Southern Icons

For over seventy years, steam had been more than a passion for Dave Wilson – it had been a way of life. From boyhood days as a Leeds trainspotter to hard-won shifts on the footplate at Nine Elms, this is the story of one man’s lifelong love affair with Britain’s steam railways. Through vivid recollections and the evocative photography of David Idle, this collection brings to life the final, glorious years of steam on the Southern Region of British Railways. From the thundering “Holland America Line” on the Exeter run to the atmospheric bustle of Waterloo and Nine Elms, each image and memory captures the grit, pride and romance of an era now passed into legend. A heartfelt tribute to the locomotives of Bulleid, Maunsell and Riddles – and to the men who worked them – this book celebrates the spirit, enthusiasm and enduring fascination of the steam age.