1298

[BLN 1298]

X.18] PREVIOUS PAGE LOWER: Midland Compound - seen on a private railway in 'the south', this loco
has a fascinating history. It was built for a training railway in India, before running at Hunstanton
Pier, Hayle and on the Watford Miniature Railway. When at Hunstanton it even appeared in the Ealing
Films comedy 'Barnarcle Bill' alongside Alec Guiness. (Peter Scott 26 June 2011)

MR29] Highland Light Railway, Perth & Kinross (MR p28) (BLN 1290.MR194): The Country Markets
returned to Logierait Farm (the location of this 10¼" gauge railway which ran for our Society visit
organised by Terry Velvick on Saturday 27 July last year) for the 2017 season. The markets were held
on Sundays 27 August, 24 September and 22 October. The Farm's web site stated: 'This year [2017],
although the Railway will not be running on Market days, you will still find a Market with a great buzz,
lots of stalls, live music and some very special local catering, and our own Railway Farm Coffees and
Teas, with a comfortable seating area to sit and have a blether'. The web site goes on to note: 'We will
not be running the Railway this year [2017] due to other commitments, but we are continuing to work
on it, with a view to having some more running days in the not too distant future. We are really sorry,
but we are unable to organise the running of the Railway on the three Market days this year'.
Therefore, hopefully, 2018 will see the railway back in public operation again.

MR30] Fleetwood, Lancashire: The 'British Trams Online' web site reported in January that the
Fleetwood Heritage Leisure Trust had recently announced ambitious plans to carry out major
restoration work on some of its collection of ex-Blackpool trams, for operation on a brand new line at
Fleetwood. This is part of a radical new scheme known as 'Fleetwood Quays', intended to rejuvenate
the docks with a working Tramway to transport visitors around the site. For some time the Trust has
been keen to explore plans for the future of its trams as part of a much wider project to benefit
Fleetwood as a town, by creating a major new development on the dockyard area. Wyre Dock
Development Limited and other partner organisations that are involved in the scheme, which is
expected to cost around £150M in all, have already been exploring ideas for how to turn the proposed
Tramway into a reality and two firms have been identified to work on the project.

As for the restoration of the trams; priority is likely to be given to ex-Towing Railcoach 678 and Balloon
710. These were withdrawn long before the Tramway upgrade due to their poor structural condition.
It is also intended to carry out work on Twin set 673+683, which was previously stored in Fleetwood on
behalf of its private owner who sadly passed away last year, and now the set has seemingly become
part of the Trust's collection. Other trams which are intended for attention to run on the new line in
the future include the Trust's own Brush car 290 (627), currently stored at Rigby Road, and sister car
637 - which remains in Fleetwood but is privately owned. Centenary car 641, which is at present
displayed at Pleasure Beach is to be retained for static display, ultimately within a new transport
exhibition at Wyre Dock. The Trust has now identified a suitable property in which to house some of
their trams, and where the planned work can be carried out in a suitable environment.

X.19] Cold Steel Tracker, Sat 6 Jan 2018: (Report BLN 1297.187) Some more of Chris Zeimer's pictures.

NEXT PAGE TOP: After crossing the bridge over the Basic Slag Road that runs through the steel works
Redbourne Sidings were reached. On Road D1 a short rake of internal bogie wagons is propelled. Once
our train had covered the whole line (beyond Points 585 ahead) the wagons were hauled back and
returned to where they had been. The Foreign Ore Branch is on the embankment in the background.

NEXT PAGE LOWER: Mills (railway) Control is left of Mills Exchange Sidings Line 10, straight
ahead and the tour is running along, looking north.



ABOVE TOP: Anchor Exchange Sidings (remarkably empty for once) running through Line 13, the main
line is to the right (Scunthorpe ahead, towards Barnetby behind the camera); steelworks to the left.

ABOVE LOWER: The loco is at Points 315, the Slab Yard is to the left and the Concast plant is right. Our
tour waits at the BOS Yard entrance for Concast Line 4 to become clear. BELOW: Quality track, the end
of Concast Line 4, Martyn Brailsford down on one knee diligently checking if the track is there for his
map assisted by Alan Sheppard (left) and supervised by Glenn. Next time we must bring a spade.

BELOW UPPER: The tour takes advantage of a short window of opportunity as Concast line 4 siding
(the second line from the left) is, very unusually, clear for a few minutes.

BELOW: At the Torpedo Repair Bay.

ABOVE: A long section of (very) new track for nearly everyone on our tour, the recently commissioned
much extended '15 Loop' between Points 214 and 215 on the approach to the Bar and Rod Mill.

BELOW: The BOS Plant Gantry middle line (between Points 152 and 160) looking west with
a significant queue of loaded hot metal torpedoes waiting to be tipped

ABOVE: The heart of Scunthorpe Steel Works, The Four Queens (blast furnaces), left to right Mary,
Bess, Anne and Victoria. The line to the left is Stores Road; it passes under the High Line north of the
blast furnaces to join 65 Road between Dawes Lane and Northants Bridge at Points 164. Finally it is
pleasing to report that British Steel made a profit of £47M in the year to 31 Mar2017 (before tax,
interest, depreciation etc) compared with a £79M loss the year before - production was 2.5M tonnes.

Details must be checked 1298 CONNECTIONS (Paul Stewart) [email protected] Please mention BLN

294] The Full Works: Celebrating the 175th anniversary of
Wolverton Works in 2013, edited by our member Phil Marsh
(Railway Magazine chief correspondent, and part time WCR
guard!) who was tasked with privatising the Royal Train, has
over 40 years experience in the railway industry and has lived
near the works for 30 years. 68 pages A5 gloss paper, card
covers, 16 chapters and appendices. Many illustrations most
in colour. Includes a reprint of an eight page article about an
1838 rail trip between London, Wolverton and Birmingham!
£6.95 P&P £1.35 (total £8.30) by post - comes with an update:
'The next chapter'. Cheque payable to 'P Marsh' please to
W175 Book Offer, 14 Milton Rd, Willen Village, MK15 9AD.

295] Even Better Rail Value: (BLN 1297.191) Weymouth -
Birchington-on-Sea (or vice versa) season tickets, again via
Barnham, cost exactly the same as Ramsgate (or Margate etc
intermediately) so offer even better value with an extra 9¼
miles travel each way available at no extra cost.

[BLN 1298]
296] Annual Gold Cards: Free to Annual Season ticket or Annual Travelcard holders where their origin
and destination is in the Annual Gold Card Area and the ticket is bought online. It covers the Network
(SE) Railcard area and the West Midlands area (Worcester, Stourbridge Town, Shrewsbury, Stafford
and the Trent Valley via Northampton/Weedon and within). All East Anglia is included west to March.

Discounts with participating TOCs* within the area after 09.30 Mon-Fri, all weekends & Bank Holidays:
34% off Standard/First Class Anytime and Off-Peak tickets for the cardholder and up to three adults,
Off-Peak Day Travelcards Zones 1-6, Oyster Off-Peak pay as you go singles and the daily price cap for
National Rail, London Underground and Docklands Light Railway services, not trams or buses. The
Annual Gold Card discount needs to be added to Oyster cards. Staff at TfL Rail, London Overground,
Underground, and at some London National stations can do this. [This procedure also applies to 16-25,
26-30, Senior, HM Forces and Disabled Persons Railcards - note that restrictions vary see details.] 34%
discounts are also available on Anytime Day Travelcards as part of a ticket to London from outside
London Zones 1-9 (subject to time restrictions and £17 minimum fare), also PLUSBUS Day tickets in the
Railcard area. Discounts apply on journeys to the IOW on Wightlink, Red Funnel and Hovertravel (on
through journeys including National Rail) & 60% off Child fares (£1 min) for up to 4 children 5-15 years.

Maximum group size is four adults and four fare-paying
children. The Annual Gold Card holder must travel with the
group at all times. *Not Virgin Trains or Virgin Trains East
Coast, CrossCountry north of Banbury or GWR via Stroud.
Finally, one single one year Railcard (16-25, Family and
Friends, Senior, Two Together, Disabled Persons or
Network Railcard) can be purchased for £10 for any
nominated person (can even be for the Gold Card holder
themselves) anytime during the 12 month card validity.

X.20] Leighton Buzzard Railway, Continental Railway
Circle, Thu 28 Jun 12.30: (MR p12), Page's Park Station,
Billington Rd, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 4TG, (SP 928 242).
With thanks to our member Adrian Palmer a visit with a
continental theme to this 2ft gauge 2¾ mile long railway
using their two operational Orenstein & Koppel
locomotives, 0-4-0WT P C Allen OK5834/1912 and 0-6-0WT
Pedemoura OK10808/ 1924. Departing Page's Park 12.30
with a 5-coach charter using Pedemoura with two false
starts, a photo stop at Leedon Loop also run-pasts at 'Clay
Pipe' (Appenine Way) and Vandyke Curve. At Stonehenge
Works: 'PCA' will be in steam shunting freight stock. Return
is double headed to Page's Park where 'PCA' will be
available for footplate rides until 17.30. There will be
supervised opportunities to see Stonehenge Works and
Page's Park shed. Stonehenge Craft Shop will be open to
sell hot & cold drinks and confectionary. £10 per head
cheques payee Continental Railway Circle. Please provide
a contact telephone number or email address. Booking to
A. K. Palmer 46 Heathside, Weybridge, KT13 9YL, 07774
859871, [email protected] limited accommodation.

LEFT: 1961 7th Series OS 1" map with the Leighton Buzzard
Railway then a narrow gauge industrial sand carrying line.

[BLN 1298]
298] Nottingham NET, 22 Jan-25 Feb: One month NET season reduced from £55 to £40 (if no season
ticket held in the 3 previous months) only at King Street NET Travel Centre; quote 'Tram40promotion'.

297] Bala Lake Railway: (MR p29) (BLN 1297.MR19) £2.5M is needed to extend this lovely
1' 11½" gauge railway half a mile over the River Dee, into Bala town and build a new terminal
station there - track that we will all need with delightful views along Bala Lake. Various
subscription packages are available https://goo.gl/8bB8W8 with rewards. Bronze: £20 per
month for five years or £1,200 - a return family ticket on the first public passenger train on the
extension, five years Bala Lake Railway Society membership plus a round trip footplate ride for
the subscriber. Silver: £50 per month or £3,000 - as bronze but the footplate ride is an all day
standard footplate experience (two return trips), 3 guests allowed, with refreshments. Also an
A4 print of the first train on the extension. Gold: £100 per month or £6,000. As silver but the
print is A3 size, the footplate ride is 'premium' and either a one-hour private flight over the
railway in a light aircraft or a private evening heritage rolling stock charter train on the railway
with a loco of your choice. Download a form from the website or 01678 540666. Donations:
Online via the link above, gift-aid adds 25%, or ring the number. £500 buys a track panel, £100 a
length or rail, £50 three sleepers, £20 four fishplates & bolts and £10 buys twenty track spikes.

299] Crossrail Behind the Hoardings, Feb-Jun: The final chance to do these free self-guided tours (max
two per person timed entry) at Paddington, Bond Street, Tottenham Court Road, Farringdon, Liverpool
Street, Whitechapel, Canary Wharf, Custom House or Woolwich. Sign up at: https://goo.gl/fNV3Db

300] *URGENT NEWS* London transport Museum, Euston Underground Station The Lost Tunnels:
(Also Euston, The Photography Tour.) https://goo.gl/6oQj2q anyone who enjoys the 'Hidden
London' series of visits to disused London Underground stations/parts of stations and has not done
this one is advised to try and do so ASAP as it will only be available for a few months. The original
Charing Cross, Euston & Hampstead Railway station (OP 22 Jun 1907) at 16 Melton St - the station
exit (on the corner of Drummond St - the station entrance) is to be demolished, it is not a listed
structure, to build the new HS2 platforms. The tours start from this building with its dramatic
oxblood-red external tiling.

Anyone can currently view the distinctive building from outside near the southwest corner of
Euston station. By 24 Jan several surrounding buildings and offices were vacated for demolition and
part of the road cordoned off as work starts. The station building closed 30 Sep 1914 along with the
City & South London Railway Euston station building (OP 12 May 1907) - tickets were sold from a
combined underground ticket hall instead, visited on the tour. The passenger passages closed 29
Apr 1962 (part of reconfiguration for the Victoria Line construction) are also visited, connecting the
two parts of the Northern Line with their original 1962 posters. Lift shafts, replaced by escalators in
Oct 1967 are also on the tour - again with original posters one advertising the Midland Blue
Pullman; another was one of the first to use the BR 'double-arrow' logo. Participants also walk along
the specially constructed (full tube size) Victoria Line ventilation tunnels (OP here 1 Dec 1968) and
to look down on to the platforms.

●Bookings Officer: Jill Everitt, 4 Barnside Way, Moulton, NORTHWICH, CW9 8PT. [email protected]
●Fixtures Secretary: Kev Adlam, 53 Kemble Close, Wistaston, CREWE CW2 6XN. [email protected] @BLSGeneralSec
●Iain Scotchman (Finland railtour) 102 Shenfield Place, BRENTWOOD, CM15 9AJ. [email protected]
●Sales: Mark Gomm, 84 Mornington Road, STOKE-ON-TRENT, ST1 6EL. 01782 769960 (daytime). [email protected]
●Paper BLN Problems: Dave Monger, 6 Underhill Close, GODALMING, GU7 1NU. [email protected] or text/ring the Editor
●MAPS: By permission of the National Library of Scotland http://maps.nls.uk/index.html

●Editor/Head Lines: Paul Stewart, 4 Clarence Close, MALVERN, WR14 3HX. 01684562862 07790652351 [email protected]

Published by the Branch Line Society, 10 Sandringham Road, Stoke Gifford, BS34 8NP. ISSN 1354-0947.