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GWR Steam Railmotor

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

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.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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REALITY CHECK: Southern Railway CC1 ‘Booster’

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

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’.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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Class 57s

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

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.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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REALITY CHECK: The BR Standard '2MT' 2-6-0s

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

The old saying of ‘if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it’ is often used in railway circles and this saying was never more true than in the design of the ‘2MT’ 2-6-0s which, despite being a BR Standard design, were near identical copies of an earlier type, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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Stanier's 'Turbomotive' design and development

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

Throughout the history of the railways experiments have aimed at improving the efficiency of the steam locomotive. One of these was Stanier’s ‘Turbomotive’, a bold initiative that used turbines instead of cylinders and valve gear for propulsion. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at the history of this unusual locomotive.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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Reality Check: Terminus Operation

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

Throughout the railway age the terminus has been an important part of the operational scene, and one that has brought with it special requirements, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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GWR ‘15XX’ 0-6-0PTs

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

Pannier tanks were synonymous with the Great Western Railway and their last evolution broke with many cherished traditions. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES charts the history of the distinctive and powerful ‘15XX’ class.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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BR’s Class 73 electro-diesel

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

Despite its considerable third-rail electrified system the Southern Region had a needed a unique and special type of locomotive. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back at the history of the Class 73.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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BR's brilliant Class 58 Co-Co heavy freight diesels

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

One of the most recognisable British-built diesel locomotives is the Class 58 - a successful design which never quite achieved its potential, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES
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BR’s North British 10800

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES

Although many people think that BR’s Modernisation Plan was the start of the diesel era, there had been several attempts to introduce alternative traction prior to that, with one of the least successful being 10800, which was, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES relates, ordered before nationalisation.

EVAN GREEN-HUGHES