Teenage Lament 1974, 2011

Teenage Lament ‘73 followed on quickly from the previous volume in this groundbreaking series. Again, following the changes on the Western Region as the influx of motive power from other regions either failed to materialise or was poor in terms of availability, the Westerns soldiered on regardless, much to the obvious delight of enthusiasts. The author was among those chasing a set of doomed locomotives and the story of the year is told in great detail in this volume. The month-by-month breakdown demonstrates the ever changing scene on the railways at the period and in particular, the problems facing the WR as they finally moved from hydraulic traction. This was the second of five books charting the demise of the Western fleet from 1973 to 1977. Early suggestions put their total withdrawal as early as 1975 but a reprieve in 1974 saw the last 24 whittle down for the final summer in 1976. All the changes are charted in this and subsequent volumes which were again hailed as some of the best ever published about the fleet and testimony to the author’s research and writing skills.