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The Modern Tramway – March 1951 – The Hill of Howth Tramway Following on from an article written in May 2023, after a visit to Howth. I found an article about the Tramway by C. L. Fry in the March 1951 issue of The Modern Tramway. [2] The May 2023 article covers the route of the line in some detail. The featured image for this article is a Standard Double-deck tramcar sitting at Sutton Station on the Hill of Howth Tramway © F. Jeffares, Public Domain. [2: p50] C. L. Fry wrote: “A very delightful summer outing can be had by availing oneself of the excellent service operated by the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) on its Dublin local line from Amiens Street Station to Howth. Perhaps the best way would be to leave the train at Sutton Station and there board a G.N.R. Hill of Howth tram which leaves Sutton Station, and winds its way round and over the Hill. The tramway at its summit reaches a height of 350 feet above sea level. From the top of the Hill, and the tramway goes almost to the top (560 ft.) it is possible to see the Mountains of Mourne on the north side, the Wicklow Hills on the south side, and the wonderful view of Dublin Bay and Bray Head. The view at night time, with the reflection of millions of lights glittering in the sea across the bay is equally marvellous. For 1s. 6d., a ticket may be purchased to include a trip by railcar to the tramway terminus and then by the tramway round and over the Head, and back to Dublin by diesel railcar.” [2: p50] Roger FarnworthThe Modern Tramway – March 1951 – The Hill of Howth TramwayFollowing on from an article written in May 2023, after a visit to Howth, which can be read here, [1] I found an article about the Tramway by C. L. Fry in the March 1951 issue of The Modern Tramway…

[b]The Modern Tramway – February 1951 – Traction Motor Trends in 1951 – and beyond[/b] The featured image for this article is a line drawing of a drive system from a Hamburg Metro Car, an SKF DT4. [5] … AC traction motors (commonly induction motors) are the standard for modern trams, replacing older DC motors to provide higher efficiency, better reliability, and reduced maintenance. These motors, often running at 60–200 kW, power the bogies and enable regenerative braking to feed energy back into the overhead line. They are controlled by variable-frequency inverters for smooth acceleration. The Modern Tramway of February 1951 carried an article by ‘Eltee’ entitled ‘Traction Motor Trends’ about the recent changes in electric motors in trams. [1: p33-34] Roger FarnworthThe Modern Tramway – February 1951 – Traction Motor Trend...The featured image for this article is a line drawing of a drive system from a Hamburg Metro Car, an SKF DT4. [5] … AC traction motors (commonly induction motors) are the standard for modern …

[b]Modern Tramway February 1951 – New Tramcars for the Brno Tramways in 1950/51[/b] The featured image for this article is Brno Tramways No. 131 with Trailer No. 310, which early in 1951 was newly delivered to Brno. [1: p21] Gerald Deuce reported in February 1951 on a series of new tramcars being delivered to Brno in what is now the Czech Republic. [1: p25-26] He writes that these tramcars: “are uni-directional single truck motor-cars with trailers of similar design and are intended for PAYE [Pay As You Enter] operation with the entrance at the rear. All the doors except the leading set of the motor-car, are under the control of the respective conductor. “The cars are heated by electric radiators fitted under the transverse seats, and lighted by a fluorescent tube strip along the ceiling. “Brno is the capital of Moravia and has a population of just over 273,000. It is situated about 130 miles south-east of Prague, and is the centre of the Czechoslovak textile industry and an important tourist centre.” [1: p25] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/12/modern-tramway-february-1951-new-tramcars-for-the-brno-tramways-in-1950-51/

Modern Tramway – January 1951 – The Brisbane City Tramways I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue, this is a third reflection from that copy of the Journal. The featured image for this article is Brisbane City Transport No. 506: a high-speed, resilient-wheeled car, one of a new [1950] batch of 50, with full-length sliding doors, leather-covered foam-rubber seats and a panelled body. This car had a multi-notch controller driving 4 x 40 hp motors; there are 64 seats and the overload capacity is 110, © Public Domain. [1: p1] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/11/modern-tramway-january-1951-the-brisbane-city-tramways/

Modern Tramway – January 1951 – The ‘Felthams’ in Leeds I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue, this is a second reflection from that copy of the Journal. As the London network began to close a significant number of trams were sold. This copy of Modern Tramway notes that the remaining ‘Felthams’ were sold to Leeds City Transport. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/11/modern-tramway-january-1951-the-felthams-in-leeds/

Modern Tramway – January 1951 – Birmingham Bustigestion! I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue. The editorial for this issue of Modern Tramway was a long update on Birmingham’s tram-scrapping programme. An update that railed against the dominance of the bus! It was clearly written by someone who knew the centre of Birmingham at the start of the 1950s very well. The featured image for this article shows a tram service on Slade Road, Erdington in 1951, the photograph was shared on the Birmingham Area History Facebook Group by Jan Ross on 23rd November 2023, © Public Domain. Roger FarnworthModern Tramway – January 1951 – Birmingham Bustigestion!I have a few older copies of Modern Tramway which I had not yet read. The first of these is the January 1951 issue. The editorial for this issue of Modern Tramway was a long update on Birmingham&#8…

We enjoyed a visit to Wemyss Bay Railway Station in early May, while we were waiting for the ferry to the Isle of Bute. [Quote]The featured image for this article shows Wemyss Bay Railway Station from the covered walkway to the pier. A steam-powered service from Glasgow has just arrived, © Public Domain. [/Quote] Roger FarnworthWemyss Bay Railway StationWe enjoyed a visit to Wemyss Bay Railway Station in early May, while we were waiting for the ferry to the Isle of Bute. The featured image for this article shows Wemyss Bay Railway Station from the…

It was announced on 22nd October 2025 that the lines through the Channel Tunnel would see double-decker trains by 2031. An order was placed for their construction and delivery in October 2025. This article takes a look at the history of double-deck trains and carriages. The featured image for this article shows what one of these trains would look like in Eurostar’s grey livery. The fully electric fleet of trains will be named Eurostar Celestia, which comes from the Latin word caelestis, meaning ‘heavenly’. The colour of the train has not yet been decided, but the current colour of Eurostar trains is grey, dark blue and yellow. Each train would be 200m long. Currently two are run together making an entire service 400m long. Double-decker trains don’t have twice as many seats as a single-deckers though, just because there needs to be room for interior steps, but there would be a fifth more seats. This means an increase from just under 900 seats on the current service to just over a thousand. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/04/double-decker-trains/

A mineral railway and enlarged harbour were constructed in 1853/1854 with a first significant cargo of limestone leaving the Carnlough harbour for Scotland in mid-August 1854. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/23/the-carnlough-limestone-railway-and-harbour-carnlough-co-antrim/

The Railways of West Cumberland – Part 1 – An Introduction The November 1954 issue of The Railway Magazine included an article by C. A. Knight about the railways between Sellafield and Maryport and inland as far as Cockermouth and Kelton Fell. [Quote]Reading Knight’s article encouraged me to begin a review of the different railways and tramways of the area. This article is the first of a series. … [/Quote] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/02/the-railways-of-west-cumberland-part-1-an-introduction/

Parliament and the Railways in 1858. N. Caplan reviewed parliamentary activity relating to railways in 1858 in The Railway Magazine of December 1958. His aim was to encourage research into railway history through the various Acts of Parliament relating to railways. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/05/02/parliament-and-the-railways-in-1858/

[b]Part 1 Introduction and the Route of the Railway from Gällivare to Arvidsjaur[/b] The featured image for this article is a picture of Swedish State Railways (Swedish: Statens Järnvägar) Locomotive No. 907 at Arvidsjaur Railway Station. The image is dated May 1935, (c) Public Domain. [60] Known as Sweden’s Inland Railway, the Inlandsbanan “extends from Gällivare, in Lapland, to Kristinehamn, on Lake Väner, in Värmland, a distance of 800 miles, through scenery that ranges from the tundra of the Arctic to the forest lands of Central Sweden.” [1: p826] The line is known for its leisurely pace, allowing for wildlife spotting (reindeer, elk) and spontaneous stops, with onboard hosts providing commentary. Trains operate with daily departures during the 3 months of high summer, often with packages that include hotels. It also operates for 4 months in the winter. Roger FarnworthSweden’s Inland Railway (Inlandsbanan) – Part 1 – Introdu...The featured image for this article is a picture of Swedish State Railways (Swedish: Statens Järnvägar) Locomotive No. 907 at Arvidsjaur Railway Station. The image is dated May 1935, (c) Public Dom…

Part 1 - A Short History The featured image for this article is a 4-4-0 Locomotive No. 694 – one of a class of 15 built by the North British Locomotive Company in Scotland for Egyptian State Railways in 1905-06, © Public Domain. [1] Egyptian National Railways (Al-Sikak al-Ḥadīdiyyah al-Miṣriyyah) is the national railway network of Egypt. Founded in 1854, it is the oldest railway system in Africa and the Middle East. [1] Much of what follows comes from the Wikipedia article about Egypt’s national railway network [1] and from Hugh Hughes book, ‘Middle East Railways’, published by the Continental Railway Circle. [3] Other sources include Grace’s Guide, [6] the Egyptian Government [7] and the Institute of Developing Economies. [8] [Quote] 1833-1877 Wikipedia tells us that, “In 1833, Muhammad Ali Pasha considered building a railway between Suez and Cairo to improve transit between Europe and India. Muhammad Ali had proceeded to buy the rail when the project was abandoned due to pressure by the French who had an interest in building a canal instead.” [/Quote] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/01/egyptian-railway-history-a-short-version/

The November 1954 edition of The Railway Magazine contained an article by Robert Legget about the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire. He was surprised to find that in 1954 it was claiming to be 'the first mountain climbing railway in the world'. It is beyond doubt that it is among the pioneer mountain railways of the world, but the first? http://rogerfarnworth.com/2026/04/15/the-mount-washington-cog-railway/

Part 6 – The British Mandate and the Trust – The Years of British Rule including the approach of World War II Roger FarnworthRailways of Tanzania – Part 6 – The British Mandate and t...The featured image for this article is a photograph of the first ,’corridor’ mail train leaving Dar es Salaam in 1922. The locomotive is No. 1098 ex NGSR of India (later a TR NZ Class L…