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 […]
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 […]
‘I Would Have Done The Job For Nothing’ – Book Review
Over 40 years ago when I was Engineering Apprentice in Crewe Works, I had the opportunity to travel on a brand new High Speed Train (HST) set on a test run from Derby Litchurch Lane to York and Darlington. The engineer in charge who I met on arrival at Litchurch Lane Works was John Forrest.
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.
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
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 […]
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 […]
A highland railway journey DVD review
Every so often in life, an absolute gem turns up! In this case is a by train in the mid 1960s. The DVD was filmed in an era when steam had all but disappeared on our railways. At this time many railway photographers had put away their cameras. They considered there was nothing worth recording. For […]
Kings Cross Suburban Railway DVD Review
Recently, I saw an advert for a video by Transport Video Publishing called . We all reminisce about our childhoods and when we see something that provokes a memory, we often explore it further. This DVD took me back to my childhood where I lived at Stevenage on the East Coast Main Line. I used […]