[locojoe]

I think Robert Riddles was right when he set his face firmly against dieselisation, arguing that the way forward was to electrify. Riddles stuck to his guns over the Standard steam programme, and some fine Standard locos were built. Many Standard locos were needlessly scrapped in favour of expensive diesels. I think steam should have been used on most routes until electrification, as it was at my old shed Enfield.
The 1955 modernisation plan should have been a 25 year plan to electify all major routes.The diesels to cover all the remaining routes as the Steam locomotives became life expired. What a waste to scrap so many modern steam locomotives and also to scrap so many diesel designs that had been introduced in haste.