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 The last member of the class, no. 2920 Saint Martin, was withdrawn from service in 1953 and was sadly not preserved.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 Using many previously unpublished black and white photographs, accompanied by informative captions, each member of the class is illustrated.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. AUTHOR: A retired professional photographer and photography teacher. He has a special interest in local history, particularly local transport. He has an Oxford University Undergraduate Diploma in English Local History. Over recent years he has written, or contributed as co-author to a number of local history books. His main interest is the Great Western Railway, and the Western Region, and he has written a number of books on the subject. He is currently the Honorary photographic archivist of the Great Western Trust at Didcot Railway centre. 180 b/w illustrations
