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An Introduction to Great Western Locomotive Development (Hardback)

Colour Books Transport > Trains & Railways

By Jim Champ
Imprint: Pen & Sword Transport
Pages: 356
Illustrations: 100
ISBN: 9781473877832
Published: 19th February 2018

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The first thought, when contemplating a new study of the Great Western Railway locomotive fleet, must surely be to ask what can there be left to say? But there is no single source which gives a general introduction to the Great Western locomotive fleet. There are monographs on individual classes, an excellent multi-volume detail study from the RCTS, and superb collections of photographs, but nothing that brings it all together. This work is intended to provide that general introduction.

The volume begins with a series of short essays covering general trends in design development, whilst the main body of the volume covers individual classes. For each class there is a small table containing some principal dimensions and paragraphs of text, covering an introduction, renumbering, key changes in the development of the class and information on withdrawal.

The volume concludes with appendices covering the development and types of standard boilers, the various numbering schemes used by the GWR, the arcane subject of locomotive diagrams and lot numbers, and a short reference on the many lines the GWR engulfed.

The majority of illustrations are new profile drawings to a consistent format. Described as sketches, they are drawn to consistent scales, but do not claim to be scale drawings. Much minor equipment has been omitted and the author has certainly not dared to include rivets! Although most are based around GWR weight diagrams, they are not simple traces of the original drawings. Detail has been added from other sources, components copied from different drawings and details have been checked against historical and modern photographs. One must also bear in mind that steam locomotives were not mass produced. Minor fittings frequently varied in position and changes were made over the locomotives' lifetimes. Nevertheless, this collection of drawings provides a uniquely consistent view of the GWR locomotive fleet.

What results is that the reader has at his disposal one of the most impressive books about GWR locomotive development to appear in recent years.

BackTrack, November 2018

Here, for the first time, author Jim Champ has gathered all the information (excluding broad gauge) into one 365 page tome, to create an extremely useful single point of reference.
Each class is illustrated by a clear outline diagram and there is even a separate chapter on tenders.

I can see this becoming an extremely well-thumbed book!

Great Western Echo No.221

As featured in 'Reading lounge'

essence magazine (Surrey), April 2018

A magnificent work, 100% practical and functional.

Read the complete Spanish review here.

José Manuél Rico Cortés (Mister JM) - Miniaturas JM

About Jim Champ

Jim Champ's grandfather was born beside the Great Western Railway in Devon and would often reminisce about watching steam locomotives before he was elected to take up a premium apprenticeship with the Metropolitan Railway in the early days of electric traction before the Great War intervened. When the author retired from a career in IT infrastructure, it seemed appropriate to reverse the process, abandon electricity and renew a teenage enthusiasm in the infrastructure of the Great Western Railway. Of the genesis of this volume, he says 'I could find no single volume giving an introduction to the Great Western Railway locomotive fleet. In my experience one of the best ways to study a technical subject is to write about it and draw it, so I did both.'

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