Trains of Thought

Railways around Harrogate - Andrew Wilson looks at the history of the railways in the Harrogate area of North Yorkshire, its local engine shed at Starbeck, and the trains that served the spa town and the surrounding areas over the years.

Simply the best! - Steam on Great North of Scotland Lines in BR Days - Another small selection of photographs from the many excellent pictures held in the Rail Archive Stephenson Collection.

Life before Preservation 26: Great Western Narrow Gauge - flex Kennedy provides a potted history of the two Great Western narrow-gauge lines in Mid-Wales at the Vale of Rheidol and Welshpool & Llanfair Railways, where not only do steam trains still run over almost the entire original routes, but also locomotives that originally worked these lines still operate.

Memories of Carlisle in the 1950s and 1960s - David Cross looks back to those happy days spent with his father, the well-known railway photographer, the late Derek Cross , in and around Carlisle, the entire article illustrated with his late father's pictures.

Last of the 'Spam Cans' - Jeffery Grayer recalls the end of the line for the Southern Railway's Unmodified Bulleid Pacifics,

Tail Lamp

Readers' Letters

Video Reviews

Cover: This month in Steam Days magazine we take a look at that most unusual design of locomotive, the Southern Railway's Bulleid air-smoothed Pacific, affectionately referred to by many as the 'Spam Can'. Although ten of these engines escaped the cutter's torch, their days in service ended in July 1967 working over the South Western main line. In 1966 we see 'West Country' Pacific No 34002 Salisbury sporting the attractive livery of that period as it awaits departure from Waterloo with a train for Bournemouth.