Author: David Maidment
Series: Locomotive Portfolios
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
ISBN: 9781526739858
Price: RRP £35; available at a lower price
Publication Date: 29th October 2020
Number of pages: 272
Format: Hardback
How Obtained: Purchased
The 1920s and 1930s saw a kind of arms race among the British Big Four railway companies with the possession of the fastest and most powerful express engine as the prize. From 1927 the King Class locomotives were the GWR entry in this competition.
The Great Western, King Class 4-6-0s by David Maidment relates the story of the evolution and life of these impressive machines. Published by Pen and Sword Books, it is a volume in their Locomotive Portfolio series. Starting with a portrait of designer Charles Collet, the book proceeds with a look at how the design of the King evolved from earlier engines. Further chapters cover their operational lives before some personal reminiscences from the author, closing with the withdrawal and restoration of a few representatives.
The Life of the Kings in Photos and Tables
The standout feature of the book are the photographs, many in colour, which portray the locomotives from prototype versions to their modern day heritage guise. Moreover, images show them at work at a huge variety of locations along the GWR southern route to Cornwall and the northern route to Wolverhampton.
The ongoing technological effort to keep the locomotives at the forefront of performance standards on a tight budget is a compelling part of Maidment’s book. This is backed up by an impressive array of performance tables. These detail the times and speeds achieved on services such as the Cornish Riviera Express.
King Class Locomotives in South Wales
Did South East Wales play any part in this narrative? The locomotives were rarely used in the Principality before 1960 and never west of Cardiff. However, Maidment relates an episode from 1938 which highlights some unique aspects of South Wales valley lines. This involved an experiment using Kings to power heavy iron ore trains from Newport Docks to Ebbw Vale Steelworks, which proved unsuccessful. With their frequently steep inclines, wet slippery tracks and lack of turntables the use of express engines built for mainline work were rarely successful.
Another issue highlighted by Maidment was the problem of hauling heavy trains on the incline out of the Severn Tunnel. Crews reported that two cylinder locomotives performed better than four cylinder machines such as the Kings.
Towards the end of their days, six Kings were allocated to Cardiff Canton shed with others joining later. Sadly, following their withdrawal in 1962, four locomotives were sent to Cashmores in Newport for breaking up and one to Bird’s in Risca. The story, however, ends on a brighter South Wales note. Two engines, 6023 King Edward II and 6024 King Edward I were both saved for preservation, inevitably from Woodham’s scrapyard of Barry.
In Summary
The history of the GWR King Class locomotives have been told in previous books. But these are now out of print and Maidment’s volume is a very welcome and authoritative work which will interest anyone with an interest in express mainline steam locomotives. Recommended.
The Good
- An exceptional range of over 300 photographs covering the entire class in a wide variety of settings.
- Fascinating detail on the ongoing efforts to improve locomotive performance through their working lives.
- Numerous tables of the performance of the King Class engines on scheduled runs.
The Not So Good
- No maps of the main routes to give context to the performance tables
Outline Contents:
- Design and Construction
- The Immediate Impact
- Heyday in the 1930s
- War & its Aftermath
- Nationalisation and Recovery
- Renewal
- Performance in Later Years
- Personal Experiences
- The End
- Preservation
About the Author: David Maidment
David Maidment was a senior manager with British Railways, with widespread experience of railway operating on the Western and London Midland Regions culminating in the role of Head of Safety Policy for the BRB after the Clapham Junction train accident. He retired in 1996, was a Principal Railway Safety Consultant with International Risk Management Services from 1996 to 2001 and founded the Railway Children charity (www.railwaychildren.org.uk) in 1995. He was awarded the OBE for services to the rail industry in 1996 and is now a frequent speaker on both the charity and his railway career and author of four novels, two non-fiction works on street children and over fifteen books for Pen & Sword’s locomotive portfolio series, the royalties from all being donated to the charity. (From Pen and Sword Books)
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