Churchward's 2 cylinder Saint Class 4-6-0s were arguably one of the most
important locomotive developments of the twentieth century. The
seventy-seven members of the class were so successful that most of the
other railway companies in this country used the same 2 cylinder 4-6-0
formula in the design of their own mixed traffic locomotives. Over the
years the Saints saw a number of modifications, with many of the class
passing into BR ownership. The last member of the class, no. 2920 Saint
Martin, was withdrawn from service in 1953 and was sadly not preserved.
However, the Great Western Society are now constructing a replica Saint
at Didcot Railway Centre. Numbered 2999 it will be named Lady of Legend.
In this book author Laurence Waters charts the remarkable history of the
class from the construction of the prototype Saint at Swindon in 1902,
right through to the final withdrawals in 1953. Using many previously
unpublished black and white photographs, accompanied by informative
captions, each member of the class is illustrated. This book should
appeal to those interested in the history of Great Western Locomotive
development as well as modellers of the Great Western and Western
Region.
