David Maidment has unravelled the complex history of the Johnson, Deeley and Fowler 4-4-0 locomotives of the Midland Railway and its LMS successor, covering their design, construction, operation and performance in this book with over 400 black and white photographs. It recounts their working on the Midland main lines from St Pancras to Derby, Manchester, Leeds and Carlisle, the latter via the celebrated Settle & Carlisle line, and the later work of the Fowler LMS engines on the West Coast main line. The book also describes the history of the Midland 4-4-0s built for the Somerset & Dorset and Midland & Great Northern Railways. The book covers the period from the first Midland 4-4-0 built in 1876 to the last LMS 2P withdrawn in 1962 and includes performance logs, weight diagrams and dimensions and statistical details of each locomotive.

An in-depth look at the British railway company’s celebrated class of steam locomotives, with more than three hundred photos. Built by Collett in 1927 after pressure to restore the Great Western Railway’s pre-eminence in motive power and cope with increasing postwar traffic to Devon and Cornwall holiday resorts, the thirty Kings were the final development of the Churchward Stars and the 1923 Castles and remained on top-link main line duty until their final replacement by the ‘Western’ class 52 diesel hydraulics in 1962. This book includes an insight into the thinking of some of Collett’s senior staff at the end of the 1930s and the eventual transformation in the latter years with redraughting and double chimneys. As well as describing their design and construction, the book comprehensively covers their operation and performance, backed up by many recorded logs on all main GW/WR routes over which they were permitted. The author had close experience of the class when working at Old Oak Common between 1957 and 1962, and includes a chapter of his experiences with them, including many footplate trips (as a management trainee, he was greeted with glee by firemen who would hand him the shovel). The book also includes over 300 photographs, one hundred of them in color.

Although closed to traffic in 1966, with most of its infrastructure swiftly destroyed by British Railways, this unique railway line still lives in the minds of many, some too young to remember it in its heyday. For more then a hundred years it courted disaster and could on a number of occasions have succumbed to overpowering financial pressures, but it survived with the help of partnerships with larger, more secure companies, namely the Midland Railway and the London & South Western Railway. Later on, after the grouping in 1923, the line came under the control of the L M S and the Southern Railway. It was unfortunate that the line suffered in later years, from inter regional rivalry between the Western and Southern Regions of British Railways, which led to its eventual closure. The variety of companies involved in its running meant that during its lifetime the small pool of locomotives needed to service the line was supplemented by the best each partner could offer. So from the beginning to the end there were a myriad number of types of locomotive running over the Mendips providing a lively variety of motive power. This heavily illustrated book traces this unique and fascinating history and brings to life this singular, much missed and loved railway.

Southern Maunsell Moguls and Tank Engines is a volume in the series of Locomotive Profiles being published by Pen & Sword. It describes the conception, design and construction of the two- and three-cylinder 2-6-0s initially the Ns constructed at the end of the First World War, many at government initiative by the Woolwich Arsenal and their three-cylinder variants, the N1s. It also describes in similar fashion the class K River 2-6-4 tank engines, their riding problems and the decision to convert them as class U two-cylinder moguls after the disastrous Sevenoaks derailment in 1927. The solitary K1 three-cylinder 2-6-4T was similarly converted as the prototype three-cylinder U1 with new build Us and U1s following in the early 1930s.The moguls, originally built by Richard Maunsell for the South Eastern & Chatham Railway, became the standard mixed traffic locomotives throughout the Southern Railway for virtually the whole of its existence and many remained until near the end of BR Southern Regions steam stock in 1965/6.After the experience with the passenger 2-6-4 tank engines, Maunsell restricted his larger tank engine designs to freight work the class W for heavy cross-London interchange freight traffic and the Z0-8-0T for heavy shunting and banking work. Maunsell also redesigned some elderly LB&SCR E1 0-6-0Ts for branch line work in rural Devon and North Cornwall, providing a radial axle as 0-6-2T class E1/R.The book covers the allocation, operation and performance of these classes and includes some personal reminiscences of the author who experienced the moguls at first hand. It also covers the sale of some of the Woolwich moguls to the CIE in Ireland and the conversion of a number to 2-6-4 freight tank engines for the Metropolitan Railway. The book is lavishly illustrated with over 300 black and white and thirty colour photographs.

This British Railways history explores the long-held tradition of naming steam locomotives in honor of the military. The naming of steam locomotives was a beloved British tradition since the first railway locomotives appeared in 1804. Many of the names were chosen in honor of military personnel, regiments, squadrons, naval vessels, aircraft, battles and associated historic events. This volume looks specifically at the steam locomotives with military-inspired names that were built by the London & North Eastern Railway, which joined the British Railways stock in 1948. A large number of the company’s Jubilee class locomotives were given names with a military connection, as were a small number of Black Five class engines. Famously the majority of the much-admired Royal Scot class of engines carried names associated with the military in general and regimental names in particular. Many of the nameplates were adorned with ornate crests and badges. Long after the demise of mainline steam, rescued nameplates have become prized collectors’ items. This generously illustrated publication highlights the relevant steam locomotives and explains the origins and social history surrounding their military names.

The Great Western Railway experienced the trauma and disruption of the end of the broad gauge in 1892 and were faced with equipping the network with suitable motive power, especially in Devon and Cornwall where the last track conversion had taken place. West of Newton Abbot, the GWR had relied on a variety of 4-4-0, 2-4-0, 0-4-2 and 0-4-4 side and saddle tanks, often doubled-headed, and Dean set about designing a sturdy outside-framed powerful 4-4-0 with 5ft 8in coupled wheels, the 'Dukes', to tackle increasing loads over the heavily graded main line. Then, Churchward came to assist the ailing Locomotive Superintendent, using his knowledge and experience of American and continental practice to develop the Dean designs. He improved the efficiency and performance of the boilers, using the Belgian Belpaire firebox, then developed the tapered 'cone' boiler, and applied it to the chassis of the 'Duke's to form the 'Camel' class, later known as the 'Bulldogs', which eventually numbered 156 locomotives. Finally, in the 1930s when engines of the 'Duke' route availability were still required but their frames were life-expired, their boilers were matched with the stronger frames of the 'Bulldogs' to form the 'Dukedog' class, which lasted until the 1950s, particularly on the former Cambrian lines in mid-Wales. This book recounts the design, construction and operation of these small-wheeled outside-framed locomotives with many rare photos of their operation in the first decade of the twentieth century as well as in more recent times.

This is a book that looks at the 0-6-0 tender goods locomotives of the Southern Railway, from the steam locomotive classes taken over at the railway grouping in 1923, through to the two classes introduced during Southern Railway days, that of the Q and Q1 classes.The Southern Railway had a rich and varied number of 0-6-0 tender goods classes, originating from all three former main line pre grouping companies, many of them lasted until the late 1950s and early 1960s.Many of the older Victorian and Edwardian classes of locomotive taken over in 1923, did not last very long with the new company, but are covered here for historical and modelling interest.

Britain was the pioneering force behind the birth of the steam locomotive. This authoritative visual reference spans over 150 years of railway history, featuring 85 class profiles, a comprehensive glossary and over 200 photographs.