EXPERT ANALYSIS OF THE ISSUES AFFECTING TODAY’S MAIN LINE CHARTER SCENE

…and full electrification should have been agreed from the start

Sixty years ago this month, on March 6 1966, the Western Region achieved two major goals with the end of both steam power and the Somerset & Dorset route – bringing a mighty era to a rather grubby end.

Steam Railway meets up with Gavin Collins, Chairman of the North Dorset Railway, and Phil Jacques, the line’s Operations Manager, to talk about what this S&D anniversary year (and beyond) holds for the expanding heritage line.

It was sometime in the early to mid-1960s when Sanquhar stationmaster Herbert James Wilson said to me “Douglas, come in and see this.” So, what was this? I was about to find out, and ‘this’ proved to

‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman approaches Birmingham Moor ...