Hydraulics in the West

This exciting new title aims to follow the style of the successful Steam Trails series and record the operation of various diesel-hydraulic classes in southwest England, from the early 1960s through to their final withdrawal. In the process of dieselization, while the bulk of BR favored the use of diesel-electric traction, for the Western Region, diesel-hydraulic transmission was selected. Based on German technology, hydraulic transmission theoretically offered a better power-to-weight ratio and four classes of main-line locomotive were built between 1958 and 1965. In all, just over 350 diesel-hydraulic locomotives were constructed, but as a consequence of unreliability, loss of traffic, and reduction in the railway industry, all had been withdrawn by early 1978. A significant number survive in preservation, where they remain hugely popular among enthusiasts. Expert David Cable uses informative captions and descriptive text alongside a variety of unseen and previously unpublished illustrations to tell the tale of Hydraulics in the West.