NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL: Ruabon: a bay platform awaits
The reinstatement of the ‘lost’ 51¼2 miles of the GWR route between Llangollen and Ruabon still seems an eminently affordable and workable solution to traffic problems in the home of the Welsh National Eisteddfod, despite a major blockage on the route in the form of a luxury housing estate. But to make it happen will require years of campaigning to win infinitely greater support from local politicians, writes Robin Jones.

NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL: A ‘Scotsman’ for the 21st century
The stage has been set for one of the biggest leaps forward in the history of the preservation movement: the building of a boiler for an all-new main line express passenger locomotive, Peppercorn A1 Pacific No. 60163 Tornado, explains Andrew Dow, a director of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust.

SEASIDE SNOWSTORM SHOWCASE SPECIAL
There was the icy blast of late February which sent temperatures plummeting and snow falling on parts of Britain where it has rarely settled in recent years. Enjoy the best of stunning winter panoramas from the Swanage and North Norfolk railways, without a bucket or spade in sight!

SO YOU WANT TO BUY A RAILWAY?
Want to buy part of the former national network for a revival scheme? Network Rail and BRB (Residuary) are the two companies that between them hold the keys to the expansion of the UK’s heritage railway land portfolio. Alarmingly the duo is involved, albeit unwittingly, in disposing of parts of the same mothballed railway lines to different factions but there is much hope for the future as far as preservationists are concerned, as Keith Langston discovered.

A SULZER FOR SCOTLAND...AND THE REST!
Scotland, home of ‘the Jacobite, ’ has in recent years become labelled ‘the land of steam.’ However, the Big Country boasts a fine array of heritage diesels too, as Hugh Dougherty discovered when he met the Scottish Railway Preservation Society’s modern traction group.

THE CHANGEOVER YEARS: BR steam’s northern bolthole
Brian Sharpe, with the help of Bryan Hicks’ photography, recounts the story of the last part of England to be dieselised.

SCALED DOWN - SAME PROBLEMS
Recreating BR practice in miniature through live steam models is not made that much easier by the ‘shrinkage’ of standard gauge to 5in and 71¼4in, writes Jeremy Bull, who is helping to build the Scottish Model Engineering Trust’s new headquarters at Wester Pickson, where the first passenger rides are set to run this summer.

HEADLINE NEWS
The National Railway Museum emerges as the public’s choice to buy Flying Scotsman as its owning company’s debts mount, but rival bidders are lining up; West Somerset Railway buys Odney Manor; Pete Waterman asks the Heritage Lottery Fund for £750,000 to rebuild Britannia and Swanage Railway may bid for Furzebrook liquid propane gas terminal.

NEWS
A1 Steam Locomotive Trust launches £500K bond issue for Tornado boiler; Government supports Severn Valley over Ironbridge route future; City of Truro resteams; D9016 Gordon Highlander sold while second Deltic impounded by bailiffs; goods yard sale angers Amlwch revivalists; Great Central gap appeal launched for canal bridge overhaul; Welsh Highland staff laid off as Porthmadog push delayed; Truro sponsor helps £1m Holt station appeal; Brunel’s first iron bridge rediscovered in London; Peak Rail Matlock move begins at last; Lynton & Barnstaple hires diesel for first trains; latest news from Railfest 2004 including Cleethorpes Coast ‘preview’ weekend; Belgan 03 repatriated to Mangapps Farm and GWS launches Didcot development appeal are among the many stories in Britain’s widest news coverage of the preservation scene by far!

SUBSCRIPTIONS: RAILWAYS RESTORED FREE OFFER
Ian Allan’s annual Railways Restored is the preservation ‘bible’, listing all locomotives on every heritage line in detail and the 2004 edition can be yours FREE!

MAIN LINE NEWS compiled by Cedric Johns
Why B1 No. 61264 failed on its way back from Scarborough; Pete Waterman’s small prairie to debut over two Welsh lines, and plans for this year’s Scottish main line photo charter taking in Inverness and Perth are among the many items in our definitive round-up.

MAIN LINE TOUR ITINERARY
Steam and modern traction tours.

NEW GENERATION LINES
Prince Andrew endorses Wensleydale’s expansion bid and £1.1m grant for Bedale.

DAVID MORGAN MBE - the man you can’t ignore
Welcome for plans to turn the national network’s lossmaking rural lines into community railways.

RAILWAYANA
City of Truro upstaged by an old lady named Hilda? Colin Tyson explains how and when.

OFF THE SHELF
Latest book and DVD releases.

INDUSTRIAL SCENE
Moseley Railway Trust establishes Potteries presence and restored Renishaw Ironworks No. 6 makes Tanfield Railway debut.

UP AND RUNNING
Brian Sharpe’s listing of operational standard, narrow and minimum gauge lines with dates of special events, details of driver training courses and locomotives in operation.

PLATFORM
Where your views matter the most!

HERITAGE NET
Forgotten industrial lines which once served premier standard gauge heritage railways.