Railway Mania

Coal for the heritage sector is becoming harder to source, and the railway where I volunteer has, like many others, been trying 'ovoids'. This is manufactured coal using a variety of materials to create something that looks and acts like coal.In this episode I give my initial thoughts on my first experience firing with ovoids, as well as an overview of how the Bristol Harbour Railway works and why this type of fuel might work out.

Mental health issues can affect anyone in the world and rail workers are no exception.In this episode, we welcome Paul Stanford, railwayperson of 40 years and founder of HEAD-SHUNT, the mental health charity for the railway family.Paul tells us not only about the challenges to mental health that come from working on the railway, but also the attitudes in the industry, how the scene is changing, what needs to change, as well as his own issues that led to him creating Head-Shunt.If you would like to get in contact with Paul, head to the Head-Shunt website:https://www.head-shunt.com/

The Titfield Thunderbolt is one of my favourite films and I’m so chuffed to have been able to work on the recent train pack we made at work in conjunction with StudioCanal and the 70th anniversary of the film.Ever since I first saw it, I’ve always wondered how I would go about remaking the film in the modern era.

Today’s podcast guest is Lawrie Rose, creator and star of popular YouTube channel Lawrie’s Mechanical Marvels. We’re talking about what it’s like to realise every railway enthusiast’s dream: having your very own locomotive.Lawrie explains the the circumstances that led to the purchase, how he went about it, and shares his experience and advice for anyone wishing to try the same.Thanks so much to Lawrie for coming on the show, check out his channel for more!

Nick joins us again for the second half of this double-bill about collieries and coal railways of North East England. Nick goes into detail on 3 distinct railway systems; The Bowes, Lambton and Harton lines.Thanks again to Nick for being an excellent guest!

To celebrate 10 years of 'Steam Locos in Profile', Chris Eden-Green embarked on a mammoth mission across America, to publish 10 new episodes all about American steam locomotives.Chris joins us on the podcast to discuss the (literal) highs and lows, the logistics of such a feat, and the steam scene in the USA.Purchase your copy of the USA special edition of 'Steam Locos in Profile' here:https://www.e-gmedia.co.uk/shopThanks to Chris for joining us again!

The summer of 2022 has seen the return of the #LoveYourRailway campaign to social media. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's Marketing Manager Luke Hudman joins us today to tell us the idea behind the campaign, why we should love our railway, and how to get involved.'Love Your Railway’ brings together over 80 organisations from as far afield as Scotland, Snowdonia, Leighton Buzzard, and the Lake District in the nationwide campaign which shines a spotlight on heritage railway organisations, encouraging visitors to support them this summer.Spearheaded by NYMR, ‘Love Your Railway’ is a six-week campaign which runs over the summer holidays from 25th July to 4th September, with weekly themes covering conservation, education and research.Thanks so much to Luke for coming on the podcast!

We are joined by none other than Jonathan Guilbert, whose YouTube channel ‘Gandy Dancer Productions’ has been an incredible source of inspiration for me and many others over the years.Jonathan has digitised and edited his colour 8mm and 16mm films, taken during the final years of British steam railways, and used his filmmaking knowledge and experience to make interesting narratives that provide an insight into both trainspotting on BR and the inner workings of industrial steam railways.Thanks so much to Jonathan for coming on the podcast, see his YouTube channel here:https://www.youtube.com/c/GandyDancerProductionsMy favourite playlist, the Astley Green and Walkden Railway Series:https://bit.ly/3FTzqSJ

'Steam Locomotives in Profile' is back in 2021, in the form of a feature length special focusing on IMLEC, The 2021 International Model Locomotive Efficiency Competition.Model engineers from around the country came together to test the mettle of their creations in a head-to-head 3-day competition. Chris Eden-Green returns to the podcast to tell us about it. Check out the IMLEC special here:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYiVhVhV21UIf you would like to donate to the 'Steam Locos in Profile in the USA' crowdfunder, follow this link: https://www.e-gmedia.co.uk/slipsintheusa

Ben Powell and Rob Rossington of The 009 Society join us for another look at narrow gauge modelling. They tell us about what the society can offer and the scope of what it covers (not limited to just 009 but 1:76 narrow gauge modelling in general).We also look at how the modelling scene is changing for narrow gauge as more and more manufacturers offer ready-to-run examples.Check out The 009 Society here:https://009society.com/Thanks to Ben and Rob for coming on the podcast!

The birth of steam traction and the modern idea of the railway came at a time of great social change in Britain, when groups of religious dissenters were carving out their own niches in the world in order to prosper.Our guest for this episode is historian, author and all-round expert in early 19th Century railways Anthony Dawson. We shall be looking in to the circumstances of the people involved in promoting the idea of steam locomotives, their religious leanings and how this may have played a crucial role not just in the spread of railways but the industrial revolution as a whole.Anthony’s latest book ‘Locomotives of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway’ is available from Pen and Sword:https://www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Locomotives-of-the-Liverpool-and-Manchester-Railway-Hardback/p/18771Anthony on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC75PkfxmwyEM6RrVStVwqwQOn Historical Lines on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/OnHistoricalLinesRailStory on Twitter:https://twitter.com/RailStory

At the height of World War Two, the Southern Railway introduced its first pacific tender locos, the Merchant Navy Class.Bulleid was always seeking to push the envelope with locomotive development, and the 3-cylinder Merchant Navy was packed full of features and innovations to enable more power, different maintenance regimes, and to lessen the effect the locos had on the permanent way.The locomotives were extremely powerful and capable of incredible performances, but drew criticism for several issues, notably fires which broke out within the air-smoothed casing around the boiler, a tendency for high coal and water consumption, and the restricted visibility from the casing.Between 1956 and 1960, British Railways extensively rebuilt all 30 members of the class, removing the distinctive casing, and replacing the Bulleid chain-driven valve gear with three sets of independent Walschaerts.11 rebuilt Merchant Navies still exist today. 35011 ‘General Steam Navigation’ is one of the preserved members, but the owning group has a rather different plan to the other members of the class. ‘Number 11’ is going to have the rebuilding reversed, and be returned to its as-built condition.Thanks to Andy, Graham and Steve for coming on the podcast!Find out more: https://35011gsn.co.uk/

Thomas Cook ceased trading in 2019, 178 years after Mr. Cook organised his first excursion train. This podcast episode looks into the early years of excursion travel and the explosion in popularity of ‘cheap trips’ opening up a world of experiences for the working classes throughout the mid 19th Century. Who were these people, how did it come about, what was the experience like? (Please note there was an error in uploading which caused episode 1 to be played instead of episode 15. This has now been corrected, apologies!)