West Coast Railways
-
MPs voice support for ‘The Jacobite’ service
Posted
by
MPs have asked Rail Minister Huw Merriman to help West Coast Railways (WCR) secure permission to run its ‘The Jacobite’ service. WCR has operated the heritage service for more than 30 years. For almost 20 of those years, the Office of Rail and Road (ORR) has granted it an exemption to operate with hinged-door carriages…
-
West Coast Railways can resume Jacobite train services, says safety body
Posted
by
The train service featured in the Harry Potter movies can resume after being granted a temporary exemption to a safety rule.
-
Big Pacifics dominate RTC autumn/winter tours
Posted
by
THE Railway Touring Company’s regular summer operations are over for another year, but there is a tempting selection of railtours for the autumn and winter months. October 12 sees one of its regular ‘Cumbrian Mountain Express’ trips from Euston to Carlisle, utilising electric No. 86259 Les Ross as far as Carnforth, where one of the West…
-
Tornado set for ‘Great Britain’ debut
Posted
by
CONTINUING co-operation between West Coast Railways and The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust means Peppercorn ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado will make its debut on the ‘Great Britain’ landcruise train in 2020. The 13th edition of the Railway Touring Company’s grand tour of England, Scotland and Wales will roll out of London King’s Cross behind the ‘A1’ on…
-
Three Type 3s – to the sea!
Posted
by
THREE Class 37s at the head of a heavy freight train used to be a regular sight in South Wales and around Glasgow in BR days, but such a trio has always been a rare event on passenger trains. On August 11, the Branch Line Society completed its two-day ‘Type 3 to the Sea’ trip…
-
Stanier pair celebrate Conwy Valley reopening
Posted
by
NETWORK Rail and Transport for Wales Rail Services hosted a special main line steam trip on August 3 to celebrate the reopening of the Conwy Valley line in North Wales. ‘The Conwy Quest’, double-headed by West Coast Railways’ Stanier ‘8F’ No. 48151 and ‘Jubilee’ No. 45690 Leander, ran from Chester to Blaenau Ffestiniog. At Llandudno Junction there…
-
Yorkshire BLS tour raises £15k for charity
Posted
by
THE Branch Line Society and West Coast Railways operated the ‘Luca Pezzulo Express’ on July 20, visiting rare freight lines around Yorkshire. Highlights included a rare trip over the remnants of the Woodhead Route, running beyond the Network Rail boundary into Liberty Steel’s Stocksbridge Steelworks, near Sheffield, and the former Tinsley Yard. The train also…
-
BLS tour brings Class 31 back to the main line
Posted
by
JUNE 9 saw a Class 31 return to main line action after a gap of several months. Nemesis Rail’s No. 31128 Charybdis, currently the only Brush Type 2 authorised for use on Network Rail metals, powered the Branch Line Society’s ‘Sunday Yicker’ tour in top-and-tail formation with West Coast Railways’ No. 37668 and just four WCRC Mk1…
-
West Coast launches regular Stratford steam
Posted
by
Stratford-upon-Avon will gain its second regular steam operation later this month when West Coast Railways launches its ‘Merchant of Avon’ trains on July 28. Five summer Sunday trains are planned initially, starting from Burton-on-Trent and calling at Tamworth, Coleshill Parkway, Henley-in-Arden, Tyseley, Dorridge and Stratford on July 28, August 11/25 and September 8/22. During its…
-
Type 4s deputise after Torbay steam failures
Posted
by
Steam Dreams’ ‘Cathedral Express’ trip from Slough to Kingswear was powered by two West Coast Railways Class 47s on May 4 after the booked steam locomotives suffered failures. The original plan was for a WCRC ‘47’ to work the train as far as Taunton, where David Buck’s ‘B1’ No. 61306 Mayflower would take over for the…
