The Later Years of British Rail 1980-1995 Freight Special
CAN IT really be more than quarter of a century since British Rail was consigned to the history books? Even after all this time there is still a huge interest in BR, its traction, and its services. The BR of 1980 was vastly different to that of just 16 years later in 1995, and this book illustrates well the range of changes that took place on the railway in the run up to the Privatisation era.
Looking specifically on freight trains operating on BR, the book starts with the then-standard traction diesel and electric locomotives that were common in 1980, some of which were largely extinct by 1995. Newer designs such as the Class 56s, 58s and 60s are also included, and the book covers a wide geographical area, containing most of the areas of the BR network where freight services operated.
The softback 96-page colour book is priced at a reasonable £15.99. The reproduction of the photos on the inside pages are generally very good and the selection of photos used has clearly been carefully thought about by the authors.
A regular complaint from me about Amberley’s books is the reproduction of the front covers, which are often printed darker than they should be, and this book has the same problem, although the dark print issue does not affect the internal pages and shouldn’t put off a prospective purchaser.
If you like a wide variety of locomotive designs working freight services in a range of liveries from BR blue through to more modern contemporary colour schemes, this book should provide a real nostalgia kick to an era that wasn’t that long ago – but is now largely a thing of the past.
(AMC)