Railway Places
Why some railway platforms have a tactile strip behind the edge
Understand the purpose of tactile platform-edge paving, and distinguish accessibility improvements from the older story of a railway station.
RAILWAYS · HISTORY · DISCOVERY
Journal
Railway Mechanics
Coupler Slack Explains Why a Long Train Does Not Move as One Rigid Piece
Understand the small movements between coupled railway vehicles and why slack affects how a long train responds.
Reading Railway Sites
A Railway Turntable Needs More Than a Circular Pit to Tell Its Story
Read a railway turntable as a changing piece of infrastructure by checking its dimensions, connections and documented history rather than judging the pit alone.
Reading Railway Infrastructure
Why the Outer Rail Can Sit Higher on a Curve
Recognise raised outer rails on a railway curve and distinguish cross-level cant from the line’s uphill or downhill gradient when reading photographs.
Railway Engineering History
Railway Points and the Frog Guide Wheels Through a Junction
Identify the moving switch rails and crossing area in a railway turnout while keeping museum observation separate from operating equipment.
Railway Engineering
A Railway Loading Gauge Describes Space Around the Train
Track gauge tells you about the rails. Loading gauge asks whether a vehicle and its load fit the route around them.
Locomotive Technology
A Diesel-Electric Locomotive Uses Its Engine to Power a Different Kind of Drive
Follow the energy path through a diesel-electric locomotive, and learn why its diesel engine does not drive the wheels like a car engine.
Steam Locomotive Details
The Motion Outside a Steam Locomotive Helps Time Steam Inside Its Cylinders
Follow a steam locomotive’s valve motion to understand how moving rods help admit and release steam at the right part of the stroke.
Railway History
Rail Joints and Welded Track Leave Different Clues in a Railway Photograph
Rail joints can help you read a historical railway photograph, but they cannot establish a date or track condition on their own.