Southern Railway Lord Nelson Class 4-6-0s

AUTHOR: Tim Hillier-Graves

PUBLISHER: Pen & Sword

ISBN: 978-1-52674-473-9

PRICE: £30.00

WEB: www.pen-and-sword.co.uk

THE SOUTHERN Railway’s Lord Nelson Class is often viewed as ‘also ran’ amongst express locos and is generally overlooked as a result. Another reason is because it unfortunately became sandwiched on the Southern between the classic and much revered King Arthurs and Schools, and by Bulleid’s controversial Pacifics. It is perhaps not a surprise that it is so overlooked when compared to such designs, but that would be unfair. Indeed, when the type made its debut it gained considerable plaudits from railway professionals, including footplate crews, and the public.

Unfortunately, with a fleet size of only 16 its impact was muted and any design faults became magnified beyond their actual significance. As it turned out the locos were sturdy, reliable performers that served the company well on the heavy boat trains for which they were designed, as well as their use on other passenger services for more than 30 years.

In this latest work the author has done well to uncover and include new information and photos to provide a more accurate and detailed history of the class. Supported by eyewitness accounts, this new information gives a better appreciation of the small fleet. With the help of more than 200 photographs and detailed fleet histories, the book does an admirable job in bringing the ‘forgotten’ class into the limelight. (MN)