Devon Traction

As the modernisation of the former British Railways moved forward into Railtrack and then Network Rail, various schemes to bring the West Country railway network up to date came – and went!

During the last forty or so years, Devon has seen a variety of locomotives: the famous HST, Class 57, Class 66, Voyagers, and Class 158 and 159 DMUs, among others. Now the West Country is seeing the Hitachi Class 800 electro-diesels displace the much-loved HST, with a hope that they will improve journey times. With re-signalling on hold, again, the present infrastructure will remain, for the time being.

This book aims to bring back memories of traction once common, or not so common, on the rails of Devon and will offer a visual comparison of what was once the mainstay of daily services through to the gradual modernisation of traction and rolling stock. Also included is a tribute to the HST in the West Country.