During the 1960s, the railways of Great Britain were undergoing a fundamental change - British Railways was rapidly scrapping the faithful steam engine and replacing it with modern diesels and electric locomotives.

As a result, the followers of steam tried to preserve its legacy in as many ways as possible, notably by running special trains to commemorate the passing of old friends, preserving individual locomotives, rolling stock and complete railways, and, last but not least, capturing everyday sights on film, both in photographs and on moving film.

Using 16mm film to record all those elements as they took place, one of the pioneers – Geoff Holyoake – created an unrivalled visual record. This DVD is devoted to his collection of exquisite footage of steam locomotives on the old Western Region and the early preservation of former GWR lines and stock as the preservation movement got under way.

Geoff Holyoake is a legend among railway enthusiasts. He was one of the small elite who used 16mm film rather than 8mm, producing films for commercial sale under the Meteor Films banner. His passion, skill and determination to capture the age of steam on film before it was too late ensured that, today, we have an incredible archive of footage showing the great locomotives, the historic lines and the beginning of the preservation movement.