Great Western Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotives, 1923–1959
Great Western Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotives, 1923–1959

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2023-02-16

Total Pages: 313

ISBN-13: 1399095331

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The Great Western Castles were one of the most successful locomotive designs of the twentieth century in terms of both performance and efficiency. Designed by Charles Collett in 1923, based on the 1907 Churchward ‘Star’ class, 155 were constructed almost continuously, apart from the war years, between 1923 and 1950, in addition to fifteen rebuilt ‘Stars’ and one rebuilt from the Great Bear pacific. Many were modernised with increased superheat and double-chimneys in the late 1950s and the class continued to be the mainstay of all Western Region express passenger services to the West Country, South Wales, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and the West Midlands until replaced by the WR diesel hydraulic fleet in the early 1960s. This book covers their design in a chapter written by Bob Meanley, who masterminded the restoration at Tyseley Works of the Castles Earl of Mount Edgcumbe and Clun Castle, and their history, operation and performance from the high speed of the 1930s through to their rejuvenation in the 1950s, leaving experience of their last years and preservation to another volume. David Maidment had close experience of the class when working at Old Oak Common between 1957 and 1962 and includes his personal experiences there and on the road from his first encounter with one as a six-year old boy. The book includes 350 photographs, some 40 in color, and 23 detailed Swindon technical drawings.

Great Western, King Class 4-6-0s
Great Western, King Class 4-6-0s

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2020-08-30

Total Pages: 503

ISBN-13: 1526739860

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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.

Great Western Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotives - The Final Years 1960- 1965
Great Western Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotives - The Final Years 1960- 1965

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2023-02-16

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1399095374

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The author’s second volume about the Great Western’s classic express locomotives covers their final six years in British Railways service. In 1960 the Castles, many now modernized with double chimneys and 4-row superheaters, were still in charge of most of the Western Region’s expresses, but by the summer of 1963 their regular express work was limited to the London – Worcester route. Their declining numbers in the last couple of years covered special summer and relief trains, parcels and freight work, deputizing for failed or unavailable diesels and a flurry of excursions and railtours where their prowess could still be demonstrated. The author worked and lived alongside them in these years and the book includes much of his own personal experience on the footplate, on their trains and on shed. The book recaps briefly their first 25 years and covers their history, operation and performance in their final years and is copiously illustrated including over 100 color photographs.

Great Western, King Class 4-6-0s
Great Western, King Class 4-6-0s

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2020-08-30

Total Pages: 274

ISBN-13: 1526739887

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Built by Collett in 1927 after pressure to restore the GWR’s pre-eminence in motive power and cope with increasing traffic post-war to the 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. The 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 covers comprehensively 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 many firemen who would hand him the shovel). The book includes over 300 photographs of which 100 are in color.

Great Western Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotives in the Preservation Era
Great Western Castle Class 4-6-0 Locomotives in the Preservation Era

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2023-07-30

Total Pages: 170

ISBN-13: 1399022695

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This third volume in the series on the Great Western Castle class locomotives focuses on the eight that have been preserved and goes into depth on the reconstruction of three of them, the two Tyseley ones, 5043 and 7029 described by Bob Meanley and Didcot’s 4079 recounted by David Maidment from the records of the Great Western Society, including the full story of 4079’s prolonged stay in Western Australia, its return to the UK and subsequent restoration. The history of all eight is covered and copiously illustrated, including over 100 color photographs, with many during the restoration work by Bob Meanley and in operation by David Maidment. The book includes records of their operation and performance since restoration when some of the most remarkable performances of these locomotives were achieved.

Great Western, 0-6-0 Tender Goods Locomotive Classes
Great Western, 0-6-0 Tender Goods Locomotive Classes

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2024-07-30

Total Pages: 271

ISBN-13: 1399054708

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This book is a comprehensive history of all the 0-6-0 tender locomotives built by the Great Western Railway or by railways absorbed by the GWR from the very earliest broad gauge engines designed by Daniel Gooch to the Collett 2251 class of the 1930s some of which were still under construction at nationalisation. It includes the Joseph Armstrong ‘Standard Goods’ and the famous Dean Goods, many of which served overseas in the two world wars. The text of 40,000 words describes the design, construction and operation of eight GW and five ‘Absorbed’ broad gauge classes, and thirteen GW and thirteen ‘Absorbed’ standard gauge classes. The book has over 250 black and white and 30 color photos, weight diagrams and drawings.

Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings
Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings

Author: Allen Jackson

Publisher: The Crowood Press

Published: 2018-09-23

Total Pages: 392

ISBN-13: 1785004824

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GWR; Great Western Railway; George Jackson Churchward; Boilers; Valves; GWR 4-6-0; De Glehn Compound; 4-4-2 Atlantic; Star Class; Scissors Valve Gear; L&NWR; London and North Western Railway; WWII; LNER; London and North Eastern Railway; LMSR; London Midland and Scottish Railway; Castle Class; Cheltenham Spa Express; King Class; Shrivenham Collision; 1948 Locomotive Exchanges; railway preservation; William Dean; Swindon; steam engine; Belpaire locomotive firebox; 5043 Earl of Mount Edgecumbe; R.M. Deeley; Lode Star; North Star; Dog Star; Evening Star; Morning Star; Polar Star; Red Star; Rising Star; Royal Star; Shooting Star; Western Star; Swallowfield Park; Knight of the Garter; Knight of the Thistle; Knight of the Patrick; Knight of the Bath; Knight of St. John; Knight of the Golden Fleece; Knight of the Black Eagle; Knight of Liège; Knight of the Grand Cross; Knight Templar; Knight Commander; William Stanier; Caerphilly Castle; Caldicot Castle; Cardiff Castle; Carmarthen Castle; Chepstow Castle; Pembroke Castle; Pendennis Castle; Powderham Castle; Warwick Castle; Windsor Castle; Midgham derailment; King Edward VII; King William IV; King George IV; King George III; King George II; King George I; King William III; King James II; King Charles II; King Charles I; King James I; King Edward VI; King Edward VIII; King Henry VII; King Richard III; King Edward V; King Edward IV; King Henry VI; King Henry V; King Henry IV; King Richard II; King Edward III; King Edward II; King Edward I; King Henry III; King John; King Richard I; King Henry II; King Stephen; steam locomotive; British Railways; Shakespeare Express; The Bristolian; Cornish Riviera Express; Cheltenham Flyer

L N E R 4-6-0 Locomotives
L N E R 4-6-0 Locomotives

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2021-04-28

Total Pages: 662

ISBN-13: 1526772558

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L N E R 4-6-0 Tender Mixed Traffic Locomotives covers the design, construction, operation and performance of all 4-6-0 locomotives that ran on the London & North Eastern Railway between 1923 and 1947 and the LNER designed engines that ran on BR’s Eastern Region until the end of BR steam in 1968. This includes the former Great Central 4-6-0s of classes B1 – B9 (the B1 and B2 later reclassified B18 & B19); the North Eastern Railway B13 – B16s; the Great Eastern B12s; and the LNER B17s, the Thompson B1s and rebuilds (B2 and B3/3). The book has over 60,000 words and 350 black & white and color photographs, many previously unpublished from the archives of the Manchester Locomotive Society at Stockport. It will be of particular interest to railway modelers and enthusiasts of locomotive running and performance as well as those seeking more general locomotive history. The book is designed and written in the same style as David Maidment’s previous Locomotive Portfolio books on engines of the Great Western and Southern Railways, and includes where possible his own experiences, seeing and traveling behind engines of these classes in the 1950s and early 1960s, especially the B1s, B12s and B17 ‘Sandringhams’.

Four-Coupled Tank Locomotive Classes Built by the Great Western Railway
Four-Coupled Tank Locomotive Classes Built by the Great Western Railway

Author: David Maidment

Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport

Published: 2023-06-01

Total Pages: 234

ISBN-13: 1399022571

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This book is a comprehensive history of all twenty-six classes of four coupled tank engines commissioned by the Great Western Railway or built at their Wolverhampton and Swindon Works, from the Broad Gauge 2-4-0 and 4-4-0 tanks of the 1840s and 1850s to the well known Collett 0-4-2 branch line engines of classes 48XX (later renumbered 14XX) and 58XX of the 1930s. As well as the Broad Gauge engines, the strange looking ‘Covertibles’ of William Dean, a number of experimental ‘one-off’ designs, the numerous Wolverhampton 0-4-2Ts of the ‘517’ class and the Swindon built ‘2-4-0 ‘Metro Tanks’ are described with – where known – their allocation and operation. The book includes twenty weight diagrams and nearly 300 photographs, over 50 in color. The four-coupled tank engines absorbed by the Great Western from other companies at or before 1923 will be featured in a separate volume to follow.

Great Western Railway Pannier Tanks
Great Western Railway Pannier Tanks

Author: Robin Jones

Publisher: Crowood

Published: 2014-01-31

Total Pages: 321

ISBN-13: 1847976549

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The name 'Great Western Railway' immediately conjures up images of Stars, Castles and Kings, the legendary express passenger locomotives that were the envy of the world in their day. However, the Swindon empire also produced extensive fleets of all-purpose tank engines - everyday reliable workhorses and unsung heroes - which were standout classics in their own right. The most distinctive and immediately recognizable type in terms of shape, all but unique to the GWR, was the six-coupled pannier tank. With hundreds of photographs throughout, Great Western Railway Pannier Tanks covers the supremely innovative pannier tank designs of GWR chief mechanical engineer Charles Benjamin Collett, the appearance of the 5700 class in 1929, and the 5400, 6400, 7400 and 9400 classes. Also, the demise of the panniers in British Railways service and the 5700s that marked the end of Western Region steam, followed by a second life beneath the streets - 5700 class panniers on London Underground. Also covers Panniers in preservation, plus cinema and TV roles and even a Royal Train duty. Superbly illustrated with 260 colour and black & white photographs.