On the hunt: Class 40s

A QUESTION I am often asked is: “Why Class 40s?” Well, some people like to drive fast cars, experience the acceleration, how fast will it go, and the ‘revs’ building in the process. For me, it is much the same – except I prefer the experience on a train, where the train driver is in control. The distinctive ‘whistling’ sound of a Class 40, the shrill of its engine rising to a crescendo, has no equal in my mind.

After seeing all 4057 locos listed in my Ian Allan loco shed book by mid-June 1976, I needed a new challenge – opting first to go out photographing trains, followed by some memorable years chasing ‘40s’.

This was not easy, however, as I lived in Swindon – far from their normal stomping grounds. So I used my annual leave and weekends to go after these wonderful machines, spending every summer in North Wales when many holiday trains attracted no-heat