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 • The slings and arrows of railway fortune

ON THE WAVERLEY ROUTE • The North British Railway’s Waverley Route linking Edinburgh with Carlisle via Galahiels and Hawick provided a valuable Anglo-Scottish line through the often remote border country. While serving isolated communities it also provided a route for the Midland Railway’s through trains from London St. Pancras to Edinburgh Waverley. However, the Beeching Report had its eye on the line and despite determined opposition closure took place in January 1969. That, we thought, would be that - but remarkably in 2015 the Waverley Route was reopened (as the ‘Borders Railway’) between Edinburgh and a new terminus at Tweedbank, just beyond Galashiels. GAVIN MORRISON visited the line at various stages in its history.

THE CULM VALLEY BRANCH

1960s MOTIVE POWER THE SOUTH FURNESS TRANSITION ON LINE PART TWO • STEVE LEYLAND concludes his account of pursuing some of the last stream-hauled trains in the North West in 1976/8

CAMBRIDGESHIRE'S RAILWAYS

SHELTERING THE FOG MEN

TWO HUDDERSFIELD BRANCH LINES PART ONE KIRKBURTON

‘BABY DELTICS’

THE CONFERENCE OF MOTIVE POWER OFFICERS PART THREE

WAIT UNTIL DARK

“A LITTLE MATTER” OF HEROISM • In the two centuries since the opening of the Stockton & Darlington Railway, the conditions of working on the line, moving the rolling stock or operating in the worst of conditions have led to countless accidents and mishaps. Railway staff have been forced to contend with the often unexpected dangers in their daily work. On occasion railway staff of all ranks have been called on to perform heroic acts of courage over the last 200 years while a small number has been awarded for their bravery, as JAMES GRAHAM records.

TO RYDE BY TUBE TRAIN • With the withdrawal of the last of the veteran steam locomotives (and their vintage carriages) on the Isle of Wight at the end of 1966, the electrification of the surviving line between Ryde and Shanklin was completed and services began in March 1967 using redundant London Transport tube stock of the ‘Standard’ design going back to 1923 - and so also of some vintage. From 1989 this was replaced by LT ‘1938 Stock’ of slightly more recent ancestry which served the Island well into the 21st century. These photographs are by GAVIN MORRISON.

THE SIGNALS

THE LLANFYLLIN BRANCH LINE

A MEMORY OF FLANDERS & SWANN’S ‘SLOW TRAIN’ FROM LONG STANTON RAILWAY STATION IN THE 1960s

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. ED.

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