Railway Technology
A funicular railway balances cars through a cable
Learn how a cable-linked funicular differs from a rack railway, and which details to look for when interpreting a photograph of a steep route.
RAILWAYS · HISTORY · DISCOVERY
Journal
Locomotive Technology
What a superheater changed inside a steam locomotive
A locomotive superheater gives steam another passage through hot gases before the cylinders. Follow the route to understand its role beside the boiler.
Railway Communication
A railway whistle board records an instruction at a particular place
A whistle board is a railway instruction tied to a place and rule system. Record its location and date before interpreting a preserved sign or photograph.
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.
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.