Marcus' Model Railway Journey

1959 Definitive stamps high value 'castles' 2'6 to £1

4th April, 2025

Steam locomotive 11456 set for Somerset visit​

LMS Class 23 0-6-0ST no 11456


The West Somerset Railway has announced that LMS 0-6-0 No. 11456 will be visiting them for their Spring Steam Gala.

11456 will visit alongside No. 72 Fenchurch, 2807 and 45596 Bahamas.

Also running on the weekend of 2nd-5th May will be 2999 Lady of Legend, 6695, 1857, 9351, 7812 Erlestoke Manor and 1984 Boots No. 1

Visiting thanks to the East Lancashire Railway and Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust, the locomotive will haul trains as part of an intensive timetable.


Tickets are now on sale and are available via the West Somerset Railway website.

4th April, 2025

Spring Steam Gala of ‘Firsts’ features stella line up for Hampshire Railway​

Swanage's T3 to visit Mid-Hants Spring Gala


The Watercress line has announced a theme and a list of visiting steam engines for its 2025 Spring Gala.

As part of its Railway 200 celebrations, the Spring Steam Gala of ‘Firsts’ will see three steam locomotives visiting the Hampshire Heritage Railway for the three-day event from Friday, 25 to Sunday, 27 April, which will also feature three locomotives for the home fleet.

The three visiting locos include some of the oldest operational locos in the county.

LSWR T3, courtesy of the 563 Locomotive Group, will be in attendance, taking this historic locomotive on its first trip away from the Swanage Railway since its return to steam.

The locomotive has run over 1.5 million miles during its long career since being built in 1893.

LMS 11456 in its authentic livery


Also attending the gala will be L&YR No. 752 / LMS 11456, courtesy of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Trust.

Built in 1881, this locomotive began life as a tender engine before being rebuilt as a saddle tank in 1896.

It will be making its first visit to the Hampshire Heritage Railway.

The last of the three vising engines is another Lancashire and Yorkshire veteran, A Class No. 52322.

Built in 1895 at Horwich Works, this locomotive is almost 130 years old, having started its working career in early 1896.

This steam engine is also making its first appearance at the Mid-Hants Railway courtesy of Andy Booth and the East Lancashire Railway.

The home fleet will consist of the recently restored Merchant Navy No. 35005 Canadian Pacific, S15 No. 506 and Ivatt tank No. 41312.

This Steam Gala of ‘Firsts’ is not to be missed, featuring six engines running to an enhanced timetable, there will be ample things to enjoy.

From free guided tours of the Ropley workshop, brake van and goods train rides at the Goods Shed exhibition at Medstead & Four Marks to the operating of steam crane DS58.

Which members of the public aged 18 and over can pre-book in advance if they wish to operate the crane under supervision.


With four stations to explore, a range of buffets offering hot and cold meals and gift shops selling memorabilia, there will be something for all to enjoy at the Watercress Line spring gala later this month.

Pre-booked tickets are available now on the Watercress Line website.


“We are very excited to welcome these remarkable guest locomotives to our line for the very first time – and delighted to be putting our fully renovated flagship locomotive 35005 Canadian Pacific on show to visitors for the first time since her launch.

The Spring Steam Gala is always a highlight in our calendar, and this year’s event, as part of the Railway 200 celebrations, promises to be extra special.

Rebecca Dalley, CEO of The Watercress Line,

British Rail Class 24​

The British Rail Class 24 diesel locomotives, originally known as the Sulzer Type 2, were built from 1958 to 1961.

151 were built at Derby, Crewe and Darlington, the first twenty of them as part of the British Railways 1955 Modernisation Plan.

This class was used as the basis for the development of the Class 25 locomotives.

The final survivor, no. 24081, was withdrawn from Crewe depot in 1980.


Here's a picture of D5000 from my Ladybird Book Of British Railway Locomotives.

Unique to this one locomotive was the thin eggshell blue stripe at waist level.

This did not find favour with the authorities, leading to a change from D5001 onwards.

Because of the pinstripe the location of the Lion & Wheel emblem was unique to D5000, being positioned lower than the other members of the Class.

Also of interest is the unique builders plate on the cab-side, a little more ornate than those carried by all other Class 24s.

The locomotive sports four ventilators in the top row, a fifth would be added later (to this side only), close to the boiler room grille.

Liveries​

The pilot scheme locomotives were delivered in overall green livery with a grey roof and black below the body.

D5000 was delivered with a narrow light grey stripe at waist level while the remainder had a broad light grey stripe at solebar level.

This light grey stripe may have appeared bluish and has been described as pale blue or eggshell, but in most illustrations, it appears to be off-white.

At first, green liveried locos had plain green ends, but this was changed from 1962 to small yellow warning panels, and then from 1967 to full yellow ends, some locos receiving these while still in green livery.

At least five locos were repainted in two-tone green livery (applied along with the small yellow warning panel) in a similar manner to Class 47s and some Class 25s.

The first class 24 painted in Rail Blue livery was D5068 in December 1966, and repainting continued into the mid-1970s, although some locomotives were withdrawn before being painted in this colour.


Preserved BR Class 24/1 1,160 hp Bo-Bo No.D5054 "Phil Southern" (later 24 054) in BR green livery taking water for it's train heating boiler at Winchcombe on a Cheltenham Racecourse - Toddington service on 25 October 2008

D5032 at Grosmont on 16 October 1977

Departmental use​

In November 1975, 24061 was transferred to BRs research department based at Derby Works, and was allocated the number RDB968007.

This loco was subsequently renumbered as 97201 and was finally withdrawn on 4 December 1987, the last Class 24 to be operational on BR.


97201 at Worksop in 2007

Withdrawal​

The very first Class 24 to be withdrawn was in November 1967 when a fire broke out on D5051 while it was working a train of empty coal wagons in Scotland.

The damage was too severe for it to be repaired, and it was cut up at Inverurie in August 1968.

It had lasted exactly 8 years.

The second Class 24 to be withdrawn was also as the result of an accident in Scotland, this time at Castlecary.

In this case D5122, running light engine, hit a stationary DMU at about 40 mph (64 km/h), the impact and subsequent fire bending the main frames and completely destroying the No.2 end.

The accident happened on 9 September 1968 but despite being withdrawn the same month, the locomotive was not finally cut up until March 1971.

A total of fourteen Class 24s were withdrawn and scrapped without receiving a TOPS number.

Some Class 24s were withdrawn in 1973 with the closure of the Waverley route, which linked Carlisle and Edinburgh, but most of these were put into storage and subsequently re-entered traffic to fill gaps left by the movement of Class 25s to cover the withdrawal of Class 22s on the Western Region.

Thus Class 24 withdrawals only started in earnest with completion of the Glasgow electrification in 1974, and re-allocation of Class 26 and Class 27 locos saw the Class 24s concentrated around various Lancashire depots and at Carlisle.

On 27 November 1976 there were just ten Class 24s still in operational service, all allocated to Crewe Diesel Depot (depot code CD).

However, with the reinstatement of 24082 and 24073 this number climbed to 12 by February 1977.

In January 1978, two farewell rail tours were run – 24082 and 24087 hauled the Merseyside Express from London St Pancras to Liverpool and return on the 14th, and 24087 and 24133 hauled the Cambrian Coast Express from Birmingham to Aberystwyth and Barmouth on the 28th.

On the latter trip, 24087 failed on the outward journey, was dumped at Machynlleth on the return journey and never worked again.

On 21 January 24133 had also taken part in the "Farewell to the 44s" tour, providing steam heating for the coaches while 44008 Penyghent provided the motive power, on the Crewe to Chester leg of a circular tour from London.

For the summer of 1978, six class 24s remained in service – 24023, 035, 047, 063, 081 and 082.

In May, a North Wales DMU passenger diagram was converted to loco haulage on Mondays to Fridays.

At least five different class 24s were recorded on this diagram during the summer.

Additionally, on Saturday 10 June 24082 worked a Llandudno Junction – London Euston relief train all the way to London due to a lack of a replacement loco at Crewe.

By January 1979, only three locos remained in use – 24063, 081 and 082.

24082 was withdrawn on 1 March and 24063 on 9 April, leaving 24081 the last in service.

The final recorded passenger duty of a Class 24 was on 2 August 1979 when 24081 rescued 40129 at Colwyn Bay on the 18:05 Holyhead – Euston, hauling the train as far as Crewe.

Cutting up of some Class 24s was carried out at Swindon Works on the Western Region, an area which had never received an allocation of Class 24s.

The first locos were 24042, 24045, 24048 and 24050 which were moved from Derby Works in December 1975, and the last of the 67 Class 24s cut up at Swindon was 24084 in early December 1978.

The very last Class 24 to be withdrawn from operational service was 24081.

This loco, allocated to Crewe Diesel Depot had been considered something of a celebrity, lasting over a year after the previous withdrawal of 24063 on 9 April 1979.

24081 was finally withdrawn in October 1980 having worked its last revenue earning train, the 05.43 Grange - Shotwick freight on 7 January 1980, and then making guest appearances at Nuneaton, Crewe Works Open Day, and Southport.


Preserved BR Type 2/Class 24/0 1,160 hp Bo-Bo No.24 081 (ex-D5081) in BR blue livery at Toddington on March 28, 2010

Saturday 5th April 2025



UPDATE FROM THE TRAIN SHED

Painted the new baseboard extension of the layout.

Current Issue Stamps​

2025 (March 27 2025)
Commemorative

Designed by Godfrey Design
Size 35mm (h) x 35mm (v)
Printed by Cartor Security Print
Print Process Lithography
Perforations 14.5 x 14.5
Gum PVA

Myths and Legends​

Beowulf and Grendel, England​

1st

One of the most important works of British literature, Beowulf is an Old English poem composed between the 8th and 11th centuries.

At the centre of this hero tale is Beowulf, a Geatish warrior who travelled to Denmark to help rid King Hrothgar of the monstrous Grendel, who had been terrorising his mead hall.

Blodeuwedd, Wales​

1st

The tragic tale of Blodeuwedd is found in the Fourth Branch of the Mabinogi, a collection of medieval Welsh stories.

In the tale, Lleu Llaw Gyffes is cursed to never have a human wife.

To foil this fate, magicians Math and Gwydion concoct a plan: they create Blodeuwedd from flowers.

Yet, in a twist to the tale, Blodeuwedd falls in love with someone else.

Loch Ness Monster, Scotland​

1st

Sightings of this legendary creature have a long history, with a Pictish carving supposedly depicting the flippered beast.

A 7th-century text describes Saint Columba encountering a ‘water beast’ in the River Ness in AD 565.

First, the beast killed a swimmer with a savage bite, later pursuing another man with a great roar.

Invoking the name of God, Saint Columba banished the monster with the sign of the cross.

Cornish Piskies, Cornwall​

1st

These sprightly fairy folk are small creatures, often wearing red pointed caps and clad in green rags, lichen or coats and breeches.

Piskies love to play tricks on humans, and tales abound of their mischief, from stealing and hiding household items to knotting horses’ manes into fairy stirrups.

Their common pastime is leading travellers astray by luring them off the path in the bogs and moorlands with their ‘pisky lights’.

Fionn mac Cumhaill, Northern Ireland​

1st

Fionn’s heroic deeds were chronicled in the Fenian Cycle, one of four major cycles of Irish myths recorded in the 12th century.

Renowned for his strength and wisdom, Fionn (also known as Finn MacCool) was the leader of the Fianna, a band of warriors who defended the land from harm.

One tale explains how the Giant’s Causeway came into existence.

Fionn boasted of his strength so loudly that his claims reached the Scottish giant Benandonner, who issued a challenge.

Black Shuck, East Anglia​

1st

The spectral black dog appears across many regions, as well as across Europe, yet nowhere is his spirit more alive than in East Anglia.

Said to foretell death and destruction, this enormous hound wanders the countryside, his fiery saucer-like eyes aglow.

He goes by many names, yet Black Shuck is the most familiar.

Grindylow, Northeast England​

1st

Lurking in the rivers, ponds and marshes of Lancashire and Yorkshire, grindylows are sprites with green skin and long arms, with sharp claws and teeth to match.

Some of these water demons have garnered their own tales and earned their own fearsome identities, from Jinny or Jenny Greenteeth to Nelly Long-Arms and Peg O’Nell.

Peg Powler, a water hag from the River Tees, is known for her green hair and unquenchable thirst for human life.

Selkies, Orkney and Shetland​

1st

These elusive creatures take on animal form while in the sea, yet both male and female magically transform into human form when shedding their seal skins to come ashore.

Some engage in illicit affairs with humankind, even residing on land for a time, though they can ultimately never resist the sea’s call.

Tariff 2025​

2025 (March 27 2025)
Definitive

Size 39mm (h) x 30mm (v)
Printed by Cartor Security Print
Print Process Gravure
Perforations 15 x 14.5
Gum Self Adhesive

Stamps​

7th April, 2025

Four more steam locomotives are off to The Greatest Gathering​

46203


It’s a bumper announcement from the team at The Greatest Gathering.

No more than four steam locomotives have been announced to be attending.

These are 4930 Hagley Hall and 13268, both courtesy of The Severn Valley Railway, as well as 46203 Princess Margaret Rose (courtesy of the PRCLT) and 6023 King Edward II from the Didcot Railway Centre.

The Greatest Gathering is set to take place this August to celebrate 200 years of passenger railways.

GWR 6000 Class No: 6023 ‘King Edward II’


The event will take place at Alstom‘s Derby Litchurch Lane Works between the 1st and 3rd August.

The locomotives confirmed to attend are (Alstom have also noted that examples from the same class may substitute):

Steam

• LNER A4 No. 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley – courtesy of the Sir Nigel Gresley Locomotive Trust and Locomotive Services Group
• SR Merchant Navy No. 35018 British India Line – courtesy of West Coast Railways Co
• LMS 6P No. 46115 Scots Guardsman – courtesy of West Coast Railways Co.
• LMS Jubilee No. 45596 Bahamas – courtesy of the Bahamas Locomotive Society
• SR Merchant Navy No. 35028 Clan Line – courtesy of the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society
• LMS Black 5 (specific loco TBA) – courtesy of West Coast Railways Co.
• Furness Railway No. 20 – courtesy of The Furness Railway Trust
• Coal Tank No. 1054 – courtesy of the Bahamas Locomotive Society
• GWR Hall No. 4930 Hagley Hall – courtesy of the Severn Valley Railway
• LMS Stanier Mogul No. 13268 – courtesy of the Severn Valley Railway
• GWR King No. 6023 King Edward II – courtesy of the Didcot Railway Centre
• LMS No. 46204 ‘Princess Margaret Rose’ – courtesy of the Princess Royal Class Locomotive Trust

Diesel

• BR Class 37 No. 37501 ‘Teesside Steelmaster’ – courtesy of Rail Operations Group
• Class 50 No. 50049 Defiance – courtesy of the Class 50 Alliance
• Class 57 – courtesy of Direct Rail Services
• Class 66 No. 66301 – courtesy of GB Railfreight
• Class 69 – courtesy of GB Railfreight
• Class 60 – courtesy of DCRail
• Class 108 DMU – courtesy of the Severn Valley Railway
• Class 47 – courtesy of West Coast Railways Co
• Class 50 No. 50033 ‘Glorious’ – courtesy of the Class 50 Alliance
• Class 35 D7076 – courtesy of the East Lancashire Railway and Bury Hydraulic Group
• Class 55 No. 55009 “Alycidon” – courtesy of Deltic Preservation Society
• Class 55 No. D9015 “Tulyar” – courtesy of Deltic Preservation Society
• Class 55 No. 55019 “Royal Highland Fusilier” – courtesy of Deltic Preservation Society
• Class 40 No. 40106 – courtesy of the Class 40 Preservation Society / Severn Valley Railway
• Class 43 No. 43159 (2+4 Formation – other powercar TBC) – courtesy of The 125 Group
• Class 33 No. 33012 – courtesy of 71A Locomotive Group
• Class 31 No. 31108 – courtesy of A1A Locomotives Ltd
• Class 57/0 – courtesy of West Coast Railways Co.
• Class 26 No. 26007 – courtesy of Victor Korzeniewicz
• Class 58 No. 58023 – courtesy of Edward Stevenson
• Class 20 No. 20007 – courtesy of Michael Owen
• Class 20 No. 20205 – courtesy of Michael Owen
• Class 70 No. 70008 – courtesy of Freightliner

Electric

• Class 507001 – courtesy of the Class 507 Preservation Society
• Class 390 Pendolino No. 390119 in its Pride livery – courtesy of Avanti West Coast
• Class 91 No. 91110 Battle of Britain Memorial Flight – courtesy of London North Eastern Railway
• Class 331 – courtesy of Northern
• 4VEP No. 3417 – courtesy of the Bluebell Railway
• Class 91 No. 91101 Flying Scotsman – courtesy of London North Eastern Railway
• Class 465 No. 465908 James Green – courtesy of Southeastern
• Class 720 No. 720506 – courtesy of Greater Anglia
• No. 12 Sarah Siddons – courtesy of Transport for London
• Class 350 – courtesy of London Northwestern Railway

Bi-Mode

• Class 93 – courtesy of Rail Operations Group
• Class 755 – courtesy of Greater Anglia

Hydrogen Power

• Class 799 Hydroflex No. 799201 – courtesy of Porterbrook

Coaches / Wagons

• JNA-T Wagon – courtesy of DCRail and Cappagh Group
• Gold IIA-D wagon – courtesy of Drax Group
• Railway 200 Exhibition Train – courtesy of GBRTT / National Railway Museum / Railway 200 Team
• LMS Saloon No. 45029 – courtesy of Transport for London
• 4 car 4TC set – courtesy of Transport for London

Monday 7th April 2025



UPDATE FROM THE TRAIN SHED

Painted the new baseboard extension of the layout with a second coat.

Tuesday 8th April 2025



UPDATE FROM THE TRAIN SHED

The second coat has dried

View of the goods shed site.

9th April, 2025

New home for Class 47 locomotive​

Class 47 No. 47715


The Chinnor and Princes Risborough Railway has announced that they have come to an agreement with Rail Engineering Solutions for Class 47 No. 47715 to be based at the railway.

The railway says that they have some exciting plans for the locomotive and it wont be long until the locomotive is hauling trains.

The Class 47 will be based at Chinnor alongside 37227 and 97205.

9th April, 2025

North Yorkshire steam trains to be replaced by diesel to reduce fire risk​

Class 37 No. 37264 at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway Diesel Gala.


The North Yorkshire Moors Railway has announced that they will be running diesel trains instead of steam to try and reduce the risk of fires.

The steam ban will continue until further notice to avoid the risk of lineside fires.

All services will run as planned, but will not have the locomotive originally expected.

Paul Middleton, Director of Mechanical Engineering, stated: “It has been especially dry since March, and with the warm weather set to continue, we will be operating our fleet of heritage diesel locomotives on our services.

We are working closely with local partners including the North York Moors National Park, North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service, and wildfire groups to reduce risk as we introduce these extra safety measures.

All of our planned services will still be running, and we hope that you will still join us on a scenic journey through the North York Moors to the coast at Whitby.”

9th April, 2025

New conditioner to reduce locomotive emissions​

Colas Rail tampers


After successful trials, Colas Rail UK will be adding a conditioner to the fuel of its diesel locomotives that has been proven to reduce consumption and cut emissions.

Colas evaluated Sulnox Eco™ Fuel Conditioner between October and December 2024 in four tampers based at Rugby in Warwickshire and Class 66 and Class 37 diesel locomotives used on Rail Head Treatment Trains based at York.

Sulnox Eco™ is a patented, 100% organic biodegradable fuel conditioner that requires no modifications to the host engines and can be added to any liquid hydrocarbon fuel.

It provides better lubrication and added detergency benefits, resulting in reduced fuel consumption and lower emissions.

Comparative tests of before and after using the fuel conditioner showed:

• 4.5% improvement. In fuel efficiency.
• 63.2% reduction in Carbon Monoxide (CO) emissions.
• 47.5% reduction in Sulphur Oxide (SOx) emissions.
• Significant reductions in particulate matter (PM), including 32.6% less PM2.5 and 30.4% less PM10.

After assessing these significant results, Colas Rail UK plans to roll out Sulnox Eco™ to the rest of its locomotive and tamper fleet over the next two years.

It will also encourage its supply chain partners to follow its example in a drive to further reduce Scope 3 emissions across the rail industry.


“Cutting emissions is vital for rail’s future. These trials prove that Sulnox Eco delivers significant reductions while improving fuel efficiency. It’s a seamless, high-impact solution that helps our locomotives and on track machines burn fuel more effectively, run cleaner, and generate substantial cost savings..”
Dan Ditri, Head of Energy & Carbon at Colas Rail UK


Once all locomotives in the Colas fleet are using the new fuel condition, Colas Rail UK estimates that a 4.5% improvement in fuel efficiency will produce a six-figure annual saving on fuel costs.

Along with significant reductions in emissions and cleaner engine performance, results, there is a sound basis that the conditioner will deliver a strong return on investment.

Colas Rail UK has also carried out other trials to decarbonise locomotive operations, including using solid oxide fuel cells (SOFC) running on Bio Liquefied Petroleum Gas (Bio-LPG) that has near net-zero carbon emissions to generate power for auxiliary loads.

The company has also entered a partnership with Avena Group to recycle Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) instead of it being sent for incineration or to landfill.


“We are pleased to be working with a prestigious rail industry partner as both the operating companies and their infrastructure resource capability step up decarbonisation initiatives. Sulnox is committed to being part of the solution for the rail industry, helping to reduce emissions significantly, while delivering fuel cost savings and supporting participants to meet ESG goals.”
Sulnox CEO Ben Richardson

9th April, 2025

Class 52 locomotive to visit Plymouth this May​

D1015 at Kidderminster on SVR


Locomotive D1015 ‘Western Champion’ is to haul The South Devon Explorer from Birmingham to Plymouth and back on Saturday 10 May.

Mainline steam and diesel operator Vintage Trains is organising the trip, which will take passengers over the Chilterns via Oxford, Great Western mainline to Bristol and then south to Plymouth over the South Devon Banks and the Dawlish sea wall.

D1015 at Warwick Parkway


‘Western Champion’, which will appear at the West Somerset Railway’s diesel gala in June, was based at Plymouth Laira depot during its working career.

It was built in 1963 at the Swindon Works, then run by British Rail.

In 1965, the locomotive hauled the return working of Winston Churchill’s funeral train.

British Rail withdrew it from service in 1976.

In January 1980, the Diesel Traction Group bought D1015, which secured its preservation.

Western Champion is now based on the Severn Valley Railway in the West Midlands.

D1015 has run with Vintage Trains before, including hauling a train to Plymouth twelve years ago.

Passengers will have several hours to explore Plymouth, where attractions include The Mayflower Museum, Plymouth Gin Distillery, the barbican and the harbour.

The return leg of the journey will include a detour at Totnes, allowing for a rare opportunity to travel behind a rail tour along the South Devon Railway’s Dart Valley.

Vintage Trains reckon that this will probably be the first time a ‘Western’ has travelled on the line since Western Fusilier in 1990.

Between Bristol Temple Meads and Plymouth, ‘Western Champion’ will not have a second locomotive assisting it in hauling the train, which is unusual on mainline rail tours.

Pullman Seating


Details of dining options and tickets are available on the Vintage Trains website.


“We are delighted to have D1015 ‘Western Champion’ hauling this upcoming train to Devon and we would like to thank the Diesel Traction Group for allowing us the use of their fantastic locomotive. We would also like to thank the South Devon Railway for allowing our train to visit their railway, an exciting addition to this train for our passengers.”

Vintage Trains spokesperson

9th April, 2025

Steam locomotive 76077 set to visit the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway​

76077 without boiler at Locomotive Maintenance Services


The Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway has announced that 76077 is to visit them for their Cotswold Festival of Steam.

The locomotive is undergoing restoration from scrapyard condition at Locomotive Maintenance Services in Loughborough; however, it will be on display during the gala.

This will allow visitors to see the work so far and speak to the team about progress being made on the locomotive.

It will only be at the railway for a short time before returning to Loughborough for the overhaul work to continue.

9th April, 2025

Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways named top attraction in Wales​

A scene from Wales' Best Attraction


The Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways is celebrating after being named the ‘Best Attraction in Wales‘.

The accolade came at the National Tourism Awards for Wales that took place on the 27th of March at Venue Cymru in Llandudno, where the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways received the Best Attraction award.

Visit Wales hosted the event, which celebrated the best of tourism attractions throughout the principality, and followed the railway’s success when it scooped the Go Attraction of the Year at the Regional Go North Wales Tourism Awards held in November 2024.

Its success at those awards qualified it as an entrant in the National Tourism Awards for Wales.

General Manager, Paul Lewin, and Visitor Experience Manager, Stephen Greig.


Attending the award ceremony on behalf of the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railways and to collect the prestigious prize were General Manager, Paul Lewin, and the railway’s Visitor Experience Manager, Stephen Greig.

A scene from Wales’ Best Attraction


Two years ago, the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway was honoured by the Heritage Railway Association with the Peter Manisty Award for Excellence, its most prestigious award, for its rescue, restoration, and return to operational services of the railway’s unique gravity slate train.

That followed its receipt of The Hendy & Pendle Trust Volunteers Award at the 2020 National Railway Heritage Awards for its restoration of the Gweinthdy at Minffordd.

9th April, 2025

Thermal modelling innovation cuts railway heating costs​

Points heating


Network Rail has revealed that an initiative developed by the Central Rail Systems Alliance (CRSA) will lead to significant cuts in costs and carbon emissions.

The CRSA is made up of Network Rail, AtkinsRéalis, Balfour Beatty and TSO.

It has operated for ten years in the London North West, London North East and East Midland areas.

The Alliance works on developing, designing and delivering track renewals and crossings, and associated infrastructure works.

Its latest innovation involves thermal modelling.

It will use the opportunity of planned track renewals to increase the number of points heating systems.

Installing these on a significant number of important rail routes will help to prevent the build-up of snow and ice.

This will improve the reliability of railway operations when the weather was cold.

Installing this technology will also be less costly in terms of energy consumption than similar work has been previously.

Network Rail has implemented a National Variation to allow a reduction from 200 Watts/metre to 150 Watts/metre for point heating systems.

CRSA and Network Rail’s Eastern Routes capital programmes (track) engineering team recommended the change.

AtkinsRéalis, which has also developed a new signalling system for use on East West Rail, conducted an extensive thermal modelling exercise on behalf of the CRSA.

This identified ways in which energy efficiency could be improved and standards amended.