Known as the Prairies, these tank engines of the 2-6-2T variety were some of Churchward's earliest designs and were the precursor for successful variations of one of the classes - numbered 51XX until 1949. There were two basic types, the smaller type for branch lines and the larger type mostly for outer suburban work in London and Birmingham, but also used as banking engines at Sapperton, Rattery, Hemerdon and Dainton inclines. The smaller 45XX class started off as a class of seventy-five engines, but were eventually developed by Collett into a class more than double the size. They saw service on the St Ives portion of the Cornish Riviera Express and the Pwllheli portion of the Cambrian Coast Express. Profusely illustrated throughout and packed with technical detail, Allen Jackson tells the story of the Great Western Railway's Prairie class locomotives.
