ENGLISH ELECTRIC CLASS 50 DIESELS FROM WESTERN REGION TO PRESERVATION, by Peter J Green, Pen and Sword. PRICE: £25.00

I’ve known no publisher so prolific as Pen and Sword. I could fill my review pages completely with what’s new from the house. From another wide selection including works on the Railways in North and Mid Wales in the Late 20th Century, BR Swindon DH Type 1s, Alfred Raworth’s Electric Southern Railway and Thames Shipping from 1940 to 1980, I’ve selected the work on BR’s last all-diesel express passenger locomotives, the final EE Type 4s. My choice is entirely subjective, because I wouldn’t be surprised if I were standing in the vicinity of the author as he took his pictures, as I took mine! The Class 50s created a large and loyal following, especially after they left the WCML and were transferred to the WR as complete replacements for the luckless diesel hydraulics. One thing I would pay compliments to the author on is his diligent note-making; every locomotive in the class is featured several times, often where its identity is not visible in the shot. What I find particularly interesting in many of the images (all of which are beautifully-printed, mainly in B&W) is the railway infrastructure surrounding the locomotives and trains. It was into the second half of the 1980s before the WR main line west of Cogload and as far as Dainton lost its magnificent GWR lower-quadrant signals, and many of these are featured. The captions are informative and accurate and should assist anyone modifying models of Class 50s in all scales and gauges. Nobody scratchbuilds or kit-builds such things now, do they? Railtours are also illustrated, taking the class away from its usual haunts. There are also shots in preservation, as well as scrapping scenes. There’s a colour section at the end, which is wonderfully-printed, but it’s a pity none of the images show the locomotives in BR service. The Portuguese equivalents also get a mention and there’s a useful index of locations. All in all, a marvellous addition to the library; excellent value and highly-recommended!