Brian Haresnape

Brian Haresnape was murdered in Barcelona and this sadly removed one of the most consistent and polished of books, and articles, on the design of locomotives. He was the author of excellent individual booklets on the liveries of each of the post-grouping companies, several similar books on the liveries, and other aspects of design, on British railways, and a series of books on the locomotive designs of Gresley, Maunsell... It is liable to misinterpretation, but these last are very similar in content and overall concept, but this is to imply that the author maintained a high overall standard, and that once he established an excellent format he remained with it. His captions are highly informative. His photographs were selected the variations within the classes of locomotives incorporated. Side elevations are included for most designs. The series tended to include lists of names and a short bibliography. As usual progress on this page is hindered by the lack of books on railways in the Vauxghall Conference library service provided by Norfolk. Only the train service to Liverpool matches this for the poverty of services in this county which supposedly (one season?) offers Premier League football.

The Introduction to the book on Gresley sets out the author's aims lucidly: the object of this book is to present in pictorial form all the locomotive types which are attributed to this great engineer. The emphasis is upon the various detail alterations made to various types over the years that they were in service, and I have selected illustrations to emphasise these points, as they are of particular interest to railway modellers.

Haresnape also produced booklets on the liveries of each of the four post-grouping mainline railways, and these were combined into one volume which led to the following perceptive review by David Jenkinson:

This important book is a reissue in hard cover of the late Brian Harenape's original four-part series, one each of the 'Big Four' companies, which was first published individually in paperback form.

Haresnape was one of those rare authors who tackled the less conventional areas of the subject with a sound combination of scholarship and readability. To attempt to review the manifest complexities of railway liveries — even in the short 'grouping' period — was no mean task and he succeeded admirably. Of course, the treatment is too brief to allow the detailed analysis of each and every class of locomotive, carriage or wagon but the author compensates admirably by giving ample references in his text to further sources of such information.

Where the book really scores, however, is in the perceptive analyses given of the difficulty of both 'seeing' and recording colours and for this alone it is to be recommended. Haresnape was an artist and knew the problem only too well and his views should be read and absorbed by all those who claim that they 'know' what the old colours looked like. Neither is he afraid to give an opinion or two along the way. This reviewer would argue with a some of them, not least the author's view that models should be painted in a lighter shade than the prototype if they are to look right; but overall, as an accurate summary of the colour schemes of the final company era our railways it is hard to fault.

Books
British Rail 1948-83. a journey by design. 1983.
Bulleid locomotives. a pictorial history. 1977.
Bulleid locomotives. revised edition. London: Ian Allan, 1985.
Very brief Foreword by H.A.V. Bulleid. Section 4 is an extensive account of the Leader fiasco. Appendix 1 is  devoted to electric locomotives. Appendix 2 describes the influential diesel-electric locomotives and Section 6 describes the rebuilt Pacifics which were aimed to be as near British Railway standards as possible and this was achieved by Jarvis at Brighton.
Churchward locomotives. a pictorial history. Ian Allan, 1976.
Collett & Hawksworth locomotives. a pictorial history. Ian Allan, 1978. 128pp.
Design for steam, 1830-1960. Ian Allan, 1981. 176pp.
Chapter 6: The artist engineers: Stroudley, Johnson, Webb, Holden, Dean, Adams, T.W. Worsdell, Drummond.
Fowler locomotives, a pictorial history. Shepperton, Ian Allan, 1981. 128pp,
Gresley locomotives. a pictorial history. 1981.
Ivatt & Riddles locomotives. a pictorial history.1977
Maunsell locomotives. a pictorial history. 1977
Railway design since 1830. London: Ian Allan, 1968, 69. 2 vol.; illus. 29 cm.
Railway liveries. BR steam 1948-1968. revised by Colin Boocock  London: Ian Allan, 1989.   96pp.
Railway liveries: Great Western Railway. London: Ian Allan, 1983. 56pp.
Railway liveries: London & North Eastern Railway. London: Ian Allan, 1984.
Railway liveries 1923-1947. London: Ian Allan. 208pp.
Combined volume of above: see Jenkinson's comments.
Stanier locomotives; a pictorial history. London: Ian Allan, 1970. 128pp. 24 cm
Includes a description of the corridor tender used for locomotive testing.
Stroudley locomotives. a pictorial history. 1985
with Peter Rowledge
Robinson locomotives. a pictorial history. London. Ian Allan. 1982.

Full details are in Ottley and its Supplements