Kirjahaku

Following the demise of steam, there was for a while the impression that the contemporary railway scene would be of little interest to the enthusiast. This book is an exercise in nostalgia featuring the early diesel area, which is now as much a part of history, as the steam age.

John Dedman explores the fascinating world of the British railway wagon between 1980 and 2015.

John Dedman first started to take photos of coaches in the late 1970s, mainly as references for modelling purposes. In British Coaching Stock, he delves into his superb archive of unpublished images and shares a wide variety of Mark 1, Mark 2 and Mark 3 stock. Beginning with BR Mark 1 stock, John Dedman features the regular day-to-day vehicles alongside photos of various types of restaurant, kitchen and buffet cars. Mark 1 sleeping cars are also included; so too are the XP64 prototypes that were still in service in the period covered. Also featured are Mark 2 and Mark 3 coaches, as well as the Caledonian Sleeper with its distinctive liveried Mark 3 sleeping cars and day coaches. Pullman coaches from the traditional older vehicles to the Mark 2s, as used on the Manchester Pullman service, also appear here, as do Royal Mail Travelling Post Office sorting and stowage vans and parcels vehicles – some of which are from the pre-1948 era railway companies. In addition to this, John Dedman includes photographs of older coaches still running on the main line today, usually in private charter and excursion trains.

John Dedman turns his attention to the former Western Region, and in particular the area from Paddington through to Bristol, South Wales and the West Country. Covering the period from 1976 to 1990, he explores in depth the second era of 'modern' motive power.

The BR Blue period continues to grow in popularity, a mark of this being that is now the fifth volume in what is a popular series. Regular author John Dedman - whose previous volumes in the series have been, "Southampton and the New Forest", "Western Region South and West", and "Freight in the 1980's" - now turns his attention to the passenger traffic of the period, both locomotive hauled and DMU operated. In the compilation of any book there is always a decision to be made between portraying the regular or unusual. John has opted to do both, hence we see the standard locomotive hauled 'Inter-City' and cross country services, as well as the DMU, including occasions when a locomotive and perhaps two coaches might have replaced a DMU or a rake of DMU's replaced a locomotive hauled train! The coverage is almost country wide although the majority feature in area where locomotive and DMU operation was prominent.