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 • Photographs

Backtrack

TO THE SOUTH WEST BY THE SOMERSET & DORSET

TUNNELS ON THE POTTERIES LOOP

FALLODON STATION, VISCOUNT GREY AND THE MEMORIAL COPPER BEECH TREE

MILK TRAFFIC MEMORIES PART ONE • In this instalment of a two-part feature, DAVID J. HAYES rekindles some milk traffic memories with an overview of the last decade or so of such operations on British Rail. In Part Two he will look at the final years of regular milk workings, the ad-hoc movements of milk in the 1980s and the attempted milk by rail revival of the late 1990s.

LANCASHIRE & YORKSHIRE RAILWAY COTTON TOWN STATIONS

BANISHING THE BLUES • The introduction of a new class of electric multiple units in 1959 for the Glasgow suburban services brought an attractive design of three-car sets with passenger-operated sliding doors and wraparound windscreens through which front-seat passengers could enjoy a forward view. A world away from the steam-hauled compartment carriages they succeeded, they became a great success with the travelling public – once early electrical problems had been resolved. Later Class 303, the trains were revealed in a pleasing new colour of quasi-Caledonian Railway blue – hence they become known as the ‘Blue Trains’, though sadly that didn’t survive the corporate livery of the mid1960s and beyond. These photographs of them were taken by TOM HEAVYSIDE

"JERSEY LILIES"

WEST IS WEST

LINCOLNSHIRE AND HUMBERSIDE • EAST COAST PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE SIMON LATHLANE COLLECTION

TRESTLE VIADUCTS • Trestle – a framework of timber, metal or reinforced concrete that is used to support a bridge or aerial railway. (Concise English Dictionary).

STAINES TO WOKINGHAM

POLITICS AND NUANCE AT SWINDON WORKS

THE N2 CLASS A CASE STUDY IN PERFORMANCE • ANDREW JAMES considers the important work done by an often overlooked locomotive type – the suburban tank.

MIDLAND RAILWAY SIGNAL BOXES

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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