From the archive

One of the most surprising developments of recent years is the return of many ex-BR diesel locomotives to the main line. Ben Jones talks to some of the major players in this ‘re-emergence’ and finds out why it is happening. FLICKING through the pages of The RM every month, one of the most obvious trends…

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For the past 50 years Tyseley has been a key player in the continued operation of main line steam in the UK, as well as one of the premier engineering centres serving the heritage sector. Gary Boyd-Hope examines the proposals that will safeguard Tyseley’s future as part of Birmingham’s cultural heritage, and talks to Michael…

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Newspapers were carried on trains from the 1830s and the 1980s. Nick Pigott tells the little-known story of the overnight services that rushed the news from press to public.

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Restoring Union Pacific “Big Boy” No. 4014 is an ambitious project that will take around five years to complete. Chris Milner looks at the class history and visits Cheyenne to meet UP’s senior manager of heritage operations Ed Dickens Jr, who is masterminding the complex and challenging task. TO have seen one of Union Pacific’s…

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Still reeling as the implementation of Dr Beeching’s Reshaping the Railways programme of station and line closures pressed ahead, the railway experienced a bad year in 1967. In the first of a series marking the 50th anniversary of 1967 railway accidents Fraser Pithie considers a fatal collision on the West Coast Main Line at Stechford…

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With the Great Central Railway-based diesel brake tender nearing completion, Nick Pigott tells the story of a unique new-build project. MANY types of modern traction-era rolling stock have survived into preservation, but a notable exception is the diesel brake tender. These extraordinary vehicles were introduced in the early 1960s when British Railways realised that many…

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Fourteen years after the official end of regular duties, the main line diagrams of the hugely popular Deutsche Bahn Class 103 electrics have ended. Ben Jones takes a nostalgic last run behind this iconic class and pays homage to these magnificent machines. IT IS 04.59 on a chilly late-November morning. An early InterCity express to…

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Since 1999, British diesel and electric locomotives have worked in various parts of Europe for a variety of reasons. In this definitive and exclusive feature Anthony Sayer tells the story of what worked where and when – and what locos are still abroad.

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For more than 150 years, the three Thames Valley branch lines have been vital commuter and leisure routes serving Windsor, Marlow, Bourne End and Henley-on-Thames. Facing modernisation, Stuart Warr looks at the fascinating history of these branches and what the future holds. THE Thames Valley branch lines to Henley-on-Thames, Bourne End, Marlow and Windsor are…

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A CELEBRATION of 40 years of the InterCity 125 high-speed train was marked with an open day at St Philips Marsh depot, Bristol, on May 2. The event, which attracted more than 5,000 visitors, was organised by GWR and its depot staff. Part of the depot was used, with the other half remaining operational, although…

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