The Broad Gauge Engines of the Great Western Railway Part 1: 1837-1840

The first in a series of books intended to build upon the 1952 book by Phil Reed published back in 1952.

This first volume looks at the first four years of the GWR, at the end of which its main line had reached the Reading area. The locomotives were varied and in the case of Thunderer and Hurricane, both of which had an engine unit completely separate from the boiler unit, wonderous, all springing from an edict by Brunel which was all but impossible for locomotive builders to implement. Real progress and reliability only arrived when the ‘Star’ class of 2-2-2 were delivered from 1838 onwards.

A fascinating book, with a considerable amount of information on the engines themselves, their builders and designers, as well as Brunel, and especially Daniel Gooch, who had to keep these machines running. A number of B&W photos, but many drawings, often from the pen of E.T. Lane, a Swindon draughtsman at the time. 144 pages. Hardbound.

Part 2 of this title will be found HERE