Heritage

• Rannoch Station's famous sculpture now has a brass plaque commemorating JH Renton. (22.08.07)

• The Royal Scotsman is now owned 100% by VSOE, part of the Sea Containers group. VSOE is expected to retain West Coast as its operator. (06.06.07)

• The Jacobite season has begun, with  46231' Sherwood Forester' in charge for the first time. For more details, see steamtrain.info (24.05.07)

• The Great Britain finally rolled into Thurso on Thursday evening after the marathon journey from Penzance (via Kyle). (13.04.07)

• On 14 March West Coast ran a private charter Inverness-Tain for a wedding at Skibo. See pic above. (16.03.07)

• The Jacobite season this year starts on Sunday 20 May and runs thereafter M-F to 12 October, and sat Sun 30 June-26 August. Locos this year are K1 62005 and Black 5s 45321 and 45407. (06.02.07)

• 
• In a brief ceremony EWS handed over the loco nameplates Concrete Bob and Sir Robert McAlpine  to the Glenfinnan Station Museum Trust. The plates were designated by the Railway Heritage Committee. Sir William McAlpine, Chairman of the Railway Heritage Trust and Jim Cornell, a  NetworkRail  Director, were present . 37425 was uniquely named with a different name on each side, on the Glennfinnan viaduct, almost 20 years ago to the day, by Sir William and Jim, then Scottish Region General Manager. (02.11.06)

• Keith 150: Andy Mellors, deputy MD of First ScotRail hands over a cheque to Keith and Dufftown's Maureen Webster on 10 October 06 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the railway coming to Keith. The plaque behind wa paid for by HRP. (25.10.06)

• The Jacobite is to run from Sunday 21 May to Fri 12 October in 2007, Mon-Fri, with Sat and Sun services 30 June to 26 August inclusive. (25.10.06)

• The Sanday Light Railway has been  opened. It is situated on one of Orkney's smaller islands -sandaylightrailway.co.uk (10.08.06)

• Listen to Radio Ulster's programme on the West Highland Line at  Radio Ulster. (31.07.06)

• City of Truro, the world's first 100mph loco, is  running on the  Strathspey Railway during August. (26.07.06)

• The Strathspey Railway has received an undertaking from Transport Minister Tavish Scott that Transport Scotland will progress the A95 road scheme, incorporating the Gaich Tunnel that will eventualy permit the extension to Grantown. (17.07.06)

• The SRPS charter to Kyle ran on Sunday 28 May, instead of the planned Sat 27 May, because of pathing difficulties post Invernet. From Dec 06 the situation will be resolved when the 1144 Inverness-Tain is retimed to 1216 and runs to Invergordon only.

• The Jacobite steam service from Fort William to Mallaig commenced on Sunday 28 May. Charles Kennedy MP flagged off the train and travelled to Glenfinnan. For further info visit www.steamtrain.info (29.05.06)

• Tavish Scott, Transport minister, attended a meeting at Aviemore to discuss the proposed extension of the steam railway  to Grantown. (23.05.06)

• The 150th Anniversary of the Perth and Dunkeld Railway was  marked by a civic reception in Birnam on 7 April. The Earl of Mansfield unveiled a plaque at the station. A former Earl was instrumental in getting the railway opened, despite opposition from other landowners.

• The Strathspey railway has bought  Austerity 0-6-0 Swiftsure, easing the shortage of engines that dogged the end of the 2005 season. (03.02.06)

• Oban celebrated 125 Years of rail services on 21 October,  with a plaque unveiled by Councillor Duncan MacIntyre. (24.10.05)

• Such is the demand for steam that the Jacobite is running 7 days per week for  a limited period.

• A West Highland interpretation centre is planned for Rannoch by the owners of the station tearoom. (01.08.05)

• A new LNER style summit sign has been erected at Slochd. Corrour and Druimuachdar are likely to follow.

• The nameplate from 87024 "Lord of the Isles" has been donated by Porterbrook to the Clan Donald Museum at Armadale.

• The Inverness-Nairn 150 was marked by a train naming at Inverness at 1030 on Saturday 9 July, and a plaque unveiling by the Countess of Seafield at Nairn Station.  Unit 158720 now carries the HRP funded nameplate-'Inverness and Nairn Railway-150 Years.'

Mary Dickson addresses the crowd watched by Tom Coombs, organiser of
 the event to mark the 150th anniversary of the inverness and Nairn railway

• The Strathspey Railway has announced that there will be no more Thomas the Tank Engine weekends, as the cost of transporting the loco and payment of royalties on merchandise etc is becoming too expensive.

• Rail journalists from Rail, Modern Railways, Railway Magazine, Railways Illustrated and Rail manager visited the Strathspey Railway on 23.06.05.

• The Royal Scotsman  on 5 May ran from Kyle hauled by a pair of Class 31s.                  
  

• Tain Community Councillor  Mike Herd has revealed an ambitious plan to run steam trains between Tain and Dunrobin.

• The Strathspey Railway's new carriage shed has been completed. Capable of housing two coaches, the £95000  project by the railway and through an enterprise company grant.