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 Railway to Merhead
Recently, I contacted Pete Briddon, an industrial railway engineering specialist, regarding a quotation for fitting a vacuum train brake system to an English Electric diesel hydraulic locomotive. The locomotive is kept on the old Somerset and Dorset Joint Railway at Midsomer Norton. During this process I became aware that Pete had written a book titled […]
Steam Locomotive Dating Rewrites History
A recent archaeological survey carried out on Stephenson Railway Museum’s star exhibit, Billy, reveals that the locomotive is even older than previously thought. In March 2018, railway experts Michael Bailey and Peter Davidson wrote a very interesting report. It concludes that Billy was built in 1816, not 1826 as previously thought. This establishes the locomotive as […]
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 […]
How to see the Best of Britain with a Railcard
The average Brit has seen just 32% of Great Britain, according to new research. Researchers commissioned by Railcard, which offers a third off train travel, looked at the areas of Great Britain and found most of us have seen less than a third of the country we live in.
Locomotives at the Nene Valley Railway
A visit to the Nene Valley Railway at Wansford in 2017 with photos of the steam locomotives and Deltics that were running on the railway that day.
Teenage Whistle Stop Railway Adventure
I grew up travelling on 1970s trains. They were my ticket to freedom and I loved travelling over the British Rail network. however, things did not always go to plan!
Mid Norfolk Railway Review
I visited the Mid Norfolk Railway with a group of working volunteers from the Somerset and Dorset. This was my first visit to this line which operates between Dereham and Wymondham Abbey station. British Railways closed the line in 1969.
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.
Telford Steam Railway Rolling Stock
The Telford Steam Railway (TSR) in Shropshire is based at Horsehay which was once served by passenger trains operating between Wellington and Craven Arms (part of the Great Western Railway) a distance of around 28 miles.
Learning to be a Locomotive Engineer at Crewe Works
My engineering training at Crewe Works continued. You can read about my earlier time there here. I was assigned to the Metallurgical Lab which involved spending time in the Steel Foundry.
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 […]