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 as the process of line withdrawals and the elimination of familiar steam locomotive classes accelerated, an increasing number of special services were 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 color. His collection, which is almost exclusively unpublished, provides a colorful reminder of the many special trains that were operated on BR metals during these years. This large-format all-color album includes 140 fine images from these years with detailed accompanying captions, which include anecdotal information about the significance of each of the trains.