The Deltics were Britain's most iconic diesels and worked the principal expresses on the East Coast Main Line from 1961 until HSTs took over in 1978. By late 1981 they were working out their last miles on secondary and overnight passengers. Withdrawal of the remaining members of the class was scheduled for the end of the year. Most of these pictures were taken during November and December 1981 as the end approached.

Bedlay Colliery in Lanarkshire was one of the last in Britain to use steam locomotives. Although I lived fairly close, it was only at the very end that I got around to visiting the mine. Steam lasted until Bedlay closed in December 1981 and these pictures were taken in the last year of operation.

The main line from London to the west of England and South Wales follows the Thames Valley through some attractive countryside between Reading and Didcot. The line is very busy but the number of locomotive hauled passenger workings has declined to zero over the years. Freight traffic is reasonably bouyant with container trains from the port of Southampton predominating. These photographs were taken in 2003, the last year I did much photography in the UK.