The urge to create model trains can be traced back to the genesis of the real railway. George Dent examines how what was once a pastime of the affluent few became a mass-market hobby that endures to this day.

PART ONE

Being too young to go to Shildon in 1975, my railway hobby started with the Liverpool and Manchester Rocket 150 celebrations in May 1980. I have lasting memories of visiting Rainhill for the cavalcade

The railway has been shaped by its people -from the early pioneers, through waves of immigration and women in wartime, to today’s diverse leaders. TONY STREETER reports

Further to Dr Mike Esbester’s article “The Reign of the Railway” in the October issue, may I add another angle to the fascinating story of our railways and what they can tell us about family history –

The growth in the ‘fleet’ of preserved ex-main line loco seems to have slowed down in recent years due to a number of factors: fewer locos becoming available, a possible saturation of the fleet, and d