Headline News  

TfN confirms £39bn Northern Powerhouse Rail scheme, HS2 Old Oak Common designs revealed, Rail industry task force backs electrification, NR unveils Dawlish sea wall plans, HNRC expands with new Worksop depot, electrification complete on Manchester-Preston and Shotts routes. 

On the cover 

MAIN IMAGE: After many years out of action, Tyseley’s record- breaking ‘Castle’ 4-6-0 

No. 7029 Clun Castle finally returned to the main line in February and was due to haul its first railtours as The RM went to press. It is seen passing Stratford Parkway on test on February 21. JACK BOSKETT 

INSET 1: Old and new on the Cotswold Line. 

INSET 2: Rail revival plans in Connemara. 

INSET 3: All change on the Great Northern. 

Track Record 

70 Steam & Heritage 

WSR sells ‘Large Prairie’ to Dartmouth, ‘Sir Nigel’ joins Hosking main line fleet, Severn Valley ‘4MT’ 4-6-0 returns after overhaul, Calbourne to join BR black Adams ‘Radial’ at Bluebell gala, Southall GWR group disbands, £40k target for ‘County’ 4-4-0 wheel appeal. 

76 Industrial 

78 Steam Portfolio 

80 Irish 

82 Narrow Gauge 

84 Miniature 

86 Network 

90 Classic Traction 

94 World 

98 Railtours 

102 Metro 

104 Traction & Stock 

Vivarail reveals hydrogen ‘D-Train’ concept, daylight testing underway with new TransPennine fleets, 50% of ScotRail Class 385 fleet now in service, Hull Trains gets ready for HST operation, May start for ex-Goblin ‘172s’ in West Midlands. 

107 Stock Update 

108 Traction Portfolio 

110 Freight 

111 Operations 

54 Subscription Offer 

Subscribe today to receive your monthly copies of The Railway Magazine from only £20. 

56 Railways in Parliament 

56 Readers' Letters 

60 Meetings 

62 From The RM Archives 

64 Panorama 

Our regular gallery of the best railway photography from around the world 

116 Heritage Diary 

Details of when Britain’s unique collection of heritage railways and railway museums are open. 

129 Reader Services 

130 Crossword and Where Is It? 

Features 

16 Thames Valley Transformation 

Keith Farr concludes his study of the transition from steam to electric traction on the Great Western Main Line from London Paddington over the last few decades. 

23 A Phoenix from the Ashes 

Nicola Fox tells the fascinating story of Sierra Leone’s National Railway Museum, whose collection was saved from scrap in 2004 by a last minute intervention led by British army officer and former NRM chief Steve Davies. 

28 All Change on the Great Northern 

Peter Brown takes a trip on the new Great Northern Class 717s, which will shortly replace the 43-year-old Class 313s – the oldest passenger trains still earning a living on the UK network. 

35 Maam Cross: Ireland's Quiet Railway Revival 

Deep in the heart of Connemara, a project to bring 5ft 3in-gauge steam back to County Galway is gathering pace. Gary Boyd-Hope meets Jim Deegan, the man behind this ambitious scheme. 

40 Industrial Memories 

A pictorial tribute to the atmospheric, but often little-known, steam-worked railways that served British industries long after main line steam had been consigned to history. 

48 The Cotswold Line 

Running east to west across some of England’s most attractive landscapes, this important route features an interesting mix of old and new, as Stephen Roberts discovers.