OFF THE SHELF

Traction Times: An Early BR Traction Miscellany

Compiled by Andrew Royle (softback, Transport Treasury Publishing Ltd, 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe, HP13 7PJ, www.ttpublishing.co.uk112pp, £14.50, ISBN:  978-1-913251-09-3)

HEREIN lies a superb collection of black and white images that feature the fascinating transition period of modern traction that was in service on BR during the 1950s and 1960s.

That was a time when most serious railway photographers concentrated on recording the soon-to-be-withdrawn steam traction.

Thankfully, a substantial number of excellent quality images were captured of a-soon-to-vanish era of railway operation which featured these early and prototype locomotives and units.

Sadly, many had a very short period in service on the rapidly changing railway network.

The book is organised logically by power classification, and includes sections on prototypes, DMUs, EMUs, shunters, and electric and gas turbine locomotives.

Captions are detailed and very informative and the photographs are reproduced to a very high standard.

This book will appeal to all with an interest in our extraordinary postwar railway history and the enormous changes that took place during