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,

RAIL minister Chris Heaton-Harris has told Rail Delivery Group chief executive Paul Plummer that it is ‘extremely disappointing that the rail industry and train operators will fail to meet the deadline to provide accessible trains for every passenger and every journey by the end of the year’.A number of non-compliant

In the seventh of our series on the writers and artists who influenced the present generation of rail enthusiasts, Robert Humm recalls the life and times of the photographer, film maker, and pioneer preservationist Patrick Whitehouse. A phenomenon of the golden age of railway enthusiasm – those four decades of

THE Scottish Government has decided to terminate the ScotRail franchise held by Abellio when the core contract ends on 31 March 2022.There is a break point in 2022, when the levels of subsidy are recalculated or ‘rebased’, and in theory the contract could have been extended up to 2027. Transport secretary

It’s 50 years since the prototype diesel Kestrel first graced the British Rail network, but after four years it was sold to Russia. The Railway Magazine presents the story of the big bird that flew too far, its life behind the Iron Curtain and the locos it inspired in the

A NEW law limiting the ability of rail unions to disrupt services by industrial action can be expected in the Queen’s Speech tomorrow, it has been reported.The Conservatives had outlined such a law in their election manifesto, and transport secretary Grant Shapps has told the Evening Standard that the new