Steam Railway (UK)

We must do better

The Steam Railway team were honoured to attend the Heritage Railway Association conference in Southampton in early November, and with nearly 200 delegates in attendance on both days, it shows just how popular and important these conferences have...

Save our steam

Fireless locomotives have always been the poor relation in railway preservation circles, seldom attracting the support or attention lavished upon their main line or even conventional industrial counterparts. While many enthusiasts will naturally be...

In with the new, out with the oldnd

It’s not often that preservation offers us something entirely new; something that few – if any of us – has seen before. That’s not surprising, given that preservation as we know it will turn 75 next year, but the restoration and return to steam of...

Chinnor celebrates its independence day

Ffestiniog – a jewel in the crown

Welcome to a very special edition of Steam Railway, celebrating 70 years since the revival of the Ffestiniog Railway. We make no apologies for dedicating this edition to the FR, for it was (and remains) a preservation pioneer in so many ways, and it...

King Coal is dead. Long live King Oil?

It was only a matter of time before another one of our heritage lines decided to grasp the nettle and look seriously at oil-firing. In the end, it was the Vale of Rheidol, which will convert one of its emblematic 2-6-2Ts to burn oil instead of coal...

Flying Scotsman is our champion

You may have seen me on television in recent weeks, in Channel 4’s twopart documentary series Secrets of Flying Scotsman. I can already hear the groans of ‘Oh no, not another ‘Scotsman’ documentary!’. I sympathise with those views. After all, the...

‘A3’ goes west for ‘Castle’ reunion

Time to grasp the nettle?

It’s official. National coal consumption is at its lowest level since pre-industrial times. The latest figures from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero make for startling – if unsurprising – reading, with coal consumption, production and...

Making a difference

It’s me again this month, I’m afraid – but don’t worry, Chris will be back soon and normal service will be resumed. Chris and I were privileged to attend the Heritage Railway Association’s spring conference earlier this month. It was a pleasure to...

Don’t hide your light

Greetings readers! If you’re wondering why you’ve got me introducing this edition rather than the editor himself, it’s because Chris has taken a well-earned break for much of this month. I would like the echo the sentiments shared by Heritage Railway...

The long and winding road

During a break in the proceedings at the Heritage Railway Association conference in Torquay in November, I found myself talking with Malcolm Holmes – the genial CEO of the Great Central Railway. Now, I have a soft spot for the GCR – it was where I...

Food for thought

A perk of editing Steam Railway is helping to judge in the Heritage Railway Association (HRA) awards – not least because we have our own award to present. It’s always a pleasure to look through the entrants with fellow HRA judges, as well as thinking...

The final countdown

It’s the last issue before 2025, and I’m finally starting to get excited about Railway 200. ‘Finally’ you might say? ‘Finally?’ Well, yes, because until now it’s seemed like a bit of a damp squib, and I’ve been waiting with bated breath to see what our...

80 wagons!

The inside story of how Littleton No. 5 hauled a mammoth coal train

The day job

It was a fairly typical early autumn day on a heritage railway. For the most part, the holidays were over, so it was a smattering of passengers soaking up the steam atmosphere and waiting to enjoy a cream tea while on the move. There was also a party...

£150,000 NEEDED TO FINISH ‘COUNTY’

Didcot launches appeal

One man’s triumph

I am, by nature, an avid reader – not because it comes with the job – but because I just love books, and normally I have four or so on the go at any one time. I’ve also realised that I have a 20-year or so backlog to plough through, so quantity is...

When the pipe dreams come true

If, you’d said to the most die-hard steam enthusiast gazing on sad lines of rusting Bulleid ‘Pacifics’ at Nine Elms that, in 57 years’ time, eight such giants would be reunited in steam, then they would have shaken their heads and walked away. Given...

A load of mothballs

If one engine appears in this column regularly, then it has to be sole surviving ‘A3’ No. 60103 Flying Scotsman. Saying that, all has been quiet on that front for some months now as the engine – despite just being in ticket – has been left without a...

IVATT 46464: ‘2MT’ STEAMS AGAIN AFTER 45 YEARS

Taking the high road

This job has a habit of throwing up some interesting situations – not least of which is the requirement to travel the length and breadth of the country in search of articles and features. Quite possibly the furthest north I’ve been, however, is Brechin...