This is both an in-depth look at the history of the steam locomotive "Bahamas" and of the people involved with the engine throughout its revenue-earning career and subsequent preservation era.
Set against the contemporary social background, the book charts the creation of this class of locomotive, its flaws, and the challenge to improve performance against the deteriorating quality of coal.
The story continues with the decline of the steam locomotive and the first steps towards today’s heritage railway industry via the ‘steam ban’ and the ‘return to steam’, through which Bahamas had its part to play, albeit with plenty of anxiety for those involved.
The story is brought up-to-date through the rise and fall of the Dinting Railway Centre, the move to the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway, and the overhauls undertaken necessary for it to be an operational steam locomotive once again.
Well-illustrated throughout with over 300 illustrations. Hardback. 256 pages.