FEATURES

34 NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL: STEEL, STEAM & STARS... HELP TO BUILD A NEW GRANGE!
Sponsored by Heritage Railway, and following on from the West Somerset Railway’s hugely successful spring ‘carnival of steam’, the biggest gala ever held at the spectacularly scenic Llangollen Railway is to take place on 20-22 April. Eleven locomotives will be in steam, but the whole purpose of the event is to raise vital cash to build another - one that will be the next in line of the extinct GWR Grange 4-6-0 class, No 6880 Betton Grange. Will Naylor, one of the pioneers of this ground-breaking and well-advanced project, explains how Steel, Steam & Stars came to be...

40 NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL: OVER THE ALPS! 30 YEARS OF MID-HANTS STEAM
While this year marks the 40th anniversary of the end of steam on the Southern Region, the heritage movement will be celebrating a far more positive landmark - 30 years of operations on one of its Premier League lines, the Mid-Hants Railway, where Bulleid Pacifics still rule the roost. Cedric Johns looks back over the history of this magnificent line where Southern steam traditions still thrive today.

46 NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL: WAS THIS THE BEST GALA EVER HELD?
It was no easy task for the West Somerset Railway to follow up last year’s marathon Somerset & Dorset spring steam gala with an event that might just prove almost as good. However, as Robin Jones reports, this year’s Summer Saturdays in the West gala exceeded everyone’s wildest expectations and broke all records, leaving everyone asking the question - was it the best ever held by the preservation movement?

64 THE CHANGEOVER YEARS: THE FIRST ‘THREE DALES’ RAILTOUR REMEMBERED
In the twilight months of steam operation in the North East of England, the Teesside branch of the Stephenson Locomotive Society organised the ‘Three Dales’ railtour on 20 May 1967. The landmark train was hauled by K1 2-6-0 No 62005 in its last months of BR service. Forty years on exactly this very same locomotive is scheduled to haul an anniversary ‘replay’ of the tour for owning group the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group. Photographer Maurice Burns recalls his personal memories of and involvement in the original trip all those decades ago...

70 SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST
Why do some heritage lines, big and small, thrive and prosper, while others habitually struggle to survive? John Crosse takes a look at the Severn Valley Railway’s successful marketing department and sees what lessons it has to offer heritage lines elsewhere.

74 AFTER THE GOLDRUSH!
Photographer Dave Hewitt headed out to the Wild West of Colorado and Arizona and struck gold - not in the form of mineral wealth, but in picture opportunities presented by four popular heritage lines.

Regulars

5 HEADLINE NEWS
Unique Keighley & Worth Valley WD 2-8-0 runs at Crewe after 15-year rebuild; Bluebell GWR Dukedog bound for Severn Valley; new County driving wheels cast; Outrage over Lottery robbery for Olympic Games, and North Yorkshire Moors Railway launches Whitby services.

10 NEWS: THE WIDEST COVERAGE OF THE UK PRESERVATION SCENE
First Welsh Highland revivalist group running on original trackbed at last; Advanced Passenger Train at Crewe faces uncertain future; East Lancashire soccer special for rebel Manchester United fans; Llangollen’s auto-train ‘toe in the water’ pays off - picture special by David Wilcock; four number plates from Locomotion to be sold; Manning Wardles double up for Middleton Railway Engine House launch; North British engine repatriated for Glasgow museum; Bodmin launches £9.1-million push for Wadebridge; Black Prince to run on North Norfolk Railway; repatriated GWR coach returns to Swindon for overhaul; two steam locomotives and a World War One railcar make debuts at Statfold Barn Railway; offers in for GWR ‘Blaenavon Five’ as sale of ‘forgotten’ Barry wrecks starts; Bulleid Merchant Navy Pacific Shaw Savill fails to sell on eBay; national £300K appeal for J21 overhaul set for summer relaunch; National Railway Museum missing items ‘stolen to order’ claim; East Somerset looks to new Wells goal and Sheffield Railwayana set for Derby move.

52 MAIN LINE NEWS compiled by Cedric Johns
Duke, Duchess and No 9 for Scarborough runs; Lord Nelson debut run sells out; Cotswold Steamy Affairs buyout leaves trip without steam; three Steam Dreams trips to mark Southern demise and Western branch line runs with ‘Black Five’ a huge success.

58 MAIN LINE TOUR ITINERARY
Brian Sharpe's guide to steam and heritage modern traction tours.

59 RAILWAYANA
Does Bulleid plate sale indicate a market revival?

60 PLATFORM
The pages where your views matter the most!

62 CARRIAGE & WAGON NEWS
LNWR Post Office restored to former glory at Crewe and ‘Devon Belle’ Car 14 in better condition than expected.

63 MORGAN
The Heritage Railway Association explains why we might have much to learn from New Zealand.

69 SUBSCRIBE TO HERITAGE RAILWAY!
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78 OUT & ABOUT
Bags of ideas for places to visit during the new season!

84 OFF THE SHELF
Our guide to latest book and DVD releases.

86 SCALE HERITAGE RAILWAY
Hornby’s masterstroke with Triang Lord of the Isles reissue.

87 FLYING SCOTSMAN CONTEST
Win Hornby’s new Flying Scotsman train set in our exclusive competition!

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