Former railwayman Peter David has compiled this detailed history of the London & North Western Railway three-cylinder Compound locos developed by the railway’s Chief Mechanical Engineer Francis (a.k.a. Frank) Webb.
The book is the culmination of over 40 years of research into the real story of these somewhat controversial locos and attempts to dispel the many ill-informed myths about them that have been published over the decades since the last examples were scrapped.
The book examines the development of these locos, their engineering detail and performance in service, and what life was like for the footplate crews and engineers who operated and maintained them. There are separate chapters on each of the distinct loco fleets, starting with the first Compounds known as the “Experiments”. The last chapter looks at examples of Webb Compounds built for overseas railways including countries as diverse as France, Austro-Hungary, the USA, Bolivia and India. The book is well illustrated with original photos and technical drawings, and at the back there is a full fleet list.
Hardback. 268 pages. Approximately 200 black & white photos.