Traction

Traction is a British magazine for enthusiasts of diesel and electric railways, published by Warners Group Publications plc from Bourne in Lincolnshire. Appearing every four weeks, thirteen times a year, it caters for readers fascinated by the development of classic diesel and electric traction on the railways of mainland Britain, Ireland, continental Europe and the parts of the world where British-built locomotives have operated. Its pages carry in-depth historical features, photographic surveys and modelling content written by professional railwaymen, railway historians, photographers and enthusiasts. Part of the World of Railways stable alongside British Railway Modelling, Traction has built a loyal following among readers who came of age with the diesel and electric era and who value authoritative, well-illustrated writing about the locomotives and multiple units that replaced steam. Its online home is www.world-of-railways.co.uk.

Overview

Traction is a specialist railway magazine devoted to diesel and electric traction. It is published every four weeks, which means readers receive thirteen issues a year, and it carries the international standard serial number ISSN 1354-2680. The magazine is published by Warners Group Publications plc, the Bourne-based publishing house whose railway stable includes British Railway Modelling, Narrow Gauge World, Garden Rail and Engineering in Miniature. Traction's distinctive territory is the modern traction era: the diesel and electric locomotives, diesel multiple units and electric multiple units that transformed Britain's railways from the 1950s onwards, along with the parallel story on the railways of Ireland and continental Europe. The depth of that coverage is illustrated by the magazine's long-running series of fleet and operational studies: issue number 260, dated November 2020, carried David Ratcliffe's detailed survey of English Welsh and Scottish Railway intermodal operations, a feature running to several pages and typical of the title's commitment to thorough, well-researched operational history. Articles of this kind draw on working timetables, fleet lists and first-hand testimony, and they are valued by readers as reference material as much as entertainment. The magazine's back catalogue, now numbering several hundred issues and available in searchable digital form through the World of Railways Plus membership, amounts to one of the most comprehensive published records of the diesel and electric era in Britain.

Editorial Scope

The magazine describes its remit as catering for those interested in the fascinating development of classic diesel and electric traction on the railways of mainland Britain, Ireland, continental Europe and the parts of the world where British-built locomotives have operated. In practice this means detailed historical articles on locomotive classes, fleet histories, depot and shed profiles, the operation of freight and passenger services in the diesel and electric era, and the preservation of modern traction. Typical features have included surveys of English Welsh and Scottish Railway intermodal operations, class-by-class histories and photographic retrospectives of the changing railway scene. The emphasis is on depth and accuracy: articles are researched and written by people with genuine expertise in their subjects.

Contributors

Within the pages of Traction readers find a wide variety of articles written by professional railwaymen, railway historians, photographers and enthusiasts. This blend of insider knowledge and scholarly research gives the magazine its authority. Professional railwaymen contribute first-hand accounts of operating and maintaining diesel and electric locomotives, historians provide the archival research and context, and photographers supply the visual record that is essential to a magazine about locomotives. The contributor base includes well-known names in railway writing and photography, and the magazine has long encouraged contributions from readers with specialist knowledge, fostering a community of writers around the modern traction subject.

The Traction Modelling Section

A distinctive feature of the magazine is its Traction Modelling section, which caters for readers who have an interest in modelling the railway in the era of classic diesel and electric motive power. The section covers the construction, detailing, weathering and operation of diesel and electric models, complementing the historical content of the main magazine with practical guidance for modellers. This dual appeal, to both the railway historian and the railway modeller, broadens the title's audience and reflects the reality that many diesel and electric enthusiasts are active modellers. The modelling content sits naturally alongside the historical features, since both draw on the same detailed knowledge of prototype locomotives and rolling stock.

Publishing History

Traction's issue numbering provides a guide to its longevity: issue number 260 was dated November 2020, and with thirteen issues published each year, the title's origins lie around the turn of the millennium, at the end of the 1990s. This makes it one of the longer-established specialist diesel and electric titles in the British market. Throughout its history it has been published by Warners Group Publications, and it has grown alongside the group's other railway titles. The magazine has maintained its four-weekly frequency consistently, giving it a distinctive rhythm in a market where most railway titles are monthly.

The World of Railways Connection

Traction is part of the World of Railways stable operated by Warners Group Publications, which unites the group's railway magazines, the RMweb discussion forum, digital archives and a programme of major model railway exhibitions. The connection is visible to readers in joint initiatives such as combined BRM and Traction digital editions, which allow subscribers to enjoy both the modelling title and the traction title in a single digital package. In 2021 Warners launched the World of Railways Plus membership, offering unlimited digital access to new issues and the extensive archives of five railway magazines, BRM, Narrow Gauge World, Garden Rail, Traction and Engineering in Miniature, with more than 750 fully searchable issues available through digital publishing technology. For Traction readers, the archive represents a remarkable research resource on diesel and electric history.

Digital Editions

Like its stablemates, Traction is available in digital form. The magazine can be read through the pocketmags platform, where readers can purchase single issues and subscriptions, and a dedicated Traction Magazine app has been published for iOS devices by Warners Group Publications plc. Digital editions carry the full content of the print magazine and allow readers to build a searchable personal archive. The digital offering sits alongside the print edition, which remains the core product, sold through newsagents, specialist retailers and subscription.

Photography and Design

As a magazine about locomotives, Traction places a premium on photography, and its pages are richly illustrated with both contemporary and historical images. The title draws on the work of railway photographers past and present, reproducing classic views of diesel and electric traction alongside new photography of preserved and main-line locomotives. The design is clean and readable, allowing long historical articles and detailed photographic features the space they need. For many readers, the photographic content is as important as the text: the magazine serves as a visual record of an era of railway operation that is steadily receding into history.

Audience

Traction's readers are diesel and electric railway enthusiasts, many of whom grew up watching the first generations of main-line diesels and electrics at work and who retain a deep affection for the locomotives of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. The readership includes historians, photographers, modellers and preservationists, as well as former railway staff with professional connections to the traction the magazine covers. The title's authority and depth have made it a respected voice within the enthusiast community, and its combination of historical rigour and modelling content gives it a broader appeal than a purely nostalgic publication.

Official Website and Further Information

Traction's online presence is hosted within the World of Railways portal at www.world-of-railways.co.uk, where readers can find information on the current issue, subscriptions, digital editions and the wider stable of Warners Group railway titles. Published every four weeks by Warners Group Publications plc, Traction continues to document the diesel and electric era with the expertise and enthusiasm that have sustained it for more than two decades.