NEW BOOKS as reviewed by Tony Wright

BRITISH INDUSTRIAL STEAM LOCOMOTIVES, by David Mather, Pen and Sword. PRICE: £25.00

Among the usual many new titles from Pen and Sword this month, I’ve chosen a couple to review. The first is a beautifully-illustrated presentation illustrating the relatively small (and not so small) steam locomotives operated by all manner of industries, including coal mines, steel works, breweries, engineering works, power stations, dockyards, mineral lines, gas works, as well as on some systems abroad. Later life preservation is also given due prominence. All the major (and some minor) manufacturers’ work is shown in all manner of guises – at (hard) work, some rotting remains in dereliction (a heavy-weatherer’s delight!) and, as mentioned, in shining preservation. The variety is incredible; there are some steam cranes illustrated, too, though not all are really ‘locomotives’. The reproduction is of a high-quality, all printed on good-quality stock. The captions are extended and accurate. At a time when the RTR manufacturers are looking at producing more non-BR steam locomotives (though many ex-BR locomotives were sold into private industry), this book will be of great use for those who wish to model the ‘industrial’ scene. It’s a handsome addition to any railway enthusiast’s library and, as already stated, especially to those who make models. Although, I admit, the industrial scene is not my greatest interest, I found it fascinating; and, at the price, excellent value for money, and thoroughly-recommended.

GREAT WESTERN KING CLASS 4-6-0S FROM CONSTRUCTION TO WITHDRAWAL, by David Maidment, Pen and Sword. PRICE: £35.00

The second offering from Pen and Sword reviewed this month concerns the GWR’s mostpowerful express passenger locomotives, the 30 celebrated ‘Kings’. The author has written many books for this publisher describing various locomotive classes (there’s also one from him on Drummond’s passenger and mixed traffic locomotives), following the same format of high-quality landscape presentation in black and white and colour. The reproduction is generally very good, with everything printed on good-quality stock. The whole story of this long-lived class is told in ten chapters, including a fascinating personal insight into some of their running when the author was a young man in the late-’50s/early-’60s (I can claim nothing so instructive, only having seen the ‘Kings’ at Shrewsbury, late in their lives when they weren’t taken off the principal trains at Wolverhampton, and I never travelled behind one in general service). Like other volumes written by the author, it’s comprehensive and accurate and will prove of immense help to model-makers in every scale/gauge. Indeed, I’d put it as one of the principal books on the class; a fitting complement to the other established works. As with many famous steam classes, they were probably at their best towards the ends of their lives, especially when all were fitted with double chimneys and improved superheaters. Their restricted RA meant that they ended their days on the duties for which they were designed, with just a final ‘excursion’ into South Wales and north of Wolverhampton. All these final stories are well-told, and it’s finished with a lugubrious chapter on the class’s disposal, though the story of the three in preservation continues. There are also useful logs, tables and drawings included. All in all, a must for lovers of this great class; indeed, for all enthusiasts everywhere. Entirely recommended.

15TH EDITION RAIL ATLAS GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND, by S K Baker, Crecy. PRICE: £20.00

This is a fitting, final tribute to the compiler/cartographer of this invaluable work because Stuart Baker died last year. I’m told it’s used by professional railwaymen (and women), and I’m not surprised because it’s a vital source of reference. It’s not just heavy rail lines that are drawn but also underground systems and tramways, as well as freight-only and preserved lines. ‘Comprehensive’ is an understatement! All the maps are beautifully-clear and unambiguous, with insets/expansions where necessary for the more complex areas (London/Greater London gets 24 pages!). With its 152 pages, including a near 26-page index, it really is the clearest mapping I’ve seen of our current home railways. Though in comparison with the pre-Grouping atlases I’ve got, the contraction in lines is enormous, it’s very encouraging to see new lines and proposed/reinstated lines included, which makes for an exciting future indeed. And, for those who think that our railway system isn’t as vast as wide-ranging as before, HS2 and the likes of the proposed reinstatement of the Waverley route bode well for the railways. This volume is a worthy complement to all the other rail atlases, particularly to those which show the full extent of what Britain’s railways used to be like. It should be on all enthusiasts’ bookshelves, it’s beautifully-done and exceptional value for money.

NORTHERN LINES DONCASTER TO HULL AND GIBERDYKE TO SELBY, by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith, Middleton Press. PRICE: £18.95

I’ve mentioned this before, but I find it more and more difficult to say anything original about this vast series when I write my reviews on individual volumes. All follow the tried and trusted format of comprehensively describing the title’s routes using good-quality photography, sometimes extended (and accurate) captions, from pre-Grouping times to virtually the present day, with a selection of clear maps, timetables, tables, tickets and ephemera. As usual, it’ll be of great use to modellers, especially those whose interest is in earlier times, where complex track formations and mechanical signalling installations are present. Indeed, some of that signalling illustrated lasted until 2018, so it’s of interest to those who model Class 66s and modern DMUs as well. I mention ‘accurate’ captions, but I feel more could have been made of some. For instance, in Fig.117 we’re shown an A1 at Selby ‘some time in the 1950s’. That’s not wrong, but by observing the position of the locomotive’s front numberplate and the emblem on the tender, it could be narrowed down to 1956/’57. In Fig.93, we’re shown a D11 leaving Hull Paragon for Doncaster and we’re told that ‘The white windows (in the carriages) are to hide toilet compartments’. That’s true, but why not mention that those white windows are in a Tourist arctic twin TO/TO? One thing I find odd is that, although the various locations are numbered on the contents’ page, those numbers don’t appear on the pages themselves.

THE WESTERN WAY WESTERN STEAM IN THE SIXTIES, by Terence Dorrity, Irwell Press. PRICE: £25.95

I found this delightful pictorial book a splendid antidote to Christmas television. In its full-colour 128 pages, there are wonderful scenes showing a vast variety of ex-GWR motive power on all manner of duties including express passenger work, local passenger jobs, goods trains, on shed and in works and on enthusiasts’ specials and excursions. All the pictures are printed to a high standard on good-quality stock, as is Irwell’s usual way. The geographical spread is quite wide, though (as far as I can see) there is nothing at the WR’s western and northern ‘extremes’. The author was brought up in the Stratford-upon-Avon area so most of the scenes are

around there, but are still very interesting nonetheless. Strangely, no pictures of ‘Kings’ are seen on normal duties on the Birmingham road, but there are plenty of ‘Castles’ to compensate for that. For modellers, it’s invaluable, especially for those who contemplate weathering their creations; on occasions ‘heroically’! There’s an interesting section on photography, where the author describes the cameras he used to capture these evocative images. He certainly showed considerable expertise in his picture-taking, as the results in this volume show. I’m sure it’ll find a home in most enthusiasts’ libraries (deservedly so), but just one (minor) criticism. Why do so many authors today not know that none of the

seasons is a proper noun and, thus, should not be prefixed by a capital letter? Thoroughly recommended.

FESTINIOG SCENES THROUGH THE SIXTIES, by Stephen Evans, the Festiniog Railway Heritage Group. PRICE: £15.00

Another volume showing scenes from the decade of 50/60 years ago, but very different in what it depicts. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a wide range of photographs illustrating one of the pioneering preservation movements. Acting as a volunteer, the author was given access to all sorts of activities, giving him numerous photographic opportunities that he exploited to the full. Considering his relative youth, he mastered photography very quickly, with the wonderful results displayed in full, mainly in black and white, but with some colour. It’s an evocative period, well captured, but now disappearing into history (as was BR steam contemporaneously). Speaking of BR steam, how nice to see some shots of Bill Hoole, late of driving A4s at high speed on the ECML? I wonder, was he more careful on the narrow gauge? For modellers, it’ll prove to be invaluable, whatever the chosen period. Though narrow gauge is not my main interest, I did visit the line during the period depicted and many memories were revived (though I’m far too indolent to have been a volunteer). All in all a joy to browse through and incredible value for money.