Railway Mania

Welcome to a new mini-series on the Railway Mania channel, where we are giving guests the challenge of putting forward their candidate for KING OF THE STEAM AGE. First up is friend of the show, Graham Muspratt, making the case for Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid. Thanks to Graham for coming on the podcast again!

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.

Our guest is author David Grimshaw, talking about articulated locomotives, but not the sort that immediately come to mind. These machines were built in America long before Fairlie or Meyer's creations. Horatio Allen's articulated locomotives were built in the 1830s for the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company, at the time the longest railway in the world! Thanks to David for joining us on the podcast.

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!

100 years ago, a luxury express sleeper train was en route to Peking, travelling through dangerous territory. In the middle of the night, the train is deliberately derailed and the passengers are kidnapped. The hostages include a journalist, the wealthy daughter of an a Rhode Island Senator, a French businessman, a gangster and a US Army Major. The kidnappers are a made up of several bandit factions working together under a charismatic 25-year-old leader, on the run from an Army trying to exterminate him and his band of outlaws. Sounds like the plot to an action adventure film, but this story is true and is the subject of ‘The Peking Express’ by James M. Zimmerman. James joins us to discuss the story and its backdrop, huge thanks to him for coming on the show! You can buy THE PEKING EXPRESS, THE BANDITS WHO STOLE A TRAIN, STUNNED THE WEST, AND BROKE THE REPUBLIC OF CHINA now! Follow the link: https://thepekingexpress.com/

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!

The birthplace of the railway is often said to the be coalfields of North-East England. We are joined by Nick Richardson in this first half of a two-part episode. Nick sets the scene as we discuss the landscape, the technology, and the people of the coal mining communities. If you're interested in learning Geordie, here is a handy affiliate link: https://amzn.to/3wBNUTv

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/shop Thanks to Chris for joining us again!

Joining us today is Dan Fox of the Signals to Danger podcast, which takes an in-depth look into the history of rail crashes in Britain. Dan talks us through the genesis of the show, key developments and learnings in British railway safety and how changing practices and technologies have affected it. We also answer some questions sent in by listeners! Thanks to Dan for taking the time to come on the show. Subscribe to Signals to Danger to hear more, or visit: https://www.signalstodanger.com/

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!

Composer, musician and singer Cheryl B. Engelhardt may be the first person to have created an entire album start-to-finish whilst on a transcontinental railway trip. Travelling from her home in New York to Los Angeles and back, Cheryl used this time to create ‘The Passenger’, a new-age album reflecting her personal experiences. This episode, we welcome Cheryl onto the show to discuss how the idea came about, the logistics and timing of such a trip, and the creative process of making an album on a moving train. To hear more from Cheryl and to purchase her music, visit her official website here: https://www.cbemusic.com/

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/GandyDancerProductions My favourite playlist, the Astley Green and Walkden Railway Series: https://bit.ly/3FTzqSJ

In episode 24 of the Railway Mania podcast we welcome Matt, Will and Nathan from the 563 locomotive group to talk about a special loco that's spent a good deal of time treading the boards starring in 'The Railway Children' stage play and is soon to be restored to working order on the Swanage Railway. We talk about the loco's history, how it escaped the cutter's torch, its life at the NRM and then the process of de-accessioning which means it will soon be able to turn a wheel in anger once more. Visit the website for the 563 locomotive group here to find out more: https://563locomotivegroup.co.uk/ Thanks to the team for coming on the podcast!

'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=MYiVhVhV21U If 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

Welcome to this special episode of Railway Mania. Our guest is the author of numerous books on trains and railways and whose latest publication 'All Aboard!' is now on sale, it's Julian Holland! We talk about the huge variety of railway-related topics covered in the book, and Julian's own experiences of trainspotting during the 1950s and 1960s. Thanks so much to Julian for coming on the podcast. 'All Aboard: Remembering Britain's Railways' is published by Times Books and available from all major booksellers.

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 Big Smoke is a city full of stories and our podcast guest for this episode is none other than Tom AKA Jago Hazzard, who has been making a hugely popular series of videos on London’s transport and history. ‘Tales from the Tube’ is a fascinating look at London’s Underground. We’re going to talk about where it began, how the stories come about and (of course) time travel. Thanks to Tom for being a great guest! See Jago Hazzard on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JagoHazzard

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/18771 Anthony on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC75PkfxmwyEM6RrVStVwqwQ On Historical Lines on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnHistoricalLines RailStory on Twitter: https://twitter.com/RailStory

Spring is here and it's time to get some fresh air. Joining me on this podcast episode is Garden Rail's very own Phil Parker. We're going to go into the ways you can get started with playing trains in the garden, from flat pack kits to live steam Garratts and everything else in between. A HUGE thanks to Phil for coming on the podcast, remember to check out Garden Rail magazine if you are interested in getting started!

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/