Legendary Locomotives Book Archives

Looking both ways: When Robert Fairlie ‘Double Up’ Steam

17th March 2022 Robin Jones Features, Steam

Double Fairlie Merddin Emrys at Harbour station, Porthmadog, where the Ffestiniog Railway joins the Welsh Highland Railway. The locomotive dates from 1879. JAMES WAITE/Ff&WHR

The Ffestiniog Railway is famous as the only place in the world where the legendary double Fairlie articulated ‘back-to-back’ steam locomotives can be seen in action…

The Stourbridge Lion: The First Roar Of Steam… Stateside

2nd March 2022 Robin Jones Features, Steam

Foster, Rastrick & Company’s Agenoria, sister to the Stourbridge Lion, was a ‘star’ early locomotives exhibit in the Great Hall of the National Railway at York. It is the oldest complete locomotive in the museum. ROBIN JONES

The United States is renowned as a world leader in technology, and sent the first manned space missions to the moon half a century ago. Yet the first steam railway locomotive to run in the US was built in Britain – at a foundry in the West Midlands.

The Rocket Fleet

3rd February 2022 Sam Hewitt Features, Steam

How much further can a locomotive go in terms of acquiring ‘legendary’ status than having a succession of full-size replicas built?

Puffing Billy – the world’s oldest surviving steam locomotive

18th January 2022 Robin Jones Features, Steam

It is not often the name of a railway locomotive becomes adopted as an everyday saying in the English language, but many believe that happened in the case of the world’s oldest surviving steam locomotive. Heritage Railway editor Robin Jones has the story.