British Railways in Transition

An extensively illustrated history of the transition from steam to diesel and electric traction, and the last few decades before privatization. Jim Blake took a huge number of pictures capturing both the dramatic changes and decline of the railways pre-1997, both in the London area where he lived and around the country. This book provides a photographic history of the period, covering all aspects of the railway and its operations. It portrays the process of coming to terms with the post-Beeching, post-steam era, before a change of political will brought more rail investment. The volume looks not only at locomotives and trains, but also the overall railway scene during a tumultuous era.

Auteur

Jim Blake was born at the end of 1947, and he soon developed a passionate interest in railways, buses and trolleybuses. In 1965, he bought a colour cine-camera, with which he captured what is now very rare footage of long-lost buses, trolleybuses and steam locomotives. These transport photographs have been published in various books and magazines. Jim also started the North London Transport Society and, in conjunction with the group, he has compiled and published a number of books on the subject since 1977, featuring many of the 100,000 or so transport photographs he has taken over the years.

Texte du rabat

This is a book about the transition from steam to diesel and electric traction on British Railways, covering a period from 1960-1970. The author Jim Blake, took a huge number of pictures during this period, covering all aspects of the railway and its operations, both in the London area, where he lived and also around the country. This book looks at the railway scene in decline, trying to come to terms with the post Beeching, post steam era, before a change of political will, that has seen much rail investment in recent times. The volume, not only looks at locomotives and trains, but also the overall railway scene of that decade of great change the 1960s.