A Farewell to Steam

In the years following the Modernisation Plan of 1955, main-line steam traction was in rapid retreat from BR metals and the process of eliminating steam traction from British Railways was accelerated considerably from the late 1950s onwards when BR's deteriorating financial position resulted in the withdrawal of many of the unremunerative branch lines and secondary routes. This process was further accelerated following the publication of the Beeching Report, which foreshadowed an even more rapid withdrawal of both passenger and freight services. As the process of line withdrawals and the elimination of familiar steam locomotive classes accelerated, so an increasing number of closure were specials operated, often taking locomotives to unfamiliar haunts and providing once in a lifetime opportunities to record sights that were soon to become part of history. For almost a decade - from June 1961 through to the final withdrawal of main-line steam in August 1968 - Tony Butcher travelled widely through the country recording these special workings in colour. His collection, which is almost exclusively unpublished, provides a colourful reminder to the many special trains that were operated on BR metals during these years. This large-format all-colour album includes 140 fine images from these years with detailed accompanying captions, which include anecdotal information about the significance of each of the trains.