The Railway Magazine

The Railway Magazine has been published since 1897 and is now the UK's best-selling general interest rail title.

The Railway Magazine1 min read
The Railway Magazine
EDITORIAL Editor: Paul Bickerdyke Deputy editor: Gareth Evans Contributing editor: Chris Milner Senior correspondent: Graeme Pickering Consultant editor: Nick Pigott Production editor: Sarah Wilkinson Designer: Tim Pipes Editorial assistant: Jane Ska
The Railway Magazine2 min read
‘Castle’ Centenary
EARLIER this year in our February edition, we celebrated 100 years of the LNER’s ‘poster boy’ loco No. 4472/60103 Flying Scotsman, and now this month it is the turn of Scotsman’s GWR rival the ‘Castles’, the first of which – No. 4073 Caerphilly Castl
The Railway Magazine3 min read
‘Jacobite’ Service Suspended After Concerns Over Door Locking Safety
IN A spot visit on June 9, an inspector from the Office of Rail and Road discovered breaches of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 in relation to management of the slam doors on the Mk.1 rolling stock used on West Coast Railways’ (WCR) ‘Jacobite’
The Railway Magazine2 min read
€300million Already Spent On Metro North Despite No Actual Construction Yet
ALMOST €300 million has been spent on the Metro North link, Old Metro North and Metro West Projects, despite no physical construction having begun, according to a report published by the Irish Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on July 4, w
The Railway Magazine2 min read
£30million Awarded For Two New Railway ‘Centres Of Excellence’
THE UK Research Partnership Investment Fund has (UKRPIF) given a £30million boost to plans for two new railway research and innovation centres involving the University of Birmingham. Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCRRE), which
The Railway Magazine1 min read
Last Call To Book On The Railway Magazine Charity ‘Deltic’ Railtour
THERE is still time to book on The Railway Magazine/ Pathfinder Tours ‘Tees-Tyne Commemorative’ charity railtour on September 27. The tour commemorates the 75th anniversary of the introduction of the ‘Tees-Tyne Pullman’ and will run from King’s Cross
The Railway Magazine2 min read
IDRS Reports A Year Of Progress
SUMMER 2022 saw the culmination of more than two years of planning by the Ivatt Diesel Re-creation Society (IDRS), with the lifting of the frame from the donor Class 58 locomotive (No. 58022) that will be used in the project to re-create pioneer LMS
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Sidelines
WITH the recent scrapping of exported Class 58s in France, (see June issue and Stock Update this month on page 94), the once 50-strong Class 58 fleet is now down to 10 members – and one of those is no more than a frame. At the time of going to press,
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Backlash Against Government’s Mass Ticket Office Closure Plan
A LEGAL challenge could be made by a number of the UK’s elected Mayors about proposals to close ticket offices. The basis for the case is that the period of consultation, which ended on July 26, is insufficient in accordance with industry regulations
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Argument For More Open Access Operators Moves Forward
THE benefit of expanding open access services has been quantified in a report by Rail Partners, the trade association representing the independent passenger owning companies. The report called Track to Growth: Creating a dynamic railway for passenger
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Battery Future For Ex-LNR Class 230s?
THE three Vivarail-produced Class 230s formerly operated by London Northwestern Railway (LNR) were delivered by road for storage at Great Western Railway’s Reading depot in mid-July, raising the prospect that one or more could ultimately be converted
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Railways in Parliament
WARRINGTON North MP Charlotte Nichols is one of many House of Commons members who want to know what assessment the Department for Transport (DfT) has made of the potential impact of ticket office closures on rail users. Transport Minister Huw Merrima
The Railway Magazine3 min read
10 Minutes 10 Questions
FOR anyone who regularly uses public transport, it is certain you will have seen many examples of Ray Stenning’s liveries and branding work on rolling stock, at stations, and on printed materials. Born in Horsham, he was educated in Surrey and, after
The Railway Magazine1 min read
Competition To Build And Run HS2 Link Begins
THE process of finding a contractor to design and supply the automated people mover (APM), which will link HS2’s Interchange station in the West Midlands with Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham International station and Birmingham Airp
The Railway Magazine1 min read
Piecing Viaduct Together
WORK is underway to assemble HS2’s Thame Valley Viaduct – all the major elements of which are being manufactured off-site. Pacadar UK’s Isle of Grain factory in Kent is producing a total of 68 concrete piers for the 880 metre-long (962 yard) bridge,
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Sidelines
A HOUSE of Commons Public Accounts Committee report has said the £2.6 billion budget set for the HS2 station at Euston was “completely unrealistic” for what the Department for Transport wanted to deliver, even before considering the impacts of inflat
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Waterloo Marks Its 175th Anniversary
LONDON Waterloo celebrated its 175th anniversary on July 11, when past and present railway staff came together on platform 19. Speaking at the event, Rail Minister Huw Merriman said: “This historic hub has witnessed billions of journeys and serves as
The Railway Magazine13 min read
The Streets Of San Francisco
SAN Francisco has an eclectic mix of ways to get around: buses and trolley buses, light rail and metro trains, vintage trams, and even driverless cars. But the city’s distinctive cable cars have – quite literally – climbed above all others to attain
The Railway Magazine3 min read
A Class Above
THE 4073 ‘Castle’ Class was one of the most powerful and successful types of locomotive for the Great Western Railway. Although the later ‘Kings’ were more powerful, they were also heavier and therefore restricted to a smaller number of routes, and s
The Railway Magazine13 min read
‘Castle’ Centenary
DARKNESS fell on the face of the earth as an intense thunderstorm enveloped the battling pair of Great Western Railway Collett ‘Castle’ 4-6-0s heading into the eye of the deluge. But the rain was too little too late. Three weeks of hot, dry weather h
The Railway Magazine8 min read
‘Castles’ Footplate Tales
THE basic design may be celebrating its centenary this year, but there is little doubt that the ‘Castle’ class continues to make an impact and is held in high regard. It is fortunate that so many have survived, representing the pioneer to the later B
The Railway Magazine10 min read
Readers’ Platform
Send your letters to: The Railway Magazine, Media Centre, Morton Way, Horncastle, Lincs LN9 6JR. email: [email protected] NB. Publication of a letter does not imply that the Editor or staff of The Railway Magazine necessarily agree with its conte
The Railway Magazine3 min read
From The Railway Magazine Archives
THE 2.30pm express from Cheltenham has been accelerated by 10 minutes and now takes pride of place as having the fastest start-to-stop schedule on any British railway. Hitherto, the honours in this connection have had to be shared by the North Easter
The Railway Magazine3 min read
The RCTS: Then And Now
THE Beeching period was featured heavily in the Railway Observer, particularly during the 1950s and 1960s when most of the line closures occurred. The route from Guildford to Horsham was no exception. Originally built by the London Brighton and South
The Railway Magazine1 min read
Panorama
Porterbrook – delivering a safe, reliable and sustainable railway www.porterbrook.co.uk ■
The Railway Magazine9 min read
Gearing Up For Autumn Steam Gala Season
WITH the end of the peak summer season on the horizon, several heritage railway venues are preparing themselves for the traditional autumn gala season. The Severn Valley Railway’s September 14-17 Autumn Steam Gala promises to be an interesting affair
The Railway Magazine3 min read
‘T3’ Moves Under Its Own Power!
HISTORY was made in the Forest of Dean on July 12, when LSWR ‘T3’ 4-4-0 No. 563 passed its boiler exam at the Flour Mill locomotive restoration workshops – the boiler is now signed off for 175psi, bringing the 1893-built loco’s return ever closer. Af
The Railway Magazine2 min read
New Homes For ‘Really Useful’ Wagons
TWO Lowmac wagons which could once be seen at the National Collection sites in Shildon and York have found new homes on heritage lines – in South Wales and the South of England respectively. The four-wheeled wagons feature a centre low section with a
The Railway Magazine4 min read
Crewe Commemorated
TWO steam locomotives are among the attractions at an exhibition at Crewe Heritage Centre this summer, celebrating the 180th anniversary of the establishment of the Cheshire town’s railway works. Titled ‘Forging History: 180 years of the Crewe Works’
The Railway Magazine3 min read
No. 5 To Return To Action
THE Lambton Locomotive Trust has announced its intention to overhaul Lambton No. 5 to full working order. The Robert Stephenson built locomotive (3377/1909) has been out of service for many years, but with the completion of sister locomotive No. 29 (
The Railway Magazine6 min read
Russell Returns To WHR Metals For Centenary
THE June 23-25 Welsh Highland Centenary event celebrating the opening of the Welsh Highland Railway (WHR) from Rhyd Ddu through to Porthmadog had all the ingredients for a memorable weekend. Organised jointly by the Ffestiniog & Welsh Highland Railwa
The Railway Magazine5 min read
Railways To Be Reviewed
A PLAQUE commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Isle of Man Steam Railway (IOMSR) was unveiled at Douglas station on July 1, by the Lieutenant Governor of the Isle of Man, Lieutenant General Sir John Lorimer KCB DSO MBE, who astutely described th
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Dual Gauge Gala
THE dual 10¼in/7¼in gauge Eastleigh Lakeside Steam Railway (ELSR) ran the ‘Over to You’ event on June 24/25. Using social media, it enabled visitors to the railway have an input into which locos would be in operation – the timetable and roster being
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Is A Kent Farm The ‘New Coventry’ For EMUs?
HOPE Farm, Sellindge, near Hythe, Kent, has adopted the mantle previously held by the Electric Railway Museum, Baginton, Coventry, which closed in 2017. Most vehicles there were relocated but some have fared better than others. A few have since been
The Railway Magazine5 min read
‘Hymek’ Back In Action
CLASS 35 ‘Hymek’ No. D7076 made a very welcome return to operation at the East Lancashire Railway during the summer diesel gala, June 29-July 1. This follows a five-year absence while undergoing an overhaul including the stripping down and rebuilding
The Railway Magazine3 min read
‘Coronation’ Tram Preparations Continue
THE project to return Blackpool ‘Coronation’ car No. 304 to operational condition suffered a setback when one of the tram’s brake blocks was found to be cracked. Fylde Transport Trust (FTT) had no spares and, as the blocks on ‘Coronation’ trams diffe
The Railway Magazine5 min read
‘Rare Track’ In The East
A NEW tour offering from UK Railtours on September 9 has specifically targeted an East Anglian freight branch and a rolling stock storage yard at Ely. The ‘Anglian Angel’ starts at Peterborough (circa 07.30) and runs along the East Coast Main Line pi
The Railway Magazine8 min read
Transport Minister Signs Off Dawlish Sea Wall Project
THE Dawlish sea wall project, instigated to protect the exposed railway line from high tides, has been completed. The official opening of the £80m project was undertaken by the Secretary of State for Transport, Mark Harper, along with guests from the
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Freight Scope For Bow Yard Reinvigoration
THE redevelopment of over 30 acres of brownfield land at Bow Goods Yard in East London will bring with it scope for what Network Rail (NR) describes as a sustainable transport network, incorporating rail-linked warehouses and an integrated last mile
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Investigation Into Bulwell Derailment
THE Rail Accident Investigation Branch (RAIB) is working to piece together the sequence of events which led to a Nottingham Express Transit tram with around 30 people on board derailing and striking a support pole for the system’s overhead lines. Als
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Carlisle Power Signal Box half-century marked
PLATFORM 8 at Carlisle station was the setting for the naming of Direct Rail Services Class 66 No. 66433 Carlisle Power Signal Box 50th Anniversary 1973 – 2023. Signallers and operations staff past and present gathered for the ceremony on June 7, whi
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Class 730/0 ‘Aventra’ Put On Display At MK Central
WITH entry into service planned for later this year, West Midlands Railway (WMR) held a media preview of its new three-car Class 730/0 ‘Aventra’ EMU at Milton Keynes Central on June 30. Alstom has built 48 three-car units. Prior to transfer to Birmin
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Wagon Report
ROBEL Bahnbaumaschinen in Germany has supplied eight type 69.70 Mobile Maintenance Systems (MMS) to Network Rail as the infrastructure company strives to improve the safety and working conditions of track maintenance personnel. Delivered in 2015-18,
The Railway Magazine3 min read
Stock Update
Allocations 08799 HQ/WQDA off registration43005 sent for disposal43041 sent for disposal43171 sent for disposal47769 sent for disposal57004 sent for disposal58001 EH WQCA-WQDA scrapped58004 EH WQCA-WQDA scrapped58005 EH WQCA-WQDA scrapped58006 EH WQC
The Railway Magazine24 min read
Operations
A fatality on the West Coast Main Line on Monday, June 26 at Oxenholme around 09.00 meant buses replacing passenger trains between Preston and Carlisle. After the 1M07/06.30 departed from Glasgow Central, worked by Class 390 No. 390039, bound for Lon
The Railway Magazine3 min read
IÉ’s Recovery Continues
IARNRÓD Éireann’s (IÉ) annual report for 2022 was published in early July, and showed the company continued to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. It reported a small net surplus of €0.8m with total revenue of €224.1m up from €144.1m in 2021, a recov
The Railway Magazine4 min read
Reviews
Edited by David Gowan AT THE core of this interesting booklet are 64 previously unpublished monochrome pictures by Vernon Parry taken during the final days of steam over the Aberystwyth to Carmarthen line around the Lampeter area and, in particular,
The Railway Magazine5 min read
Steam Railroad Reopens Line After 38 Years
ONE of the USA’s major steam tourist railways reopened in May, nearly 40 years after it was closed by flooding. The 15-mile line from Cass to Durbin in West Virginia once formed part of Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad’s Greenbriar Subdivision. Abandoned i
The Railway Magazine2 min read
Prize Crossword
The crossword winner and two runners-up can choose books worth £50 and £25 respectively from the extensive Nostalgia Collection. Visit us at www.mortonsbooks.co.uk 7 Preserved Class 50 No. 50019 (9) 8 Bridge of ___, West Highland Line station (5) 10

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