BrickishRail

15/09/2025

85 years ago, the Luftwaffe launched a large scale assault across the skies of Britain, marking the height of the Battle of Britain. This assault saw RAF pilots prove their skills and prowess, with the Germans suffering numerous casualties and losses, despite having almost double the aircraft (1120 compared to the British 630). Today we continue to remember the valiant efforts and sacrifices made by "The Few" on this day and through the Second World War.

Honouring "The Few" on the railways, 44 of Bulleid's Light Pacifics built after WWII were named in honour of RAF Squadrons, Aircraft, Airfields and key figures associated with the Battle of Britain. Meanwhile in 2012, East Coast Class 91 91110 was unveiled in a unique memorial livery at York Railfest, named 'Battle of Britain Memorial Flight' with nameplates inspired by those fitted to Bulleid's Pacifics. 91110 continues in service on the East Coast Mainline today with LNER.

Additionally in 2024, Battle of Britain Class 34053 'Sir Keith Park' was renamed as '303 Squadron' at a ceremony at Eridge Station on the Spa Valley Railway, in honour of Polish and Czech pilots who flew in the RAF alongside British pilots, who's efforts were sadly left unrecognised and underappreciated after the war.

"Never, in the field of human conflict, was so much owed by so many to so few." - Winston Churchill

Battle of Britain Memorial Flight (Official)
London North Eastern Railway
SLL - Southern Locomotives Ltd
Spa Valley Railway - Royal Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Swanage Railway

15/09/2025

195 years ago in 1830, the Liverpool & Manchester Railway opened. The world's first intercity passenger railway, stretching 31 miles between the two cities and engineered by George Stephenson, provided the 19th century equivalent of high speed travel, with traction for the line based upon Robert's, George Stephenson's son, design of Rocket, having been chosen through the LMR's Rainhill Trials in 1829.

The opening day was attended by Prime Minister Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington, who's train was hauled by 'Northumbrian'. The day saw mixed reactions from the general public: Whilst many waved and cheered, others threw stones at the passing train. On arrival at Manchester, the Duke, who was seen as unpopular amongst mill workers in the city, refused to alight for the prepared reception, in fear of a hostile crowd.

The historic occasion was also sought with dark tragedy, with the death of MP William Huskisson. After alighting the train during a water stop at Newton-le-Willows to speak with the Duke of Wellington, 'Rocket' approached on the adjacent line, heading straight for the alighted passengers. In attempting to re-enter the safety of the carriage, Huskisson clung to a door which swung open, directly onto the tracks and into the path of the approaching 'Rocket'. Huskisson's leg was crushed and he would later die as a result of his injuries, after being rushed to the vicarage in Eccles, with the MP reported as stating "I have met my death—God forgive me!".

The LMR would eventually become absorbed into the Grand Junction Railway in 1845. Two locomotives for the LMR survived into preservation: No.1 'Rocket' (Currently on display at the National Railway Museum) and No.57 'Lion' (Displayed at the Museum of Liverpool), though the identity of 'Lion' is debated. Several replicas of 'Rocket' have been produced over the decades, depicting the loco as built for the 1829 Rainhill Trials. An additional replica of No.9 'Planet' was also constructed in 1992, housed at the Museum of Science and Industry, located at the site of Liverpool Road station, the LMR's Manchester terminus.

National Railway Museum
Museum of Liverpool

14/09/2025

BR Standard 5MT 73156 prepares to depart Rothley Station for Leicester North, carrying headcode 1Z36 and the Locomotive Club of Great Britain headboard, 16/08/25.

24th September 1966 would see the LCGB run the Conway Valley Railtour from London to North Wales under the headcode 1Z36. The tour was picked up by Britannia Class 70004 'William Shakespeare' at Crewe for the run along the North Wales Coast to Llandudno Junction. From there, the tour would run to Blaneau Festiniog, Llandudno, Rhyl and Denbigh behind the Brit, LMS Stanier 4P Tank pair 42574 and 42644 and Hughes Crab 42942, before a return to Crewe then onwards back to London. (Info from Six Bells Junction)

Great Central Railway
73156 Standard 5 Group
Railways at Work - Great Central Railway

13/09/2025

British Rail Class 150 Sprinter 150231 is seen making her preservation debut at The Greatest Gathering at Derby Litchurch Lane, with the unit having recently been donated to the Mid Hants Railway, alongside Class 142 Pacer 142013 from the Midland Railway, Butterley, 02/08/25.

The Greatest Gathering
The Watercress Line
Midland Railway - Butterley

12/09/2025

With the yard inspector keeping an eye out, British Railways Class 08 Shunter 13101 waits to run through the yard at Quorn & Woodhouse to rejoin the Great Central Mainline, 16/08/25.

Great Central Railway
Railways at Work - Great Central Railway
Quorn & Woodhouse Station

11/09/2025

Little and large; Newly overhauled 1400 Class Autotank 1466 sits next to King Class 6023 'King Edward II' outside the shed at Didcot Railway Centre, 06/09/25.

Didcot Railway Centre

09/09/2025

This year has seen GWR 4079 'Pendennis Castle' paired with the 3,500 gallon tender from 4300 Class 5322, lined and with golden "Great Western" lettering at crest. This returns the Castle to her 1924 as built appearance, in addition to how the loco looked during the LNER & GWR exchanges as well as for her display during the 1925 British Empire Exhibition at Wembley alongside LNER A1 Pacific 4472 'Flying Scotsman'.

The recent Autumn Steam Gala at Didcot provided a final opportunity to see 4079 running in this manner before she is reunited with her more familiar 4,000 gallon tender. Here she is on the main demonstration line, coupled with a pair of Dean and Churchward Third coaches, 06/09/25.

Didcot Railway Centre

09/09/2025

LNER built, LMS Design, on a GWR loco...

Currently under construction at Didcot Railway Centre is new build GWR Hawksworth County Class 1014 'County of Glamorgan'. 30 of Hawksworth's Counties were built at Swindon Works between 1945 and 1947, with the original 1014 built in August 1946. No members of Hawksworth's County Class survived into preservation, with the final member of the class to be withdrawn, 1011 'County of Chester', being scrapped in 1965.

Hawksworth's County Class made use of new GWR boiler designs, with their lineage stemming from the boilers built for Stanier's LMS 8Fs, with 80 8Fs being built at Swindon during World War Two. During the same period, a further 30 of Stanier's designs were also constructed at the LNER's Doncaster Works, including LMS 8518. The LNER would later go on to order 100 8Fs, classified as LNER O6s. 8518, later 48518, would be withdrawn in 1965, ending up at the Woodham Brothers' Scrapyard in Barry.

Whilst over 200 locomotives were saved for preservation from Barry Scrapyard, 48518 was one of ten locomotives to remain neither saved nor scrapped by the time Dai Woodham's retirement came in 1990, making 48518 the last surviving 8F built by the LNER. The 'Barry 10' were acquired by the South Glamorgan County Council, with hopes of restoration. 20 years later, 48518 would be disassembled and sold off for new build projects, with the firebox and rebuilt boiler going towards the new build County, whilst other parts are being utilised on the LMS Patriot Project, 5551 'The Unknown Warrior'. The frames were scrapped in 2013.

Another member of the 'Barry 10', BR(W) Modified Hall Class 7927 'Willington Hall' donates its frames to the County new build, with the boiler having been used on the completed GWR 6880 'Betton Grange'.

Didcot Railway Centre

08/09/2025

New Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmiVk_tw9Sc

As September rolls in, we see the start of the Autumn Steam Gala season, starting with Didcot Railway Centre's efforts, featuring a guest appearance from South Eastern & Chatham Railway O1 Class No.65 from the Bluebell Railway running both passenger and freight services along Didcot's demonstration mainline, in addition to visiting GWR 1400 Autotank 1450 from the Severn Valley Railway.

Whilst 1450 was on hand to run autocoach services along the demonstration branch line, the centre's own GWR 1400 Class 1466 would sadly remain on static display, having been pulled from the event following issues regarding insurance and boiler subcontractors, resulting in the locomotive being displayed outside the main shed alongside GWR King Class 6023 'King Edward II'. The weekend was also the final chance to see Castle Class 4079 'Pendennis Castle' paired with a 3500 Gallon Collett tender, swapping with SECR No.65 to run shuttles on the main demonstration line, as well as Avonside Saddle Tank 1340 'Trojan' shunting around the yard.

Didcot Railway Centre
Bluebell Railway
Severn Valley Railway

As September rolls in, we see the start of the Autumn Steam Gala season, starting with Didcot Railway Centre's efforts, featuring a guest appearance from Sou...

04/09/2025

A look back at our visit to Peak Rail last week for a day with visiting LNWR Coal Tank 1054, hosted by our friends at 30742 Charters. Multiple run pasts gave the opportunity to create this sequence of shots of the 1888 built loco departing Rowsley with a mixed rake of wagons. You can view our full coverage of the day over on YouTube: https://youtu.be/cs1pwULJ-_c

30742 Charters
Peak Rail
Bahamas Locomotive Society

02/09/2025

This year, Freightliner are celebrating 60 Years of service. Established in 1965, Freightliner was British Rail's replacement for the Condor (CONtainers DOoR-to-Door) freight services. Following Dr Beechings 1963 report "The Reshaping of Britain's Railways", BR's new Freighliner services would see the transport of standardised shipping containers, replacing the smaller wooden containers and Conflat wagons.

Early services would run with guard "caboose" modules, due to rules prohibiting guards to ride in the rear cab of trains, though these modules however proved to be uncomfortable for guards to ride in. A surviving example can be found at the National Railway Museum in York. Whilst rules for rear cab riding were relaxed, changes to freight train braking in 1965 ultimately saw a large reduction in guarded freight services.

In 1996, Freightliner became privatised, inheriting a number of Class 47s, 86s and 90s from British Rail. The company commissioned Brush Traction to develop and produce the Class 57 locomotives, in addition to leasing a large number of the newly-built Class 66s, with these locomotives receiving an all Green livery. In 2007, Freightliner ordered thirty Class 70s from General Electric, as part of Project Genesis, and in 2019, acquired Fourteen Class 59s.

Today, Freightliner services continue to be a common sight across the UK, with intermodal container traffic still making up a large percentage of the company's operations.

Freightliner Group Ltd

31/08/2025

in 1975, the Shildon 150 Cavalcade took place, celebrating 150 years of Stephenson's 'Locomotion' and the Stockton & Darlington Railway. The procession was led by a working replica of 'Locomotion', with the original locomotive being too old and historically valuable to return to steam.

The cavalcade featured numerous other steam locomotives from across Britain's history, including Wantage Tramway No.5 'Shannon', at the time the oldest operational locomotive in Britain (Built 1857), LMS Black Five 4767 'George Stephenson', which had been named at the event, and the last steam locomotive built by British Railways, Standard 9F 92220 'Evening Star'. Capping off the line-up was Prototype High Speed Train 252-001, showcasing the future of 20th century rail travel.

Here are just a selection of the locomotives in more recent years which featured in that 150th anniversary line-up 50 years ago!