Southern Electrics in Colour 1955 - 1972

AUTHORS: Brown & Derrick PUBLISHER: Strathwood ISBN: 978-1-913390-990-0 PRICE: £22.95

WEB: www.strathwood.co.uk

THIS BOOK, the latest in a selection of new titles from Strathwood, is similar to other recent releases and covers the same subject, but in colour as opposed to black and white.

It’s mostly EMUs, of both pre- and post-war types, but there are some locos of Classes 70, 71, 73 and 74 also featured. Being in colour means the photos are not as crisp as black and white ones would be, but they offer a lot regardless, as they give a great feel for the post-war era and the early days of the nationalised railway.

There are truly wonderful captures, such as a 2-BIL/HAL combination at the now preserved Horsted Keynes station in the early 1960s, a Class 73 next to a West Country Pacific at Bournemouth in 1967 and a mass of commuter shots that really encapsulate the period. Overall, this book is a pretty decent offering and worth acquiring. (PD)