ARGUABLY two of the most interesting volumes of the Railway Observer are those for 1957 and 1958. Chronicled within their covers is the beginning of the implementation of the Modernisation Plan and the great transition from steam to diesel.
Meticulously recorded are the building programmes and technical specifications of what would become the Class 20, 24 and 31 diesel-electrics. Also within these volumes we find that Derby Works completed its last steam locomotive, a Caprotti Standard Class ‘5MT’ 4-6-0, and that No. 71000 Duke of Gloucester had run over 100,000 miles in 30 months with minimum attention.
Crewe and Swindon works were still constructing new Standard ‘9F’ 2-10-0s, and Eastleigh had rebuilt the first Bulleid Light Pacific No. 34005 Barnstaple. Yet who would have imagined reading these reports that Class 20s, or to use their original classification ‘A’ 1,000hp Bo-Bos, would still be on the main line in 2021 with No. 20107 working some of the 2020 ‘Staycation Express’ turns?