Some of my "personal" favourite photos from the RH&DR visit today away from Barry! 😆
Please note: I didn't film much as I was mainly doing filming & photos for some Barry clips so I do apologise but I have got some Folkestone Model Railway Show videos to post so keep an eye out for them, have a good week! 👋🤠
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Some of my more "better" shots of Barry from the RH&DR around New Romney! Enjoy! 📸😀
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Part 2 of Barry pictures at the RH&DR with the main locos! Also where did you get that hat? 🤨
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Part 1 of some pictures of Barry at the RH&DR earlier, causing slight chaos but also fun! 📸
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@JlwTransport @RoadandRailAdventures @Enviro200Dart Some buses in the Ashford area, enjoy the pictures! 🙂👍
[Note: I am not a bus spotter btw]
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That's the 4TC totalled 🫠👍
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Today is September 27th which celebrates a whole 200 year anniversary of the very first train! Here's a little story I thought of making about it, hope you all enjoy it! 🙂👍
**Rail200: A Journey Through Two Centuries of Railways (1825–2025)**
It began in 1825, on the gentle countryside rails between Stockton and Darlington. The world had seen railways before — wooden wagonways for mines, crude iron tramroads for hauling coal — but never like this. George Stephenson’s *Locomotion No. 1* puffed determinedly along, dragging wagons of coal and passengers on that September day. People cheered, some stared in disbelief, others muttered that such “iron horses” would never last. But the spark had been lit.
Rail200 was born here — not as a train, nor as a man, but as the collective heartbeat of railways themselves. Every whistle, every wheel-turn, every rivet hammered into steel became part of Rail200’s memory. And so the journey began.
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### **The Early Years (1825–1870): The Birth of a Network**
Iron road spread across Britain. The *Liverpool & Manchester Railway* opened in 1830, the first fully timetabled passenger line powered entirely by steam locomotives. Crowds flocked to stations, amazed that they could travel at speeds faster than a horse could gallop.
The 1840s brought “Railway Mania.” Investors poured fortunes into schemes, many foolish, many visionary. Villages transformed overnight into bustling hubs as rails pushed outward in all directions. For the first time, ordinary people could travel across the country in a single day. The Great Western Railway’s broad gauge thundered westward under Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s genius, while rivals like the London & North Western Railway raced to dominate the main lines.
And beyond Britain, Rail200 stretched its reach: the first lines in America, France, India. Everywhere, rails were being laid, stitching the modern world together.
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### **The Age of Giants (1870–1914): Steam’s Golden Century**
By the late 19th century, railways were unstoppable. Grand stations rose — St Pancras with its soaring gothic arches, York with its sweeping curve of platforms, Glasgow Central with its glass canopy. Express locomotives like the *Stirling Single* and the *Dean Single* embodied elegance and speed.
Expresses dashed from London to Scotland in record times; sleeper trains whisked passengers overnight in comfort. In America, the golden spike was driven at Promontory Summit in 1869, joining the east and west coasts. In India, thousands of miles of track connected villages and cities. In Japan, the first trains steamed proudly out of Tokyo.
Railways became the veins of the Industrial Age, carrying coal, steel, people, and ideas. Nations rose and prospered on rails. But Europe was uneasy, and the railways, so vital for peace, would soon be turned to war.
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### **The War Years (1914–1945): Iron Horses in Conflict**
The First World War hit hard. Trains carried soldiers to the front, hospital trains brought the wounded home, and countless freight wagons rumbled with supplies. Stations became places of farewells, often final ones.
In the interwar years, railways recovered with innovation. The *Flying Scotsman* became the world’s first non-stop express from London to Edinburgh in 1928, a symbol of speed and pride. Streamlined engines like the *Mallard* later shattered records — in 1938, people thrilled as she hit 126 mph, a steam speed record unbeaten to this day.
But then came the Second World War. Once again, railways bore the brunt: evacuating children, hauling troops, even serving as targets in bombing raids. Locomotives wore drab wartime paint, and passenger services suffered, but the railways endured.
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### **The Age of Change (1945–1970): From Steam to Diesel and Electric**
After 1945, the world shifted. Britain’s railways, nationalised in 1948, became British Railways. The great steam engines, beloved and proud, were slowly retired. The 1960s saw steam vanish in Britain, with the final farewell in 1968. Enthusiasts lined bridges and fields to watch the last giants roar by.
Diesel and electric traction replaced steam — modern, efficient, but lacking some of the romance. The 1963 Beeching Report cut swathes through the network, closing thousands of miles of track and hundreds of stations. Whole communities lost their railways.
And yet, not all was lost. Preservation movements sprang up. Enthusiasts saved steam locomotives from scrapyards, forming heritage railways that kept the spirit alive. On lines like the Bluebell, Severn Valley, and Ffestiniog.
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### **The Age of Speed (1970–2000): Modernisation and High-Speed Dreams**
As the 20th century advanced, railways reinvented themselves. In 1976, the InterCity 125 — the High Speed Train — entered service. With sleek power cars and comfortable coaches, it set new standards, smashing speed records and revolutionising intercity travel.
Around the world, the rise of high-speed rail started to work: the Shinkansen in Japan, the TGV in France. The world seemed to shrink as trains grew faster.
The Channel Tunnel opened in 1994, linking Britain to mainland Europe for the first time. Eurostar trains whisked passengers from London to Paris and Brussels in hours. People marvelled at this modern wonder, a dream long imagined finally realised.
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### **The New Millennium (2000–2025): Challenges and Renewal**
The 21st century brought both trials and triumphs. Tragedies like Hatfield (2000) reminded all of the importance of safety. Privatisation reshaped Britain’s railways, sometimes controversially. Yet investment flowed: new fleets, electrification projects, digital signalling.
Steam locomotives like *Tornado* (completed in 2008) proved that even in the modern age, the past could be reborn. In 2018, *Flying Scotsman* returned to mainline running, cheered by crowds across the country.
By 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic emptied trains and closed borders. Rail200 felt the silence of deserted platforms, but also the resilience of rail staff who kept key services alive.
And now, 2025 marks **200 years since Stockton & Darlington**. Britain and the world look back on two centuries of railways — of invention, progress, joy, tragedy, and resilience. HS2 promises a new age of high-speed travel, while heritage lines continue to honour the past.
Rail200, the spirit born in 1825, smiles upon it all. From steam to electric, from wooden rails to high-speed wonders, the railways endure. Two centuries of iron, fire, steel, and dreams — and still, the journey continues.
The end.
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Model steam gala ready for the weekend, keep an eye out on the channel for videos!!! 👀
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Hey guys, just a little thing about the Golden Arrow Railtour I saw yesterday with 61306. 📸
The first and last time I saw 61306 Mayflower was back in 2019 when she was on my local line hauling a Steam Dreams Express Charter, it was also my first time seeing a railtour too which I was quite excited about. I still have the clip but don't want to post it as my filming at the time was a bit "out of hand." 🤣
So when I had found out she was booked for the Golden Arrow, I knew I had to go out and see her after so long and she did not let me down at all! Absolutely brilliant shots I got of her through Ashford International. And very pleased to see her once again after a 6 year wait, still good to see her showing off her power on the mainline! 🥲👍
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Hello and welcome to my YouTube channel, DJ Scania RigRider! On here, I post videos of all trains, including Freight services, Passenger trains, Railtours [steam, diesel & electric], Test trains, Tampers, High-speed action, Rare moves, Dayouts & Events [Gala's], and so much more! 😃
I also post some Scania truck clips too if I spot a good one but also some Brands Hatch clips aswell! [Including truck racing and Go Japan!] If you like the channel, please consider subscribing as it helps out alot!👍
Hope you enjoy the videos!!! 📹🚂🚛🎥