Andrew Cole looks at Class 50 Locomotives.

A collection of Andrew Cole's terrific photographs of Class 31 locomotives.

The Type 3 Diesel Locomotive album comprises over 200, mainly unpublished, full sized colour photographs of four classes of British engines, developed in the earlier years of the Modernisation Plan.The Type 3 included four classes of locomotive of medium power output, which undertook a wide range of duties from Main line and local passenger services, various freight duties and departmental work. Several are still in use on the national network, and can be seen in various parts of the countryThe Book has been compiled by David Cable, who has authored a range of very successful colour albums for Pen and Sword Books Ltd. The photos illustrate the many duties and colour schemes of the classes in a variety of locations and colour schemes of the classes in a variety of locations, using largely unpublished photographs from his extensive collection.

With the first of the future Class 31 design emerging over half a century ago in 1957, these adaptable locomotives have proved themselves to be amongst the most successful and long-lived of all Modernisation Plan diesels. Between 1957 and 1962 more than 250 locomotives were constructed, and despite massive withdrawals from the mid-1990s onwards, a handful still remains in service with others now in preservation. Initially intended for use on both passenger and freight services on the Eastern Region, the type was later to see service on the Western Region replacing the diesel-hydraulics, and on inter-regional services such as those from Birmingham to Norwich. Privatisation of the railway industry saw the bulk of the survivors pass to EWS ownership, but several others are now owned by charter companies such as FM Rail and by Network Rail itself in a bright yellow livery. This informative new book concentrates primarily on the era after 1980, and is designed to complement the original OPC volume 'Power of the 31s'. The well-researched text explores the history and development of the 31s, and is supplemented by a vivid collection of over 250 mono and colour images of the class in various locations around the country. This impressive collection of images focuses in particular upon the many livery variations to have been carried by the locomotives since their introduction. These will be of great interest to modellers of the type as well as to diesel enthusiasts around the country.

A collection of Andrew Cole's terrific photographs of Class 31 locomotives.

A stunning pictorial survey of the Class 37/4s, covering their operations in Scotland, England, and Wales. In the prelude to the privatisation of British Railways, the Provincial Sector (later Regional Railways) became responsible for local / secondary train services. It initiated the refurbishment of thirty-one Class 37 locomotives, fitted with train heating equipment—hence designated Class 37/4—to support the shortfall of DMU trainsets. Their initial task was to work services on Scottish lines radiating from Inverness to points north and Glasgow to service the West Highland Line with a small batch based in South Wales to service Cambrian Line services and services from Cardiff traversing the Marches Line to serve Liverpool. These services were soon replaced by Sprinter trainsets thus releasing the fleet to other duties including freight operators hence, at privatisation in April 1994, the fleet became owned by freight companies who subsequently hired locomotives to both other freight companies and passenger operators. Throughout their working life, the fleet members have proved invaluable and capable of powering a variety of services whose history confirms both the locomotives’ adaptability and prowess in handling the duties allocated to them. Fred Kerr’s book seeks to show this adaptability by detailing the reason for their initial creation and the tasks successfully undertaken once released from their initial roles as support for the shortage of DMU trainsets. The advent of privatisation saw an increased demand for their ‘go-anywhere do anything’ ability which is also displayed by the range of photographs that illustrate the wide range of duties performed by class members. Once withdrawn from service some class members were purchased for preservation and—such was their adaptability—that preserved examples were hired by train operators to cover duties that no other class of diesel locomotive was capable of achieving.

British Rail Main Line Locomotives Specification Guide identifies the major detail differences and livery variations that have appeared on all British Rail, ex-British Rail and privatized railway diesel and electric main line classes from 14 to 92. The book provides a record of the main specifications of each class of locomotive, and details of variations, including: numbers, liveries, headcodes, headlights, wheel arrangements and bogies, brakes, names and - where appropriate - details of refurbishment programmes.Diesel locomotives are a relative newcomer to the railway enthusiast and modelling scenes, and this book brings together information on detail changes in a coherent reference form for the first time, illustrated with photographs of major changes. A useful resource for modellers and those with an interest in the differences that have occurred to the British Rail fleet. Superbly illustrated with around 300 colour photographs.