Real steam spirit

His childhood home was many miles and a stretch of water away from London; and although he lived in the north-east, as a Fermanagh kid, that was the north-east of Ireland.

Nevertheless, he knew all about the LNER. His fascination began with his train set.

"I have been a real enthusiast for most of my life," he said. "When I was a little lad, I had a model of an LNER express locomotive called Silver King which ran on my model railway all the time.

"From books I became a great admirer of the LNER express trains."

Today he lives in County Down, Northern Ireland, and is a railway historian, with a particular interest in the steam era. And he has just co-authored a book, LNER Locomotives In Colour 1936-1948, with English expert Ron White.

What is it about the steam engine that still grips people's imaginations?

"The steam engine is a very reliable machine," Norman said. "You hear a lot about trains breaking down if a wire breaks.

"But if something went wrong with an old steam engine, they were generally able to limp on."

Something in the engineering calls to him. "The steam engine, more than any other kind of machinery is a living thing, it's a breathing thing.

"It makes a noise, it's full of life. It's fascinating to watch moving, you can see all the mechanical rods going around.

"Modern engines certainly do have an appeal.

"I think many people, who are not necessarily rail enthusiasts, have a nostalgic liking for steam trains. They love to bring their children along to the preserved railways like the North Yorkshire Moors Railway and give them the experience of travelling behind a real steam engine."

The LNER was one of the big four railway companies formed by the grouping together of many smaller concerns in 1923. Its main route was the East Coast Main Line from London King's Cross to the north of Scotland.

Central to this line is York, and it played a crucial role in the steam days.

"York was a major junction, and still is a very significant railway centre of course," said Norman. "There were plenty of lines heading in and out of York.

"A lot of locomotives changed at York on their way to other destinations."

Steam engines travelling from London to Scotland would be swapped at the station for ones with a fresh supply of coal. That was quicker than waiting for a loco to cool down enough to replenish its supply, he explained.

In its heyday, Norman said, "LNER was a pioneer in high speed trains.

"We look at the East Coast Main Line today and trains run at 125mph on a regular basis.

"In fact, the LNER built the steam train Mallard which, in 1938, achieved the world steam record of 126mph. That's a train doing two miles a minute, powered by steam.

"You could argue that whereas the general speed of trains is much faster than the generality of the 1930s, modern trains are still not capable of going much faster."

The 102-ton Mallard was designed by one of LNER's great engineers, Sir Nigel Gresley. He thought up the name while feeding ducks.

Sir Nigel was both feted and richly rewarded for his achievements. "People who designed these gleaming monsters, these high-speed locomotives, were like the film stars of that era," Norman said. Today the Mallard sits in pride of place at the National Railway Museum. The museum is built in the old York railway shed, location of many of the pictures in the book LNER Locomotives In Colour 1936-1948.

Although reproduced in black and white here, all the pictures in the book are indeed in colour. Many of the York ones are from the archive of Hubert Meredith Lane, a Wakefield rail enthusiast.

Each of the 81 images is accompanied by brief text explaining the class of engine, the date and a few other details. This offers a wealth of information for the expert.

But for the merely nostalgic it is the photographs which are evocative of a bygone era in transport.

LNER Locomotives In Colour 1936-1948 is published by Colourpoint Books, price £14.99

Updated: 11:10 Monday, October 07, 2002