South Tynedale Railway News Page

See also the News Extra 2001 page for reports of the 2001 season and special events.
PLEASE NOTE: That on this page, all of the links to other pages are shown in green type.

News In Brief
Photographs below by Daniel McIntyre

A very busy May Day & October 2002 “Friends of Thomas” Weekend
    The May Day Bank Holiday weekend was very busy with nearly 3,000 passengers carried during the ever popular “Friends of Thomas” Weekend. On Saturday 4th May, 698 passengers travelled on a rather cloudy day, the next day, Sunday 5th May was warmer and brighter with 1,110 passengers carried, the weather on the Monday 6th May was rather duller and 1,160 passengers were carried.
    Everyone seemed to enjoy the weekend, which included meeting Sir Topham Hatt, the Fat Controller at Alston Station, riding on the steam and diesel hauled trains and visiting the carriage shed to see two model railway layouts, purchase items from the sales stall and there was facepainting for the children and refreshments, together with a chance to see our large green German, Henschel built 0-4-0 tank steam locomotive “Thomas Edmondson” which is currently awaiting overhaul.
    The event, was repeated on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th October 2002 and was again very successful with approx 1,400 passengers carried.

Family Gala Weekend, Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August 2002
The fine and warm weather over the Family Gala Weekend helped to bring people to Alston and on the Sunday the trains were quite full with passengers travelling between Alston and Kirkhaugh and on the Alston Station to Engine Shed shuttle trains. The two visiting steam locomotives from the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway, “Alice” and “Challoner”, proved very popular with the public and the highlight of the Sunday afternoon was the 4.45 pm train hauled by four steam locomotives, including the two previously mentioned ones, plus the South Tynedale Railway’s own “Helen Kathryn” and “Naklo” with five carriages and two guards vans behind them, was a splendid sight to see in motion between Alston and Kirkhaugh.

Railway celebrated 150th anniversary of Haltwhistle to Alston branch opening
    During 2002, The South Tynedale Railway is celebrating the 150th anniversary of the opening of the Haltwhistle to Alston branch line, in its original standard gauge days by the Newcastle and Carlisle Railway Company.
    To mark this anniversart year, passenger trains are carrying a special “S.T.R.P.S. 150th Anniversary of the Alston Branch” headboard and a special Family Gala Weekend event, has been arranged, for Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th August. This will include two visiting steam locomotives from the Leighton Buzzard Narrow Gauge Railway - which will be “Alice”, a Hunslet 0-4-0 saddle tank locomotive and “Chaloner”, a 0-4-0 vertical boiler steam locomotive. Together with eleven model railway layouts and seven railway sales stalls inside the carriage shed at Alston. Plus guided tours of the Alston engine shed with special shuttle train service and special coach tours of the Haltwhistle to Alston branch.
   There has been a very good start to the 2002 operating season so far, with passenger numbers up by 18%, an extra 1,500 visitors and Alston Station shop sales up by 20% compared to the previous year, 2001 figures.

150th Anniversary Appeal Fund Committee formed and Slaggyford Extension Appeal launched
    An adminstrative committee has been formed for the Alston Branch 150th Anniversary Appeal Fund. The main role of the committee is to determine ways of raising money for the extension of the railway of a further two and a quarter miles from Kirkhaugh to Slaggyford; all funds raised will be placed in a separate bank account and will only be used to extend the railway to Slaggyford. The committee comprises the following people - Norman Cook as the Convenor, Mike Garbutt, Norman Johnson, Chris Shaw and John Walker.
    The cost of the extension to Slaggyford which includes the purchase of materials for relaying the track, installation of a waterproof membrane on Lintley viaduct and renovation work to Slaggyford station building and platform for along this two and a half mile stretch of trackbed is estimated at £400,000, which is the amount of money which will need to be raised, by a target date of 2006. By the end of July 2002 just over £4,500 had been raised.
    The appeal was launched on Tuesday 21st May 2002 as part of the 150th anniversary celebrations and a Slaggyford Extension Appeal brochure has now been produced, copies can be obtained from Alston Station, telephone 01434 381696 or write for a copy, please include a stamped addressed envelope to: South Tynedale Railway, The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB. All donations welcome and greatfully received.
   To assist with the extension appeal, it is intended to apply for further lottery grants to the Heritage Lottery Fund, one will be for the Slaggyford station area and the second will be for work on the trackbed. A “Lottery Quality” estimate for work on the extension must be produced before any application can be made.

Polish steam locomotive update
Polish steam locomotive No. 10 “Naklo” is now operational and was put back into service from August 2002 on several steam days on passenger trains to Kirkhaugh and back. It is now fully repainted in red with yellow lining plus yellow lettering and number on its tender and hauled trains its first trains in this new livery during the Family Gala Weekend on 3rd and 4th August. It also hauled trains during the last week of August. It is planned to use “Naklo” to haul the Santa Special trains in December, as “Helen Kathryn” will be taken out of service in late October for a major overhaul.
It now has a totally different appearance to the sides of the locomotives as the two side water tanks have now been removed and disposed of, whilst it retains its water tank in the tender which provides an ample supply of water for at least two journeys from Alston to Kirkhaugh and back on a full tank, before it needs to be refilled.

Alston and North Pennines Area On-Line
Alston and the surrounding area and now being linked up on-line with a new cybermoor community internet site. Although mainly for Alston and surrounding area residents, guests are invited to view the new internet site at www.cybermoor.org

A very busy December for the “Santa Special” trains
    The Santa special trains during December 2002 were very popular, over the six operating days, the following numbers of passengers were carried - 724 on Sunday 8th, 474 on Saturday 14th, 714 on Sunday 15th, 135 on Monday 16th (on which two trains were operated for pre-booked local school parties), 442 on Saturday 21st and 945 on Sunday 22nd December. In total 3,434 passengers were carried, this compares with 2,782 during the five operating dates in 2001, an increase of 23%.
    Everyone seemed to enjoy their train ride, which was hauled by the recently rebuilt Polish tender steam locomotive “Naklo” and their visit the Alston carriage shed where the entry to Santa’s Grotto was in the shape a floodlit castle with two towers (see photograph to left) which complete with knights standing guard at the drawbridge entrance when the public entered it. The whole of the inside of the carriage shed was decorated with Christmas lights, trees and tinsel and even the large green German, Henschel built 0-4-0 tank steam locomotive “Thomas Edmondson” was lit up with coloured lights.
    Sales of the 150th Anniversary Appeal draw tickets were very popular and the ticket sales was £2,678.50 with the net income raised during 2002 being £2,220.50 after the cash prizes and expenses were deducted, this is an increase on the Christmas Draw ticket sales for 2001 which was £2,241 and which raised £2,162 after expenses were deducted.
    Due to the large numbers of people to the Santa Specials during December 2002, it has been decided to operate an extra day during 2003, so that the Santa Specials will operate on six days, i.e. three full weekends before Christmas during this year.

The 2002 Operating Season compared with previous years
    The total number of passengers carried on the South Tynedale Railway in 2002 was 24,224. The extra special event of the Family Gala Weekend in August helped the railway to top the 24,000 figure. This compares with recent years as follows:-
    In 1995 - 22,095*, in 1996 - 24,483*, in 1997 - 22,005*, in 1998 - 21,106, in 1999 - 24,146, in 2000 - 22,433, in 2001 - 21,542, and in 2002 - 24,224.
    * These totals were calculated differently and do not include children under 3 years. For comparison purposes add on at least another 1,000.

For further information

Further information about the South Tynedale Railway can be obtained from Alston station, by telephone on (01434) 381696 (answerphone service available when Alston station shop is closed) or by writing to the South Tynedale Railway, at Alston Station, full postal address shown at bottom of page.
A talking railway timetable and special event service can be obtained by telephone on (01434) 382828.
Enquiries can also be made by sending an E-mail to Daniel McIntyre and replies will be sent by him as soon as possible.

Go to top of page

SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY
The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB.
Tel. 01434 381696. Talking timetable tel. 01434 382828.
Registered Charity No. 514939.

E-mail addresses - click on links below:-
South Tynedale Railway information - Send e-mail to Daniel McIntyre
STRPS membership and Tynedalesman information only - Send e-mail to Phil Aveyard

Mission Statement for the South Tynedale Railway:-
“To provide satisfaction for our customers and volunteers by operating a friendly, safe and efficient narrow-gauge railway.”

This page has been created by Daniel McIntyre for the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society.
For information about him, please see Daniel McIntyre’s Home Page.
This page was last updated on 28th December 2002 by Daniel McIntyre.
� Daniel McIntyre and South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society 2002.

This page was compiled using HTML version 4.0 and “Macromedia Dreamweaver 4” editing software.

Top recommendations