David Young ws the guest speaker at the recent meeting of 8E Railway Association. He has amassed a large collection of slides from the Colour-Rail archive. This is the largest commercial source of railway photographs.

There were some excellent pictures from the 1930s and 1940s, even during the war. They showed the changes to the company liveries up to the nationalisation of the railways in 1948.

Particularly impressive was the maroon used on the Stanier pacifics. The subsequent British Railways version never seemed to sparkle, even when freshly painted.

The British Railways blue livery on express engines did not show up well, but the later Brunswick green is well remembered. They were shown locomotives large and small, old and new from all over the country.

The antiquity of the works shunters was impressive, as was an aerial view of Lostock Hall shed on the last day of steam in 1968.

There was much else of interest, with immaculate permanent way and not a tree in sight – gas lamps, water troughs, signals and telegraph poles, coaches of varied designs, cattle trucks and many more features.

The next meeting is on Tuesday, April 14 in the Gladstone Club, Northwich, when Chris Banks will continue his survey of engine sheds.

For details see the website www.8erailwayassociation.org.uk or contact Paul Tench on 07790 486 735.