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News Page Details of current news and recent developments on the railway. |
The next special events will be:-
Halloween Fancy Dress Weekend
on Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October 2008
Passengers are requested to come along in fancy dress
Witches, Wizards and Ghouls - are especially welcome!
A spooky goody bag for every child.
Trains depart Alston at 11.00 am, 12.15 pm, 2.15 pm and 3.30 pm.
Fares:- Adult Return �6.00, Child Return (3 to 15 years) �4.00.
Family Ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) �19.00.
Train Service News
Train Services 2008:-
Operating Dates from July for the remainder of the year are as shown below:-
- August: Daily.
- September: Daily from Monday 1st to Sunday 7th, then all Saturdays, Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays.
- October: All Saturdays and Sundays, plus Tuesday 28th, Wednesday 29th and Thursday 30th.
- December: “Santa Special” trains on Saturdays 6th, 13th and 20th, Sundays 7th, 14th and 21st and Monday 22nd.
Train times for 2008, except on Special Event Days where a special timetable will apply, trains will depart Alston Station at 11.00 am, 12.15 pm, 2.15 pm and 3.30 pm (last train).
Trains depart from the other end of the line, Kirkhaugh Station, where there is no road access, 30 minutes after the Alston departure times shown above.
Fares for 2008 (except on Special Events Dates, where special fares will apply) will be as follows:-
Adult Single �3.30, Adult Return �5.50, Adult All Day Ticket �9.00.
Child Single �1.50, Child Return �2.50, Child All Day Ticket �4.00. Child fares apply to children 3 to 15 years of age, children under 3 years travel free.
Family Ticket, for 2 adults and up to 3 children �15.00.
Dog Ticket 50p (single or return fare).
Bicycles 50p, these will only be carried if there is space available, please check with the guard.
The remaining Special events for 2008. Special timetables and fares will apply on the following dates:-
- Saturday 25th and Sunday 26th October - “Halloween Fancy Dress Weekend”
Come in fancy dress. Witches, wizards and ghouls especially welcome.
Spooky goody bag for each child.
Trains depart Alston at 11.00 am, 12.15 pm, 2.15 pm and 3.30 pm.
Return Fares - Children (aged 3 to 15 years) �4.00, Adults �6.00
Family Ticket (2 adults and up to 3 children) �19.00. - Saturdays 6th, 13th, 20th, Sundays 7th, 14th and 21st and Monday 22nd - “Santa Specials”.
All aboard for a seasonal train ride, followed by a visit to Father Christmas in his grotto.
Ticket price includes a visit to Santa Claus and a present for each child, plus seasonal refreshments for all.
No advance booking required.
Trains depart Alston at 10.30 am, 11.30 am, 12.30 pm, 1.30 pm, 2.30 pm and 3.30 pm.
Return Fares: Children (aged 2 to 15 years) �8.00, Adults �8.00.
The Timetable page of this Internet site now shows all of the operating dates, train times, fares and special event days during 2008.
Other News In Brief
Photographs as credited.
Two anniversaries occurred during this year, during July 2008.
Two different anniversaries occurred in July 2008. In addition to 25 years of passenger trains, as passenger trains commenced operation on the first part of the South Tynedale Railway line, between Alston and Gilderdale Halt on Saturday 30th July 1983, the other smaller celebration will be that this website is ten years old then.
The South Tynedale Railway internet site was launched during 1998 and press releases were issued to local newspapers and railway magazines during that year. Articles were published and appeared about the existence of the website in local newspapers during July 1998, and in railway magazines during the following months. The rather long winded internet address used at that time was later shorted to the current address of www.strps.org.uk during 2000. Since those dates many pages and photographs have been added to it.
Alston Model Railway Shop and Exhibition Centre has now closed,
the model shop is now at Hexham, Northumberland.
The Alston Model Railway Shop and Exhibition Centre has closed and from January 2008 the model shop part of the business has relocated from Alston, to Hexham in Northumberland.
The model shop now renamed as Townfoot Models can now be found at Platform 2 at the Railway Station at Hexham, Northumberland, NE46 1EZ. Telephone 01434 382100. The model shop website can be found at www.townfootmodels.co.uk
Tynedalesman No. 153, Spring 2008 edition, has been published and the full contents has been published on this internet site.
The latest issue of Tynedalesman magazine, No. 153, dated Spring 2008, was published in mid-June 2008. The paper version is a slim 16 page edition. The full contents are now available on this internet site.
A brief listing of the contents of issue No. 153 is shown below:-
- Editorial containing an appeal for more trained signalmen (or should that be signalpersons!) and plans for more working parties during weekends during the Summer months on the Kirkhaugh to Lintley section of the extension.
- Details of the forthcoming Annual General Meeting on 1st November 2008 and the closing date for nominations for election to the Council of Management.
- An article by Steven Dyke on the completion of the lease of the trackbed between Gilderdale and Slaggyford - at last!
- An article about the visit of the H.M. Inspector of Railways by Jim Harper.
- Commercial News - A report by Ivan Ward.
- A look back on events at the South Tynedale Railway twenty five years ago by Steven Dyke.
- Plus photographs of little trains on the South Tynedale Railway in the big landscape by Dave Hewitt and the front cover photograph of the upgraded lineside footpath on the Gilderdale to Kirkhaugh part of the line.
- There is also a single sheet supplement included containing dates for your diary, showing special events and the Council of Management meetings between July and the end of 2008.
News on the Kirkhaugh to Slaggyford extension.
Since May 2007, a working party consisting of several of the railway’s volunteers, have helped to level part of the old railway trackbed, north of Kirkhaugh station and to lay several lengths of track. It is the intention to continue the track laying up to the Lintley Viaduct, about a mile north of Kirkhaugh, which will form phase one of the extension. The Lintley Viaduct will have to be surveyed and any necessary work to the structure carried out, before track can be laid over it, to continue with phase two of the extension of the line towards Slaggyford.
At present, working parties are planned to continue, on certain weekends during the Summer months of 2008, on the extension of the line between Kirkhaugh and Lintley. Using totally volunteer labour to carry out the work required, means that no time limit can been set for the completion of the line to either Lintley Viaduct, or to Slaggyford.
Progress on Hudswell-Clarke diesel locomotive DM1247.
Progress on the Hudswell-Clarke diesel locomotive has included the fitting of cab doors, a full repaint and the fitting of numberplates and nameplates. The photograph shows the locomotive at Alston Station on 21st April 2008. Photograph by Michael Smith.
This locomotive arrived at Alston on loan on Sunday 25th March 2007 and on the same day, the Fowler 0-4-2 tank steam locomotive, named �Saccharine� to be renamed �Green Dragon� left the South Tynedale Railway.
The diesel locomotive is an ex-mines loco of Hudswell-Clarke manufacture, built in 1961, works number 1247. It has six coupled wheels, is eighteen feet long and weighs in at fifteen tons. The engine has a six cylinder Gardner 6LW engine, rated at 100 h.p., with maximum revolutions of 1750 r.p.m.. It last worked for the National Coal Board at Vane Tempest colliery, near Seaham, County Durham, where it was used for training drivers. When the colliery closed, it was bought by Arthur Belshaw and taken to the South Tynedale Railway.
The locomotive being surplus to requirements was purchased by a member of the Welsh Highland Railway at Porthmadog, Gwynedd, in North Wales and it arrived there in June 1996. Since then, it has been stripped down to frames, engine and gearbox, steam cleaned, and the old paint removed. The frames and wheels have had four coats of new paint, the engine and gearbox have received two coats each. Work is underway to prepare the engine back to working order with the construction of a new engine cover and cab. When complete the locomotive is intended to be used on works or passenger trains on the South Tynedale Railway.
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
You can become a member of the S.T.R.P.S..
If you are not a member and you are interested in joining the South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society, please print out a copy of the membership application form page on your printer and send it by Royal Mail post with payment to Mrs. Kathy Aveyard, Membership Secretary at 106 Commonside, Roberttown, Liversedge, West Yorkshire, WF15 7LW. Please enclose either a cheque or postal order made payable to South Tynedale RPS.
Full details of the benefits and cost of membership are shown on the STR membership page.
Remember, that the South Tynedale Railway needs YOU, so please come and join our friendly gang of workers on the railway and enjoy the beautiful North Pennines countryside scenery along the line, you will be made most welcome. Whether it�s operating trains, maintaining track or locomotives or rolling stock, helping with railway publicity or helping on the sales stalls at events, we really do need YOUR help!
If you can spare us some of your time, please send an e-mail to the South Tynedale Railway. You can come and see us at Alston Station at most weekends under no obligation, any new volunteers will be made very welcome.
New fifth edition of the Visitors Guide book about the Railway now available
and copies of “The Alston Branch” book are still also still available
A new fifth edition of the South Tynedale Railway Visitors’ Guide book has been compiled and was published in mid July 2008. It contains details about the railway - history of the line, a description of the journey along the line from Alston to Kirkhaugh, details of the extension of the line between Kirkhaugh and Slaggyford. Photographs of the railway and brief details of the locomotives and rolling stock. The guide book is on sale from Alston Station shop at �2.00, postage is extra.
Still currently available is a second edition of �The Alston Branch� book, written by Stanley C. Jenkins, which has been recently published by The Oakwood Press. This book covers the history of the Haltwhistle to Alston branch line from its origins, to the building of the line and the operation of standard gauge trains until closure in 1976. It also includes details of the South Tynedale Railway from the planning of the scheme and reopening of part of the branch as a two foot narrow gauge line and the present day operations. Other past narrow gauge lines in the Alston and Coanwood areas are also included.
The Alston Branch book is available from Alston Station, cover price �8.95, postage extra.
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. Alternatively you can view and read the other South Tynedale Railway web pages.
A talking railway timetable and special event service can be obtained by telephone on (01434) 382828.
Enquiries about the railway can also be made by E-mail by clicking on the blue text e-mail links shown below and replies will be as soon as possible.
For details of bus services to and from Alston see the Bus Services page of this internet site or contact local Tourist Information Centres, or telephone the public transport travel line on 0870 608 2608 or visit the travel line web site at www.traveline.org.uk
For more information about the South Tynedale Railway,
please contact:-
THE SOUTH TYNEDALE RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY,
Registered Office Address:-
The Railway Station, Alston, Cumbria, CA9 3JB.
Telephone 01434 381696.
Talking timetable - Telephone 01434 382828.
Registered Charity No. 514939.
Limited by Guarantee: Company Registration No. 1850832 (England).
E-mail enquiries - please click on links below:
South Tynedale Railway information - Send e-mail to South Tynedale Railway
STRPS membership information only - Send e-mail to Kathy Aveyard
Tynedalesman information only - Send e-mail to Tynedalesman compilers
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 was last updated on 5th August 2008.
� South Tynedale Railway Preservation Society 2008.