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Previous page: DRS No. 66431 stands inside the new Telford International Railfreight Park on February 10 as part of gauging trials prior to complex opening in May. BOB SWEET

COMPILED BY Royal Scot goes to Crewe as bill approaches £1million BRESSINGHAM’S LMS 7P 4-6-0 No. 6100 Royal Scot left Southall on February 5 aboard a road transporter heading for Crewe. In announcing the surprise move, Bressingham Steam Museum trustees referred to, “a very generous offer of assistance from Pete Waterman and the Waterman Heritage Railway Trust” as a solution to meeting deadlines and overcoming resource problems. Work to be fi nished at the Crewe workshops of the London & North Western Railway Company encompasses

reducing the height of the dome, fi tting a spark arrester, testing the air-braking system, fi tting TPWS/OTMR and applying the full livery. In February, Bressingham g.m. Howard Stephens told The RM that the intention was for Royal Scot to be completed, including application of full livery (crimson lake was already being applied to the tender on February 9) in time to visit the WSR’s late-March Spring gala. It would then clock up miles over the WSR to ‘bed down’, then OTMR would be fi tted for the loco to commence main line trials.

The plaque on No. 6100 reveals the fi nancial strain in getting it completed. KEITH LANGSTONE

Completing the 7P and returning it to the main line is now well behind projected schedules and Bressingham is under pressure from the HLF to secure clearance from the vehicle acceptance body and get it running on the main line.

Moreover, with Bressingham conceding a need to generate income, it appears there is a signifi cant issue concerning available money. The original estimate for the overhaul of Royal Scot was £360,000. With completion more than three years behind original projections, the cost is now approaching £1million. After selling two traction engines to raise cash, Bressingham has taken out a bank loan to fi nance completion of the loco, which now carries a plate reading, “This locomotive is mortgaged to Lloyds TSB Bank PLC”.

Whitsun debut for ex-Barry 8F at Peak Rail THE 48624 Locomotive Company Ltd’s 8F No. 48624 will make its public debut on May 23-25, hauling Peak Rail trains. Final details in the restoration of the ex-Barry loco have taken a little longer than anticipated and it misses its hoped-for Easter debut. The 1943-built loco arrived at Barry in 1965 and left in July 1981. Restoration at Peak Rail has been undertaken in the open, until its late-December move inside Peak Rail’s Rowsley South shed for fi nal completion. Sharing duties with the 8F during the three days of steam operation, during which special fares will apply, will be Peak Rail’s 0-6-0ST No. WD150 Royal Pioneer.

6695 heads for SDR gala GWR 0-6-2T No. 6695 will visit the South Devon Railway’s April 5-13 gala. A celebration of the 40th anniversary of the return of passenger services to the Buckfastleigh-Totnes line (RM Feb), the visit of a GWR 0-6-2T provides a double celebration, heralding approval of the SDR’s increased axle weight limit. This will be the fi rst time this type of loco has run on the SDR. No. 6695 will return to the Swanage Railway after the SDR gala.

Bressingham’s No. 6100 Royal Scot, in undercoat, at L&NWR Crewe shortly after being unloaded following its move from Southall. KEITH LANGSTON

Loco to be unveiled at WSR Spring Gala

THE West Somerset Railway appears to have inadvertently landed an extra coup with the booking of Bressingham’s LMS 4-6-0 No. 6100 Royal Scot for its March 21-22 and 26-29 ‘Memories of the Big Four’ Spring Steam Gala (RM Feb). When arranged, it was

assumed the 7P would already have undertaken its main line debut following overhaul. Now, because of delays (see story above), it looks as though the gala appearance will herald the public unveiling of the completed loco in full LMS livery. The WSR aims to hire an

additional carriage set for the gala. This, with the WSR’s own fl eet, would enable four eightvehicle sets to be used thus avoiding possible problems with overcrowding on trains. The West Somerset Railway has set a target of 9,000 passengers during the event –

505 more than last year’s event and about 1,500 less than the record 10,529 carried in 2007. As The Railway Magazine closed for press, the loco lineup for the gala appeared unchanged from details published last month.

Lord Nelson arrives at Mid-Hants by road

NRM-owned No. 850 Lord Nelson arrived by road at the Mid-Hants Railway (MHR) on February 10, following conclusion of the anticipated new operating agreement (RM Feb) between the MHR, NRM and Eastleigh Railway Preservation Society. So No. 850 is confi rmed as

the central attraction for the MHR’s March 13-15 spring steam gala. Although the boiler ticket of John Jones’ MHR-based LMS Ivatt 2MT 2-6-2T No. 41312 expired in early-February, an extension will be sought. If granted, the 2MT will appear at the gala with the

pair of visitors from the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre – Beattie 2-4-0WT No. 30585 and Metropolitan Railway E Class 0-4-4T No. 1. Even with the addition of No. 41312, the original tank loco theme for the event has been dropped in view of the prestigious attraction

represented by Lord Nelson. Other MHR locos could also feature, including rebuilt ‘West Country’ No. 34007 Wadebridge and/or BR Standard 5MT 4-6-0 No. 73096. The MHR had a great start to 2009 with the busiest January for passengers in the last fi ve years.

60 • The Railway Magazine • April 2009