De Winton Of Caernarfon

[Mac]

Not a proper review as I only had a cursory look through the book while searching for a

specific topic...

 

The book is up to the high standards set by RCL publications...lots of images/information.

I was hoping the De Winton book would cover standard gauge Vertical Locomotives.

 

Unfortunately the book only appears to deal with narrow gauge engines; though in great depth.

 

At £58 it's too expensive unless you're a die hard narrow gauge enthusiast.

 

Mac.

[Adam]

I wasn't aware that De Winton ever built any standard gauge machines, unless you know otherwise of course? In which case the details would be fascinating, though who they'd have sold such machines to in north west Wales is open to question.

 

Vertical boilered locomotives were hardly a monopoly of De Winton. In a similar era, Sara and Co.'s Tiny survives and of course Sentinel built hundreds of the things rather later, but these weren't unique, nor, I suspect did they owe anything to De Winton. Such boilers were merely characteristic of these builders.

 

The cover price reflects the economics of small-run publishing, especially for a high-spec', low volume production such as this. £58 is something of a bargain and likely offers only a very small return for the work involved. If the company had produced anything other than railway locomotives - and I think De Winton's primary business was initially as marine engineers and jobbing iron founders with a very localised market* - it's probable that such a volume would not be economically viable and certainly not to RCL's production values for anything like this price. It was, after all, a small concern in a minority interest: industrial history and archaeology.

 

Non-illustrated and similarly niche titles with lower production values in any field (and medieval history is mine in 'real' life) come in at around the same price. A volume on the history of the castles of North Wales which I contributed to is broadly comparable, in terms of spec' at least, but the cover price there (£35) reflects not only a wider interest in the field but subsidy from CADW, the National Museums of Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government to keep the cover price down! No royalties for the authors on that one either, though this is common in academic publishing.

 

Climbing down from my soapbox now...

 

Adam

 

*which the blurb makes explicit.

[halfwit]

I wasn't aware that De Winton ever built any standard gauge machines, unless you know otherwise of course? In which case the details would be fascinating, though who they'd have sold such machines to in north west Wales is open to question.

 

Adam

 

 

'Vertical Boiler Locomotives' by R.A.S. Abbott (Oakwood Press) hints at De Winton building locos "for gauges up to 4 ft 8 1/2 in.", "supplied for use further afield", which could mean outside Wales or sold abroad? No further details are given though.

[Adam]

 

'Vertical Boiler Locomotives' by R.A.S. Abbott (Oakwood Press) hints at De Winton building locos "for gauges up to 4 ft 8 1/2 in.", "supplied for use further afield", which could mean outside Wales or sold abroad? No further details are given though.

 

Thanks Paul. I'd be interested to learn of any evidence (rather than gnomic hints) however. There cannot have been many.

 

Adam

[Mike Bellamy]

Published by Roy Link - along with several other NG titles plus of course Narrow Gauge and Industrial Magazine http://www.narrowgaugeandindustrial.com/books.htm

 

There is more information on the author's own web site here http://de-winton.com/

 

This page details the contents of the book http://de-winton.com/book%20contents%20page.html

 

No specific mention that I could see about 'standard gauge'

 

Mike

[Mac]

Published by Roy Link - along with several other NG titles plus of course Narrow Gauge and Industrial Magazine http://www.narrowgau...l.com/books.htm

 

There is more information on the author's own web site here http://de-winton.com/

 

This page details the contents of the book http://de-winton.com...nts%20page.html

 

No specific mention that I could see about 'standard gauge'

 

Mike

 

Mike.

 

That's a good set of Links you put up.

I've got two of the RCL books and can highly recommend them.

 

I thought about getting 'The Spooner Album' but would have to actually

see its content before committing myself, plus; narrow gauge isn't my main interest.

 

Mac.

[Mac]

 

'Vertical Boiler Locomotives' by R.A.S. Abbott (Oakwood Press) hints at De Winton building locos "for gauges up to 4 ft 8 1/2 in.", "supplied for use further afield", which could mean outside Wales or sold abroad? No further details are given though.

Paul.

 

I've also got this 1989 book which I find very useful.

 

I just wish someone(RCL?) would do a revised 'monster' version on VBLoco's.

 

Mac.

[EddieB]

I had a look at the new book at the Statfold open day last week - very nice, but sadly I can't justify the expense at the moment.

 

 

 

'Vertical Boiler Locomotives' by R.A.S. Abbott (Oakwood Press) hints at De Winton building locos "for gauges up to 4 ft 8 1/2 in.", "supplied for use further afield", which could mean outside Wales or sold abroad? No further details are given though.

 

If you read on, the Abbott discusses "the only example of a reputed standard gauge de Winton locomotive known to the writer", referencing an illustration in The Locomotive for 1905. However he dismisses this as not being from de Winton from its S-spoked wheels and conical smokebox.

 

Abbott includes a partial builder's list (oddly arranged in a sort of alphabetical order of purchasers, rather than chronologically). Comparing this against another in the Stephenson Locomotive Society archive and a further list in British Steam Locomotive Builders by Lowe shows a number of gaps, discrepancies and overlaps between all three, but none positively identify any standard gauge products.

 

I agree that a more comprehensive work on "coffee pots" would be welcome. There were many other builders in this country, who not only supplied to the home market, but also exported widely (e.g. Chaplin - five survivors, one in Glasgow, one Helsingborg, Sweden, one in working order in Denmark and remains of two in Belize), to say nothing of "foreign" builders such as Cockerill (founded by an Englishman of that name).

[Mac]

Re' this matter about whether DeWinton ever built standard gauge Loco's?

 

What I said was..."I was hoping the De Winton book would cover standard gauge Vertical Locomotives."

The book does mention an 1840's example(from Armstrong) and provides a poor illustration.

 

 

As to whether the price is a bargain or too expensive: that's up to the individual who's buying it. I personally think it's too dear

but I'm not really a rabidly enthusiastic narrow gauge fan.

 

What I would say to anyone who's considering buying the book, but is unsure about what they're getting

for this outlay is to spend 15 minutes browsing through it at a booksellers, or better still, try to reserve/borrow

a copy through your main library before committing to a purchase.

 

Mac.