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[b]Railway Statistics – The Railway Magazine, July 1903 and a brief look at modern figures. … [/b] J. Holt Schooling produced a series of articles in The Railway Magazine after the turn of the 20th century. I came across the third of these in the July 1903 edition of the magazine. Elsewhere in the same magazine, there was a short note which highlighted the total net receipts of all Britain's railways companies with the figures tabulated. The figures show a small but significant increase between 1901 and 1902. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/17/railway-statistics-the-railway-magazine-july-1903-and-a-brief-look-at-modern-figures/ Holt Schooling's article looked at some detailed statistics relating to British railways, with some comparisons made with statistics relating to the railways of the USA. …

Part 1 At the end of August 2024, we visited Kielder Water Reservoir, passing through Bellingham on the way. We noticed a disused railway for which a good number of structures and embankments/cuttings remained in place. This was the Border Counties Railway (BCR), a line connecting Hexham in Northumberland, with Riccarton Junction on the Waverley Route in Roxburghshire. The BCR was also known as the North Tyne Railway as it ran beside the River North Tyne for much of its length. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/16/the-border-counties-railway-part-1-hexham-to-chollerton/ The line between Kielder and Falstone is now under the waters of the Kielder Water Reservoir.

Further posts about articles from this magazine include: The Lough Swilly Railway http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/14/the-llsr-once-again-a-perspective-from-the-19th-century-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ New Zealand Railways 1899 http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/16/new-zealand-railways-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ The Oxford and Aylesbury Tram Road http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/16/the-oxford-and-aylesbury-tram-road-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/

One of the delightful things about reading early copies of The Railway Magazine is the perspective from which articles are written. In this particular case the existence of the Great Central Railway is a welcome novelty! http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/16/the-oxford-and-aylesbury-tram-road-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ [Quote]This article begins: “Quainton Road is a name which has of late become familiar to the railway public owing to its being the converging point of the lines of the Great Central Railway's recently-opened extension to London with those of the Metropolitan. It is situated in Buckinghamshire, at a distance of 45 miles from London” [/Quote]

New Zealand Railways – The Railway Magazine, November 1899. The November 1899 issue of The Railway Magazine carried the first of a short series of articles about the railways of New Zealand. As you will discover if you choose to read on, the author does not hold back on offering his personal opinions about the state of the railways and choices made by the government of the day for the country’s railways. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/16/new-zealand-railways-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ [Quote]It is a pity that I do not have access to the subsequent article(s) about New Zealand’s Railways nor to any debate that the article may have provoked. It might be interesting to hear some present day reflections on the comments the author makes! The article is also of interest for an introduction to the rather unusual decisions taken by the Southland government about its first railway.[/Quote]

The L&LSR once again - a perspective from the 19th century! - The Railway Magazine, November 1899. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/1...h-century-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ The November 1899 edition of The Railway Magazine carried a short article about the L&LSR which was not heavy on technical detail. It mostly reads as though it were a holiday brochure rather than an article in a railway journal. None-the-less, the article is still of interest, particularly for the fact that it was written during the period when the L&LSR was expanding.

Further posts about articles from this issue of The Railway Magazine appear on other threads, including: Through Norway by Rail The Severn and Wye Joint Railway Is a post on the thread below (posted on 17th September 2024 @ 16.16 hours)

The Railway Magazine, 1899 Through Norway by Rail E.E. Speight tells of his own experiences traveling by rail in Norway at the end of the 19th century. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/12/through-norway-by-rail-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ In an article which is primarily a travelogue rather than a technical piece. He fails to mention the gauges of the different railways that he travels along. The matter of the differing gauges of railways in Norway is covered in some paragraphs on the linked article. In 1899, Norway had around 1,300 miles of railway. The main elements were lines running: • from Christiania South towards Sweden reaching the border at Kornsjo (169 km – the Smaalensbanen); • from Christiania East towards Sweden reaching the border beyond Kongsvinger; • from Christiania to Trondhjem (562 km) with branches to Lillehamer, Otta and from Elverum to Kongsvinger; • from Trondhjem to Storlien (108 km) to meet the line in Sweden from Stockholm; • from Christiania South to Drammen, Laurvik and Skien (204 km) with branches to Randsfjord, Kongsberg and Kroderen, Horten and Brevik. • between Christiansand and Byglandsfjord (Saetersdal); Stavanger and Ekersund (Jaederbanen); and Bergen to Vosse (108 km).

The Purton Viaduct and the Purton Steam Carriage Road. .... On the road between Purton and Etloe on the Northwest side of the Severn Estuary there is a railway viaduct. Seemingly it sits remote from any former railway. Although you might just be forgiven for thinking that it is a remnant of the Forest of Dean Central Railway which ran through Blakeney, or even associated with the Severn & Wye Railway which ran close to, but to the South of, the hamlet of Purton. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2023/09/10/the-purton-viaduct-and-the-purton-steam-carriage-road/

I continue to find tramways and railways in the Forest of Dean of great interest. For this next post we return to Mr Brain's Tramway which primarily served Trafalgar Colliery in the Forest. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2022/06/26/brains-tramway-forest-of-dean Further research has been published in a bit more information about the locomotives that worked on the Tramway. ...

Humphrey Household included a short chapter about the Forest in his 1984 book about the railways of Gloucestershire in the 1920s http://rogerfarnworth.com/2021/09/17/the-forest-of-dean-tramways-and-railways-an-addendum While on holiday in the Forest of Dean in September 2021, I picked up a secondhand copy of "Gloucestershire Railways in the Twenties" by Humphrey Household. It consists of a review of the development of the railways in Gloucestershire supported by a series of photographs which were predominantly taken in the 1920s by Humphrey Household. The photos are a significant resource. The text of the book is well-written. Its final two chapters were of real interest to me.

The Severn & Wye Joint Railway and its Locomotives – The Railway Magazine, November 1899. Reading the November 1899 edition of The Railway Magazine, I came across an article about railways and tramways in the Forest of Dean … ‘The Severn & Wye Joint Railway’ by E.A. Clark. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/10/the-severn-wye-joint-railway-and-its-locomotives-the-railway-magazine-november-1899 The article from 1899 adds something to the series of posts already made about the Forest and its tramways/railways Clark says that “it was in the year 1809 that the initiative of the Severn and Wye took place. It had long been felt that there was great commercial scope in the Forest of Dean, and in this year Parliament sanctioned the construction of a tram road through the district. The undertaking was incorporated by the name of the Lydney and Lydbrook Railway Company, ‘for the purpose of making a railway or tramway from the River Wye at Lydbrook to the River Severn at Lydney, with various branches to serve the collieries in the Forest of Dean’. The Company finding their undertaking not complete, owing to there not being proper accommodation at Lydney for the export of coal, etc., in the following year (1810) obtained power by an Act of Parliament for the construction of a canal (over one mile in length) and docks or basins at Lydney to communicate with the River Severn, and the name of the Com- pany was changed by the same Act to the Severn and Wye Railway and Canal Company.” ...

b] Uniformity of Gauge in Australia. .....[/b] The Railway Magazine of November 1899 started a three part series looking at the need for a uniform gauge across the Commonwealth of Australia once federation had occurred ..... http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/10/uniformity-of-gauge-in-australia-a-case-for-3ft-6in-gauge-queensland-the-railway-magazine-november-1899/ [Quote]Victoria’s and South Australia’s railways were 5ft 3in broad gauge. New South Wales’ railways were standard-gauge, Queensland’s were 3ft 6in gauge. And, as of 1899, the authorities were in no sense inclined to yield up their gauge to progress. Perhaps we need a review of the historical context. Wikipedia provides a narrative which aids in understanding why Australia ended up with three different railway gauges. “In 1845, a Royal Commission on Railway Gauges in the United Kingdom was formed to report on the desirability for a uniform gauge. As a result, the Regulating the Gauge of Railways Act 1846 was passed which prescribed the use of 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) in England, Scotland and Wales (with the exception of the Great Western Railway) and 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) in Ireland. … In 1846, Australian newspapers discussed the break of gauge problem in the United Kingdom, especially for defence [and] in 1847, South Australia adopted the 4 ft 8 1⁄2 in gauge as law.”[/Quote]

Adverts This is the earliest Railway Magazine that I have so far been able to view and it takes us back into the 19th century. ...A rather tatty copy with both front two and at least the back two pages missing. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/09/07/the-railway-magazine-november-1899-adverts/

The August 1905 edition of the Railway Magazine was the 98th issue. In preparation for its 100th edition, it carried an advert for its 'centenary' of issues. ... The Railway Magazine had been established for over 8 years! http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/08/11/the-railway-magazine-august-1905-advertising/

A series of interesting items from the Railway Magazine of January 1934. ... https://wordpress.com/post/rogerfarnworth.com/53679 Water Pick-Up Troughs Some superb diagrams showing the operation of water troughs were included on page 4 of the January 1934 edition of The Railway Magazine. The GWR Capital Programme The Railway Magazine noted, "A special programme of extensions and improvements, involving a cost of over £8,000,000, was put in hand by the GWR under the Development (Loan Guarantees and Grants) Act, 1929, in anticipation of its future requirements, for the purpose of assisting in the relief of unemployment. ... The Railway Gazette, issued on [8th December 1933] a profusely illustrated Special Supplement dealing comprehensively with these works. A notable feature of this supplement is the wealth of drawings, including a double-page map of the G.W.R. system, with inset detail plans of the new works." The Campbeltown & Machrihanish Light Railway The Campbeltown and Machrihanish Light Railway was one of only four 2 ft 3 in (686 mm) narrow gauge railways in the UK. The other three were/are in Wales: the Corris Railway, the short-lived Plynlimon and Hafan Tramway and the Talyllyn Railway. The Welsh Highland Railway The Railway Magazine reported that the "Joint Committee representing the local authorities with investments in the Welsh Highland Railway has decided to ask the debenture-holders to close down the line. Carnarvonshire County Council has £15,000 in the venture, Portmadoc Urban District Council £5,000, and the Gwyrfai, Glaslyn and Deudraeth Rural District Councils £3,000 each. At a recent meeting of the Portmadoc Council, Mr. Oswald Thomas said it was important that if the railway were closed, the rails should not be taken up, particularly between Portmadoc and Croesor Bridge, as it was hoped before long to see quarries in the district working again. Captain Richard Jones said it might be arranged for the Portmadoc Council to take over that part of the railway." West Monkseaton Railway Station Waiting Shelter The Railway Magazine picked a rather modest platform building at West Monkseaton for praise. Check Rails and Ramps By 1934, it was common practice "to provide safety devices at viaducts and other important bridges to reduce to a minimum the risk of vehicles, which may have become derailed, falling over the edge. Special guard rails, fixed either inside or outside the running rails and usually at a slightly higher level, are laid across the viaduct, with some splayed arrangement at both ends to direct derailed vehicles from the edge toward the rails. An ingenious elaboration of this is shown in the accompanying illustration. It consists of converging rails with a steel ramp between them rising to rail level. Any derailed wheels would run up this and should automatically become re-railed at the top."

An article in The Railway Magazine, August 1905 discussed the use of 'Railway' and 'Railroad' in different jurisdictions around the world at the turn of the 20th century. As the linked article suggests, there was considerable uncertainty over the use of the two terms. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/08/14/railway-or-railroad/

The Railway Magazine of September 1922 carried two short articles about new Petrol Railmotors. ... https://wordpress.com/post/rogerfarnworth.com/53706 The first short article was about an experimental vehicle used by the NER. On certain portions of the NER network, the company realised that "there was room for a service conducted on lines as nearly as possible identical with those of motor buses on the roads. With the view of ascertaining, without much initial expenditure, whether the scheme is likely to prove financially successful, they have converted one of their 'Leyland' road motor 'buses, formerly running on the road services in the vicinity of Durham, so as to make it suitable for running on the railway." The second short piece in The Railway Magazine of September 1922 related to a Railmotor constructed by the Drewry Car Company Limited (Works No. 1252), to the instructions of Colonel H.F. Stephens, who, along with other roles, was Engineer and General Manager of the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Light Railway. The railmotor was powered by a 4-cylinder Baguley 35 hp petrol engine with a 3-speed gearbox and its oil consumption, on easy gradients, [was] 16 miles to the gallon. It had a maximum speed of 25 mph. It was 19ft long and driven by a chain drive from either end. It had 2ft diameter wheels.

This article features advertising from the November 1929 edition of The Railway Magazine. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/30/advertising-in-the-november-1929-railway-magazine/ It will probably be of interest to compare the various adverts in the linked article with those in The Railway Magazine of November 1938. An article about the 1938 magazine is in a separate thread.

Following on from the short article about The Railway and Travel Monthly of July 1918 which can be found on a parallel thread, this is a short reflection on the advertising which appeared in the November 1938 edition of The Railway Magazine, twenty years after the 1918 magazine , and only a few months before the outbreak of the Second World War. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/20/advertising-in-the-railway-magazine-of-november-1938/

The Railway Magazine in November 1929 reported the detailed breakdown of staffing across Britain’s railways in the week ending 9th March 1929. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/30/railway-staff-a-1929-census/

The Wenlock Branch from Longville Station to Harton Road Station via Rushbury Station. https://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/25/the-wenlock-branch-from-longville-in-the-dale-to-marsh-farm-junction-and-craven-arms/

This is an Addendum to this series of articles resulting from being able to purchase Kidner's monograph about railcars, tramcars and auto-coaches/trains published in 1947. ... http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/06/30/steam-railmotors-part-7-an-addendum/

This is the second in a short series of articles about the line. My interest in this branch line stems from reading an article by M.R. Connop Price; Before the Railways: The Early Steamers of Cardiganshire; in the Railway & Canal Historical Society Journal in July 2022. And from staying North of Cardigan in 2023 and walking part of the route of the old line. We restart our journey from Cardigan to Whitland at Boncath Railway Station. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/25/railways-in-west-wales-part-2b-the-whitland-cardigan-railway-boncath-to-llanglydwen/

The Railway and Travel Monthly, July 1918 – A Snapshot including Advertising. In the midst of a small batch of older railway magazines, was a partial copy of the July 1918 copy of "The Railway and Travel Monthly." The price for the magazine: 1 shilling Edited by: GA Sekon. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/07/18/the-railway-and-travel-monthly-july-1918-a-snapshot-including-advertising/ I find these old magazines quite interesting particularly for the contemporary view they provide on what, for us, is railway history.