Sam Hewitt

Abellio revives London North Western brand

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

DECEMBER 10 will see the London North Western name return to the West Coast Main Line when the Abellio/JR East/Mitsui joint venture assumes control of the West Midlands franchise. The current London Midland branding will be replaced by London Northwestern on the operator’s long-distance semi-fast routes from London Euston to the West Midlands and north-west…
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Southern Region slow to learn lessons of Hither Green

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

THE feature on the Hither Green accident by Fraser Pithie was very interesting, and while it was a terrible accident, it’s no exaggeration to say that it gave us all pause. As a civil engineer for BR (now retired), the outcome affected my work on the LM, and later SR, as well of hundreds of…
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A FATEFUL FOGGY NIGHT: Cruelty of Assumption

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

So far, our mini-series this year has looked back at major train accidents that took place 50 years ago. It was after one of these that an RM reader suggested to a friend (Richard Vardy) he should contact the magazine with a previously unpublished first-hand account from his late father, who was a passenger that…
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Heritage Line Focus: Three million passengers and counting

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

Sitting in the shadow of Snowdon in North Wales, Cliff Thomas tells the story of Llanberis Lake Railway, whose foundations stem from a former slate quarry line. A CHECK list of ingredients for a successful heritage railway might include: mountain landscapes (Snowdon, obviously!); running beside a lake; steam locomotives with local provenance; riding on an…
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BUDAPEST’S SECRET STEAM: Exclusive – Hungary’s hidden time capsule

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

Out of public view in Budapest’s Istvántelek railway works is an extraordinary collection of historic steam locomotives and rolling stock. Ben Jones was given a rare opportunity to visit the depot for The RM. IMAGINE for a moment Stratford Works, in east London, had not been demolished and redeveloped. Instead, it remained open as a…
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Women in Railways (part 2): Closing the gender gap

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

Originally a male only domain, the face of the rail industry has changed drastically in recent decades and continues to take steps to promote equality and inclusivity. In a follow-up to an earlier feature, Nicola Fox looks at women in senior management roles. Previously The RM (Feb 2017) looked at what it was like to…
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CHRISTMAS GHOST STORY: Blea Moor Tunnel

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

This year’s seasonal railway ghost story is told by Bob Lumb Opening in 1875, the Settle to Carlisle railway is a feat of Victorian engineering built over some of England’s most inhospitable land in the Yorkshire Dales and North Pennines. The line was mainly constructed by Irish Navvies, who were housed in large camps along…
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NEW RPSI MUSEUM: Whitehead Railway Museum – keeping the steam alive

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s new multi-million pound Whitehead Railway Museum was formally opened amid great celebration on October 25. It marks the beginning of a new era for the RPSI as the group develops its role as not only a steam custodian and operator but also an educator. Gary Boyd-Hope takes a look…
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Practice & Performance: Successors to South Western Steam

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

Following on from the recent analysis of steam in its final days on the former LSW main line from Waterloo, KEITH FARR puts different types of modern traction under the spotlight. WHEN ‘Merchant Navy’ Pacific No. 35030 Elder Dempster Lines came to a stand at Waterloo with the last regular steam working from Weymouth on July…
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French Pullman Orient-Express visits London

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Sam Hewitt

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12th December 2017

By Keith Fender THE ‘Pullman Orient-Express’ – a set of 1920s-built Pullman cars, preserved and maintained in operational condition in France by national operator SNCF – made a surprise visit to London on November 2. The train was in London to promote the new film Murder on the Orient-Express, starring Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Johnny…
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Sam Hewitt

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