The Last years of British Rail

This is the second volume in a retrospective look at the British Rail era on the nation's railways. A series of three volumes will look at the period from 1980-1994. This volume examines the period 1980-1984 and covers the years prior to the privatisation of the railway. Railways have never stood still and luckily for us, John Stretton had the foresight to capture a changing scene from the outset. He presents a nostalgic chronicle of changes from the first half of the decade, a time when change was more rapid than ever before. The demise of the 'Deltics', the re-opening of stations closed during the Beeching era, upheaval to both passenger and freight traffic are but a few of the changes he draws upon.

The impending privatisation of the network made these five years a period of particular interest. The liveries carried by locomotives and coaching stock, which had become standardised under the nationalised regime, are perhaps the best examples of what was about to change. The private rail companies would soon introduce an array of new colours and markings, the likes of which hadn't been seen since the days prior to the grouping in 1923!

John Stretton is a prominent railway author who has already written many titles for The NOSTALGIA Collection. He also has material published regularly in the railway press. He lives in Oxfordshire with his wife Judith.

Revised: Thursday, June 7, 2007