As in Great Britain, the period from the mid-1950s onward saw considerable changes to the railways of Ireland, including contraction, for example, the demise of the final narrow-gauge lines and the complexities of the division of the Ireland leading to the closure of the bulk of the erstwhile GNR(I) network. It was also a period that witnessed the final elimination of mainline steam in both the Republic and Northern Ireland. Initially, many of the new locomotives and diesel units delivered for use on Ireland's network were built in Britain, but overseas manufacturers came to dominate. In this title, Derek Huntriss reflects the changes in Irish traction between the mid-1950s and the early 1980s, encompassing the last steam operations and the career of the first generation of Irish diesel locomotives. The book draws upon the collections of many leading railway photographers to provide images covering railways in both the Republic and Northern Ireland.