Backtrack  |  December 2020
On shed at Kingmoor - 3 pages of photos at Carlisle's biggest locomotive depot by Gavin Morrison.
The Festival - Colm Flanagan describes the Ulster Transport Authority's new express of 1951.
How not to close a railway - Geoffrey Skelsey looks at the near death of the North Warwickshire line.
Stoke Station and its station masters - a history by Mike G. Fell.
Reading Matter - three pages of GWR and SR steam at Reading.
A Tribute to David Idle - three colour photos of SECR No.592 which David was instrumental in saving.
Coals from Newcastle: Part One - A look at coal traffic in the North East on the North Eastern Railway by Rob Langham.
A Grand Day out for eight shillings and threepence - John Chapman recalls taking advantage of a Day Rover ticket in 1961.
The Highland Railway 'Clans' - Andrew Wilson looks at the life and times of the most iconic of Scottish classes.
Tyson's Tours - archive photos of some 1960s railtours by Alan Tyson.
Drama aboard the TS 'King Edward' - an unfortunate incident in the Firth of Clyde described by Arnold Tortorella.
read more
read less
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 December 2020.