A FORMER Caledonian Railway footbridge that was rescued from West Calder on the Shotts line in West Lothian was installed at the Bo’ness & Kinneil Railway’s Birkhill station on October 28.  The station’s new second platform is still under construction, so the footbridge is not yet in use, but

STANIER ‘Black Five’ No. 45305 Alderman A E Draper made its return to traffic at the Great Central Railway’s (GCR) Last Hurrah of the Season mini-gala on November 16-17. The 5305 Locomotive Association 4-6-0 had spent several months on the side lines having been taken out of traffic earlier in

CHURCHWARD ‘28XX’ 2-8-0 No. 2807 will work the last trains of its current 10-year boiler certificate at the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway on December 31-January 1. No. 2807’s ‘ticket’ expires on March 10, but the 1905-built veteran will be withdrawn on January 2 to enable work on its overhaul to begin. 

THE East Lancashire Railway has completed the first phase of its £600,000 redevelopment of Rawtenstall by installing the newly refurbished canopy on October 29. The railway made good use of its Cowans Sheldon 75-ton crane to lift the canopy frame from its fabrication yard alongside the platform, and position it

COLLETT ‘2884’ 2-8-0 No. 3802 has been sold by the Llangollen Railway-based Great Western 3802 Ltd, with a return to steam expected before the end of the year. The locomotive’s new owners are Nick Gilbert, owner of ‘Hall’ 4-6-0 No. 5967 Bickmarsh Hall, and Steve Andrews, who have bought it

BUCKINGHAMSHIRE Railway Centre (BRC) is the official home to a pair of Hawksworth ‘Modified Hall’ 4-6-0s after adding semi-restored No. 6984 Owsden Hall to its list of resident locos.  The surprise news that owner Trevor Westbury was transferring No. 6984 from the Swindon & Cricklade Railway (S&CR) to Quainton was

The mayors of Greater Manchester and Liverpool have called for “clarity” after a Sunday newspaper was told Northern Rail would be stripped of its franchise. The Sunday Times was briefed that private train operator Northern Rail was to lose the franchise and, under plans reported by the weekly title, an “operator of last

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On the edge of Chat Moss in Lancashire, in an area once full of collieries, lies the picturesque village of Astley Green. In the heart of the village stands Astley Green Colliery Museum which, but for the foresight of Lancashire County Council and several leading figures within the

Union protests at proposed ‘draconian’ rail strike lawPLANS to legally restrict the extent of rail strikes, requiring a minimum level of service, are being opposed by a rail union. The law was mentioned in the Queen’s Speech, as expected, and would require a ‘minimum service agreement’. If this is breached,