British railway history

From the archive: 42 years ago, Arthur Miller looked back on three decades of railway enthusiasm

by

Mark Lancaster

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15th August 2026

In the August 1984 issue of The Railway Magazine, Arthur Miller’s “Thirty Years On” looked back to the dawn of his railway enthusiasm. Having travelled over all the British Railways passenger lines in Great Britain then carrying a regular timetabled service, he reflected on the journeys, changes and experiences of the previous three decades. A…
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From the archive: Richard Branson sets out his vision for Virgin Rail in 1997

by

Mark Lancaster

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6th August 2026

In the May 1997 issue of The Railway Magazine, Editor Nick Pigott interviewed Richard Branson about Virgin Rail, the West Coast and CrossCountry franchises, proposed new trains and the challenges facing the newly privatised railway. Branson also discussed railway investment, Railtrack and his childhood interest in trains. Original introduction THE NEW RAILWAY BARONS: Richard Branson…
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From the archive: Swindon ‘Steam’ opens to the public

by

Mark Lancaster

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30th July 2026

We take a verbatim look back at when JOHN STRETTON was given an insight into Swindon’s new £11m railway museum. WEDNESDAY June 14, 2000 will become an important day in the history of Swindon and its railways. After many years, alternative suggestions, trials and tribulations along the way, this date was due to mark the…
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From the 1973 archive: The secret operation that brought Flying Scotsman home

by

Mark Lancaster

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29th July 2026

A year after hopes for an American future began to fade, No. 4472 Flying Scotsman faced the possibility of sale to satisfy creditors. This first-person account from the August 1973 issue of The Railway Magazine describes the rescue operation, its concealed movement to Oakland and the locomotive’s return to Britain. Hopes begin to fade ABOUT…
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From the archive: Bill Hoole’s unforgettable “Tees-Tyne Pullman” run

by

Mark Lancaster

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14th July 2026

Commander W. J. Alcock recalls an exciting journey on the “Tees-Tyne Pullman”, driven by the late Bill Hoole. First published in the October 1979 issue of The Railway Magazine, the account describes a run from Kings Cross towards Darlington and Newcastle. TRIBUTE TO A MASTER COMMANDER W. J. ALCOCK, RN (RTD), DESCRIBES AN EXCITING RUN…
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A New Great Western Standard: The Design and Significance of Locomotive No. 1000

by

Mark Lancaster

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29th December 2025

There has long been a peculiar and enduring interest in new locomotive designs emerging from Swindon. For decades, the works of the Great Western Railway have set benchmarks for locomotive engineering in Britain, and it has become increasingly clear how deeply engineers across the industry have been influenced by Swindon practice. By the mid-1940s, it…
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British railway history

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