Great Rail Tales

Artist, railway history enthusiast, and YouTuber Jonathan Whitmore explores the world of railway scenes through virtual railway simulators. Having recreated some himself, he reflects on the imagination and dedication that go into building digital versions of the great routes from around the world. These simulators can replicate railways in astonishing detail—digital dioramas crafted through extensive research and passion. More than...

The railway has been a part of Lord Hendy’s life since he was a young lad, listening to the passing roars and whistles of the passing steam trains on the Great Western Line. But it was family holidays, travelling by train down to Cornwall that gave him a huge sense of adventure by rail.

His passion for heritage railways is deeply rooted in their individual uniqueness and how they draw communities together, but he stresses that we c...

Retired railwayman Andy Uttley reflects back on a couple of humorous stories from his 40 years working on the railways. One of the more serious hazards on the railway can be large animals like cattle or deer and it’s important to locate any animals which may have strayed onto the line through a damaged fence and safely remove them as soon as possible. Early in Andy’s career the proximity of the railway line to an animal rescue cent...

Phd researcher Laura Littlefair at Northumbria University takes us on a journey through the history of Shildon, the Railway Town.  From its agricultural origins through the huge changes that the railways brought in the early 1800s to the present day where railway and industrial heritage is central to the town people’s lives.  Education, industrial engineering and people came with the railways, in particular the wagon works, founded...

Train enthusiast Tiegan talks about the impact the Intercity Express Trains (IET), specifically Trainbow 800 008 operated by Great Western Railway, has had on their life.  Tiegan’s enthusiasm for the pride trains has resulted in nearly 200 journeys on trainbow, an album, artwork and even a full tattoo sleeve inspired by the train set.  For Tiegan seeing a pride train has significantly impacted on their identity, it’s about feeling ...

Dr James Fowler, a business history lecturer at Essex University, discusses the little explored inter-relationship between the railways and energy networks like the national grid.  Before the national grid the railways were essential for delivering Britain’s domestic energy supply through transporting coal to every household in the land.  Then, in 1963, the arrival of the national grid, which coincided with the infamous Beeching re...

Sally Jones, an art teacher at East Riding College, talks about how her students have been inspired by Railway 200 to bring art deco into the 21st century using contemporary design techniques to re-imagine classic railway poster art in celebration of the railway in Beverley and Sheffield.  As well as providing a colourful talking point and beautiful designs for the station walls, the resulting posters have given the students confid...

Historian Dr Alexander Medcalf reflects on the inter-war years, a period when expectations of what travel by train could provide rose in line with the sleek marketing and glossy poster campaigns which served up beautiful, luxurious images of travel.  We might reflect on the era as the golden era of train travel in the UK but behind the glossy images Alexander Medcalf reveals the moans and complaints which passengers levelled at the...

Leabrooks Central is a unique, homebuilt replica railway station in Richard’s back garden.

The idea came after Richard bought his partner Katherine a model of a 3F Jinty steam train she used to ride on during her childhood. This led to building a track for it roll on and a station for it to halt in. The build grew and grew.

Their creation, which they have named "Leabrooks Central" has been adorned with model locomotives, a ticket d...

Bill shares the history and stories of the unique role of the British Transport Police.  Created in  September 1825 as a means to maintain law and order among some of the wilder elements of the navvies who built the railway, the transport police have enjoyed a colourful and important history, intricately interwoven with the evolution of the railways and the people who journey on them.  In the first world war while officers joined u...

In the early morning of 22nd May 1915 a troop train carrying the 7th Battalion of The Royal Scots left Larbet for Liverpool.  At Quintinshill, just north of Gretna, a local passenger train had been left on the mainline to allow a following express train to overtake it. It would normally have been held in a loop. The troop train barrelled into it and derailed onto the northbound line. Where a minute later the Glasgow bound express a...

Mark Gardner from mental health charity Darlington Mind talks about how they’ve been inspired by Railway 200 to come up with a creative project where their clients and local art groups paint iconic local locomotives.  Taking inspiration from the likes of Locomotion No. 1, The Mallard brick train sculpture and The Derwent, among others, the project has seen the paintings spread out across the town, communicating messages about both ...

As a young boy Rufus found happiness travelling by rail. He watched and learnt from his mother who was studying for a MA about how the development of the railway started to impact the development of society. It led to the mass migration of people, the redesign of housing layout as places like Liverpool Street station enabled a much more mobile population.

As a rail industry leader today, he reflects on the wider impact of the devel...

Louise was a single mum trying to work out how to put her girls through higher education when she applied to join the railway as a guard. She landed in a very male dominated world and faced prejudices form the outset.

Despite this, her career blossomed, and she started to drive for change for women in rail, changing places, polices and people along the way. Her career in rail has taken her from Hull around the world and supported h...

Steve Melia describes the joy and sense of discovery he finds when he uses the railway as part of his walks. Starting from one station his walks aren’t defined by looping back to the beginning to find the car, but instead but exploring which stations can be linked up and finding new routes that interconnect around the network. Both urban and rural railwalks open up the environment around us in a completely different way by rail and...

From making souffles at over 70 mph to collecting fresh langoustines from the pier at Mallaig, Chef Neil Forbes launched his career (and found love) in the galley of The Royal Scotsman.

Fine dining on the rails creates a unique set of challenges for any chef, from sourcing their ingredients from producers and fishermen along the line to having an in-depth knowledge of where all the station bins are. Neil’s Great Rail Tale is full o...