London Road Models: pre-grouping kits

First post for a while, want to share one particular shop..

If you've read my blog for a while, you'd by now have worked out I have a very affectionate spot for the LNWR 'Teutonic' (despite being born 80 years after the last went..) and especially no 1304 'Jeanie Deans', the very best of the entire crop of Webb compounds.

Now that I have moved into the world of railway modeling, I have naturally attempted to get myself a 'Teutonic'! However, unsurprisingly my search has been a disaster- the LNWR has very few kits and only one ready to run engine! (the new Bachmann G2/Super D 0-8-0). One site had the Teutonic but the the larger 7mm/O Scale- too big!

Finally, I managed to locate one supplier- London Road Models. Not only does he have the Teutonic (the newest kit by the way) but to my joy he also has the 'Lady of the Lake/Problem', 'Improved Precedent', 'Greater Britain' and 'Cauliflower' among others!
Not only is the LNWR catered for, but other companies have a small selection too: Midland, Great Eastern, GNR, NE and some others.

Also, there are a nice range of coaches and rolling stock for the companies.

Now the bad news...

The gentleman who owns the business has neither on-line ordering nor even an email adress- leaving Australian customers with two options: phone or mail (one horrifically expensive, the other slow).

I selected mail, and got a reply within two weeks.

For overseas buyers, paying by credit card is the only option- mainly because it enables postage to be worked out and charged per model and added on quickly (when ordering, include your card no, security no. and expiry).

I have ordered the 'Teutonic' kit, asking to have everything needed to run the model included- it is not quite clear (at least to me) whether motor/pickups/chassis etc would be enclosed. I will divulge more about the kit once it arrives (and the receipt to see what's included and what's added on), however, LRM has gotten praise from many modellers due to the quality of the work, so at least I can expect a well-made model.

The website is here if you'd like to inspect the catalogue: LONDON ROAD MODELS

and here is the adress to write to:

London Road Models, PO Box 643, Watford, Herts. WD24 5ZJ

Bluebell Railway Appeal: 'Tenner for the Tip'

As some of you might know, the Bluebell Railway is currently extending its operations northwards towards a new terminus at East Grinstead, however progress has been firmly blocked by a massive tip full of rubbish in Imberhorne tip, to which 100,000 tons of domestic rubbish were thrown in the late 60s.

Approximately £35k has been raised thus far, through a current appeal 'Tenner for the Tip'. A donation of £10 will get you a certificate stating your donation, which wil allow the railway to remove a quarter of a ton of rubbish from the tip.

Please consider a donation, and help this famous line reach East Grinstead!


TENNER FOR THE TIP HOMEPAGE

Garratt art now avaliable!

Announcing the first of my all new locomotive art!

Avaliable as a shirt and as artwork, a 'drawing' (photoshopped photo) of a mighty 400class Garratt.



Please consider purchasing even a postcard sized variant and help me save up for more railway books to review.

Anounced: Ready to Run Bulleid "Leader" OO Gauge

A major plug here to help make sure another project gets to the finish line- mainly, because it invloves something I have discussed here: the enigmatic 'Leader' prototype designed by O.V.S Bulleid.

Loconotion, a family owned model business in the UK, has teamed with major players Dapol in order to deliver a 'very detailed and well presented model' , ready-to-run in OO gauge.

At present, they are taking orders, which will not need be paid for until production begins (which will be when sufficient orders have been achieved.

Here is the official site, please consider ordering a model and supporting this brave venture!

LOCONOTION MODELS

Barrow Hill April LNER Gala: Joy Unconfined

Although its a few months too late, I have only recently learned of this wonderful UK gala at the famous Barrow Hill Roundhouse.

Featured: A1' Tornado', A2 'Blue Peter' (not in steam), A4s No. 60007 'Sir Nigel Gresley' and No. 60009 'Union of South Africa', K1 No. 62005, N7 No. 69621.

To say this is a sparkling representative of surviving LNER steam would be an understatement: and all enthusiasts are awaiting the return of the beloved 'Flying Scotsman' so as to have the ultimate line up: every major LNER class of express engine together again at last! (From A1 to A4!)

Here's a nice clip on Youtube, it gives a nice idea of the Majesty of the occasion: make sure to watch it in high quality mode!
BARROW HILL LINE UP

And some pictures on the official site:
BARROW HILL ENGINE SHED SOCIETY

5000 hits! Thanks to all readers

A quick note to say thanks to all readers of this blog, and to crow about reaching a milestone:

OVER 5000 Hits! (and one t-shirt sale...the profit-$3US- is going towards 'An Illustrated History of the North Cornwall Railway', so if you'd like to see a review of this text in the future I'd be grateful for any donations or purchases- remember, I can try requests or suggestions!)

Keep reading and giving your opinions, or to add something to my posts.

Review: 'Bulleid: Last Giant of Steam'

I was extremely fortunate to recently acquire a very difficult to find (for a reasonable price, $30Au) book on one of the most controversial figures of British railway history, Oliver Bulleid.



The text, Bulleid:Last Giant of Steam by Sean Day-Lewis is an examination of O.V.S Bulleid's life, of course dealing with his locomotive developments as C.M.E of the Southern and later in Ireland, but also his earliest days on the Great Northern, his experiences in the Great War and later rejoining the Great Northen and continuing his partnership with Sir Nigel Gresley, which only ended with Bulleid's transfer to the SR.

A particularly nice touch of this book is the interesting and very often amusing anecdotes about various events that occurred to Bulleid or even others, which makes the text more interesting overall. Especially, the episodes of interaction between Bulleid and Gresley are a highlight.

For the locomotive enthusiast, however, this book will appeal most due to its examination of engines and rolling stock Bulleid designed or was connected with, and you will almost certainly learn something new about the various designs: for instance, the original appearance of the Bulleid 'Merchant Navy' class was considerably more 'air smoothed' and without smoke deflectors, in fact it looks quite odd considering what we are used to knowing the class to look like. One thing that surely few people would have seen before, however, was the fact that Bulleid experimentally fitted a wooden mock up of airsmoothed style streamlining to 'Schools' class 4-4-0 no.935 Sevenoaks, perhaps drawing inspiration from Gresley's similar A4 style addition to his B-17 4-6-0s. Only the outbreak of war stopped this from developing further, and it is a shame that the idea never got passed the mockup (of which a works photo is thankfully included!).

What is also refreshing is how Bulleid's more radical moves (the pacifics and 'Leader') are given the opportunity to be justified in Mr Bulleid's own words- the reader, while he or she might not agree with the engines themselves, would have to admit that at least they have sound theory behind them- most notably, representing Bulleid's attempt (with 'Leader' and the 'Turf burner' for C.I.E) to go beyond the Stephensonian principles and show steam traction could match the new diesels and most importantly, deserved a future.

I rate this overall, a fantastic text which gives Mr Bulleid a fair hearing with regard to all his experiments and shows what an innovator he was, not only with steam but also in carriage design and electric traction. I thoroughly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Southern railway, experimental steam, locomotive engineers- and the steam enthusiast as a whole.

I cannot, however, give a perfect score- the main issue is that this book is LONG out of print, and finding one for a fair price is next to impossible: 25 pounds is the lowest I have found currently, which might be fair to UK residents, but its over 50$ AU without the $14 postage, ridiculous for most Australian or overseas readers. I was fortunate enough to troll across it by accident on ebay (the seller had not even put the title in the listing heading, I only recognised it by the picture!) but it will not be easy to repeat this success- I suggest trying antiqbook or ukbookworld or similar sites with an impressive collection of old railway books. If I come across any, I will post the links here for your convienience.

Rating: 9.5/10

Another new build: Great Central Railway 'D7'

Yes, another new build.

This one is set up by the Great Central Railway Rollingstock trust and has been in existence since around August 2007!

The locomotive type this time around is the lesser known GCR Class '2' 4-4-0, better remembered under the LNER classification D7. These engines were originally built in 1887 for the Manchester Sheffield & Lincolnshire Railway before its metamorphosis into the Great Central, and the last was withdrawn by the LNER in December 1940...after use as a makeshift air shelter! (Considering their low tractive effort of 14,144 lb it is surprising the LNER managed to find a use for them).

There seems to be some controversy over the types origins, as my copy of Locomotives Illustrated 170 tells me, based on a comment in the RCTS Locomotives of the LNER, which claims:

"the genesis of this class is obscure"

(note: I have no knowledge as to whether this is true or not, owing to the fact I hed never heard of this class before reading of the new build project).

Interestingly, the engine already has some vital components that would be very expensive to build new: the Boiler, tender chassis and cylinder block- the block is new and the boiler is in excellent condition, although both are a slightly (very negligable) different sizes that will make no difference in the finished engine.

The spokesman, Mr. Tony Fairburn, has been quoted as saying the engine will a lot less difficult to maintain due to its lack of complexity:

'Its a very simple engine...non superheated engine with slide valves...in terms of size, its akin to building an industrial engine, but with a tender.'

Given the time frame of operation, this engine will be one of the few new build pre-grouping locomotives- and because we do not have a large number of such engines surviving when compared with 20th century types, especially in operational state, it is extra important for this project to suceed and bring some Victorian operational capabilty to UK railways.

At the last update on the temporary site on the GCR Rolling Stock Trust page, the group was still waiting for the now completed Search Engine at the National Railway Museum to open in order to aquire the drawings.

I have contacted Mr Fairburn for a project update, and am currently awaiting a reply. Rest assured, I will continue to add to this project in my 'new-build' section as more information comes in.

New Header!

As part of my effort to spruce the site up a bit, I've done a new and larger header which isn't exactly the best work I've ever done, but does feature two of my favourite things: 'Jeanie Deans' and of course, my alias Colonel Klink decked out happily as a guard/driver.

For my British/overseas readers, the big engine in the middle is a South Australian Railways 620 class Light Pacific, styled slightly after Sir Nigel Gresley's marvellous P2 2-8-2 'Earl Marischal'. A broad gauge engine (not to Brunel 7 foot gauge mind you, 5 ft 3 in), two of them are preserved, one in working order with the SteamRanger Heritage Railway!

(for those interested, here's a LINK)

Magazine Review: 'Backtrack'

Time for the first magazine review featured here!

In Australia, our railway magazines from overseas are usually two or even three months behind everyone else's, which is bad for current news magazines like the wonderful Steam Railway or Heritage Railway, but doesn't really matter for historical ones like Steam World, Railway Bylines (personal favourite!) and the subject of today's review, Backtrack.

(note: the above image is a cover from about a 10 year old issue- the new ones look much spiffier!)

When it comes to historical railway magazines, none of them, I repeat, NONE of them, have for me been able to match the professionalism of 'Backtrack'. Rather than simply feature articles on events, closures, locomotives and flashbacks, as seen in 'British Railways Illustrated' and 'Steam World' (both of which are great mags too!), Backtrack also analyses personalities, policies, equipment performance, myths, accident investigations and quirky articles that you won't find being dealt with by anyone else (for example, one highly interesting article was the origins of the names for the 'King Arthur' class 4-6-0s of the Southern- a most delightful piece of prose!)

Each article also references outside sources, whether they be anecdotes, articles or books, so you really do get a sense that each article has been throughly investigated for facts. However, like many written pieces dealing with often controversial issues, you will on occasion detect a hint of author's bias. One article I found to be so was one dealing with locomotive performance and merit as viewed from the shareholder's view: for example, the A4s and GWR 'Kings' were right on the money, yet Bulleid's Merchant Navy pacifics were not due to their many problems- which ignores their unorthodoxy being partially Bulleid's labour saving attempts in the days of the war, a noble attempt to save the fitter's time and money which didn't quite work out. The 'Leader' project was also savaged, where its 'lack' of benefits for shareholders and its relative low use possibilty (size and weight) were discussed, ignoring the fact Bulleid was attempting to save on turntable costs, add the convience of cab-forward diesels and proves that steam could have a future in a different form- in his case chain driven drives and diesel style cabs. The article failed to mention that the project, despite promise, was given quick disposal (and possible sabotage-see my earlier post about 'Leader:Fiasco or Triumph') by BR, and the similar engine built in Ireland did work. As Sir Winston Churchill said of Gallipoli: "The terrible ifs accumulate!"
Before this post turns into anther rant on the 'Leader' let me continue.

What also broadens 'Backtrack's appeal is the variety of era in which the magazine covers: pre-grouping companies, always getting the short end of the stick in other texts, get a surprisingly decent amount of articles on them, as do the more unsual small companies you might have not heard of before. Its not just lines or locomotives for these groups either, I have seen recently articles on the LNWR's American Publicity materials, and the Southern Railways Electrification advertisement and efforts.

A nice touch also is the dedicated effort to each month show a new and unseen group of photographs in colour on one subject: the month I'm looking at (March '09) has LBSCR Tanks in colour, a previous issue has one of my favourites, the Wainwright 'H' Class Tanks in colour!

However, for those not interested in reading a lot of writing or essays on various subjects, Backtrack might not be your cup of tea. Probably a better choice (although more expensive and rarer here) is Steam Days, which is similar but focusing on more general subjects rather than the niche of Backtrack.

So, what's my conclusion?
8/10

Pros: PROFESSIONAL! Niche market subjects, analyses of everything concieable, pre-grouping railways, not just more Black-5/Standard class colour pictures.

Cons:More expensive than some of the other magazines, pre-grouping/niche articles might not be to some liking, occasional bias against certain issues, too much writing for some?

Happily, Pendragon Publishing has a sample issue online for perusual, although its an old one it is very similar to the modern format bar the new one's more spiffy appearance.

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SAMPLE BACKTRACK ISSUE

Another new Build: 'Galloping Gertie'

This week I was researching an unusual locomotive, the first in Britain to have Walshaert's valve gear and a Single Fairlie standard gauge (very unusual!). This is an engine built for the Swindown, Marlborough and Andover Railway and later absorbed into the Midland South Western Junction Railway along with other SM&AR stock. I emailed the MSWJ group for any information about the type, of which just one photo exists, and they very kindly furnished me with further data and two scematic drawings. Kudos!

While surfing their SITE, I was surprised to see the society have joined in on steam preservations new frontier- new-build locomotives! They plan to build a replica of one of their railway's best-known engine, a Beyer-Peacock 2-6-0 tender engine, no 16, nicknamed 'Galloping Gertie.'

This is of special interest to Australian enthusiasts- the design is almost exactly the same as an Australian type bar an enclosed cab and larger tender (no, don't know the type yet- PLEASE FILL ME IN SOMEONE). If I am not mistaken, it will be the only Beyer Peacock standard-gauge tender engine built for British railway use remaining upon completion.

Seeing as the group has just started, so far they have outlined their aims- and are holding a publicity booth at a Swindown and Crickdale Railway Beer Weekend 2-4 May.

Beyer Peacock fans, unite!

OFFICIAL WEBSITE OF THE PROJECT

Locomotive Firemen: Supermen!

I have today an interesting post. Earlier I was digging a big trench for a drainpipe before filling it in again. That has nothing to do with railways. But it got me thinking...

Every shovelful of dirt would have been half as heavy as a shovelful of coal. I wasn't standing in front of a boiling hot firebox, but could at least stop and have a breather and a quick cuppa. Firemen would be lucky on some runs to even think about tea let alone a breather. I had five others helping me- a fireman might not even get help from their driver on occasion.

I was not working to a specific schedule and it took us longer than expected. A fireman...well, he and his driver would have been 'on the carpet' if they took any extra time.

Add to it the fact that we had the luxury of stopping for lunch and dinner, washing our hands etc...

The age of steam was a grimy one as well as being' romantic'.

Hats off to all of you firemen who fired in regular service; you and the other unsung heroes from the age of steam deserve as much congratulation as the Engineers and others who get all the glory.

Highland Shirt avaliable!

At long last, the OFFICIAL Highland Railway t-shirt is avaliable from my redbubble page!

Its easily the best one yet, and I would be delighted if a few of those who read here can buy a couple! Please consider getting one- I am trying to save up for a few new railway books that are a bit outside my current budget. Anyone who helps me save for them will have my gratitude!

Review: The Trains we Loved

(WARNING! I GO OFF ON A TANGENT HALF WAY THROUGH...)

Here's a quick review of a book that I recently picked up and was delighted with: 'The Trains we Loved' by C. Hamilton Ellis, yet another distinguished railway author (and painter) who is almost as well known as O.S. Nock (probably the best known of them all).

This particular book was published in 1947, has had its name taken by a more recent book by David St John Thomas and is most assuredly NOT the same book. Both, however, have something in common: they are overwash with NOSTALGIA. This is in effect what makes both books so interesting especially for modern readers who have never seen the railways when worked by steam.

While the newer book is awash with information about the experiences of the author in BR days, this older book has crucial memories of a life that began over a century ago: in the days of the pre-grouping powers: the famous LNWR, Midland, London and South Western, original GWR and the North British are but a few of the long-gone railways discussed in wonderfully descriptive prose that can only come from someone who saw the railways in action as a boy.

What makes this book thereby so important to modern eyes is the fact that few traces remain of these lines: a mediocre number of pre-grouping locomotives have survived, and fewer in active service: for example, the LNWR has just one locomotive surviving from its 20th Century stock (the recently overhauled 'G2').

One thing that is different about Ellis' (and O.S Nock's) books is how different they are to modern treatises on such subjects (say, a modern author's take on the Highland Railway will be matter-of-fact and be based on research- and author's viewpoint- rather than the experience of engines/system in action and the benifit of first hand observation of the line compared to other such lines). Mr Ellis is only to happy to label things as good or bad -or even both!-in his view, whereas most authors tend to be biased but not deliberately involved. Here is a fine passage which illustrates what I mean. Ellis writes as if describing something in a novel:

Crossing London River, the railway system of Kent was one of the most individual, most important, best of a kind, worst of a kind, most delightful and most detestable in Great Britain.

What a wonderfully different viewpoint! Modern authors cannot say such things unless they have information from various sources (for example, Edward Talbot's 'The LNWR Recalled' discussed in an earlier post has stories and information from those who worked/lived in LNWR days- the evidence overwhelmingly, for example, redeems F.W Webb of his stigma and also gives his compounds more creedence- this would not be possible without such evidence!).

Of course, this also adds a few problems- first, Ellis is harsh on things he personally dislikes, such as F.W Webb's reign on the LNWR, describing him as an austere, joyless man- several anecdotes from enginemen and others who knew Mr Webb describe him as an authoritarian yet good-natured man appreciative of humour and charitable (see 'The LNWR Recalled' for more). However, this is not Ellis' sole domain- O.S Nock is less critical but also gives Webb a mean serve. Disgracefully, many modern authors from Adrian Vaughn to Owen Jordan (the latter's 'Jordan's Guide to British Steam Locomotives' gives extremely poor misinformation about Webb's experiments and character, the book itself a travesty of criticism that the author is NOT qualified to make on such poor evidence in many subjects mentioned) continue to spiel rubbish about Mr Webb based on dubious evidence- a whitewash against him by his successor, George Whale. (it might interest many that Ellis' biography of Webb in Twenty Locomotive Men has been largely attacked by those in the know as being full of misinformation). A fine biography on him, 'F.W. Webb: in the right place at the Right time',corrects these misinformations very well. Plainly put, Ellis cannot be trusted on Webb in any of his texts!

However, The Trains we loved is a superb tome nonetheless. It is even better when added to Mr Ellis 'Some classic locomotives', which describe a number of types of locomotive- not classes, but designs, such as the beyer-garratt, the Crampton, the 4-6-0 etc (one highly interesting part is given to Ellis' musings on idiotic names applied to some wheel arrangements, such as 'American'for the 4-4-0. He gives the lovely name 'Old English' to the 2-4-0: would that enthusiasts take it up!).

As with all Ellis' texts, there are superb colour paintings to accompany it. Given colour photos of the engines shown are RARE if not NON-EXSISTANT, then these pictures are especially important!

Overall, a superb book- that I mark down solely for Mr Ellis' historical accuracy on some things (apart from the Webb thing I can't bring up the others offhand, but there are some. I think...)

GET A COPY!
9/10
As always, I can assist buyers in tracking it down- ebay is of no use here most of the time.

Excellent Railway Prints "Locos in Profile"

(note: this post didn't go through earlier when I said it was, I only just noticed)

I have recently found a site that offers some of the most detailed profile prints of steam engines I have ever seen- technical precision to every nut and bolt. They're drawn from a combination of sources- works pictures, technical drawings and shots of the engines in service. So far I've had a look at- and am purchasing eventually- the B-17 'Sandringham' and the magnificent 'Cock o' the North'.

So far, there about about ten different prints available- however, what sets this site apart is the 'type submission' section- where you can nominate your favourite engines to be done next! (I have emailed already requesting, you guessed it, Jeanie Deans, the artist knew of the class and said he would consider it if there was more call for pre-grouping types)

The price is fair at around 20-30 pounds for a single print (depends on type of engine you're buying).

LOCOS IN PROFILE

Advice on buying overseas railway goodies

All right, a quick note here to say something on how to find books on certain railway subjects given our pathetic bookstores cater more to car enthusiasts- and the train books are horrifically expensive! Of course, the best thing to do is buy online. So how do you get the most of your money when buying from say the UK or America?

Research!

See a book on the subject on ebay- whether America, UK or Australia, never bid on a item unless you have some idea of what the book is retailing for elsewhere. Often, when you factor in postage you can often get a better deal on Amazon!

A good site to check for british related railway books is Antiqbook- I managed to acquire a copy of the wonderful LNWR locomotive book I mentioned in an earlier post for about half of what someone is currently selling for on ebay. I will add several more good sellers at the end of this post.

Should you buy from the US or UK? Firstly, some things will ONLY be available in the UK or viceversa- you won't find many books on small UK branch lines or locomotives studies on Amazon US unless its a british seller. Also, note that postage seems to vary IMMENSELY from seller to seller. Amazon has a flat rate, but not everything will ship to Australia. American postage is very varied, and I have had to wait longer for US deliveries in general. My record for a package from the UK (Scotland, actually) was four days! (and a very fair priced postage) Generally I've noticed postage for the UK sellers on ebay to be around 6-15 dollars, depending on size- and some sellers are more fair than others.

One very important factor- the exchange rate. The American dollar is killing us, but the Pound is the same its been the last couple of years (averaging around 45 pence to our dollar). Although most people will tell you to source the items from the US instead, I have in the past bought books that have worked out less in the UK than in the US- remember that our dollar is no longer 95 cents to the Greenback, and when the exchange rate comes up with inflated American postage it can really blow out the cost. Not that the UK is immune to this, of course, but I would suggest weighing up the postage costs and the item cost itself before clicking 'buy'.

Whatever you do, don't buy anything from overseas without working out exactly what its going to cost you in AU$. The best site for currency exchange is undoubtedly Xe.com which does up-to date conversions on current market rates- crucial! You should always check the exchange rate just before you hit 'buy'- if you check even one hour earlier things can change for better or worse.



One thing to watch out for in exchange rates: Paypal, the choice of payment used by an awful lot of sites, exchanges money at a lower rate (maybe 1 or 2 cents) than what it is currently being sold for, meaning this will increase your costs slightly- a thing to watch out for. Also, NEVER pay for an item by international money order from your bank- they will charge you though the nose.



One final recommendation I can make: be extremely careful dealing with any country who uses the Euro. Even though this is cheaper than the pound, the postage costs are HORRIFIC. I once ordered a book from italy that cost 10 euros, and had 28 euros postage added to it...coming out at around 70 DOLLARS.



Some good sites:

T-P Rail Books (this gentlemen has some great books, some of which are at very low prices: his postage to australia is 3 pounds surface: extremely fair

UK Book World

Amazon UK (the american one is simply .com)

Antiqbook UK: a fantastic collection of books of every kind, from all manner of seller.


I will add more as I find them, or if you have any good ones please comment!

More T-shirts, REVIEW: "The Leader Project- Fiasco or Triumph?"

Right, about time for an update. At the moment I'm working on a special Highland Railway shirt (which has been praised by the Highland Railway Society!) so anybody who's a fan of the Scottish Lines will be very happy.

Now, for the first of my reviews: given that a limited 00 Gauge run of the famous 'Leader' prototype built by Oliver Bulleid for the Southern is to be expected within one or two years, I thought it timely to cover what is undoubtedly one of the best books about this controversial engine. 'The Leader Project: Fiasco or Triumph?' by Kevin Robertson covers every aspect of the engine's life: from the first experiments done on the H1 Atlantic 'Hartland Point' through to the designs life under BR and its highly sketchy decision to scrap it and two partially completed sisters. The author carefully examines the merits and demerits of the project, and comes to an extremely fair conclusion (and one that most steam fans should agree with in light of the evidence).

What is interesting is not only the engine data but also what has until recently been swept under the proverbial carpet- the attitudes of BR to the project, and the mystery behind why 'Leader' seemed to behave better whenever Bulleid was present and why a number of successful runs were ignored. As for the photographs, it is PROFUSELY and superbly illustrated, with photographs that have seen publication. 'Hartland Point', the Leader itself, its operations and its demise all appear, sadly there is no colour but given the time period and the relative secrecy associated with the project this is unsurprising. However, the magnificent painting on the front cover is definately a great shot!

My verdict?

9/10

If my review has interested you, check out the amazon link (avaliable in papaerback or more expensive hardcover- although the painting is bigger on the hardcover:

LEADER: FIASCO OR TRIUMPH?

As a follow up, consider tracking down a book written about of the 'Leader's' little brother, which has been covered much less but in fact seems to have done much better- it was designed by Bulleid after becoming chief of the Irish CIC railway, to burn peat turf, giving rise to its famous 'Turfburner' tag.

This book, 'Bulleid and the Turf Burner' is not as easy to find but is a great tome not just about the 'Irish Leader' but also other Irish experiments in turf-burning locomotives. Although a litle thin for my liking, it is probably the only good book on the subject, so it is also recommended:

8/10 (deducted a point for the length, which is irritating for non-british buyers given how bad the exchange rate is!)

Amazon link (but try ebay and amazon.co.uk as well)

My LNWR' "battle of the CMEs" post has fallen pretty much by the wayside, in the meantime let me try and bring the best to the blog of all the railways' many subjects!

T-SHIRTS FOR SALE!

INTERJECTION!

Now in addition to enjoying this blog, you can purchase the first of what will be many rail-way themed shirts on my redbubble page. And what better way to start than with two designs of LNER shirt?

One has 'LNER 4472 DONCASTER' in the classic yellow/red lettering (as close as I could get it without seeing the original writing close people!), and the classic LNER ellipse symbol, made with great difficulty in Photoshop!

Please consider purchasing one and help support my efforts to make even better ones!

REDBUBBLE PAGE LINK

Sittingbourne holding on....

Much to the relief of many, the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway seems to now have a better chance of survival. In addition to powerful council and public support, this news has been posted on the official website:

Until very recently these discussions had proved fruitless and meant that we had to resort to a legal approach to add weight to our case.

In early December an offer was received from M-real which is being considered by both the Trustees of the Railway and Swale Borough Council. We will update this website when further information is available

I urge all to continue supporting the line, through the donation pages avaliable on their website (bottom of this post), so we have an even greater chance of pulling off a marvellous resurrection!

Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway