The WR diesel hydraulic locomotives have always exercised a special fascination for the modern traction enthusiast. One of the most interesting aspects of their history was the wide variety of different color schemes they appeared in over the comparatively short period they were in service, which encompassed almost every permutation of the old British Railways of the 1950s and 1960s, and post-1965 corporate image British Rail liveries. This book looks in detail at the liveries of these locomotives during the diesel hydraulic era from 1958 to 1977, illustrating every major and most minor variations. With over 150 images, it is an invaluable reference for the railway modeller and railway historians, and a feast of nostalgia for all fans of the glory days of diesel locomotives.

A fascinating but much overlooked era for the modern traction enthusiast is the changeover era from the old British Railways green and maroon to the corporate image Rail Blue of the new British Rail which stretched from the mid 1960s to the very early 1980s. The attention of enthusiasts and rail publications of the era was focussed on the dying of the steam age and much of interest to the generations of rail fans who grew up with modern traction has lain undiscovered since. This book aims to portray the many varied livery styles of the times worn by the locomotive, units and coaching stock of BR. It illustrates every major change of the green to blue period, including many little known and surprising combinations, and aims to answer many questions that have puzzled enthusiasts since.