Ruston Way - the Story of a Locomotive, a Company, a Family

Richard Thompson   IRS 2024

Softback, £12, Members price £10

This book marks a departure for the Industrial Railway Society because the primary subject is not an industrial railway, but the subsequent career of a former industrial locomotive in the heritage railway sector. In 2003 the author purchased Ruston & Hornsby’s No.299099, a type 88DS. For much of the period since then it has acted as the regular shunter at Tyseley Locomotive Works, pushing around some of the most well-known steam, diesel and electric locomotives in the country, as is well illustrated here. However, this book is not just about one locomotive, nor even the other Ruston locomotives in whose preservation the author has been involved. It provides a general introduction to Ruston & Hornsby’s development, including their non-railway products and their role in one of Churchill’s less successful ideas for a secret weapon (in which the author’s grandfather was involved). The impact of the company on the city of Lincoln is also covered, reminding us that the factory which built the final Ruston railway locomotives is still active today, producing gas turbines.  112 pages A4, more than 120 photos, plus Ruston adverts and extracts from their brochures.

“Really impressive … Fabulous photos, and I love the reproduction of the advertising and promotional material … ‘Ruston Way’ is brilliant!”   Les Ross MBE