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

TRIBUTE TO THE HIGH SPEED TRAINS • Last December the Class 43 High Speed Trains made their final runs in service, bringing to a conclusion 49 years of service. The ‘Inter-City 125s’ made their formal debut in October 1976 on the Great Western main line, then being delivered to the East Coast Main Line, the NE–SW Cross-Country route and the Midland Main Line. And what a success story they have been! To acknowledge their contribution to the history of train travel we offer these photographs from the cameras of GAVIN MORRISON and TOM HEAVYSIDE showing the HSTs in a range of the liveries given them by their operators over the years. As there's a lot of those we shall have another feature later!

HOLMETHORPE SAND • DAVID J. HAYES looks back at the rail movements from this Surrey sand quarry during the 1970s and 1980s.

HENRY ALFRED IVATT THROUGH THE EYES OF C. S. LAKE AND OTHERS

RAILWAYS AND THE FA CUP CAMPAIGNS OF WOLVERHAMPTON WANDERERS IN 1889, 1893, 1896 AND 1908

RAIN, STEAM AND THOMAS THE TANK ENGINE

OVER OR UNDER? RAILS ACROSS THE HUMBER • An overview of the various schemes to connect East Yorkshire with North Lincolnshire by PHIL MATHISON

EIGHT WHEELS ON THE LMS • For freight haulage the London Midland & Scottish Railway under William Stanier produced its highly regarded 8F 2-8-0 locomotives which, with those constructed for the War Department during the Second World War, eventually amounted to no fewer than 852 engines. But they weren't alone; the LMS inherited eight-coupled freight locomotives from its constituents which lasted alongside them into British Railways days. Here are three of them.

RAILS IN THE FELLS - STILL • An article this month relates the story of the remarkable campaign to save the Settle to Carlisle line from closure in the face of British Railways and Government determination to be rid of it. Yet as we know, saved it was… So we can celebrate its survival with these photographs of an amazing railway which we might very well have lost.

DADDY LONG-LEGS TAKES TO THE TRACKS

‘JSG’ ON THE SOMERSET & DORSET • Sixty years since the closure of the Somerset & Dorset Joint line was marked with a colour feature in the March issue. JOHN SPENCER GILKS not surprisingly visited the S&D on a number of occasions and here are a few of his photographs on the branch from Evercreech Junction to Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea.

SAVING THE SETTLE–CARLISLE RAILWAY • DAVID JOY looks at how England's highest main line has survi ved to celebrate its 150th anniversary in May 2026.

THE WANTAGE TRAMWAY PART ONE

THE CHARLESTOWN BRANCH PART TWO

GLASGOW CENTRAL: A SEQUEL

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...