Western Class Locomotives: A Tribute – Book Review

By the mid 1950s it was clear to British Railways that a wholesale withdrawal of steam was the way forward. What was less clear was the best way to achieve that goal, with the Western Region preferring  diesel-hydraulic locomotives. One of the most successful designs was the Western Class built from 1961 to 1964.

Bernard Mills’s Western Class Locomotives: A Tribute features every one of the seventy-four engines constructed! Forming Volume 7 of their Britain’s Railways Series it was published by Key Books in June 2020.

Western Class Locomotives; pictures of every one!

As a personal photograph album, its structure could not be more straightforward. Following a two page introduction every locomotive is featured in numbered order from D1000 Western Enterprise to 1073 Western Bulwark. A single page conclusion titled Soliloquy lays out a summary of the locomotives using each name in a kind of extended series of puns! Each locomotive is imaged at least twice, mostly two images to a page, but a few have single page spreads.

The Western Class locomotives were Type 4 diesel-hydraulics built for the Western Region at Swindon and Crewe. Later designated Class 52, they were all allocated two word names, the first being Western (well, what else did you expect!). That they could be designed and built specifically for the Western Region was due to the high level of regional independence at that time. Inheriting the GWR’s famed individuality the WR exploited this freedom to the maximum. Having a relatively short life, all Westerns had been withdrawn by 1977 just sixteen years after their introduction.

Locations mostly deepest Devon and Cornwall….and Treherbert!

Mills had an excellent eye for composition with each shot framing the locomotive along with their trains. Moreover, being employed by BR gave him an advantage. Mills was occasionally able to request a Western to haul a specific train which he was then able to photograph. While acknowledging that this is not a history of the class, nevertheless some introductory notes would be welcome. For example, for those new to the locomotive a few sentences of basic factual information, such as year of introduction, might be of interest.

Although a regular on main line routes there are very few pictures featuring South Wales. On the valleys branch lines they were almost never used. This was the domain of the diesel-electric Class 37. So it is a pleasant surprise to see a photograph of D1010 Western Campaigner at Treherbert. It was featured in February 1977 on a Western Requiem Railtour during the final year of operations.

In Summary

A complete photographic record featuring every one of the Western diesel-hydraulic locomotives. A must for enthusiasts of early Western Region diesel traction. With images often featuring the whole train and lineside structures it is also useful for modellers of BR Western Region mainline operations in the 1960s and 1970s.

About the Author: Bernard Mills

Bernard Mills is a semi retired-railway man with over 52 years service, and also a dedicated railway enthusiast who has been photographing trains and railways in colour for over half a century. With a wealth of experience he is an acclaimed speaker on the subject with his popular digital slide shows including a legendary one each Christmas for the local railway societies, and the author of a number of much sought after railway books.

(from Amazon)

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