Bulleid's diesel dinosaurs
Although diesel-electric locomotives are still thought of as ‘modern traction’, pioneering models were in service more than 65 years ago, with some of the first being the Southern Region’s main line trio 10201-10203, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
GWR '57XX' 'Pannier'
The ‘Pannier’ tank, and in particular the ‘57XX’ class, is a design which synonymous with the Great Western Railway, but although hundreds of them were constructed, they were never included in Churchward’s masterplan, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
The BR Sulzer Class 45
For many years the Class 45 was the backbone of the Midland Region, and one of the most recognisable designs of the early diesel period. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES delves into the history of this solid but old-fashioned workhorse.
The final years of the Class 45s
While many of British Railways’ early diesel classes were failures, the Class 45s were so useful that many were upgraded and refurbished to extend their lives, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
Direct Rail Services Class 20/3
Throughout railway history there have been many instances of obsolete equipment being repurposed for a second life, with few being as successful as the rebuilding of a small fleet of almost 40-year-old locomotives to become the Class 20/3s, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
ENGLISH ELECTRIC’S GT3
In the rush to replace steam during the 1950s and 1960s a number of different propulsion systems were proposed, with gas turbines being the least successful. A number of experimental locomotives were, however, built with one of the shortest lived being English Electric’s GT3, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES remembers.
JOHNSON’S ‘1P’ 0-4-4Ts
For more than half a century, the Midland Railway’s primary lightweight passenger design for secondary duties was a very neat and attractive series of 0-4-4T engines designed by Samuel Johnson. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back at the history of one of the variants of this once numerous class, and finds out why it was so long-lived.
Reality Check: The prototype HST
The High Speed Train has proved to be one of the icons of British railway history since its inception almost half a century ago. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES finds out how the concept was developed and looks back at the first of the type.
Reality Check: LNER ‘N2’ 0-6-2T
Perhaps the most popular model of the early Hornby Dublo period was the LNER’s ‘N2’ 0-6-2T, which launched the Dublo range alongside the Gresley ‘A4’ in 1938. Many variations, some more realistic than others, followed. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks back at the history of this often modelled but unappreciated class.
The Clayton Type 1s
In its rush to dispense with steam locomotives, British Railways ordered many new diesels straight from the drawing board. One of the shortest-lived was the Clayton Class 17 – now the subject of a new model from Heljan. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at the history of this handsome, but unreliable class in this feature from HM24 in 2009.