Rails Across Britain

Book excerpt: Rails Across Britain is a collection of full-size colour photographs of trains that have operated in Great Britain over the last thirty years. Compiled by a well-regarded author of several successfully published books showing many varying classes of trains throughout the world, this book covers the period from 1986 to the present day. It brilliantly illustrates the various classes and the huge myriad of colour schemes that have been used throughout the years, from the great days of the British Rail to the era of Privatisation. The contrast between the cash-strapped British Rail from an almost universal blue and grey colour scheme, to the well-funded privatised multi-coloured system seen today, is well portrayed in this comprehensive album, in which more than one photo of a class is shown. This selection of photographs have been specifically chosen to demonstrate an undeniably wide range of locations from Fort William in Scotland to St Austell in Cornwall, and, of course, in a variety of British weather conditions. The emphasis is, therefore, on the beauty of the train in its surroundings.