Railway Technology
How a pantograph keeps an electric train connected to the overhead wire
Understand how a pantograph collects electricity from an overhead contact wire and what to notice in railway photographs.
RAILWAYS · HISTORY · DISCOVERY
Follow the line. Find the story.
Explore railway history through maps, museum objects and the places that connect them, from Montana to rail networks around the world.
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Notes from the railway archive
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Railway Engineering History
Why automatic train air brakes apply when brake-pipe pressure falls
The automatic air brake uses a fall in brake-pipe pressure as a signal. Discover the historical idea behind the hoses joining railway vehicles.
Railway Technology
The toothed rail that lets a rack railway tackle a steep climb
A rack railway adds a toothed rail to help a train climb. Learn what to look for in historic photographs and how it differs from a cable-hauled line.
Railway Equipment
A rotary snowplow needs somewhere to throw the snow
A rotary snowplow cuts and throws snow instead of simply pushing a wedge through it. Its shape reveals a different railway winter problem.
Railway Systems
Why railway block signalling protects a stretch of track
Block signalling separates train movements through sections of railway. Read a historic signal alongside the track layout and operating system.
Railway Mechanics
A railway wheel flange guides the wheelset without steering like a car
Look at a railway wheelset’s tread and flange separately to understand how it follows the track, and what a museum photograph can reveal.