For many the Great Western Railway possessed a special atmosphere all of its own, placing it head and shoulders above all other British railway companies. The sleepy West Country branch line was as typically GWR as the bustling London terminus at Paddington with its constant stream of Main Line traffic arriving from, and departing to, destinations all around the network.
Locomotives designed at Swindon, the company’s headquarters, by the likes of Churchward, Hawksworth and Collett also had a distinctive character of their own, which instantly gave no doubt as to their origins.
Today, with well over a hundred survivors, we are able to behold the mystique of these magnificent machines, as several have been brought back to life, to once again steam through the countryside of Britain.
Ranging from the diminutive 1400 class 0-4-2 auto tanks to the majestic 'King' class 4-6-0 express engines, this programme includes no less than 65 different engines, demonstrating the quality of Great Western Locomotive engineering. |
