The main lines of the Southern encompassed those routes east through Kent, south to Brighton and south / south-west to Bournemouth, Exeter, and Plymouth. Once upon a time steam was dominant on all of these but electrification came in the 1930s into Sussex, extending into Kent from 1959 onwards and finally to Bournemouth (and Weymouth) in 1967 and thereafter. As change took place so the named trains of the steam era would slowly pass into oblivion; the ‘Thanet Belle’, the ‘Bournemouth Belle’ and perhaps the most famed of all the ‘Atlantic Coast Express’, all would vanish as route ownership passed beyond the control of Waterloo or the lines and destinations once served lost their railway connection. Last to go were the ‘Brighton Belle’ and ‘Golden Arrow’ both of which managed to survive into the early 1970s although a pale shadow of their former glory.

In this new book, renowned photographer R C Riley set out to record trains on the main lines of the Southern. Sometimes the crack expresses, sometimes lesser or special workings but each carefully captured so as to present the train and the railway in harmony – the railway as part of the overall scene. Dick Riley lived on the Southern in the south east corner of London (more accurately Kent). From his home he would venture forth on regular sorties often staying away for days at a time seeking out favoured vantage points and even on occasions returning home with nothing to show for his endeavours should the weather have turned unfavourable. The results are seen here, collated in this form for the first time, a veritable feast for those who both recall or perhaps instead wish they been with Dick on his travels.