Steam in Britain II

Resource Type: Image | Posted on 7th November 2011 by Liam Physick

This is from the inside cover of “Steam in Britain”, giving an introduction to the topic. It explains that the map was issued to commemorate the 150 anniversary in 1975 of the opening of the Stockton and Darlington Railway, which was celebrated with a Steam Calvacade, involving 34 locomotives, on 31st August. It explains that the first heritage railway to be set up was the Talyllyn Railway in 1951, and other such railways (some of which include diesels as well as steam engines) were set up by enthusiasts to replace lines that had been closed down by British Rail - before, during and after the Beeching Axe: with the completion of the Modernisation Plan in 1968, the Vale of Rheidol Railway is the only BR line to still use steam. There are also “live museums”, which allow visitors to inspect the rolling stock close up, and where the locomotives are kept in steam on certain days and given demonstration runs. However, it stresses, there are actually many more steam railways in Britain than are featured on the map

Tagged under: steam locomotives, british rail, diesel locomotives, heritage railways, beeching axe, modernisation plan, stockton and darlington railway, steam in britain, talyllyn railway, vale of rheidol railway

Categorised under: Landmarks, Landscapes & Locomotives