CONTENTS

HEADLINE NEWS   6
Vintage Trains get Train Operating Company status; Union of South
Africa may run on North Yorkshire Moors Railway for a year; Duchess
of Sutherland back in LMS crimson lake; Earl of Mount Edgcumbe to bow
out at Tyseley 50 gala; and farewell to former Great Central managing
director Bill Ford.

NEWS 10
EU gives £96K grant to Mid-Norfolk;new company formed to build Gresley V4; action
form Welshpool and Richmond Light Railway galas; Great Central canal bridge appeal
tops £250K; farewell to steam owner Dennis Howells; huge success of Mail Rail; 11
Class 50s to set record at Severn Valley gala; South Devon blocks cyclepath plan over
safety and security fears; Mid-Suffolk stars work on extension; fresh initiative for Don
Valley revival and an introduction to the East Wressle & Brind Railway. 

MAIN LINE NEWS 56
Flying Scotsman set for first visit to Penzance; UK Railtour to mark Clan Line's
70th anniversary with special train; Britannia set for main line test; and
locomotive Services set to acquire Intercity 125 High Speed Train set.

WITH FULL REGULATOR 64
Don Benn reports on recent performances of A4 Pacific Union of South Africa.

REGULARS
Subscribe Today 20
Railwayana 46
Geoff Courtney's regular column.
Centre 54
BR 7P 4-6-2 No. 70000 Britannia in full flight with a loaded test run on
Severn Valley Railway on September 12, as captured by John Titlow.
Main Line Itinerary 62
Steam and heritage diesel railtours.
Platform 92
Where your views matter most.
Off the Shelf 93
Latest book and DVD releases.
Up & Running 94
Guide to railways running in the autumn.
The Month Ahead 106

FEATURES
Confessions of a railway journalist
After years in the finance industry, and in a complete change of career
direction, Brian Sharpe became assistant editor of Heritage Railway in 2002.
This summer he stepped down to take a well-earned retirement, and over
following pages he recalls some of the preservation highlights he has
witnessed and reported on over those 16 years.

East Somerset’s 68 friendly line
Steve Roberts enjoys a warm welcome at the East Somerset Railway
and finds a line which is going from strength to strength, with rising
passenger numbers and an excellent reputation for steam locomotive and
rolling stock restoration.

North Bay’s Edgar 74
Mark Smithers welcomes a distinctive addition to the ranks of
Britain’s narrow gauge new build steam locomotives and also learns about
the latest developments at North Bay Engineering Services.

Help Mission To Steam Singapore
Gareth Evans learns about Rocks by Rail-based Hawthorn Leslie
0-4-0ST Singapore – a registered war memorial that saw active duty
in the Far East in the Second World War – which the Rutland museum
is hoping to return to steam if an appeal for £35,000 is successful.

The sunshine train! 86
Following his recent visit to Australia, Rodney Towers reports on a unique
heritage railway project in Byron Bay, New South Wales, which claims
to have developed the world’s first solar-powered train, a classic DMU
which now runs on sunlight and has a zero fuel bill.

Simply the best! 88
Heritage Railway readers are being invited to own a stunning new book
showcasing some of the finest lineside photography of the past four decades
–while helping an international charity which cares for homeless
children found living on and around stations and their platforms.