British Rail Shunters: The Final Years

British Rail Shunters: The Final Years

Britain’s Railways Series, Vol. 52

By the beginning of the 1990s, the variety that had once characterised British Rail’s shunter fleet had all but disappeared. Class 08s and the related Class 09s dominated what work remained, with the exception of a few stragglers in odd locations across the country.

However, there was still much variation to be found in the finish of these locos as new liveries appeared regularly, coupled with some modifications. The ownership of the shunter fleet was also changing as British Rail prepared for the coming of privatisation, this culminating in the creation of new freight companies and train operating units in 1994, amongst which all the remaining locos were divided up in preparation for the great sell-off.

This book delves into this period of substantial reorganisation with a pictorial look at the shunter fleet in its final years of BR ownership between 1990 and 1996, tracing the changes in operators, the emergence of new colour schemes and alterations in deployment. In over 175 predominantly colour pictures, most of which have not previously been published, the whole country is covered, from the tips of Kent and Cornwall to the Scottish Highlands.

Author: Simon Bendall

96 Page Softback Book

Release Date: 27th June 2023