Railway Mania

Callum Willcox (SDJR7F88) and Adam Ashford (82A Studios) return as guests on the podcast. This time we are talking about railway channels on YouTube, Callum and Adam have both been in the game for many years and share their insights on how it came to be, and what the future holds.

Children are the future of modelling, and we as a community need to nurture their interest. How to help them move up a gear and go from playing trains to building their own models?  Maggie Gravett has been running children's modelling sessions for 21 years joins us to explain how it's done and why it's so important.  Thanks so much to Maggie for taking the time to come on the show! Please subscrib...

Anorak Rating: 4/5    009, which features 1:76 scale models on 9mm gauge track, has undergone something of a boom in recent years. I sit down with 009 fans Daniel Thomas and Pat James to talk about their personal experiences, and how the fact 009 was not served in ready-to-run form until recently pushed them to build their own stock. Thanks to Pat and Daniel for coming on the show! Daniel's instra...

In Episode 11 of RAILWAY MANIA we sit down with Chris Eden-Green, creator and presenter of long-running series Steam Locos In Profile, and chat about how Chris came up with the show, the production process, views on preservation and volunteering, as well as producing online railway video in general. Many thanks to Chris for being on RAILWAY MANIA! Visit Chris’s YouTube Channel to see Steam Locos i...

Garratts were one of the most successful articulated locomotive types worldwide. In this episode, we briefly cover the history of Herbert W. Garratt's brainchild, followed by a chat with Huw Jones of the Welsh Highland Railway, who works full time keeping the NGG16s in traffic. Huw tells us about the idiosyncrasies of the Garratt design, and what makes them different to a regular loco. Anorak Rati...

Season 2 of Channel 5's Great Model Railway Challenge has drawn to a close. The show has been divisive amongst enthusiasts, but what is it like to be part of such a programme and what do the contestants think of it? I sat down with Callum Willcox and Adam Ashford of The Railway Video Division, runners-up in Season 1, to find out.   Anorak Rating: 2/5 

Expert modeller Gordon Gravett joins us in this episode of Railway Mania as we discuss scenery on model railways, how to construct a scene, good methods and tips, what to do when a project goes wrong, among many other topics...   Anorak Rating: 4/5 

Steam railways are often run by armies of volunteers, but some people can be paid for it! Today we're talking to Will Stratford, who has been working on the Ffestiniog and Welsh Highland Railways (often branded as 'best railway in the world') on his day-to-day experiences.   Anorak Rating: 2/5    RAILWAY MANIA is a podcast covering everything to do with trains and railways. Each episode, Corwin ta...

In 2017, 60163 Tornado made history by being the first steam locomotive to officially hit 100mph in the UK since 1967. Huw Parker of the A1 Steam Locomotive Trust tells how this came about, what it was like on the night, and what's been going on since the speed run.   Anorak Rating: 2/5    RAILWAY MANIA is a podcast covering everything to do with trains and railways. Each episode, Corwin takes you...

Every story from history has its 'goodies' and 'baddies', but how much of our perception of these events is influenced by the storytellers? Today I'm joined by Simon A.C. Martin, who is working on a book about the engineer Edward Thompson, who took over from Sir Nigel Gresley as Chief Mechanical Engineer on the London and North Eastern Railway at the height of World War Two. Thompson has often bee...

WAR. Conflict is at the heart of this episode, which focuses on the US Army Transportation Corps and the War Department's railways during the build up to the invasion of Normandy in 1944, and the challenge of how to land hundreds of trains in hostile territory, ready to roll.   Anorak Rating: 4/5    RAILWAY MANIA is a podcast covering everything to do with trains and railways. Each episode, Corwin...

Episode 3 of Railway Mania features an interview with Pat James, who came in to the hobby as an adult without having had a model railway as a child. The second half focuses on the challenge of coming out to your friends and family as a railway enthusiast, and why some people find it hard to do so.   Anorak Rating: 2/5    RAILWAY MANIA is a podcast covering everything to do with trains and railways...

In this episode, we get technical as we look at two different designs of articulated locomotives, the Meyer and the Fairlie. Why do we need them? What happens when you bend an engine? Why don't we see many of them? Listen in for the answers!   Anorak Rating: 4/5  NOTES: A small clarification is needed; Decauville subcontracted the building of the first Péchot-Bourdon locos out due to their complex...

RAILWAY MANIA is a podcast covering everything to do with trains and railways. Each episode, Corwin takes you on a bite-sized journey through many topics and tales of the Iron Road, including everything railway modelling to railway history, interviews with fellow enthusiasts and experts. Pop the kettle on and let's talk about trains! Anorak Rating: 1/5  Episode 1 focuses on the real ‘Railway Mania...