English Electric Class 50 Diesels: From the Western Region to Preservation

by Peter Green

Overview

Peter J Green first photographed Class 50 diesels in action in 1975, while they were still being transferred from the London Midland to the Western Region of British Rail. But it was in the early 1980s, when they were named and painted in Large Logo livery, that his interest in the class really took off. For Peter, they stood out from most other locomotives that were painted in the rather drab Rail Blue livery. The sound of the locomotives, particularly when running at speed, was also very impressive, producing shouts of '50!' from waiting photographers, even before the train was in sight. The class became a particular target for his railway photography and many of his trips were made with them in mind. They regularly worked trains around his home town of Worcester, so if he did not want to go too far, it was easy to find a satisfactory subject at which to point his camera. Before their withdrawal in the late 1980s and early 1990s, they were used on many rail tours, which always provided good photographic opportunities. Today, with many of the class working on heritage railways, and a number of privately owned locomotives registered for main line use, there is still plenty to keep his cameras occupied. A selection of Peter’s best photos of the Class 50 diesels, taken over a period of forty-five years, appear in these pages.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781399017824
Publisher:	Pen and Sword
Publication date:	05/13/2022
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	8.40(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.00(d)

Table of Contents

Preface 6

Acknowledgements 8

Map 9

The Class 50: A First Encounter Photo 1

The Fifty Class 50s Photos 2-219

Class 50s on Preserved Railways Photos 220-227

Class 50s on Railtours Photos 228-260

Class 50s for Scrap Photos 261-263

Class 50s in Colour Photos 264-298

Class 50 Nameplates and Crests Photos 299-302

The Portuguese 1800 Class Photo 303

Bibliography 166

Index to Class 50 Locomotives by Photo Numbers 167

Index to Locations by Photo Numbers 168