There are fifty full-colour covers to Railway Wonders of the World, some of which were also used as colour plates.  This page subdivides the fifty covers into more topical groups, each of which has its own slide-show.

Most of the covers (36 in all) cover British steam locomotives; the remainder cover Non-European countries (7), Europe (4), with three miscellaneous topics (steam engine wheels, a signal gantry and a composite cover for the final issue).

Out of the “Big Four”, 13 covers illustrated LNER locomotives, 10 covers illustrated LMS locomotives, 8 covers illustrated SR locomotives, and only five covers illustrated GWR locomotives. The latter total seems a little odd when it is remembered that Railway Wonders of the World appeared in the centenary year of the GWR.

The covers are therefore grouped below. Click on the hyperlink or the cover to view a slide-show of that group of covers.

The LNER

There are thirteen covers illustrating locomotives of the LNER:

Part 5 - No. 153 emerging from a tunnel

Part 15 - No. 2577 “Night Hawk”

Part 20 - No. 2552 “Sansovino” & No. 3288 Atlantic

Part 23 - No. 2563 “William Whitelaw”

Part 26 - “The Northern Belle”

Part 28 - View over the tender of an engine at King’s Cross

Part 30 - RHDR “Typhoon” alongside No. 4472 “Flying Scotsman”

Part 33 - No. 4470 “Great Northern”

Part 35 - Turntable operated by a vacuum engine

Part 39 - No. 2747 “Coronach”

Part 41 - K3 No. 17 hauling “The Northern Belle”

Part 45 - “The Silver Jubilee”

Part 47 - No. 8787 hauling the Royal Train

The LMS

There are ten covers illustrating locomotives of the LMS:

Part 1 - No. 6200 “Princess Royal”

Part 6 - No. 6121 “Highland Light Infantry”

Part 8 - No. 6110 “Grenadier Guardsman”

Part 10 - An LMS tank being oiled

Part 13 - No. 6131 “Planet”

Part 31- No. 1028 Midland Compound

Part 32 - No. 5034 mixed traffic locomotive

Part 37 - No. 6200 “Princess Royal”

Part 43 - No. 6202 Turbine driven locomotive

Part 49 - No. 5654 5XP class locomotive

The SR

There are eight covers illustrating locomotives of the SR:

Part 7 - SR “Atlantic” from the cab

Part 12 - A SR Mogul at night

Part 19 - No. 742 “Camelot”

Part 24 - No. 850 “Lord Nelson”

Part 29 - No. 793 “Sir Ontzlake” at Victoria

Part 42 - No. 854 “Lord Howard of Effingham”

Part 46 - No. 860 “Lord Hawke”

Part 48 - No. 850 “Lord Nelson”

The GWR

There are five covers illustrating locomotives of the GWR:

Part 11 - No. 6028 “King Henry II”

Part 17 - No. 6000 “King George V”

Part 25 - The Cornish Riviera Express

Part 27 - “King Henry VII” (streamlined)

Part 34 - No. 2934 “Butleigh Court”

Non-European Countries

There are seven covers illustrating locomotives of non-European countries, largely North America:

Part 2 - Union Pacific Streamlined Express

Part 9 - “The Twentieth Century Ltd”

Part 14 - 4-6-4 Express of the New York New Haven & Hartford Railroad

Part 21 - A Giant American Locomotive at speed

Part 22 - A Pennsylvania Railroad locomotive hauling “The Broadway Ltd”

Part 36 - “The Union Express” leaving Capetown

Part 38 - No. 3100 of the Canadian Pacific Railway

European & Miscellaneous

There are four covers illustrating European locomotives, including one of a cable car. In addition there are three covers illustrating miscellaneous themes: locomotive wheels, a SR signal gantry, and a composite design used for the final issue.

Part 16 - Germany’s latest streamlined locomotive

Part 40 - Electric locomotive on the Ofoten Railway

Part 44 - A “Super Pacific” of the Northern Railway of France

Part 18 - The Sestrieres Passenger Ropeway

Part 3 - Locomotive wheels and motion

Part 4 - SR colour light signals

Part 50 - Composite design