abc British Railways Locomotives and Other Motive Power

The latest title in our ever popular series of reprints of classic Ian Allan abcs is the Combined Volume from 1970. Though BR steam is now but a memory, apart from the three 2-6-2Ts working on the Vale of Rheidol line in Wales, the early 1970s were the peak years for what we would now regard as first generation classic traction. Most of the Modernisation Plan classes, even the ones which were not very successful and were withdrawn after relatively short careers, were still in service as were the Western Region diesel hydraulics. The Class 50s, introduced only a few years before, were fulfilling their original role on the non-electrified sections of the West Coast Main Line and the Deltics were dominant on East Coast Main line services. Over 1,000 shunters of the 08, 09 and 010 classes are listed in this volume as are the many other classes of shunters, often small in terms of numbers, which were found across the system. In addition to diesel locomotives, the book covers all the electric locomotives, DMUs and EMUs in service at that time. Equally fascinating, in some ways is the section on preserved, mostly steam, locomotives. As an example, at that time, before locomotives began to be rescued from Woodham’s scrapyard in Barry, just one each of the Merchant Navy, West Country and Battle of Britain Pacifics had been preserved. This is an exercise in pure nostalgia for those who had an active interest in the railway network at that time, and for younger readers, they may well be amazed at the sheer variety of motive power which was to be seen on the BR network in 1970.