Marcus' Model Railway Journey

Status
Not open for further replies.
I decide to take a couple of pictures of my recent Class 29 purchase.

train.jpg
 
So in this livery, D6103 started life as a Class 21! :o

In an attempt to improve reliability, 20 locomotives (D6100–03, D6106-D6108, D6112–D6114, D6116, D6119, D6121, D6123, D6124, D6129, D6130, D6133, D6134 and D6137) were re-engined between 1963 and 1967 with 1,350 hp (1,010 kW) Paxman Ventura engines to form Class 29.

D6103 Class 21 from 05/05/1959 to 15/10/1965, when she was re-engined and became a class 29.

Sadly she was withdrawn from service 05/10/1971 and scrapped in November 1972. :(

train.jpg
 
Last edited:
16 July 2024

Steam locomotive Douglas set for Shropshire stay​

train.jpg

'Douglas' alongside 'Gordon'

Douglas, a narrow gauge locomotive usually based at the Talyllyn Railway, has moved to the Severn Valley Railway.

No. 6, which is currently in RAF blue, is set to be on display at the Engine House at Highley until November.

Douglas has been out of action since January when its boiler ticket expired.

The locomotive can be found next to LMR No. 600 ‘Gordon' at the Engine House.

‘It really is in the perfect display setting. I suppose you could say that with ‘Douglas' and ‘Gordon' we now have our own ‘David and Goliath' at The Engine House.

‘We think ‘Douglas' is going to be very popular with visitors, especially anyone who's familiar with the ‘Thomas the Tank Engine' books of the Rev W Awdry.

He based his grumpy engine ‘Duncan' directly on ‘Douglas' and both share the same distinctive tall chimney!'

~Lewis Maddox, the SVR's visitor engagement manager
 
Last edited:
The sender used some old stamps to cover the postage - they weren't even cancelled. :umm:

There's two stamps that have ½p as part of the value. :lol:

The ½p coin was demonetised and withdrawn from circulation in December 1984.

This small coin weighed 1.78 grams and was 17.14 mm diameter, making it the smallest circulation coin of the decimal series in size as well as denomination.

1721254327142.png


train.jpg
 
Last edited:
Then we went up the road to 'The Gatekeeper', our favourite Wetherspoons pub.

Click link below to see pictures of The Gatekeeper:
forum.thenorthpacific.org

Marcus' Model Railway Journey

Attachment screws and joining clips.
forum.thenorthpacific.org forum.thenorthpacific.org

And then it was off to my belated Fathers Day treat from Neo, a meal [and cocktails!] at 'Las Iguanas'.

A very tasty meal and plenty of cocktails later..........

We then head home on the train. :drinkingsong: :sleep:

A great day out.

train.jpg
 
Last edited:
Friday 19 Jul 2024

1721649366500.png

Train services resume through Severn Tunnel as £10m track renewal is completed on time​

Train services through the Severn Tunnel resumed this morning (Friday 19 July) after 16 days of essential round-the-clock work to renew the track.

The railway line through the tunnel was closed from Wednesday 3 July to Thursday 18 July to allow Network Rail teams to replace the entire 7km (4.3 miles) of track in the Wales-bound direction.

During the closure of the line, passengers were able to travel between South Wales and Bristol via Gloucester.

The £10m project – the largest track renewal in living memory inside the 138-year-old tunnel – was completed on time and on budget.

During the 16 days, engineers installed almost 11,000 sleepers, more than 22,000 tonnes of new ballast (track stone), and 66 rails, each 216m in length. They also removed 21,000 tonnes of spoil.

Salt water and minerals inside the tunnel make for a corrosive environment, and track that would usually last 25 years elsewhere on the railway needs to be replaced around every ten years.


Track renewal in the Severn Tunnel, July 2024
train.jpg
 
Last edited:

22 Jul 2024​

World’s Oldest Railway Station receives “exceptional” major grant​

train.jpg

Heighington c.1900

Heighington station in County Durham has received a grant of £90,000, which is a major boost in getting the station restored.

However, because of the surprise general election at the start of July, time is now running short to get the station ready for the Stockton & Darlington Bicentenary celebrations next summer.

The attention of the stations restoration, and the fact it is the oldest station to survive from the original Stockton and Darlington Railway, has seen The Railway Heritage Trust donate £90,000 to the Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway in order to purchase Heighington station out right and restore it to its former glory.

The “exceptional” donation has contributed massively to the overall £500,000 target.

Niall Hammond, chair of Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway: “We really welcome this significant help from the trust which is a clear signal to the national if not international significance of Heighington as the world's first railway station.”

Built in 1826, The Grade II Heighington Station on the outskirts of Newton Aycliffe doubled as a pub.

This is believed to be the first step in railway history, where passengers could enjoy a drink or a meal before starting or finishing their journey at a time when the idea of passenger waiting rooms was new.
 
Last edited:
train.jpg

Heighington 2024. Niall Hammond chair of trustees Friends of the S&DR (Right), Owen Plummer of Purcell Architects (left)

“Our normal funding can only be used to invest in Network Rail and National Highways assets, but we have been lucky enough to receive a legacy which we are able to invest and have made this exceptional decision because of the high historical importance of Heighington to the story of the Stockton & Darlington Railway.
“We have therefore made a firm commitment to this project and fully support plans by the Friends
to purchase the site, restore the building and make it a welcoming space for visitors and the local
community to better appreciate the part it played in the development of railways across the world.”
Trust director Tim Hedley-Jones
Click to expand...
The current station building is derelict and an embarrassing eyesore to anyone that passes the building.

If the Stockton & Darlington Trust hadn't started the fundraising, the station would have been lost forever. Not only that, the oldest station left of the pioneer S&DR would be in a terrible state for Rail 200 celebrations next year.
 
1721729477822.png

Heighington volunteer tidy up day Spring 2024

The Save Our Station campaign, initiated in February, has impressively garnered £15,000 through public contributions.

The Railway Heritage Trust's £90,000 and a £10,000 donation from the Headley Trust, which together supports the project's development expenses, complements this amount, including the engagement of Purcell Architects.

Support has been received from local councils, such as Durham County Council, and even from local masons' lodges, given that John Carter, the builder of the station in 1826, was a mason himself.

The Friends had hoped to secure funding allocated by the previous Conservative government for “levelling up.”

However, the uncertainty cast by Rishi Sunak's snap summer election and his subsequent defeat has put this prospect in jeopardy.

The Railway Heritage Trust's grant comes at an important time for our campaign as our application
to the Community Ownership Fund, which was a major part of our plan, now sits in limbo following
the General Election. We have no idea if the fund is continuing or not.
“Time is now running short to bring Heighington back into use again in time for the bicentenary in
2025 – we need another £250,000 to Save Our Station and complete the purchase, and £150,000 to
restore it and bring it back to life and reopen to the public.”
“Every little helps and we are so grateful for donations big and small, and to all those volunteers who have already helped begin taking care of the site.”
Niall Hammond, chair of Friends of the Stockton & Darlington Railway
Click to expand...
A further community tidy up of the site is planned for this coming Saturday, July 27th.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top