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

RAG MAMA RAG

CALL ATTENTION • Recent Steam World features lead Chris Leigh to some further thoughts.

GETTING THE MOST OUT OF THE FLEET • John Palmer undertakes an in-depth investigation into how the 1950s buzzword ‘productivity’ – getting more out of the available resources at the same or less cost – was applied to British Railways and the complexity that made improvements in productive use of machines and men difficult to achieve

THERE'S NOTHING LIKE… • …the smell of coal smoke to make you feel nostalgic, says Colin Dingley

MY TOP TEN NO.8 BEATTIE ‘02 COUNTDOWN 98' WELL TANKS

UNCOVERING CROMER'S RAILWAY PAST • Most towns will have some relics of its railway past that can often tell fascinating stories. Richard Foster picks a Norfolk resort as an example

Cromer's railway relics • • All pictures taken in December 2025

45018 FROM THE LINESIDE • Dr Geoff Eaton recalled what it was like riding on the Warwickshire Railway Society's tour to Carlisle on November 28 1964 in the April issue. There are plenty of photographs of this train taken from the lineside, which we didn't have room to include. So here is a small selection…

GREAT SHOT!

THE FORGOTTEN ‘LARGE PRAIRIES’ • Richard Derry tells the story of a small off-shoot of the GWR's extensive family of ‘Large Prairies’

BEFORE IT WAS FAMOUS • Gavin Morrison presents a selection of images of the Keighley - Oxenhope branch as it was before it became a preservation pioneer

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

STEAM WORLD CROSSWORD

DERAILMENT AT WARDLEWORTH • Brian Topping provides a detailed account of a little known pre-war accident

TOP 20 LONGEST TUNNELS • Owing to the complicated and varied topography of Great Britain, the railway builders of the 19th century were obliged to incorporate numerous tunnels of varying length into their plans. Peter R. Cooper presents the 20 longest from the steam-era, many of which are still in use today.

MORE FROM THE ‘THURSBY COLLECTION’ • Paul Cooper presented a selection of pre-Grouping images from what's been dubbed the ‘Thursby Collection’ in SW459. Possibly taken by Admiral Cecil Thursby, Paul has selected a few more and asks Steam World readers if they can help identify the location and possibly date the images

REVIEWS