Stanier Jubilees (Hardcover)

First introduced in 1934 and designed by William Stanier, the 'Jubilee' class of 4-6-0 represented a significant development of express passenger locomotive for use on the metals of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway. Designed for use over routes where the heavier 'Royal Scots' were barred or for more long-distance work, the class proved ultimately to be hugely successful, with more than 190 being built between 1934 and 1936. With the Silver Jubilee of King George V being celebrated in 1935, one of the class was painted in a special livery and named Silver Jubilee; other members of the class were given names redolent of the Empire, of Imperial triumphs, of famous individuals in British history and of Royal Navy warships over the ages. The class saw operation for some three decades, with the last few of the type achieving cult status when based at Holbeck shed in Leeds for use over the Settle & Carlisle line. In the latest volume in the well-received 'Working Steam' series, Geoff Rixon has compiled a sumptuous collection of colour images portraying the varied operations of the 'Jubilee' class during their last decade in service. Covering the use of the class over both the ex-LMS network, on which they were familiar sights for many years, as well as the ex-Great Central route, on which they operated with considerable success when the LMR took control of the route in the late 1950s, the book shows the considerable variety of traffic handled by the class during this period. With contributions from his own collection as well as those of many of the other well-known railway photographers, the book is largely illustrated with material that is previously unpublished.