STEAM returned to the Whitepass and Yukon Railroad in Alaska this summer, with Baldwin-built 2-8-2 No. 73 re-entering service on July 15.  The loco was bought new from Baldwin in 1947 (Works No. 73352) and withdrawn in 1964. It was restored back to working order in 1982, and has been in use

THE Virgin West Coast franchise came to an end at 01.59 this morning, after more than 20 years of operation on the route by Richard Branson’s company and Stagecoach Group.Operation has been transferred to the new West Coast Partnership, which is a consortium of FirstGroup and Italian operator Trenitalia. Virgin Trains

GWR will be making its biggest timetable change in December, said to be the most comprehensive since the introduction of HSTs in 1976. More than 75% of the timetable is changed or recast, with faster journeys taking advantage of the superior IET acceleration times, more frequent trains and extra seats. 

CLASS 66 locos have been cleared to work to Oban after a two-year project involving Network Rail and GB Railfreight.  Use of loco-hauled trains was restricted to lighter Class 37s locos prior to completion of the work, because of restricted axle loading.  Upgrading the line for

A RARE English Electric diesel loco worked passenger trains on the ‘Mary Valley Rattler’ heritage line in Queensland in September because of extreme weather and fire danger posed by the normal steam workings.  Ex-Queensland Rail loco No. 1632, one of 34 ‘1620 Class’ locos manufactured by the English Electric Company

STANIER ‘Jubilee’ 4-6-0 No. 45690 Leander winds its way southbound along the Lakeland coast at St Bees with the return leg of the Railway Touring Company’s ‘Cumbrian Coast Express on September 28. The BR black-liveried ‘Jub’ had left Carlisle at 13.32 and stuck to within four minutes of the timetable through

FORMER brewery 4wD Courage (Hunslet 1786 of 1935) made a rare outing during the Middleton Railway’s Work’s Outing gala on September 14-15. The locomotive was operated on the rarely used Balm Road branch. Here, it leads a demonstration goods train over Moor Road level crossing on the

HITACHI is to build 23 new trains for the West Coast Partnership, with the aim of having them in service by 2022.The fleet will consist of 10 seven-car electric units and 13 five-car bi-mode units, and will be based on Hitachi’s existing Intercity Express models. The electric trains will operate between

Updated 18.50SATURDAY’S strike on West Midlands Trains has been suspended by the RMT, after the union received a new offer.However, West Midlands Trains has warned that it is too late to restore a normal service, and that a limited timetable will still apply this Saturday. The dispute, which was to have