Marcus' Model Railway Journey

13th September 2023

Hundreds step back in time to ride in restored railcar in Norfolk​

Hundreds of passengers took a trip into the past on Saturday 9 September as they travelled on a newly-restored Class 104 railcar on the North Norfolk Railway (NNR).

Travellers were able to ride in the driving coach of a 1958 railcar which last carried passengers 36 years ago.

It is now back in service after a nine-and-a-half year restoration by father and son team Paul and Chris Moxon.

The railway, which runs between the Victorian seaside resort of Sheringham and the Georgian town of Holt, would regularly see Class 104 railcars in use on Norwich-Cromer-Sheringham services in the late 1970s.

The restored vehicle, M56182, will see regular use from Sheringham's original station and is due to run alongside steam locomotives and other heritage diesels as part of NNR's autumn services.

These will run on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays as well as weekends until the end of October.

It was built by the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company for British Rail, and formed part of the modernisation plan which saw many diesel trains take over from steam.

The extensive restoration has returned the railcar back to almost its original condition.

There is varnished woodwork in the passenger saloons and salvaged seats matching the original style of the 1950s have been used throughout.

Vehicle frames have been overhauled, wheels refurbished and rusty bodywork has been removed and replaced.

The whole railcar has been repainted in its original green livery along with the distinctive warning ‘whiskers' on the front, something of a daring and modern touch at the time.

Wiring has been renewed and instruments on the driver's desk have been repaired.

There will be a Steam Back to the Forties event on Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September.

Graham Huskins, the railway's Commercial Manager, said: “The coach is in pristine condition oozes period atmosphere. Our Autumn timetable features the railcar running alongside one of our historic steam trains allowing passengers an authentic experience of rail travel from the time when steam was just starting to give way to diesel motive power.”

Co-owner and restorer, Chris Moxon, commented “We are delighted to return M56182 to action and very pleased that the vehicle has proved popular passengers – particularly the first class saloon which affords an excellent driver's-eye view of the line ahead!”

13th September 2023

Steam and diesel for Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Autumn Gala​

The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway's final event of its main operating season is its Autumn Showcase Gala over the weekend of 28 and 29 October.

During the weekend, visitors can ride in brake vans on a demonstration freight train from Toddington or Cheltenham Racecourse, tour the Carriage & Wagon Department a Winchcombe, and delve through stands from other preservation societies in the David Page shed at Toddington.

Tickets for the brake van rides can be purchased on the day from Toddington and Cheltenham Racecourse stations.

At Toddington, visitors can view ongoing locomotive projects, including a rare chance to see three Great Western Railway 2-8-0s that are being restored or overhauled.

These include 3850 which required new cylinders and frame extensions to be cast, 2807 dating from 1905 which will be the oldest-working Great Western-built locomotive when it returns to traffic later this year, and 2874 which is being restored from ex-Barry scrapyard condition.

The Toddington narrow-gauge railway will also be running, and the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway Trust (GWRT) Office will be open where visitors to discuss becoming a member or volunteer, and learn about the Stanway Viaduct appeal.

At Winchcombe, the railway's Discovery coach and model railway coach will both be open.

All main stations will have a range of refreshment facilities available as well as free car parking (except at Broadway).

The weekend promises plenty of action from an intensive timetable, with non-stop runs and double-heading with both steam and diesel haulage, goods trains.

On Sunday, there will be the added attraction of trains running after dark.

Steam loco cab visits and footplate rides will also be on offer, but footplate rides must be booked in advance.

On Saturday, a free bus will provide a connection between the Cheltenham Racecourse station and Cheltenham Spa mainline station.

Tickets for the Autumn Showcase can be purchased online at www.gwsr.com at £28 for adults, offering a £2 discount on the ticket cost of £30 when purchased on the day.

Multi-day rover tickets are also available that provide substantial savings, but these must be booked in advance.

Subject to locomotive availability, the following locomotives from the railway's home fleet will be in service:

• Manor Class No. 7820 Dinmore Manor
• Modified Hall Class No. 7903 Foremarke Hall
• Rebuilt Merchant Navy Class No. 35006 Peninsular & Oriental S. N. Co.
• Class 20 Diesel No. 20137
• Class 24 Diesel No. 5081
• Class 37 Diesel Nos 37215 and D6948
• Class 47 Diesel Nos 47105 & 47376 Freightliner 1995
• Class 117 diesel multiple unit No. L425

Tom Willson, GWSR Gala Committee Chair. commented: “We are excited to put on the Autumn Showcase for you. A final hurrah for the end of the normal operating season, and a chance for the volunteers to showcase the railway, doing what it does best!”

“The team have been working hard to organise this event in conjunction with the loco-owning groups. Who knows, there may even be a surprise loco out on the line…”

13th September 2023

LMS duo of steam locomotives set for East Lancashire Railway gala​

45690, Leander, fuelling up at the National Railway Museum, York on 21st April 2023

The East Lancashire Railway has made further announcements about the Autumn Steam Gala to be held from Monday, 13 to Friday, 15 October 2023.

At the Autumn Steam Gala, joining the home fleet will be LMS Jubilee Class 45690 Leander and 8F 48305.

The Gala will also feature goods trains and shunting demonstrations, whilst the popular Bar Car will appear in one of the carriage sets.

8F 48305

Home fleet locomotives include:

• L&Y 0-4-0 Pug 19, No. 11243
• L&Y 0-6-0 752, No. 51456
• Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0 32 Gothenburg
• LMS 0-6-0 ‘Jinty' No. 47298
• SR Battle of Britain Pacific No. 34072 257 Squadron (On loan from Spa Valley Railway / Southern Locomotives Ltd)
• SR Battle of Britain No. 34092 City of Wells

Battle of Britain Class No. 34092 City of Wells

Tickets for both events are now on sale, with the option of a one-, two-, or three-day rover ticket that allows visitors to ride as often as they like.

Further information about the Autumn Steam Gala can be found here.

14th September 2023

Tramcar Oporto 9 ventures outside at Crich for 150th anniversary​

This Saturday (16 September), the National Tramway Museum's oldest tramcar, Oporto 9, will make a rare outing to celebrate its 150th anniversary.

It will put in an appearance during the Museum's annual Tram Weekend, which takes place at the Tramway Village in Crich, Derbyshire.

Weather permitting, Oporto 9 will leave the Exhibition Hall and take part in a photo opportunity on the depot alongside Oporto 273.

The Tram Weekend will also include:

• all available service trams operating on at least one day: Glasgow 22, Sheffield 74, Blackpool 166, Leeds 180, Blackpool 236, Metropolitan 331, Leeds 399, Sheffield 510, Blackpool 630
• an intensive service in operation, with multiple trams departing every ten minutes
• selected Works Cars in operation
• themed photo opportunities at Town End and on the depot fan
• ‘mystery objects' from the Museum's collection in the Exhibition Hall
• book sale
• workshop tool sale
• live music on the bandstand

Oporto 9 was built in 1873 by the Starbuck Car and Wagon Company Ltd. of Birkenhead.

It was one of ten cars supplied to the Companhia Carril Americano do Porto in Portugal, and was an eighteen-seat single deck tramcar designed to be pulled by two horses, although mules were used during the early years in Portugal.

When electric tramcars were introduced, many of the original vehicles were converted into motor cars.

Some, including Oporto 9, remained in use as trailers, and were hauled either by steam-tram engines or electric tramcars

Oporto 9 remained in use as a service tram trailer for a 87 years before being placed in storage in 1960.

It was then acquired by the English tramway enthusiast and preservationist John H Price to join the Tramway Museum Society's collection, and was shipped to England in 1964.

It was transported by road to Crich, where it is the oldest vehicle in the collection, dating back to the dawn of the tramcar era.

After trial runs behind Blackpool Corporation No. 49, Oporto 9 operated as a trailer car for the Tramway Museum Society's steam-powered tram, John Bull.

In its early days it provided a regular service in this capacity, especially as the Museum's electricity supply was not yet reliable.

Oporto 9 ceased passenger operation at Crich by the mid 1970s and became a static exhibit in the main exhibition hall.

14th September 2023

Avanti West Coast’s Pendolino fleet upgrade reaches major milestone​

Avanti West Coast has completed the upgrade of the thirty-fifth – and last – eleven-carriage Pendolino.

The operator will now work on upgrading the shorter, nine-carriage trains.

It believes that this project is the UK's largest ever train upgrade and that it has “helped to deliver a step change in onboard experience”.

The upgrade project is due to finish next summer (2024) and has cost £117m.

The Pendolino fleet is comprised of fifty six trains, thirty five with eleven cars and twenty one with nine.

The Pendolinos have been working along the West Coast Main Line for more than two decades, travelling a total of more than 270 million miles, the equivalent distance of travelling to the moon and back more than five hundred times.

The upgrade work has been carried out at Alstom's facility in Widnes.

The eleven-car trains were upgraded within sixteen months, at a rate of one set per fortnight.

The work is financed by Angel Trains, a UK train Asset Management company.

In total, the work on the eleven-car trains has involved refurbishing 385 carriages and installing:

• 17,780 new seats installed
• 770 infotainment screens
• 3,010 new tables with WiFi charging
• 14,230 square metres of sustainable woollen flooring from UK based Axminster Carpets.

The operator claims that passengers have given positive feedback about the refurbished trains, including comments that they are more comfortable and better lit, and welcoming the increased availability of power sockets, the refreshed interior and the on-board shop.

As well as upgrading the Pendolino fleet, the West Coast route operator will be bringing a brand-new fleet of Hitachi trains into service from the end of this year.

The operator has been subject to fierce criticism over recent years due to unreliable services.

Philippa Cresswell, Executive Director On Board at Avanti West Coast said: “The refurbished Pendolinos are proving a big hit with our customers. They really do look and feel like a new train.

“We will continue to work with our partners Alstom and Angel Trains to complete the transformation of one the UK's most iconic trains as we look forward to welcoming more people back to rail.”

Peter Broadley, Alstom's Managing Director Services commented: “We're incredibly proud of the Pendolino fleet upgrade project which takes train refurbishment to another level. Working in partnership with Angel Trains and Avanti West Coast we've delivered a fantastic product for passengers on the West Coast.”

Malcolm Brown, CEO of Angel Trains, said: “Our iconic Pendolino trains have been refurbished to provide a comfortable, connected, best in class passenger experience at a lower cost and carbon footprint than building new. Working together with Avanti West Coast and Alstom this project has supported UK suppliers and skilled jobs the length of the West Coast Main Line. “

14th September 2023

Castle Class High-Speed Train set for running days on Somerset heritage railway​

A “win-win” situation has been secured by the West Somerset Railway with an agreement to store two of Great Western Railway's “Castle Class” high-speed trains (HSTs) on its line in return for being able to use them in passenger service.

The high-speed trains are being withdrawn from the mainline network during the next few months, which has caused short-term storage problems for Great Western, and an arrangement to store them on the West Somerset Railway from last Monday, 11 September, was agreed at relatively short notice.

In return for storing the trains, Great Western has agreed that the West Somerset Railway can use one of them in normal operational service on Saturday, 23 and Sunday, September.

On both days the railway will be operating to its “yellow” timetable, and the HST will make two return journeys from Minehead to Bishops Lydeard.

Departure from Minehead will be at 10.00 and 14.30, and the return journey from Bishops Lydeard will be at 12.30 and 16.35.

The trains are timed so that passengers can make a return journey starting from either end of the line.

Normal fares will apply on both days, so alternatively passengers can travel one way on the HST and the other on a regular steam-hauled train.

Further details can be found on the HST Running Days web page here.

British Railways introduced High Speed Trains (HSTs) over forty years ago in 1976, and are still the fastest diesel-powered trains in the world.

During their regular service, they were to be seen throughout the length and breadth of Britain, particularly on the former Western Region lines out of London Paddington to South Wales, Bristol, and the West of England.

They were also widely used on cross-country routes between the southwest, the Midlands, the North, and Scotland. As the routes west from Paddington were electrified, they were replaced by IETs (Inter-City Express Trains) which can run on both electricity and diesel power.

Great Western reformed some of its HSTs into sets of four coaches, with a power car at each end (“2 + 4”) and designated them as the “Castle Class”, with the power cars named after West Country castles.

It is two of those sets that are to be stored on the West Somerset Railway.

In the past, HSTs have been occasional visitors to the West Somerset Railway, but none have ever been based there.

14th September 2023

Staffordshire railway launches appeal to purchase a ballast wagon​

The Churnet Valley Railway has opened an appeal to purchase and restore a former British Rail Sealion ballast wagon to enhance its last-handling capabilities during the push to extend the railway to Leek.

The loan of a BR Whale ballast wagon has been very useful during the restoration project and has been a vital asset in the work.

Although significant progress has been made in the railway's mission to restore and rebuild the railway line to Leek, and with plans to reopen stations in the future, the railway is keen to improve its ballast handling capacity to ensure a smooth and efficient rebuilding process.

The Whale wagon is a unique survivor in preservation, and the railway has now offered the chance to purchase a Sealion wagon which is slightly smaller, with a 40-tonne capacity compared with the 51 tonnes of a Whale.

The cost to purchase and transport the Sealion wagon is £5000, for which the railway is appealing for help.

It is looking for 20 individuals or groups willing to contribute £200 each.

These contributions will play a crucial role in helping the railway acquire the Sealion wagon and significantly improve the capabilities of the railway's engineering train.

As the Churnet Valley Railway is a charity, it will be able to claim Gift Aid on all donations, allowing it to quickly reach its fundraising goal swiftly.

Every contribution regardless of size will make a tremendous difference to the mission to reach Leek.

Although work behind the scenes work does not always receive the glory it deserves, it is only through those efforts that the railway can thrive and move forward.

With the public's support, the railway can ensure it can become the best possible and create memorable experiences for passengers for years to come.

The Churnet Valley is grateful for all the support that it has received in the past and, hopes that the public will consider joining it once more as it embarks on this exciting phase of the railway's development.

To make a contribution or find out further information, there is a dedicated fundraising page here

15th September 2023

Plans, picnics and parties at Welsh Highland Railway weekend​

Two Grand Days Out are promised for members of the Welsh Highland Railway Society and their guests who attend the organisation's annual general meeting.

The event takes place over the weekend of Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September.

The AGM will be a members' only event and will focus on projects being supported by the society as well as looking towards the future.

Members will be able to check on the progress of the NG15 class locomotive currently being restored.

The loco, number 134, was formerly in service on South African Railways and is being restored at Dinas, just outside Caernarfon.

There will also be a rare opportunity to for a detailed tour of Boston Lodge Works at Minffordd, just across the Afon Glaslyn causeway from Porthmadog.

Members will see the current building work and hear about plans for the future.

Trains will run between Caernarfon, Dinas and Waunfawr and return on Saturday.

Members travel free but accompanied guests must pay £15.

Dinas goods shed will be open from 09.00 and various activities will begin from 10.00.

A Cymdeithas Rheilffordd Eryri – the society which supports Rheilffordd Eryri, or Welsh Highland Railway – will have a stand where information about volunteering and forthcoming winter works will be available as well as information about redevelopment plans for Dinas.

Visitors can also find out about volunteer accommodation which is available.

A pre-owned bookstall and light refreshments will be available.

NG15 and workshop tours will run at regular intervals and visitors may book in at the NG15 stand.

It is hoped that Baldwin 608 will be in steam and will provide footplate rides while Lilla will also be in steam, and there will be ‘drive and engine' opportunities.

Roland Doyle will give a talk about the Micro ETS project following the arrival of shuttle trains at Waunfawr at 12.15 and 13.30.

Caffi De Winton at Caernarfon will remain open on Saturday evening with food from their normal menu with last orders for food at 18.30.

They will stay open until 1900 for pre-AGM drinks.

On Sunday, Caffi De Winton will open at 08.15 for an eat-in or take-away breakfast before a special Garratt-hauled train will leave Caernarfon at 09.30, calling at Dinas, Waunfawr, Rhyd Ddu and Beddgelert, before arriving at Boston Lodge at 11.45, for a guided tour.

Members can also inspect two ten-year-old electric tunnelling locomotives which were acquired for their scrap value.

These were used on the Tideway project under the Thames.

These will be tested in coming months to gain a better understanding of the challenges of working with electric vehicles.

Departure will be at 13.3o on a double-headed train back to Beddgelert, before swapping to reserved carriages on the Gelert Explorer service back to Caernarfon.

Members tickets cost £11 and guests must pay £40.

Prices include a Gelert picnic lunch and must be booked in advance.

15th September 2023

Appeal for funds to complete restoration of boiler for steam locomotive No. 7200​

The 7200 Trust is well advanced with the restoration of Great Western 2-8-2 tank engine no. 7200, but needs additional funds for the boiler so that the final stage of 7200's overhaul can be completed.

7200 was built in 1930, originally as a 2-8-0T numbered 5275, at a cost of£4,380 that included £933 for the boiler.

The class was built specifically for service on South Wales coal traffic, with their great adhesion weight proving useful on the steeply graded lines of the Welsh valleys.

However, as a result of the Wall Street crash of 1929 by 1930 South Wales coal and steel exports were dwindling and many of the class had little to no work.

CME Charles Collett found a solution to the problem of the already redundant engines by extending the rear of the frames and fitting a larger bunker so that more coal and water could be carried.

With a greater distance range, this made the new 2-8-2T 7200 class found use in other parts of the GWR network.

5275 was the first locomotive converted to a 2-8-2T arrangement, with modifications costing £200.

Now re-numbered 7200, at various times it was allocated to Llanelli and withdrawn from there on 9 October 1963.

After withdrawal, it was sold to Woodham's at Barry in South Wales, where it remained in the huge locomotive graveyard for eighteen years.

In September 1981, 7200 left Barry for the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre where it stood in a siding for a further fifteen years.

In 1998, The 7200 Trust was formed and began the restoration which after a quarter-century is now nearing completion.

£135,000 is needed to complete the final restoration work of the boiler at HBSS, Liverpool., of which £45,000 has already been raised, meaning a further £90,000 is required to complete the work.

The Trust is asking people to support its work by becoming a 7200 club member and paying a regular monthly subscription, or by making a one-off donation, large or small, to its Boiler Fund through its webpage at https://www.7200trust.org.uk/donate.

Alternatively, a membership application form can be downloaded here.

15th September 2023

Progress reports released on steam locomotive ‘Yeo’ and ‘Exe’​

The report reveals work underway on the new build Manning Wardle locomotives 'Yeo' and 'Exe' up to September 2023​

The 762 Club, which is a registered charity, is currently working in collaboration with the Lynton and Barnstaple Railway on the recreation of Manning Wardle locomotives ‘Yeo' and “Exe' with the latest progress report revealing the steps forward made to date.

Peak Patterns Ltd of Sheffield has created several castings for ‘Yeo' and ‘Exe', which are currently with Welsh Highland Railway's Festiniog Railway's Boston Lodge Works for machining.

The castings include Driving wheels, Front & rear frame stays, Hornblocks, Bogie frame stretchers, Axleboxes and keeps as well as Slide bar brackets and radius links for the Joy valve gear

As part of the project, enquiries were sent to several foundries, some of which were inundated with work following the pandemic.

Peak Patterns Ltd were able to supply the most competitive quotation and, after doing fantastic work on wheels for locomotive ‘Lyn' and pony wheels for ‘Yeo' and ‘Exe' recently, were the perfect fit for the job.

Work at Boston Lodge has seen the completion of machining on the cylinders, end covers and valve chest covers for the two newly built locomotives.

Parts for ‘Yeo' and ‘Exe' are identified with blue and green paint in order to distinguish which engine will get which parts.

Following the August closure, the driving wheel pattern was set up in preparation for casting and are now at Boston Lodge where work is underway to clean the up and painted blue or green.

It is expected that the mainframes will be needed in the near future, which will allow assembly to get underway.

Locomotive ‘Lyd' has also had new die blocks CNC machined, the blocks which run in the curved slotted links on the Joy valve gear had worn.

Alongside ‘Lyd's blocks, two sets were also made for ‘Yeo' and ‘Exe'.

15th September 2023

DB Cargo UK invites offers for 12 Class 90 locomotives​

DB Cargo UK is inviting tenders for the purchase of surplus assets, including locomotives, wagons, and coaching stock.

Twelve locomotives are up for sale, all of which are currently at Crewe and include:

• 90017;
• 90018;
• 90022;
• 90023;
• 90025;
• 90027;
• 90030;
• 90031;
• 90032;
• 90033;
• 90038;
• 90040.

All the locomotives are being sold as seen from their current location.

DB Cargo UK is not offering any warranty, condition, or undertaking including but without limitation their quality, maintenance, state or fitness for purpose.

There is nothing in these that would exclude any liability which would be unlawful for DB Cargo UK to limit or exclude, including the company's title to dispose of the locomotives.

Successful bidder(s) will be required to remove the locomotives from their current locations at times to be agreed with DB Cargo and at their own expense.

You can find out more about the tender on the DB Cargo website.

This is not the first time main line locomotives have been offered for sale, as in June, Direct Rail Services (DRS) offered three Class 37s for sale, and in August Network Rail offered three Class 73s for sale.

15th September 2023

Dean Forest Locomotive Group provide update on steam locomotive No. 9682​

The locomotives restoration is seeing positive momentum with the team reporting fantastic progress​

2018 saw the Dean Forest Locomotive Group purchase Pannier Tank 9682 and have continued with her ongoing restoration with the latest progress, marking a great effort by the engineering team.

The last few weeks have seen riveting up the new rear drag box assembly alongside riveting down to the new cab floor.

The report mentions the task as being a little sweaty due to the sweltering heat of the last few weeks.

The project contractor has carried out the removal of the old cylinder block and frames, which have now been split into its two halves.

The block, as anticipated, is substantially cracked, which is due to carrying water over under its last ticket.

Metal stitching has seen this damage repaired.

However, the group believes they will likely need replacing and will begin looking into getting a new cylinder block made for 9682, which as ever with steam locomotive restoration, is likely to be expensive.

Any help with funding would be enormously appreciated by the Engineering Team.

9682 has plenty to keep the Engineering Team hard at work and once again, the Group wishes to thank all of those for their ongoing support!

To find out more about the Dean Forest Locomotive Group, please visit their Facebook page or their website by clicking here.

15th September 2023

Norfolk railway to say farewell to steam locomotive this October​

Next month's Autumn Showcase weekend at the North Norfolk Railway will see the last event appearance of British Railways Standard 4MT No 76084 before its withdrawal for overhaul and the debut of Class 104 Driving Trailer M56182 after its restoration.

The event on Saturday, 7 and Sunday, 8 October will feature up to six locomotives and the Class 104 DMU.

They will operate a frequent service with many historic rail vehicles in the care of the North Norfolk Railway and the Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway Society.

Another attraction will be The event will see Great Eastern steam locomotive Y14 Class 0-6-0 No 564, which is the line's oldest working locomotive.

It was built to a Victorian design in 1912 and will be hauling a train of unique four- and six-wheeled 19th-century carriages.

There will also be a rare chance to travel in the sole-surviving “Quad-Art” set, which dates from the 1920s that has been restored to near-original condition and is only used on a few days each year.

Its unique design provided maximum capacity for commuter services from Moorgate.

Two 08 diesel shunters, D3635 and D3940, owned by the Midland & Great Northern Society will make a rare appearance hauling passenger trains when they will double head along the line's full 5½ mile length.

This will be the first time that D3940 has hauled a passenger train to Holt after an extensive overhaul and returning to service last year.

Class 104s were once a common sight at Sheringham working trains to Cromer and Norwich, so Driving Trailer M56182 is sure to prove popular.

It was withdrawn from passenger service in 1987 and has recently returned to service after a nine-year restoration.

Completing the Showcase line-up will be 9F Class 2-10-0 No. 92203 Black Prince and Class 31 diesel locomotive No. D5631.

Each day from 9.30 am there will be a frequent service of passenger trains between Sheringham and Holt, demonstration goods trains that will recreate the days when many railways looked upon goods traffic as more important than passengers.

At Weybourne, the locomotive and carriage & wagon works will be open for viewing, and visitors can join a guided tour of the sheds in return for a small donation.

The Reedham Junction signal box at Holt, which dates from 1904 and was moved to Holt last year after being saved for preservation will be open for public viewing for the first time so that visitors can see how restoration is progressing.

Further information about the showcase and booking details can be found at www.nnrailway.co.uk/autumn-showcase/.

After the Showcase, steam and heritage diesel services operate on weekends, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays until 29 October, followed by the Norfolk Lights Express and Santa Specials in November and December.

Full details of the dates and times of these can be found at www.nnrailway.co.uk.

Commercial Manager, Graham Hukins, commented “The event will showcase the variety of locomotives, carriages and wagons on the line giving visitors a chance to experience contrasting trains and some unusual workings.”

15th September 2023

Aberystwyth, Machynlleth and Shrewsbury trains disrupted due to trespass incident​

Trains between Birmingham International, Shrewsbury and Aberystwyth are being disrupted this morning due to a trespass incident.

The line has been blocked by the incident, meaning trains between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth may be delayed or cancelled.

Trains appear to be stopping at Machynlleth and not travelling further (and not calling at Aberystwyth, Bow Street, Borth or Dovey Junction).

Disruption is currently expected until 11:30 this morning (15th September).

A spokesperson said “A trespass incident between Caersws and Newtown means the line is blocked. As a result, trains running between Shrewsbury and Machynlleth may be delayed or cancelled.”

16th September 2023

Agatha Christie has Great Western Railway train named in Devon​

One of Great Western Railway's (GWR) Intercity Express Trains has been named after best-selling author Agatha Christie.

Although Christie's iconic murder mystery play The Mousetrap has kept people guessing for 70 years, Great Western Railway has revealed that Intercity Express Train No. 802110 has been named in her honour.

Christie's name was unveiled on Tuesday, 12 September by her grandson, Mathew Prichard, at Paignton station in Devon, before the train departed on the 14.10 service to London Paddington.

Paignton is just a few miles from Agatha Christie's home at Greenway on the River Dart.

Joining Mathew Prichard at the ceremony were special guests and the cast of The Mousetrap, which is on a national 70th Anniversary tour and being staged at Torquay's Princess Theatre until Saturday 16 September.

Also at the ceremony was Great Western Railway Train Manager Rob Smith and his 103-year-old grandmother, Joan Nott, who is a world-renowned expert on all things Agatha Christie.

Joan used to be a tourist guide with the West Country Tourist Board and researched and specialised in the Agatha Christie Story for tours that attracted journalists from all over the world.

In 1976, she was awarded a prestigious Blue Badge and as part of her research for the tours worked with Dame Agatha's daughter, Rosalind Hick, and later with Mathew.