Backtrack | December 2013
One of Each - four historic pre-war colour photos from each of the 'Big Four' railways.
Restaurant Cars and their Development- a survey of on-train catering by George May.
Remembering 'Remembrance' - a LBSCR locomotive described by David Cullen.
Catching the Post - a spread of Travelling Post Office colour photos by Paul Aitken.
Before they were Famous - Philip Atkins looks into the early careers of some distinguished GWR locomotive chiefs.
Dear Editor - Alistair F. Nisbet trawls through some of the grievances against railways aired in the letters columns of the Victorian press.
Late Summer at Ribblehead - three colour shots by Paul Strong on the Settle-Carlisle line in September 1982.
All Points North West - four colour pages featuring steam, diesel and electric traction at a variety of locations in the North West of England.
The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway North Liverpool Electrification - Ian Travers presents a review of the development of the Southport and Ormskirk schemes of 1903-14.
The Stratford Scene - five colour pages of LNER and GER locos at Stratford in the 1950s/60s.
The Hands that Rocked the Cradle - Robert Emblin and Bryan Longbone summarise the work done by women on the UK railways during the Great War.
Bristol Fashion - Archive b/w photos at Bristol Temple Meads and nearby locations.
The Rise and Fall of 'Railway Spine' - Dr. Malcolm Timperley describes a Victorian medical condition which is arguably a progenitor of the modern 'whiplash injury'.
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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.
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Articles in this issue
Below is a selection of articles in Backtrack December 2013.