Welcome to the first bi-monthly edition - the magazine returns to its roots - albeit with more pages! Unfortunately, due to rising costs we’ve had to raise the cover price from this issue to £3.95, though I hope the extra content makes up for this small increase.

I hope that over the coming months we can continue to supply you with the best in heritage locomotive features from our excellent contributors, despite the fact you may be waiting just that little bit longer each month. And for those of you that find TRACTION difficult to obtain in the shops, its longer shelf-life should make things easier.

All this and the first of the new ‘TRACTION Specials’ is underway. Special Number 1 will feature the London scene - the railways and locomotives of the Capital and its environs. I’ll hopefully have more details of the contents in the next issue, but it will definitely be worth waiting for; it will be on sale at the London Festival of Railway Modelling at Alexandra Palace on March 26-27, 2011 and will also be in the shops at the same time. Subscribers to the magazine will be able to purchase the ‘specials’ at a discount - once again there will be more details next time.We’ve other ideas for the next and other forthcoming ‘specials’ and I will let you know of their likely release dates as soon as I can.

I’m indebted to the many exisiting and new contributors to the magazine that have been so supportive and helpful during my first ‘year’ as editor, I know there’s still lots to do, but I couldn’t have got this far without them and the assistance of my colleagues here at Warners, principally designer Ryan Housden, but also Sarah Machin, who has bravely stepped in to design this issue as Ryan’s wife Michelle has recently given birth to Elliott Robert Housden - congratulations to them both.

Finally, don’t forget our subscription offer below or on page 56.

Electro-diesel 73 205 double-heads in multiple with departmental 83 301 (formerly 33 115) as they pass Pirbright with a Basingstoke - Woking test train, May 3, 1990. See more in ‘Mixed Doubles’ in the next issue. www.railphotoprints.co.uk

Publisher: John Greenwood Tel: 01778 391116 Editor: Richard Wilson Tel: 01778 392455 E-mail: richardw@warnersgroup.co.uk Fax: 01778 425437 Head of Design: Jayne Thorpe Editorial Design: Ryan Housden Sarah Machin Ad Design: Amie Carter Production Secretary: Pat Price Tel: 01778 391115 E-mail: patp@warnersgroup.co.uk Brand Manager: Nilla Short Tel: 01778 392057 E-mail: nillas@warnersgroup.co.uk

COVER: Looking superb with the maroon rake, privately owned D6729 (37 029) and the Devon Diesel Society’s D6737 (37 037) pass Crownthorpe on the Mid Norfolk Railway, September 26, 2010. Stacey Thew

Group Advertisement Manager: Patrick Raphael Sisko Tel: 01778 391114 E-mail: patsisko@warnersgroup.co.uk Sales Executive: Jane Cottam Tel: 01778 395002 E-mail: janec@warnersgroup.co.uk Editorial Secretary: Jean Waterfall Tel: 01778 392073 E-mail: jeanw@warnersgroup.co.uk Back Issues and Reader Offers: Tel: 01778 391180 A full list of available Back Issues appears on our website: www.traction.co.uk Published by: Warners Group Publications plc, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne, Lincs PE10 9PH. Views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the Editor or Publisher. All material submitted to Tract ion is sent at the owner’s risk. Although every care will be taken, the Publishers cannot accept responsibility for loss or damage, however caused. A stamped, SAE should be enclosed with all submissions.

The perfect Christmas gift

Only

£14.99

ayearby DirectDebit

We’re always looking for contributions to make TRACTION an even better read. If you can write about your experiences or history of the days before the railways became sanitised, or have some photographs of the period, whether black & white or colour, we’d love to hear from you! We can accept photos in all formats, from transparencies to digital media, though if emailing, please initially send small images. Send to: The Editor, TRACTION Magazine, The Maltings, West Street, Bourne PE10 9PH. See page 56 for full subsciption details or call 01778 392012

FREETRACTIONAnnual

2011/12 worth£5.95

2 TRACTION T195

www.traction.co.uk 6 News

Progress with some of the AC Loco Group’s charges and a 37 for the Epping Ongar Railway 10 D&E decades

Another time-warp trip 12 Boilerman’s Christmas Cheer

Mel Thorley recalls a pair of Class 40 railtours 25 years ago 19 Class 31 review

What’s happening with the current fleet, brought to us by Dafydd Whyles 23 SnowManc

Photographs of a chilly Manchester Victoria from the Colour-Rail.com collection

28 Mixed Doubles

In the second part of John Chalcraft’s article, he take a look at pairings with diesel-electrics 36 Gallery

Another superb image from a contributor 39 A bit of a DOO in Kent

Keith Widdowson describes some of the workings for the introduction of driver only operation 41 All line 1985

The second half of Parrot’s countrywide Brush 4 bash 47 Everyday eighties

The welcome return of Al Pulford with some more photos from his collection

52 TPO

Your emails and letters published 55 Reviews

The latest books and DVDs 57 Modelling news

New models from Hornby and Bachmann 58 Three of a kind

Bachmann’s recently released OO gauge Class 03 model is examined in detail by David Brown 61 Modelling moment

To accompany the above review, J Crosse gives a brief history of Class 03s, with photos from Colour-Rail.com and Alan Baylis

Don’t forget, TRACTION is now on sale every two months!

January/February 2011 3