NEW BOOKS
MIDLAND RAILWAY & LMS 4-4-0 LOCOMOTIVES THEIR DESIGN, OPERATION & PERFORMANCE, by David Maidment. Pen and Sword. PRICE: £35.00
his is the latest volume on locomotive classes from this prolific publisher by this accomplished author; previous ones I’ve reviewed in the same format include studies on the LNER 4-6-0s, SR Maunsell 4-4-0s, SR Maunsell 2-6-0s and the GWR ‘Kings’. As usual, any royalties will be donated to The Railway Children Charity; a most-magnanimous gesture. After the customary acknowledgements and an introduction (in which the writer remembers his first-hand knowledge of travelling behind Compounds), the book’s 352 pages are divided up into descriptions of the three engineers responsible for the designs (Johnson, Deeley and Fowler), the Midland Class I’d make a comparison myself, inasmuch as it shows the difference between a ‘small engine policy’ (Midland) and a ‘large engine policy’ (GNR). A century ago, the largest MR express passenger locomotive was a 4-4-0, whereas the GNR was building its first 4-6-2s. Partisanship apart, this book is a worthy addition to any library. It’s very good value for money and I recommend it.
