Lowe's British steam locomotive builders
British steam locomotive builders. Cambridge: Goose, 1975. 705pp.
Ottley 10510: "A comprehensive work embodying
great detail." Includes both "company builders" (such as Robert Stephenson,
and many obscure companies which must have been difficult to trace) and railway
builders, such as the Midland Railway. The author had been a premium apprentice
at the Wolverhampton Works of the GWR. The main arrangement is by company,
but location might have been better, and some entries are under individuals
(such as Hedley). There is a great deal of difference in the depth of detail
between individual entries: some are relatively concise, others list the
entire output. In some cases one suspects that Lowe incorporates all of the
probably very limited information which is still available. Lowe clearly
states where there is doubt about a company's output, but failed to state
how the knowledge of a specific works had arisen. There are several excellent
indexes and the illustrations had been chosen either beacuse of their historical
interest or to illustrate some of the more unusual products of a specific
works.. List of companies included.
Bibliography was reasonably good, although Steam locomotive development
is not there.
The book is not faultless: Douglas Earle Marsh did not die in 1911 (page 396) but in 1933, and the Marsh Atlantics largely remained un-named until given names by Southern Railway. By some miracle some generous patron (Andrew Carnegie perhaps) had given a copy to the Norwich Rustic Library Service.
British steam locomotive builders. Supplement
Hickley: TEE publishing. 1984. 56pp.
Described as "rare" by some avaricious booksellers: personal copy
cost £2.50 (secondhand).
2004-10-17