Articles – Page 7 – RailwayWorld.net

Working semaphore distant signals at Heckington

Down distant signal HN15 is pulled off as the Network Rail test train 1Q49 passes on its trip to Skegness

More than three years after my last visit (June 2021), the irregular appearance of a Class 43-powered Network Rail test train makes the perfect excuse to pay an overdue return on Thursday, 21 November 2024 to delightful Heckington, first station east of Sleaford on the Poacher Line to Boston and Skegness.

Having been lucky enough to see another NR test train, the Class 37-powered Ultrasonic Testing Unit (UTU) at Skegness in October, my main aim this time was to photograph a different type of test working passing both the down distant signal, which is only pulled off for trains not calling at Heckington, and the up distant signal some way east of the station.

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Tourism crisis hits Wolsztyn

Pt47-65 propels its two coaches into platform 1 at Wolsztyn on 7 November 2024 before departing for Zbaszynek at 14.14

Being the last place in the world to operate scheduled standard gauge steam passenger services has not prevented a tourism crisis in Wolsztyn, the attractive town in Western Poland that until mid-2023 was home of the Wolsztyn Experience (WE) and its world-renowned footplate experience courses.

During the 25 years WE operated (1998-2023) countless thousands of overseas visitors flocked to Wolsztyn, but its closure following the death in June 2023 of founder Howard Jones MBE has led to the current crisis facing the town and its devastating impact on local businesses.

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Back to Peak Forest

GBRf 66783 “The Flying Dustman” at Peak Forest with 4H73 from Washwood Heath to Tunstead

Little more than two months after my last visit (27 August 2024) I am tempted to pay a return to marvellously photogenic Peak Forest South after being contacted by the signaller who had been on duty that day, who kindly invites me to return and pay a visit to the signal box itself.

Peak Forest South Signal Box is a delightfully preserved and recently overhauled box that will be celebrating its centenary in 2025. It is one of only two mechanical signal boxes I can name in this country, Crag Hall on Teesside being the other, which control nothing but freight traffic.

Rare loco action at bracing Skegness

37610 approaches Skegness with the Ultrasonic Testing Unit (UTU) on its monthly circuit from Derby

Trains testing and treating the track brought some rare loco movements to Skegness on Monday, 28 October 2024, with two special workings on behalf of Network Rail visiting the remarkable station, at the coastal end of the Poacher Line, in the space of less than an hour.

Shortly before midday came the distinctive sound of “tractor” 37610, which is operated by Colas Rail and is in British Rail blue livery, hauling Network Rail’s Ultrasonic Testing Unit (UTU), with DBSO 9714 at the rear. This had travelled from Derby on its monthly visit to the Poacher Line.

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Another year for the South Wales semaphores

800024 accelerates away from the station with 1L26 from Carmarthen (14.24) to London Paddington

Further delay to what is known as the Port Talbot West 2 (PTW2) re-signalling project in West Wales means that the semaphore signals at Ferryside and at Pembrey & Burry Port will live on until at least the end of 2025, well beyond the last estimated date for completion of the re-signalling.

An update provided to railwayworld.net by Network Rail on 15 October 2024 confirms this latest delay, which it puts down to the geographic size of the project and difficulties in gaining access to the railway.

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Autumn colours in the Rhodope Mountains

75008 approaches Velingrad on 10 October 2024 with the Rodopi (14.30 Dobrinishte-Septemvri)

For all the rail trips I do around the UK and have done in Continental Europe, there is something totally compelling about Bulgaria’s only narrow gauge railway, which persuades me to return for the third consecutive year to Velingrad “Spa Capital of the Balkans”.

Velingrad stands roughly one-third of the way along the remarkable 78-mile (125km) long 760mm gauge railway that runs from a junction called Septemvri on the main rail route from Sofia to Plovdiv, all the way to the renowned ski resort of Bansko and its terminus at Dobrinishte a few miles further on.

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Getting to the Heart of Wales

TfW 153913/329 arrive at Pantyffynnon with 2M06 from Swansea (09.09) to Shrewsbury

Plan a rail trip from Swansea to Shrewsbury and you will be presented with rather differing fares and journey times, depending on whether you pick the main route to Cardiff and the Marches Line via Hereford, or the slow and very scenic Heart of Wales Line via Llanelli, Llandovery and Llandrindod Wells.

Pick the main route and you will pay significantly more for a faster journey on one of the new Class 197 units, but opting for the Heart of Wales Line will give you a much cheaper fare, and the chance to spend around four hours trundling through some of the Principality’s most beautiful scenery in an aged Class 150 or single car Class 153 unit.

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Railway wonders of West Cumbria

156468 at Kirksanton on 24 September 2024 with 2C39 from Barrow-in-Furness (18.07) to Carlisle

Loss of examples at Parbold and Chapel Lane Crossing on the West Lancashire Line in February 2024 means that there are now just ten combined home and working distant signals left on our national rail network, three of which control barely a mile of track in an obscure corner of West Cumbria.

These are signals controlled by the signal box at Silecroft, and by the nearby gate boxes at Limestone Hall and Kirksanton, on the Cumbrian Coast Line to the west of Millom, where these remarkable survivors protect two level crossings on the A5093.

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Steaming back in time on the Isle of Man

More than a decade after my last visit (in 2013) it is time to pay a return to the quaint and historic Isle of Man and spend a few days travelling on the four charming narrow gauge rail systems that make this Crown Dependency at the centre of the Irish Sea such a wonderful place to visit.

Armed with a three-day “Go Explore” ticket (£42.00) my aim (10-12 September 2024) was to travel on and photograph all four of these little railways – the 15½-mile steam railway from Douglas to Port Erin in the south, the 17-mile long Manx Electric Railway from Douglas to Ramsey in the north, the Snaefell Mountain Railway and the unique Douglas Bay Horse Tramway.

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Britain’s newest rail service

Railway re-openings have been all but canned by the new Labour Government, so the two scheduled for 2024 look like being the last additions to our national rail network for some considerable time.

While the Ashington Line from Newcastle has been delayed until December, when only a limited number of its new stations will be ready for service, there were no delays to the £116m Levenmouth Rail Link north of the border, which opened as planned on 2 June 2024.