This new Silver Link volume from railway photographer Roy Avis provides a stunning and fitting tribute to the foresight of steam enthusiasts, and the millions of hours of hard work that have been put in over the past 30 plus years to ensure that present and future generations will be able to share and enjoy the pure magic that is the steam locomotive in full flight. Imagine if you will that the year is 1968. For many ardent enthusiasts, young and old alike, this was a very significant year as it would see the end of steam on Britain’s railways.
The writing had of course been on the steam shed wall ever since the Modernisation plan had been published back in 1955. The decreed way forward was to be Diesel and Electric motive power but for five long years steam engines were still rolling out of the workshops and enthusiasts were lulled into a false sense of security. Even in 1960 when Swindon works outshopped the very last 9F, '92220 Evening Star', the grim reaper seemed a long way off! However in eight short years thousands of locomotives were despatched, with undue haste and little or no ceremony, to the breakers yards - the reality of it all began to set in rapidly.

Thankfully as the passage of time has shown, this was not to be the end. Indeed it signalled a new beginning as thousands of enthusiasts dug deep into their pockets to launch literally hundreds of rescue bids - for engines, carriages, goods trucks, buildings and indeed complete stretches of line. Such was the level of enthusiasm that steam locomotives are now regularly to be seen back on the main line, having escaped from the breakers torch and from the captivity of their tender loving homes on the many preserved railway lines throughout the British Isles. These images are captured within the pages of this book, dating from the mid 1990s to the present day Roy Avis has been a railway enthusiast since childhood. He is a photographer of exceptional talent and is a regular contributor to railway magazines.