As an employee of British Rail, Michael Patterson spent much of the Thatcher era recording the nation's railway stations from Edinburgh to Ipswich and everywhere in between.
Starting in 1979, Michael was employed by the state-owned rail firm's heritage watchdog with a view to enhancing the passenger experience and thereby improving public relations.
Included in his fascinating archive, which Michael has made available on Flickr, are a series of priceless images of Edinburgh's two main terminals: Waverley and Haymarket.
READ MORE: Nine Edinburgh shops that have been around so long it defies all logic
As the photos reveal, Haymarket Station was very much in need of a facelift when Michael visited it in October 1979. The exterior still displayed the old pale blue British Railways signage from a previous era, while the interior was dreary, dilapidated and falling to bits.
Haymarket's enclosed wood and glass footbridge, which many Edinburgh Live readers will recall, was looking well past its best. Likewise, the timber canopies on the platforms.
As the capital's main station, Edinburgh Waverley, which Michael recorded in February 1981, was faring a little better in terms of condition than its western neighbour.
Sign up to our Edinburgh Live nostalgia newsletters for more local history and heritage content straight to your inbox
Michael's superb photographs show the inside of Waverley's main waiting area, which at that time featured orange plastic seats and a restaurant called The Talisman Buffet. The building's famous glass domed roof is looking as resplendent as ever.
One of the photos shows Waverley's old parcels office, which has since been converted into a Wetherspoon gastropub called the Booking Office.
Having taken thousands of photos of UK stations over the years, Michael says he is delighted that his extensive collection has been given a new lease of life online.
He said: “In the early 2000s, I joined Flickr and thought, ‘it’s time I shared my photos and put them up’. It was a laborious process. All my collections were slides, transparencies, and I had to upload those to my computer one-by-one, which took a long time.
“It’s been very worthwhile though and I’m glad people can get to see the photos which would otherwise be sitting in drawers.”
Michael Patterson is a photographer with a passion for the architecture of Britain's railway hotels. Formerly employed at the British Railways Board headquarters, he was born in the Wirral near Liverpool, but now lives in Boston, Lincolnshire.
He is the author of a number of books on the subject of Britain and Europe's railways, including Railway Hotels and Europe by Sleeping Car, which are available online.
Click the gallery link below to view a selection of Michael Patterson's images of Edinburgh Waverley and Haymarket.
READ NEXT
Throwback Edinburgh footage captures the city's first internet café
Nine Edinburgh shops that have been around so long it defies all logic
19 things you'll remember if you went to school in '90s Edinburgh
When Edinburgh discovered movie icon ET supports Hibs - to Hearts fans' fury
Edinburgh's seven 'biggest eyesores' that locals absolutely love to hate
