Trains of Thought

The Cheltenham to Kingham Line - Stanley C. Jenkins takes us on an historic journey along a Great Western picturesque rural route through the Chelt Valley in the Cotswolds from Cheltenham to the junction at Kingham on the main

Worcester to Oxford route, and describes the stations and the train services on the line.

Bulleid's Coffee-Pots - The Southern's Austerity 'Q1' 0-6-0s - Andrew Wiison provides a survey of these wartime-built locomotives, incorporating the reasons for and details of their unusual construction, facts about their working life, and their duties.

In Search of 'Bankers' and 'Brits' - A Final Mission - Rex Kennedy, your Editor, recalls a weekend trip he made with friends to the north-west in November 1967 on a mission to see the last steam bankers in action and the last of the BR 'Britannia' Pacifics, mainly on shed, together with the remaining Stanier engines.

Past Masters: Ken Davies - Last of the RCTS Experts

The Great Western in Wales (1935-61) - Compiled by John Hodge - Another thematic photo-feature depicting the work of railway photographers who are sadly no longer with us.

A Lincoln Childhood - John N. Hunt recalls his introduction to the railway scene when a young child in his home town of Lincoln.

Caledonian Branch Lines around Carstairs - Part One: The Lanark, Muirkirk, and Wilsontown Lines - David Anderson, in the first of two articles covering the history of the Caledonian Railway branch lines around Carstairs, takes a look at the lines to the west of Carstairs and their train services and traffic.

Tail Lamp

Readers' Letters

Book Reviews

Cover: This month in Steam Days your Editor recalls a weekend trip to the north-west in November 1967, the main purpose being to see steam bankers in action and the last of the 'Britannia' Pacifies before they all disappeared from the scene. However, the steam sheds visited also provided the sight of many Stanier 'Black Fives' and '8F' 2-8-Os, and '8F' No 48727 is pictured early in 1968 at Rose Grove shed (one of the sheds visited), blowing off steam after being coaled. During the final days of steam working on the former Caledonian line between Lanark and Muirkirk, passenger services were entrusted to the BR Standard Riddles-designed '77XXX' class 2-6-Os. Illustrated in this issue is Hurlford-based No 77015 on a Muirkirk train skirting the shores of Glenbuck Loch in March 1961