Backtrack | December 2014
DECEMBER 2014
The UTA's Finest Trains - Colm Flanagan writes about Northern Ireland's classic diesel-electric railcars introduced in 1966.
Berkshire's Least Known Branch Line - Paul Joyce describes Reading's goods branch and depot.
Inferno under the Pennines - Mike Bunn tells the story of the fuel tanker train fire in Summit Tunnel in December 1984.
A Sideshow of a Sideshow - Geoffrey Skelsey presents a World War I postscript involving Lawrence of Arabia and the Hejaz Railway.
Peeping Tom - tales of nefarious activities on compartment trains told by John C. Hughes.
North British Whereabouts - a colour spread of steam on NBR lines from the camera of David Idle.
Arthurian Legends - four colour pages featuring the SR 'King Arthur' Class 4-6-0s.
Eric Bruton on the West Coast Main Line - four pages of archive photographs from the 1950s by one of our foremost photographers.
Tickets, Please! - Geoffrey Skelsey looks at the world of the traditional card railway tickets.
The Isle of Wight Railway Closures - Part Two - Edward Gibbins concludes his investigation of the demise of the island's railway system.
From the 'Met' to the Mersey - R. A. S. Hennessey explains how wartime necessity brought London Transport stock to the Mersey and Wirral lines.
The Centenary of Hull's King George Dock - Mike G. Fell traces the history of this railway-owned dock which opened in 1914.
The Testers - Don Rowland recalls the 'running in' of locomotive overhauled at Crewe Works.
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 2014.