Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings, Hardcover

Richly illustrated with more than 200 photographs, Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings examines the history and workings of these legendary classes of passenger steam locomotives, the first of which, the North Star, was built in 1906. The book includes illustrated explanations of how Great Western Railway steam engines work, and gives details of the engines' work on named expresses and in ordinary service. An overview of the survivors, heritage organizations and their futures is included. Technical specifications and timelines of each class are given, as are GWR and British Rail Motive Power Depot codes and train head codes.

Allen Jackson joined the Royal Air Force as an apprentice. He subsequently worked on Cold War aircraft and later taught at an engineering apprentice training school. After leaving the RAF he worked for a manufacturer of bespoke computer systems before becoming involved with computerized systems for the fire and rescue services in the UK and Bahrain. He formed his own company in 2004. Allen has been fascinated by real and model railways since he was six. His books for Crowood include the highly acclaimed A Contemporary Perspective on GWR Signalling - Semaphore Swansong, and Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings .