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


Book Description

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


Book Description

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


Book Description

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


Book Description

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 Revival


Book Description

Tells the story of those GWR locomotives that have survived into preservation.




Great Western, King Class 4-6-0s


Book Description

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, County Classes


Book Description

The Great Western Railway, had two classes of tender locomotives named after counties, the first class of two cylinder 4-4-0 tender locomotives, designed by George Jackson Churchward, were introduced in the 1900s to provide efficient motive power, including lines on the 'North & West' route between Hereford and Shrewsbury, owned jointly by the Great Western and L.N.W.R. The 4-4-0 counties were in service until the early 1930s, when they were withdrawn and replaced by more modern motive power. The 4-4-0 counties, were paralleled in design by the county 4-4-2 tanks, which operated suburban services in the London area and were also withdrawn in the early 1930s. In 1945, the Great Western Introduced the County 4-6-0 tender locomotives, designed by F W Hawksworth, these two cylinder machines had a high pressure boiler, that was meant to give the same tractive effort as a Castle class, 4-6-0, four cylinder locomotive, After modifications and boiler pressure reduction, the County class 4-6-0s, operated in express and semi fast train service, until the last members of the class were withdrawn in 1964.




Preserved Great Western Railway Steam Locomotives


Book Description

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 27. Chapters: GWR 2800 Class 2807, GWR 3700 Class 3440 City of Truro, GWR 4000 Class 4003 Lode Star, GWR 4073 Class 4073 Caerphilly Castle, GWR 4073 Class 4079 Pendennis Castle, GWR 4073 Class 5029 Nunney Castle, GWR 4073 Class 5043 Earl of Mount Edgcumbe, GWR 4073 Class 5051 Earl Bathurst, GWR 4073 Class 5080 Defiant, GWR 4073 Class 7027 Thornbury Castle, GWR 4073 Class 7029 Clun Castle, GWR 4200 Class 4277, GWR 4575 Class 5542, GWR 4900 Class 4920 Dumbleton Hall, GWR 4900 Class 4930 Hagley Hall, GWR 4900 Class 4936 Kinlet Hall, GWR 4900 Class 4942 Maindy Hall, GWR 4900 Class 4953 Pitchford Hall, GWR 4900 Class 4965 Rood Ashton Hall, GWR 4900 Class 4979 Wootton Hall, GWR 4900 Class 5900 Hinderton Hall, GWR 4900 Class 5952 Cogan Hall, GWR 4900 Class 5967 Bickmarsh Hall, GWR 4900 Class 5972 Olton Hall, GWR 6000 Class 6000 King George V, GWR 6000 Class 6023 King Edward II, GWR 6000 Class 6024 King Edward I, GWR 6800 Class 6880 Betton Grange, GWR 7800 Class 7802 Bradley Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7808 Cookham Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7812 Erlestoke Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7819 Hinton Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7820 Dinmore Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7821 Ditcheat Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7822 Foxcote Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7827 Lydham Manor, GWR 7800 Class 7828 Odney Manor, GWR No. 1340 Trojan, Preserved GWR Modified Hall Class locomotives. Excerpt: Number 3440 City Of Truro is a Great Western Railway (GWR) 3700 (or 'City') Class 4-4-0 locomotive, designed by George Jackson Churchward and built at the GWR Swindon Works in 1903. (It was rebuilt to a limited extent in 1911 and 1915, and renumbered 3717 in 1912). It is one of the contenders for the first steam locomotive to travel in excess of 100 miles per hour (160.9 km/h). Its maximum speed has been the subject of much debate over the years. The locomotive was the eighth of a batch of ten locomotives...