FOR THE LOVE OF TRAINS: The Story of British Tram and Railway Preservation

At the end of the 20th century there were some 2,000 locomotives preserved in Britain, some 400 miles of privately operated preserved track, and a National Tramway Museum, the envy of the world. This book reviews how this came about. In particular it seeks to understand the motivations of those who have made such superlative efforts, not only in building and restoring, campaigning and preserving, but also in responding to the demands of managing in an age of increasing regulation. It begins with the early preservations by enthusiasts in the museum sector and moves through the uneven and unplanned processes of the railway companies to the more carefully articulated approach of the nationalised authority after 1948. This did not ensure consistency and there were many slips along the way. Locomotive preservation by a few rich enthusiasts following the end of steam on BR, led to the creation of private workshops and running sheds. But although the locomotive is the most obvious and popular feature, railway preservation embraces much more, from tickets and ephemera through records and small relics to the infrastructure and buildings, and, in the end, to the whole atmosphere of travel in a previous age. So in addition to locomotives, whole railways have been preserved.

Later as the interval between closure of a line and its preservation increased, the tasks became more demanding and preservation more difficult. In the 1970s two railways were opened every year, the NRM was opened in York, and thanks to the publicity associated with the efforts of Sir Gerald Nabarro on the Severn Valley and Bill Deedes on behalf of the Kent & East Sussex, tram and railway preservation became widely known. After the abolition of steam on BR, locomotives could only be obtained from scrap yards or from overseas. Then came the diesel, the restoration of old carriages and later the preservation of electric trains. In the 1980s the process matured, and preserved railways had become a business and firmly established as part of the tourist industry. As public grants became increasingly available the original carefree early days became overtaken by administration and compliance. In spite of these demands, the whole activity was still supported by enthusiasts willing to volunteer their time, money and effort. For underlying this immense achievement has been the extraordinary drive to support the railway, as though there were a love affair with trains and trams. This is explored in this book, hence its title.