Granted, but what about the romance of the steam locomotive? Although I'm not a particular steam buff, it's fair to say that there's something magical about them that no diesel or electric train has achieved since. We wouldn't be where we are today if we still had steam trains, but I'm sure many travellers at the time would have lamented the loss of the steam train.
First off, I am a "steam buff". Very much so. I find more interest in the history of the railways than I do in the modern railways, so much that I would prefer seeing a Duchess tackling Beattock than I would a Pendolino. However, I don't look at the steam locos as "romantic" from the random Josephine's point of view, I look at them as "romantic" from the railway historians' point of view.
That said, I still appreciate the modern railways. As much as I adore steam and have no doubt they're probably more reliable than a lot of modern stock, the railways had to move forward. Yes, steam was rushed out in an untimely fashion. The standards should have lived out their lives and thus giving more of them a chance to enter preservation. However, that didn't happen and electrics and diesels took course.
Passenger numbers were very low in the years following nationalization. Road transportation had become a threat to the big four before WW2 and after, and BR ended up in the same boat. This is why the 1955 modernization plan was invented and steam was to be replaced despite the construction of almost 999 Standard steam locos still being underway. Unfortunately, the resulting DMUs and Rail-Buses made very little difference to many branch lines, hence the famous Beeching Report in the 1963. Many trains were carting about nothing more than fresh air and were costing BR money to run. This had to stop, so they were axed.
BR saw the steam locomotive as "old fashioned" and it had no place on the modern railway. They thought steam was just one reason why people were turning away from rail travel.
However, in Glasgow, electrification of what is today the North Clyde Line attracted a significant increase in rail travel in the city and her surrounding areas, thus the legendary "Blue Trains" were born. These new beats made the North Clyde a major commuter railway and many, many people used them. The first electrics in Scotland were an outstanding success. This set the path for other lines to be electrified.
Yes, the steam loco was rushed out when it should've been replaced gradually, but the point is that the people were attracted to the new, modern trains in Glasgow. That's not to say the same may happen thanks to the 380, but it does show that many people were intrigued by the Scots Electrics, and out of this modernization we got such things as the 303, 156, 158 and 318 which paved the way for the 320, 334 and eventually, very far down the line, the 380, which is one unit I very much enjoy traveling on.
). It will probably be 380022 & 380114 - there is only 115 & 116 otherwise to choose from.
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