Innehållsförteckning för September 2025 från Steam Days

Railway 200 has been quite the event for shining a light on the role that railways have played in shaping Britain since 1825. Given that the subject is so vast, we first looked at this in our May edition as ‘First thoughts,’ while knowing that we were coming back to honour the first ‘modern railway’ more fully with the September issue. That railway is, of course, the Stockton & Darlington, which set the new benchmark, being built as a public railway, investing in steam locomotives from the outset, and offering a passenger service from day one, September 27, 1825, when it linked Witton Park Colliery and the Tees at Stockton, and with it the coal enjoyed transportation to a much wider market. However, that railway did not rest on its…

Strolling across the beautiful Grosvenor Gardens in the late 1950s/early 1960s, one was greeted by the imposing sight of the statue of General Ferdinand Foch, the Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces on the Western Front during the First World War, and beyond was one of the most wonderful station buildings in the capital, London Victoria. Outside, throngs of excited passengers were arriving with their suitcases, struggling out of black cab London taxis, bound for the Kent coast ferries to France and Belgium. Heading on into the huge open concourse, there was a constant hum of passengers’ voices and ever-busy porters, occasionally interrupted by the station announcer – it was just like a vast railway beehive. Passengers were queuing at the booking offices for tickets, at the W H Smith…

When my mother announced that she was going to visit her sister in Saltford, a village on the eastern outskirts of Bristol, I jumped at the chance of accompanying her. This was in the spring of 1952, when I had yet to reach my 17th birthday, and this was my first chance to explore the branch lines of the former Great Western Railway. It is the original GWR main line that runs through Saltford, linking Bristol, Bath, Chippenham, Swindon, Reading and London (Paddington), and my first day was spent on the Highworth branch, which ran north-eastwards from Swindon; this was followed the next day by a trip to Chippenham, the junction for the branch to Calne my chosen destination. In those days, I relied on purchasing the Ordnance Survey one-inch…

As the rail sector celebrates the ‘official’ 200th birthday of the industry, there’s never been a better time to learn about the UK’s great heritage… how we lived, how we worked and what made this country. And as we continue through this British summer, there is plenty going on to get you and your family out and about. With Wimbledon, the Women’s football euros and even the India Test series over, and the sun threatening to poke out again, it’s another of those unpredictable British summers, but something we CAN predict is that there are fantastic events for all the family – ranging from the die-hard enthusiasts to those simply in need of a great day out. We’re sure you and your family will have your favourite attraction to visit,…

Former steam locomotive depots Sir: The letter from Mike Blackburn (August edition) made me wonder how many former steam sheds have found other uses and can be accessed by the public. For instance, it is still possible to visit 40A Lincoln as the interior has been converted into a nightclub, named, appropriately, The Engine Shed. Get out your Locomotive Shed Directory, log on to Google Earth, and you can follow the walking route from Lincoln Central to the shed. Don’t expect any resident B1s… just maybe a resident DJ. Don Hartwell Carlisle local Sir: I was interested to read Douglas McNaught’s article on Beattock in the May edition of Steam Days and in particular the reference to the Carlisle local. As a young trainspotter in the late 1950s and early…