2003
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News Archive 2004

 

14 December
The provisional dates and tours for Leander given below have been updated following information supplied from Vintage Trains. At present, it is not shown as booked for any of the Shakespeare Expresses.

5 December 2004
Leander is due to spend the winter at Tyseley loco works in Birmingham, where it will be fitted with TPWS (Train Protection Warning System), now a compulsory requisite for main line running. Next year it is due to operate for Vintage Trains, where it will no doubt be seen on some of the Shakespeare Expresses between Birmingham and Stratford-upon-Avon.

Some tours for Leander have been provisionally arranged as follows:-
7 May 2005: Birmingham Snow Hill, Tyseley, Solihull, Dorridge to Didcot
11 June 2005: Dorridge, Solihull, Tyseley & Water Orton to Sheffield
25 June 2005: Leicester to Melton (3 round trips)
29 August 2005: Nuneaton, Atherstone, Polesworth, Tamworth, Lichfield to Blackpool
3 September 2005: Tyseley Warwick Road, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Stafford & Crewe to Holyhead
1 October Birmingham New Street, Sandwell & Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stafford & Crewe to Carlisle (via Shap!)

15 November 2004
Next weekend (20-21 Nov) is the last weekend of Leander's visit to the Bluebell.  It will be one of four locos in steam, as indeed it was this weekend.

Various photo albums of its visit to the Bluebell are now available:

Photos of details of the Jubilee from Nick Beck:
http://nickspix.fotopic.net/c341548.html

Photos from Tony Pearce
http://tony-pearce.fotopic.net/c326938.html

Photos of the Wizard Weekend from Jon Bowers
http://morebloodytrains.fotopic.net/c327940.html

Giants of Steam 2004:
Photo report from Paul Pettitt
http://www.paulpettitt-photographs.co.uk/bluebell_railwayGoS2004.htm

Photos and Videos from Jon Bowers
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/personal/jon-bowers/2004/h.htm
http://www.bluebell-railway.co.uk/bluebell/personal/jon-bowers/movies/

Photos from the Sunday by Tony Frost
http://www.tony-frost-railways.fotopic.net/c322780.html

Photos from Nick Beck from the Saturday and Sunday
http://nickspix.fotopic.net/c320455.html
http://nickspix.fotopic.net/gos2004-2

Information supplied by Richard Salmon. I am not responsible for the content of any of these websites.

4 November 2004
Leander is to return to main line running next spring, according to the latest Steam Railway magazine. More details to follow.

23 October 2004
Some early pictures of Leander on the Bluebell railway. Some video footage will follow soon:-


Leander running round at Sheffield Park - note the LMS royal coach behind


Leander leaving Horsted Keynes with a train for Sheffield Park

20 October 2004
Leander is expected to be hauling the following trains at the Bluebell Railway's Giants of Steam this weekend:

From Sheffield Park: 9:30AM, 11:40AM*, 2:00PM* & 4:20PM
From Kingscote: 10:22AM, 12:47PM*, 3:07PM* & 5:30PM

* Double headed with standard class 4 No. 75027 on Sunday

Other locos expected to appear are Bulleid Pacific 21C123 Blackmore Vale (subject to completion of maintenance), GWR No. 9107 Earl of Berkeley, No.  73082 Camelot and Class 4 tank No. 80151

2 October 2004
Despite my earlier pessimism, Leander will be appearing at the Bluebell Railway on 23 and 24 October. For details, click here. I will add further details, nearer the time.

21 June 2004
According to the latest Steam Railway magazine, a pair of new wheels have been cast for 45699 Galatea, and the loco may be in steam as early as next year. This would be a remarkable achievement given the loco's condition when it was transferred from Tyseley to Carnforth in 2002. Could it be that Galatea will beat the three remaining Jubilees to get a main-line certificate?

23 May 2004
Leander will not be attending Railfest at the National Railway Museum next week. According to the latest Steam Railway magazine, it may be visiting the Bluebell Railway in October. However, this must be taken in the context of other promised visits since its recent restoration (WSR, Railfest and main-line running), all of which have failed to materialise.


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This page was last updated on Saturday, 25 March 2006.

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