Locomotive Adventure - Volume 1
In this, the first volume of his memoirs, the author tells of half a century of unique "inside " experiences with the Great West- ern Railway, the S.E. & C.R. and latterly the Southern Railway; with, in particular, their loco- motives.
Mr. Holcroft opens with an account of the circumstances which led him to the starting- point of his career, and goes on to describe the days of his apprenticeship on the Great Western. These were followed by time in the drawing-office. While at Swindon he saw much of G. J. Churchward; but concentrates mainly upon the personal side, having dealt with the technical aspects of the design and development of the locomotives built during this pre-1914 period in his earlier work, An Outline of Great Western Locomotive Practice.
The author's grand theme is a detailed account of events on the Southern Railway, preceded by memories of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway in its last years. He had left Swindon in 1914 to join the staff of the newly- appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer, R. E. L. Maunsell, at Ashford, under whom he served for nearly nearly 25 years. After the first World War, which brought development to a standstill, the author was put on the footplate to observe the performance of various classes of locomotive and to carry out tests and experiments with them, so gaining an intimate knowledge of their operation in traffic. Such footplate experience will form the theme of the second volume of his memoirs.
After the formation of the Southern Railway in 1923, Head- quarters were moved to Waterloo Station. Mr. Holcroft became a member of the C.M.E.'s personal staff there, and so was completely au fait with all that transpired in the way of design, development and maintenance of locomotives. From a collection of notes, diaries and records he is in a position to make known for the first time what occurred in the years up to and during the second World War in a full and authoritative manner.
Hardback with dust jacket, 16x23cm, 216 pages, black & white photographs, pull-out drawings at rear
Condition: Good/Very Good (DJ has some wear/tear
ISBN: 9780999007495
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