Last years of the Class 50s 1980-1994

AUTHOR: Kevin Derrick PUBLISHER: Strathwood ISBN: 978-1-913390-96-9 PRICE: £22.95

WEB: www.strathwood.co.uk

I’M NOT quite sure the title is actually right for this book, given that referring to the last years of any fleet shouldn’t really encompass over half their life. A more accurate title would have been ‘Class 50s in use between 1980-1994’. Their last years were realistically 19891994 or, if you prefer, from 1987 when they lost their InterCity turns and the first three locos were condemned.

But title aside, is it any good? Many of the images were taken by the late Barrie Renwick, most of which have not been published before, which is great. They are all the ‘classic’ locations such as Dawlish, Teignmouth, Exeter and across the Western Region, as well as the locos’ incursions on the LMR at Birmingham New Street and the SR at Waterloo.

Renwick’s images are supplemented by pictures from other well-known photographers such as

Martin Loader.

Overall, this is a pretty decent volume. The quality of the images is very good, although it’s fair to say there are no jaw-dropping, amazing pictures that have you screaming ‘wow’, nor a mass of places that have rarely if ever been seen before with a Class 50 in them. This isn’t a bad book, though, and I’d have no qualms in recommending it to Class 50 and generic modern traction fans alike. It’s just that it has that baffling title. (PD)