The Acquired Wagons of British Railways Vol. 1 Fleet Composition and Brake Vans

David Larkin   Crecy Publishing 2017

Hardback  £25

Written by one of the acknowledged experts on British railway wagons, David Larkin, this first volume sets the scene by describing in detail the wagon fleet which BR inherited in 1948 including the many private owner wagons which had been requisitioned for general service during the war. The second part of the book contains the first of the wagon directories and deals with the Brake Vans, at least one of these had to be included in the  formation of every goods train running on the network. Brake vans from all the ‘Big Four’ and survivors from their constituent companies are listed and described with information provided on the entry to service and withdrawal of the various types described.