Deltics: The Final Roar

In 1980, the first of the Deltics was withdrawn from service. By late 1981, they had all gone, after two decades as Britain's fastest and most powerful locos. This unique class of twenty-two diesel locomotives was powered by twin Napier Deltic engines, originally designed for minesweepers, but utilised in these high power, high speed locomotives. Designed for the East Coast Main Line, the Deltics were a common sight from Kings Cross to Aberdeen, with occasional forays onto other routes. Alistair McLean spent the last year of Deltic power photographing the various members of the class throughout the country. His images give an idea of the power of the Deltics, as well as their scrapping. Luckily for us, today, six members of the class survive in preservation, with some being used in main line service on an occasional basis, some thirty years after withdrawal from service.