The Railway Magazine

The Railway Magazine has been published since 1897 and is now the UK's best-selling general interest rail title. Every month, The RM provides enthusiasts and professionals with authoritative and informed news coverage of the following: - Network Rail and the train operating companies - Locomotives, multiple units, carriages and wagons - Steam, heritage and the preservation world, inc narrow gauge- Metro and underground systems - In addition, the magazine carries frequent items of overseas interest.

The Railway Magazine is also renowned for its wide-ranging and innovative feature coverage, encompassing up-to-the-minute developments as well as historical, nostalgic and foreign subjects. The magazine is also renowned for its award-winning photographic content.

The Railway Magazine

‘Castle’ Centenary

‘Jacobite’ service suspended after concerns over door locking safety • The twice daily ‘Jacobite’ steam train between Fort William and Mallaig was suspended from July 15 after safety concerns were uncovered by an inspector from the Office of Rail and Road.

€300million already spent on Metro North despite no actual construction yet

£30million awarded for two new railway ‘centres of excellence’ • Funding will help establish ‘world-leading’ research facilities in East Yorkshire and South Wales.

Last call to book on The Railway Magazine charity ‘Deltic’ railtour

IDRS reports a year of progress • Much has happened on the project to re-create LMS diesel No. 10000 since its donor Class 58 frame was lifted and turned one year ago.

SIDELINES

Backlash against Government’s mass ticket office closure plan • 13 operators plan to close up to 1,000 ticket offices across England and cut 2,000 jobs.

Argument for more open access operators moves forward

Battery future for ex-LNR Class 230s? • GWR takes delivery of former Marston Vale Vivarail units after purchasing them at scrap value.

Railways in Parliament

10 MINUTES 10 QUESTIONS • Steven Knight puts flamboyant transport designer Ray Stenning under the spotlight.

Competition to build and run HS2 link begins • The search is underway for a firm that can design, supply and operate the 1.4 mile automated people mover link in the West Midlands.

Piecing viaduct together

SIDELINES

WATERLOO MARKS ITS 175TH ANNIVERSARY • Britain’s busiest station is celebrating a milestone year, as Chris Milner reports.

THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO • Still climbing ‘halfway to the stars’, San Francisco’s cable cars have survived natural disaster and political animosity to reach their 150th year, as Tom Ingall reports.

A CLASS ABOVE • Celebrating the GWR’s ‘Castle’ Class, which entered service 100 years ago this month.

On named trains • ‘Castles’ are strongly associated with the famous ‘Cheltenham Flyer’ but, being among the most powerful GWR locomotives, they also handled many other prestigious named trains, as this selection shows.

‘CASTLE’ CENTENARY • John Heaton FCILT analyses some ‘Castle’ Class performances from the past 100 years.

Off the beaten track • A series of railtours towards the end of the British Railways steam era in the 1960s took No. 7029 Clun Castle away from its usual GWR/Western Region stamping grounds.

‘Castles’ footplate tales • Gareth Evans talks to three individuals about their experiences of operating ‘Castles’ on main line and heritage sectors – and looks at the current status of the seven surviving members of the class.

Through the decades • We delve into the archives to illustrate ‘Castles’ at work over their first 100 years.

Readers’ Platform

FROM THE RAILWAY MAGAZINE ARCHIVES

The RCTS: then and now • Britain’s...