The Duchesses: The Story of Britain's Ultimate Steam Locomotives

2015 | History & Politics

The Duchesses tells the story of the ' Princess Coronation' class of locomotives -the streamlined embodiments of raw, bulked-up muscle and formidable power that any enthusiast will tell you were the finest steam engines in Britain. Conceived of by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway to rival the LNER' s illustrious ' A4 Pacifics' , these trains heralded in the last golden age of steam. Designed by the great William Stanier, theirs is a story of grand beginnings, a slow trajectory of decline and a recent, celebrated rebirth. Today, there are two ' Duchesses' still in existence: Duchess of Hamilton and Duchess of Sutherland are now restored to their original streamlined appearance. As The Duchesses' beautiful cover illustration suggests, these Coronation locomotives were beautiful to behold; truly majestic feats of engineering. Andrew Roden' s book tells the story of their time in British Railways service; the class' decommissioning in the 1960s; the extraordinary saga of two trains' unlikely preservation by Billy Butlin at his holiday camps; and their eventual return to steam on the main line.

The Duchesses completes a trilogy of railway books from Aurum, joining Mallard - the story of the world' s fastest steam locomotive - and Flying Scotsman - that of the world' s most famous.

Andrew Roden (Author)