Great Rail Tales

Monisha Rajesh – Travelling the world by train

Travel writer Monisha Rajesh describes her love of literally watching the world go by through the carriage window and how she watches and listens to people as she travels the world by rail on her life-affirming adventures.

Rob Scargill – Railway Firsts on the Bicentenary train

Curator of the Railway Futures Gallery at the National Railway Museum, Rob curated the ‘Railway Firsts’ carriage that forms part of Inspiration, the mobile exhibition train, that is touring Britain as part of the Railway 200 celebrations.
The carriage celebrates the pioneering pedigree and innovation of the railway, while also highlighting landmark moments in the development of the railway.

Dr. Oli Betts – How the railway helped form nations

Head of research at the National Railway Museum, Dr. Oli Betts describes how the railway’s rapid expansion in the United Kingdom started to change the cultural fabric of Victorian society, opening up huge opportunities. People started to commute and holiday by train. The rail network helped to connect the country.
This expansion and connection caught the eyes of investors and engineers from around the world. Oli explains how the railway crossed the great plains of North America, helped India develop pre and post-independence, and formed small pockets of pioneering British railway engineers around the world to transform peoples’ lives.

Ziyad Aw – Escapism on the Isle of Sodor

Railway enthusiast and volunteer Ziyad’s love for the railway started on the island of Sodor. Today Ziyad has taken his love for Thomas and friends into the real railway world at both Talyllyn and Didcot railways where he volunteers. What started as a passion with Thomas, Ziyad hopes will soon become a career.

Matt Crossfield - Stepping into a different world

Children’s author Matt Crossfield describes how experiencing the hiss, wheeze and roar of the steam railway at Dean Forest Railway for the first time ignited a lifelong passion in him.
Matt started volunteering on the railway at just 8 years old as a travelling ticket inspector at Dean Forest before his first driving experience at Perrygrove Railway. Today he volunteers at Tinton Old Railway station where loves connecting with people who come to see and experience the narrow-gauge miniature railway.
The railway has given Matt lifelong friends, escapism and incredible life experiences for which he is incredibly grateful.

Fiona Campbell – Northbound Dreams

Fiona Campbell recalls a lifetime of memories of travelling on the Caledonian Sleeper spanning childhood holidays to hen weekends to trips to London with family.

Kyla Hislop - how the railways brought us fish n chips!

Kyla Hislop, interpretation curator for the Iron Bridge Gorge Museum Trust, shares her passion for making our industrial history come alive through telling the stories of innovation and discovery which have helped shape the modern world. She tells the tale of how the invention of the railways allowed fresh fish to be transported around the UK, fuelling the Victorian passion for Fish n Chips, a passion many of us share to this day!

Paul Stanford - how the railway made me

A lifelong railway man who’s story goes back 150 years to his great great grandfather who started a family tradition of working on the railways.  Thanks to the railway, Paul met his wife, named his sons and has enjoyed a lifetime of close friendships, connections and precious memories including the time he made the late Queen laugh!

Reuben James – Making memories on the railways

Matt shares an emotional and heartfelt story of how the railway gave his partner’s son Ruben his first smile and real laugh in 4 years. 14 year old Ruben has a life-limiting condition but the railway has become a shared passion for Ruben and his ‘bonus daddy’, Matt, allowing them a way to make precious memories when they know time is much too short for them all.

Gerald Townson – The Bentham dementia friendly line

Born and bought up near The Bentham Line, today Gerald Townson is the Chairman of the Leeds Morecambe Community Rail Partnership, which includes The Bentham Line, which is celebrating its 175th year at the same time as the Railway 200 celebrations. The Bentham Line has been become known as the dementia friendly line for its efforts on inclusivity and community for people living with dementia and their loved ones. Gerald describes the joy and benefits of a day out on The Bentham Line, usually ending in fish n chips in Morecambe, for people living with dementia.