Books by Brian Reading

The 1950s and 1960s was a time of profound cultural and technological transformation. With images and vivid recollections, we journey back to post-war Wales and the Western Region of British Railways. We explore favourite routes and railway places, many now changed beyond recognition. Trackside, at busy stations, in and around depots, an evolving mood is revealed in pictures. In the 1950s railway pride and optimism overcame staff shortages, returning locomotives to pre-war performance and introducing modern BR standard classes. By the 1960s fiscal efficiency and the dawning diesel era turned pride to neglect. Sparkling steel, brass and tallow gave way to dust, rust and flaking paint. Though many locomotives were lost, some survived to be reborn as the stars of preserved railways; loved by dedicated volunteers and tourists alike. People, machines and landscapes are crystalized on film for future generations - reawakening memories for those who lived through this time of change and offering a fascinating insight for those who are too young to have been trackside during this intriguing period of railway history.

The 1950s and 1960s was a time of profound cultural and technological transformation. With images and vivid recollections, we journey back to post-war East Anglia and the East Coast Main Line with many locations changed beyond recognition. Trackside, at busy stations, and in and around depots, an evolving mood is revealed in pictures. In the 1950s, railway pride and optimism overcame staff shortages; returning locomotives to pre-war performance and introducing modern BR standard classes. By the 1960s, fiscal efficiency and the dawning diesel era turned pride to neglect of steam. Sparkling steel, brass and tallow gave way to dust, rust and flaking paint. Heroic workhorses were lost to scrap. As the mood turned to melancholy, just a few of these great workhorses became pets - polished, loved, and cared for by dedicated railway workers and a growing band of enthusiastic volunteers. People, machines and landscapes are crystalized on film for future generations; reawakening memories for those who lived through this time of change and offering a fascinating insight for those who are too young to have been trackside during this intriguing period of railway history.