Trains of Thought

The 'Crab & Winkle' Line - The Wivenhoe to Brightlingsea Branch - Andrew Wilson provides a history of this short Great Eastern Railway Essex line, describing the line's traffic, the area's fish trade, and the motive power seen on the line in the days of steam.

Simply the best! Caledonian Engines in BR Days - Another small selection of photographs from the many excellent pictures held in the Rail Archive Stephenson Collection, this time portraying Caledonian Railway design engines which could still be seen after the Nationalisation of Britain's railways on 1 January 1948.

T. F. Coleman - An unsung hero of steam - When it came to the design of steam locomotives, certain talented men stand out, but they are not necessarily household names. Michael Harris reveals the important role of the Chief Draughtsman of the LMS in the Stanier era.

Churchward's '2800' class 2-8-0s and the Heavy Freight Scene - John Hodge provides a detailed history of this very reliable class of Great Western freight locomotives and the duties they performed, and also reviews the heavy freight scene on the GWR and Western Region.

Steam Days at Tonbridge - Stanley Jenkins takes a look at the fascinating history of this former S&ECR rail centre where the Redhill to Ashford line was joined by the lines from Sevenoaks and Hastings.

Tail Lamp

Readers' Letters

Cover: This month In Steam Days magazine we take a detailed look at the highly-successful Great Western '2800' and '2884' class 2-8-Os and their duties. Here we see Oxiey-based '2800' No 2856 on a down freight train as it approaches Madeley Junction box,- near Wellington in Shropshire, on 27 August 1962. In the March of the following year this engine was transferred to Southall, remaining there until its withdrawal in April 1964.