Riding Yorkshire's Final Steam Trains

Journeys on BR'S North Eastern Region

Keith Widdowson visited the North Eastern Region on over 40 occasions during the final 18 months of steam. Most of the locomotives were neglected, filthy, prone to failure, and often only kept going due to the skills of the crew. The ever-dwindling numbers became corralled within the industrialized heartland of Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield, and Normanton. Here he recalls that bygone era, stalking the endangered "Iron Horses" in their final habitats. He was often far from alone in his quest. The "Haulage-bashing" fraternity often congregated, lemming like, on the early morning mail trains, the holidaymaker trains, or the Bradford portions—indeed, any service with a steam locomotive at its front. This is a compelling snapshot of the race against time at the end of the golden age of steam.