Northern Spain was once a fascinating destination for railway enthusiasts, dominated by a vast network of metre gauge railways, fed by countless minor industrial systems, which featured a rich variety of steam power on several gauges. By the start of the 1960s, some lines resembled working museums, operating exotic locomotives from builders in a variety of countries including Britain, Germany, France, Belgium and the USA, as well as Spain itself.

Although the region along the north coast was metre gauge territory, the broad gauge RENFE rails crossed the region south of the Cantabrian mountains, and reaching up to the major ports and industrial centres on the coast, operated by a combination of veteran types and powerful, modern classes. In May 1960, celebrated railway photographer Peter Gray recorded the fascinating railways of this highly scenic part of Spain, capturing scenes that would soon be lost forever, with lines closing and steam largely disappearing.

A companion volume, ‘Peter Gray’s Travels, Volume 4: Spanish Narrow Gauge in the 1960s’ covers numerous locations across Spain, visited between 1961 and 1968.