Railway Mania Podcast - on YouTube and all Podcast Apps

Good morning! After taking a little break in July, here is a new episode!

RAILWAY MANIA PODCAST

EPISODE 15

MONSTER TRAINS AND CHEAP TRIPS





Thomas Cook ceased trading in 2019, 178 years after Mr. Cook organised his first excursion train. This podcast episode looks into the early years of excursion travel and the explosion in popularity of ‘cheap trips’ opening up a world of experiences for the working classes throughout the mid 19th Century. Who were these people, how did it come about, what was the experience like?

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RAILWAY MANIA PODCAST
EPISODE 16
THE EXHIBITIONISTS



The ongoing global pandemic has seen the cancellation of nearly all model exhibitions across the country. To keep the spirit of the event season going, several 'virtual exhibitions' have been organised.

This episode, I sit down with Andy York, Phil Parker, Debbie Wood and Howard Smith from the World of Railways team to talk about their upcoming second virtual exhibition, plus the highs and lows of real-life exhibiting.

HUGE thanks to the team for coming on the podcast, be sure to tune into the show on 7th and 8th November 2020 at:

https://www.world-of-railways.co.uk/
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Not one, but three new episodes!

Episode 19

DEUS IN MACHINA

Historian and author Anthony Dawson joins us to we talk about the circumstances surrounding early railways, particularly the Liverpool and Manchester, and the role that nonconformist religion (e.g. Quakers and Unitarians) had in this new technology.

Watch/listen here:



Episode 18

INTO THE GREAT OUTDOORS

Spring is here and it's time to get some fresh air. Joining me on this podcast episode is Garden Rail's very own Phil Parker. We're going to go into the ways you can get started with playing trains in the garden, from flat pack kits to live steam Garratts and everything else in between.



Episode 17

BACK TO BULLEID

At the height of World War Two, the Southern Railway introduced its first pacific tender locos, the Merchant Navy Class.

Bulleid was always seeking to push the envelope with locomotive development, and the 3-cylinder Merchant Navy was packed full of features and innovations to enable more power, different maintenance regimes, and to lessen the effect the locos had on the permanent way.

The locomotives were extremely powerful and capable of incredible performances, but drew criticism for several issues, notably fires which broke out within the air-smoothed casing around the boiler, a tendency for high coal and water consumption, and the restricted visibility from the casing.

Between 1956 and 1960, British Railways extensively rebuilt all 30 members of the class, removing the distinctive casing, and replacing the Bulleid chain-driven valve gear with three sets of independent Walschaerts.

11 rebuilt Merchant Navies still exist today. 35011 ‘General Steam Navigation’ is one of the preserved members, but the owning group has a rather different plan to the other members of the class. ‘Number 11’ is going to have the rebuilding reversed, and be returned to its as-built condition.

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Episode 20

TALES FROM TALES FROM THE TUBE

(with Jago Hazzard)

The Big Smoke is a city full of stories and our podcast guest for this episode is none other than Tom AKA Jago Hazzard, who has been making a hugely popular series of videos on London’s transport and history. ‘Tales from the Tube’ is a fascinating look at London’s Underground. We’re going to talk about where it began, how the stories come about and (of course) time travel. Thanks to Tom for being a great guest!



See Jago Hazzard on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/c/JagoHazzard​

 

Ooh you lucky people! THREE episodes of the Railway Mania Podcast here for your delight and delectation

EPISODE 21
NARROW GAUGE, NOT NARROW MINDED
WITH BEN POWELL AND ROB ROSSINGTON



Ben Powell and Rob Rossington of The 009 Society join us for another look at narrow gauge modelling. They tell us about what the society can offer and the scope of what it covers (not limited to just 009 but 1:76 narrow gauge modelling in general). We also look at how the modelling scene is changing for narrow gauge as more and more manufacturers offer ready-to-run examples. Check out The 009 Society here: https://009society.com/ Thanks to Ben and Rob for coming on the podcast, and thank you to everyone who contributed photos and video, I really appreciate it!

EPISODE 22
ALL ABOARD!
WITH JULIAN HOLLAND




Our guest for this episode is the author of numerous books on trains and railways and whose latest publication 'All Aboard!' is now on sale, it's Julian Holland! We talk about the huge variety of railway-related topics covered in the book, and Julian's own experiences of train spotting during the 1950s and 1960s. Thanks so much to Julian for coming on the podcast. 'All Aboard: Remembering Britain's Railways' is published by Times Books and available from all major booksellers.

EPISODE 23
CLASH OF THE TINY
WITH CHRIS EDEN-GREEN



'Steam Locomotives in Profile' is back in 2021, in the form of a feature length special focusing on IMLEC, The 2021 International Model Locomotive Efficiency Competition. Model engineers from around the country came together to test the mettle of their creations in a head-to-head 3-day competition. Chris Eden-Green returns to the podcast to tell us about it.
Check out the IMLEC special here:





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RAILWAY MANIA PODCAST

EPISODE 25

CAPTURING THE MAGIC OF STEAM

with Jonathan Guilbert / Gandy Dancer Productions



We are joined by none other than Jonathan Guilbert, whose YouTube channel ‘Gandy Dancer Productions’ has been an incredible source of inspiration for me and many others over the years.
Jonathan has digitised and edited his colour 8mm and 16mm films, taken during the final years of British steam railways, and used his filmmaking knowledge and experience to make interesting narratives that provide an insight into both trainspotting on BR and the inner workings of industrial steam railways.
Thanks so much to Jonathan for coming on the podcast, see his YouTube channel here:
https://www.youtube.com/c/GandyDancerProductions



EPISODE 24

FROM THE STAGE AND INTO STEAM

with the 563 Locomotive Group



In Episode 24 of the Railway Mania podcast we welcome Matt, Will and Nathan from the 563 locomotive group to talk about a special loco that's spent a good deal of time treading the boards starring in 'The Railway Children' stage play and is soon to be restored to working order on the Swanage Railway.
We talk about the loco's history, how it escaped the cutter's torch, its life at the NRM and then the process of de-accessioning which means it will soon be able to turn a wheel in anger once more.

Visit the website for the 563 locomotive group here to find out more:
https://563locomotivegroup.co.uk/​

 

RAILWAY MANIA PODCAST

EPISODE 26
MUSIC IN MOTION
with Cheryl B. Engelhardt




Composer, musician and singer Cheryl B. Engelhardt may be the first person to have created an entire album start-to-finish whilst on a transcontinental railway trip. Travelling from her home in New York to Los Angeles and back, Cheryl used this time to create ‘The Passenger’, a new-age album reflecting her personal experiences.
This episode, we welcome Cheryl onto the show to discuss how the idea came about, the logistics and timing of such a trip, and the creative process of making an album on a moving train.
To hear more from Cheryl and to purchase her music, visit her official website here:
https://www.cbemusic.com/

To listen to the episode on Audioboom, click HERE.

or on YouTube here:



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EPISODE 27
LOVE YOUR RAILWAY
with Luke Hudman

The summer of 2022 has seen the return of the #LoveYourRailway campaign to social media. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway's Marketing Manager Luke Hudman joins us today to tell us the idea behind the campaign, why we should love our railway, and how to get involved.
'Love Your Railway’ brings together over 80 organisations from as far afield as Scotland, Snowdonia, Leighton Buzzard, and the Lake District in the nationwide campaign which shines a spotlight on heritage railway organisations, encouraging visitors to support them this summer.
Spearheaded by NYMR, ‘Love Your Railway’ is a six-week campaign which runs over the summer holidays from 25th July to 4th September, with weekly themes covering conservation, education and research.
Thanks so much to Luke for coming on the podcast!

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EPISODE 28
SIGNALS TO DANGER (WITH DAN FOX)

Joining us today is Dan Fox of the Signals to Danger podcast, which takes an in-depth look into the history of rail crashes in Britain. Dan talks us through the genesis of the show, key developments and learnings in British railway safety and how changing practices and technologies have affected it.

We also answer some questions sent in by listeners!

Thanks to Dan for taking the time to come on the show.Subscribe to Signals to Danger to hear more, or visit: https://www.signalstodanger.com/

YouTube version is below or if you'd rather listen to the audio one, it's available on all major podcasting apps.



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KINGS OF THE STEAM AGE EPISODE 1
with Graham Muspratt
This is a new sub-series of podcasts under the Railway Mania banner, where guests are invited to make their case for the person they think should be King of the Steam Age!
Our first episode is O.V.S. Bulleid, championed by returning podcast guest Graham Muspratt.
Available now wherever you get your podcasts.
https://www.railwaymania.net/kings-of-the-steam-age-ovs-bulleid/




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