Modern Traction in the North of England

AUTHOR: John Whiteley

PUBLISHER: Amberley Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-39811-662-7

PRICE: £15.99

WEBSITE: www.amberley-books.com

several railway

‘names’ which instantly attract your attention when you see a book featuring their photography, so when I saw the name John Whiteley – who has featured before in the pages of Railways Illustrated – on the cover of this recent release by Amberley, I knew I was in for a treat. John has been a prolific presence at the lineside for many years, and Modern Traction in the North of England is the perfect showcase of just a small proportion of his vast photographic archive covering several decades.

Featuring a wide array of different locomotive-hauled trains from the early 1960s through to the start of the 21st century, this book features locations from Scotland down to the Midlands, showcasing many locomotives and scenes that have long since been

consigned to the history books, as well as graphically showing just how much the railway scene has changed over the years.

The book doesn’t follow a chronological order and the pictures included are mainly colour images, with a few monochrome ones included in the selection. As would be expected from such a volume, the photographs are well-composed and are accompanied by reasonably detailed captions. The photo reproduction is excellent, and the book follows the tried-and-tested Amberley format, featuring mainly two pictures on each page, with a couple of pages also benefitting from a single image.

The vast majority of these Amberley photo albums are well put together and most are worth adding to your shelves. For £15.99, Modern Traction in the North of England is a bargain and also a visual time machine that will take you back to some classic traction in some stunning locations.

AMC