Recent content by rogerfarnworth

The rule of the Shah in the 1970s became increasingly authoritarian. The royal family appropriated a large amount of the country's income for themselves and gradually the clerics became less and less content with the ruling classes. The result, as we know, was major political change at the end...

Recently, I picked up a new copy of this book for less than I would have been charged for a railway magazine at the newsagent. I have been enjoying reading it. .......... This is a short review. ....... http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/30/railways-of-the-great-war-book-review

After the War, Iran's railways experienced a period of relative stagnation. Significant developments did not occur until the 1950s. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/28/railways-in-iran-part-3-1945-to-the-1960s

This is the next installment covering the Railways of Iran. ...... http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/24/railways-in-iran-part-2-the-1910-to-1945

This is the first of what I hope will be a few articles about the Railways of Iran. It focusses on the first line built between Tehran and Rey and operating from 1888 to around 1960-61. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/23/railways-in-iran-part-1-tehran-to-rey-1888

A final article from me which covers the remaining length of the line - the length from Westward Ho! to Appledore. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/21/bideford-westward-ho-and-appledore-railway-part-3

This second post about the Tanat Valley Light Railway covers the length of the whole line and the Nantmawr Branch. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/03/17/the-tanat-valley-light-railway-and-the-nantmawr-branch-part-2

The Nice to Digne-les-Bains Line has been in the news in France over the past 12 months. In February 2019 there was a collapse of the tunnel at Moriez while strengthening work was taking place. In November 2019 the already closed line suffered some further damage as a result of bad weather. The...

Lancaster had three railway stations. It now only has one. The article below considers all three stations before focussing on the Midland Station at Green Ayre. ... http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/02/28/lancaster-green-ayre-railway-station

This is my second article about the line between Knott End and Garstang. It completes the full length of the line. I am very grateful to a number of people for permission given to publish their photographs as part of the article. You will see their pictures referenced throughout...

In January 2020, my wife and I stayed, once again, to the Southeast of the City of Lancaster and explored the area between the Line estuary and the Wyre estuary. It is a superb area for watching overwintering birds! It gave me another opportunity to look at railways in the area. After a visit...

When was nationalisation of the railways first promoted as a significant idea? Perhaps you'd like to fix a year in your mind before reading the linked post. http://rogerfarnworth.com/2020/01/23/british-railways-1948-part-2

Three further unusual locomotives/railcars. ... The first was the first Michelin Pneumatic-Tyred Railcar (Type No.9) in the UK. The second are locomtives designed to serve the narrow gauge lines in The Guinness Factory in Dublin and a clever conversion vehicle which allowed the same locos to...

All around our world different engineers designed vehicles which seemingly suited the circumstances with which they were dealing. Across the British railway network, and particularly on some of the light railways which sprang to life after the Light Railways Act 1896, there were a number of...

For a number of years in the 1920s and possibly also the 1930s my grandfather worked as a blacksmith in Horwich Loco Works. The works have always, as a result, had a specific interest for me. It has been somewhat saddening over the years to see their gradual deterioration and eventual closure...