Railway Realism features
60 years of Evenıng Star
Sixty years ago this month a name was attached to the last steam engine to be built for British Railways. That name was Evening Star, and the locomotive on which it was mounted was to become one of the most famous in UK railway history, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES recalls.
Farewell to the ECML HST
On December 15 2019 the curtain came down on one of the most significant eras of the East Coast Main Line when the last HST was withdrawn from regular service on that route, marking the end of a 40-year period, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
Maintaining the new diesels
The change from steam to diesel traction in the 1950s and 1960s brought with it a huge number of new challenges, not least at depot level where a whole new approach to maintenance had to be established. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains.
BRITISH RAILWAYS Western Region
Chocolate and cream, lined green 4-6-0s, Brunel’s ‘billiard table’ and the torturous grades of the South Devon Banks were just a few of the components of British Railways’ Western Region. MIKE WILD looks back at what made this region of British Railways different to all the rest.
TRANS-PENNINE TRACTION
With its intense traffic levels, fearsome gradients and challenging timetabling, the north Trans-Pennine corridor has always held great interest for enthusiasts. Now services on this line are undergoing a radical upgrade, the latest in a series of improvements which have been continuously carried out since Victorian times, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES discovers.
The Somerset and Dorset Railway
Born by accident, financially insecure, difficult to operate and mostly unwanted throughout its existence, the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway has nevertheless gained legendary status amongst enthusiasts and modellers alike. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES looks at what made this line so special and why it is so well remembered even today.