Features
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When Covid-19 Hit the Railways: The Railway Magazine Editorial, April 2020
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Written as the editorial introduction to the April 2020 issue of The Railway Magazine by Chris Milner, this piece reflects on the early impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the railway industry, heritage railways and wider society. It captures the uncertainty of the moment as rail services, events and preservation projects began to feel the…
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Recent Restoration Rounnd-up
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This round-up of preservation engineering updates is drawn from a recent issue of Railways Illustrated edited by Pip Dunn. It summarises restoration, maintenance and operational work currently taking place on a wide range of preserved diesel locomotives at locations including Williton, Bury, Loughborough, Kidderminster, Bitton and Carnforth. The updates cover ongoing mechanical repairs, overhaul progress…
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Archive: The arrival of the first Class 67 locomotive in the UK
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From the archives of The Railway Magazine, this verbatim report from 1999 records the arrival of the first Class 67 locomotive in the UK. The locomotive arrived at Newport on October 6 and was later moved for testing and commissioning ahead of the introduction of the new class. By Colin J. Marsden FOLLOWING on from…
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Blue and Grey Beginnings: A First Encounter with the InterCity 125
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Chris Gee recalls seeing his first High Speed Train on August 2, 1980, during a family journey to Newquay. This archive-style personal reflection charts his early impressions, later encounters, and a final farewell to the iconic InterCity 125 in its original blue and yellow livery. First Sight – August 2, 1980 The iconic HSTs were…
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Horse Power for the Railways: The Impulsoria Proposal Revisited
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This archive extract from The Railway Magazine revisits the 1850 proposal for the Impulsoria, a system intended to apply animal power to railway working. Reproduced verbatim, it reflects contemporary thinking on conservation, cost, and alternative locomotive methods. Now that most of the civilised world is busily seeking ways of conserving energy, how about this? The…
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“Blue Train” – February 1983 Archive Article from The Railway Magazine
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D. M. RHIND WHETS YOUR APPETITE AND EMPTIES YOUR WALLET WITH A RIDE ON SOUTH AFRICA’S “BLUE TRAIN” IT’S 12 o’clock and the noon-day gun fires from Signal Hill, Cape Town, the tourists in Adderley Street say “Ooh” or “Aah,” and some of the more inexperienced pigeons in Greenmarket Square take to the air and…
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‘Enter Class 58’- Archive article from 1983
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From the February 1983 issue of The Railway Magazine, this report records the completion of the first of 35 Class “58” diesel-alternator locomotives at Doncaster Works. It details their design development, technical specification, testing programme and early performance figures. Order and Background ON December 9 at Doncaster Works, Philip Norman, Managing Director of British Rail…
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Harrogate Gas Works Railway – from the archive
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Archive article from a 1969 issue of The Railway Magazine. This detailed account describes the Harrogate gas works railway, its construction, locomotives, operation and eventual closure. It includes technical specifications, gradients, rolling stock and historical context drawn from contemporary sources. Harrogate gas works railway, built because of road maintenance charges, eventually succumbed to cheaper road…
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A look back at 810 ‘Aurora’ units entering service
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In the January issue of Rail Express Magazine Tony Miles reported on the first of 33 new Class 810 bi-mode trains which entered passenger service with East Midlands Railway on December 3. Launch at Derby Etches Park MORE than three years later than expected the new ‘Aurora’ fleet was formally launched at Derby Etches Park…
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The Tralee & Dingle Railway: Archive article from a 1939 issue of The Railway Magazine
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By CYNRIC MYTTON-DAVIES Introduction and Closure Announcement ONE of the most westerly lines in Europe will no longer be available for passengers by the time that this issue of THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE appears, for the announcement was made on March 15 that the Tralee & Dingle Light Railway is to be closed to passenger traffic…
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