Split box Class 37/0s - the early years
One of the most successful diesel locomotives ever to run in Britain is the English Electric Class 37, a design that has now given 60 years of front-line service to our railways. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back at the inception and early years of this popular machine.
THE PRESSED STEEL CLASS 117
One of the longest-lived of the first-generation DMUs was the Pressed Steel-built Class 117, intended for the Western Region but later used in many other parts of the country. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES delves into the history of these highly regarded trains.
The 'A4s’ Scottish fling
The dieselisation programme of the 1950s should have meant a swift end for Gresley’s streamlined ‘A4s’, but some enjoyed a memorable swansong, with duties far removed from those with which they were traditionally associated, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES found out.
LMS ‘8F’ 2-8-0 class history
One of the most numerous and effective classes of locomotive ever built was Stanier’s heavy freight ‘8F’ 2-8-0 – which varied careers at home and abroad, EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Stanier’s ‘Princess Royal’
Eclipsed in reputation by later and more famous designs, the ‘Princess Royal’ class ‘Pacifics’ of the LMS were nevertheless a radical step forward for that company. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains how the class started a golden era of West Coast steam.
Class 158 and 159 DMUs
The Class 158 family of DMUs revolutionised secondary services all over the country on their introduction 30 years ago and have been reliable performers with many more years of service planned. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES tells us more about this popular class.
Class 50 afterlife
BR’s Class 50 diesels are some of the most popular locomotives ever built, and this has been reflected in the number preserved, which currently stands at just over a third of those constructed, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES discovers.
Gresley's pioneering ‘A3' class 'Pacifics'
Much is known about the exploits of Gresley’s famous ‘A3’ Pacifics, including Flying Scotsman, but far less is known about the wider impact the class had on services on the East Coast Main Line. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES finds out more to mark the arrival of Hatton’s new ‘O’ gauge model.
The Collett ‘14XX’
No model of the quintessential Great Western branch line would be complete without one of that company’s little 0-4-2Ts and matching autocoach. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES traces the origins of this attractive tank engine back to the mid-19th century.
REALITY CHECK: The BR Standard ‘9F’
One of the most successful BR standard steam locomotives was the massive 2-10-0, more commonly known as the ‘9F’. These handsome machines proved to be capable all-rounders, despite being intended for heavy freight, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES remembers.