Colonel Stephens and his Railmotors

Colonel Holman Fred Stephens was the well known proprietor of a number of light railways around the UK, so it is not surprising that the idea of IC railmotors was appealing as an economic means of providing passenger services.

His most successful versions of these were the ‘Ford Railmotors’ and the slightly later ‘Shefflex Railmotors’ of the late 1920s. But these had been preceeded by two sizes of Drewry Railmotors for the Weston, Clevedon and Portishead Railway, and pre WW1 by the Pickering Steam Railmotor for the Kent and East Sussex, and the unique and minute Gazelle locomotive with a tramcar trailer.

The development of all these wondrous machines is covered here in detail, complete with drawings and numerous B&W photographs. 136 hardbound pages.