Decades of steam : the 1940's, austerity and nationalisation

This is the third in the series of five videos tracing the story of steam locomotives during the middle years of the 20th century. In this episode the story of steam locomotives is taken through the end of independence into the early days of Nationalisation. The first half of the decade saw the railways at the forefront of the war effort, from which the black painted steam locomotives emerged bloodied but unbowed, still the principal power force on the railways. 1948 was to see a unified system, with Nationalisation. We see them on trial and bearing their new owner’s name in full - “British Railways”. We see postwar type engines and also some prewar survivors including the most radical of all, the Bulleid Pacific of the Southern. Narrated by Ken Morgan.