Aln Valley Railway

Did search .... looked back two years and couldn't find an existing thread .... so (via a "newsnow" trawl) :
https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2018/0...ives-146000-grant-to-extend-running-line.html

 

Also getting a Pacer! https://www.railadvent.co.uk/2020/01/aln-valley-railway-to-receive-donated-pacer-train.html

 

They must've really upset someone to be given that!
Ray.

 

From Facebook

Press release from Roger Jermy, AVR Press Officer:

The Aln Valley Railway is delighted to acknowledge, with gratitude, the very kind donation of a two-car diesel ‘Pacer’ unit to the Railway, by Porterbrook, the rolling stock asset management company. It will be transported to the Railway’s Lionheart station in Alnwick once it is withdrawn from service on Network Rail’s tracks around the end of May 2020.

John Hurlbutt, the AVR Traction Manager said: “I would like to thank our friends at Porterbrook for the kind donation of Pacer number 144004 to the Aln Valley Railway. It will eventually help us to introduce a low-cost mid-week service from our station at Alnwick Lionheart to our projected station at Alnmouth. In the meantime 144004 will be running mid-week services between Lionheart and our new halt at Greenrigg, which will be opening in April 2020. This service will commence once we have completed crew familiarisation and training.”

 

After the rather concerning report in SR this month some clarifications have appeared in the most recent The Link which has arrived this morning, there seems to be something of a potential changing of the guard in terms of trustees, but things seem to be in hand to address the issues as noted in SR.

Plus they are getting a 3 car pacer to complement the 2 car one!

 

Couldn't find a thread for one of Britain's youngest heritage railways so thought I'd start one up.

I've followed the Aln Valley with interest since I was a final year student at Newcastle University, although never made it there while living on Tyneside. I'm very impressed with how they are developing their Lionheart station site, the construction of Greenrigg Halt and how they have made significant strides in terms of route mileage and developing wider infrastructure and rolling stock towards restoring a rail link between Alnwick and the East Coast Mainline at Alnmouth.

I've also seen that they've recently welcomed Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T 'Jennifer' on long term loan from Llangollen, joining their resident smaller Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0T 'Richboro' and ex Lambton Austerity no. 60. A fleet of 3 operable steam locomotives on a line that's currently 1.5(?) miles long is a rather uncommon thing in the modern preservation era, and suggests ambition among the leadership. Hopefully at some point I'll be able to make a visit on a day when one or more of these steam locos are running (rather than the Pacers they also have!)

 

Yes I have also been following their progress (albiet from afar). It sounds like an interesting project making reasonable progress.

 

How odd, something obviously not quite right with my search then!

Mods, perhaps this new thread should be merged with the above?

 

I'll reply to this message here and hopefully this will be copied over to the merged thread.

From the most recent Link (the magazine), to clarify Jennifer has not been loaned from the LR, when the LR went into Admin Jennifer's original owner who passed her (in some way or another) to the LR was offered the chance to take back possession on good terms and has done so and then placed her with the AVR (with which they seem to have some sort of good relationship). Jennifer has now arrived and had her first gauging trials.

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=870232257035634

They seem to have got their ducks in a line after the issues of 2020 (which went beyond COVID) and seem to be pushing ahead, most of the money for the P1 restoration of Cawledge Viaduct was raised very quickly so that should start at some stage this year.

Its a lovely friendly line and I would recommend all to visit.

 

Thanks for clarifying!