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Part 1 The railway from Nice PLM Station to Tende and Cuneo was completed in 1928. It was long in the gestation and in construction. The story stretches back more than a century and a half. ‘Le Chemin de fer du Col de Tende’ is historically a significant local and international line. Its inverted Y-shaped layout and its crossing of international borders means that it is known by a number of different names: - in Nice it is known as the Nice – Coni Line; - generally in Italy it is officially Ferrovia Cuneo Ventimiglia - in the Piedmont city of Cuneo’s economic/political circles, sitting at the top of the inverted ‘Y’, it is often referred to as the Cuneo – Nizza line in recognition of good relations with the community of Nice. Roger FarnworthThe Railway between Nice, Tende and Cuneo – Part 1The featured image above shows the inaugural train arriving at Breil-sur-Roya in March 1928, © Public Domain, shared by Jean-Paul Bascoul in the Comte de Nice et son Histoire Facebook Group on 25th…[quote]Its story is a saga of significant technical achievement: gaining 1000 metres in height ; having a dozen tunnels longer than 1 kilometre (including those of the Col de Tende (8098 m), the Col de Braus (5939 m) and the Mont Grazian tunnel (3882 m), which are among the longest structures on the French and Italian networks); having four complete helical loops, several S-shaped loops and a multitude of bridges and viaducts (some of which, such as those of Scarassouï or Bévéra, are architecturally significant railway structures. Of a total route of 143.5 km, 6.5 km are on bridges or viaducts and over 60 km are in tunnels. This means that close to 42% of the journey along the line(s) is on or within structures.[/quote]

A short note about extensive alterations at Manchester London Road Station appeared in the December 1958 issue of The Railway Magazine. The major alterations were designed to accommodate the electrification of the line between Manchester and Crewe. Roger FarnworthManchester Mayfield Railway StationThe featured image shows Longsight’s Stanier 2-6-0 Locomotive No. 42960 at Manchester Mayfield on 3rd September 1955 about to depart with a suburban service. This image was shared on the Brit…[quote] The Railway Magazine reported that “The improvements include[d] the construction of three new platforms, the lengthening of the existing platforms, to accommodate 16-coach electric trains, and the widening of the concourse. The station [would] thus have 14 platforms, of which ten [would be devoted to main-line and local traffic on the former London & North Western line, and the remainder to trains on the Great Central route. When the alterations [were] completed, the adjoining terminus at Mayfield [would] cease to deal with passenger traffic. A new power signalbox [would] control the area extending to East Didsbury and Heaton Chapel, and will replace 13 manual boxes. Electric trains [would] not be an innovation at London Road, because the Altrincham line was electrified in 1931, and the Sheffield line in 1954.” [/quote]

The December 1958 issue of The Railway Magazine featured three photographs of Beyer Garrett locomotives at work in East Africa. These were giants of the metre-gauge that grappled with long loads on steep inclines and at times sharply curved track radii. ....... Roger FarnworthThree Beyer-Garratts in East Africa in the 1950sThe December 1958 issue of The Railway Magazine featured three photographs of Beyer Garrett locomotives at work in East Africa. These were giants of the metre-gauge that grappled with long loads on…

Lewis, Harris and Skye - "The Soap Man," and some other railways (1890s to 1920s). ... Roger Hutchinson tells the story of Lord Leverhulme's interest in Lewis, Harris and (to a much lesser extent) Skye, in the years following the First World War. Lord Leverhulme purchased Lewis and later Harris with a view to developing the islands. Mingled in with the story are Lord Leverhulme's plans for transport infrastructure and particularly railways. Hutchinson first introduces railway plans in comments attributed to Thomas Mawson who wrote about Lord Leverhulme's plans in the Manchester Guardian. Roger FarnworthLewis, Harris and Skye – “The Soap Man,” and some other r...The featured image is a steam locomotive that was gainfully employed on Lewis on a contract fulfilled by Sir Robert McAlpine & Co. The Branahuie Railway (3ft-gauge) was a temporary line used in…

Part 3 – The Inverness to Aviemore Direct Line. The Inverness and Aviemore Direct Railway was built by the Highland Railway to provide a shorter and more direct route between Inverness and Aviemore, carrying its main line traffic to Perth and the south. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/07/01/the-highland-railway-part-3-the-inverness-to-aviemore-direct-line/

The Railways of Namibia (the former South West Africa) – Part 2 – Windhoek and the Southern Lines In Part 1, we looked at the railways in the North of Namibia. This article covers lines which left Windhoek and covered the South of the country. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/20/the-railways-of-namibia-the-former-south-west-africa-part-2-windhoek-and-the-southern-lines/

The Railways of Namibia (the former South West Africa) – Part 1 – Windhoek and the Northern Lines The Railway Magazine of February 1952 carried an article by Charles E. Lee about railways in what was German South West Africa. This encouraged me to have a look at the history of Namibia's railways and their condition and extent in the 21st century. The 1952 article also caught my attention because Manchester Diocese (I was a priest in Manchester Diocese before retirement) is linked with the Diocese of Namibia. The territory was formally colonized by Germany between 1884-1890. It covered an area of 835,100 sq. km. It was a settler colony and had attracted around 3,000 German settlers by 1903, who primarily settled in the central high grounds. [2] German South West Africa, now known as Namibia, was a German colony from 1884 to 1915. It was not a province within the German Empire but a separate colonial territory. From 1891, the capital was Windhoek, which also serves as the capital of modern-day Namibia. [2] The arrival of German settlers disrupted the existing socioeconomic balance and led to conflicts, particularly with the Herero and Nama people. “ In 1883 Franz Adolf Lüderitz, a merchant from Bremen, Germany, established a trading post in southwest Africa at Angra Pequena, which he renamed Lüderitzbucht. He also acquired the adjacent coastal area, which he named Lüderitzland. These areas were constituted the first German colony under German protection on April 24, 1884. The German occupation subsequently extended inland. By the latter 1880s the German Colonial Company for the South realized that it was incapable of administering the territory, and the German government immediately took over the colony's administration. As a result of the Zanzibar Treaty (1890) between Germany and Great Britain, German South West Africa acquired the Caprivi Strip (named after the German chancellor Graf Leo von Caprivi), a tract of land 280 miles (450 km) long in the extreme northeast of the territory ; [3] German colonial rule was harsh, leading to insurrections and resistance. “ Major Theodor Leutwein, governor of the colony in 1894–1904, suppressed insurrections of the Khoekhoe (1894) and of the Hereros (1896). In 1904, however, the Hereros fomented a far more dangerous rebellion. The German force, at first only 750 strong and supported only by one artillery battery, had to face an army of some 8,000 men equipped with modern weapons. Reinforcements increased the German force, ultimately under the command of General Lothar von Trotha, and resulted in a decisive German victory on the Waterberg River rebellions were put down in 1904–07 .” [3] German South West Africa was occupied by the South African Union Defense Force in 1915 during World War I, and Germany formally ceded the territory under the Treaty of Versailles in 1919. Its administration was taken over by the Union of South Africa (part of the British Empire) and the territory was administered as South West Africa under a League of Nations mandate. It became independent as Namibia on 21st March 1990. [2] The Railways The railways in German South West Africa played a crucial role in the colonial administration and the First World War campaign. The German colonial authorities built a railway network between 1897 and 1914 to enable colonial territorialization and facilitate the extraction of resources. [4] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/15/the-railways-of-namibia-the-former-south-west-africa-part-1-windhoek-and-the-northern-lines/

The Highland Railway - Part 2 - The First Direct Line Between Inverness and Perth (via Forres) – the Dava Line H. A. Vallance tells us that “The proposed new railway through the Central Highlands left the Inverness & Aberdeen Junction Railway at Forres, 24 miles East of Inverness, and turning sharply to the south, rose steeply for several miles to cross the hills separating the valley of the Findhorn from Strathspey. Beyond the summit at Dava, 1,052 ft above sea level, the approximate course of [a] route surveyed … in 1845 was joined, and the line proceeded by way of Grantown and the west bank of the Spey to Kingussie. There followed a long, steep climb up the northern slopes of the Grampians to the head of the Druimuachdar Pass, and a corresponding descent to Blair Atholl and the Pass of Killiecrankie. Crossing the Tay near Dalguise, the line reached Dunkeld, where it made an end-on junction with the Perth & Dunkeld Railway.” [17: p24] The enabling Act of Parliament was passed in July 1861 and authorised the Inverness & Perth Junction Railway to take control of the Perth & Dunkeld Railway. That amalgamation took place in February 1864. Work on the line commenced in October 1861. The first 13 miles (Dunkeld-Pitlochry) opened at the beginning of June 1863. The length from Forrest to Aviemore opened in early August of the same year. The last length (Aviemore-Pitlochry) was completed in September, just a month or so later. Vallance notes: “The chief engineering works on the line were the seven-span masonry viaduct over the Divie, near Dunphail, 477 ft long and 105 ft high; the girder bridge across the Tay, near Dalguise, 515 ft long and 67 ft high; and the ten-span masonry viaduct, 54 ft high, over a deep ravine in the Pass of Killiecrankie. Smaller masonry bridges were required to carry the railway over the Bran, north of Dunkeld, and the Garry, at Struan. The latter was remarkable in that its main span crossed not only the river, but also the stone bridge carrying the Rannoch Road over the Garry at the same point. At Blair Atholl the Tilt was crossed by a single-span lattice-girder bridge. … Only two short tunnels were found necessary-one in the Pass of Killiecrankie (128 yd long), and the other north of Dunkeld (350 yd long). South of Dunkeld there was a third tunnel (310 yd long), but this had, of course, been constructed by the Perth & Dunkeld Railway. (These, incidentally, were the only three tunnels on the Highland Railway.)” [17: p25] ... This article covers the route from Forres to Perth. ... http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/28/the-highland-railway-part-2/

The Duke of Sutherland's Saloons, Locomotives and Railways In January 1950, G. Charles published a short (2 page) article about the Duke of Sutherland's railway interests. [1] It was only the nationalization of the British railways which brought to an end the Duke of Sutherland's hobby of owning and running his own train with running powers over LMS lines. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/06/the-duke-of-sutherlands-saloons-locomotives-and-railways/

The Railways of Skye and Adjacent Islands – Part 6 – Storr Lochs Hydroelectric Power Station Storr Lochs hydro-electric power station was commissioned in 1952. It was built by the North of Scotland Hydro-Electric Board, and used water from Lochs Leathan and Fada, to provide the first general supply of electricity to the island. The power station has a total output of 2.40 MW. Because the location of the turbine house was not easily accessible, it was (and continues to be) served by a standard-gauge electric funicular railway. [1] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/04/the-railways-of-skye-and-adjacent-islands-part-6-storr-lochs-hydroelectric-power-station/

Part 5 -The Quartzite (Silica) Quarry Tramway at Ord There was a short tramway in the quartzite quarry close to Ord which was operational in the mid-20th century. … http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/03/the-railways-of-skye-and-adjacent-islands-part-5-the-quartzite-silica-quarry-tramway-at-ord

Part 4 – The Raasay Iron Ore Mine Railway There is an excellent book by Laurence & Pamela Draper, which they self-published in 1990, entitled “The Raasay Iron Mine: Where Enemies Became Friends.” I picked up a copy second-hand from an online sales site. That book covers the operation on Raasay in some detail. This article looks at the railways involved. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/05/27/the-railways-of-skye-adjacent-islands-part-4-the-raasay-iron-mine-railway/ L. & P. Draper tell us that “Just before the First World War the Scottish coal and iron-ore mining, and iron-smelting, firm of William Baird and Company opened up an iron-ore mine on the Island of Raasay in the Inner Hebrides. … In association with the mine, Baird’s built several kilometres of narrow-gauge railway, a crusher, five calcining kilns, a huge ore hopper and a reinforced concrete pier. Many aspects of the installation, such as this pier, diesel-electric power generation and the provision of powerful external electric lighting, were very advanced for their time.” [1: pV][3: p146] The BBC tells us that “William Baird and Co. Ltd … owned the Raasay estate and initiated the mine’s operations. The mine was developed just before the war and was crucial in providing iron ore for the British war effort, with the ore being transported to Ravenscraig for smelting.” [2]

Dereham (East Dereham) Station, Norfolk An article in the magazine Railway Bylines, in the September 2002 edition written by Orson Carter prompted a look at the railway system in Dereham Norfolk. [1] http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/05/31/derehameast-dereham-station-norfolk/

Part 3 – The Skye Marble Railway The featured image for this article is the only photograph I have been able to find of ‘Skylark’, the locomotive which for a matter of only a few years operated on the Skye Marble Railway. Further notes about the locomotive can be found in this article. An information board across the road from Kilchrist Church, features Skylark at the head of a train of wagons. [5] Some sources say that in 1904, an aerial ropeway was constructed to transport marble to Broadford Pier from Kilchrist Quarries (alternatively known as Kilbride Quarries or Strath Suardal). The quarries were used to excavate marble. [1][2] Other sources talk of the line being worked first by horses. [14] There was an incline between the upper and lower Quarries at Kilchrist which appears to have been rope-worked. It is most likely, given the length of line from Kilchrist to the quay at Broadford and the relatively shallow gradients, that the line from the marble works down to Broadford was worked by horses, but it is entirely possible that an aerial ropeway was employed. Nothing remains of the line beyond the formation which now carries a footpath once South of Broadford, and, as will be seen below, some rails in the surface of the pier at Broadford. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/06/02/the-railways-of-skye-adjacent-islands-part-3-the-skye-marble-railway/

Part 2 – The Talisker Distillery Tramway The Talisker Distillery Tramway was a short 2ft-gauge tramway which opened in 1900 and closed in 1948. It ran from Carbost Pier on Loch Harport, along the Harport shore to Talisker Distillery and was used to transport materials for Talisker Distillery. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/05/03/the-railways-of-skye-part-2-the-talisker-distillery-tramway/