The Southern Railway Lord Nelson Class steam locomotive is often overlooked when discussing express steam locomotives. Its introduction came after the classic and much revered King Arthurs and Schools, and it was followed by Bullied’s renowned Pacifics. In such company any design might suffer through comparison.
And yet on first appearing the Lord Nelson attracted many plaudits from railway professionals, including the footplate crew, and the public alike. In truth the class deserved far greater acclaim and the locomotives were, in fact, sturdy, reliable performers that served the Southern Railway well on the heavy boat trains for which they were designed and across their other passenger services for 30 years and more.
Southern Railway Lord Nelson Class 4-6-0s: Their Design and Development is an illustrated review of the class, examining the evolution that gave rise to the prototype locomotive and looking at the production series in detail. It provides an in depth analysis that re-examines these impressive engines using new material, eye witness accounts, contemporary assessments, photographs and drawings.
The book also looks at the working lives of locomotives in the class and includes a history of all 16 examples that were built. Well illustrated, with over 200 archive black & white photographs and diagrams. 176 pages. Hardback.