The Churnet Valley Railway is among more than 2,700 recipients to benefit from the latest round of awards from the £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund. This award will secure the future of the railway following the global pandemic that has thwarted many heritage sites and operations around the country. The Churnet Valley Railway ‘CVR’ in […]
Steam locomotive County of Montgomery at the GWSR
New-build Churchward ‘County’ class 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery steam locomotive could be based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), following the signing of a new agreement between the Churchward County Trust which is building the new engine, and the railway. The agreement, which supersedes an earlier ‘agreement in principle’ between the GWSR […]
Great Western Railway History: Then and Now
Great Western Railway (GWR) is proudly showcasing the history of their network and celebrating the rich heritage of Britain’s railways with brand new animated images By delving into the historical railway image archives and commissioning a photographer to capture the stations in their present-day glory, GWR has successfully showcased the gradual development of Britain’s railways over […]
Hunt for Railway Paintings by David Shepherd
A major new worldwide search has been launched, to track down hundreds of original artworks by world famous railway artist David Shepherd– just over a year since his death. It’s believed his paintings have ended up all over the world and now owners of originals by the renowned railway enthusiast and painter are invited to join […]
Steam Locomotive Restoration of Merchant Navy 35011
I’m pleased to be able to welcome back as guest blogger Simon Shutt to give an update on the steam locomotive restoration of Merchant Navy locomotive 35011 General Steam Navigation Since the first report on this steam locomotive restoration, the Society has made excellent progress towards returning 35011 to her pre-rebuilding condition. Locomotive Nameplates One of […]
20 Easy Ways To Save Money on Train Travel
Lots of people tell me that they think that train travel is expensive and they want to save money on trains. Using my tips and tricks, you can get cheap train travel. Train travel is the best way to travel. I can relax whilst someone else drives and let the train take the strain. The facilities […]
Successful Class 150 Prototypes
In 1984 I was employed as an engineer at Derby and visited BREL York Works on a business trip. With formalities completed I was asked if I would like to see the Works latest product. To one side of the workshop were some large plastic curtains that stretched from floor to roof. As these were pulled […]
Top UK Steam and Diesel Train Trips
Steam train trips in the UK are offered by an abundance of heritage and tourist railways. We are very fortunate to have the choice of visiting a steam railway in most parts of the country. Indeed, the Heritage Railway Association report that an incredible 185 of member organisations regularly open to the public.
Why you sometimes can’t get a seat on the train
Over the years, many people have told me that they should get a refund if no train seat is available. I try to explain that a train ticket is for a journey and not a seat. I usually get a tirade back along the lines of ‘this is outrageous!’ and ‘why can’t they add another […]
Memories of Crewe Works
Following my first 12 months with British Rail Engineering Ltd at Crewe Works in the training school I embarked on a further 2 years in the main Works from August 1975. If my memory serves me right, the Works employed around 5,000 people at that time. I would like to share some of my Crewe […]
Starting Out At Crewe Works
I had been interested railways since I was frightened by an A4 Pacific as it stormed through the old Stevenage station from the North. I was a small child sitting in my pushchair on the Up platform. We were probably travelling to London to visit relatives. I also had an interest in engineering although, as […]
Wickham Trolley Restoration Project
The type 27A Wickham Trolley is a railway personnel carrier. British Rail used them to transport small groups of engineers to inspect railway lines. Over 600 type 27A Mk3 were built from nationalization of the railways in 1948 until around 1990 . They were used extensively over the whole of the British Railways network. Some also hauled four-wheel trailers which carried tools and equipment. Delivery of B40W On 20th February 2017, Wickham Trolley B40W […]
Railway Memories Through The Years
by Stuart Whitter – Chairman, Northern Steam Engineering Limited I am very pleased to welcome as guest blogger Stuart Whitter who I first met in the very early 1980’s when we were involved in the restoration of Class 9F 92212 at the Great Central Railway, Loughborough. During our time in the railway industry we have […]
Luxury Travel On The Dartmouth Steam Railway
For a recent birthday treat, we decided to take a trip on the Dartmouth Steam Railway. The train arrived in the platform behind a Army USA Army Transportation Corps S197 locomotive. I observed the former Devon Belle observation car directly behind the engine.