Letters Archives - The Railway Magazine

Caledonian Sleeper train has a number of major shortcomings

8th January 2020 Sam Hewitt Letters, Network

I HAD to travel to Glasgow at short notice and decided to try out the new Caledonian Sleeper stock. As there were no cabins available, I had to travel on one of the new ‘reclining’

Morpeth crash: I helped two survivors

21st November 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters, Network

THE feature by Fraser Pithie on the Morpeth Curve (RM Sept) was a fascinating read, which allowed me to re-live my involvement in the 1984 crash. We lived at 45 Low Stobhill at the time of

Uninspiring train liveries

15th October 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters

Seeing the photo of the new EMR livery on the front of the September issue highlights what to me is a retrograde step – I think this new scheme is most uninspiring. I have always

Bath conundrum

9th October 2019 Sam Hewitt Diesel, Electric, Freight, Letters, Network, Steam

I enjoyed Mike Arlett’s articles on Bath Green Park in the August and September’s issues. In particular, I was pleased to see the Ivo Peters’ photograph in the September article showing the departure of No.

The shocking state of trackside vegetation in public areas

11th September 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters, Network

I AM constantly depressed by the lack of vegetation control on our national network, as highlighted in your Readers’ Platform this month (RM August). On a recent visit to St Mary’s crossing near Stroud I was

Terrible state of the lineside – RM readers voice concerns

20th August 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters

I AM a driver with a UK train operator and raised the issue of the state of the lineside about eight years ago with Network Rail, citing the points that both The RM and David

Final HST working was emotional

12th July 2019 Sam Hewitt Electric, Letters, Network

HAVING been given your June edition by a friend who recognised me in the Paddington hosts HST farewell feature, I was the driver of 1L7, the 14.29 Swansea-Paddington. The coverage was excellent, but very emotional, and

There were other ‘Castle’ name changes

10th April 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters, Network, Steam

THANK you for the supplement sent with the March 2019 issue. Item 24 states the name Penrice Castle was carried by three separate members of the same class. That is true, but it also applies to eight other

No. 10000 and the ‘Royal Wessex’

6th March 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters, Network, Railtours, Steam

The recent photos in The RM of No. 10000 working the ‘Royal Wessex’ (and the Up express at Bournemouth Central) reminded me of the problems associated with the running of this train when it was

My BR involvement in early GCR operations

6th March 2019 Sam Hewitt Letters, Network, Steam

Graham Oliver’s article (Saving a Main Line Railway) about the early years of today’s Great Central Railway brought back memories, as I was one of those from British Rail charged with supervising operations. At the