Steam Locomotives - LNER: Illustrated History Books & Guides

60009 Union of South Africa: Stories from the Support Crew

The recently retired A4 Pacific locomotive No. 60009, known as Union of South Africa, is set to find a new home in a museum. In this illustrated book, the dedicated support crew of this renowned locomotive reflects on their memories and experiences in maintaining its operational prowess for the pleasure of countless railway enthusiasts.

Since its acquisition from British Railways in 1966, these narratives, spanning decades, weave a tapestry of both humorous and solemn accounts. They offer a captivating glimpse into the challenges and endeavors involved in sustaining the operational excellence of this magnificent machine.
Complemented by an array of previously unreleased images, the book serves as a splendid tribute to an exceptional locomotive, encapsulating the essence of its storied history and the efforts invested in preserving its legacy.

Product details

Author:	Michael Mather
Details:	95 pages, 9.25 x 6.5 x 0.31 in (23.5 x 16.5 x 0.8 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	100 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2021)
ISBN:	9781445682754

A4 Pacific Locomotives

The 'A4' class of Pacific locomotives, designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for the London & North Eastern Railway in the 1930s, was arguably the most distinctive type of steam locomotive built in Britain. Their streamlined design not only reflected the art deco and modernist style of the era but was also functional, enabling them to travel efficiently at high speeds.

On 3 July 1938 the most famous locomotive in the class, Mallard, broke the world speed record for a steam locomotive, travelling at 126mph (202 km/h). This record has never been broken.
A total of 35 of these beautiful locomotives were built from 1935-38. The efficiency and speed of Gresley's design ensured they continued in top link service into the BR era, particularly London-Edinburgh but also in later years on the hilly Glasgow-Aberdeen route.

In 2013, to mark the 75th anniversary of Mallard's record breaking run, all six surviving A4s were gathered together in the UK for the first time since the 1960s and fittingly Bittern set a new world speed record of 93mph for a preserved steam locomotive.

This is a glorious history of the construction, design and service of the 'A4s' for over 30 years with the LNER and British Railways, and an uplifting account of the career of the six remaining A4s in preservation.

Product details

Author:	Peter Tuffrey
Details:	128 pages, 11 x 8.25 in (28 x 21 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Ian Allan Publishing (GB, 2016)
ISBN:	9780711038479

LNER Workshops

When the London & North Eastern Railway was formed in 1923, it inherited workshops large and small from its constituent companies. The roles of many of these changed in the years that followed the creation of the LNER.
For example, new locomotive construction ceased at Cowlairs and Stratford and was much reduced at Gorton with Doncaster and Darlington building most of the new LNER designs introduced by Sir Nigel Gresley and his successors.

This important new study begins with an examination of the history of the workshops of the LNER's constituent companies. It then moves on to provide in-depth analysis of their individual and collective roles in the LNER era especially with regard to the construction and maintenance of locomotives and rolling stock and how the company's fortunes affected their activities.

Particular high points in locomotive and carriage construction are explored as is the role which many of the works undertook during the Second World War in the production of munitions.

Illustrated throughout with maps, drawings and photographs, the book concludes with a brief survey of how the various works fared under the control of British Railways after 1948.

Product details

Author:	Peter Tuffrey
Details:	176 pages, 11.6 x 8.25 in (29.5 x 21 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	many b&w photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Crecy Publishing (GB, 2018)
ISBN:	9780860936732

Locomotives of the North Eastern Railway (Reprint)

The successor to the Stockton & Darlington, the North Eastern Railway was an important pre-grouping company covering a relatively compact territory which included Yorkshire, County Durham and Northumberland, with outposts stretching into Cumbria and even Scotland. Five men held the post of the Locomotive Superintendent including the Wordsall brothers.
An innovative company, the NER introduced Bo-Bo type electric locomotives in 1905, and the peak of its locomotive development came with the big S2 Pacific express engine built by Sir Vincent Raven at Darlington in 1922.

Many of their steam locomotives were handed over to the LNER in the 1923 grouping of Britain's independent companies. Today there are eleven preserved examples of NER locos including several built by the LNER to their designs.
This fascinating account of the NER's locomotives, originally published in 1923 is profusely illustrated with over 50 line drawings and many contemporary photographs.

Product details

Author:	John S. Maclean
Details:	128 pages, 9.25 x 6.5 x 0.35 in (23.5 x 16.5 x 0.9 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	many photos and drawings
Language:	English
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing (GB, 2014)
ISBN:	9781445637815

The LNER Handbook : The London and North Eastern Railway 1923-47

Renowned for its express locomotive Mallard setting a world speed record (126mph) for steam locomotives that endures to this day, the London & North Eastern Railway was the second largest of the `Big Four' railway companies to emerge from the 1923 grouping. It was also the most diverse, with its prestigious high-speed trains from King's Cross balanced by an intensive suburban and commuter service from Liverpool Street and a high dependence on freight.
Noted for its cautious board and thrifty management, the LNER gained a reputation for being poor but honest.

Forming part of a series, along with The GWR Handbook, The LMS Handbook and The Southern Railway Handbook, this new edition provides an authoritative and highly detailed reference of information about the LNER

Product details

Author:	David Wragg
Details:	256 pages, 9.8 x 6.7 in (25 x 17 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	150 b&w photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	The History Press Ltd (GB, 2017)
ISBN:	9780750982740

Tornado

Officially endorsed by the A1 Steam locomotive trust, "Tornado" is the official account of the building of Britain's first main line steam locomotive for 50 years, how it took a team of volunteers 18 years to raise more than £2-million to build it and its international headline-grabbing debut on the main line, with a royal visit thrown in for good measure.

The book looks at the history of the A1 class and the East Coast Main Line which they were built to run on, the man who designed them, Arthur H Peppercorn, the preservation movement which evolved from a handful of volunteers saving a cash-strapped steam railway in central Wales in 1949 to the point where it could build a main line express passenger locomotive, and how the dream of building Tornado came to fruition stage by stage at Darlington.

The book is lavishly illustrated with both archive and contemporary photographs bringing the story up to date.

Product details

Author:	Robin Jones
Details:	208 pages, 9.8 x 7.3 x 0.79 in (25 x 18.5 x 2 cm), hardback
Illustrations:	150 b&w and color photos
Language:	English
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Ltd (GB, 2011)
ISBN:	9781844681204

Tornado : New Peppercorn Class A1 Manual (2008 onwards) - An insight into the construction, maintenance and operation (Haynes Train Manual)

This is a Haynes Manual with a difference. Published in association with The A1 Steam Locomotive Trust, it explains the construction, operation and maintenance of 60163 Tornado, the new steam locomotive that attracts huge crowds wherever it appears.

Based on the LNER Peppercorn Class A1 design, of which 49 were originally built but eventually all scrapped, Tornado is a magnificent and fully operational replica that is totally faithful to the original Peppercorn A1s in all respects except for modernisation to suit today's safety requirements.

This manual about a unique steam locomotive will fascinate all railway enthusiasts as well as those who appreciate British engineering excellence.

Pages of the book "Tornado : New Peppercorn Class A1 Manual (2008 onwards) - An insight into the construction, maintenance and operation"

Product details

Author:	Geoff Smith
Details:	160 pages, 10.6 x 8.25 x 0.39 in (27 x 21 x 1 cm), paperback
Illustrations:	50 b&w and 225 color photos
Language:	English (technical dictionaries in 19 languages are available for free download here)
Publisher:	Haynes Publishing (GB, 2015)
Series:	Haynes Train Manual
ISBN:	9780857338488