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 […]
Can You Help Preserve Railway History?
Historically, railway accidents were common and many of the health and safety rules that we have today did not exist. Volunteers are now being sought to help tell the sad and costly story behind Britain’s railway age – the deaths and injuries suffered by many thousands of mainly men who operated the railways. Historian Mike […]
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.
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!
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 […]
Are you sitting comfortably?
Getting a seat on a train is one of the primary objectives when we wisely decide to travel by rail. The design thinking that goes into a seat is something most of us take for granted. That is, unless you’re restoring a railway carriage which requires the seats to be refitted after an absence of forty years and the seats need to be reupholstered. […]
How to rebuild a Mark 1 carriage
Understandably many railway enthusiasts focus on locomotives. For this Blog post though I should like to consider M34527 – a British Railways (BR) Mark 1 BSK carriage. British Railways introduced Mark 1 carriages in 1951 and they now form the backbone of heritage railways rolling stock. M34527 is based at the Somerset and Dorset Heritage Railway Trust’s Midsomer Norton station.
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:
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!
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.
11 heritage railways you’ll want to visit
I’ve picked 11 heritage railways that I have visited and I can recommend. I think they all make for a great day out and I’ve highlighted what I think is special about each railway. Let me know which railways you have visited and what you think is the best feature of the railway. Note: in […]
Lulled By The Sound Of Steam
When I was a child I remember seeing Peter Hanford’s LP’s of steam railway sounds in record shops. Peter was a