A superb album of black & white photos by railway photographer John Beckett taken between 1956 and 1968.
The book is divided into chapters covering each of the three divisions of the Southern Region, with separate chapters on the London & South Western lines west of Salisbury, the Isle of Wight, the Somerset & Dorset route, and the Bluebell Railway in its early years as a preserved line. Most of the photos are of steam locos and steam-hauled trains but there is also a Class 71 hauling the “Golden Arrow”, a Bulleid/Raworth electric loco hauling a freight, a “Brighton Belle” EMU, and diesel-hydraulic Class 41 “Warships” and Class 22 “Baby Warships”.
There is a good mix of freight trains, Railtours, and regular passenger trains ranging from prestigious expresses such as the “Royal Wessex” to one- and two-coach branch line trains. The photos are arranged in roughly geographical order, and at the back there is an index of locations.
Hardback. 128 pages. Approximately 150 black & white photographs.