Features

  • From the archive: Strengthening Brunel’s Last Masterpiece

    From the archive: Strengthening Brunel’s Last Masterpiece

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    An archive feature from June 1968 detailing strengthening work on Royal Albert Bridge, Saltash, including structural testing, engineering analysis, and modifications to accommodate increased axle loads. INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION of 100-ton bogie tank wagons on specified routes of British Railways has led to the examination of structures on those where use of these wagons would affect…

  • Helston Railway buys historic viaduct key to extension plan

    Helston Railway buys historic viaduct key to extension plan

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    THE Helston Railway Preservation Society has added the Cober Viaduct, also known as Lowertown Viaduct, to its land portfolio. Robin Jones reports… The six-arch curved stone structure has always been seen as a key objective and the jewel in the crown in the strategy to extend the railway as far towards Helston as possible. Often…

  • Sustainable HydroShunter unveiled at Kidderminster

    Sustainable HydroShunter unveiled at Kidderminster

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    By John Titlow THE Severn Valley Railway and West Midlands-based Vanguard Sustainable Transport Solutions marked a major milestone in railway decarbonisation with the official launch and unveiling of the UK’s first hydrogen-powered shunter at Kidderminster Town station on February 26. Developed in the SVR’s workshops from the body of disused Class 08 D3802, the HydroShunter…

  • Historic station for sale for £1!

    Historic station for sale for £1!

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    GLASGOW’S C-listed semi-derelict Possil station, built by the Caledonian Railway in 1897, can now be bought for just £1 as it has been officially declared ownerless. This move is thanks to it passing into Crown ownership under the King’s and Lord Treasurer’s Remembrancer scheme, meaning it could be purchased by a community group and restored…

  • British Railways Trials Microfilm System for Maintenance Records at Ashford in 1953

    British Railways Trials Microfilm System for Maintenance Records at Ashford in 1953

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    A 1953 report outlines a British Railways Southern Region trial using microfilm to store and retrieve maintenance information at Chart Leacon Repair Shops and Inspection Shed, Ashford, Kent. The trial includes Reader/Printer machinery and multiple Mercury Readers for use across repair shops and inspection depots. Have a read of the report, as it appeared in…

  • Archive 1939: G.S.R. “800” Class 4-6-0 Locomotives Introduced

    Archive 1939: G.S.R. “800” Class 4-6-0 Locomotives Introduced

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    An extract from the May 1939 issue of The Railway Magazine describing the introduction of the new “800” Class 4-6-0 locomotives of the G.S.R., including their specifications and intended service on Dublin–Cork express trains. No. 800, the first of the new series of G.S.R. 3-cylinder 4-6-0 locomotives Introduction and purpose THE first of a series…

  • Archive Extract: Redbrook “Station Without a Railway” – Railway Magazine, May 1927

    Archive Extract: Redbrook “Station Without a Railway” – Railway Magazine, May 1927

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    An archive extract from The Railway Magazine describing Redbrook, Monmouth and the Coleford Railway Company, including historical notes on the line, its construction, operation under the Great Western Railway, and later removal of the permanent way. VISUALISE a sheltered valley hamlet VISUALISE a sheltered valley hamlet, a country station complete with its signal-box and other…

  • Beyer Garratt K1: A 1979 Railway Magazine Archive Extract

    Beyer Garratt K1: A 1979 Railway Magazine Archive Extract

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    An extract from a July 1979 issue of The Railway Magazine describing the world’s first Garratt locomotive and its restoration at York. The text includes details of its history, design, and technical specifications. The world’s first Garratt locomotive THE world’s first Garratt locomotive—built in Manchester seventy years ago for service in Tasmania—has been formally presented…

  • Archive: Class 47 No. 47 813 named Bolton Wanderer at Bolton Trinity Street Station

    Archive: Class 47 No. 47 813 named Bolton Wanderer at Bolton Trinity Street Station

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    A naming ceremony for Class 47 No. 47 813 took place at Bolton Trinity Street Station on Friday, June 9, 1989. The locomotive, named Bolton Wanderer, was associated with the town of Bolton and its football team. Here’s the article from The Railway Magazine, August 1989 Naming ceremony at Bolton Trinity Street Station There was…

  • NYMR propping up bridge to allow 2026 running

    NYMR propping up bridge to allow 2026 running

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    The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is working to prop up Bridge 42 at Grosmont to enable trains to run the full length of the 18-mile line in 2026 before a long-term repair is implemented. Bridge 42 spans the River Murk Esk between the station and Grosmont Tunnel and has been closely monitored by NYMR engineers.…


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