Miscellaneous & Oddities From station barrows to benches, signage and stalls etc. Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:02:18 +0000 Mon, 08 Jun 2026 05:02:18 +0000 Platform1mrc.com http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?forums/miscellaneous-oddities/ Sweden's Inland Railway (Inlandsbanen) Thu, 04 Jun 2026 20:34:24 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/swedens-inland-railway-inlandsbanen.7222/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/swedens-inland-railway-inlandsbanen.7222/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Part 1

Introduction and the Route of the Railway from Gällivare to Arvidsjaur

The featured image for this article is a picture of Swedish State Railways (Swedish: Statens Järnvägar) Locomotive No. 907 at Arvidsjaur Railway Station. The image is dated May 1935, (c) Public Domain. [60]

Known as Sweden’s Inland Railway, the Inlandsbanan “extends from Gällivare, in Lapland, to Kristinehamn, on Lake Väner, in Värmland, a distance of 800 miles, through scenery that ranges from the...

Sweden's Inland Railway (Inlandsbanen)]]> Egyptian Railways Thu, 04 Jun 2026 18:52:51 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/egyptian-railways.7221/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/egyptian-railways.7221/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Part 1 - A Short History

The featured image for this article is a 4-4-0 Locomotive No. 694 – one of a class of 15 built by the North British Locomotive Company in Scotland for Egyptian State Railways in 1905-06, © Public Domain. [1]

Egyptian National Railways (Al-Sikak al-Ḥadīdiyyah al-Miṣriyyah) is the national railway network of Egypt. Founded in 1854, it is the oldest railway system in Africa and the Middle East. [1] Much of what follows comes from the Wikipedia article about...

Egyptian Railways]]> The Mount Washington Cog Railway Tue, 02 Jun 2026 19:56:30 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-mount-washington-cog-railway.7220/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-mount-washington-cog-railway.7220/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
It is beyond doubt that it is among the pioneer mountain railways of the world, but the first?

The Mount Washington Cog Railway]]> The Railways of Tanzania Sat, 30 May 2026 20:18:25 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-railways-of-tanzania.7200/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-railways-of-tanzania.7200/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
The Railways of Tanzania]]> 7 Named Locomotives in East Africa Tue, 05 May 2026 18:22:07 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/named-locomotives-in-east-africa.7210/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/named-locomotives-in-east-africa.7210/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth The Railway Magazine of November 1954 reported that East African Railways & Harbours had begun to name its new ’60’ Class Beyer- Garratt locomotives. They chose to name them after past and present Governors. The ’60’ Class were then the most powerful Beyer-Garratt locomotives to be delivered to East Africa. Twenty-seven (29? [1]) had been ordered, and by the Autumn of 1954, twenty-five had been delivered, with 20 already in service.

Other locomotive classes were also given...

Named Locomotives in East Africa]]> South African Railways - Steam Heating Tenders for Class 4E Locomotives Mon, 04 May 2026 17:24:42 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/south-african-railways-steam-heating-tenders-for-class-4e-locomotives.7209/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/south-african-railways-steam-heating-tenders-for-class-4e-locomotives.7209/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Steam Heating Tenders for Class 4E locomotives


The November 1954 edition of The Railway Magazine reported that, “An improved type of steam-heating tender for electric main-line trains has been brought into use on the Cape Western and Natal systems of South African Railways. The new tenders are fitted with automatic oil-burning generators and are stated to be both cleaner and more effective than the former coal-burning type."

Historically, passenger carriages in South Africa were...

South African Railways - Steam Heating Tenders for Class 4E Locomotives]]> Historic Metre-Gauge Railways in Provence - Le Macaron Sat, 02 May 2026 20:44:25 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/historic-metre-gauge-railways-in-provence-le-macaron.2837/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/historic-metre-gauge-railways-in-provence-le-macaron.2837/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Alongside the work I've been doing on the Central Var Line l have been pulling together a series of posts about Le Macaron. This is the metre-gauge line along the coast between Toulon and Saint-Raphael. This is the first of these posts:

[COLOR=rgb(34, 34,...[/URL]

Historic Metre-Gauge Railways in Provence - Le Macaron]]> 17 600 mm Narrow Gauge Railway Lines Used During World War 1 in East Africa Fri, 01 May 2026 21:03:28 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/600-mm-narrow-gauge-railway-lines-used-during-world-war-1-in-east-africa.7208/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/600-mm-narrow-gauge-railway-lines-used-during-world-war-1-in-east-africa.7208/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth 600 mm Narrow Gauge Lines used during World War 1 in East Africa – Predominantly in what is now Tanzania

600 mm gauge trolley lines (often known as Feldbahnen or “field railways”) played a crucial role in the East African Campaign of the First World War, particularly in German East Africa (GEA) where they were used for both industrial and military logistics. These narrow-gauge systems were used to connect coastal areas, plantations, and interior supply depots to the main...

600 mm Narrow Gauge Railway Lines Used During World War 1 in East Africa]]> The Tramways of Zanzibar Sat, 11 Apr 2026 15:04:40 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-tramways-of-zanzibar.7199/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-tramways-of-zanzibar.7199/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
Zanzibar hosted two early rail systems, with a mule-drawn tramway operating from 1879 to 1888 between Stone Town and Chukwani, which later used a steam locomotive. A second, more notable 7-mile line known as the Bububu Railway ran from 1905 to 1930, connecting Stone Town to Bububu, featuring passenger service and, briefly, electric street lighting.

The Tramways of Zanzibar]]> Kenya and Uganda Railway News - February 2026 Sat, 04 Apr 2026 17:25:12 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/kenya-and-uganda-railway-news-february-2026.7196/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/kenya-and-uganda-railway-news-february-2026.7196/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth February 2026 – Kenya and Uganda Railways – Latest News

I spent 3 weeks in Uganda in February 2026. This short article picks up on local news reports about developments relating to railways in East Africa early in 2026. …. This article follows on from one published early in December 2025.

The featured image at the head of the linked article shows one of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) locomotives and its passenger train on the existing network in Kenya.

NilePost reported on 19th...

Kenya and Uganda Railway News - February 2026]]> Goods / freight trains Tue, 17 Mar 2026 22:08:23 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/goods-freight-trains.7173/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/goods-freight-trains.7173/ invalid@example.com (Sol) Sol regular schedule for both incoming & outging movements.

Ron]]> 8 The Edaville Railroad, South Carver, Massachusetts, USA Mon, 16 Mar 2026 20:43:17 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-edaville-railroad-south-carver-massachusetts-usa.7179/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-edaville-railroad-south-carver-massachusetts-usa.7179/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
Originally known as ‘The Cranberry and Small Fry Line’, the Edaville Railroad is a 2ft-gauge narrow gauge line in Massachusetts. [1: p555]

It featured in a short article in the August 1952 issue of The Railway Magazine. This is the next article in a series looking at lines featured in early...

The Edaville Railroad, South Carver, Massachusetts, USA]]> Nice to Digne-les-Bains Mon, 02 Mar 2026 18:31:55 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/nice-to-digne-les-bains.7155/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/nice-to-digne-les-bains.7155/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
The featured image shows one of the present modern diesel units at the Chemins de Fer du Sud/Chemin de Fer de Provence station in Nice.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/10/15/the-nice-to-digne-line-again/

Other articles cover the metre-gauge railways in the area, for example:

https://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/inde...ways-in-provence-the-nice-to-digne-line.2892/]]> An NSR Absolute Block instrument Tue, 27 Jan 2026 18:45:22 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/an-nsr-absolute-block-instrument.6424/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/an-nsr-absolute-block-instrument.6424/ invalid@example.com (Andy_Sollis) Andy_Sollis
I have invested in a little restoration project of a Tyers Absolute Block Instrument as used by the North Staffordshire Railway, this being very similar if not the same as one of the pair found in Leek signal box as to be found one day on Yorkies developing diorama/layout.

I say restoration as it’s not quite complete.

View attachment 40728

At first I thought I had a broken top half, and missing some mid sections and the front panel...

An NSR Absolute Block instrument]]> 377 East African Railway News - November/December 2025 Sat, 20 Dec 2025 19:33:58 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/east-african-railway-news-november-december-2025.7104/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/east-african-railway-news-november-december-2025.7104/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Uganda is to begin construction of its Standard Gauge railway network in April 2026.

"Uganda has recently confirmed that its Standard Gauge line from Malaba/Tororo to Kampala will operate with electric traction to European standards rather than diesel traction to Chinese standards."

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/12/08/east-africa-railway-news-november-december-2025]]> Stockport and TfGM Trams for the Future... Fri, 19 Dec 2025 21:58:43 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/stockport-and-tfgm-trams-for-the-future.7103/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/stockport-and-tfgm-trams-for-the-future.7103/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Stockport’s 21st Century Trams and Transport for Greater Manchester’s Plans for the Future.

Talk is of utilising tram-train technology on this possible new extension....

Stockport and TfGM Trams for the Future...]]> The Forest of Dean Railways and Tramways Mon, 24 Nov 2025 17:55:46 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-forest-of-dean-railways-and-tramways.2816/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-forest-of-dean-railways-and-tramways.2816/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
This is the first of a series of blog posts about the forest and its...

The Forest of Dean Railways and Tramways]]> 28 Three Beyer-Garratts in East Africa... Thu, 23 Oct 2025 08:46:23 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/three-beyer-garratts-in-east-africa.7033/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/three-beyer-garratts-in-east-africa.7033/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth
http://rogerfarnworth.com/2025/07/08/three-beyer-garratts-in-east-africa-in-the-1950s/]]> 6 The Railways of Namibia Sat, 12 Jul 2025 15:51:11 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-railways-of-namibia.6976/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/the-railways-of-namibia.6976/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth The Railways of Namibia (the former South West Africa) – Part 1 – Windhoek and the Northern Lines

The Railway Magazine of February 1952 carried an article by Charles E. Lee about railways in what was German South West Africa. This encouraged me to have a look at the history of Namibia’s railways and their condition and extent in the 21st century. The 1952 article also caught my attention because Manchester Diocese (I was a priest in Manchester Diocese before...

The Railways of Namibia]]> 1 Genoa(Genova): Local Railways and Tramways Fri, 16 May 2025 16:09:32 +0000 http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/genoa-genova-local-railways-and-tramways.6872/ http://platform1mrc.com/p1mrc/index.php?threads/genoa-genova-local-railways-and-tramways.6872/ invalid@example.com (Roger Farnworth) Roger Farnworth Funicular Railways in the city.

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2024/11/13/genoa-funicular-railways/]]> 12