Author: David Maidment
Series: Locomotive Portfolios
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
ISBN: 9781526752055
Price: RRP £30; available at a lower price
Publication Date: 3rd August 2020
Number of pages: 272
Format: Hardback
How Obtained: Purchased
The iconic image of rail transport during the steam era in South Wales is a 0-6-2 tank engine, often travelling bunker first at the head of a heavily laden coal train. Almost every company, large and small employed them.
David Maidment’s Great Western, 0-6-2 Tank Classes documents these ubiquitous engines in their multifarious guises. It was published in August 2020 by Pen and Sword Books as part of the Locomotive Portfolios Series.
Great Western 0-6-2 tank engines, before and after grouping
The book is an impressive collection of about 300 mostly black and white photographs, in many cases dating back well over a century. An introductory section includes a pictorial ‘tour’ of the South Wales engine sheds of pre-grouping companies whose 0-6-2 tanks were taken over by the Great Western Railway in 1922-23. Brief biographies of engineers who significantly influenced engine design or purchasing adds a human element.
The 0-6-2 tanks of each major pre-grouping South Wales railway company are impressively surveyed with each line having its own chapter. A ‘mopping up’ chapter provides a round up of engines from smaller companies such as the Alexandra Docks (Newport). Finally, a large section is devoted to the classic GWR Class 56xx and 66xx locos. A list of the, sadly few, preserved locomotives completes the main text before an appendix, bibliography and index.
The 0-6-2 tanks and the Valleys were almost made for each other!
Such is the association of the 0-6-2 tank locomotive with South Wales that the overwhelming focus is on this area. This leads to a huge range of photographs of engines in all their varieties in all manner of city and valley sites. Consequently, the scenic and background detail in the pictures is often interesting. Although most classes were side tanks, the Vulcan Foundry built saddle tanks of the Brecon & Merthyr and Rhymney Railways provide an interesting contrast.
In addition, successful designs were occasionally replicated across companies. For example, the design of the Rhymney Railway ‘R’ Class built by Robert Stephenson and Co was used for Brecon and Merthyr engines. Throughout the text short tables of loco technical details are given, while a series of diagrams are presented in an appendix.
But just why were they popular and successful?
Although the text presents sufficient background to place the locomotives in context, there is little analysis of just why the configuration became so popular. This is especially as the LNWR/LMS also used the type on the Merthyr, Tredegar and Abergavenny Railway and its valley branches in the form of the Webb Coal Tanks. Aspects such as size, driving wheel diameter, adhesion characteristics and the average journey distance from colliery to port might be mentioned at this point.
A welcome part of the book is the inclusion of a picture of the Bachmann OO scale ready-to-run Class 56xx model along with paintings featuring the class by Philip D. Hawkins. Also noteworthy is an index of locomotives by numbers enabling the reader to quickly locate all images contained in the book.
In Summary
A very impressive pictorial survey of GWR and constituent company 0-6-2 tank locomotives in their many forms. Invaluable for anyone interested in the railways of South Wales. Highly recommended.
The Good
- An exhaustive list of all GWR 0-6-2 tank locos, their origins, characteristics and fate.
- A superb range of photographs of examples from each class
- Well indexed allowing the reader to locate a particular class and locomotive
The Not So Good
- Would benefit from some analysis of the reasons why the class was popular and successful.
- A few typos, mostly in the photo annotations. These are, however, minor.
Outline Contents:
- Introduction and The Engineers
- The Barry Railway
- The Cardiff Railwat
- The Brecon & Merthyr Railway
- The Rhymney Railway
- The Taff Vale Railway
- The Other South Wales Companies
- The Great Western 56xx % 66xx
- Preserved Locomotives
- Appendix and Bibliography
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. This culminated 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. Awarded the OBE for services to the rail industry in 1996, he is now a frequent speaker on both the charity and his railway career. He has authored 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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