Railway World key file
A journal which went through many forms until it expired. In some of its many manifestations it included some excellent material: this page will gradually become the key file to the project (12 April 2013). In 1964, presumably during the move to Shepperton, No. 285 was "lost" and February became No. 286. Most of the copies indexed have come from the Weybourne station bookshop and are available for sale thereat. Issue Mumber 200 contains a history of the journal up until then. In some respects the journal mirrors what it described: for a time it had plates on the outer pages which were given lower case Roman numerals and book reviews and news tended to be dumped on these pages. It was very fond of series, noatbly Locomotive Causerie and Glimpses of the Narrow Gauge. It never seemed to make up its mind the extent to which it hoped to report "the then current scene" which tended to be done more thoroughly elsewhere. Italics indicate complete volume examined
Issue Numbers
500 A FORAY IN THE FILES Basil Cooper
Basil Cooper. Railway World 500: a foray through
the files. 1981, 42, 648
From the introduction of the LNER Silver Jubilee in 1935 to
the outbreak of World War 2 the railways showed an enterprise and initiative
which maintained their appeal against rival interests. The railway scene
was of great variety. The pre-Grouping and post-Grouping generations working
side by side were a practical demonstration of continuity in railway development.
The present was seen evolving from the recent past, and no great stretch
of imagination was needed to look further back in time. Steam was the link
between the periods, and steam was seen to be capable of meeting the demands
for accelerated travel from a public becoming accustomed to the idea of rumbling
through the sky at a cruising speed of a hundred miles an hour or more. Nostalgia
was unknown outside those areas of the Southern Railway where electrification
had demoted first-rank steam locomotives to secondary tasks.
In 1939 only one publication, apart from societies' journals, catered exclusively
for the railway enthusiast. With 500 numbers behind it in February of that
year it had become almost a national institution, so much so that to many
who paid their monthly shilling the idea of a second magazine on the same
subject seemed almost shocking. The motoring enthusiast and the amateur radio
constructor might wander irresolutely among a host of papers claiming their
attention but the devotee of railways listened to one true voice and tended
to regard others speaking on the same theme as very minor prophets. I must
declare an interest here, for I was employed as a railway journalist at the
time and wrote many an acid comment on the errors of what we called 'the
lay press' as if we were indeed a priesthood.
I was detached from this comfortable establishment in September 1939 and
relaunched as a name, rank and number. I did not see, therefore, how it reacted
to the appearance of a new popular railway periodical in the depths of the
first wartime winter. December 1939 saw No 1, Volume 1, of Railways;
an unpropitious date. one might think, but the fact that this 500th number
of Railway World is Railways' direct descendant proves that
the decision to produce it in spite of the omens was correct. The Editor
in his first editorial recalled his misgivings as the international situation
worsened, but when the storm broke the radio' advised us to carry on with
reading, hobbies and other recreations; it was these facts that finally decided
us to continue with our plans'.
The first issue of Railways was published under the proprietorship
of E.L Lake from an address in Radlett, Herts. From No 7 the publishing office
was moved to Cricklewood, and from No 10 (in February 1941) the proprietor
was shown as Railway World Limited, although the magazine continued as
Railways until the name was changed to Railway World in 1952.
The aim of the magazine, as stated in No 1, was to provide 'interesting and
instructive reading for all those interested in railways and allied matters',
with special emphasis on illustrations, which it was hoped to make 'one of
the best features of the magazine'. Railway photography had been flourishing
among enthusiasts until war conditions clamped down on it, aided by what
now seem absurdly cheap prices of equipment and materials. The average amateur's
camera was much less sophisticated than what he owns today, but a shutter
speed usually not more than one-hundredth of a second did not deter him from
having a go at moving trains. In doing so he learned the importance of not
only avoiding too broadside a view but of firing the shutter while the train
was still a good way off. As a result his pictures took in more of the
surroundings than had been customary in much of the work of the railway
photographic 'Old Masters' of the 1920s, who with the advantage of their
focal plane shutters could hold their fire until the train occupied a large
part of the viewfinder. The photograph that was a railway scene rather than
simply a record of a locomotive and train came into being out of necessity.
The style is so usual today that it may be hard to believe it was once disparaged
on the grounds that scenery distracted attention from the central object.
G.H. Lake, first Editor of Railways, launched a photographic competition
in the first issue. Prizes were offered in three classes. Class A was to
be judged on pictorial interest; Class B sought 'the most interesting photographs
of a railway train, both passenger and freight'; and Class C was for technical
pictures. The winner of Class A was C.M. Doncaster, whose print of an ex-NER
0-4-4T hauling five eight-wheelers on the Whitby-Pickering line near Goathland
was reproduced in Railways No 2 of February 1940 (the magazine appeared at
first at two-monthly intervals). It earned the commendation that 'the exhaust
shows up well in the sunlight and the splendjd Yorkshire scenery makes a
nice setting for the train'.
Names later familiar were beginning to appear in the credits. J. B. Hubback's
winning entry in Class B of.Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on a Paddington-Cardiff
express was praised for 'a viewpoint that brings out the effect of speed'
and for the use of a red filter to give a dark sky and throw the train into
strong relief. Both winners showed a new approach to a familiar theme, but
Class C was a more novel challenge. J. B. Muir's winning print, 'waggon wheels',
was a study of the suspension and brake gear of a four-wheel tank wagon.
It was a pity that wartime conditions did not allow the competitions to be
kept up. If photographers had been able to ramble freely with their cameras
Class C might have preserved in picture form much that was once characteristic
of the railway — point rodding and bell-cranks, signal wires running
over pulleys, ground frames, loading gauges, and much else that is going
or has gone. Class C in a later competition produced a winning print of an
Elesco feedwater pump on a Canadian National Railways 2-8-2 taken by Mrs
G.M. Ahern. In those days 'sexism' had not been invented but there were probably
raised eyebrows at the idea of a woman competitor, and a winning one at that.
In view of this evident leaning towards originality it is surprising that
for his first cover picture the Editor chose a picture of the Cornish
Riviera Express approaching Teignmouth.
Colour photography when Railways began was in the Dufaycolour period.
It had already been used for frontispieces in The Railway Magazine of
a 'Schools' at Charing Cross and of the up Night Ferry at Bickley.
Railways No 1 reproduced the Editor's own Dufaycolour transparency
of the south portal of Festiniog Tunnel, which was recommended as a subject
for railway modellers; their interests were catered for by a special section
in the magazine. No 2 had a colour plate of the ex-GN Stirling Single No
1 at Hitchin during a special run for the Railway Correspondence & Travel
Society on 11 September 1938. Exercising his critical faculty, which seemed
particularly sensitive to photographs, the Editor noted that it was 'not
as technically perfect as could be wished for'. This incautious thinking
aloud must have brought an indignant response from the photographer, for
an apologetic editorial note in the next issue set forth the circumstances
in which the photographer had worked: 'the picture was secured at 6.30pm
... to add to his difficulties he had no tripod available and was forced
to rest the camera upon the platform edge, hence the low viewpoint'.
To one brought up in the convenient tradition of editorial aloofness such
recantations and apologia still sound out of place. They are quite liberally
scattered about the early pages of Railways and are, indeed, reflections
of a less formal relationship between editor, readers and contributors that
was beginning to develop. In other kinds of journal readers probably skip
over articles on subjects with which they are familiar, or, if they read
them, do so witha.shrug of the shoulders when they find a mistake. Railway
journals count among their readership some who 'read what they know already,
in search of errors and omissions, dashing off a letter to the editor when
they are found. As they are clearly In torment at the thought of others.less
well-informed beingmisled, the editor hastens to publish a.correction, but
sometimes, alas, before verifying whether the 'correction' is in fact correct,
or the original statement in error. Some critics simply hope that a mistake
has been made. I remember an occasion when a statement of mine in Railway
World was challenged. I furnished the questioner with proof from personal
experience, whereupon he withdrew' with the remarkable admission that 'he
didn't realise I knew anything about it'. Evidently the myth of editorial
omniscience has died.
Some correspondents wrote to Railways as part of their professional
duty. Among them was D S. Barrie, Press Officer at Euston and later General
Manager of BR's North Eastern Region. He pointed out that a Midland Division
train on the front cover was described as an express although carrying a
slow train headcode, and suggested it was probably a Leicester-St Pancras
semi-fast. The Editor showed unusual resource in dealing with this one, admitting
it was the train suggested but adroitly quoting a smart point-to-point timing
from its schedule to justify the caption.
Much more satisfying to an editor are the occasions when he can sit back
to watch a clash of titans in his correspondence columns, with two or more
notabilities slogging it out in this public arena. There was an occasion
when a figure well-known in the locomotive world wrote to criticise the
performance of a Pacific on the.Manchester-Sheffield via Woodhead line. George
Dow, then Information Agent of the LNER, joined battle, concluding his remarks
with the advice to the other that 'next time he feels in a critical mood
he should get his facts right before committing himself to paper'.
And while on the subject of advice, this from the November 1942 issue of
Railways is equally valid today: 'Will readers please note that in
their own interests they should be certain to write lightly their name-and
address on the backs of all photographs submitted for publication. This is
essential as prints sometimes become separated from correspondence before
they have been indexed and checked. up
Railways struck a balance in its articles between current and historical
topics.and in its early issues carried a series.on narrow gauge railways
in Wales.The promise of tinstructive' reading was fulfilled by a series on
Sidelights of operation, and articles on signalling, permanent way
and so on; O.S. Nock began a monthly Locomotive Causerie in April
1940. It seemed to be assumed as so often it was in those days, that readers
were already informed on the details of how steam is generated and converted
into tractive effort in a steam locomotive. One heard that a Monsieur Andre
Chapelon in France had wrought wonders by redesigning the steam circuit of
some existing !pcomotjves, and that his ideas were crossmg the Channel, but
speaking personally I did not realise how superficial my upderstanding of
these matters was until a year or two ago I came across his massive treatise,
La Locomotive à Vapeur. in the Science Reference Library. A
copy had arrived in our office for review before the war but was immediately
impounded by higher authority. Probably the preservation movement today has
made a higher proportion of enthusiasts aware of the technical details of
the steam locomotive than was ever the case when it was in its prime.
There was much more awareness of how the steam locomotive performed, and
how it looked, or ought to look. In an obituary tribute to Sir Nigel Gresley
in the issue of May 1941, Railways spoke of him as aln engineer who
was continually producing bold and original locomotives that were to thrill
and delight us all by their fine appearance and splendid work'. But admiration
was not universal. A correspondent who had been a locomotive apprentice wondered
whether 'the men at Doncaster got the same thrill in the building of Sir
Nigel Gresley's shapeless streamlined masses. Can they compare with the handsome
engines produced by the Drummonds, the Worsdells, Raven and Holden?' This
provoked a retort from George Dow, who was sure that 'there must be many
of your readers like myself who, loving all locomotives, can see as much
beauty in the bold, clean lines of a Gresley Pacific, or the massive proportions
of an American 4-8-4 (carrying on its boiler almost everything except the
kitchen stove) as in the elegant long-chimneyed grace of a Johnson single
or well-balanced compactness of a Drummond Tank'.
In due course the question of aesthetics was thrown open to the popular vote.
The LNER 'A3' Pacific came top of the popularity list with 22 votes and the
LMS 'Jubilee' bottom with only four. The LMS 'Duchess' came second with 17,
beating the LMS Compound and the GWR 'King' which tied third with 12 votes
each. There had been the question of how different age groups viewed the
various locomotive vintages and so the votes were classified as from the
over-thirties and the under- thirties. There were some wide discrepancies.
'Green Arrows' received only one over-thirty vote but nine from the
under-thirties. The GER 'Claud Hamilton' scored six from the older generation
but none from the juniors. Yet the under-thirties cast five votes for the
'Castles' against only two from their seniors, while the voting for the 'Kings'
was reversed, this class receiving nine over-thirty votes and three under-thirty.
The Editor was disappointed at the small number who took part. and those
who today see idols toppled can console themselves. like the defeated politician,
with the small turn-out. Certain classes were' unplaced' with only between
one and three votes all told. among them Starrier's 'Princess Coronation'
Pacific and 'Black Five'.
Predictably, hard things were said about the appearance of the Bulleid 'Q1'
0-6-0, and the first 'Merchant Navy' came off little better. The Editor commented
that 'majority opinion is that they are extremely ugly' and he asked: 'Will
a future CME produce a loco which incorporates a satisfactory machine enclosed
within a design pleasing to all rational tastes?'. The 'Q1' and the 'Spam
Can' headed the list in a ballot for the ugliest locomotive, beating the
'Crab' 2-6-0 hands down into third place.
Wartime conditions were a constant worry to the publisher, although No 1
started with a bang by selling out and in No 2 the number of pages was increased
from 28 to 36. From then until No 6 dated June 1940. which completed Volume
I, publication was monthly. There followed 'an unavoidable break of nearly
four months' until No 7, dated November 1940, started Volume 2 and the cover
proclaimed Railways as 'THE Pictorial Railway Journal'. It had been
described earlier in the SLS Journal as 'the Picture Post of the railway
world', leading the Editor to comment that 'this is exactly what we set out
to be and it is not our desire to imitate, or to compete with any of our
excellent contemporaries devoted to the subject of railways real or model'.
The issue of June 1941 was an example of wartime resourcefulness, having
been completely replanned at the last moment. Fire following a heavy air
raid on London destroyed the whole of the photographs and line drawings which
it had been intended to publish. Volume 2 was extended to December 1941,
comprising 14 issues which had been produced 'under difficult and trying
conditions'. With an eye on allocations from the Paper Controller, the Editor
noted that correspondence showed that 'this publication forms a bright spot
and an eagerly awaited monthly event in the lives of a large number of people,
especially those on active service'. He hoped the magazine would be regarded
as an essential for educational purposes and also as a small contribution
towards maintaining morale. But the pressures were growing, and in January
1942 the number of pages was reduced to 20, while the Editor, now engaged
on work of national importance, warned readers to expect some delay in replying
to their letters.
In the collected edition of Sir Winston Churchill's speeches the year 1942
is called 'the end of the beginning'. It now became possible to think about
'after the war'. The Editor wrote: 'After the war we would support a fair
and well-balanced scheme for the pooling of all forms of transport but we
should be definitely against the idea of a mere grouping of the four companies
into a "British Railways", whether state-owned or remaining as one huge company,
with the road hauliers left to do pretty well much as they pleased'. And
he returned to the theme in October 1942 with a vision of a transport system
planned on a nation-wide basis in which steam, electric and diesel traction
would be used when and where it was most suitable. He had already caused
some displeasure among a section of readers by publishing an article in August
in which a contributor signing himself' I. Allan' had said that 'when the
Southern Railway decided on a policy of wholesale electrification it was
one of the greatest strides ever taken by a British railway'.
Almost as distasteful to some readers as the thought of diesel or electric
traction was 'Art'. 'No engineer based any engine on Art' proclaimed a
correspondent. But the Editor was on the side of the Muses. He signed an
article, A rtistic Railways, in which he dwelt affectionately on 'the row
of shining levers with neat instruments and the fine diagram panel above;
the ingenious interlocking frame with its multitude of bars, tappets, pulleys,
etc. Here surely are examples of engineering skill which are Works of Art
in every sense of the word'. Paul B. Mann, who was responsible for a series
of colour plates of pre-Grouping locomotives and rolling stock in their original
liveries, contributed occasional drawings. He wrote a book, How to draw
locomotives, which was reviewed in the magazine. It must be an absorbing
hobby for those with the ability to follow it, more satisfying than photography
because it can be lingered over. The artist has to accept, however, that
he has one chance in five hundred of a result pleasing to himself, and, judging
from some observed reactions to railway drawings, no chance whatever of pleasing
anybody else.
Pleasant hours can be spent with these early volumes, noting forecasts that
were fulfilled and others that were not, testing oneself with the general
knowledge questions and dreaming over items in the Strange to Relate paragraphs.
But here is the Reading Room attendant at our elbow, examining his silent
clientele for signs of life before locking up for the night. Away go the
early volumes of Railways on a trolley, perhaps to remain undisturbed
in the vaults until Railway World has clocked up another hundred issues.
Mr Cooper was Editor of Railway World from September 1971 until the
October 1977 issue.
In December 1979 the fortieth anniversary was celebrated and the following Editorial by Michael Harris appeared
Main Lines
December 1939 could hardly have been a less promising date for introducing
the first issue of a magazine. But this month. we celebrate the publication
of Railways No. 1 forty years ago. The magazine was apparently due
to be launched prior to the outbreak of war but Railways No 1 proved
to be a small casualty of greater events that September. However. the magazine's
publishers, to their great credit. decided to press ahead with their plans
and so issue No I was ready by the end of the year. Originally it had been
intended to publish Railways as a monthly magazine but in the event (Tor
the duration', as the editorial of that first issue so characteristically
said) it started life with bi-monthly publication. In Railways No
1 there was reproduced a two-colour plate of Festiniog Tunnel south portal,
not perhaps a very exciting choice (Blaenau Ffestiniog is, even today, far
from a technicolour resort!) but No 2 progressed to four-colour printing
for its colour page. Forty years later Railwav World regularly includes
eight pages of four-colour printing.
One interesting feature of Railways, apart from its keenness to stimulate
railway photography (and, yes, a photograhic competition Ims a feature of
the first issue, despite wartime conditions) was the combination of model
railways with coverage of the prototype. In time, model railways ceased to
be featured but. fortv vears later, one wonders whether the two' might not
come together before very long. There is little doubt that the model railway
hobby is growing very fast, possibly faster than interest in the prototype,
and that the main impetus is for greater accuracy and wider coverage of
historical subjects. Could it be that a renewed, or stronger interest in
railway history will come about as a result of the wishes of the modelling
fraternity and lead to 'dual purpose' railway magazines? For the record,
Railways came under the orbit of W. J. Fowler of Cricklcwood Broadway
(of kindly memory) during the early 1940s but, although published by Railway
World Ltd. did not assume the present title until the September 1952 issue.
As from the January 1960 Railway World, Vol 26 No 236, lan Allan Ltd
became the publishers. As the current issue is No 476 it will be noticed
that the present publishers have now produced more issues of the magazine
than their predecessors — an interesting feature in this 40th anniversary
year.
Updated 2018-11-14