Backtrack | February 2017
February 2017
Beyond Euston - four pages of colour by David Idle before electrification transformed the route.
The Road Engine - Alistair F. Nisbet writes about the Dundee harbour lines and others which ran through public roadsides.
The Railway Navvy in Nineteenth Century Britain - Federico Tak reflects on the hard lives of railway builders.
Dispute over Running Powers - Bill Taylor describes a legal argument between the Midland and Great Central in Nottinghamshire.
By Steam to the Steamers - Part Two of Malcolm Rivett's history of train services to serve the Isle of Man sailings.
Eric Bruton's A3 Pacifics - three pages of archive photos on the East Coast Main Line in the 1950s.
The SECR and SR L and L1 Classes - three pages of colour.
Swindon-built Diesel Multiple Units in Scotland - a review by Allan Trotter.
A Wednesbury Winter's Night - Part Two - David J. Hayes concludes his account of work at Wednesbury No.1 signal box in December 1976.
Namings and Centenaries - A review of four examples of British Railways paperwork by Chris Fox.
More Great Western Railway Improvement Schemes - Jeffrey Wells describes 1930s schemes at Cardiff General, Didcot, Swindon and on the Birmingham main line.
Pick a Colour - some post-privatisation locomotive liveries photographed by Paul Aitken.
The Metropolitan Railway Appendix to the Working Timetable August 1921 - David Wadley notes some unusual extracts.
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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:
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- 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
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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 February 2017.