Celebrating 200 years of rail travel: a landmark year for the UK network
Nationwide events mark the bicentenary of the world’s first passenger railway between Stockton and Darlington. 2025 marked a defining moment in the history of rail travel, 200 years of the world’s first passenger railway, which ran between Stockton and Darlington. While railways had existed in various forms before, this pioneering line symbolised the birth of […]
December 2025 | The Railway Magazine
The Railway Magazine provides the latest news, Steam & Heritage, modern traction and reviews and our brand-new November issue is out now! Practice & Performance John Heaton FCILT was onboard as the unique Standard Class 8 Duke of Gloucester returned to main line charter duties with a magnificent ascent of Shap. 70 years and counting Photographer and […]
Steam Train Photography Top Tips
Taking great photos of steam locomotives can be a challenge! Often someone steps into the frame at the last minute or the loco is passing so quickly, it’s hard to get a decent shot. So I’m delighted to bring you a guest blog post from Colin Wallace of Railway Photography who has been taking great […]
10 of the most important steam locomotives in British history
The first steam locomotive travelled at 2 miles per hour; a century later, they were hitting 100. Steam locomotives shaped Britain’s industrial, social, and engineering legacy. Here’s a journey through the key engines that made railway history. 1. The Penydarren Locomotive (1803) Chris McKenna (Thryduulf), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons The first railway […]
A New Great Western Standard: The Design and Significance of Locomotive No. 1000
There has long been a peculiar and enduring interest in new locomotive designs emerging from Swindon. For decades, the works of the Great Western Railway have set benchmarks for locomotive engineering in Britain, and it has become increasingly clear how deeply engineers across the industry have been influenced by Swindon practice. By the mid-1940s, it […]
Should Steam Train Photography Be Black And White Or Colour?
A guest post by Colin Wallace of Railway Photos Black and white steam train photography has of course been around a lot longer than colour. Now we live in a time where colour is a possibility and the default option of a modern camera. However, many people prefer to have steam train photos developed in black and […]
Issue 339 | Heritage Railway Magazine
With Heritage Railway magazine, you can keep up to date with essential railway news, days out and lots more! You won’t want to miss issue 339 of Heritage Railway magazine. If you’d like to give this edition of Heritage Railway magazine a read, then you can skip the wait and download the digital version or you can order the […]
Steam locomotive County of Montgomery at the GWSR
New-build Churchward ‘County’ class 4-4-0 No. 3840 County of Montgomery steam locomotive could be based on the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway (GWSR), following the signing of a new agreement between the Churchward County Trust which is building the new engine, and the railway. The agreement, which supersedes an earlier ‘agreement in principle’ between the GWSR […]
Keighley station a double winner at National Railway Heritage Awards
Keighley station was a double winner at the National Railway Heritage Awards 2025 following a £9.9m restoration. Credit: Duncan Phillips Photography The Minister for Rail, Lord Hendy of Richmond Hill, presented the National Railway Heritage Awards at a ceremony in London on Wednesday 3 December 2025. The awards have been presented annually since 1979 to […]
King honours Network Rail employees in New Year list
Current and former Network Rail employees have been named in the King’s 2026 New Year’s Honours List. Credit: Network Rail Community Safety Manager Manjinder (Manny) Kang and Assurance & Controls Manager for the HS2 project Sonia Hazel, were both awarded the British Empire Medal (BEM). Rob McIntosh, former Regional Managing Director of both Eastern and […]