EATURES:

THE LAST OF THE SHAP BANKERS - For more than a century heavy trains on the former LNWR route between Crewe and Carlisle required banking assistance when faced with the gruelling four-mile 1-in-75 climb from Tebay to Shap Summit. Maurice Burns, who was fortunate enough to travel on the footplate of the banking engines, recalls his memories of their last years of operation and what happened on the eve of closure of Tebay and Carlisle Kingmoor sheds as Britannia Pacific No 70013 Oliver Cromwell stopped at Tebay for a banker while working the last steam passenger service to Carlisle.. exactly 40 years ago this month.

BORDERS STEAM FINALE - The end of 1967 marked the beginning of the end for BR steam traction, with the closure of Carlisle Kingmoor shed, and the virtual elimination of steam working over Shap and the Settle & Carlisle line. Brian Sharpe begins a series charting the final rundown of steam.

PROUD TO BE BRITISH! - Editor Robin Jones took a Eurostar trip from London to Brussels on the first day of public services over High Speed One a€ and saw for himself the rich combination of Victorian and 21st century architecture that has made the a€~newa€ St Pancras a worthy winner of the Heritage Railway Associationa€ s Peter Manisty Award for Excellence for 2007.

AMPFLWANG: THE UNKNOWN JEWEL - Although many readers will have visited Austria as tourists or to explore the many fascinating railway systems, few will be aware of the existence of one of the largest collections of steam locomotives and rolling stock in Europe, easily accessible from Britain. David Rodgers reports.

BODY SNATCHERS IN WEST WALES - Can Victorian coach bodies, out of use for over 70 years, form an integral part of todaya€ s heritage railways? A dedicated part of the Gwili Railway thinks they can. Dewi Jones, chairman of the Gwili Vintage Carriage Group, explains the organisationa€ s history and future plans.

BACKWATERS & BYWAYS REVISITED - THE PARKEND CHRONICLES...Geoff Silcock, the driving force behind the photo charter specialist Sentimental Journeys, reminisces about the time not so many years ago when heritage lines could still offer a glimpse of the rural backwater where time just seems to stand still.

SEVERN VALLEY RETROSPECTIVE - Living only 40 miles from the Severn Valley Railway, it became almost second nature for Malcolm Ranieri to hop in the car and drive over on a promising day to either photograph, ride or visit friends - then, as we all know, came the dreadful July weather and calamity struck


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