This book illustrates steam-hauled rail tours covering the years before the ban on the use of steam on Britain’s main lines was imposed in 1968, and from when it was lifted in 1971 through to the 1980s.

The realisation during the 1960s that enthusiasts would soon no longer enjoy the thrill of the sights and sounds of steam on Britain’s railway network prompted the operation of steam-hauled special trains, sometimes with unfamiliar motive power.

These rail tours were often over lines that had been earmarked for closure. When the ban on steam-hauled trains was lifted in 1971, there was a surge in the number of rail tours using steam, often along unusual lines, which later led many people to declare that the 1970s and 1980s were the golden age of rail tours.

Published in August 2024 by Amberley Publishing and written by Laurie Golden, this soft-cover book measures around 16.5 cm x 23.4 cm, and has 96 pages and 180 photographs.

It has a published price of £15.99, but at the time of writing, it can be purchased for £14.39 from Amberley Publishing and for £15.03 from Amazon.

The book has an Introduction and three sections. The short introduction describes the background to special trains that ran to commemorate the end of steam, and why the steam ban was lifted to allow King George V to haul a promotional tour around the country.

The three sections cover 1963 to 1969, which covers the years up to the end of steam in 1968 and a solitary run by Flying Scotsman in 1969 prior to its tour of the USA; the 1970s after the steam ban was lifted in 1971; and the 1980s.

As well as depicting rail tours, the 1963-1969 section includes images of special trains that were run to mark the last day of operation of certain branch lines, and images of trains on the last day of steam haulage on many routes.

The 1970-1979 section will bring back memories for older readers with images of locomotives now consigned to museums, such as London & Northwestern Railway Precedent Class 2-4-0 No. 790 Hardwicke, Midland Railway Compound No. 1000, and Great Western Railway King Class No. 6000 King George V, complete with a bell on the buffer beam that it acquired during a visit to the USA in 1927.

The final section, covering 1980-1989, sees fewer images of locomotives that are now in museums and more of those that can still be seen on heritage railways and on main line rail tours.

The relaxation of rules banning steam locomotives from Britain’s main line railways was the signal for some very unusual and innovative haulage.

However, five years before the end of steam on British Railways, an almost-unheard-of sight occurred on the Southern Region with the appearance of Caledonian Railway 4-2-2 No. 123 paired with T9 Class 4-4-0 No. 120 as seen at the left below.

This was the forerunner of many of today’s rail tours that see steam locomotives hauling trains far removed from their original stamping grounds.

By the 1970s, the preservation movement was in full swing, leading to immaculately prepared locomotives venturing into unfamiliar territory, such as the scenes on these pages.

Especially noteworthy is the image at the top right showing Great Western Railway King Class No. 6000 King George V paired with A3 Class No. 4472 Flying Scotsman near Ludlow on the Marches line from Hereford to Shrewsbury.

The spectacular scenery of the Settle and Carlisle Line seems to be a magnet for rail tours that continues to this day. Unheard of in days gone by, Southern Railway West Country Class Pacific No. 34092 City of Wells seems in full control as it powers through the Northern Fells.

Nostalgia is a word often associated with the preservation movement, often it is for locomotives running over the same routes they trod before the end of steam that stirs memories.

The sight of Hagley Hall or one of its compatriots crossing Frampton Mansell viaduct between Swindon and Gloucester was an everyday scene in steam days.

Conversely, a sight such as that at the bottom right would not have been seen in those days, as King Class locomotives were banned from the line.

This book will re-kindle enthusiasts’ memories of special trains that ran before the end of steam, and the sight and sound of some locomotives that were once a familiar sight on those tours but are now consigned to static exhibits in museums.

Throughout the book, the author’s photographic skills shine through, with excellent composition and equally good reproduction, enhanced by the book being printed on good-quality paper. A minor criticism is that the page headings do not include the relevant section title.

This is a worthy history looking back on rail tours of years gone by, and although many of the scenes can still be experienced today, there are others that are long gone.

Laurie Golden’s captions to each photograph are more than the basic ‘what, where’ and when’, but include much additional information about the trains and their routes, and the locomotives themselves. This volume is worthy of a place on any railway enthusiast’s bookshelf and fully deserves a rating of 5/5.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon and from Amberley Publishing.

We would like to thank Amberley Publishing for providing us with a copy of the book for review.