The ten 6x4 ins colour prints of Western Region steam in this set date between 1952 and 1965.  It opens with a RARE and HISTORICALLY IMPORTANT view of 6014 KING EDWARD V at Leamington Spa in 1952, whilst carrying the short-lived BR Top Link BLUE livery. Only a handful of colour views of BLUE Kings have ever been discovered, and modern digital photo processing has revealed the true quality of this historic view. The locomotive carries NO tender lettering or insignia.  The 48xx or later 14xx

0-4-2Ts have long been a favourite, and No 1444 is seen in steam at Swindon on 20 September 1964, shortly before withdrawal. The engine is in fairly clean lined green livery and looks a delight.  A 51xx large prairie, No 4112 has arrived at Leamington Spa with a Birmingham local in 1952. The engine is unlined black with a large bicycling lion emblem. The 61xx prairies were provided with higher boiler pressure for London suburban services. No 6126 is in unlined green at Oxford on 8 July 1964. With bright work well polished, a clean Castle class 4-6-0 No 7027, THORNBURY CASTLE, heads an express over the level crossing at Chippenham in 1963.  A grimy No 6955 LYDCOTT HALL, enters Oxford with a class 4 fully fitted freight on 8 June 1964. Sister engine No 7915 MERE HALL drifts southbound through Southam Road & Harbury station in September 1964, The nameplates have gone, but the engine is clean, and the Brunellian station building, signal box and general scene are evocative of happy days of long ago. Banbury livened up its loco allocation in latter days by painting the smoke box hinges white. 6849 WALTON GRANGE is rust streaked, but the white smokebox hinges give a splash of colour in this evocative evening scene from 30 October 1965. She was one of the last trio of 6xxx Grange 4-6-0s active when Western Region steam ended in December 1965, but was alas broken up. This shot at Banbury shed is perfect for the modeller requiring weathering details. No 6833 CALCOT GRANGE heads a down class 8 mineral hopper train through Fenny Compton station on 27 July 1964.  Finally, we return to the 60xx King class and a glorious portrait of 6011 KING JAMES I, with double chimney and the later BR emblem on the tender. This clean ‘In service’ condition shed view is another gem for the modeller, as the engine has just a patina of road grime, and some burning of the smokebox paint near the steam pipe, but is otherwise well cared for. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.

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GWR Steam, inc 10xx, 60xx Set B 10 6x4 COLOUR Prints

This set of 10 6x4 Ins Colour Prints follows on after Set A, and portrays Great Western Steam from early BR days to the trauma of the scrapyard.  It opens with a delightful view of 5010 RESTORMEL CASTLE entering Leamington Spa in the early fifties with a down express composed entirely of Carmine and Cream stock. A very smart 49xx Class, No 6911,HOLKER HALL passes Southam Road & Harbury Signal Box with a fully fitted freight in 1963. A 6959 Class Modified Hall, No 6974 BRYNGWYN HALL enters Oxford with a Class 4 fitted freight on 8 July 1964.  These two views show the differences between the two series at a glance. The 10xx Counties were the final series of GWR 4-6-0s and sadly none were preserved.  1024, COUNTY OF PEMBROKE, still with original single chimney, waits time at Leamington Spa with an up express in 1957. The red route availability disc, D power class and X branding show clearly in this superb rear three quarters study of this graceful locomotive. AN increasing number of modellers depict the closing years of steam, with run down and neglected engines nearing the ends of their lives. We have used this study of a woebegone No 6671 at Banbury on 13 June 1965 for weathering details, so know how useful it is. 57xx  No 9654 drifts through Oxford station on 8 July 1964. King class 4-6-0 No 6018 is caught at Saunderton on the GW & GC Joint in 1962, just before the mass withdrawal of the Kings. The train is mixed chocolate and cream, and maroon stock. The end for Western Region steam came in December 1965, and No 6957, NORCLIFFE HALL, which had lasted until October 1965, met her fate in Banbury Shed yard, where she is seen, minus her boiler and cab on 5 February 1966. The smokebox still survived, giving an unusual chance in a second scene to see the tubeplate, pierced for small and large superheater  boiler tubes. Two sad views but an important and part of the steam scene, rarely recorded in colour. Finally to return to happier days, a lined green large prairie tank, No 4120, is in volcanic action at the head of a class 8 mineral at Southam Road & Harbury  on 12 September 1964. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.

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GWR Steam, inc 43xx, 78xx Set C 10 6x4 COLOUR Prints

This set of 10 6x4 Ins Colour Prints follows on after Sets A and B, and portrays Great Western Steam from early BR days to the last months of Western Region steam. It opens with a superb portrait of 10xx class No 1022 COUNTY OF NORTHAMPTON on an up express of carmine and cream stock at Leamington Spa in 1957, shortly after it received a double chimney. A wheel tapper is walking past the tender. 0-4-2T No 1444 is depicted in a useful rear three quarters angle at Westbury shed on 20 September 1964. A great shot for the modeller. Large prairie tank No 4171 heads north through Southam Road & Harbury Station on 3 July 1964. Most GW stations had a grind wheel for pw men to sharpen their tools. The tool store and grind wheel appear in the background. 57xx pannier tank has arrived at Leamington with carmine liveried local passenger stock in an early 1950s scene of this useful workhorse in unlined black with the original BR lion device. 60XX  No 6026 KING JOHN is at Old Oak Common on 12 June 1963.  London suburban prairie, No 6129 is in unlined green at Oxford on 8 July 1964. By 1964, the 43xx Churchward moguls were a rare sight, and No 6364, caught at Leamington Spa on 29 July 1964 was in woebegone state with badly stained boiler cladding, but she lasted to the end of 43xx operations that November. A commendably clean 38xx 2-8-0 No 3819 heads a rake of empty ironstone tipplers off the Stratford curve at Hatton Junction in 1957. Our next view is of No 7816 FRILSHAM MANOR, still proudly carrying GWR on the tender. Astonishingly, this is not an early fifties view but was taken at Oxford on 13 June 1965, in the last months of Western steam working. The tender, which is very rusty and with a corrosion hole in the coal space, is probably a replacement tender that has been pressed into use after lying in store for many years, but what a wonderful sight to see a Hawksworth style GWR inscription on a tender in the last months of Western Region steam. A gleaming No 7020, GLOUCESTER CASTLE carries reporting code M04 as she heads an express north through Harbury station in 1963. A truly evocative shot of a traditional GWR station. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.

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GWR Steam, inc GW livery, Set D 10 6x4 COLOUR Prints

This set of 10 6x4 Ins Colour Prints follows on after Sets A, B and C, and commences with am evocative 1951 study of Collett large Prairie tank No 5163 of 1930, STILL in full GWR livery and lettering at Leamington Spa station in 1951. A former LMSR tank locomotive is seen at the adjacent ex LMSR station in the distance.  Sister engine No 4179, was the last Large Prairie tanks to be built in December 1949, and is seen in grimy BR livery with 1957 lion on the tank side at Leamington in 1964.  56xx 0-6-2T No 6671 heads an up freight through Southam Road & Harbury station in 1964.  Auto Tank No 1444 is seen at Westbury station on 20 September 1964, in a classic view that includes the signal box and traditional GWR station buildings. 2-8-0 No 3814 heads an unfitted freight out of the up refuge siding at Harbury station in the early 1950s, the engine carrying BR black with Bicycling Lion insignia.  A gleaming No 4079 PENDENNIS CASTLE is seen at Chester shortly after preservation and prior to its sale down under. Coaching stock is in Corporate blue and grey whilst a magnificent semaphore signal gantry and DMUs in green add to the period charm. Although not perfect, an evocative 1951 study of 4974 TALGARTH HALL in BR lined black with bicycling lion at Leamington Spa recalls the early BR mixed traffic livery applied to these engines. No 6967 WILLESLEY HALL, was one of the last GWR steam engines to be withdrawn in December 1965. She is seen at the unusual grey brick coal hole at Oxford a few months previously, when shorn of her nameplatres but retaining numberplates.  No 6864 DYMOCK GRANGE thunders through Harbury Station at the head of a summer Saturday extra in 1964 in a dramatic action portrait.  6001 KING EDWARD VII, which received a double chimney in February 1956, is seen on an up express at Leamington Spa a few months later.  A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright and may not be reproduced without prior written permission.