Steam World

Steam World is Britain's best selling historical railway magazine. Covering the magical times when steam railways were the lifeblood of the country. It features first-hand accounts from drivers, firemen, BR managers and enthusiasts alike. Featuring magnificent photography from the fifties and sixties, it will bring back wonderful memories coupled with inside information of what it was really like to work, travel and play on the world's best railway.

Steam World

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WEST COAST MAIN LINE STEAM HEYDAY • Michael Welch dips into Martin Smith's photographic collection once again, this time focussing on the West Coast Main Line in the north London and Middlesex suburbs

THE S&D ‘7Fs’ • We mark the 60th anniversary of the closure of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway by taking a look at the famous ‘7F’ 2-8-0s. Richard Derry takes a look at some of their notable workings, from 1950 until the last was withdrawn in 1964

MY TOP TEN COUNTDOWN NO. 10 BR STANDARD ‘2MT’ 2-6-0 • Having run-out of branch and secondary lines that he can write about based on personal experience, Chris Leigh reveals his ten favourite locomotive classes….and why.

GREAT SHOT!

KNOW YOUR SNOWPLOUGHS • Richard Foster delves into our late archivist Richard Strange's collection to explore, via a series of official documents, the London Midland Region's different snowploughs and the locomotives that carried them

SNAPSHOT OF DONCASTER • Think Doncaster and you immediately imagine the famous works. But Doncaster station was also a fascinating place for spotters, as these images from Peter Garside remind us

ADVENTURES USING A WESTERN ROVER - PART 2 • David Percival continues the story of an epic week exploring Western Region sheds in April 1961. He's about to arrive at Croes Newydd where he'll have a bit of a shock… Part 1 was published in SW463

MORE FOOTPLATE MEMORIES • Geoff Bartlett presents more stories and recollections of his footplate days at Canklow shed Part 1 of Geoff's footplate memories was published in SW463

PLATFORM • send your letters to Steam World, 4 Milnyard Squar, Orton South gate, Peterborough PE2 6GX or steamworld@choicemag.co.uk

STEAM WORLD CROSSWORD • This month we will be giving away a special prize worth £70! A copy of Steam Photographer by Gavin Morrison along with a copy of An Illustrated History of Her Majeysty's Railway Inspectorate from 1840 by Ian Prosser & David Keay to the sender of the first correct answer opened on February 20, 2026. Answers (with your name and address) to SW464 Crossword, Steam World,4 Milnyard Square, Orton Southgate, Peterborough PE2 6GX. Photocopies welcome, but please do not enclose correspondence.

GEOFF GOES EASTERN • We delve once again into the archive of the late Geoff Rixon, this time presenting a collection of his classic images with an Eastern Region theme

TOMMY SLAWSON'S  SOUTHERN SCENES • A memory stick of scans from photographs taken by Tommy Slawson has been given to Steam World. Chris Leigh selects some samples from the Southern Region

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