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 […]
Were the 1960s railway closures a conspiracy?
Many remember 1966 as the year England won the football world cup but as many know, it marked significant railway closures. In 1966 marked the closure of two iconic main lines. The Great Central, that marvel of railway engineering, and the much loved Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway.
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 […]
Progress on Mark 1 Carriage Restoration
Back in March I blogged about BSK M34527 at Midsomer Norton and its transfer over to Cranmore Maintenance Services for the fitting of gangways. I would like to update you on the progress made on the Somerset and Dorset railway Mark 1 carriage since then.
Are you afraid to be a Heritage Railway volunteer?
Have you ever thought about being a heritage railway volunteer? Do you have a deep down desire to do more than just read about or observe locomotives and trains?
Engines Must Not Enter
When I was a boy I saw a BBC program featuring railwaymen called Engines Must Not Enter The Potato Sidings. It was broadcast in November 1969. As far as I know it is never been broadcast since or been available as a DVD from the BBC. This is possibly because it was shot in black […]
An Odyssey in Steam Book Review
For decades, the world has been treated to railway paintings by renowned artists such as Terence Cuneo, Don Breckon and David Shepherd. I’ve even had the pleasure of briefly meeting David on a couple of occasions. Recently, I became aware of another artist whose works have been captured in his latest book An Odyssey in […]
Exclusive access to Eastleigh Works
In the early 1990s I worked at Eastleigh Depot in Hampshire with some excellent railway engineers. I hadn’t seen one of them, Barry Stephens, for over twenty-five years but lately social media kept us in touch. Eastleigh Depot is just across the road from Eastleigh Works. Barry is the Managing Director and was instrumental in putting Eastleigh Works back on the railway map. I had seen him […]
Magnificent Memories of Sidmouth Railway Station
A guest post by Ann Tanner from Sidmouth Museum. Photos copyright Sidmouth Museum. 50th Anniversary of closure 2017 is the 50th Anniversary of the closure of Sidmouth railway station. Sidmouth Museum decided to mark the anniversary as its occurrence greatly affected the lives of residents and visitors to Sidmouth. The museum has planned an exhibition […]
Relaxing on the Caledonian Sleeper Train
Over recent years the overnight sleeper train has made a significant comeback. Many people have opted to travel this way over other methods. Not only is it a very civilized and stress free way to travel, it can be cost-effective.
Top of the Spots – Old Railway Photos
Over the years I have taken many British railway photos. I’d like to share a selection of railway photos which mean something special to me. It might be the locomotives, rolling stock or location that is important. I hope you enjoy my ‘Top of the Spots’.
Behind the scenes at Herston Works
Some time ago, Nick Thompson one of the directors from Southern Locomotives Ltd (SLL) invited me to Herston Works at Swanage to assist with the restoration of their locomotives. SLL own five Bulleid Pacifics and a BR Standard Tank. Restoration is primarily undertaken at Herston Works adjacent to, but not rail connected, to the Swanage Railway. The Swanage Railway also use the facility to carry out overhauls on locomotives. Herston Works […]
Memories of working on the P-Way
Just to explain – this blog post is about working on the P-Way in the 1970s but I didn’t have any photos from this time so I’ve put in photos of the track re-laying at Midsomer Norton to show the kind of work we did back then. When I worked as a salaried staff engineering […]