ISSUE 216
News
June 2 – June 29, 2016

Headline News 6
Investigation under way after
Network Rail cancels Flying Scotsman
Scottish tour at the last minute - only
for top officials to fix it at 11th hour
after criticism by transport minister,
appeal launched after Swindon &
Cricklade 'Thumper' DEMU trailer
gutted in arson attack, and Great
Central Railway appoints contractors
for Loughborough bridge.

News 10
Severn Valley Railway opens new
£600k diesel maintenance depot at
record-breaking gala;  Merchant Navy
Peninsula & Oriental SN Co. launched at
Torrington Tracks to the Trenches First
World War gala success at Apedale;
Rippingale station for sale including
steam engine; hole in Esk Valley track
no problem for Moors gala; Swanage diesel
gala breaks all records as Purbeck clay line
diesel comes home;
Transport Trust award for Somerset
& Dorset coach; South Tynedale
appoints contractors for Slaggyford
extension, and Gloucestershire
Warwickshire Railway Broadway last
mile share issue tops £500k.

Main Line News 56
Rail Accident Investigation Branch
publishes report into Wootton
Bassett Signal Passed At Danger
incident; Crystal Palace steam
football special; ‘moral victory’ for
Western Champion in Paddington-
Plymouth run, and a Brunswick green
Evening Star on the main line!

With Full Regulator 62
Don Benn reports on recent
performances by Royal Scot.

Regulars

Railwayana 52
Geoff Courtney’s regular column.

Centre 54
Flying Scotsman crossing the Royal
Border Bridge by Brian Sharpe.

Mainline Itinerary 56
Steam and heritage diesel railtours.

Platform 84
Where your views matter most.

Off the Shelf 86
Latest book and DVD releases.

Up & Running 94
Guide to railways running this
month.

The Month Ahead 106

Features
Ray Churchill: 21st century main line steam driver
One of West Coast Railways’ most respected drivers has retired. Don
Benn met him and reports on Ray’s long career on the footplate.46

Great Britain; the ninth and last?
A ‘Black Five’ was rostered to reach
Penzance and Thurso within a week
but in the event it did not quite
happen and was certainly not the
original plan. Brian Sharpe reports on
an annual event which sadly, we may
never see the likes of again.68
 
Supreme Statfold
The Statfold Barn Railway is of
recent construction to a number of
 gauges. Mark Smithers outlines the
development of the multi-gauge
railway and delves into the history of
its varied stock of locomotives.76

Three steam on the Lynton & Barnstaple
The L&B spring steam gala.82

A Camping Coach Holiday
50 years ago, a remarkable variety of
steam power was still in control of
passenger and freight workings in
the north-west. Trevor Gregg looks
back to a camping coach holiday at
Grange-over-Sands.88