1378

Ballameanagh) trailing crossover. (Both Jenny Williamson, 22 May 2021.)

X.134] BELOW: Port Erin, the first commuter/breakfast train of 2021 (the af

fternoon return was full and standing). (Graeme Easton and next, Fri 4 Jun.)

BELOW: The rare sight of our John (our Chairman) & Jenny Williamson in

the same photo; while 'commuting' from Laxey to Douglas via Port Erin!

BELOW: (Item 1632) The Category 'B' listed former Newtyle Goods She

ed (previously its first passenger station). (Greg Beecroft, 20 Oct 2019.)

1624] Crogga Valley Railway: (MR p12) The first (non-public) test run of the year was on Sat 29 May.

1378 SCOTLAND (Mike McCabe) [email protected]
1625] SRPS-ticiously anti-clockwise: (BLN 1377.1489) A former BLN-Editor has written in about this;
our members who have been round the stop blocks a few times may recognise the style. (Thank you,
Tony.) Scottish Railway Preservation Society Railtours are not against clocks, wise or otherwise.
Their going forth to circle of the face of Fife from 6 o'clock (morning tour) or 4½ o'clock (afternoon
tour) via 3 o'clock (Kinghorn), 12 o'clock (Glenrothes with Thornton) and 9 o'clock (Stirling) is mainly
because their national network connection is unilateral. Additionally during one of their previous
attempts at travelling the 'other' way round through Longannet their lone steam engine failed to make
the bank from Dunfermline up to Townhill Jn, (which the ScotRail of the time also failed to find funny).

To travel west from Bo'ness Jn needs either a reversal in Linlithgow Up Loop (then fitting in with the
intensive Edinburgh & Glasgow line trains both ways) or running to Edinburgh and returning via the
Suburban Line. The Dalmeny start of the 15 Aug 2021 afternoon tour is partly for the Edinbuggers
(quote) who must make their own way out to Forthside while the steam loco sits and assuages its
thirst from a convenient hydrant or tanker next to the little used Winchburgh Jn to Dalmeny Jn link.

1626] Thornton Yard: (BLN 1359.259) 16,000 sleepers have been delivered for the £75M Levenmouth
rail link. The sleepers will slumber here until relaying work starts in 2022 with the yard used as a base.

1627] Royal Scotsman: On Sat 30 May the train was at Wemyss Bay which features in the 'Western
Scenic Wonders' trip, normally operating every 2-3 weeks during the season. Its standard itinerary:

Friday: 1H85, 13.45 Edinburgh to Spean Bridge 20.51 (via Falkirk High and a reversal at Springburn)

Saturday: 1H86, 08.23 Spean Bridge to Mallaig 10.51-11:34, Fort William 13.28-16.43 and Bridge of
Orchy (18.24). Passengers alight at Arisaig from 10.23-12.02 to visit Morar beach. An afternoon coach
trip from Fort William visits Glenfinnan and Inverlochy Castle. There is an evening ceilidh* on the train
at Bridge of Orchy. (*A social event with Scottish music, singing, traditional dancing, and storytelling.)

Sunday: 1H87 07.49 Bridge of Orchy - Springburn - Bellgrove - Shields Jn - Wemyss Bay 12.06-18.29
- Glasgow Central (rev) - Kilmarnock 20.50 (via an afternoon visit to Mount Stuart on the Isle of Bute).

Monday: 1H88 05.54 Kilmarnock - Muirhouse South Jn - Larkfield Jn - Shotts - Edinburgh Suburban
Line - Edinburgh (09.30). It stands at Midcalder Jn and Portobello Jn for a long time (breakfast!).

The Royal Scotsman is converted from Mk 1 Pullman Cars and Mk 3 sleeping cars and can take up to 40
'guests' mostly operating 'top & tail', normally using 66743 + 66746 which are finished in Belmond
livery. From Fort William to Bridge of Orchy and Wemyss Bay there is no rear loco, so passengers can
take full advantage of the Observation Car (99965) balcony on the back of the train. On Sunday a light
loco runs 0H87 12.00 Fort William Station Sidings to Wemyss Bay 18.08 to work the train onwards.

In case anyone thinks it would be a convenient way to do Cowlairs to Springburn, Larkfield Curve and
the Suburban Line, the fare on 30 May was £4,150. However, that was a bargain; afterwards the
website showed the fare for this Friday to Monday trip as from £4,550! The train used to overnight on
Sunday at Wemyss Bay, but alternative arrangements had to be made in 2015 when the platform
canopies were being renovated and only one platform was available. It ran to Gourock instead, but
Kilmarnock was preferred for an overnight stop and this continued. A few trains are scheduled to use
Wemyss Bay P1, but all have to when the Royal Scotsman is in P2 on a Sunday from 12.06 to 18.29.

Covid restrictions mean that capacity is currently halved to 20. Royal Scotsman offers other schedules
https://bit.ly/34IDH9P in Scotland. GBRf's contract to haul the train has recently been extended for
five years. Fort William - Mallaig has so many trains that the itinerary can't include a prolonged stop at
Glenfinnan (hence the coach trip). It would be interesting to know what happens at Bridge of Orchy.
Up and Down trains call there after Royal Scotsman arrives - do passengers do the sidings? The train is
thought to be longer than the West Highland loops, so all passing moves may require the train in the
opposite direction to arrive first; is this so? It may well be why a long Glenfinnan stop is not possible.

1628] Queen Street: A new extension for retail, food and beverage outlets forms part of the plans for
further development of the station submitted by NR. A 'distinctive' new station entrance at Cathedral
Street level and an enhanced station entrance at North Hanover Street are included, along with a deck
at Cathedral St level for mixed use commercial development. The proposed podium building is east of
the original train shed bordering North Hanover Street, an area recently used as a works compound
and housing temporary accommodation for station staff during station redevelopment. The vision is to
create 'a distinctive gateway' that celebrates travel throughout Scotland and proudly announces arrival
into Glasgow, recognising the architecture and heritage of the station and Glasgow city centre.

1629] Halbeath: Transport Scotland is considering a new Park & Ride station within the next 20 years.
The level crossing (19m 12ch) would be replaced by an overbridge. There needs to be a robust case for
a station to secure funding as it would only be ¾ mile northeast of Dunfermline Queen Margaret.

1630] Edinburgh Trams: From 17 May frequency increased to every seven minutes at the busiest time
(11.00-13.00). Edinburgh Trams' peak is quite different from any other UK public transport system!
Trams continued to run every 15 minutes at other times, until 7 Jun when the full timetable resumed.

1631] Edinburgh Cable Tramway: The first section OP 28 Jan 1888 along Hanover St and Dundas St to
Ferry Rd, Goldenacre. Eventually 2⅔ mile of standard gauge tramway was operated by Edinburgh
Northern Tramways. From 1 Jan 1897 it became part of Edinburgh Corporation Tramway network. Said
to have been the most complex cable tramway to have run in the UK, pulleys were required to move
the trams. During redevelopment, Henderson Row depot façade in Stockbridge (near the line's power
station site) was incorporated into a new office building for Scottish Life Assurance. Two pulleys are
now on display to show how public transport was controlled at the turn of the 20th Century.

1632] Newtyle: On 2 Apr planning permission was granted to convert the historic former Dundee &
Newtyle Railway 'Category B' listed goods shed building here into six dwellings, subject to conditions.
Historic Environment Scotland did not object. The listed building description https://bit.ly/3yVQtjc
says that it is the oldest station site in Scotland to retain any of the original building. According to
Quick (5.02), on 16 Dec 1831 passenger services began running from 'The Engine House at the Law of
Dundee' to 'The Engine House at Hatton Mill, near Newtyle' (poster quoted in Dundee). These points
were probably those later described as Top of Law and Top of Hatton/Hatton. Trains were initially
horse drawn, with a stationary engine working trains up and down the intermediate Balbeuchley
Incline. Stationary engines were installed on the Law and Hatton inclines and then a full service began
on 3 Apr 1832 between Dundee Ward/Ward Street and Newtyle. Locomotives were introduced in
1833 and the gauge was originally 4' 6½". Consent was obtained in 2015 for the building to be
converted for storage and an office, but was not implemented, quite possibly on economic grounds.

1633] Argyle Line: (BLN 1364.3097) Rutherglen to Finnieston is TCP Sat 12 Mar until Sun 8 May 2022
(postponed from 14 Mar until 8 May 2021) to renew the original (1979) concrete slab track bed etc.

1634] RILA: Fugro has been awarded a contract to survey all of Scotland's 1,709 route mile network
with 638 station platforms (have you done them all?) to create a gauge database for NR. This includes
clearance from the track to lineside structures, platforms, objects and the interface of passing trains.
It uses Fugro's train mounted RILA (Railway Infrastructure aLignment Acquisition system), a 360o laser
scanner, which can quickly survey lines without surveyors going anywhere near the tracks - particularly
useful for remote and difficult to access lines. The resulting three dimensional data can monitor ballast
distribution and quantity, earthworks and vegetation. It will also help design electrification projects.

1635] Prestonpans: The 10.22 SO Edinburgh to Newcastle train is booked to spend 10 minutes in the
Up Passenger Loop here to allow the 07.52 SO Aberdeen to King's Cross service to overtake it.

1378 WALES & THE MARCHES (Chris Parker) [email protected]
1636] Gobowen: (BLN 1376.1331) The Pacers left by road for Oswestry station on 18 May. Within the
week they undertook a test run south towards Weston Wharf. The CHR tank wagon (BLN 1332.1848)
has been moved - by unknown means - to the buffer stops of Gobowen No1 Siding (bay platform line).

1637] Corris Railway (CR): (BLN 1371.MR31, e-BLN 1374.X.84) A member visited the lower, southern,
reaches on 24 Apr. With the lack of rail/bus coordination the quickest way from Machynlleth was on
foot along road and riverside paths to the Millennium footbridge over the Afon Dyfi, on the site of the
former CR bridge. Flood damage to its southern approach embankment led to the 1948 closure and is
still visible. The footpath is then on the trackbed to Ffridd Gate station site (½ mile from Machynlleth).
The crossing keeper's house is now a private residence; a curved slate fence, so characteristic of the
CR, delineates the trackbed. Cooke's 1947 GWR Atlas shows the platform sited north of the Llanwrin
(now B4404) road crossing but the 1902 6" map suggests that it was south. The latter appears correct
(and is - see below) as the north side is occupied by a historic turnpike toll house.

He continued walking along the main road; there is no footway or any pedestrian refuge. The trackbed
is alongside at a much lower level, not easily accessible but it would have been far safer! When Corris
passenger trains ran, pre-1931, the road was a bucolic country lane by today's standards. It is now the
A487, one of Wales' two internal north-south trunk routes. He passed the sites of halts at (according to
James Boyd's Narrow Gauge Railways in Mid-Wales, but see below) Dol-y-Dderwen Crossing and Pont
Lliwdy, the latter also referred to as Lliwdy or Dyeworks Bridge. Both were informal stopping places
so there are no traces but a bus shelter stands on the approximate site of (Pont) Lliwdy. However, as
the next bus would have missed his rail connection by 10 mins, he returned to Machynlleth on foot!

Our local Sales Officer, CR committee member and general factotum adds: The platform at Ffridd Gate
was indeed on the south side of the Llanwrin Road. The main road was much quieter in the days of the
railway but had been a main highway ever since it was built (circa 1840s), replacing the old turnpike on
the east bank of the Dulas. Taking all place names from James Boyd is not necessarily a good idea.
Lliwdy translates as house of colour or colourful house (Lliw = colour* Dy = house) so Dyeworks may
be stretching it a bit [*Collins Welsh Dictionary also gives 'hue' and cry 'dye'- Regional Ed.] The bridge
is named after the stream that runs under it - Nant Lliwdy. There is, he thinks, a house named Lliwdy
just above the bridge, but whether it was ever the site of a dyeworks would need further investigation.
While Boyd (and the OS) do show Dol-y-Dderwen, it is more usually known as Doldderwen locally.

Pont Abergarfan, betwixt Doldderwen and Lliwdy, is the first of a series of bridges where railway and
road crossed over streams coming down the hillside from the west, here the Nant Garfan. Unusually,
at that location the railway formation runs on an extension of the stone road bridge, rather than its
own separate bridge. The house just north is 'Abergarfan'. The bridges further north - Pont y Pandy
over the Nant y Darren, Pont Pantperthog over the Nant Cwmcadian and Pont-y-Goedwig over the
Nant y Goedwig - all share their names with nearby buildings, so Pont Lliwdy may have been the same.

1638] Morriston - Landore (Low Level): (BLN 1346.610) Our member made a return visit on 10 May.
Alighting at the delightfully named Chemical Road bus stop, Morriston, he followed an alleyway to the
GWR trackbed at the site of Pentrefelin (Glam) Halt, (no remains) CP 11 Jun 1956 with all other stops
on this line when the Swansea - Morriston - Felin Fran service ended. The trackbed from ¼ mile north
of here is now a foot/cyclepath. Heading south, although as noted last time the frontage of Morriston
(GWR) station building has been unsympathetically 'rendered', the original stonework of the side wall
can be viewed from the former station yard, now a car park. The path then interfaces with the course
of the old Swansea Canal (also GWR owned) and passes under a canal bridge before reaching the 'hell
hole' traffic roundabout at the site of Copper Pit Platform; here a stone retaining wall survives though.
From here south to Landore, the X6 Ystradgynlais bus uses the new dual carriageway A4067, so
northbound it is on the railway trackbed and southbound on the course of the Swansea Canal!

1639] Clarbeston Road: (BLN 1370.327) A member visited by train on 29 Apr. The station was resited
from east to west of the road bridge on 27 Jul 1914; the original had been virtually destroyed by fire
on 9 Jul 1907 but was patched up meanwhile. He found no remains other than the original entrance.
The station house has been very much altered but retains its chimney stack of standard GWR pattern
for its era. A private farm road alongside the line leads to good photographic views of the 1906 signal
box at the rather remote junction, now the last operational survivor west of Whitland (a 1972 box).

1640] South Wales Mineral Railway (SWMR): (BLNs 1360.2651 & 1362.2928) On 6 May our member
explored the west end of this line. He travelled by rail to Neath, bus to upper Cimla, then on foot along
the ancient Bwlch (Neath - Cwmafan) mountain road to the site of the unadvertised Crythan Platform
(2m 51ch), CP 'by Sep 1938' (Quick). It was used by unofficial SWMR passengers from further east who
then faced a hilly two mile walk into Neath via the Bwlch Road. This practice was occasionally reported
on by newspapers from 1865 and is said to have been condoned in the 1880 agreement whereby the
SWMR was worked and maintained by the Glyncorrwg Coal Company. It apparently permitted officers,
colliers workmen and their families (not BLS members!) to be carried without charge, even though such
carriage had not been sanctioned by the Board of Trade (BoT). Conceivably this was ended by the 1902
Gyfylchi Tunnel head on collision (BLN 1362) which killed two of seven brakevan passengers. Oddly
Major Druitt's BoT accident report https://bit.ly/3v2xH7q made no adverse comment on that aspect.

At Crythan (SS 766 952) the platform is extant but the lock up goods shed has long gone. According to
Cooke's GWR Atlas, the line west of here closed in 1910 and was lifted in 1927, although James Page's
'Forgotten Railways' volume has the section as far as Ynysymaerdy Incline Top, open till 1950. The 1947
6" OS map shows track ending between the two so any 'definitive' ruling would be welcome! It is listed
in the West Glamorgan section of 'Railway Rights of Way' (available on our website) and our member
walked along it to Briton Ferry via the said incline, a 1:9 descent for nearly a mile. The formation width
is evidence of the line's broad gauge origin; it was converted to standard gauge in 1872. Most of the
incline is quite stony. There is a very fine stone underbridge about half way down; the local authority
has named the section below it Rhodfa Clarke. The bottom quarter is a tarmacadam path through Parc
Jersey, passing under a bridge. At Briton Ferry another stone bridge survives which carried the SWMR
towards Court Sart Jn over what is now the Up Flying Loop.

1641] Conwy Valley line: (BLN 1374.952) Heavy rain continues to cause periodic closures when floods
are predicted. South of North Llanrwst was affected from start of service on 21 May until the 10.19
ex-Llandudno next day and the whole line from 23 May till a 13.34 ex-Llandudno Junction on Mon 24.
There was evidently no significant damage, if any. A long term easement may lie in the Upper Conwy
project, a partnership between the National Trust, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) and landowners
aiming to slow water from the uplands, to cut flooding lower down the valley and allow the mountains
to work like a sponge, as they used to, rather than a slate roof. So far, it has involved blocking drainage
ditches in blanket bog to make ground wetter so it will hold more water for longer. Trees have been
planted on river banks to stop surface water running into rivers so quickly and gravel and boulders
have been put back into them to slow the flow. However NRW's operations manager warns that there
is still a need for 'harder defences' further down the valley. See https://bbc.in/2SkGeUD for more.

1642] Timetables: There were only minor changes from 16 May; the most significant were Llandudno
branch reductions and TWThO the 12.34 Wrexham General to Bidston and 13.35 return is replaced by
a bus. The latter is to accommodate Class 230 (although not shown as such by RTT) staff training runs.
These and freight paths have also caused retiming of evening services on this line. The 03.36 Chester
to Manchester Airport and 05.35 Manchester Airport return are also withdrawn. All the 'temporarily'
closed request stops with short platforms remain closed and Wrexham Central, despite being right
next to the main shopping centre still has a very limited service. https://bit.ly/3fsdnG9 has more.

1643] Class 143 outpaced: (BLN 1371.573) https://bit.ly/3vIaMPf is Geoff Marshall's video of the 'last'
Pacers of any description in national network public service on Fri 28 May. TfW 143601 and 143609
worked Penarth - Rhymney and Barry Island - Aberdare/Merthyr/Treherbert/Bridgend services
respectively. As usual of late, they were in tandem with Class 150s as their life extension 'derogation'
was only granted on condition that they weren't allowed out on their own - for accessibility reasons!
Geoff was then under the impression that this was their final day; it was actually the penultimate for
both, although it was their last day north of Radyr. The final train was 143601 on the 22.02 Rhymney
to Cardiff Central on Sat 29th. Official withdrawal date was 31 May when the derogation expired.

1644] Swansea: (BLN 1363.3063) The rebuilt and extended P4 ROP on 16 May as originally scheduled.

1645] Ogmore Vale Extension Paddy Trains: (BLN 1377.1476) A member has found more details in
'A History of the Port Talbot Railway & Dock Company & the South Wales Mineral Railway Company',
Vol 2, p365 by RG Simmonds: The PTR&D erected a temporary platform in the Old Dock area near the
Ffrwdwyllt Tinplate Works, which was completed in April 1918, and Baldwins built the platforms at the
two collieries [New Sinkings, later named Newlands, and Cribbwr Fawr.] Maximum speed was 25mph
with a maximum of 15mph on the unsignalled section between the Old Dock Platform and Copper
Works Jn, over the curves from there to Margam West Jn and on the bridge over the GWR. The service
was withdrawn by July 1928, probably when Cribbwr Fawr Colliery closed. However RA (Tony) Cooke's
'Gazetteer of the Coal Mines of South Wales and Monmouthshire from 1854' advises that Cribbwr
Fawr Colliery did not close until 31 Dec 1930; both sources agree that Newlands survived until 1968.
This supports Quick's suggestion that services to Cribbwr Fawr Halt ended during 1930; whether they
continued between Old Dock and Newlands thereafter awaits further research.

While neither Old Dock nor Morfa Crossing Platform/Halt are on the PTR&D Engineers' Office plans of
Port Talbot Docks dated 6 Jul 1922, Ffrwd-wyllt Tinplate Works is, near a (now-infilled) part of Old
Dock, about ¼ mile from the GWR station. Cooke's '1947' GWR Atlas also shows it, adjacent to Port
Talbot East Signal Box. From the above description Old Dock Halt was on the parallel freight lines and
the two coach trains could have called at Morfa Crossing Halt if it was located as shown in the Atlas,
16ch east of Copper Works Jn en route to/from Cribbwr Fawr. However, another member advises that
they didn't, as Morfa Crossing Halt had a different purpose. It was provided for Italian WWI Prisoners
of War who from about 1914-5 travelled there by special trains from a camp at the English Celluloid
Works site near Duffryn Mills on the PTR&D main line (reversing at Copper Works Jn) to assist in
building Margam Steelworks while awaiting repatriation. This ended in/by 1923. No halt is known to
have existed at the camp. The unadvertised Duffryn Mills Halt (or Platform) was ½ mile west, owned
by Port Talbot Corporation (OP 14 Feb 1931 for Goitre Cemetery funeral parties, so appears unrelated).

1646] TFW Mk 4 sets: (BLN 1377.1475) The extra vehicles include the 4x6 car sets previously for Grand
Central's now cancelled Blackpool service (BLN 1347.696). They compensate for the transfer of the
12 Class 170s, acquired from Greater Anglia less than two years ago (BLN 1336.2374), to East Midlands
Railway; one has already gone. They had limited route availability on TfW services. There are also
3 TODs (Tourist Open Disabled) coaches expected to be added to the existing sets and a Service
Vehicle, TOE (Tourist Open End) and Driving Vehicle Trailer as spares ('Railway Herald'). Loco powered
workings resumed on 7 Jun with the SSuX 05.34 Holyhead to Cardiff Central and 17.12 return.

1647] Shrewsbury: (BLN 1372.768) Additional refurbishment of the 117 year old Grade II listed Severn
Bridge Junction Signal Box is complete. The Railway Heritage Trust met part of the £250,000 total cost.
It is now the largest operational mechanical signal box in the world with 89 of the original 180 levers in
use and signals around 280 trains a day. The whole of the large three storey building has been weather
proofed. The original single glazed windows, installed for opening in 1903, have been replaced with
new double glazing. New timber cladding has been installed and holding repairs made to the external
walkway gantry plus a full exterior repaint, including the famous large 'Shrewsbury' signs on the sides.

1648] Lifting bridge at Machynlleth: (BLN 1376.1328) Work began on Sat 15 May as scheduled. That
day track panels had been removed and dumped beside the trackbed from the foot crossing about
400yd west of the bridge to 100yd past the foot crossing to the east. A large compound of materials
and road (not road/rail) equipment - diggers, excavators etc - was in the field just south of the bridge.
Access was either via the lane to Garth caravan park or via Plas Dolguog Hall Hotel. Then there was no
obvious means of lifting the beams of the bridge out or jacking them, but the required equipment
might have arrived on the 08.12 engineering train from Shrewsbury Coleham on Mon 17 May.

1649] Aggregates traffic: (BLN 1377.1480) Penmaenmawr Quarry traffic did not begin on 17 May as
the sidings remained under engineers' possession; spot resleepering continued. However SuX workings
to/from Machen Quarry (BLN 1363.2954) began on 24 May when empties arrived from Stoke Gifford
at 09.00 (11 mins late). After loading, they left for Appleford at 13.22 (scheduled 14.05).

BELOW: (Item 1648) There will be a new vertical track alignment to be done at the Afon Dulas bridge
on the Shrewsbury side of Machynlleth. Here piling work is in progress on 17 May. (All Graeme Jolley.)

BELOW: Piling installed to raise the trackbed at the Machynlleth side on 5 Jun; note the metal sleepers.

BELOW: Another view from the Machynlleth end of the bridge on Sat 5 Jun 2021.

1650] Glan Conwy: (BLN 1346.611) Developments at Penmaenmawr are being matched here at
Llandudno Junction. '457' main line points have been cleared of vegetation and contractors are
working on sidings in the disused freight depot. Only Sidings 1 & 2 (of 7) will be used for the traffic
arriving by road from Penrhyn Quarry, Bethesda. The loaded trains will run to Hope Cement Works in
Derbyshire where the slate waste material will be used in the manufacturing process instead of the
traditional power station fly ash which is now more and more difficult to source - for obvious reasons!

1651] Tondu - Margam: (BLN 1361.2795) On 2 Jun NR reissued its proposal to remove Tondu points
'32' and '50', the connections to the (Porthcawl) Branch Loop, but it also now intends to remove the
token controlled Aberbaiden North and South Ground Frames (6m 56ch & 6m 31ch respectively) with
associated connections to the former Parc Slip Open Cast Disposal Point. They are said to have been
clipped OOU for the past three years with no prospect of future traffic. The whole line remains under a
long term T3 possession and after the clearance work for the UKRT 10 Mar 2018, 'Valley of the Witch'
railtour it has again become 'not fit for traffic.' It is however still intended to be retained for diversions
and in the event of an emergency, if trains needed to use the line as a diversionary route, degraded
mode operation could be enacted within hours (yeah, right.) The work will facilitate the Tondu area
resignalling due to be commissioned in Jan 2023; the plan is to do it during the preceding nine months.

1378 MINOR RAILWAYS (Peter Scott) [email protected]

MR93] MINOR RAILWAYS 32rd EDITION 2021 SUPPLEMENT No1

NEW ENTRIES © Peter Scott May 2021

18 HAMPSHIRE

Paultons Railway, Paultons Park, Ower, Romsey

15" O 700yds SU317167 ♠ 023 8081 4442

(Line reopened 12/04/21)

30 NEWPORT

Cefn Mably Railway, Cefn Mably Farm Park, Michaelston-y-Fedw

12¼" D 640yds ST231843 ♠ 01633 680312

(New line opened 26/04/21)

OTHER AMENDMENTS

9 Yorkshire Wolds Railway Amend length to: 0.15 (Extension opened 30/05/21)
14 Old MacDonald's Farm Railway Delete entry (Line closed. Last ran 29/09/19)
24 East Suffolk Light Railway Amend length to: 350yds (Extension opened 18/04/21)

MR94] Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, West Yorkshire (MR p8): Filmed on the Railway, the classic
children's film 'The Railway Children' is to have a sequel, over 50 years after the original. The film is
due in cinemas on 1 April 2022. Sheridan Smith will star alongside Jenny Agutter, who is reprising her
role as Bobbie Waterbury - the Railway will also feature again. Shooting 'The Railway Children Return'
was to begin on Monday 10 May, led by Bafta-winning director Morgan Matthews. The original film
was based on the novel by E Nesbit about three children who are shipped off to live in the country
beside a railway line after their father is arrested on mysterious spying charges. Agutter played the
eldest child in a 1968 TV adaptation, followed by the film two years later. She also played the mother
in an ITV remake in 2000. The 1970 film became a massive hit and earned three Bafta nominations.
It currently holds a '100% fresh' rating on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 11 critics' review. The sequel will
follow a group of children who are evacuated to a Yorkshire village during WWII, where they encounter
a young soldier who, like them, is far from home. Tom Courtenay will also appear, with the script by
Danny Brocklehurst, whose credits include TV shows like Brassic, Accused, Clocking Off and Shameless.

MR95] Tanat Valley Light Railway, Nantmawr, Shropshire: (BLN 1372.767) Standard gauge passenger
trains last ran here on 11 September 2016. However, additional stock was delivered at the end of April
2021. Two Ruston Diesels, a Rectank low-loader, a six-wheel store van and a generator van arrived by
road from Southall, following the closure of the Great Western Railway Preservation Group there.

One of the first to see the new arrivals was North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson, who called in to see
the Railway. He said it was a fascinating project and that he was pleased the Railway had recently been
given a grant from the Government's Cultural Recovery Fund. Volunteer Adrian Semence said: We are
a registered charity, a not-for-profit organisation, powered by a group of volunteers committed to
retaining and sharing the history of our unique location. We are raising funds to enable us to apply for
a Transport and Works Act Order which will allow us to run trains with fare paying passengers on our
railway line. Our target is £35,000. Like most heritage sites our income collapsed last year and to
increase visitor numbers to provide a stronger financial base to allow us to maintain and develop the
site, we are working to run trains on the full length of our line. The Railway is also the custodian of the
Richard Morris monorail collection, which includes over 70 of these unusual machines. The star is the
only steam monorail engine in the world, currently undergoing restoration. https://bit.ly/3g6TCUz
has more information - the next chance to ride on the monorail is 24 & 25 July (a James Bond event!).

MR96] Llangollen Railway, Denbighshire (MR p9): (BLNs 1374.MR52 & 1377.MR83) The Llangollen
Railway PLC assets were auctioned off on 12 May. Total sales on the day amounted to £486,200, of
which £298,000 was raised from the sale of coaching stock. The Llangollen Railway Trust, which has
remained solvent, launched an appeal to raise funds to bid for some of the items that had been owned
by the PLC. Chairman of the Trust, Pete Edwards, said: The bidding was fast and furious on the day for
the coaching assets in particular, and the larger plant items. The prices paid were substantially in
excess of our expectations which is good news for the PLC's administrators and we are glad all the
creditors, including those who are unsecured, will benefit accordingly. We were delighted to secure our
priority one assets; one accessible adapted coach, a roadrailer, 12 tonne crane and Lowmac. This would
not have been possible without the support and dedication of our members and numerous other
donors, and we thank them all. We were similarly delighted to learn that friendly bidders have acquired
two further coaches and a significant amount of machine tools which will remain on the railway.

However, numerous other coach and plant items will be leaving the railway. The Trust says that
preparations can now begin in earnest to finish necessary works on Dee Bridge and in Berwyn Tunnel,
which need to be completed before trains can run again. It is also required to press ahead with safety
and regulatory matters. The Trust hopes to be on target to reopen in late July or early August.

MR97] Southend Pier Railway, Essex (MR p17) (BLN 1359.MR122): The Pier (which has had 12,000
visitors since it reopened on 12 April after the third Lockdown) is set for a new look this summer with
£2.5M capital investment on new pier trains, a viewing platform, a toilet block and additional wind
breaks. The new viewing platform is due for completion this summer, following engagement with
residents and visitors on what they want to see and do at the pierhead. The train replacement project
will see the existing diesel trains replaced with new, eco-friendly Severn Lamb built trains, in a heritage
green and cream livery following a public vote on the Council's social media pages. Green and cream
liveried electric trains ran on the pier from 1949 to 1978. The lithium battery powered trains will
feature a much improved ride for visitors and have audio visual equipment to enhance visitors'
experience, offering additional capacity, USB charging points and a hearing loop system and Braille
driver alert system. www.southendpier.co.uk has more information about the pier (times, fares etc).

MR98] Mr Copestake's Private Railway, Glasgow: The following is from the 'Aberdeen People's Journal'
of Saturday 30 March 1901: One of most interesting miniature railways in existence is that owned by
Mr S Copestake, of the firm Messrs Dubs & Co, locomotive builders, Polmadie. It consists of a circular
track of 7" gauge in his garden at Crosshill, three flat trucks, and a model engine, which can draw him
and his son at the rate of six miles an hour. The driving wheels are six inches in diameter, and the
bogies 2¾". The weight of the engine is 145lbs, and together with the tender, measures 5¼ft in length.
The fuel used is hardwood charcoal, and steam of 40lbs pressure is raised from cold water in about half
an hour. With the exception of the boiler (which is of copper) and the driving wheels and framing, this
powerful toy locomotive is the creation of Mr Copestake's own hands during leisure time of two years.

BELOW: (MR95) Tanat Valley Railway; 2-car DMU Sc52005/52031 at the tem

mporary Nantmawr platform in the Quarry area. (Peter Scott, 11 Sep 2016.)

BELOW: (MR97) Train 'B' Sir William Heygate at (Southend) Pier Head. The

ese 1986 trains are due to be replaced this year. (Peter Scott, 7 Apr 2012.)

X.135] BELOW: Ian 'Selby' Loveday achieves a lifetime ambition to go on a conv

version course and becomes a 'Miniature Man', but it's our secret. (Kev Adlam.)

MR99] Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway (LCLR), Lincolnshire (MR p20) (BLN 1365.MR183): The near 30
year restoration of a small diesel locomotive on the Railway is a runner up in two categories of the
2021 'Railway Oscars'. It was the third consecutive year the Railway was shortlisted by the Heritage
Railway Association for one of its coveted awards. The Railway was a joint winner with neighbours, the
Lincolnshire Wolds Railway, for its achievement in reopening in 2009. The judges declared their entry a
runner up: 'Skeggy Simplex - Iconic Simplex Success' for the Coiley Locomotive Engineering Award.
(It was won by the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways for restoration of 'Welsh Pony'). The Skeggy
Simplex was also a runner up for the newly introduced Diesel Locomotion Award, won by the Severn
Valley Railway Class 50 Alliance for preservation and operation of five of these locomotives.

The Simplex is a 4wDM 20hp straight frame 'Simplex' built by Motor Rail Ltd of Bedford in 1947, works
No9264. It is No8 in the Railway's fleet. Restoration was started over 25 years ago by members of the
LCLR Historic Vehicles Trust at the then home in North Somercotes (north of Mablethorpe) of Richard
Shepherd, a Trustee (now Chairman). He has continued to work, with many other volunteers, on the
completion of the project. The loco is now in operation. It was delivered new to a Mablethorpe firm of
contractors, WGC Hammond Ltd. They were using it on work to strengthen coastal defences, when in
January 1953, the town and parts of the East Coast of England and Scotland, the North Sea coasts of
Belgium and The Netherlands were overwhelmed by floods driven by strong winds. The sturdiness and
reliability of the 'Simplex' design was shown when the loco was raised from the area swamped by the
sea, drained of seawater, sand and debris, then topped up with fresh diesel, oil and water and
restarted. She was immediately put back to work on the raising and strengthening of the sea defences.

It was sold in 1964 to Mablethorpe Brick & Tile Co Ltd, then resold in 1970, this time to CF Rawlinson
of the Skegness Brick & Tile Company, who used it until 1976, when the company closed and, in 1977,
sold its equipment. It was bought by Robert Dale of Hawerby Hall Farm, Wold Newton, near Grimsby,
with some rails and V-skip wagons. Some of the Railway's supporters already had followed its fate and
when it was again put up for sale by Mr Dale in 1998, it was bought by a Trust member, who later
donated it to the organisation. Restoration work was started; a replacement radiator was sourced
from Hampshire. In 2003, the loco was moved to join the rest of the collection in Skegness.

After some years, it was decided that it would be more practical to continue the restoration back in
North Somercotes and, once there, the brake and sanding gear were removed along with the radiator,
footplate and bonnets. It was found that the drive chains were in very poor condition, as were the
sprockets; the wheels were deemed capable of reuse. With the help of a local volunteer diesel fitter,
the power unit was dismantled in August 2016. After an all day struggle, the pistons were removed.

They were in a very poor state, with piston rings broken and the ring grooves badly worn. Suppliers of
Simplex spares could not help and a company called North Lincs Engineering was able to salvage and
repair the parts. A new wooden seat similar to the original one has been made; the brake column was
badly bent and completely worn out. Components from an old press were removed, machined by the
donor and welded - and it works. A new seat box was made by a friend of one of the Trustees, and a
spare genuine Motor Rail metal seat was donated and fixed. The fuel tank presented problems: the
lower half had corroded and, over a couple of summers, one of the volunteers repaired it with tinplate
and solder. The fuel filter, which frost had broken into five parts, leaked on assembly and the problem
was finally cured by a local company which cast a replacement, using the broken one as a pattern.

Some idea of the difficulty which the team encountered in restoring the loco on a site which has only a
minimal engineering facility can be gained from the fact that the volunteers discovered an ominous
gap in the flywheel between the inner and outer halves. They had to lift it out and the associated
equipment manually three times to replace and test it. Parts were made by one of the volunteers at
his home, were refitted at Skegness, tested, then returned to the home workshop for adjustment and
taken back to Skegness, for fitting and a further test. In every sense, it was a team effort, with many
volunteers contributing time, expertise and labour to bring this unsung part of Lincolnshire's heritage
back to life, with it finally running faultlessly in 2020, now in 'working' condition.

BELOW: (Item 1652) Member David Hill on 08605 at Knottingley Depot. (This one by Kev Adlam.)
.NEXT: 08605 at Knottingley - all photos taken from authorised places of safety on 18 May 2021.





BELOW: Knottingley Depot from the cab of 66134. (Al

ll photos by David Hill, unless specified, 18 May 2021.)

BELOW: A man who needs no introduction to most, our beloved Fixtures Secr

retary, Kev Adlam, looking happy to be in Milford Down Sidings (also NEXT).





BELOW: The Milford Jn end of Milford West Sidings from the cab of 66

6134 as it traverses Road 11 ahead going round to Gascoigne Wood Jn.

BELOW: With Milford Curve far right, our member and report author, Dav

vid Hill, is by the buffer stops of Milford West Sidings Road 6 (Kev Adlam).

BELOW: The Milford West Sidings Individual Function Switch Yard

Panel (commissioned 1 Jun 1980) in a portable building at the yard

BELOW: Wakefield Europort Locomotive Release Line headshunt (north

heast end) - far right is the line to Whitwood Jn (from Altofts Jn behind).

BELOW: The opposite direction showing Wakefield Europort, left is Line 2 Sou

uth, then Line 1 South; far left is the Whitwood Jn (behind) to Altofts Jn line.

BELOW: Doncaster Belmont Up Yard Hump Roads have changed
London Gateway on the Up West Goods. This is west side of the East Coa

d a bit (see report). Left is 66192 with 4L08 Wakefield Europort to
ast Main Line which is off to the right; looking towards Doncaster station.

BELOW: After getting the hump, now on Doncaster Belmont Down Yard R
Ahead the next line left is the Transfer Line then Belmont Sidings full of st

Road 8, (Road 1 is far right) - it looks much healthier than the Up Yard did.
tored stock. The Down Reception is the other side of the vegetation right.

In the opposite direction on the Up West Reception; the other side of Belmont

t Sidings; 67012 left, Balby Carr Fuel Lines 1 & 2 right (FL 1 & 2 on TRACKmaps).

1378 FIXTURE REPORTS (Paul Stewart) [email protected]

1652] It Can Now Be Told (36); A Personal Railtour: By David Hill, Member 2749. They say that good
things come to those who wait and that is certainly very true in this instance. My last mainline trip was
our 'Power of Aire' charter back on 14 Mar 2020 raising funds for Martin House Children's Hospice.
Coincidentally, my next trip out on the mainline had plenty of links to this tour - a DB Cargo Cab ride,
the prize I had won in the sealed bid auction on that tour with all the proceeds going to Martin House.
It's been a long wait since the tour, keeping in touch by email with my DBC contact Dave Jenkinson
(Jenks) at various times in the last 12 months - the restrictions meaning that I would just have to wait.

With the government roadmap phases coming to fruition, communications increased with positive
signs in Apr indicating that the cab ride could take place and potentially cover track around Milford,
Knottingley, Doncaster, Scunthorpe and Rotherham. An affirmative was given on the date along with
the fact that this area would be superb. Jenks came back with an outline plan of Knottingley to Milford,
to Wakefield Europort, back to Knottingley then to Doncaster and back. Grabbing Eastern TRACKmaps
a list was made of all the track I required in those areas. Despite being relatively local to me this was
quite substantial, and was sent in hoping that some of these bobbins could be added in on the way.
Four days beforehand the timings appeared on Realtime Trains with an email confirming the route.
A large amount of the bobbins had been included, so all set and ready for the day - Tues 18 May 2021.

Arriving at Knottingley TMD for 08.30, I was greeted by 66134 having its windscreens washed in the
shed, thus guessing that it was our loco for the day, a winning start. Meeting up with Jenks and Kev
(our Fixtures Secretary couldn't resist the opportunity to network with industry partners and matched
the charity donation), 08605 had been fired up by the depot driver. So, on we jumped and proceeded
to cover all available depot roads that weren't blocked by the Riviera coaching stock on site. 08605
being another winner; a great start to the day. Transferring to 66134, departure from Knottingley was
five minutes early at 09.10; via a reversal at Knottingley East Jn, we headed to Milford off the booked
route of Pontefract Monkhill and Castleford, taking the shorter, quicker way via Ferrybridge North Jn
and Burton Salmon to allow more time at Milford Jn. [Hence the 28 min early arrival there on RTT.]

Arrival at Milford was via the Down Passenger Loop, then we reversed into the Down Sidings and
covered Roads 3 & 2 in that order. Departure was to Sherburn Jn for a reversal (there were to be a lot
more of these during the day). This was to head through Milford Up Passenger Loop to Milford
Junction Signal 5233 for a further reversal and onto Milford West Sidings. Road 11 was traversed
throughout to Signal M703 at the exit of Milford West Sidings where the line heads round to
Gascoigne Wood. Reversing here, dead end Road 6 was taken to the buffers and back to Signal M703
before another reversal then a comfort stop to view Milford Yard Signalling ground panel in the cabin.
Our departure from Milford West Sidings involved traversing the whole of Road 10.

Next it was to Burton Salmon and Ferrybridge North Jn for the curve to Pontefract East Jn, then via
Crofton East Jn and through Calder Bridge Up Goods Loop. This had been omitted from a Society tour
on the day due to track condition, but is now fettled up. Wakefield Europort was next on the agenda,
entering on Line 2 South, then to the headshunt for a reversal to take in the Cripple Road, but not to
the buffers as two wagons were stabled. Changing ends took us back to the points before reversing
again to enter the terminal itself where Crane Sidings 1 & 2 were done to the few wagons before their
buffer stops. After another headshunt reversal, our exit was along via Line 1 off to Wakefield Kirkgate.

Turners Lane Up Goods Loop was OOU so omitted, but a reversal on Wakefield Kirkgate Through Line
was followed by Turners Lane Down Goods Loop before going to Castleford (we hope you are keeping
track of all this). After yet another reversal it was back to Knottingley via Glasshoughton where the
morning leg ended on the Up Goole Goods Loop. 66134 then went off light engine to Sudforth Lane.

With a short break at Knottingley for a comfort stop and change of driver, our morning driver, Dave
Jenkinson gave way to afternoon driver Andy Barker. The afternoon loco was working a Biomass train
from Immingham to Drax and squealed round the Up & Down Knottingley Goods on its way to a loco