Hydrogen trains, Britain's most prolific inventor and 2019 trends: most-read stories of 2018, Oct – Dec

Change is the most exciting aspect of engineering, the constant innovation that transforms how we live and work.

With another year coming towards its end, we've looked back at what happened by taking stock of our most-read stories from each month.

Read part one here.

Read part two here.

Read part three here.

October: Could hydrogen trains be the future of rail?

Former minister of transport Jo Johnson called for all diesel-only trains to be off the rail network by 2040 – an ambitious goal, perhaps, but hydrogen power could offer a way forwards.

A number of projects are exploring the gas as an alternative fuel source, but it might not be suited for all journey types. Should we expect a mix of electric and hydrogen in future?

November: Britain's most prolific inventor goes back to the drawing board

No, not James Dyson – 78-year-old billionaire entrepreneur Sir David McMurtry.

The Dublin-born inventor and engineer founded the company in 1973, and he continues to innovate 45 years later.

December: 'Working faster and smarter' – five product design trends to keep an eye on in 2019

2018 was a year filled with exciting possibilities, ingenious inventions and enduring issues, but it is finally at an end. Here are some of the top trends to expect from manufacturing in 2019 – we'll find out how they fared in 12 months' time. 

Happy New Year!