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 […]
The Remarkable Survival of Steam Locomotive 80150
Steam locomotive 80150 is a remarkable survivor. She nearly did not make it into the world. 80150 was part of the last batch of five Standard 4 Tanks ever built. British Railways tried to cancel this build due to the impending dieselisation. However, the construction was so far advanced that this final batch had to be […]
Discover how much luggage can you take on the train
How much luggage can you take on the train? Most passengers have no idea! The National Rail Conditions of Travel sets out passengers’ rights and responsibilities when traveling on rail services provided by franchised train companies. The vast majority of people who purchase rail tickets are unaware of these conditions. Rail tickets are endorsed subject […]
Steam Train Photography Top Tips
Taking great photos of steam locomotives can be a challenge! Often someone steps into the frame at the last minute or the loco is passing so quickly, it’s hard to get a decent shot. So I’m delighted to bring you a guest blog post from Colin Wallace of Railway Photography who has been taking great […]
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.
Studying Locomotives at Crewe Works
Perhaps the most exciting part of my engineering training was studying locomotives at Crewe Works. I was really looking forward to getting up close and personal with actual locomotives!
Let me introduce you to my model railway
Starting to build a model railway layout from scratch is quite a daunting task! Decisions have to be made which will shape the model railway forever. Events from your life and favourite full size railways can all play a part in shaping the final layout. Here’s how I made my decisions:
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 […]
A volunteer with Tornado 60163 Steam Locomotive
A guest post by Michael Abbott, volunteer with the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust 60163 Tornado about what it is like to be a volunteer working with this famous steam locomotive.
The locomotive BR preferred to forget
For some reason the Metropolitan Vickers Co-Bo Class 28 locomotives have always held a fascination for me. Perhaps because it is one of the few BR 1955 modernization plan locomotive types which I have never seen operating. Maybe it is the unique look of both the front end. It could be the different bogies – one has three […]
British Rail Eastern Region Rover
I have travelled on the railways of East Anglia many times over the years. In the early 1970s, British Rail Eastern Region marketed the East Anglian Ranger Ticket. This gave seven days unlimited travel throughout Norfolk and Suffolk although on weekdays it wasn’t valid until after 8:45am.