The railway development of the two counties of Hampshire and Dorset was dominated primarily by constituent companies of the Southern -- the LSWR and LBSCR -- although both the Great Western and the Somerset & Dorset also played an important role. It was the ex-Southern routes to Weymouth and Exeter that traversed the region that represented perhaps the last true main line steam operation in the country prior to conversion to diesel and electric traction in July 1967 but there were also a number of branch and secondary routes that also saw steam operation relatively late. This new landscape hardback captures the last days of steam in the area with an extensive range of colour photographs, the large majority of which have never been seen before. All the main lines in the area are covered, along with the significant branches (such as that to Swanage) and also lines on the Isle of Wight.