In the continuing mission to break new ground, this issue leads with an account of the disputes between the South Devon Railway and the Board of Trade concerning conversion of the Broad Gauge Lidford-Plymouth route to dual gauge – written by an aficionado of the London & South Western Railway. An ex-employee takes the reader ‘Inside’ to discover what it was like to be an apprentice at Swindon in the post-steam period. This time excerpts from the Dick Riley Archives are all in colour while the subject locomotives are all in black. The occasional series on experimental motive power discusses 4-4-0T/2-4-0T No. 1. A mainly pictorial article looks at the Abingdon branch while another reviews the scene of the Appleford Crossing mishap of 25 September 1952.

The brief history of the four-wheeled milk tank wagon is described in complementation of the Book Review for the imminent re-release of Milk on the Rails by Matthew Pinto (Wild Swan Books 2026). Other regular features return, and an article on photography suggests that although the designation of an image may be ‘Official’, its authenticity could be questionable!

Contents
Introduction
South Devon Railway & The Board of Trade by Graham Bowring
Them & Us
From the Archives of R C Riley: Black Beauty
The Brief Career of the Great Western Four-Wheel Milk Wagon by Matthew Pinto
The Pannier Story: Part 7 – Post-World War II
Swindon Apprentice 1967- 68 by Stephen E Jones
Book Review
Experimental Motive Power: The Unique No. 1
Authenticity
Accident at Appleford
The Abingdon Branch
The Great Western Trust (GWT) Bulletin
The Guard’s Compartment

Appleford Crossing

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Western Times Issue 15