By the turn of the 1960s, steam traction on Britain's railways was
within its last decade and for a group of young enthusiasts living in
Carlisle, there was always the urge to travel to other parts of the
country to photograph steam locomotives, which in most cases would never
have appeared in there own locality.
Visits to certain parts of Scotland, the North East of England and parts
of Lancashire, could be achieved in a day, using a day return ticket.
More distant parts of Britain, would require more planning usually using
an all lines rail rover ticket, these visits and trips could be done on
an individual basis or with a group of like minded friends, or even with
a railway club or society.
The benefits of visits with railway society's or clubs, were that such
organizations could arrange group shed permits, where as individuals had
to arrange such things by themselves.
As the 1960s progressed time started to run out for the photographer to
capture the last embers of steam across the country and things became
ever more urgent, with the end in sight.
This book depicts visits to many locations undertaken during this period
when time was running out for steam traction.
We traveled from Aberdeen to Weymouth to record the dying days of a form
of traction that served the railways of Britain, from the 1820s through
to the late 1960s.
