Railway World
Volume 40 (1979)
key file

Number 465 (January 1979)

Bernard Staite. The success of main line steam. 6-13.

D.H. Ward. 'Cumbrian Coast Express'. 14-17.

Murray Brown. They're raising steam at York. 18-22

Hugh Ballantyne. Steam in the sun. 23-9.

Chris Leigh. West Country stations. Part 3. 30-5.

'44155'. Absolute block working. 36-9.

New Books. 40

The LNER 2-6-0 Classes. John F. Clay and J. Cliffe, Ian Allan. 80pp + 24pp photos
The GWR mixed traffic 4-6-0 Classes. O.S. Nock. Ian AIlan. 96pp + 24pp photos. Reviewed Michael Harris
Two books with similar intentions cover a variety of workhorses of the LNER and GWR. Strangely, both have the same difficulty in giving readers a clear idea of the normal duties undertaken by mixed traffic locomotives and, certainly, in both cases some brief descriptions of typical diagrams would have helped to add a further dimension to the more general history. Messrs Cliffe and Clay do a competent job in tracing the development of the Gresley 'KI', 'K2' and 'K3' Moguls. The last mentioned kept hard at work until 1962 but, incidentally, were displaced on the Grimsby fish trains by 'Britannias', not '9Fs'. During the summer of 1962 the 'K3s' were still putting in appearances on the 16.10 Grimsby-Whitland fish but timekeeping was usually poor. The Peppercorn K1s still remain a little of an enigma, the reviewer recalling that he forsook one in 1959 at the head of a GE relief for a preceding Norwich train worked by a Brush Type 2. The authors' trump card is undoubtedly presentation of the diagram of the proposed post-war 'K6'. O. S. Nock, as ever methodically and clearly, works through the story of the 'Halls', Granges', 'Manors' and 'Counties'. Particularly interesting are the sections on the scientific testing of the 'Halls' and the transformation of the 'Manors' by Ell. Some relevant and concisely expressed details of locomotive performance are included, as one expects from this author. This helps to give some clue to the work of the mixed traffic 4-6-0s in the 1950s. Particularly relevant are Mr Nock's comments on the 'Counties'; still something of an enigma. One remembers them as the most vociferous of locomotives with that curious 'stamping' exhaust produced by the double chimney.

Number 466 (February 1979)

David L. Smith. A Glasgow & South Western innocent abroad. 70-8.
Set out from Dalmellington on 5 August 1919 for Ayr (where he purchased The Railway Magazine); then for Dunragit (on a Stranraer train which had changed engines at Ayr, and then again at Girvan) where he changed onto the Portpatrick & Wigtownshire Joint Railways to travel to Newton Stewart where he changed for Whithorn (where he stayed overnight), thence back to Newton Stewart, changed for Castle Douglas where he changed for Kirkcudbright, returned to Dumfries (where he stayed the night) and returned home via Kilmarnock and Ayr. He was amazed at the double-headed train from Dunragit to Newton Stewart as it consisted of a CR Drummond 4-4-0 No. 69 with a GSWR 0-4-2 No. 268. The stock of the train was a similar mixture and the brake was the Westinghouse. The train on the Whithorn branch was mixed, and was extremely busy as the following day was the Whithorn Cattle Show. Illus.: GSWR Peter Drummond 4-4-0 No. 327 on stopping train; CR 13 class No. 1069; Smellie Wee Bogie No. 700 as LMS 14116; Stirling 0-4-2 No. 269 as LMS 17029; map; Smellie Big Bogie 14153; Garlieston station in 1937.

Mike Brooks. Naming the first LMS Pacifics. 79-82.
Proposed names for Princess Royal (including names suggested by Public Relations Dept from Longfellow's Hiawatha, such as Minnehaha), and royal alternates to the ones actually used. Stanier's involvement in livery (correspondence with H.G. Ivatt at St Rollox concerning Caledonian blue) and with style of nameplate for 6220 Coronation. Diagram shows proposed wing type nameplate with crown for Coronation and attempts to create a golden style crown. Also names proposed, but not used for Claughton and Prince of Wales classes: Liver and Cook were suggested for latter.

D.M. Rouse. Newton Abbot's '51s' in the 1950s. 83-6.
Work mainly as bankers or pilot engines over Dainton and from Totnes; also replacing tender locomotives on Kingswear  and Paignton services. Unsuccessful replacement by BR class 3 2-6-2Ts

A.J. Sullivan. The big move to the Bluebell. 87-91.
The move to larger locomotives: S15, 9F No. 92240 and Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80100 aided by skills of Norman Payne, works manager a\nd boilersmith and professional welder.

New books. 94-5

Great Western in colour O. S. Nock Blandford Press 160pp illus. throughout. Reviewed by CJL (Chris Leigh)
Any book about the Great Western is automatically subject to rather more close scrutiny than books about other railway subjects. simply because there are more self-appointed G W R experts. Unfortunately, although this particular book is by a distinguished and prolific railway writer and one whose knowledge is unquestioned. it does not stand up to even the briefest inspection. The text is the kind of pocket history of the construction and major engineering developments of the GWR. which has been seen a number of times before. All the usual stories are there — the Severn Tunnel, slip coaches, signalling, locomotive development, railcars — briefly covered in a way which will be familiar to Great Western enthusiasts. This reviewer was surprised to see a reference to the original Temple Meads having 'Georgian' windows, and more surprised still at the suggestion that 'Many of these (Brunel's) country station buildings survive today". Scarcely a handful of Brunei's country stations still exist. in fact.
However, the text would provide a grounding in GWR history for the younger enthusiast. and the use of many coloured illustrations would suggest that it is intended for this market. With the exception of two colour photographs of Maidenhead bridge and one of Box Tunnel. all the colour work is based on paintings by Clifford and Wendy Meadway. While some of these appear curiously juvenile, with strange perspective and proportions. others contain basic errors of detail. The livery details of locomotives are frequently incorrect or exaggerated: there is a maroon coach with BR signs in the windows purporting to be in wartime brown livery. a slip coach diagram which does nothing to explain 'how it works', and a couple of Prairie tanks which are captioned as 2-6-6 tanks. Worse still are some of the maps, one of which shows the shortened route to South Wales as via Bristol and the Severn Tunnel. but completely omits the new line from Wootton Bassett. Similarly. another shows the shortened route to Birmingham via High Wycombe and Banbury but one might infer from this that the line finished at Banbury and never actually reached Birmingham! Some line drawings and black and white photographs are also included, but these are neccessarily small. although well reproduced. It is a colourful but expensive package. and a disappointing result from so distinguished a team.

The Railways of Hertfordshire F. G. Cockman Hertfordshire County Library 80pp plus 16pp photographs
This is another in the growing range of railway books produced by Library and Local History services in recent months. It is a detailed history of the proposals. planning. and construction of railways in Hertfordshire including a number of simple maps to demonstrate the development of the system. Sixteen pages of historic black and white half-tone illustrations at the rear of the book depict trains at work in the county and are printed on art paper.

Steam on the Waverley Route R.H. Leslie.
On the Welsh Narrow Gauge J.I.C. Boyd
The Midland Railway —a pictorial history J.B. Radford and S.W. Smith
London Midland steam doubleheaded. W A. Blake .
Stanier 8F 2-8-0 Keith Tyler, John Bond, Alan Wilkinson
D. Bradford Barton Ltd All 8fin by 8fin 96pp (LM Steam 70pp) illus. throughout. Reviewed by JB
A contrasting set of standard Bradford Barton albums. all up to the publishers' usual production quality. On the Welsh Narrow Gauge is. by a short head. the most interesting in content and provides a valuable photographic record of the Welsh narrow gauge lines, not forgetting the many quarry systems. powered by horse. steam and diesel and also the ropeways, lifts and inclined tramways. Many of the photographs are' rare and of interest, although it might have been sensible to have excluded more of the preserved scenes as this late flowering of the Welsh narrow gauge can only be covered in a perfunctory manner. Radford and Smith's album needs no recommendation to the Midland enthusiast who will be delighted by the range of subject. rarity of some photographs and careful captioning evident in this work. The other two volumes are concerned with latter day main line steam. Both are very acceptable. the Waverley album giving an excellent cross section of trains and locomotives used since the late 1940s while London Midland Steam Doubleheaded is a reminder of more extravagant days of railway operation (generally from the late I 940s). It is stronger on the West Coast route than on the Midland. Stanier 8F 2·8-0 is an excellent review of the history of this noble class. at work in war and peace. in the U K and overseas. An exemplary study with some notable photographs.

Steam for pleasure. P.B. Whitehouse, J.B. Snell and J.B. Hollingsworth. Routledge and Kegan Paul. 240pp illus. throughout. Reviewed by CJL
This reviewer's first attempt at oil painting was a copy of the colour photograph of the Cass Scenic Railway's Shay locomotive which appears on the dust-jacket of this substantial volume, but the rest of the contents are not so familiar. The book is a survey of steam railway preservation, world-wide. and is divided into sections covering the various areas of interest. Each section is further divided into chapters each of which deals with a particular country or area of a country. The text gives a brief history and description of the principal preserved railways in each area. and in each instance a location map and photographs are provided. Taking the North American section as an example. the lines covered include the Mount Washington Cog Railway. East Broad Top. Strasburg. Silverton. Cass. Cumbres Pass and others in cluding the various Canadian operations. The illustrations are mainly well-reproduced black and white halftones. but each section also contains several good quality colour plates.
Great Britain and Ireland. naturally. have a whole section. comprising chapters on the Welsh narrow gauge railways. Southern lines. Northern lines, and steam museums. Europe is dealt with in detail, and the final section covers the rest of the world where in many instances preservation is still in its infancy. This book is really an ideal introduction for anyone planning a trip abroad and a useful index giving basic details of length, gauge of line, number of locomotives and approximate frequency of trains is provided. Those seeking to finalise their plans will need to obtain exact dates and times of operation and the comprehensive list of addresses will enable the reader to obtain particular timetables by mail before his visit. In all, a good quality production at a reasonable price, which the roving enthusiast will find useful, and the armchair enthusiast interesting. It's too-good and too heavy to take with you, though

United States Army Transportation Corps locomotives. R. Tourret. Tourret Publishing. 101 pp illus. throughout. Reviewed by MLH (Micael Harris?)
Tourret's War Department Locomotives has already been reviewed in these columns and, like its predecessor, this is a worthy effort. It details the considerable variety of steam and diesel locomotives built for the United States Army Transportation Corps. The subject should be of some interest to preservationists as, of course, the 0-6-0Ts of the USA/TC are on at least three preserved lines while the Worth Valley has one of the standard gauge 2-8-0s. In this connection there are some interesting comments on the propensity of the 2-8-0s for collapsed fireboxes. Coincidentally, a recently received book No Steam Without Fire (Uralia Press) raises this subject and its author will no doubt find Mr Tourret's conclusions an enlightenment. That apart, the most interesting sections are concerned with the various types of standard diesel locomotive built by General Electric and Whitcomb. Interesting to read that all this equipment was designed for four to five years' service only.

Wolverhampton railway album. Volume 1 Simon Dewey and Ned Williams Uralia Press 60pp . Reviewed by DEW
Scenes in and around Wolverhampton in the steam era, this little book is nicely produced and includes a wealth of interesting material for the local historian or those with an interest in Wolverhampton's rail system. The coverage is equally divided between ex-LMS and ex-GWR lines, and the industrial archaeology side features strongly with many views of stations and structures. Most of the views date from the days of BR steam, but some are earlier, and the shot of locomotives and tenders awaiting attention at Stafford Road in 1883 is a real gem. A quality art paper has been used and most of the pictures are of good standard and have reproduced well. Age, .or historic interest, is ample justification for the inclusion of one or two which are less clear. This album will be welcomed by model-makers and those who enjoy recalling railway locations now long gone.

No steam without fire. Asleft, Uralia Press 105pp . Reviewed by CJL
Collection of reminiscences by a fireman who served at Wolverhampton, Kidderminster and Newton Abbot. The style of presentation is rather curious, each of the forty short incidents being prefaced by a brief definition of a railway term or a description of a piece of equipment. These do not, however, necessarily have any relevance to the story which they accompany. Although the individual incidents are fascinating in themselves, the use of so many 'snippets' gives a disjointed effect and the overall feeling is slightly superficial. 'Asleft's' memories of some of the locations are enlightening and one would have liked some more detail. The same is true of the chapter concerning the US Army Transportation Corps 2-8-0s. The attention of a railway-minded Editor might have prevented odd slips of the pen such as the reference to British Railways in 1943.

In connection with a railtour working, 'Schools' 4-4-0 No 30925 Cheltenham travelled north in 1962. On its return to the SR it was used on the 12.30 Nottingham (Victoria)-Marylebone semi-fast, seen here near East leake on 16 May 1962. D. Holmes. 95

Letters. 101

"All persons are warned ..." Barry C. Turner
I was very pleased to read your comments and readers' letters under the above heading in recent issues. However, you state you would not publish photographs, which could only have been taken by a trespasser yet (December issue page 659) you have published a photograph not taken by a trespasser. but of no less than ten trespassers, one a very young boy in one of the most dangerous positions I have ever seen. Surely photographs such as this should also be banned for I am certain younger readers may be misled into thinking it is 'all right' to go on to the railway.
I feel that it is a great shame that the British Transport Police who are often in attendance on these occasions do not prosecute the offenders as the sight of someone being 'booked' would, I'm sure, have more effect than a hundred signs or warnings in your magazine.
Many people seem to think that the trespass warning signs are only for show and no one ever really gets prosecuted. I know that the BT Police prosecute many thousands of people each year for trespass and it may surprise readers to know that if you are asked to leave the railway by either a policeman or a railway servant, and you refuse, you can be arrested and kept in a police cell overnight before appearing before magistrates the next morning. The only reason why the so-called enthusiast seems to escape prosecution is that he trespasses in so many different and remote places. The person who daily takes a short cut to work across the railway is easy to catch, but not so the enthusiast.

(The photograph on page 659 has caused several readers to react. It was included deliberately, to show the real hazards that people expose themselves. The view from the train was quite horrifying. Ed)

Banking with Barclays. L. Elsey
I visited the area on 30 October and found a Sentinel 0-4-0D was shunting the wagons at Waterside for French (Construction) Ltd and the steam locomotives, Nos 1, 10/9/24 were out of use. I understood that, due to some modifications having to be carried out on the diesel on 6 November, No 1 would be back in steam for a few days while these were being carried out. At present all the men at Waterside are employees of French (Construction) Ltd. The coal is loaded in 32 ton hopper wagons, and is worked twice daily to Ayr Harbour for Ireland by double headed BR Class 20 or 25 locomotives .

Bihar and Orissa. Mike Brooks
The article in Railway World (July 1975) regarding the exploits of Jubilee No 5581's career missed out a significant claim to fame. Although Bihar and Orissa was about the thirtieth 'Jubilee' to be built, it was in fact the very last to receive its name. The LMS had been trying to fit names to all 'Jubilees' from the end of 1935 and apparently had great difficulty in catching up with some of the early ones. Those based at Perth were particularly elusive as they rarely got to Crewe (where most nameplates were fitted), or Derby, so William Stanier gave St Rollox Works permission to cast and fit names to those still nameless — immediately! Bihar & Orissa achieved some distinction by being the last 'Jubilee' that St Rollox works caught up with and its nameplates were fitted on 30 March 1938 — not 1937 as the article stated. This information comes from official LMS correspondence concerned with nameplates, as described in the writer's article appearing in this issue.

New Cross. Mike Esau
As a postscript to Peter Winding's fascinating and beautifully illustrated article on New Cross Gate depot (December 1978 issue), it should be noted that locomotives were still in store there in January 1951. 1
On the cold, clear 9 January 1951, and as a very youthful 'spotter', I well remember the excitement of turning a corner into what I think was the 'Croydon' shed, to be confronted with a fabulous selection of engines in store. These were as follows:
'O1' 0-6-0 Nos 31044/64/6/395
'O' 4-4-0 No 31488
'E' 4-4-0 Nos 31166/75/6/273/491
'L1' 4-4-0 Nos 31782/4
'H' 0-4-4T No 31500
'I1X' 4-4-2T Nos 32008/596/602
'I3' 4-4-2T No 32075
'H 1' 4-4-2 Nos 32037/8
'B4X' 4-4-0 Nos 32050/6/67/70
'E5' 0-6-2T Nos 32590/2
'Leader' Nos 36002/3 Total: 27
Some of these engines appear in Winding's September 1949 list, and it is interesting to speculate whether they had been in store since that day. The two 'Leader' class engines were not complete as I recall and had no doubt been hidden away pending cutting up.

Restoring the Duke . Allan C. Baker
I suppose I can count myself as one of the fortunate (or unfortunate) few to have worked on No 71000 Duke of Gloucester in her so-called heyday, as I served much of my apprenticeship at Crewe North shed.
The engine was always looked upon with extremely mixed feelings. Some drivers seemed to have a soft spot for her, but to the vast majority — especially the firemen — she was always viewed with disdain. Moreover, everybody seemed unanimous in voting her a prodigious coal eater and tales were often told of her almost running out of fuel while performing normal duties accomplished with ease by the ex-LMS Pacifies; indeed I believe she actually did run out on one occasion. Perhaps a measure of her unpopularity stemmed from her classification as power class '8'. Being at Crewe North this meant that inevitably she was used turn and turn about with the Stanier Pacifies and therefore compared with them, and, of course, some of the most arduous jobs ever assigned to these engines were booked to Crewe North locomotives and men. While it is true to say that she was used on some of the more difficult jobs when new, and in the first few years of her life, I do not think this was so latterly. She was considered a good class '7', but no equal to a 'Lizzie', even the earlier variety, and the Running Foremen were eventually instructed to book her accordingly.
No 71000 was always very much a stranger at Crewe North and until we got our first 'Britannias', around 1962 I think, she was the only standard engine ever allocated there; except, of course, the 2-6-0 pilot No 78030. I clearly remember the Duke's withdrawal, at the conclusion of the 1962 summer service as I recall. She came in from Glasgow with a special on the Friday afternoon with instructions to drop her fire for the last time. However, at that period we had an extremely keen shed master — alas, with us no more — and, having a booked job for the Civil Engineer with the 50 ton breakdown crane in the Nottingham area on the Sunday, he had her kept in steam to work the breakdown train on this task. It was to be her last duty.

Number 467 (March 1979)

V.R. Webster. Via Reading: the history of an early cross-country train service. 125-32.
The Gauge Commissioners in 1846 recommended that mixed gauge should be laid from Reading to Oxford to permit through vehicles to reach the London & South Western and South Eastern Railways and by 1856 it was possible to route traffic from Birmingham this way and two years later the Great Western reached Birkenhead. There was a brief flurry of through passenger services from Birkenhead to Dover and Hastings in 1863, but these ceased in 1866 and were not revived until 1897. There was a brief period of through specially designed coaches from Liverpool Central via the Mersey Railway which were slipped at Reading for onward transit over the South Eastern. From 1903 the Great Central offered services via Banbury and Reading. Both World Wars caused breaks. Illustrations: F class 4-4-0 leaving Redhill on southbound service which included both GCR and GWR carriages (E. Pouteau); Redhill station c1897 with Continental slip coaches being handled by Cudworth rebuilt 2-4-0; J class 0-6-4T No, 597 passing Earley on southbound 'Birkenhead' in 1923 (M,W. Earley}; F1 class 4-4-0 No. A9 on southbound 'Birkenhead' in April 1925 (M,W. Earley}; ex[-LBSCR Gladstone 0-4-2 No. B200 entering Lewes with Hastings to Wolverhampton express (V.R. Webster); U class 2-6-0 No.. 1639 on northbound 'Birkenhead' on 5 August 1939 (V.R. Webster); BR Class 4 2-6-4T No. 80143 and U1 class 2-6-0 with three coaches on northbound Hastings portion on 19 September 1956 near Three Bridges (J.C. Beckett);  BR Class 4 2-6-0 No. 76057 departs Reading General with train for Hastings on 19 July 1955 (M,W. Earley}; Castle class No. 5055 Earl of Eldon on Wolverhampton to Hastings/Ramsgate entering Oxford on 20 April 1960 (D.A. Idle)

John A. Friel. Irish locomotive superstars. 133-9.
The First Great Train Robbery, a film starring Sean Connery although set on the South Eastern Railway between London Bridge and Folkestone was filmed in Dublin Heuston and in Cork and quiet spots  between in the Irish countryside. Two preseved J15 class 0-6-0s belonging to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland were used with "rolling stock" made by Ardmore Film Studios in Bray. This was mounted on four-wheel former train heating vans underframes. Illustrations show filming and professional engine drivers and others.

D.W. Edwards. The mechanical signalbox. 141-4.
Photographs by Ken Davies: a general survey rather than descriptions of specific signal boxes

New books. 147

West Midlands branch line album. Anthony J. Lambert. lan Allan. 112pp. Reviewed by HLBM
Behind the billious green cover and curiously untypical photograph of an unkempt Hall on a Wellington-Crewe train, is a very adequate pictorial record of the by-ways and secondary routes of the West Midland railway network. Indeed, the title is something of a misnomer since Crewe-Wellington, the North Warwickshire line and Stafford- Wellington were hardly branches. Some interesting and picturesque views have been culled from various collections which all too frequently, one fears, show by the absence of business why so many of the lines illustrated no longer have rail services of any kind. Mr Lambert has not failed to include any of the really choice specialities of the area, such as the Golden Valley, Bishops Castle, Snailbeach and Shropshire and Montgomeryshire Railways. Broadly, the album is a flashback to the 1950s/1960s, interspersed with some earlier material, and fleshed out with the inevitable railtours. Some otherwise generally ignored lines such as Castle Bromwich-Walsall have their moment of glory, although denizens of Sutton Coldfield will no doubt be happy to give Mr Lambert a guided tour of their town. The attractive double page spread on pp 88/9 is correctly captioned Sutton Coldfield but the author is wrongly under the impression that it is the Midland line, not the LNWR route.

The great steam trek. C.P. Lewis and A. A. Jorgensen. Hamlyn Group.248pp iIIus. Reviewed by MLH
Excellent value in railway publishing in the 1978 lists. It is so because the presentation, design, printing and photography are all of a very high quality with both black and white and colour photographs. The Great Steam Trek is essentially a record of steam operation on South African Railways from the 1950s until today and the 319 photographs are arranged around a coverage of SAR lines by geographical areas. However, the authors also give an March 1979 excellent historical background to train operation over each line and route and permanent way characteristics. In addition, there is full coverage of South African industrial lines. A faultless book which is highly recommended to all steam enthusiasts.

Railways of Asia and the Far East O.S. Nock .Adam and Charles Black. 226pp + 32pp Reviewed by HLBM
One in a series of six entitled Railways of the World under A & C Black's imprint. As the author states in his preface it is difficult to 'round up' the countries of Asia and the Far East and in this volume the description covers India, Thailand, Malaya and Japan. Given that Mr Nock makes apologies for not including Indonesia, Hong Kong or Taiwan, this selectivity seems less excusable in view of what is judged as relevant. It takes 83 pages to get to the Indian Railways of today, and the historical coverage is superficial, by necessity and because little is offered as an assessment of the overall impact of the railway system on the Indian sub- continent in economic, political and social terms. Not surprisingly, the author's interest in locomotive design gets full rein but inexplicably no reference is made to the evolution of the British Engineering Standards Association 4-6-0 and 2-8-0 designs for India in 1910 — surely one of the landmarks in this quarter. More seriously. and in the case of all those countries described, the present-day characteristics of the railways get short shrift compared to the treatment of historical aspects. The growth of freight traffic in India in recent years and the pace of metre to broad gauge conversion get scant coverage while the types of main line diesel locomotive used by Malayan Railways today are ignored. In the case of Japan, the current difficulties of the extension of the Shinkansen network and the displacement of the original 'Hikari' sets are passed over, while there is no mention of the success of the Japanese railway industry in exporting equipment worldwide. Remarkably, five pages of photographs and two pages of line drawings are given over to Japanese steam designs, but nothing to the various types of 3ft 6in gauge emus and private railway rolling stock. From this one will gather that the overall verdict is that this relatively expensive book is incomplete in its treatment of the subject, thin on the modern railway scene, and not helped by the unhappy treatment meted out to the photographs.

Official railway postcards of the British Isles. Part One: London and North Western Railway. Reginald Silvester. B.P.H. Publications. 104pp + 24pp. Reviewed by HLBM
Railway publicity and the associated ephemera have not received the attention they deserve, and more effort has gone into the study of poster design than into the philosophy and practice of the railway publicity departments over the years. The shining exception to all this is the excellent study of some years ago on Great Western publicity. This volume is, in effect, an adequately annotated catalogue of the nearly 12 million postcards of some 700 different subjects issued by the LNWR between 1904-14. Doubtless this sort of publishing exercise explained the Edwardian public's interest in railway activities for it was, above all, educational and propagandist in intent. Although BR have started to produce material presenting railways in a popular form to the public in recent years, the activity is very small beer compared to the LNWR's tour de force in the years up to the First World War. Mr Silvester, a railwayman and enthusiast, makes some interesting points and also provides a guide to postcard values. Three other parts of the Official Railway Postcards are planned, and the series will make a useful addition to published railway material.

Victorian locomotives. D. Baxter. Moorland Publishing. 112pp
130 prints are reproduced out of a total of 200 glass negatives of the railway photographer, R.F. Bleasdale, which were given to the Manchester Model Railway Society. The vast majority of the locomotives shown in the book were photographed between 1870 and 1890 and many of the photographs have not been previously published. Some interesting material appears and is amply described by useful and detailed captions. All told, one wishes this enterprise well but the reviewer necessarily introduces a critical tone by asking why the standard of reproduction is relatively disappointing, quibbling at some bad instances of preparation and design (why the ugly indentation of reference numbers into the half-tones?) and doubting whether a few of the obviously poor, or official railway prints should have been included at all.

Number 468 (April 1979)

Stan Wix. The 'Royal Scoy' in LMS days. 158-68.
Coach composition of traiin with portions for Edinburgh as well as Glasgow or run as separate trains, including catering vehicles. Portions were also included for Dundee and Aberdeen and sometimes for Stranraer. Stopping patterns included Symington (to detach or attach Edinburgh portion).  A lounge car or cars used in some formations. Illustrations: No. 6227 Duchess of Devonshire on up train near Rugeley in 1938 (leading coach ex-Caledonian Railway Grampian twelve-wheel vehicle); up train near Kenton headed by Precursor 4-4-0 No. 5273 Jason and Claught No, 5985 in summer 1927; down train near Shap Summit hauled by unbanked Royal Scot class No. 6108 Seaforth Highlander on 18 June 1928 (L.J. Thompson); up train hauled by Royal Scot class No. 6136 Goliath on Dillicar troughs (L.J. Thompson); up train leaving Crewe behind Royal Scot class No. 6102 Black Watch in early 1930; Royal Scot class No. 6109 Royal Engineer about to restart down train at Carlisle Kingmoor on 9 September 1031 (Ken Nunn); up train at Symington during attachment of Edinburgh portion with Royal Scot class No. 6131 Planet at front; Glasgow portion at Shap hauled by  Royal Scot class No. 6130 Liverpool in spring 1933 with assorted strengtheniing coaches; up Edinburgh five coach portion hauled by Patriot class No. 6008 Lady Godiva at Kenton on 8 July 1933 (Ken Nunn);  Royal Scot class No. 6164 The Artists' Rifleman with six coach  including pre-grouping dining car on up Edinburgh portion leaving Crewe in mid 1930s; No. 6300 Princess Royal on up train at Brent on 6 July 1935 (Ken Nunn); No. 6232 Duchess of Montrose on up train near Headstone Lane on 17 September 1938 (Ken Nunn); No. 6227 Duchess of Devonshire on up train on Hest Bank troughs (W. Hubert Foster); destreamlined No. 6223 Princess Alice on sixteen coach down train near Kenton on 19 August 1947 (Ken Nunn)

George Toms. Loughborough locomotives: a Brush railway review. 169-76..
Charles Francis Brush was the inventor of electricity generators and arc lighting systems in Cleveland, USA, which established a British branch in Lambeth which subsequently moved to Loughborough and .merged with the Falcon Engine & Car Works  with Henry Hughes at the helm who was replaced by Norman Scott Russell Illustrations:  Hughes steam tramway engine on Bristol Tramways; Charles Francis Brush (portrait); Hughes tramway engine No, 4 on the Wantage Tramway; Takyllyn Railway 0-4-0ST No. 3 Sir Haydyn at Falcon Works on 1 September 1978;  2-6-0 WN 145/1896 Beira Railway; 0-4-0ST WN 316/1906 for Mumbles Railway & Pier Co.; Ministry of Munitions 2-ft gauge battery electric locomotive of 1917; North Eastern Railway Bo-Bo electric locomotive supplied by British Thomson Houston but built by Brush in Newcastle

B.J. Holden. Fifty years of Steyning line memories. 177-81.
Line closed on 7 March 1966, but writer remembered when his father became Stationmaster at Steyning in 1912. Steyning was a thriving market town on the former Horsham to Shoreham line. Illustrations: D1 0-4-2T No, 296 at Southwater station; B2x 4-4-0 No.319 on a Sutton to Brighton excursion passing Steyning in 1924 (B.J. Holden); Steyning station in LBSCR period; West Croydon to Brighton Sunday excursion passing Southwater behind a Gladstone 0-4-2 in 1928 (B.J. Holden); D1 0-4-2T No, 32252 near Bamber with Horsham to Brighton train on 1 September 1950 (E.R. Wethersett); Ivatt 2-6-2T No. 41303 at Steyning with Brighton to Horsham train in July 1961 (B.A. Haresnape); H class 0-4-4T No. 31265 on Horsham to Brighton train near Bamber on 27 August 1952; Fairburn 2-6-4T No. 42080 on speed trial on 11.19 to  Horsham at Brighton on 4 September 1951 (J.B. Heyman); DEMU No. 1308 leaving Christ's Hospital with 10.30  Horsham to Brighton (John A.M. Vaughan)

Charles P. Friel. Belfast Central heyday. 182-7.
In April 1976 Belfast Central replaced Queen's Quay and Great Victoria Street. This narrates what was happening on the link between the Great Northern  Railway and the NCC in the past and how it was worked on the permissive block system, Illustrations: 2-6-4T No. 4 entering Belfast Central on 22 May 1976; map; 0-6-4T No. 23 descends towards Ballymacarrett Junction with train of tank wagons; NCC V class 0-6-0 No. 13 with transfer train heading for Donegall Quays on 30 May 1963 with Lagan Viaduct in background (I.C. Pryce); Ex-GNR(I) UG class 0-6-0 UTA No. 48 crosses Shaky Bridge (Lagan Viaduct) with return special from Bangor on 20 June 1964; ex-GNR(I) PP class 4-4-0 No. 44 giving up staff having crossed Shaky Bridge on special to Lurgan on 31 May 1958; UTA No. 48 passing sitee of Botanic station wit h 13.30 Lisburn to Bangor special on 29 May 1965 (John S. Lockett); Class B 0-6-0 No. 66 Monaghan in c1915 inn green livery; class RT 0-6-4T No. 23; ex-GNR(I) S class No. 171 heads for Bangor with RPSI tour at Middlepath Street in September 1977.

New Books. 188

LMS Days. W.D. and D.S. Cooper. Ian Allan Ltd, 80pp Reviewed by JB.
W.D. and D.S. Cooper, originally habitues of the Manchester area, have some new venues to offer, although the West Coast main line north of Preston inevitably features. The book has an understandable bias towards the LNWR when it comes to pre-Grouping designs' but the standard LMS classes receive due attention. There are certainly some interesting shots, not least because a fair proportion were taken in wartime. Consequently, one gets some idea of the LMS in war and looking at the state of the permanent way wonders whether the politicians' postwar slurs about the railways were really justified — there is some very neat track indeed. The external condition of the locomotives is a further reminder — if one were needed — that all was not burnished before 1939. Indeed some of the motive power illustrated is filthy — these photographs date from 1938/9. In all, a satisfactory evocation of LMS days, although the quality of photography (and one wonders if it is prints rather than the negatives) is variable.

Scottish steam album. Brian Morrison. 144pp.
Scottish branch lines 1955-1965 C. J. Gammell. 96pp
Both Oxford Publishing Co. & reviewed by JB
It is difficult not to consider these two albums together as anyone familiar with the Scottish railway scene of the 1950s and 1960s will surely be interested in both and will hardly be disappointed. Scottish Steam Album covers the period from 1952-77 and is a true enthusiast's book giving a vivid impression of a trip round the Scottish network some 15-25 years ago starting appropriately enough from Edinburgh Waverley, going via East Coast lines to Inverness, back to the Lowlands and then on to points south-west and south. The emphasis is mainly on locomotives and shed scenes and Scottish works are well-featured. Nevertheless, the typical mix of period train working is more than adequately depicted. Many of the ingredients of the mid/late 1950s scene are included such as a typical Starlight Special, views of Ben Alder in store and a pair of rare action shots of V4 No 61701. If Scottish Steam Album has a bias towards main line operations then Gammell's Scottish Branch Lines 1955-65 provides an excellent complement since it features a very high proportion of Scottish branch railways. Inevitably, many of the photographs are of railtours on the various lines but the balance of ordinary train working is held. An appendix of Scottish branch line closures rounds off a worthwhile and attractive book.

The Power of the A4s. Brian Morrison. Oxford Publishing Co. 112pp. Reviewed by Michael Harris
Brian Morrison has done a good job in assembling this pictorial review. of the A4s. He has been able to draw on his own excellent collection of action and repose shots of the 1950s and 1960s, and has also selected photographs from other collections and from the National Railway Museum. The style of the streamlined trains of the late 1930s (and the Flying Scotsman with its 1938 stock) comes over particularly well. The atmosphere of' A4s working at the southern end of the GN main line in the 1950s is strongly recalled and all of Top Shed's allocation are shown in action. But, it seems no accident that the less notable A4s such as Nos 60021/6/9 appear very much less frequently than the hard working star performers such as Nos 60003/7/ 14/7/22/34. As usual, the Gateshead A4s make the least frequent appearances in the book but the brief period from 1964-6 when a cross-section from all the old allocations worked together on the Glasgow-Aberdeen line (and elsewhere) allows one to see No 60019 at work. Finally, the preservation period is adequately covered. Some excellent colour transparencies of the early 1960s combine to make this a splendid tribute to the class.

Great Western Branch line termini Volume Two. Paul Karau. Oxford Publishing Co 128pp. Reviewed by Michael Harris
Excellently produced book will doubtless appeal to railway historians, railway modellers and, in all probability, architects and industrial archaeologists. Whereas Volume One looked at Oxfordshire, Berkshire and Cotswolds branch termini this book is concerned with five West Country stations - Abbotsbury, Ashburton, Hemyock, Moretonhampstead and Princetown. Each station is covered in a similar format — map, key facts, operational details, a track plan and a comprehensive set of photographs of all the terminal facilities both of earlier and recent years. Drawings are included of some of each station's buildings. All round, an interesting approach, well executed, which will doubtless add to the number of Great Western branch line model railway layouts and cause more people to follow the trails of forgotten railways.

Standard Gauge Great Western 4-4-0s Part 2: 'Counties' to the close, 1904-61 O.S. Nock. David & Charles 96pp
Even at this late hour one cannot discount the possibility that a cache of GWR locomotive records will suddenly come to light at Swindon, variously to enlighten, surprise and confound students and enthusiasts of Great Western mechanical history. Until then one must conclude that practically all that can be said about GWR locomotive practice has been put on record. To be candid, this seems all too apparent in Part 2 of Standard Gauge Great Western 4-4-0s, for there is very little that is new, or illuminating, in this study, and many of the photographs are familiar. Chapter 1 looks at the genesis of the 'Counties' and comes to some worthwhile and interesting conclusions, principally that the class was an anglicised version of the archetypal American 4-4-0.

Maunsell's SR steam passenger stock 1923-39. David Gould. Oakwood Press. 100pp + 12pp illus. Reviewed by Michael Harris
British rolling stock studies are rare enough for one to await new studies with interest. This book is a very worthwhile effort and apart from the history of each type of Maunsell corridor coach (as well as the ex-LSW stock rebuilt on to new underframes). Gould also includes plan drawings of vehicle interiors and full details of set formations and withdrawal dates. Non-passenger stock is included as well and there is a section dealing with preserved stock.

Number 469 (May 1979)

Alan A. Jackson. Brent Valley railcars — Acton, Ealing and Greenford. 222-8
Steam and diesel railcars and steam auto trains

Rob Dickinson. Steam in Java. 238-43
Colour photographs of steam tram in Surabaya and a Mallet 2-6-6-0 at Cikajang with volcano behind,

Number 470 (June 1979)

Bryan Rayner. Pioneer British ac electrification schemes. 282-8.
Midland Railway Lancaster-Morecambe-Heysham opened in 1908 with Railway generating its own electricity. In 1953 the line was used to demonstrate the suitability of high voltage electrification for British Railways, but the line was closed due to the usual British short-sighted approach to electric traction. Also describes the LBSCR high voltage electrification which grew rapidly but was equally rapidly displaced by low voltage third rail by the Southern Railway. Finally the British contribution via Metropolitan Vickers to Hungarian electrification using Koloman de Kando's system is mentioned.

Number 471 (July 1979)

Michael R. Bonavia. The Waterloo and City Railway. 344-9.

David Jackson and Owen Russell. Early days at Mottram yard. (G.C. Section notebook). 350-4.
Recollections of former Mottram Yardmaster Charle Clough who died in late 1978 and had joined GCR. The yard was opened by the LNER in 1935 (a full description  appeared in Rly Gaz., 1935 18 October). H. Ingham was the first yardmaster. Accideents were frequent in this gravity-worked yard.

Number 472 (August 1979)

D.R. Carling. Locomotives of 50 years ago—1. 350-3.

Number 474 (October 1979)

David Jackson and Owen Russell. Pre war main lines expresses: the last phase. (G.C. Section notebook). 506-12.
A1, A3 and V2 locomotives displaced the B17 class, and were stationed at Gorton and Neasden for through Manchester to Marylebone workings. Locomotives included No. 2558 Tracery and No. 4474 Victor Wild. The installation of 70ft turntables assisted this development. 500 ton trains of up to 14 coaches were being worked.

Graham Burtenshaw and Michael S. Welch. O.V.S. Bulleid's SR loco-hauled coaches – 2. 513-19.
Restaurant and kitchen cars for Bournemouth service; kiitchen and buttery cars (alias tavern cars) and Inspection sallon No. 100S with body manufactured from plywood and radial bearing bogies. It included  eleven bedrooms. The body employed techniques from maritime design. The names of the tavern cars are included and there is a photograph of tavern car No. 7982 in carmine and cream livery with painted brickwork and "timber" ssupports, and inn sign. White Horse.

Peter R. Lemmey. The preservation scene in France. 520.

Number 476 (December 1979)

Train of CO/CP  stock in red livery leaves Gunnersbury with Richmond service on 17 September 1978. M. Pope. cover

Kent & East Sussex Railway heritage freight "train" climbs Tenterden bank hauled by A1X Terrier No. 10 Sutton on 16 September 1979. Brian Stephenson (colour). 616

David L. Smith. The Manson bogies. 618-24.
4-4-0 Class 8, built between 1892 and 1904 to work the "Pullman" or more correctly the diner which left Glasgow St. Enoch at 13.30 and its counterpart the 13.30 ex-St. Pancras which might be a non-stop run from Carlisle to Kilmarnock as Dumfries was only a request stop. No. 8 was driven down the Troon branch by Jimmy Adams and told to stop alongside Manson's residence so that it could be inspected by Mrs Manson and the maids.  Illustrations: No. 8 with Driver J. Adams; No. 78 with Driver David McKnight; up Diner at Border Union Junction, Gretna with No. 189; No. 76 with Driver J. Clark of Ayr; No. 214 as LMS No. 14245; No. 110 as LMS No. 14194; No. 10 with exhaust steam injector; No. 4 shuting at Carlisle; No. 115 as rebuilt by Manson to 240 class as LMS No. 14267; No. 111 on Glasgow to Kilmarnock train; No. 97 as No. 425 as rebuilt by Whitelegg; No. 83 as No. 422 as rebuilt by Whitelegg at Cardonald on Ayr to Glasgow train. 

Michael Harris. Inter-City with steam. 625-8.
Main line steam worked by Severn Valley Railway motive power No. 4930 Hagley Hall and Class 5 No. 5000 (NRM collection) on route based on Shrewsbury, north to Chester and south to Hereford on 22 September 1979: called the Inter-City..

Alan A. Jackson. Romford to Grays. 629-34
Through an Act of 20 August 1883 the London, Tilbury & Southend Railway was empowered to build branches from Upminster to Romford and from Upminster to Grays. The former opened on 7 June 1893 following expensive works imposed on its terminal by the Great Eastern Railway. The line to Grays opoened on 1 July 1892. Both lines are single track. The line to Romford survived the Beeching period. Jackson considers that the LMS should have done more to improve trsffic on the line to Grays. Illiustrations; ex-MR 0-4-4T No. 58038 at Romford with two coach push & pull unit on 17 September 1949 (R.E. Vincent); map; entrances to GER and LTSR at street level at Romford c1905; 4-4-2T No. 41978 passing Upminster East signal box with train for Grays on 30 November 1957 (K.L. Cook); DMU in LTSR platform at Romford on 30 March 1968;  ex-MR 0-4-4T No. 58065 approaching Romford with three coach train on 18 April 1953 (Roy E. Wilson); LTSR 0-6-2T No.41986 approaching Ockenden withg train of vintage LTSR stock on 19 July 1952 (Brian Morrison); Upminster station with Ditrict Line train for Ealing Brodway and DMU for Romford on 22 May 1976; and Emerson Park Halt on 14 February 1976; driver of Upminster to Ockenden train takes single line token at Upminster signal box on 14 February 1976; Ockenden station with N7 0-6-2T No. 69691  propelling train towards Upminster and C12 4-4-2T No. 67363 on Grays train in May 1957.

Lancashire NCB steam. John Titlow. 635
Illustrations: Bold Colliery on 29 August 1978 Hunslet Austerity 0-6-0ST WN 3823/1954 Warrior with Giesl ejector on shed at Bickershaw and WN 3694/1950 Whiston hauling MGR wagons up to exchange sidings:  

Graham H. Hancock. Pontardulais-Graig Merthyr. 636-9.
Illustrations: Hunslet 0-6-0ST WN 3770/1952 Norma and Bagnall 0-6-0ST WN 2758/1944 including one in colour of the Bagnall in sylvan surroundings by Bob Avery.

Steam on the Settle & Carlisle. 640-1
Colour photo-feature.

Patrick Remnant. Braking the LNER 'streamliners'. 642-6.
Worked with A.G. Brackenbury at Westinghouse Quick Service Application valve designed for the high speed trains which led to service trials which led to Mallard's world record. Remnant had contacts with the Cavendish Laboratory and the Engineeering Faculty in Cambridge. Names mentioned include W.L. Mair, K.L. Johnson and D. Taylor. Melting of the cast iron brake blocks greatly reduced the brake force. Illustrations include one of group at Peterborough station with Mallard which includes Brackenbury with Driver Duddington, Fireman Bray and Inspector Jenkins. Another shows A4 No. 2510 Quicksilver having halted a test train of suburban coaches from 90 mile/h and yet another shows A4 No. 4902 Seagull having halted a high speed test train formed of streamlined coaches (photographed by H.M. Hoather): other two mentioned taken by Remnant.

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