"Maunsell Moguls" by Peter Swift

[Horsetan]

This is a new book which - on Amazon and one or two other websites - is billed as fitting into the Ian Allan "Locomotives in Detail" series. However, it does not bear the same style of cover (see attached photo of my copy) - indeed, were it not for the style of content, it could almost be a stand-alone work.

 

An in-depth study of the Maunsell Mogul family (including the 2-6-4T tanks) is something that has been long overdue, though, and Peter Swift's work certainly goes a long way to telling the complete story about how this useful group of locomotives were conceived, built and then modified. For the first time, we have tables of the major dimensions and measurements, and explanations of the subtle differences exhibited between the sub-classes, all in one work. It is packed full of photographs of all the variations, including those which were built for the Irish broad gauge.

 

However, it's not all a bed of roses. The major disappointment concerns the scale drawings at the back of the book. These are a reprint of the late Ian Beattie's old drawings for the "Railway Modeller" magazine and, as such, cover only the "N" and "N1" classes. None of the drawings have any measurements marked on them, and no scale is given - you'd have to be in-the-know to realise that they are intended to be 4mm/ft or 1:76 scale.

 

No attempt is made to produce drawings for the new-build "U" class, or those that were rebuilt from the "River" tanks, so here is a major omission and one which will hinder those who want to build an accurate model. Likewise, there are no "U1" drawings, or indeed any drawings covering the "River", "W" class or Metropolitan "K" tanks, still less the engines built for the Irish broad gauge, even though they are all described and photographed fully in their own chapters.

 

If this book runs to a subsequent edition, one would hope that the omissions would be addressed but I fear they won't.

[brushman47544]

Thanks for the heads up, Horsetan. I wonder if this is a reprint of the earlier book by Peter Swift or an update? Either way I can't find this new one on the net - do you have the ISBN number which may help, please.

[ThePipersSon]

I got mine from http://www.waterstones.com/waterstonesweb/products/peter+swift/maunsell+moguls/6713183/

 

Ignore the wrong picture.

[brushman47544]

Thanks. I've now ordered from the bookdepository.co.uk (reliable for overseas mail) - they have the same, incorrect picture, but the publication date and ISBN are the same.

[Horsetan]

..... I wonder if this is a reprint of the earlier book by Peter Swift or an update?....

 

Was there an earlier one? I'm only aware of Profile of the Southern Moguls as being only one of two earlier works to focus on these classes, the other being one by J.W.P. Rowledge being long out of print.

[brushman47544]

Was there an earlier one? I'm only aware of Profile of the Southern Moguls as being only one of two earlier works to focus on these classes, the other being one by J.W.P. Rowledge being long out of print.

 

At the time of my original post I was only aware of the image on Amazon and incorrectly assumed it was an older edition, not an incorrect image of the new book. That's why I asked about the ISBN number. All solved now anyway.

[brushman47544]

I've now had a good look at the book and agree it is interesting, with quite a lot of information that was new to me. However, I too was disappointed in some of the "detail". For example, I was hoping for - and for a book supposedly of the ilk of the "Locomotives in Detail" series - might have expected details of which 318xx locos had the tenders with sloped raves and when. A couple of examples and then a vague comment that there were probbaly others doesn't really fit the bill I'm afraid. Redhill's 31862 is a well known example lasting until the end of steam on the Reading - Redhill line and I've seen pictures of it with early emblem and late crest with a sloped tender (which it had when withdrawn) and also a straight tender with late crest so in theory it had at least three tenders swops during its existence.

 

So certainly a useful book, but not really the in depth study I was hoping for.

[Morgan+4]

Care is needed regarding drawings for the Irish moguls. The Great Southern Railways issued a diagram for Class 372 (K1) Nos 371-391 (i.e. the 5' 6" driving wheel version) which is reasonably accurate, and which has its direct counterpart in the English Southern Railway Class N. However, when it came to Class 393 (K1a) Nos 393-398, the GSR merely re-labelled the Class 372 diagram which is clearly incorrect re driving wheel diameters, splashers, etc. There does not appear to be any reliable drawing of Class 393 in existence.

 

Also, it should be noted that Class 393 differs from Class U in that although 6' driving wheels were fitted, the original Class N-based frames were employed. (The U's had a longer driving wheelbase than the N's). The account of Class 393 in "Locomotives of the GSR" Clements/ Mcmahon - Colourpoint Books 2008 is in error on this point.

 

 

[Horsetan]

Care is needed regarding drawings for the Irish moguls. ...

 

Certainly the footplate was wider than the Southern variants, even though the original cab width was kept.