Keith Widdowson visited the North Eastern Region on over 400 occasions during the final 18 months of steam. Most of the locomotives were neglected, filthy, prone to failure and often only kept going due to the skills of the crew. The ever-dwindling numbers became corralled within the industrialised heartland of Bradford, Leeds, Wakefield and Normanton. Here he recalls that beyone era, stalking the endangered 'Iron Horses' in their final habitats. He was often far from alone in his quest. The &quote;Haulage-bashing&quote; fraternity often congregated, lemming like, on the early morning mail trains, the holidaymaker trains or the Bradford portions, indeed, any service with a steam locomotive at its front. This is a compelling snapshot of the race agains time at the end of the golden age of steam.