The book investigates the vast number of locomotives that came to the London Midland Region in 1948 at Nationalisation. This is a class by class survey with over 200 illustrations, covering all the top link and freight classes, also looking at the smaller types of locomotive, operating on branch lines and doing more humble tasks. The author explores what happened to them and also looks at those that eventually made their way into preservation.

Extensively illustrated with photos, a history of the many locomotives that became part of this British Railways region. This book investigates the vast number of locomotives that came to the London Midland Region in 1948 upon the nationalization of the four largest railway companies in the UK. It is a class-by-class survey with over two hundred illustrations, covering all the top link and freight classes and also looking at the smaller types of locomotive, operating on branch lines and doing more humble tasks. The author explores what happened to them, and also looks at those that eventually made their way into preservation.

After the Second War, Britains railways were rundown and worn out, requiring massive investment and modernisation. The Big Four railway companies were nationalized from 1948, and the newly formed British Railways embarked on a programme of building new Standard steam locomotives to replace older types. These started to come on stream from 1951.

The London Midland Region (LMR), which served central England, played a leading role in British railway history. This famous network linked many of the key cities and towns that were essential for British manufacturing and commerce - London, Rugby, Crewe, Chester, Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham and Bristol. The LMR was always at the heart of the railway industry.

The first steam locomotives used on any British railway, worked in industry. The use of new and second hand former main line locomotives, was once a widespread aspect of the railways of Britain. This volume covers many of the once numerous manufacturers who constructed steam locomotives for industry and contractors from the 19th to the mid 20th centuries. David Mather has spent many years researching and collecting photographs across Britain, of most of the different locomotive types that once worked in industry. This book is designed to be both a record of these various manufacturers and a useful guide to those researching and modelling industrial steam.