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Contents Listing - Articles & Features in this issue
reserved railways a€ is there a bright future? - Derek Hanson presents a revealing survey and analysis of British preserved railways, with some thoughts on future developments. Rail Transport Museum, New Delhi - Curator R. Bhandari outlines the creation of India's Rail Transport Museum and its stock of locomotives, equipment and relics. Grafting for Isle of Wight steam - Preservation volunteer Nigel Spencer provides some insights as to why railways restored are good fun and a satisfying activity. Steam in the French Forest - Robert Tyrrell tells the story of a 2ft 3yin forestry railway transformed into a passenger line in Alsace-Lorraine. On shed - Photo feature - A diesel weekend in North Yorkshire - Colin Conway takes us to the North Yorkshire Moors Railway to find diesel power in charge on Diesel Day. Main line steam routes in the North-West - Britain's premier area for main line steam operations a€" Bob Avery surveys some of the familiar a€" and lesser-known a€" BR lines that have welcomed steam in recent years. Rolling stock preservation report - Paul Johnston's regular Trains Illustrated feature. Steam photographer a€" Brian Stephenson - Trains Illustrated's photo-call brings you more of the best in preserved steam photography at home and in Europe. ARPS Briefing Cover: BR '9F- 2-10-0 No 92203 outside Cranmore shed. East Somerset Railway, 17 October 1982.
Article Snippets
ditorial: AT THE end of 1981, things appeared a trifle bleak for railway preservation. The main line specials had experienced a rather disappointing autumn programme and the results of the previous summer season on preserved railways revealed a downturn in the traffic growth that had taken them through the 1970s. The prognosis for 1982/83 seems more cheering. Main line steam has probably never done better a€ whether sponsored by BR or SLOA. Some preserved railways are reporting a continuation of the decline experienced in the 1980/81 seasons, but others cheerfully proclaim their second-best, or even best passenger carryings. Generalisations would appear to be best avoided. But what of longer-term trends? In this issue's leading article, Derek Hanson provides some salutary evidence and an analysis of the preserved railways in the UK. Sadly enough, what could be a valuable and telling study in terms of traffic trends has been somewhat hampered by the failure of a few railways to divulge information that can hardly be damaging to their interests. Best perhaps to leave it at that, but evidence of success or relative failure can surely be taken neither as a yardstick of management shortcomings, nor as an incitement to others to muscle in on hard-won effort.
