Steam in the East Midlands and East Anglia: The Railway Photographs of R.J. (Ron) Buckley

Ron Buckley’s evocative photographs reveal the story of steam in the East Midlands / East Anglia. Ron Buckley’s photographs show the changing locomotive scene taking place from the later 1930s throughout the East Midlands and East Anglia, illustrating pre-grouping locomotive classes still working across Lincoln, Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, Nottingham, Leicester, Northampton, Bedford, Hertford, Buckingham and Essex. During later LNER days, locomotives of the Great Eastern and Great Northern Railways continued working the many secondary routes and branch lines while the main East Coast saw from 1935 the appearance of Nigel Gresley’s streamlined class A4 locomotives working the high speed passenger traffic between Edinburgh and London. The LMS influence saw many former London and North Western and Midland Railway locomotives handling both passenger and goods traffic especially the product of the many collieries in Nottinghamshire. AUTHORS: Ron Buckley is 95 years old and has been photographing railways since the age of 15. He joined the LM&SR as a wages clerk in 1934 and retired in 1977 after over 42 years’ service with the railways.
Brian Dickson worked in printing and publishing for 35 years before retiring in 2000. Since retiring he has become a railway author and volunteer fireman and driver at a heritage railway. 135 b/w illustrations