is his account of the day, written
soon after the event.

Driver for a Fiver 72
Gareth Evans talks to eight heritage
railways operating low-cost driver
experience courses for £20 and
under and learns about their
approaches and what they can offer
would-be participants in the hope of
inspiring others to ‘have a go’.

Boom times at Broadway! 84
The GloucestershireWarwickshire
Railway’s opening of the
long-awaited northern extension to
Broadway has reaped rich dividends
for the heritage line. Robin Jones
visited the landmark GiveMy
Regards To Broadway spring bank
holiday Cotswold Festival of Steam.

Eardington 150 78
One of the Severn Valley Railway’s
forgotten gems recently celebrated
its milestone with an open weekend.
Paul Appleton went along to find
out more.

Three Island Ivatts 88
The Isle ofWight Steam Railway
celebrated the restoration of three
Ivatt locomotives. Brian Sharpe
reports on the gala weekend that saw
the three 2MTs in steam together for
the first time.