NEWS FOCUS SPECIAL - WATERMAN'S CREWE: The steam hit factory
The long-awaited return to the main line of Britannia, snags with the planned restoration of newly-acquired Scots Guardsman, a groundbreaking new finance plan for locomotive restoration projects, more delays for the 'Super D' and fears for the future of main line steam. These topics and many more are highlighted in Keith Langston's exclusive interview with Pop Idol judge and London North Western Railway Company supremo Pete Waterman.

THE BIG LIFT!
The steam breakdown crane has clocked up more than 125 years service since it was introduced by the Midland Railway, and flew the flag for BR steam long after the last conventional locomotives had been withdrawn from the national network. Now steam cranes are providing essential services on heritage lines. Robert Anderson looks back at the history of the steam crane as one was put through its places during a Russ Hillier photo charter on the Great Central Railway.

THE WESTERN REGION IN WALES - a perfect evocation?
Wales is renowned for its Great Little Trains, but has one of the country's premier standard gauge lines too. Photographer Don Bishop explains why he considers the Llangollen Railway to be as near a perfect recreation of the Great Western cross-country routes of the principality as you could ever wish for.

THE CHANGEOVER YEARS: Trunk route twilight
If you think today's Great Central Railway offers superb photographic opportunities, it is nothing compared to the complete trunk route as it was in the 1950s and 605. Despite the rundown of the route which began when the London Midland Region took it over in 1958, there was so much to entice the lineside enthusiast, as Leamington Spa resident Brian Hicks fruitfully discovered.

LEEDS TREASURES OVERSEAS: Should they come home?
Much has been written about the search for Lynton & Barnstaple Railway Manning Wardle Lew, which some believe may still exist in South America. Yet while no concrete evidence that Lew survives has come to light, there are undoubtedly classic examples of locomotives from the Leeds builder still to be found overseas, including the remains of one similar to the first engine used on Cornwall's Pentewan Railway. They all make excellent candidates for repatriation, argues Mark Smithers.

SCOTSMAN: THE GRAFT AND THE GRIME
One of the most impressive and expensive railway books ever published arrives on the shelves this month. Titled Flying Scotsman The Restoration 1996-1999, and selling for £150 a copy, it is the work of professional photographer and LNER devotee Harry Scotting. Heritage Railway's Lawrence Osborne attended the launch and became the first railway journalist to review the publication and talk to its creator.