Railway Realism features
WARTIME HEAVY FREIGHT
In times of national crisis our railways are often called on to perform extraordinary feats, and in the Second World War freight traffic rose to such an extent that a special breed of locomotive was required to deal with it. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains all.
Sliding doors
The Mk 3 carriage was one of the greatest designs ever produced for the railways of Britain and, although now almost 50 years old, it is heading for a new lease of life, thanks to the fitting of up-to-date features such as swing-plug and sliding doors. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES examines the latest developments.
All change at Heaton Lodge
The subject of one of this issue’s layouts, Heaton Lodge in the Calder Valley has had numerous alterations over the years, mirroring the changing fortunes of the surrounding area, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.
‘Hymek’ Hydraulics
Lauded by many as one of the best looking of all the first-generation diesel classes, the Class 35 ‘Hymeks’ nevertheless had short working lives, with the last withdrawn almost half a century ago. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES explains the story of this distinctive hydraulic design.
Immingham Docks
Although railway companies were primarily concerned with the transport of goods and passengers their influence spread to many other areas, one of which was the creation of new docks and harbours. EVAN GREEN-HUGHES takes a look at how the Great Central Railway created one of the most impressive of these, at Immingham in north east Lincolnshire.
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15 2019 the curtain came down on one of the most significant eras of the East Coast Main Line when the last HST was withdrawn from regular service on that route, marking the end of a 40-year period, as EVAN GREEN-HUGHES describes.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.