Steam from Waterloo
The Southern main line from Waterloo was the last to see steam locomotives in action in substantial numbers on a major express passenger service in Britain, even though it all came to an end in 1967, a year before the final end of steam on BR. During the last months crews enjoyed themselves having a final fling with record speeds and performances that few will forget. Most of the runs were with Bulleid Pacifics, the last of a succession of notable classes on this route, from the graceful Adams 4-4-0s and the less attractive looking Drummond 4-4-0s and 4-6-0s to the King Arthurs and their freight counterparts, and the Lord Nelson 4-6-0s with their unusual cylinder arrangement. Some of the older locomotives from the last century lasted well into the 1950s and occasionally produced exceptional work with loads for which they were never designed. Colonel H. C. B. Rogers surveys over eighty years of steam working on services from Waterloo, commenting on locomotive design and discussing performance, often drawing on the personal experiences of those who drove and fired the locomotives. As a biographer of several locomotives engineers with an intimate knowledge of their designs he is well placed to make comparisons, not only between the classes built primarily for services on the Southern lines to the west but also with other types elsewhere.
Hardback, 144 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Very Good
ISBN: 9780715386170
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Updated: 2 April 2024