4930 ‘Hagley Hall’ moves under its own power The Severn Valley Railway has reached a significant milestone with the overhaul of its ‘flagship’ locomotive 4930 ‘Hagley Hall’. On Wednesday 11th May, the engine moved under its own power at Bridgnorth on the Severn Valley Railway. This is the first time such an event has occurred for […]
Heritage Railway
LNER Class A4 4498 Sir Nigel Gresley at SVR
LNER Class A4 60007 Sir Nigel Gresley has been confirmed as the third guest locomotive at the Severn Valley Railway’s Spring Steam Gala between 21st and 24th April. Its potential appearance at the SVR’s first major event of 2022 has been the subject of much recent speculation and debate, and the news comes as a real coup […]
Recovery Fund Boost for Churnet Valley Railway
The Churnet Valley Railway is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This award will secure the future of the railway following the global pandemic that has thwarted many heritage sites and operations around the country. The Churnet Valley Railway ‘CVR’ in […]
Steam locomotive County of Montgomery at the GWSR
New-build Churchward ‘County’ class 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery steam locomotive could be based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), following the signing of a new agreement between the Churchward County Trust which is building the new engine, and the railway. The agreement, which supersedes an earlier ‘agreement in principle’ between the GWSR […]
Should Steam Train Photography Be Black And White Or Colour?
A guest post by Colin Wallace of Railway Photos Black and white steam train photography has of course been around a lot longer than colour. Now we live in a time where colour is a possibility and the default option of a modern camera. However, many people prefer to have steam train photos developed in black and […]
Steam Train Photography Top Tips
Taking great photos of steam locomotives can be a challenge! Often someone steps into the frame at the last minute or the loco is passing so quickly, it’s hard to get a decent shot. So I’m delighted to bring you a guest blog post from Colin Wallace of Railway Photography who has been taking great […]
Wickham Trolley Restoration Project
The type 27A Wickham Trolley is a railway personnel carrier. British Rail used them to transport small groups of engineers to inspect railway lines. Over 600 type 27A Mk3 were built from nationalization of the railways in 1948 until around 1990 . They were used extensively over the whole of the British Railways network. Some also hauled four-wheel trailers which carried tools and equipment. Delivery of B40W On 20th February 2017, Wickham Trolley B40W […]
Steam Locomotive Restoration of Merchant Navy 35011
I’m pleased to be able to welcome back as guest blogger Simon Shutt to give an update on the steam locomotive restoration of Merchant Navy locomotive 35011 General Steam Navigation Since the first report on this steam locomotive restoration, the Society has made excellent progress towards returning 35011 to her pre-rebuilding condition. Locomotive Nameplates One of […]
The Remarkable Survival of Steam Locomotive 80150
Steam locomotive 80150 is a remarkable survivor. She nearly did not make it into the world. 80150 was part of the last batch of five Standard 4 Tanks ever built. British Railways tried to cancel this build due to the impending dieselisation. However, the construction was so far advanced that this final batch had to be […]
Steam Locomotive Dating Rewrites History
A recent archaeological survey carried out on Stephenson Railway Museum’s star exhibit, Billy, reveals that the locomotive is even older than previously thought. In March 2018, railway experts Michael Bailey and Peter Davidson wrote a very interesting report. It concludes that Billy was built in 1816, not 1826 as previously thought. This establishes the locomotive as […]