MLI Plus

MLI Plus, formerly Modern Locomotives Illustrated and Locomotives Illustrated, was a British bi-monthly railway publication published by Ian Allan Publishing and later Key Publishing.

Locomotives Illustrated was founded in 1975 by Geoffrey Freeman Allen with the intention of creating a series of magazines, each issue dedicated to an individual class of British steam locomotive. By mid-2007, the magazine had covered almost every class of steam locomotive. Publication ceased in early-2008 after 170 issues.¹²

Ian Allan Publishing, were keen to revamp it. Colin J Marsden, former editor of Railways Illustrated, was approached to take over the editorship and re-launch the magazine as Modern Locomotives Illustrated with a focus on modern diesel and electric locomotives and multiple units. The first edition was number 171 in May 2008.¹

It was included in the sale of Ian Allan Publishing's magazine business to Key Publishing in March 2012.³⁴

The publishers originally envisaged a run of 66 issues, in the end there were 100 issues. The magazine was published bi-monthly.¹ It was rebranded MLI Plus with the first edition being number 248 in March 2021.⁵⁶ Publication of MLI Plus ceased after the publication of issue number 270 in November 2024.⁷