Main Line Steam Around London: The Preservation Years Since 1968

In August 1968, British Rail (BR) bid farewell to standard gauge steam with the famous Fifteen Guinea Special. The main line steam ban was soon to end, and in October 1971, King class 6000 King George V passed through Kensington Olympia with the Bulmers Cider Pullman coaches as part of an eight-day trial tour. In 1985, regular steam excursions began running from Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon, and this collection of images documents the story since that fateful day in August 1968.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 96 pages
Publication date: 15 October 2021
Publisher: Amberley Publishing

On August 11, 1968, British Rail (BR) bid farewell to standard gauge steam with the iconic Fifteen Guinea Special. A steam ban was imposed, prohibiting all steam trains from operating on BR metals. The main line steam ban was soon to be lifted. In October 1971, King class 6000 King George V traversed Kensington Olympia with the Bulmers Cider Pullman coaches as part of an eight-day trial tour. A list of approved routes for steam-hauled excursion trains was compiled, encompassing less busy provincial lines where such operations were less likely to disrupt normal traffic. Gradually, the routes available to working steam were expanded. On March 1, 1979, King George V pulled a special train from London Paddington to Didcot, but the breakthrough year was 1985. This marked the commencement of regular steam excursions from Marylebone to Stratford-upon-Avon. Today, steam excursions from London occur nearly every week throughout the year, and this remarkable collection of images chronicles the story since that fateful day in August 1968.

Weight: 302g
Dimension: 166 x 233 x 15 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781398101012