Backtrack | February 2015
On the Blackpool line - colour spread by Tom Heavyside on the Blackpool North line in the 1970s/80s.
The Dugald Drummond 'Down Under' Myth - Darryl Grant investigates whether the former LSWR engineer did ever travel to Australia to set up a locomotive building business.
Collisions in Fog - Alistair F. Nisbet describes a series of accidents on the Southern in the post-war 'smog' era.
The Railways of Bournemouth - a history by Stephen Roberts.
The Hull & Selby Railway - Jeffrey Wells presents the second part of his look at the first railways to Selby.
Water, Water, Everywhere - four pages of archive photos of locomotives on water troughs.
Midland Goods Heritage - four colour pages of the MR/LMS 3F and 4F 0-6-0s.
Building the Top Rail Journey in the World - Ann Stewart looks at some aspects of constructing the West Highland Railway.
Stations for the Lairds - John Roake visits some public and private stations and halts built for and by the Highland aristocracy.
Sleeping Cars - George May considers aspects of their history and development.
Helsby - A Cheshire Country Junction- colour photos by Alan Tyson from 1967.
Life at Orpington Shed - recollections by David Evans of maintaining the electric multiple unit fleet.
Do you need a Crossing to make a Point? - Michael B. Binks considers some aspects of railway trackwork construction.
Working the Fish - some notes by A. J. Ludlam of Boston engine duties.
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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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- The history of train stations, railway bridges, signalling, biographies and train services
- Contributors include many of today's leading railway history writers
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Articles in this issue
Below is a selection of articles in Backtrack February 2015.