The Railway Magazine
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South Devon hits half century as first Dart Valley trains are remembered
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THE reopening of the Ashburton branch as the Dart Valley Railway in 1969 was commemorated during early April with a nine-day Golden Anniversary gala at the South Devon Railway (SDR). A combination of historic re-enactments and themed operating days, coupled with a cast of visiting and resident locomotives, provided a wealth of variety to the…
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A1 trust reveals key design changes for new Gresley ‘V4’
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THE A1 Steam Locomotive Trust (A1SLT) is making headway with preparations to launch its project to build new Gresley class ‘V4’ No. 3403 in the spring of 2020. The trust has also revealed some of the improvements it will incorporate into the design, based on 10 years’ operation of ‘A1’ No. 60163 Tornado. The design will largely…
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Obituary: John Ransom (September 24, 1935- March 27, 2019)
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PHILIP John Greer Ransom was born in Northamptonshire. As a child he loved his Dartmoor pony and also cycled to watch the trains on the West Coast Main Line. He developed a passion for steam power and canals, which continued into his late teens when the family moved to North Wales. While in his twenties,…
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India used baskets to coal locos
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THE interesting article on coaling towers opened with “In the beginning, the fuelling of steam was a simple affair. One or two men with shovels etc”. In India this continued until the end of steam in 1995. The photo attached shows four men and their wicker baskets, adding coal to a ‘YG’ class at Darbanga…
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Practice and Performance: City of Truro – Final, final thoughts?
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A Practice & Performance Extra article in The RM August 2015 threw new light on the location where Charles Rous-Marten claimed to have recorded a quarter mile in 8.8secs (effectively 102.3mph) by City of Truro with the ‘Ocean Mails’ special. In essence, the platelayers that caused a brake application appeared to have been at Bradford-on-Avon…
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Hugh Le Fleming
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Robert Humm reviews the life and work of a notable locomotive engineer, writer and artist. Despite the lack of any family technical background, and in the face of paternal disapproval, Hugh Le Fleming rose rapidly in the world of locomotive engineering. Eventually, indifferent health prevented him reaching the top of his profession and he devoted…
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Building on the Broadway
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The 12 months since the opening of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway’s extension to Broadway have seen numerous records broken, with the line continuing to reap the benefits of its connection with the picturesque Cotswolds village. Gary Boyd-Hope went along to find out how the railway has risen to the challenge, and what lessons have been…
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Sentry at the Gate: How the North Warwickshire Line avoided closure
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Fifty years ago this month, the Court of Appeal imposed an injunction on the British Railways Board which prevented them from withdrawing passenger services between Tyseley and Stratford-upon-Avon. Fraser Pithie tells the fascinating tale of how the actions of several campaigners thwarted BR’s closure ‘by stealth’ bid in 1969. THREE years after the publication of…
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Practice & Performance: Diversionary Tactics
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The recent closure of Whiteball Tunnel for three weeks has given John Heaton FCILT an opportunity to compare performances of HSTs and IETs over less familiar routes from Exeter. THE former London & South Western Route to the west came into its own again for three weeks in February/March 2019. What do you do on…
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Battlefield Line secures first away visit for Wightwick Hall in autumn
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No. 6989 Wightwick Hall will get its first real opportunity to ‘stretch its legs’ post-restoration this autumn.
