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When built they were all fitted with the distinctive Paxman Valenta engine, but they have all been replaced with either Paxman VP185, or MTU engines. They have operated over all the former British Rail regions, although they were scarce on the Southern. The main operators currently are Great Western, East Midlands Trains, Virgin Trains East Coast, Grand Central and Cross Country Trains. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Great Western and East Coast trains already have their replacements on order, and it remains to be seen how long they will remain in service. Just three power cars have been scrapped, and only then following high-profile accidents; a testament to how well the design would stand the test of time. 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The firm would also turn out steam lorries and steam tram engines. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmong the company’s iconic domestic designs were the 4-4-0T condensing engines for the pre-electrified Metropolitan Railway in London, the narrow-gauge 2-4-0 tank engine that is synonymous with the Isle of Man and the stylish and powerful diesel-hydraulic Hymeks for British Railways’ Western Region. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBeyer, Peacock exported many of its 8,000 steam, diesel and electric locomotives all over the world and this book illustrates a variety of these throughout the company’s 112-year existence, beginning in 1854.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Motormedia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52488132657479,"sku":"9781445685878","price":8.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0902\/2609\/8503\/files\/9781445685878.jpg?v=1759866165"},{"product_id":"preserving-diesel-hydraulic-locomotives-1977-82","title":"Preserving Diesel Hydraulic Locomotives: 1977 to 1982","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the 1970s diesel locomotive preservation was very much in its infancy. 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Since pioneer 66001 went on display at the, then, EWS-owned depot back in 1998, over 400 of these machines have seen service in Britain through all the major rail-freight operators. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis book looks at the rapid cascade of these locomotives across the country in that twenty-five-year period. The Class 66’s area of operation extends from the china-clay traffic in the South West of England through to services to both Fort William and Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. It is also a celebration of the variety of traffic on offer to the observer of our railways today.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Motormedia","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53385516384583,"sku":"9781398108981","price":8.95,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0902\/2609\/8503\/files\/9781398108981.jpg?v=1771763127"},{"product_id":"anglo-scottish-sleepers","title":"Anglo-Scottish Sleepers","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFor over a hundred years there have been sleeper trains running to a variety of destinations around the British Isles. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe longest running services are those between England and Scotland, which started in 1873. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Scottish sleeper services, now branded as the Caledonian Sleeper and currently operated by Serco, are due to have seventy-five brand new Mk 5 carriages introduced into service in the spring of 2018 that will create a new level of hotel-style service. 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Steam traction had finally been eradicated during the late 1960s, and British Rail adopted a new image, a livery of all over blue, with multiple units and coaching stock carrying blue and grey. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDuring this time, British Rail also adopted the TOPS numbering system, whereby all locomotives were renumbered using a five-digit code, losing the earlier prefix numbers. The blue livery was applied to nearly every locomotive that was used on the network, from the humble shunter, right through to the fast express electric locomotives. 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But against a background of economic and cultural instability, the railways saw revived demand and started to rise from the ashes of the contraction of the 1960s. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA legion of rail fans who never knew the exit of steam watched with the same melancholy eyes as the last Western and Deltic diesels were retired in favour of the HSTs and Class 47s. From Weymouth to Aberdeen and from Yarmouth to Aberystwyth, John Evans tells the story in colour of the decline of the old goods train, the advent of bold new liveries and the domination of the HST units. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHe also examines the growing importance of heritage lines and the end of many familiar diesel types, such as the Peaks, Westerns and Deltics. 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