Great Western Star Class Locomotives

Designed by G.J. Churchward, no. 40 was constructed at Swindon in April 1906. It was Swindon’s first 4 cylinder simple engine and was the forerunner of Churchward’s famous 4 cylinder Star Class 4-6-0s. Initially built as a 4-4-2 Atlantic, no. 40 was named North Star in September 1906, rebuilt as a 4-6-0 in 1909, and renumbered 4000 in 1913. Including no. 40, the Star class eventually numbered seventy-three locomotives, all built at Swindon in batches between 1906 and 1923. In service the Stars proved to be both free-running and reliable locomotives, and for many years were used to haul the Great Western’s top link services, including the world-famous ‘Cornish Riviera Express’. The introduction of the Collett Castle Class 4-6-0s in 1923, and the King Class 4-6-0s in 1927, saw the Stars relegated to secondary passenger, freight and parcels services. A number of Stars were rebuilt by Collett as Castles, including the prototype no. 4000 North Star, but the remaining Stars continued to give good service. At Nationalisation in 1948, no less than forty-seven of these fine locomotives passed into Western Region ownership, the last example, no. 4056 Princess Margaret, being withdrawn in October 1957. In this book, Laurence Waters charts the history of the class from the prototype, right through to the final workings in October 1957. Using many previously unpublished photographs from the Great Western Trust photographic collection, accompanied by informative captions, every member of the Class is illustrated. This book should appeal to those interested in the history of Great Western locomotive development as well as modellers of the Great Western and Western Region.

British Railways’ David Maidment presents a pictorial history of the county class trains designed by George Jackson Churchward and F. W. Hawksworth. 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 the London and North Western Railway. The 4-4-0 counties were in service until the early 1930s, when they were withdrawn and replaced by more modern motive power.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 Class 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. Great Western, County Classes: The Churchward 4-4-0s, 4-4-2 Tanks and Hawksworth 4-6-0s details the fascinating history of the trains that were a crucial part of England’s twentieth century transportation system.

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.

The Great Western Railway experienced the trauma and disruption of the end of the broad gauge in 1892 and were faced with equipping the network with suitable motive power, especially in Devon and Cornwall where the last track conversion had taken place. West of Newton Abbot, the GWR had relied on a variety of 4-4-0, 2-4-0, 0-4-2 and 0-4-4 side and saddle tanks, often doubled-headed, and Dean set about designing a sturdy outside-framed powerful 4-4-0 with 5ft 8in coupled wheels, the 'Dukes', to tackle increasing loads over the heavily graded main line. Then, Churchward came to assist the ailing Locomotive Superintendent, using his knowledge and experience of American and continental practice to develop the Dean designs. He improved the efficiency and performance of the boilers, using the Belgian Belpaire firebox, then developed the tapered 'cone' boiler, and applied it to the chassis of the 'Duke's to form the 'Camel' class, later known as the 'Bulldogs', which eventually numbered 156 locomotives. Finally, in the 1930s when engines of the 'Duke' route availability were still required but their frames were life-expired, their boilers were matched with the stronger frames of the 'Bulldogs' to form the 'Dukedog' class, which lasted until the 1950s, particularly on the former Cambrian lines in mid-Wales. This book recounts the design, construction and operation of these small-wheeled outside-framed locomotives with many rare photos of their operation in the first decade of the twentieth century as well as in more recent times.

Churchward's 2 cylinder Saint Class 4-6-0s were arguably one of the most important locomotive developments of the twentieth century. The seventy-seven members of the class were so successful that most of the other railway companies in this country used the same 2 cylinder 4-6-0 formula in the design of their own mixed traffic locomotives. Over the years the Saints saw a number of modifications, with many of the class passing into BR ownership. The last member of the class, no. 2920 Saint Martin, was withdrawn from service in 1953 and was sadly not preserved. However, the Great Western Society are now constructing a replica Saint at Didcot Railway Centre. Numbered 2999 it will be named Lady of Legend.In this book author Laurence Waters charts the remarkable history of the class from the construction of the prototype Saint at Swindon in 1902, right through to the final withdrawals in 1953. Using many previously unpublished black and white photographs, accompanied by informative captions, each member of the class is illustrated. This book should appeal to those interested in the history of Great Western Locomotive development as well as modellers of the Great Western and Western Region.

This volume covers all the large wheeled outside frame classes of 4-4-0 tender Locomotives, that once ran on the Great Western Railway.The book has full details on each of the classes with good quality pictures, diagrams names, and number lists.This work is also very useful to model makers, giving full details of mechanical and livery changes that took place from the 1900s through to the early 1930, when all except the preserved 3440, City of Truro, were withdrawn and scrapped.

GWR; Great Western Railway; George Jackson Churchward; Boilers; Valves; GWR 4-6-0; De Glehn Compound; 4-4-2 Atlantic; Star Class; Scissors Valve Gear; L&NWR; London and North Western Railway; WWII; LNER; London and North Eastern Railway; LMSR; London Midland and Scottish Railway; Castle Class; Cheltenham Spa Express; King Class; Shrivenham Collision; 1948 Locomotive Exchanges; railway preservation; William Dean; Swindon; steam engine; Belpaire locomotive firebox; 5043 Earl of Mount Edgecumbe; R.M. Deeley; Lode Star; North Star; Dog Star; Evening Star; Morning Star; Polar Star; Red Star; Rising Star; Royal Star; Shooting Star; Western Star; Swallowfield Park; Knight of the Garter; Knight of the Thistle; Knight of the Patrick; Knight of the Bath; Knight of St. John; Knight of the Golden Fleece; Knight of the Black Eagle; Knight of Liège; Knight of the Grand Cross; Knight Templar; Knight Commander; William Stanier; Caerphilly Castle; Caldicot Castle; Cardiff Castle; Carmarthen Castle; Chepstow Castle; Pembroke Castle; Pendennis Castle; Powderham Castle; Warwick Castle; Windsor Castle; Midgham derailment; King Edward VII; King William IV; King George IV; King George III; King George II; King George I; King William III; King James II; King Charles II; King Charles I; King James I; King Edward VI; King Edward VIII; King Henry VII; King Richard III; King Edward V; King Edward IV; King Henry VI; King Henry V; King Henry IV; King Richard II; King Edward III; King Edward II; King Edward I; King Henry III; King John; King Richard I; King Henry II; King Stephen; steam locomotive; British Railways; Shakespeare Express; The Bristolian; Cornish Riviera Express; Cheltenham Flyer