As a schoolboy the author, Terence Dorrity, became interested in the steam trains passing through his home town of Stratford-upon-Avon. His interest very quickly extended to the West Midlands industrial locomotive scene, and he was soon aided by the acquisition of a copy of the Birmingham Locomotive Club’s Industrial Locomotives of the West Midlands Pocket Book. Membership to the club resulted in further visits to industrial systems in and around nearby Birmingham. Next came the South Wales valleys, his initial aim being to visit the numerous BR sheds to be found there, however the sight of NCB locomotives at coal mines, along with the gradual demise of BR steam, soon tipped the balance and his priority changed to visiting industrial sites. Other volumes in the Pocket Book series extended his interest to areas further afield and outings to visit friends and relatives became chances to see more; with an aunt and uncle living in London he was able to investigate sites in the capital, such as Beckton Gas Works.
Trips with friends in their, and later his own, transport enabled excursions to the south-east, including the Bowater’s 2ft 6in gauge system at Sittingbourne. Closer to home there were many collieries to visit; the NCB Warwickshire Area pits used some very interesting locomotives, including an unusual Beyer-Garratt 0-4-4-0, and Staffordshire collieries and quarry lines in Northamptonshire were also within easy day trip range. There were several excursions to Scotland to explore the extensive NCB Waterside system in Ayrshire, other collieries, steel works, gas works, power stations and even a distillery as far north as Aberdeen and Morayshire. Over the years Terence has been fortunate to be able to capture the industrial scene in colour before it disappeared forever; long lost scenes which are now presented within these pages.
The book has been divided into three parts which cover England, Scotland and Wales, chapters then focus on the industrial steam found in various areas or companies Terence visited. He includes information regarding the different works featured and this is accompanied by a fascinating selection of his full colour photographs.
378 colour photographs. Hardback. 224 pages.