Steam, Soot and Rust

Colin Garratt spent his childhood watching trains when the steam age was at its height in Britain, taking his first photograph in 1951. During the mid-1950s Colin spent a year working at Leicester Midland Motive Power Depot, and by the time he was eighteen he had travelled extensively throughout Britain in his quest to see the rich diversity of Britain’s steam railways. These experiences stood Colin in good stead for his career as, once it became evident that steam trains were going to disappear, he turned to photography to document as much as he could. Colin’s world fell apart with the passing of the steam train but he was determined to record its demise, not just in Britain but the rest of the world too, turning professional to undertake this self-imposed task in 1969.