(Pre-order) 1970s British Rail Traction in Colour Part 1: The North West of England

£22.95

DUE FOR PUBLICATION LATE-NOVEMBER 2026 - PRE-ORDERS OPEN SOON!

The 1970s was a period of rapid change on Britain’s railways, with diesel traction having replaced steam during the previous decade and as electrification transformed major routes such as the West Coast Main Line. 

At this time many railway enthusiasts considered the rail network to be less interesting after the demise of steam traction and with the variety of liveries prevalent until the 1960s having largely given way to the ubiquitous BR blue livery on locomotives and suburban multiple units and blue & grey on main line coaching stock. One of the co-authors of this book, Peter Fitton, was one of the relatively few railway photographers of the period to continue shooting in colour after the end of steam, recording the changing scene across the North-West of England.

This first volume features his previously unpublished photographs of the West Coast Main Line and the Settle & Carlisle and Woodhead routes, capturing the locomotives, trains and railway infrastructure of a fascinating period of transition. His West Coast Main Line images cover both the diesel and electric eras, featuring several Class 40, 45, 47 and 50 diesel-hauled trains in the first few years of the decade before the wires on the northern section of the route were energised in 1974. Other routes covered include Manchester Victoria to Preston via Bolton, the Cumbrian Coast Line, and the Fylde Lines from Preston to both Blackpool North and Blackpool South. A4 size. 96 pages