Trains of the former Southern Railway route from London Waterloo to Bournemouth and Weymouth were hauled by steam locomotives until July 1967, by which time this was the last steam-operated main line on the British Rail system. From the 1940s onwards many of these trains were in the hands of Bulleid’s well-loved 4-6-2 ‘Pacifics’.

Most of the photographs in this book date from the early and middle 1960s, and provide a fascinating and nostalgic journey down the line from Waterloo to the coast in the latter days of steam. The ‘Merchant Navy’, ‘West Country’ and ‘Battle of Britain’ classes are illustrated at work on all types of trains, and the book also contains interesting background information about Oliver Bulleid and the place of the Waterloo to Weymouth line in the 1960s railway scene. The Swanage branch is also included, where thanks to the preservation movement steam locomotives – including surviving ‘Pacifics’ – can be enjoyed in the 21st century.