The Western Region of BR decided to be distinct from other parts of the network by having diesel-hydraulic locomotives to replace steam traction. Now more than 30 years after the last of the Western Region diesel-hydraulic classes was withdrawn from service, interest in the various types remains strong and is growing. In all the WR acquired more than 350 diesel-hydraulics, including 101 ‘Hymeks’, 56 Class 14s and 58 of the NBL Class 22. Many of these, in particular the early ‘Warships’ and Classes 14 and 22 had very short lives, a reflection of the decline of traffic for which they were designed and a desire, as the railways contracted, to replace non-standard types of traction. But for anyone modelling the WR between the late 1950s and the early 1970s, locomotives from the diesel-hydraulic classes were visible over the entire network. This new colour album features a selection of diesel-hydraulic types in operation across the whole WR network. As we already have books in the series already covering the ‘Warships’ and ‘Westerns’, the book focuses to a significant extent on the less familiar classes – the ‘Hymeks’ and the Classes 14 and 22. The choice and selection of photographs is key in these photographic portraits, and all enthusiasts will be delighted with the fantastic array of unpublished images. This title is ideal for diesel enthusiasts and for anyone modelling the Western Region.
