Marcus' Model Railway Journey

27th June, 2025

Celtic Travel to operate TrawsCymru T4 service​

TrawsCymru T4


Mid Wales-based bus operator Celtic Travel has been awarded a contract to deliver the TrawsCymru T4 service between Merthyr and Newtown from September.

The popular route has been operating for 14 years and is well used by commuters, students, residents, and tourists accessing Bannau Brycheiniog, the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show, and many of the lovely towns and villages along the route.

Celtic Travel, based in Llanidloes, Powys, has been delivering reliable transport services across Mid Wales and the surrounding areas since 2006.

Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales Ken Skates said: “It’s good to see Celtic Travel join the Traws network and deliver the T4 from September this year. This is an important route linking towns and villages in mid Wales.”

Phyl Davies, Director of Celtic Travel, commented: “We’re excited to be taking on this new contract and will be working with our colleagues at Williams of Brecon to ensure we deliver an improved level of service and reliability for T4 customers using our many years of experience delivering coach and bus services to the people of Powys.

“It’s great to be part of the TrawsCymru network, and with our knowledge of the local road network and an appreciation of the geography of this area, we feel we can bring a great deal to this service.”

Lee Robinson, Executive Director for Regional Transport and Integration at TfW, said: “We’re looking forward to working with Celtic Travel to provide this service. We will be developing the timetable and improving services where we can, including the introduction of new vehicles in March next year.

“This is a fantastic example of how small and medium-sized operators can work in partnership to bid for tenders and take on new contracts.”

The TrawsCymru T4 will continue to be operated by Stagecoach until the end of August, then from September Stagecoach will launch a new X4 service between Merthyr and Cardiff with buses operating up to every sixty minutes, Monday to Saturday.

The new X4 service will serve Treforest Industrial Estate, offering improved connections to places of work, education, and leisure.

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For further information, please visit

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For more information about the new X4 service and other network changes, please visit www.stagecoachbus.com

27th June, 2025

Inspiration Sets Off!​

Inspiration Railway 200 Exhibition Train


After launching yesterday (26th June), the Railway 200 exhibition train ‘Inspiration’ is now open.

The train starts its year-long tour at the Severn Valley Railway today. From there, it will visit 60 locations to celebrate 200 years.

The family-friendly exhibition will be promoting railway careers and innovation, and celebrating an invention that changed the world.

Over 160 people joined an event at London Paddington to signal the start of the tour.

The Inspiration train is the only exhibition train on the UK rail network and was designed in partnership with Network Rail and the National Railway Museum in York.

It features a blue livery with the words ‘Past, Present, Future and Together’ across four distinctive carriages.

Each carriage has its own theme, including ‘Railway Firsts’, ‘Wonderlab on Wheels’, ‘Your Railway Future’, and ‘Partner Zone’.

The interactive Wonderlab on Wheels carriage


The train has been supported by a £250,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund and further funding from Porterbrook.

Over 200,000 are expected to visit the free-to-enter train; however, charges may apply at private sites and railways where it is being held.


Booking is still available at some of its stops, and can be booked online.


“I’m proud to be celebrating our heritage as the birthplace of the modern railway; to this day our railway network is the backbone of our economy, driving economic growth, jobs and homes.

“With this train, we’re not just looking to the past, we are inspiring the diverse next generation of engineers, drivers, conductors and technicians, and shining a light on what the railway is delivering today and what it can do in future, alongside bringing services back into public ownership, laying the foundations for Great British Railways, and building a railway we can all be proud of.”

Rail Minister Lord Peter Hendy

27th June, 2025

Ffestiniog Railway shines with special centenary gala​

Railway 200 cavalcade across the Cob


Recently, the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway held its ‘Railway 200 – FR Platinum Jubilee Weekend’.

The highly anticipated event ran over four days from June 19th – June 22nd and marked 70 years of passenger trains on the Ffestiniog Railway.

They kicked off the event with a re-enactment of the first passenger train, originally taking place on the 23rd July 1955.

Locomotive Mary Ann ran two trips across the Cob with carriage 23 and van 12 and performed a ‘chain shunt’.


On the second day, Upnor Castle ran the Early Bird train to Blaenau Ffestiniog, followed by Britomart with Vans 11 and 12.

Mary Ann, Prince, and Merddin Emrys gathered at Harbour Station for a memorable moment and photo opportunity.

Saturday saw them switch from the preservation era to the deviation.

Taliesin kicked off the day, followed by Merddin Emrys hauling a good train featuring 200 wheels up to Blaenau Ffestiniog, where the wagons returned down the line as a gravity train.

Railway 200 cavalcade across the Cob


Sunday is where the event really shone, with their ‘200 Wheels on the Cob’ cavalcade.

The entire Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railway fleet made its way onto the Cob.

Most of the locomotives were assembled in order at Minffordd station, with the Welsh Highland locomotives assembling at Boston Lodge.

Locomotives appeared in the order that they entered service, and each engine had a story of its history told by Tim Dunn and Anthony Coulls.

Prince began the cavalcade with a special banner where Railway 200 was celebrated with 234 wheels on the Cob and 25 engines lined up.


“I was the refreshment manager that day – I had a folding table, a huge pile of boxes of Smith’s crisps, the ones with the blue paper wrap of salt, and crates of pop. I was also told by Allan Garraway not to sell any tickets until I saw him coming over the Cob – I think there were a lot of very late nights to keep PRINCE in service that first summer. I can’t believe that we have now arrived at the 70-year anniversary – and what a huge place this has become. I am so very grateful to be able to say I was there.

Rob Smallman, who worked on the first train

27th June, 2025

Hastings diesel-electric multiple unit to visit East Yorkshire in July​

Hastings diesel-electric multiple unit


A Hastings diesel-electric multiple unit (DEMU) will make a rare appearance at Goole in East Yorkshire on Saturday, 19th July, with the Branch Line Society’s The Salt and Pepper Shaker rail tour from Hastings in East Sussex.

Operated thanks to GB Railfreight (GBRf) and Hastings Diesels Limited, the tour will traverse several sections of rare track, including Goole Guardian Glass, Selby Potter Group, Brayton Sidings, and Goole Up and Down Goods Loop.

Starting from Hastings at 06:10, the tour will pick up at Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Bromley South, Willesden Junction High Level, and Peterborough.

Hastings diesel-electric multiple unit


The provisional outward route is via St Leonards Warrior Square, Crowhurst, Battle, Etchingham, Tunbridge Wells, Tonbridge, Orpington, Bromley South, Kent House, Herne Hill, Factory Junction, Kensington Olympia, Mitre Bridge Junction, Willesden Junction High Level, West Hampstead, Gospel Oak, Harringay Park Junction, Harringay Junction, Welwyn Garden City, Hitchin, Peterborough, Claypole Loop, Newark, Carlton-on-Trent Loop, Retford, Doncaster, Knottingley South Junction, Knottingley East Junction, and Rawcliffe, where there will be a short photo stop.

The return journey from Goole is via Goole Up and Down Goods Loop, Guardian Glass, Goole, Gilberdyke, Selby Potters Junction, Selby Potters, Selby Potters Junction, Selby, Brayton Sidings, Selby, Doncaster, Retford, Newark, Peterborough, Conington Loop, Hitchin, Welwyn Garden City, Copenhagen Junction, Camden Road, West Hampstead, Willesden Junction High Level, Mitre Bridge Junction, Kensington Olympia, Factory Junction, Herne Hill, Kent House, Bromley South, Orpington, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells, Etchingham, Battle, Crowhurst, and St Leonards Warrior Square, with arrival back at Hastings at 22.02.

Hastings diesel-electric multiple units were built in the late 1950s, and specially designed narrow bodies because of unusually narrow tunnels on the line to Hastings.

Profits from the tour will be donated to Martin House Children’s Hospice at Boston Spa near Wetherby in West Yorkshire.

27th June, 2025

Special Photo Charter on the Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway​

Jurassic and Peter Pan at the LBLR in 1986


The Lincolnshire Coast Light Railway (LCLR) is presenting a unique opportunity for photographers to take part in a special charter.

The railway’s resident locomotive ‘Jurassic’ will be appearing with visiting locomotive ‘Peter Pan’ for the first time since 1986.

They last appeared together at a gala at the Leighton Buzzard Railway, but will now be making a comeback together, marking the first time two steam locomotives have worked on the LCLR.

Peter Pan is currently on a tour of railways around the UK and Belgium, but will be making a special stop on the 29th August.

There will be two sessions across the day, the first starting around 10:30 am; however, participants are welcome to arrive beforehand and stay after the second session.

The first session will focus on the depot, yard, Walls Lane and the first curve.

The second will start from their new station, Seathorne Bank, working their way along the line, with a bit of double heading occurring.


Further information and booking can be found on their website.

28th June, 2025

South Western Railway unveils new plaque celebrating Sir Rod Stewart​

Sir Rod Stewart plaque at Twickenham


Sir Rod Stewart soon takes the stage at Glastonbury Festival in the Sunday teatime legends slot.

South Western Railway is marking his success with a new plaque at Twickenham station.

This is the station he used to busk at in the 1960s, where he was ‘scouted’ and his career took off.

While performing on the station, he was discovered by Long John Baldry after he had attended one of Baldry’s gigs at Eel Pie Island.

He began playing to pass the time until his train arrived, unbeknownst to him, Baldry was spectating and offered him a gig.

Sir Rod Stewart plaque at Twickenham


The new plaque reads “Music legend and train enthusiast, Rod Stewart, started his career at Twickenham station in 1964”.

It highlights the station’s history and its connection to Sir Rod Stewart’s beginnings.

It is also well known that Stewart has a passion for trains, having constructed an intricate model railway set and made donations, so the plaque is a perfect way to pay homage to his love for trains and his musical beginnings.


“It’s so fitting that the railway station – the first port-of-call for most visitors to Twickenham – should have this plaque. It acts as a harmonica fanfare for a most historical and still vibrant music neighbourhood.

“I lead music history tours all over London. The most common question I am asked? “Why isn’t there a plaque here?” Well at Twickenham Station, there is now. Thanks and well done South Western Railway. And congratulations Sir Rod!”.

Adam Scott, a tour guide who offers music history tours all over London