[A remarkable Edwardian photo album filled with 38 albumen and silver gelatin images of Great Western Railway Express steam locomotives designed and purchased by William Dean and George Jackson Churchward at the beginning of the 20th Century].

[London, England: Great Western Railway, ca. 1905]. Oblong 4to. 11 x 8 in. [48 pp (unpaginated).] on thick card stock, all leaves mounted on linen hinges, w/ 38 original albumen & silver gelatin photographs mounted, all sized from 6 x 8.25 in., and all with very strong contrast and bright images. Contemporary embossed green cloth over beveled boards, ruling in blind (minor shelfwear, light bumping to couple corners, very light occasional interior toning), still NF exemplar. This exceptional Edwardian factory photo album offers contemporary images of several classes of steam locomotives purchased and operated by the Great Western Railway under the direction of both William Dean and G.J. Churchward. The images primarily focus on the 4-4-0 Express engines, including the “City Class,” ‘Badminton Class” GWR 4100, “Atbara Class,” “Bulldog Class,” and the “Saint Class.” Photos depict such storied locomotives as the William Dean No. 100, built in 1902, and fore-runner of the 4-6-0 locomotives on the Great Western Railway which were 2-cylinder machines, built with parallel boilers; the Vanguard 4-4-0 (later renamed Cunard), was designed at behest of Churchward, and based on the William Dean design, with coned boilers, and by 1905 19 further similar locomotives had been purchased. Also present is a photo of the La France No. 102, a 4-4-2 locomotive built in 1903 by Societe Alsacienne de Construction Mecaniques, Works Number 5409, purchased by Churchward to evaluate French locomotive engines and compounding practices. In actuality the La France did not offer any significant improvement to Albion No. 171, Churchward’s prototype 4-6-0. The “City Class” locomotives are represented here by the Bath No. 3433, Bristol No. 3435, Birmingham, No. 3434, Chester, No. 3436, and London, 3439, all constructed in 1903, and most remaining in service until 1929-1931. The “Atbara Class” 4-4-0 locomotives were built from 1898-1905, and these used names in the public eye during Great Britain’s colonial wars, but all were relegated to non-express following 1922. Represented in these photos are the Kitchener No. 3377 a 4-4-0 builg in 1900, Kimberley No. 3379, Ladysmith No. 3380, Ondurman No. 3384, Brisbane No. 3396, and Cape Town No. 3397. Two photos show the tragic Mafeking No. 3382 which was withdrawn from service in Sept., 1911 after a severe accident at Henley-in-Arden, with both images showing the same 4-4-0 configuration. The “Bulldog Class” engines feature the Albert Brassey No. 3414 built in 1902, and the Reading No. 3449 built in Oct., 1903, and later renumbered 3387. The “Saint Class” locomotives designed by G.J. Churchward often have the 4-4-2 configuration, before many were rebuilt from 1907-1912 as 4-6-0 Express Locomotives. These include the Albion, Quicksilver, Robins Bolitho, Lord Palmer, Winterstroke, Robertson, Kirkland, the Coeur de Lion, and the Lalla Rookh. Of additional interest are the Nos. 103 “President” and 104 “Alliance” built by French de Glehn-du Bosquet as 4-cylinder locomotives purchased in 1905, and similar to the Paris-Orleans 3001 Class. One of the photos shows the Kennet No. 3015 which was the express locomotive involved in the June 16, 1900 Slough Rail Accident which resulted in killing 5 passengers, and injuring over 35. The accident also forced the adoption of improved vacuum brake systems on locomotives and rolling stock in the United Kingdom. See: David Wragg, GWR Handbook: The Great Western Railway, 1923-47 (2006); Laurence Waters, Great Western Railway Gallery: A Pictorial Journey Through Time (2018); John Daniel, The Great Western Archive (2013).