The end of steam on British Railways saw an increasingly blue fleet of diesel and electric traction take over across the national network. Inevitably, there were successes and extreme failures among BR’s shiny new purchases. Some classes of locomotives and units gave excellent value for taxpayers’ money, enjoying long operational careers. Others proved more problematic, and were a costly mistake. You will find examples of both extremes within these pages. Following the first volume of images from the superb, nostalgic Les MacDowall photographic archive, which focused on the Scottish Region, we now travel south of the border into England and Wales to enjoy his photographs of long-scrapped locomotives and units at long-gone stations, sheds and lineside locations. They were taken at a time when few bothered to point their cameras at diesels and electrics, during a decade often neglected by railway photographers, from the mid-1960s through to the mid-1970s.

"Diesel Decade Volume 2" was written by Colin Alexander.