For as long as we could remember steam traction had been king on our railways. The resounding beat of exhaust from classic designs by Gresley, Stanier, Collett, Bulleid and many others had thrilled us all, while less prestigious 'work-horses' had kept commuters and freight moving throughout a vast network of major and minor routes. Mighty diesels had replaced them, notably the iconic Class 55 'Deltics', setting new standards for speed and efficiency on the East Coast Main Line.
Electrification became the 'buzz-word' as the need for speed increased and drove railway planning to a new level. The West Coast Main Line saw the wires go up by the mid-1970s and though other express routes would eventually follow the stage was set for the development and introduction of an alternative mode of traction for main lines not yet electrified, based on the concept of a powerful diesel locomotive at each end of a rake of newly designed carriages.
The High Speed Diesel Train was thus conceived. Sleek and elegant. A modern design for a new age of rail travel. Capable of running at speeds of up to 125mph (201km/h) it was an immediate success and is still giving stalwart service some forty years later. A testament to its resilience.
This is the story of the archetypal express diesel train - the Inter City 125.

DAVID MATHER, originally from Bolton, Lancashire, where his early interests in railways centred on his home shed, coded 26C later 9 K and the nearby West Coast Main Line, which he documented until the end of steam in 1968.
The author relocated to the Midlands and later to York which rekindled his interest in railways and steam traction, the digital era allowing his work to be made available to a wider audience.
Now a photographer and railway author, his most recent book being Exploring the Lake District with the Furness Railway Tours, which has a foreward by Eric Robson, broadcaster and chairman of the Wainwright Society.
The Railways of York was shortlisted for the Ian Allan railway book of the year award, Ian Allan writing the foreward for the authors first book, Running Out of Steam.
Other Titles include, Riding the Settle and Carlisle, East Lancashire Railway Recollections, Keighley & Worth Valley Railway Recollections and Great Britain's Heritage Railways.