Marcus' Model Railway Journey

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For Cleo.........imgur is no more

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16th January, 2026

Cumbria company set for conversion of steam locomotive Dougal​

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Dougal off for conversion work


The Ruislip Lido Railway has announced that a contract has been signed for the conversion work of their new steam locomotive, Dougal.

After the tender process, John Fowler & Co, who are based in Cumbria, has been awarded the contract to convert and upgrade Dougal ready for use on the Ruislip Lido Railway.

Work will include converting the locomotive from 15 inch gauge to 12 inch as well as a number of modifications to make it compatible for work at Ruislip.

Dougal has now left the Valley Railway Adventure at Evesham for the final time after calling it its home for the last 20 years.


However, this is a new chapter for the locomotive, joining the Ruislip fleet.
 
16th January, 2026

Didcot Railway Centre loans steam locomotive to Essex Railway​

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King George at Didcot Railway Centre


For this years sevices, the Epping Ongar Railway has welcomed a diminutive tank locomotive.

On loan from the Didcot Railway Centre, 2409 “King George” will remain on the line until Autumn.

The locomotive worked at a number of collieries in Nottinghamshire, being sold in 1980, rescued in 1981 and moved to the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Railway.

It later moved to the Didcot Railway Centre, where it was restored.


The 1942-built locomotive will operate steam-hauled services and appear in some of the events planned for the railway.
 
16th January, 2026

Class 66 to haul passenger trains at Peterborough Railway​

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66792


The Nene Valley Railway is hosting its diesel gala on the 7th and 8th March, featuring an intensive timetable.

They have announced that a GBRf Class 66 will be visiting to help raise funds for Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Class 66s have never hauled passenger trains, so they are a very rare visitor.

The exact class 66 will be announced in the coming months.

Visitors will also have the opportunity to drive diesel locomotives as part of Driver for a Fiver.


Tickets will be available from midday on Sunday, and the timetable will be available soon.

Further information is available on their website.
 
ATTACK! Hoodie Weather 3 Results
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  • ATTACK! 24:7 Championship: Cecil Nyx defeats Nino Bryant (c) to win the title
  • Danny Jones defeats Stu Grayson
  • Subculture (Flash Morgan Webster & Mark Andrews) defeat Love At First Fight (Harrison Bennett & Rayne Leverkusen)
  • Matt Gatlin defeats Evil Uno
  • Connor Mills defeats James Ellis
  • ATTACK! Tag Team Championship: The Freshnas (Fabio & Martin Steers) (c) defeat KPK (Abu & Ahmed)
  • ATTACK! Championship: Kanji (c) defeats LJ Cleary
 
19th January, 2026

25 Class 66 locomotives sold to Romania in multi-million-pound deal​

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66014 in its new blue livery


25 Class 66 locomotives are set for a new lease of life, after being sold by DB Cargo UK to Grup Feroviar Roman in Romania.

The multi-million-pound deal will see all 25 locomotives delivered by mid-2028.

The first Class 66 will be 66014 and will leave Toton Traction Maintenance Depot at the end of January 2026.

All locomotives will be reinstated to operational standards and will be repainted into a blue livery.


DB says that the locomotives that have been sold are surplus to requirements here in the UK, with enough locomotives to meet predicted growth.

Grup Feroviar Roman is the largest rail freight transporter in Central and South-Eastern Europe and operates in Romania, Germany, Bulgaria, Hungary, Croatia, Moldova, Serbia, Greece, Slovenia, and Macedonia.


“These locomotives are surplus to DB’s requirements and will still leave ample locomotives in our fleet to meet predicted traffic growth in future years. We’re proud to be reinstating the locomotives at our centre of excellence in Toton, and look forward to further developing this partnership,”

DB Cargo UK’s newly appointed Engineering Director Wayne Miller


“This acquisition aligns with GRAMPET Group’s strategy of investing in high-performance rolling stock that enhances our operational efficiency. The locomotives purchased by Grup Feroviar Roman from DB Cargo UK will become the backbone of the operator’s diesel fleet in the years ahead.

“The replacement of the current LDE 2100 locomotive fleet, used for diesel traction, was necessary due to the rising maintenance costs of the existing fleet, caused by their age and the increasing difficulty of sourcing spare parts. The superior power characteristics and high availability of the Class 66 locomotives will allow us to withdraw from service a larger number of 2,100 HP locomotives than the number of units purchased from DB Cargo UK,”

Sorin Chinde, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Grup Feroviar Roman (GFR) and Vice President of the GRAMPET Group
 
19th January, 2026

£200,000 donation to help see return of Railway Children steam locomotive​

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5775 stood at Oakworth Station dressed for the presentation ceremony


No. 5775, well known for its starring role in The Railway Children film in 1970, has been in the restoration queue at the Keighley and Worth Valley Railway.

The locomotive was taken out of service in 1999 and returned to Haworth in 2022 for assessment ahead of its restoration.

A huge donation of £200,000 has been made anonymously to the restoration of the 1929-built locomotive.

The donation has been an amazing boost to the project, and its overhaul is progressing.


The wheels have been re-tyred and repainted, with the boiler sent to Riley and Sons in Bury and the axle boxes sent to the Severn Valley Railway.

A new cylinder block pattern has been produced, with its casting set for completion early this year.


“We’re incredibly grateful to the donor for their generosity, which has allowed us to get this historic locomotive’s restoration under way.

“While the major components are being worked on, our volunteers are busy cleaning, painting and refurbishing parts and fittings ready for reassembly.”

Fran Hartley, co-leader of the 5775 restoration project
 
19th January, 2026

Steam train rides in Wales this Half Term with £5 tickets available​

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The Talyllyn Railway is offering special tickets for the February half-term.

Kids can travel for just £5 on the 14th-20th February with three trains running each day.

There’s plenty of locomotive action and lots of adventures waiting to be had.

The museum and cafe will be open for passengers and non-passengers to enjoy.


Further information and tickets are available on their website.
 
19th January, 2026

Swanage Winter Warm Up event doubles visitors​

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T3 No. 563


The Swanage Railway’s hugely successful Winter Warm Up event took place on the 3rd and 4th January.

The event featured four steam locomotives and one diesel locomotive and helped to double the railway’s visitor numbers.

Featured steam locomotives included T3 No. 563, Southern Railway U class No. 31806, No. 34028 ‘Eddystone’ and Battle of Britain class No. 34070 ‘Manston’.

Class 33, No. 33053, was the featured diesel of the event.


“What an incredible ‘Winter Warm Up’ weekend and what a fitting way to launch the Swanage Railway’s special 50th anniversary year.

“Despite the bitterly cold weather, we were delighted to welcome double the number of visitors as last year which is a real testament to the strength of the event and the hard work of everyone involved.

“A huge thank you to everyone who braved the conditions to support us and especially to those who captured and shared such amazing photos and videos – they really helped tell the story of the weekend and showcase the atmosphere across the railway.

“Above all, thank you to our staff and volunteers who went above and beyond in challenging conditions to deliver such a successful event. Your commitment, enthusiasm and resilience are what make special events like this possible.

“Watch out for more exciting announcements about what’s coming to the Swanage Railway in 2026,”

Swanage Railway Chief Executive Officer Abbie King
 
19th January, 2026

Llangollen Railway works on tunnel track replacement​

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Permanent Way Supervisor Dave Shaw is leading the team


Winter track work on the Llangollen Railway has begun strongly, with the replacement of track through Berwyn tunnel currently in progress.

The tight single-bore 689-yard tunnel, completed in 1865, presents a challenge for the Permeant Way team as they replace the track through the tunnel, with the added difficulty that the tunnel is also on a curve.

Since the start of the year, an engineering possession has put in place west of Berwyn station.

This enabled the old track through the tunnel to be lifted and removed in sections using specialist equipment before the sleepers were also removed.

The foundations to the track are also being renewed before new concrete sleepers and flat bottom rails will be laid by mechanical plant.


The work is an important part of the Llangollen railway. Without a suitable track, no trains can run.

Though with help from volunteers, paid staff and contractors who are working on this project, the line is ensuring its long-term future, running trains between Llangollen and Corwen.


“This has been an excellent first week and a real credit to everyone involved. Replacing track in a tunnel like Berwyn is complex work, but it is absolutely critical to the safe operation of the railway. The team is following the plan carefully and delivering exactly what was needed.”

Dave Shaw, Permanent Way Supervisor and Person in Charge of the Works at the Railway
“I’m extremely proud of the way the team has approached this project. It’s demanding work in a challenging environment, and the professionalism, teamwork and attention to safety we’ve seen so far has been outstanding. We’d like to thank all the volunteers who have helped so far including our Civil’s Team, whose help has been invaluable.”

Llangollen Railway Trust’s Engineering Manager Tim Pulford
 
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