BR/Swindon Type 1 Class 14: Their Life on British Railways.

[tony6710]

My next book in the Pen & Sword ‘Locomotive Portfolios’ series is now ready for release by the end of this month. The book is entitled “The BR Swindon Type 1 0-6-0 Diesel-Hydraulic Locomotives: BR Class 14: Their Life on British Railways”. Many outlets are already offering the book for pre-order.

This book, as the title implies, covers the history of the Class 14 during their very short life with British Railways. A second book will follow very soon covering “Their Life in Industry”. Both books have been heavily researched and will provide the same level of detail as my previous four books on the Class 15/16, 17, 21/29 and 28 locomotives.

In the late-1950s a requirement for about 400 Type 1 locomotives were envisaged by the Western Region; only 56 were eventually built during 1964/65 after design delays and all were withdrawn by April 1969.The reasons for the dramatic reduction of the actual fleet introduced and their rapid subsequent demise are explored, particularly with respect to the significant political, legal and economic forces in play at the time.

Technical difficulties experienced by the Class are discussed together with actions taken to improve the availability and performance, actions which only served to make them eminently suitable and largely reliable workhorses in the their later industrial life. A few pages at the end of the book provide a pictorial ‘taster’ of their life in industry, a truly fascinating period in the later life of the bulk of the fleet.

Thank you to everyone who have bought my previous books and I hope you will like the latest offering.

[863Warrior]

My copy arrived yesterday, directly from the publishers. First impressions are that it follows the same high quality of the author's previous works on the smaller, or often overlooked early diesel classes. For me, this book was a 'must', as it fills a big gap in the plethora of diesel hydraulic publications, and I am not disappointed.

[Strathwood]

We are shipping customer's copies who took advantage of our pre-order discount, there are a lot of you so please be patient, midnight tonight is your last chance to grab the 23% special discount as they came in earlier than the expected 30 March.

 

https://strathwood.co.uk/products/rrp-30-00-due-out-30-march-2022-pre-order-special-price-is-just-22-99-br-swindon-type1-0-6-0-diesel-hydraulic-locomotives-class-14-their-life-on-british-railways

 

Kevin

Edited March 7, 2022 by Strathwood

[BrushVeteran]

Well yet another superb publication from Anthony Sayer. The style of presentation adopted by Pen & Sword makes the reading easy and with such detailed history involving internal politics before they were even built really leaves no doubt that they should never have been built at all. What a complete waste of money and that they only lasted 4-5 years. I doubt that they were 'bargains' for the industrial sector either but BR did manage to save face by selling the majority off, no doubt at a big loss!

A fascinating insight into a rather latecomer of an archaic design which interestingly all ended up in one area of the WR. I only photographed two of the 81A examples which had just about managed to get themselves on crew training runs to Didcot but I don't think any of the four, D9521-4, made it into Oxford, not from my research anyway. The only others I photographed were by then out of use at Canton.

I hope we see more books from the same author although the research involved in some of the larger classes makes the documentation process a mammoth task when you go into the finite detail that has emerged from all of his work!  Well recommended!

[br2975]

Mine arrived two days ago, and is still here beside me.

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Despite being  a lifelong 'lover' of the class - many of which I got the chance to see in service in South Wales, my onetime criticism of the Western Region management decision to build the class has softened since reading  the detailed info in Tony's book.

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Sadly, since being in contact with Tony, during his research, I recently came by further, detailed BR (WR)  information on their duties in South Wales, especially the Cardiff Valleys. 

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A thoroughly recommended book.

[Trainshed Terry]

My copy arrived 3 days ago I have had a quick flick through but have not started to read it, but it looks like a very detailed book for the "Teddy Bears". 

 

Terry.

[tony6710]

Thanks for your kind comments, everyone.

Regarding br2975's comment about new information.....For every single book I've now written, new information has turned up immediately after the manuscript has been sent to the printers, or soon after the book has been published. C'est la vie! Or the Law of Sodde!

[uax6]

Tony,

Are you going to add some of the new stuff to part two of the book? 

 

Andy G

[Pandora]

I have ordered a copy,  I have a soft spot for the class 14, I recall seeing them at Doncaster during their transfer to Hull.

For the construction of HS1, the class 14 and 08 shared duties at Beechbrook Farm, the shunters told me the 08 was the better loco for shunting,  the 08 could reverse direction very quickly, the class 14 driver had to sit and wait for the hydraulic transmission to refill on every change of direction,  were the class 14 locos every assessed for use on hump-shunting duties such as Tinsley Yard where their 650 hp would have matched a class 13 ?

[The Stationmaster]

14 hours ago, tony6710 said:

Thanks for your kind comments, everyone.

Regarding br2975's comment about new information.....For every single book I've now written, new information has turned up immediately after the manuscript has been sent to the printers, or soon after the book has been published. C'est la vie! Or the Law of Sodde!

Maybe do a supplement in the way Lightmoor have for one of their books?

[tony6710]

Hi uax6,

"br2975"'s new stuff won't be included in the next book. Design work on "Their Life in Industry" has been completed so it is now too late for it to be included unfortunately.

"The Stationmaster" idea of a supplement or a "miscellany" book is being considered, this to include all new information acquired and/or received covering all of the Classes covered in my previous books. That will inevitably take quite a while though.

Out of courtesy I will, of course, need to talk to "br2975" first, to get his permission to use the new material! I'm sure he will be amenable but I can't just assume that.

[Lord Flashheart]

Slowly working my way through my copy,excellent book, will certainly be getting the next volume on their industry history. 

 

Rob

[The Stationmaster]

Copy duly bought direct from the publisher yesterday at Ally Pally at the 'show price' .  Detailed reading yet to commence so it will be interesting to see if their stint on short distance newspaper train working from Paddington is included.

[russ p]

40 minutes ago, The Stationmaster said:

Copy duly bought direct from the publisher yesterday at Ally Pally at the 'show price' .  Detailed reading yet to commence so it will be interesting to see if their stint on short distance newspaper train working from Paddington is included.

 

Same here and a nice free bag too

[Hippel]

@tony6710

Any more projects in the pipeline?

Paul

[Dubaimike]

The Pen & Sword website shows a book by Tony on the Class 22s, to be published at the end of April. It's also available on Amazon UK, along with a follow up volume which is due in July.