Issue 277

Headline News:
- Second time lucky for new Saint's Severn Valley debut?
- Garratt No. 130 becomes heritage sector's 'newest' locomotive!
- Heritage lines step up worldwide search for steam coal supplies
- Bogie overhaul next step in returning Western Ranger to traffic
- New president for Cholsey & Wallingford Railway

News:
- Moorsline to give operational debut to rebuilt Beavertail car
- Now is the time to back Bala Lake Railway extension
- Frames delivered for new-build single Fairlie Gowrie
- Severn Valley loco department prepares for new season
- West Somerset hotline ensures staff well-being during lockdown
- Virtual celebration of Wight steam is big hit online
- Tender-first start to rebuilding the sole-surviving Worsdell J21
- KESR future-proofs Pullman restoration with 'green' power

Main Line News:
- Cranking up No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester as overhaul progresses
- K1 No. 62005 steams back to Grosmont after throatplate repair
- Earl of Mount Edgcumbe on track for summer'Shakespeares'

Features:
With Full Regulator - Don Benn looks at some of the memorable workings by recently retired driver Ray Churchill.
Treasure of the forest - This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Dean Forest Railway's first steam open day, with an 0-4-0ST running on a modest 200 yards of track. Thanks to half a century of vision and hard graft by enterprising revivalists, this scenic rural byway is now valued as a priceless gem of the local tourism economy, as Robin Jones reports.
Planning for the future across the Solent - In the second of a two-part feature, Phil Marsh charts the development of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway from the new millennium to the present day - and also looks how the line is implementing its strategic development plan.
Unlock the secrets of the Underground - from your armchair! - London Transport Museum has launched a new series of its Hidden London tours aimed at taking groups deep into long-lost stations from the comfort of their participants'homes, writes Robin Jones.
From Folkestone to Padstow the final decade of Southern steam - John Beckett toured the Southern Region of BR and captured its finest steam in action in its final decade. He has compiled a new album in Steam Reminiscences - Southern, the latest offering from Silver Link Silk Editions.
Model News - New Hawksworth 0-6-0PT in 4mm scale; Bluebell Railway unveils its 2021 model; and Kernow progresses its LSWR'road van.'
The epic voyage of 74 Bulleid's Merchant Navy Pacifics - Pete Kelly traces the history of one of his favourite locomotive classes, and takes a look at Hornby's latest OO-scale releases of the 'Packets' in their original form.

Regulars:
Main Line Itinerary - Steam and heritage diesel railtours.
Railwayana - Geoff Courtney's regular column.
Platform - Where your views matter most.
Off the Shelf - Latest book and DVD releases.
Next Stop - A lighter, quirkier look at events.

NEXT ISSUE:
SPRING IN FOCUS - Respected photographer Jack Boskett shares his hintsand tips on how to capture some great images.
THE MAN WHO BEGAN IT ALL - On the 250th anniversary of Richard Trevithick's birth - inventor of the world’s first steamrailway locomotive - Robin Jones looks at his legacy.

COVER: New GWR Saint No. 2999 Lady of Legend in action at Didcot Railway Centre on October 25th 2020
CONTENTS PAGE PIC: Peter Best's Beyer Garratt NGG16 No. 130 steams for the first time at Dinas Locomotive Works on the Welsh Highland Railway on January 29, as it becomes the 2^ latest locomotive to be returned to steam in the heritage sector. CHRIS PARRY/FfWHR
INSET: Pressure builds up after a first warming fire was lit inside No. 130 on January 28.