Last knockings of the Class 101s
Although it is now 20 years since the last Class 101 DMUs were withdrawn, these units outlived many of their counterparts by a handsome margin. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back at these successful trains and relates the story of their extended final years.
Diesel Days at Westbury
A railway crossroads, Westbury has long been an important rail hub and remains a major centre for a varied selection of passenger and aggregate traffic, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
THE HIGHLAND MAIN LINE
Stretching across 118 spectacular miles, the Highland Main Line is a vital artery linking the Far North for more than 150 years, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
Class 47s’ Second Lives
The Class 47s have been displaced from front-line duties but still remain active on the main line on a surprising variety of alternative roles, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
GWR Steam Railmotor
Railways have always faced the problem of how to work their most lightly used routes cheaply. One solution that found much favour in Victorian times was the steam railmotor, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
The Dawlish Sea Wall
Few railway locations are as recognisable as the famous sea wall at Dawlish in Devon, where for a hundred years trains have done battle with the elements, sometimes in spectacular style. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains why this railway was built and what the future may hold for it.
REALITY CHECK: Southern Railway CC1 ‘Booster’
To power goods trains on its electric network, the Southern Railway built one of the most innovative and unusual locomotive designs ever to appear on our railways. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks into the history of the Class 70, otherwise known as the ‘Booster’.
Speedlink freight operations
The 1960s are usually best remembered for Beeching’s railway closures but this period also saw a number of innovations, not least the rapid Speedlink freights with their distinctive long-wheelbase wagons, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES remembers.
Class 57s
While remanufacture of existing locomotives is common practice in other countries it is quite rare in the UK. The Class 57, however, is an exception, having been rebuilt from the Class 47 two decades ago. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES takes a look at this successful conversion and its subsequent service history.