DIESELS ON THE EASTERN

The Eastern Region as it existed prior to the merger with the North Eastern Region in the late 1960s was one of the parts of the BR network that was quick to exploit the development of diesel traction from the late 1950s onwards. The ex-GER main line from London to Ipswich and Norwich was the first to be dieselised, with the English Electric Type 4s (later Class 40s taking over the express services from the ‘Britannia’ class Pacifics and, elsewhere in East Anglia, DMUs rapidly replaced steam on many of the rural passenger services. By the early 1960s, steam had effectively been withdrawn from East Anglia and from the southern section of the East Coast main line, with the arrival of the ‘Deltics’, for example, seeing the ‘A4’ Pacifics transferred to Scotland for their final years. Suburban services out of King’s Cross were also quickly dieselised, with the ‘Baby Deltics’ initially representing the direct replacement for steam locomotives, before DMUs were transferred in to replace this unsuccessful class of locomotive.

In his second book for Ian Allan Publishing, following on from this earlier book on diesels on the Southern Region published in 2006, Michael Welch portrays the variety of first-generation diesel locomotives and DMUs on ER metals from the late 1950s through to the early 1970s.

It is now more than 50 years since the Modernisation Plan foresaw the demise of steam traction on Britain's main-line railways and more than 40 years since the Eastern Region was effectively dieselised. The locomotives built for this phase of Britain's railway development are now as much a part of history as the locomotives they were designed to replace. As the final first-generation stock succumbs so interest in the types built grows - a fascination that this new addition to Ian Allan Publishing's successful all-colour albums will help foster.