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Railway Books > Peter Collins - A Railwayman's View > PC-Book-BR-Midland-Region-Vol2

The Peter Collins books are currently ONLY available as eBooks in the ePub 3.0 format.

This decision was made due to the currently high costs of paper and the price we would need to charge customers for the book
is too high for us given the current economic climate.

However, if you purchase the eBook then we will provide you with a discount code
to get
£15 off the printed version when it is printed.

An Interactive PDF version is also available to those buying the ePub format, please contact us if you require this format.

ePub readers are available for tablets and PCs. (They can be read on smart phones, but we do not recommend it).
 

For Apple OS and Apple iOS devices then please use the Apple Books app to read the book.
This is free to download from the AppStore.
For Apple iOS, AppleOS, AndroidOS and Microsoft Windows devices the Adobe Digital Editions
software can be used to read the book.
This is free and available here.

PC-Book-BR-Midland-Region-Vol2 
 Price: £20.00 for ePub format Digital Book, 180pp, 158 Black and White photos. All photos are available to buy separately via links on the book.

Welcome to the second volume of ‘A Railwayman’s View - The Photographs of Peter Collins’. This second book covers the London Midland Region of British Railways, primarily the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line, but also covers North Wales, Scotland and the East Midlands. Whilst the first volume in this series featured the swansong of the Western Region’s “ill-fated” choice of Diesel-Hydraulic traction, this book has many photographs taken at Crewe during the West Coast Main Line electrification from Crewe to Glasgow.

Electrification of the northern section of the WCML followed on from that between London Euston, Liverpool and Manchester, first announced in the Modernisation Plan of 1955. Many of the photographs from Crewe show the changing face of the London Midland Region at this time. English Electric Class 50s seen in Volume One started their lives on the northern section of the WCML whilst electrification was completed. Here we see them in their original condition, before transfer to the Western Region and their refurbishment. The original AL1-AL6 Electric locomotives are seen in their original guise, plus Class 87s and the Advanced Passenger Train are briefly seen as well as a fabulous collection of Diesels in various liveries from BR Green to BR Blue.

English Electric Class 40s are shown in their transition from BR Green to BR Blue liveries, and both are seen before the “bashers“ arrived in force in the twilight of their lives. The sheer variation of locomotive types that could be seen at Crewe on any day in the early 1970s would be a dream for today’s rail enthusiasts, used to multiple units and Class 66 freight locomotives.

The busy scenes captured by Peter reflect the multiple locomotive changes required at Crewe on a daily basis. Class 40s , 47s and 50s on passenger duties were switched to electric traction for their onward journey to Euston. The sight of multiple locomotives stabled in-between duties was commonplace. The dominance of Sulzer Type 2’s in Scotland is reflected in some photographs from railtours Peter took, as well as a Class 50 at Perth station.

The Midland lines are also seen, dominated by Class 44/45/46 ‘Peaks’ and a few Sulzer Type 2’s along the way. The ability to walk around Toton depot, even walking across main running lines would be deemed a major hazard today, but not at Christmas in 1971!

As a student I was lucky (or otherwise) to use Manchester Victoria station in the 1980’s, the sheer greyness and reek of BR in the 1970s still evident before its rebuild. Some classic photos of EE Class 40s taken on dank and dark Manchester days recapture the feel of the station at this time, the ash stained roof and buildings invoking memories of steam that only ended some 4 years previously.

The photographs presented in this second volume reflect the changing face of British Rail in the 1970s, a steady decline trying to be arrested by electrification, but failing to appeal to new travellers. the bashers would revel in this environment, and we hope that this book will bring back fond memories.
PC-Book-BR-Midland-Region-Vol2 
 Price: £20.00 for ePub format Digital Book, 180pp, 158 Black and White photos. All photos are available to buy separately via links on the book.

Welcome to the second volume of ‘A Railwayman’s View - The Photographs of Peter Collins’. This second book covers the London Midland Region of British Railways, primarily the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line, but also covers North Wales, Scotland and the East Midlands. Whilst the first volume in this series featured the swansong of the Western Region’s “ill-fated” choice of Diesel-Hydraulic traction, this book has many photographs taken at Crewe during the West Coast Main Line electrification from Crewe to Glasgow.

Electrification of the northern section of the WCML followed on from that between London Euston, Liverpool and Manchester, first announced in the Modernisation Plan of 1955. Many of the photographs from Crewe show the changing face of the London Midland Region at this time. English Electric Class 50s seen in Volume One started their lives on the northern section of the WCML whilst electrification was completed. Here we see them in their original condition, before transfer to the Western Region and their refurbishment. The original AL1-AL6 Electric locomotives are seen in their original guise, plus Class 87s and the Advanced Passenger Train are briefly seen as well as a fabulous collection of Diesels in various liveries from BR Green to BR Blue.

English Electric Class 40s are shown in their transition from BR Green to BR Blue liveries, and both are seen before the “bashers“ arrived in force in the twilight of their lives. The sheer variation of locomotive types that could be seen at Crewe on any day in the early 1970s would be a dream for today’s rail enthusiasts, used to multiple units and Class 66 freight locomotives.

The busy scenes captured by Peter reflect the multiple locomotive changes required at Crewe on a daily basis. Class 40s , 47s and 50s on passenger duties were switched to electric traction for their onward journey to Euston. The sight of multiple locomotives stabled in-between duties was commonplace. The dominance of Sulzer Type 2’s in Scotland is reflected in some photographs from railtours Peter took, as well as a Class 50 at Perth station.

The Midland lines are also seen, dominated by Class 44/45/46 ‘Peaks’ and a few Sulzer Type 2’s along the way. The ability to walk around Toton depot, even walking across main running lines would be deemed a major hazard today, but not at Christmas in 1971!

As a student I was lucky (or otherwise) to use Manchester Victoria station in the 1980’s, the sheer greyness and reek of BR in the 1970s still evident before its rebuild. Some classic photos of EE Class 40s taken on dank and dark Manchester days recapture the feel of the station at this time, the ash stained roof and buildings invoking memories of steam that only ended some 4 years previously.

The photographs presented in this second volume reflect the changing face of British Rail in the 1970s, a steady decline trying to be arrested by electrification, but failing to appeal to new travellers. the bashers would revel in this environment, and we hope that this book will bring back fond memories.
© ellyBelly Publications

Price: £20.00 for ePub format Digital Book, 180pp, 158 Black

and White photos. All photos are available to buy separately via links on the book.

Welcome to the second volume of ‘A Railwayman’s View - The Photographs of Peter Collins’. This second book covers the London Midland Region of British Railways, primarily the West Coast Main Line and the Midland Main Line, but also covers North Wales, Scotland and the East Midlands. Whilst the first volume in this series featured the swansong of the Western Region’s “ill-fated” choice of Diesel-Hydraulic traction, this book has many photographs taken at Crewe during the West Coast Main Line electrification from Crewe to Glasgow.

Electrification of the northern section of the WCML followed on from that between London Euston, Liverpool and Manchester, first announced in the Modernisation Plan of 1955. Many of the photographs from Crewe show the changing face of the London Midland Region at this time. English Electric Class 50s seen in Volume One started their lives on the northern section of the WCML whilst electrification was completed. Here we see them in their original condition, before transfer to the Western Region and their refurbishment. The original AL1-AL6 Electric locomotives are seen in their original guise, plus Class 87s and the Advanced Passenger Train are briefly seen as well as a fabulous collection of Diesels in various liveries from BR Green to BR Blue.

English Electric Class 40s are shown in their transition from BR Green to BR Blue liveries, and both are seen before the “bashers“ arrived in force in the twilight of their lives. The sheer variation of locomotive types that could be seen at Crewe on any day in the early 1970s would be a dream for today’s rail enthusiasts, used to multiple units and Class 66 freight locomotives.

The busy scenes captured by Peter reflect the multiple locomotive changes required at Crewe on a daily basis. Class 40s , 47s and 50s on passenger duties were switched to electric traction for their onward journey to Euston. The sight of multiple locomotives stabled in-between duties was commonplace. The dominance of Sulzer Type 2’s in Scotland is reflected in some photographs from railtours Peter took, as well as a Class 50 at Perth station.

The Midland lines are also seen, dominated by Class 44/45/46 ‘Peaks’ and a few Sulzer Type 2’s along the way. The ability to walk around Toton depot, even walking across main running lines would be deemed a major hazard today, but not at Christmas in 1971!

As a student I was lucky (or otherwise) to use Manchester Victoria station in the 1980’s, the sheer greyness and reek of BR in the 1970s still evident before its rebuild. Some classic photos of EE Class 40s taken on dank and dark Manchester days recapture the feel of the station at this time, the ash stained roof and buildings invoking memories of steam that only ended some 4 years previously.

The photographs presented in this second volume reflect the changing face of British Rail in the 1970s, a steady decline trying to be arrested by electrification, but failing to appeal to new travellers. the bashers would revel in this environment, and we hope that this book will bring back fond memories.