The two decades following the end of the Second World War was a
period of great change in Britain. One of the most noticeable
changes, apparent throughout the towns and countryside, was the
switch from steam to diesel traction. It transformed the character
of the railways, not only in the replacement of locomotives, but
also in the enormous upheaval of infrastructure. Bill Reed's
photographs capture all of this. The sight of grimy steam
locomotives on turntables, trundling along branch lines, pausing in
sleepy stations, waiting to be watered or coaled, and on the scrap
lines, is now only to be witnessed in photographic archives such as
this. Bill took the pictures when it was a privilege, not to
mention a rarity, to have a decent camera. He also took them at
time when it was not frowned upon, like it is today, to be
interested in railways, and take pictures of locomotives. It was
only natural for young lads to have a desire to gaze at the vast,
almost human engines with awe, because maybe their dads, granddads
or even great granddads had been part of building or working them.
Looking back now, it is a shame that more locomotives and more
pieces of infrastructure were not saved. Yet the 1950s and '60s was
not a time for nostalgia and reflection; it was one, supposedly,
for moving forward and embracing the new. But for those of us with
an interest in Britain's great industrial and transport heritage,
we have people like Bill Reed to thank for giving us a glimpse into
the last years of this extraordinary era.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
