British Railways

  • Ryde Rail: A History of Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight

    Ryde Rail: A History of Tube Trains on the Isle of Wight

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    By Richard C Long ONE of the quirkiest and most interesting parts of the UK rail network is the line from Shanklin to Ryde Pier Head on the Isle of Wight.  Since 1967, the line has been operated using second-hand London Transport Tube trains, and this new book provides a thorough history of the island’s electric…

  • TRAIN TEST: LONDON OVERGROUND CLASS 710

    TRAIN TEST: LONDON OVERGROUND CLASS 710

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    Transport for London’s Overground operation has transformed services on many local railways in the capital. As the city’s population grows and demand increases, its train fleet is expanding to create additional capacity. Ben Jones visits the modernised Gospel Oak to Barking line to sample the first Bombardier ‘Aventra’ design to enter service. Class 710 is the…

  • Poppy Line launches appeal to restore Sheringham’s platform 2

    Poppy Line launches appeal to restore Sheringham’s platform 2

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    THE North Norfolk Railway (NNR) has mounted a £185,000 appeal to return platform 2 at Sheringham station to the condition it was in when the line was closed by BR in 1967.  The project will see the long-demolished waiting room building re-instated, together with the wall, which was primarily there to support the canopy, but…

  • Single-chimney ‘9F’ ready for traffic at North Yorks

    Single-chimney ‘9F’ ready for traffic at North Yorks

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    NEWLY restored BR ‘9F’ No. 92134 has steamed again at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway’s Grosmont workshops, almost four decades after it left Barry Scrapyard for restoration. Howard Self’s single-chimney 2-10-0 was coupled to the borrowed ‘BR1G’ tender from Wansford-based ‘5MT’ No. 73050 City of Peterborough’ It was lit up for the first time on September 6…

  • Bath conundrum

    Bath conundrum

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    I enjoyed Mike Arlett’s articles on Bath Green Park in the August and September’s issues.  In particular, I was pleased to see the Ivo Peters’ photograph in the September article showing the departure of No. 568 on a Bournemouth train, and specifically No. 41902 preparing to leave on a local to Bristol St Philip’s.  One…

  • Practice & Performance: Working at Wortley – 1952

    Practice & Performance: Working at Wortley – 1952

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    Wortley Junction, west of Leeds, was a busy part of the network and had a complex layout. In an unorthodox Practice & Performance,  John Heaton FCILT recalls how the ’box was operated, as well as timings of workings on that route.  DUSK used to fall early on February afternoons in the northern industrial cities of…

  • Rare trip for ‘spruced-up’ East Somerset two-colour DMU

    Rare trip for ‘spruced-up’ East Somerset two-colour DMU

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    CLASS 108 DMU DMBS No. M51909 and DTCL No. M56271 has received considerable attention, including reupholstered seats and re-flooring within the interior.  The driving trailer has been repainted in BR blue but not yet lettered. The driving motor will be repainted over the coming winter. The pair are owned by the Mendip Traction & Rolling Stock Group.…

  • Peak Rail Type 3 refreshed

    Peak Rail Type 3 refreshed

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    CLASS 37 No. 37152 British Steel Ravenscraig has received extensive bodywork attention followed by a repaint in BR large logo livery from Railfreight red-stripe colours.  It has been returned to a former number, 37310, and is seen newly out-shopped on August 10. It is based at Rowsley South, Peak Rail. It was originally numbered D6852 and…

  • A1 trust takes delivery of first new components   for ‘V4’ project

    A1 trust takes delivery of first new components for ‘V4’ project

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    THE first new components for the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust’s (A1SLT) third new-build locomotive – Gresley ‘V4’ 2-6-2 No. 3403 – have been delivered to Darlington Locomotive Works ahead of the project’s formal launch next year. The £4,320 order for 12 tender spring hooks was placed with Unilathe of Stoke-on-Trent as part of a larger order…

  • Cheltenham ‘resplendent’ in BR lined green at Mid-Hants Railway

    Cheltenham ‘resplendent’ in BR lined green at Mid-Hants Railway

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    ‘SCHOOLS’ class 4-4-0 Cheltenham has emerged from the Mid-Hants Railway’s (MHR) Ropley workshops as No. 30925, resplendent in British Railways’ lined green. The repaint of the National Railway Museum locomotive was completed by Heritage Painting with assistance from MHR volunteers, transforming it from Southern Railway malachite green into the guise the loco carried during its final…

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