NEWS - A silver-grey two-tone A4 at York next summer? Read of the behind-scenes moves to bring the image of pioneer A4 No. 2509 Silver Link back to life again, why the Australians won't be getting Mallard after all -and BR's admission, at last, that offers for the Vale of Rheidol line are to be invited early in the new year. This, and news of many more new developments on the steam front, in this month's SR- the magazine that keeps you ahead.
THE COMING OF NATIONALISATION - On January 1 1988, Britain's railways will have been state-owned for exactly 40 years - but how did the 'Big Four' railway companies - and ordinary railwaymen - re-act to the changes brought by nationalisation back in 1948? Dr Michael Bonavia, former Assistant to LNER Chief General Manager Sir Charles Newton, relates some of the anxieties and upheavals of those times, in this first article in a three-part series.
GALLERY - Snow capped mountains, sunshine and steam was the magnificent combination which greeted photographers who travelled to Scotland for the second SRPS steam tour of the West Highland line on November 14, with K1 No. 2005. Superb full-colour action from north o' the border, plus a look at the livery changes of N2 69523 and USA tank No. 30072.
WORLDWIDE REPORT - With 100mph steam running, and special excursions behind a terrific variety of locos from different European countries, Austria's 150th railway anniversary season is going to be a difficult act for any country to follow. David Thornhill reports how it all happened this autumn.
G IS FOR GOLD - The air turns cold, the sun stays low, and if you know what you're doing, 22 carat photographs like the one on this month's front cover, can be yours for the taking this winter. See how it's done - and read how to do it, in this special Steam Railway colour feature.
CALEY 419 - A 'GRAND WEE ENGINE' - 1988 heralds a new wave of railway celebrations and anniversaries, with 'Mallard 50', LSWR 150 and London & Birmingham 150 events all to come in the months ahead - but Ann Glen turns the focus on a less well publicised anniversary - the 80th birthday of the Scottish Railway Preservation Society's Mclntosh Caledonian 0-4-4T No. 419- a 'grand wee engine'.
MAILBAG - What will be the future of main line steam running from York when electrification is completed in the near future? Remarkably, there appears to be no contingency arrangements which offer any sort of guarantees to steam. You write on this, the 'changed liveries' debate, and other topics, on three pages.
INTO OVERDRIVE - WITH A 47XX - Tell me more about those GW 2-8-Os with the huge boilers' wrote a driver from Stratford - and David Maidment, who came to know the 47XXs during his management career training at Old Oak Common, gives an insight into the performance capabilities of these distinctive engines. Sluggish they weren't!
THE GLORIOUS YEARS - Paul Cooper's situation in the 1960s will be a familiar one to many SR readers: steam was running out of time, and it was late in the day when he acquired a 'respectable' camera - but his portfolio in this month's 'Glorious Years' shows that even in the 1964-68 'tailend' period of steam on BR, there was still plenty to go for.
TRAIN INFORMATION - If you haven't yet had your share of Santa trains, sherry and mince pie specials, you can still scrape in by checking out Train Information - your guide to steam operations over the Christmas and New Year holiday period. Plus all the details of winter evening railway slide shows and talks, in 'Society Meetings'.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS - If railways and nostalgia are where your interests lie, then look no further - you'll find something to satisfy all tastes in Steam Railway's classified pages, now scanned by almost 40,000 buyers each month.
PERMANENT WAY ... AND NOT SO PERMANENT WAY - This fascinating series comparing the railway cameos of yesterday with the 'rationalised' scenes of the modern day, returns to SR again, with a classic example of 'spot where the railway used to be', down in the west country.