The introductory comments with the photo essay 'Around Greymouth with Wilson Lythgoe' about the removal of number plates in the last Observer interest me. I was on the West Coast photographing steam-hauled trains between 11 and 17 January 1969.1 was told that the smoke-box number plate from J1201 had been stolen the previous month and that railway enthusiasts would probably be banned from visiting Elmer Lane. During the visit I met the Locomotive Supervisor at Elmer Lane who told me that all plates were to be removed from steam locomotives based at Greymouth.
展开▼