This collection of black and white photographs shows the area once served by the London, Midland and Scottish Regions railway during the landmark year of 1955, when many interesting locomotives were still to be found on duty in a wide variety of wheel arrangements. As well as England's capital city, it covers the Midlands, a large part of the north of England and the west of Scotland, and the busy railway centres of Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Glasgow, Perth and Inverness. Among the different locomotives to be found in the area were the ex-LNWR 0-8-0 heavy goods engines, with their distinctive wheezing and whistling sounds, and the popular Cauliflowers, which though rebuilt with Belpaire boilers and still ruggedly powerful were soon to disappear from use. Often rarities could be found on shunting duty, including Webb's Special Tanks, and the 0-6-0 Coal Engines at Crewe, while the famous Midland Compounds were still employed on main line duties. Each class is represented, in some cases with nameplate pictures as well as photographs of the locomotives in action. The text provides full technical details, allocations and duties performed, and important points on design and special workings.