NEWS - Up-to-date details of BR's list of 300 steam excursions proposed for 1987, including the Scarborough Spa Express, special steam charters between Derby and Buxton, Swansea and Carmarthen, and Salisbury and Ludgershall, plus: Richard Hardy takes over as SLOA Chairman, Dai Woodham gets the MBE - and Swindon's new railway museum proposal gets a green light. Just a sample from this month's packed seven-page news section.
GETTING THEM READY FOR THE ROAD - Lakeside & Haverthwaite Railway driver Nigel Harris gives an insight into the responsibilities which steam railway footplate crews face in preparing privately-owned locos for .public service trains, and takes us through loco preparation and disposal procedure.
VIDEO REVIEW - Columnist Steve Le Cheminant deliberates on the virtues and shortcomings of some of the latest railway video releases.
GALLERY - With record passenger figures being reported by almost every railway which has run winter holiday season trains, and BR's Marylebone-High Wycombe 'Santa overspill' trains on January 3/4 running to capacity, it's been a hectic time for steam. Through the work of contributing photographers, we look at a little of what's been moving.
WORLDWIDE REPORT - The progressive run-down of steam in 'known' countries like Turkey and South Africa is well documented - but how well is steam faring in 'closed' countries like Vietnam or Korea, which rarely see Western visitors? David Thornhill takes a glimpse behind 'the Bamboo Curtain'.
A WINTER TO REMEMBER - The almost paranormal tendency for the sun to disappear whenever a steam locomotive approaches the lens, has bred a measure of cynicism among main line photographers - but not this winter. Sunshine and cloudless blue skies during the last weeks of 1986 lasted long enough to make steam photography pleasurable again. Here are some of the results.
UPDATE: THE COMPLETE UK STEAM STOCKLIST - For those who like to keep track of which locomotives are where, statistician Stephen Askew brings Steam Railway's 1986 UK steam stocklist right up to date.
CHINLEY - A JUNCTION STATION IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE - It used to boast six platforms and an endless stream of rail traffic, including walkers' and cyclists' excursions. Now it's just a semi-derelict eyesore, stripped of all character. Peter Clowes remembers Chinley in happier times.
MAILBAG - Naive, dreamy-eyed, camera-clad steam buffs living in the past, he called us. Now BR traincrew railwayman M. D. Williams of Blackburn gets some come-uppance, from readers who don't rate his railway too highly either! Your letters, on four pages.
THE GLORIOUS YEARS - It was purely out of a sense of local duty that Edwin Wilmshurst decided to take a ride on the Midhurst branch when he heard it was closing in 1954 - but it turned out to be just the start of a passion for branch lines, which endured right until the end of steam in the 1960s ...
TRAIN INFORMATION / SOCIETY MEETINGS - Where wheels turn in anger - or where they are just talked about: Steam Railway's monthly guide to steam-hauled train services and society meetings keeps you in the picture.
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS - With a new ABC certified circula tion of 37,008 copies sold each month, Steam Railway now reaches an even larger audience than before. Increase your selling power with a 'Classified' in the market leader.