British Diesel Locomotives of the 1950s and ‘60s

British Diesel Locomotives of the 1950s and ‘60s
Author: Greg Morse
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 88
Release: 2016-07-28
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1784421790

After the Second World War, the drive for the modernisation of Britain's railways ushered in a new breed of locomotive: the Diesel. Diesel-powered trains had been around for some time, but faced with a coal crisis and the Clean Air Act in the 1950s, it was seen as a part of the solution for British Rail. This beautifully illustrated book, written by an expert on rail history, charts the rise and decline of Britain's diesel-powered locomotives. It covers a period of great change and experimentation, where the iconic steam engines that had dominated for a century were replaced by a series of modern diesels including the ill-fated 'Westerns' and the more successful 'Deltics'.

British Rail Diesels

British Rail Diesels
Author: Mick Hymans
Publisher: History Press
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2016-04-07
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780750966016

'I remember how excited I was when I saw my first diesel. I was waiting for the usual West Country Class to come through Hampden Park when a Class 33 arrived instead. It was the talk of all the trainspotters at the junior school.'Author Mick Hymans' excitement soon turned to resentment as diesels replaced his beloved steam engines. They became rarer and rarer until in 1968 they disappeared altogether. Today the diesel engine enjoys a vast following in its own right. Preserved railways now run 'diesel days', steam-free days, which prove to be some of the most popular events in their calendars. Covering the whole railway system from the north of Scotland and Wales right down to Cornwall, British Rail Diesels presents a wide collection of photographs illustrating a lost world on the nation's railways.

The Clayton Type 1: Bo-Bo Diesel-Electric Locomotives—British Railways Class 17

The Clayton Type 1: Bo-Bo Diesel-Electric Locomotives—British Railways Class 17
Author: Anthony P. Sayer
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 777
Release: 2021-05-30
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526762013

This informative, illustrated guide to the British Railways locomotive series covers its full production lifespan, from 1962–1965. In the early 1960s, the Bo-Bo diesel-electric locomotive known as The Clayton was conceived as the new standard for British Railways, superseding other Type 1 classes. While the early classes suffered from poor driver visibility, the Claytons were highly successful and popular with operating crews. However, the largely untested high-speed, flat Paxman engines proved to be highly problematic. As a result, the Claytons were eventually withdrawn from BR service by December 1971. Anthony Sayer draws on considerable amounts of archive material to tell the full story of these ‘Standard Type 1’ locomotives and the issues surrounding their rise and fall. Further sources provide insights into the effort and money expended on the Claytons in a desperate attempt to improve their reliability. Supported by over 280 photographs and diagrams, dramatic new insights into this troubled class have been assembled for both historians and modelers alike.

The Metropolitan-Vickers Type 2 Co-Bo Diesel-Electric Locomotives

The Metropolitan-Vickers Type 2 Co-Bo Diesel-Electric Locomotives
Author: Anthony P. Sayer
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 553
Release: 2020-06-30
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526742829

A thorough history of the Metropolitan-Vickers locomotive, also known as “Class 28,” featuring 160 color and black & white photos. This book provides an in-depth history of the Metropolitan-Vickers diesel-electric Type 2 locomotives, more frequently known collectively as the “Co-Bo’s” due to their unusual wheel arrangement. Twenty locomotives were constructed during the late-1950s for use on the London Midland Region of British Railways. The fleet was fraught with difficulties from the start, most notably due to problems with their Crossley engines, this necessitating the need for extensive rehabilitation work during the early-1960s. Matters barely improved and the option to completely re-engine the locomotives with English Electric units was debated at length, but a downturn in traffic levels ultimately resulted in their demise by the end of 1968 prior to any further major rebuilding work being carried out. Significant quantities of new archive and personal sighting information, supported by over 180 photographs and diagrams, have been brought together to allow dramatic new insights into this enigmatic class of locomotives, including the whole debate surrounding potential re-engining, their works histories, the extended periods in storage, together with in-depth reviews of the various detail differences and liveries.

British Rail Standard Diesels of the 1960s

British Rail Standard Diesels of the 1960s
Author: David Clough
Publisher: Ian Allan Pub
Total Pages: 160
Release: 2009-08-13
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780711033733

In 2005, Ian Allan Publishing published Diesel Pioneers, which provided a complete overview of the development of the early diesel classes inherited by BR and those that were developed as part of the Modernisation Plan of 1955. This lovely new book takes the subject forward and covers the standard diesel locomotive designs that were made during the early 1960s which include the Class 33s, the 37s, the 47s, the Hymeks, the Westerns and the Deltics as well as the less successful Claytons. A number of these early classes proved successful and were built in significant numbers between their introduction and the ceasing of production in the late 1960s. Many of the most productive classes were, in fact, not to arise from the Modernisation Plan but were developed from the early 1960s onwards and this book covers these in detail. The book explores the background to the development of each class and provides an extended overview of diesel locomotive development of this period. Illustrated with unseen photographs, many with colour throughout, this book will appeal to the growing numbers of diesel modellers and enthusiasts.

British Rail

British Rail
Author: Tanya Jackson
Publisher: The History Press
Total Pages: 436
Release: 2013-10-01
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0752497421

British Rail was a success. British Rail is a contentious company, as controversial as Dr Beeching and his axe. However, this examination of BR's passenger services shows just how vital the organisation was. It successfully carried millions of commuters to and from their jobs every day; organised its trunk route services to yield a profit under the brand name 'Inter-City'; and pioneered world-beating research and technological development through its own research centre and engineering subsidiary. It transformed the railway system of Britain from a post-Second World War state of collapse into a modern, technologically advanced railway. And it did all this despite being starved of cash and being subjected to the whims of ever-fickle politicians. British Rail: The Nation's Railway is a story, expertly weaved by Tanya Jackson, of how all this was achieved against the odds. Complemented by stunning black-and-white and colour images, this is certainly a volume that no rail enthusiast should be without.

British Rail

British Rail
Author: Christian Wolmar
Publisher: Penguin UK
Total Pages: 261
Release: 2022-06-09
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 0241456215

The authoritative and fascinating history of the rise and fall of the state-owned British Rail 'Wolmar's book is impeccably organised and makes a fast, enjoyable read' THE TIMES Literary Supplement________ British Rail wasn't how we're asked to remember it . . . From ancient rolling stock to patchy service, stale sandwiches to the wrong kind of snow, British Rail - our last great state-owned organisation to be privatised - has received a terrible press. But after its controversial 1948 creation, British Rail was actually an innovative powerhouse that over five decades transformed the UK, creating one of the fastest regular rail services in the world. Award-winning journalist Christian Wolmar takes us from promise to punchline, exploring British Rail's birth into post-war austerity, the many battles and struggles to evolve what many considered to be a dinosaur, and how, at the height of its success, the service was misunderstood and unfairly maligned, ruthlessly broken up and privatised._______ Praise for Christian Wolmar 'Wolmar is the high priest of railway studies' Literary Review 'The greatest expert on British trains' Guardian 'Our most eminent transport journalist' Spectator 'If the world's railways have a laureate, it is surely Christian Wolmar' Boston Globe 'Christian Wolmar is in love with the railways. He writes constantly and passionately about them. He is their wisest, most detailed historian and a constant prophet of their rebirth . . . if you love the hum of the wheels and of history, then Christian Wolmar is your man' Observer

British Rail Class 20 Locomotives

British Rail Class 20 Locomotives
Author: Pip Dunn
Publisher: Crowood
Total Pages: 354
Release: 2016-03-31
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1785000993

The first of the English Electric Type 1 design, what we now know as the Class 20s, appeared in June 1957. With their distinctive 'chopper' engine sound, these single-cabbed locomotives soon gained a reputation for rugged reliability brought about by their simplicity and use of tried and tested components. British Rail Class 20 Locomotives looks back at the operations of these fine locomotives since 1957, covering their varied workings and duties, regional use and railtour operations. The book also covers the technical aspects and specifications of the locomotives, including liveries and detailing. This book will be of great interest to all railway and diesel loco enthusiasts. Fully illustrated with 195 colour photographs.