Yesterday the arrivals for the Watercress Line’s gala found their way to the railway, so here they are in all their glory! This weekend looks like it will be fantastic on the Watercress Line, what a great selection of locomotives! If you come, do pop over to say hello – I’ll be in Ropley station building in…
Tonight we have a quick blog post, just to say that the Canadian Pacific project can be found in this months edition of Steam Railway magazine! It’s great to see our CanPac in print and hope it helps attract support and donations for the project. The magazine this month has a “Big Engines” theme and includes an…
The Watercress Line’s Autumn Steam Gala promises to be a fitting way for the railway to commemorate its 150th anniversary. The three day event runs from this Friday 23rd to Sunday 25th October 2015 and therefore a perfect time to begin a half-term break! The Mid-Hants Railway plans to run no less than four visitors on the railway over the…
The South Devon Railway is home to 49xx Hall class 4920 Dumbleton Hall. The locomotive last steamed in 1999 and has since been awaiting funds to be raised in the order of £250,000-£300,000. The latest reports from the railway media are that donations have reached a level at which it’s overhaul could begin as early as 2016, although this…
The Swanage Railway will be holding their Autumn Steam gala 14th to 16th October. It promises to have quite an incredible collection of Southern locomotives, with two visitors from the National Collection – King Arthur class 777 Sir Lamiel and ex-LSWR T9 class 30120. These will be supplemented by the home fleet with U class 31806,…
Battle of Britain class Manston has the honour of being the last locomotive to be built by Southern Railway. It was originally numbered 21C170 when it emerged from Brighton Works in November 1947 in malachite green livery, in contrast to the later BR Brunswick green livery it now carries in preservation. Manston’s other claim to fame…
There is perhaps nothing more “chocolate box” in appearance on the railways than a 14xx and an autocoach chuffing up and down a small branchline, and with lots of mainline engines, 1450 was a welcome reminder of a more authentic Severn Valley line image. 1450 is owned by Mike Little, and has been staying on the SVR…
Since 1967 when it was purchased from British Railway for £3,000, Standard 9F class 92203 has been owned by wildlife artist David Sheppard. Since then 92203 was named Black Prince and it has become quite a celebrity and even a record holder. In September 1982, 92203 hauled the heaviest train ever by a steam locomotive in Britain, starting an…
The London, Brighton and South Coast Railway (LBSCR) A1/A1X class are a characterful steam locomotive type with happily an unusual number of nine survivors, made especially remarkable given that they were built 1872-1880. Their long lives were a result of them being lightweight and relatively powerful. They were used extensively on lightly laid railways that include the Isle of Wight network…
October has been a great month for me! I have had the pleasure of two consecutive weekends in the west country, the first in Dorset, the second in Cornwall. Whilst in Cornwall with Mrs Locoyard and friends, we had a brief whistle-stop at Bodmin Parkway station. The hope was to catch a fleeting glance of a…
Loco Yard 