Railway enthusiast and engineer Colin Boocock has compiled this detailed survey of the Southern Railway locos of Chief Mechanical Engineer Oliver Bulleid.
Each chapter covers a different class of loco designed by Bulleid, describing its main design and technical features and areas of operation. The book also tries to make sense of some of the more controversial aspects of his activities, such as his reasons for not pursuing the ideal of a 2-8-2 for the SR and how the “Leader” project went out of control.
Bulleid’s best known designs of loco were the famous “Merchant Navy”, “West Country” and “Battle of Britain” class Pacifics. Others included the Q1 class freight locos, USA Class 0-6-0Ts built for shunting at Southampton docks, the prototype 1Co-Co1 diesel-electrics, and the Bulleid-Raworth Co-Co electrics.
In 1949 Bulleid was appointed CME of Irish national transport operating company Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ), and his loco designs for the Irish rail network are thus also covered. These include the 0-6-6-0T turf-burning steam locos and the numerous classes of diesel loco that he designed for CIÉ as he was involved in a major dieselisation programme during his reign as CME. In that respect Ireland was ahead of British Railways’ Modernisation Plan.
The last chapter looks at Bulleid’s legacies in the form of preserved examples of his locos, including static museum exhibits and working locos on heritage railways and on the main line for use on charter trains.
Hardback. 228 pages. Over 300 photos, mostly black & white.