Backtrack

Backtrack, Britain's Leading Historical Railway Journal, covers all aspects of railway history from its earliest days through to more recent events up to around ten years before now including, early railway history from the 'pre-Stephenson' era, steam, diesel and electric locomotive history, railway company history, railway carriages and wagons, railway stations, railway ships, hotels & road vehicles, railway economic and social history, railway publicity and advertising. Backtrack's contributors include many of today's leading railway history writers. From the beginning the magazine has maintained a reputation for its production values and each issue contains a wealth of photographs reproduced to the highest standards, including a generous selection of historic colour. Published monthly, Backtrack is THE magazine for all who are interested in British railway history.

Editorial

Back Track

RIDING WITH THE ‘GLENS’

A GREAT WESTERN TENANCY • PART ONE In the second instalment of our series on the Camping Coach schemes of the ‘Big Four’ in the 1930s, MIKE FENTON recalls the GWR’s provision and the process of the research involved in investigating the subject.

FRUSTRATIONS OF FUEL EFFICIENCY: FEED-WATER HEATERS PART TWO

BATTLING BEECHING IN THE HIGH PEAK PART ONE • THE CAMPAIGN TO RETAIN BUXTON’S RAILWAY SERVICE

THE ‘ROYAL SCOTS’ BRITAIN’S GREATEST MAIN LINE STEAM LOCOMOTIVES • ‘Astounding’, ‘astonishing’ and ‘brilliant’. These adjectives describing the performance of the rebuilt London Midland & Scottish Railway ‘Royal Scots’ in the Locomotive Exchange Trials, held by British Railways in 1948, raise the question – why were more of the class not built and treated as a ‘Standard’ design for wider use on the newly nationalised network? A. J. MULLAY considers the matter.

OPERATING THE LOOE BRANCH

WHEN ‘BRITANNIAS’ RULED THE GREAT EASTERN

MORE GREAT WESTERN SHED VISITS • As promised in April’s feature on South Wales locomotive sheds, we present another selection of GAVIN MORRISON’s photographs taken at other Western Region depots.

RUNAWAY PLATFORM BARROWS

BR MOTORAIL TRAINS FORMATIONS AND FINANCES PART ONE

THE SAGA OF BARDNEY STATION

‘JSG’ IN SOUTH WALES AGAIN • It was in October last year when we had a selection from the JOHN SPENCER GILKS Collection of his photographs taken on his travels in South Wales. A second offering was foretold, so here are some more photographs from JSG’s visit in May 1961.

WHERE DID THE MONEY COME FROM? • THE RAILWAYS’ MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE DURING GROUPING

ENGLISH ELECTRIC IN NORTHUMBERLAND

THE ST. PANCRAS AREA BEFORE ELECTRIFICATION

BACK IN THE SLATE QUARRIES • In the August issue our colour spread ‘Up in the Gallery’ looked at some of the narrow gauge locomotives working in the Penrhyn slate quarries in North Wales. We return to the world of slate this month with these photographs take by DAVID SUTCLIFFE on 3rd/4th September 1957 which include some of the engines at the Dinorwic Quarry on the other side of Elidir Fawr to Penrhyn, the 4ft gauge Padarn Railway and the Penrhyn Railway ‘main line’.

Readers’Forum • Letters intended for publication should ideally add extra detail to our articles (or offer corrections of course!) and not be too long, consistent with the detail they offer. As always, we are sorry that space and time prevent us from printing them all or sending personal replies.

BookReviews