Freight Trains in the North of England

Book excerpt: We all remember the famous trains of yesteryear like 'The Flying Scotsman', 'The Royal Scot' and 'The Waverley', passenger trains from the great days of steam, but behind the glamour of these celebrated expresses were the dirty unloved goods trains. Well into the 1980s it was possible to ride behind and experience most locomotives on passenger services, but the arrival of the HST and diesel multiple units soon changed this, and with the odd exception, today's locos can only be found working on freight trains. The interest in the goods or freight train has risen greatly in recent years even against a backdrop of reduced depots, yards and variety of workings. This book brings together the work of many of our most outstanding railway photographers featuring some of their best work from the mid 1950s right up to the present day. The old local trip with its wooden trucks, the long mixed goods, the heavy steel train and Speedlink services all feature from the steam, diesel and electric eras. Put these trains into picturesque Northern landscapes or set them against almost forgotten industrial backdrops and we hopefully have a book that captures the 'Freight Train in the North of England'