Steam in the North

In the last few years of steam power on the British railway network, Richard Gaunt was taking photographs across the north of England showing not only the locomotives but the varied and dramatic surroundings they worked in. These beautiful images bring the past to life - for those who remember that era and those with more general interests.

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With dramatic and previously unpublished images, Steam in the North: Railways in the 1960s across the North of England is more than just a book of record. It places an emphasis on what it felt like to be there - the emotions, sounds and impressions that this poignant period triggered. Also included are recollections of the challenges faced by enthusiasts ranging from the discouraging attitudes of railway staff to the hair-raising experiences of the ambitious hitchhiker. Complementing the author's previous books on steam power in the North East, this book covers the Midland and West Coast mainlines, as well as Lancashire and Yorkshire as British Railways' working steam fleet approached its inevitable end. The images look at the environment for working steam in its final months - the empty fells and rainy platforms, the gritty outline, hard-working freight as well as express passenger services. They will bring back nostalgic memories for those who remember the railway network in the 1960s, but also appeal to those who enjoy dramatic scenes of the Pennines and the industrial parts of northern England.