WR tanks on shed: A selection of Bill Potter's vintage 1950s photographs, depicting WR tank engines of the 0-4-2, 0-6-0 and 2-6-2 wheel arrangements. COLOUR FEATURE
The 'Picture Post' portfolio -Trainspotters: Picture Post magazine disappeared in June 1957, yet is still fondly remembered. Steam World is to publish a bi-monthly selection of images from the 'PP' archive, many of which will be seen here for the first time. This month, we present 'Trainspotters', a photo-feature shot in 1952 - but never published.
Platform: Another selection from the editor's postbag, this month covering 'WD' class 2-8-Os and pre-1948 tickets still for sale in the late 1960s.
"A gentleman's society, with individuals at heart": A long distance coach, greaseproof packets of tinned salmon sandwiches and a donkey-jacket pocket full of pens and notebooks - David Richardson recalls 'spotting trips with the Northern Railfans Club, founded by Ray Hawley. See if you can spot Rail editor Murray Brown, 'gricing' at Corkerhill shed in 1966..... Owing to a shortage of space, 'Book Reviews' has been suspended from this issue; this feature will return in October (issue No. 41).
SNine Elms 'Loco': Former top link driver Bert Hooker tells the story of his footplate career at Nine Elms MPD, as fireman and driver, from 1940 to 1967. WITHCOLOUR
Why did locomotives fail? Peter Townend, Shedmaster at King's Cross 'Top Shed' from 1956 to 1961, looks at the causes of locomotive failures on Class A trains, with special reference to the Autumn of 1957. WITH COLOUR
'Black 5s': A total of 842 were built and it was often said that no two were alike and that wherever you found rails you'd find a 'Black 5' - sooner or later. Photographs by Geoff Rixon.COLOUR FEATURE
Beeching: romance versus reality: 'Mad axeman' or hard-nosed realist? Howard Johnston makes an appraisal of the infamous Beeching 'reshaping' report of 1963.WITH COLOUR
Burnished brass, splendid engines: David Anderson remembers Western Region steam on shed and on the main line around Didcot in the early 1960s.

Front cover: Class K1 2-6-0 No. 62005 (now preserved by the North Eastern Locomotive Preservation Group) is seen near Stanhope with a Stephenson Locomotive Society special train on May 20 1967. Bryan Hicks.