Overhauls, restorations and running notes

Chiltern Railways introduced its first Mk. 5 set to passenger service on January 26, this taking over one of the diagrams previously worked by the Mk. 3 sets. Now officially dubbed Chiltern Explorers,

While several locomotives with Somerset & Dorset links have survived into preservation, two of the line’s biggest survivors, ‘7Fs’ Nos. 53808 and 53809 will be missing this anniversary due to overhauls.

‘Austerity’ 060STs No. 68067 and NCB No. 18 ...

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

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.