Laurence Waters – författare

From the opening of the Great Western Railway in 1838 through to the end of steam traction on the Western Region in 1965 the ‘engine shed’ formed an important role in both the infrastructure and operation of the railway. As the Great Western system expanded so did the need for larger locomotive servicing facilities and from the 1870s right through to the 1930s many sheds were rebuilt into larger locomotive depots or in some cases replaced by entirely new structuresNationalisation of the railways in 1948 saw the formation of the ‘British Railways Western Region’. Apart from a few early sub-shed closures the number of Western Region steam depots and sub-sheds remained almost unaltered until the regional boundary changes of 1958.Using black and white and colour images from the Great Western Trust archive at Didcot, the book illustrates Western Region steam depots and ‘sub sheds’ that were in operation in the mid 1950s. With many previously unpublished photographs the book should interest modellers, historians and enthusiasts of the Western Region.Today the unique atmosphere of the steam ‘shed’ can be still be experienced at Didcot, where the original 1932 locomotive shed forms the centrepiece of the Didcot Railway Centre.

Churchward's 2 cylinder Saint Class 4-6-0s were arguably one of the most important locomotive developments of the twentieth century. The seventy-seven members of the class were so successful that most of the other railway companies in this country used the same 2 cylinder 4-6-0 formula in the design of their own mixed traffic locomotives. Over the years the Saints saw a number of modifications, with many of the class passing into BR ownership. The last member of the class, no. 2920 Saint Martin, was withdrawn from service in 1953 and was sadly not preserved. However, the Great Western Society are now constructing a replica Saint at Didcot Railway Centre. Numbered 2999 it will be named Lady of Legend. In this book author Laurence Waters charts the remarkable history of the class from the construction of the prototype Saint at Swindon in 1902, right through to the final withdrawals in 1953. Using many previously unpublished black and white photographs, accompanied by informative captions, each member of the class is illustrated.This book should appeal to those interested in the history of Great Western Locomotive development as well as modellers of the Great Western and Western Region.

Designed by G.J. Churchward, no. 40 was constructed at Swindon in April 1906. It was Swindons first 4 cylinder simple engine and was the forerunner of Churchwards famous 4 cylinder Star Class 4-6-0s. Initially built as a 4-4-2 Atlantic, no. 40 was named North Star in September 1906, rebuilt as a 4-6-0 in 1909, and renumbered 4000 in 1913. Including no. 40, the Star class eventually numbered seventy-three locomotives, all built at Swindon in batches between 1906 and 1923. In service the Stars proved to be both free-running and reliable locomotives, and for many years were used to haul the Great Westerns top link services, including the world-famous Cornish Riviera Express. The introduction of the Collett Castle Class 4-6-0s in 1923, and the King Class 4-6-0s in 1927, saw the Stars relegated to secondary passenger, freight and parcels services. A number of Stars were rebuilt by Collett as Castles, including the prototype no. 4000 North Star, but the remaining Stars continued to give good service. At Nationalisation in 1948, no less than forty-seven of these fine locomotives passed into Western Region ownership, the last example, no.4056 Princess Margaret, being withdrawn in October 1957. In this book, Laurence Waters charts the history of the class from the prototype, right through to the final workings in October 1957. Using many previously unpublished photographs from the Great Western Trust photographic collection, accompanied by informative captions, every member of the Class is illustrated. This book should appeal to those interested in the history of Great Western locomotive development as well as modellers of the Great Western and Western Region.