The W&W Journal

Whistle & Wander Magazine Founder Alex Fletcher
The Best Digital Railway Magazines in 2026
Every "railway magazine" search turns up the same handful of decades-old print titles with a digital edition bolted on. Here's an honest look at what's actually out there, RAIL for... Read more...
Clan Line's Long-Lost Sister Is Coming Home
Clan Line's Long-Lost Sister Is Coming Home
Two Merchant Navy Class locomotives once stood side by side at Stewarts Lane depot. Seventy years on, MNLPS has taken custody of 35025 Brocklebank Line, reopening the chance that it... Read more...
Talyllyn Tracksiders
The Three-Year-Old Who Grew Up to Work the Footplate
Poppy Wakeham was three when she first turned up at the Talyllyn Railway wanting to be a steam driver. Seventeen years on, she's working the footplate. Here's how thirty years... Read more...
Best Steam Train Rides for Families in the UK: Wherever You Live, There's One Near You
Best Steam Train Rides for Families in the UK: Wherever You Live, There's One Near You
The best steam train rides for families across the UK, region by region, picked by heritage rail creator Alex Fletcher. Honest advice on visiting with kids, plus the budget option... Read more...
J27 Steam Locomotive waiting at Grosmont Station on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
North Yorkshire Moors Railway Review - By Someone Who Grew Up There
A personal review of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway from Alex Fletcher — whose grandfather drove locomotives there for decades. Every stop, every hidden gem, honestly reviewed. Read more...
80136 Standard Tank Steam Locomotive powering through the North Yorkshire Moors Railway
5 Best Heritage Railways in the UK — Picked by an Enthusiast Who's Visited Them All
Five of the best heritage railways in the UK, chosen by Alex Fletcher — creator of the UK's largest steam locomotive platform. Every pick is personally visited and honestly reviewed. Read more...
A train driver at the controls of a UK passenger train
How to Become a Train Driver in the UK — Qualifications, Tests and What to Expect
Everything you need to know about becoming a train driver in the UK — from eligibility and psychometric tests to training length, salary and when operators recruit. Read more...
Heritage railway volunteers at the East Somerset Railway watching a steam locomotive at Cranmore station
The Future of Heritage Railway Volunteering — In Conversation with the East Somerset Railway
An honest conversation with Simon Bending, Director of the East Somerset Railway, on the challenges and future of heritage railway volunteering in the UK. Read more...
Whistle and Wander magazine — Britain's first creator-led heritage railway publication
Why We Wander: The Story Behind Whistle & Wander Magazine
Every railway enthusiast has an origin story. Whistle & Wander has one too — and it starts not in a boardroom or a publishing house, but on the footplate of... Read more...
Lynton and Lynmouth Cliff Railway car at the top station, looking down the cliff face towards Lynmouth bay, north Devon
Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway: The Victorian Water-Powered Wonder Still Running Today
The Lynton & Lynmouth Cliff Railway has operated on water power alone since 1890. Here's how it works, what to expect on the ride, and everything you need to plan... Read more...