Magnificent ‘seven’ stars at bluebell ‘giants of steam’

Non-commuter lines are experiencing an upswing in fortunes, but the UK lags behind mainland Europe when it comes to value for money and accessibility. RICHARD FOSTER explains why more must be done to fulfil potential

When their working lives were over, a small fleet of Pilot Scheme diesels found life anew as carriage pre ‐heating units. Chris Gilson takes a closer look at these unusual survivors.

Now firmly established as a leading specialist in the maintenance, overhaul and servicing of locomotives and other items of rolling stock for a number of operators, it is sometimes easy to forget that

The late 1830s and the 1840s was a period of intensive railway building, with the network expanding rapidly throughout the country, and a growing ambition was to create a through route from London to