Great Western Railway
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Churchward No. 4270 marks its centenary at Gloucs-Warks line as Foremarke Hall turns 70
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JEREMY Hosking’s Churchward ‘42XX’ 2-8-0T No. 4270 celebrated its 100th anniversary at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway (GWSR) over the weekend of September 14-15. There was no telegram from HM Queen for this particular centenary, but the GWSR acknowledged the milestone with the production of a special headboard, which the heavy freight tank carried all weekend. The…
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Avon Valley buys a ‘Gronk’ for £1
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THE Avon Valley Railway took delivery of fully operational Class 08 No. 08663 on July 8 – being in effect a donation from Great Western Railway (GWR). The loco has been used in recent years at GWR’s St Philip’s Marsh depot, Bristol for moving diesel multiple units and high-speed train carriages around the depot. The 350hp…
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Pannier No. 4612 back in Bodmin & Wenford traffic
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GREAT Western motive power returned to the Bodmin & Wenford Railway for the first time in 2019 when Collett ‘8750’ 0-6-0PT No. 4612 rejoined the working fleet in late-July after overhaul. The loco passed its steam test on July 18 and, following running-in turns, took its place on the passenger roster the next week. The pannier’s…
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GWR InterCity 125s bow out in style
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GREAT Western Railway said farewell to long-distance InterCity 125 operation on June 1 with an epic railtour visiting many parts of the GWR network. The first and last production HST power cars – Nos. 43002 Sir Kenneth Grange and 43198 – powered standard eight-car set LA72 on an itinerary embracing Bristol, Paddington, Oxford, Hereford, Carmarthen and…
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No. 813 returns to the North East for Tanfield ‘legends’ gala
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FORMER Backworth Collieries 0-6-0ST No. 12, better known in preservation as Great Western Railway No. 813, returned to the Tanfield Railway to celebrate its North East heritage at the line’s Legends of Industry gala on June 14-16. The 1901-built ‘Swindonised’ Hudswell, Clarke last visited Tanfield in 2007, and again was present courtesy of the GWR 813 Preservation…
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Didcot’s ‘Saint’ unveiled in full Georgian finery
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THE Great Western Society’s re-creation of a Churchward ‘Saint’ 4-6-0 – No. 2999 Lady of Legend – is officially complete. The milestone has been achieved 45 years after donor locomotive No. 4942 Maindy Hall was acquired from Barry Scrapyard in 1974. The ‘Saint’ made its public debut at Didcot, albeit cold and in unlined black, in November…
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GWR honours first responders
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GREAT Western Railway has named Class 800 IET set No. 800023 after two first responders, including a fire fighter who died in the line of duty. One end of the set has been named after Fleur Lombard, who died on February 4, 1996 fighting a fire started by an arsonist at Leo’s Supermarket, Bristol. At the…
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£40million Exeter depot beginning to take shape
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THE impressive new £40million train maintenance depot next to Exeter St Davids is now taking shape, although the stated opening date of ‘summer 2019’ looks somewhat ambitious. The project was announced at the beginning of 2018 and is being built by Hochtief for Network Rail, Great Western Railway and the Department for Transport. This April…
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A railway in BARBADOS AGAIN
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The tiny independent nation of Barbados has an operating railway once more after a gap of more than 80 years. Keith Fender and Glen Beadon look at the Caribbean island’s troubled railway history and the development of the latest venture. BARBADOS’ first female Prime Minister, the Honourable Mia Amor Mottley, opened a rebuilt railway on the…
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Podcast: A taste of the Severn Valley on the footplate
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Gareth Evans recalls his half-day footplate experience course on the Severn Valley Railway.
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