REVIEW OF THE MONTH
BOOK
A History of British Rail Engineering Limited
Richard Marks
Pen & Sword Books, 47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS. Tel: 01226 734222. Web: www.pen-andsword.co.uk Description: Hardback, 240 x 160mm, 254pp. ISBN: 9781399066358. Price: £25.
It is little recognised that British Railways’ headquarters policy decision to run down the steam locomotive fleet was devastating for its workshops. Just to dispense with one class could result in redundancies as engineers and craftsmen dependent on overhauls and even routine repairs were suddenly unnecessary. There was also no need to manufacture or keep a stock of parts.
In later years, it was the exactly the same situation when diesels, electrics, coaches and wagons were either eliminated as surplus or wore out. Many of their replacements have been built overseas and are maintained at small purpose-built facilities close to where they work.
The Achilles heel of a bespoke facility such as a railway works is that it is at the entire mercy of sudden policy decisions, and successive governments of all political
