Backtrack | March 2022
The J94 Class saddle tanks - colour spread on the wartime shunting engines purchased by the LNER.
Spying in Darlington - A. J. Mullay investigates competition between Britain's railways and canals in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Birmingham's Grand Central station - Nicholas Daunt offers some memories of the old Birmingham New Street between 1954 and 1962.
The 'Chinaman' and the British engineer who built it - L. A. Summers tells the story of Colonel Kenneth Cantlie and the British designing and building of the 4-8-4 locomotives supplied to the Chinese railways.
The inauguration of the Victory Arch at Waterloo Station - Jeffrey Wells marks the centenary of an auspicious occasion.
The Great Western Railway Ruabon–Barmouth Route: Part Two - the conclusion of the story of this cross-country line by Ian Travers.
Succeeding like Success - four colour pages of the LMS Class 5 4-6-0s by Simon Lathlane.
What about the Workers? - archive photographs of railway staff at work in a variety of jobs.
Recalled to Cumbria - three pages of Gavin Morrison's colour photographs on the Cockermouth, Keswick & Penrith and the Cumbrian Coast lines.
Bridlington Engine Shed - Roger Griffiths and John Hooper conclude their survey of Yorkshire Coastal Engine Sheds and their locomotives.
Private Stations and Waiting Rooms on the Highland Railway - Anne-Mary Paterson describes some privileged station accommodation.
A new Observation Train - Alistair F. Nisbet looks at the provision of observation cars in Britain.
Signal Boxes in the new Willesden Carriage Sheds - visited by Peter Butler.
Welshpool Once More - two colour photographs of the last days of the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway.
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The specialist magazine was first published in 1986 for the purpose of ‘recording the history of Britain’s railway’ - the magazine’s strapline - and it is now published by Pendragon Publishing. Dropping every month, Backtrack magazine is your monthly dose of railway nostalgia and historical insight.
35 years later and Backtrack has firmly established itself as the authority on topics such as the history of Britain and Ireland’s train stations, railway bridges, signalling, biographies, train services and staff recollections - all of which regularly appear in the magazine. Backtrack's contributors include many of today's leading railway history writers and the magazine has a reputation for being of the highest quality.
With a multitude of unmissable monthly features, every issue aims to chronicle and record part of the history of Britain’s railway system. Every issue contains a dozen or so large articles that focus on a particular line or area in British railway history.
Whether you’re into early railway history from the 'pre-Stephenson' era, steam, diesel or electric locomotive you’ll find every era covered in minute detail - from railway company history, railway carriages and wagons, railway stations, railway ships, hotels and road vehicles, railway economic and social history and railway publicity and advertising.
A Backtrack digital magazine subscription is your go-to for railway history:
- Britain's leading historical railway magazine
- Delving into the era of horse-drawn tramroads up to locomotives and rolling stock
- History of lines, the social, political, financial, engineering and labour aspects of the railway
- Archive black and white quality images and historical colour coverage of the railway scene
- The history of train stations, railway bridges, signalling, biographies and train services
- Contributors include many of today's leading railway history writers
- Delivered directly to your device every week
You'll receive 12 issues during a 1 year Backtrack magazine subscription.
Note: Digital editions do not include the covermount items or supplements you would find with printed copies.
Articles in this issue
Below is a selection of articles in Backtrack March 2022.