British Railways Illustrated: Special 'The Book of the A4 Pacifics' -A Photographic Accompaniment #03- (IR661)

Product No.: IR661
Title: British Railways Illustrated: Special 'The Book of the A4 Pacifics' -A Photographic Accompaniment #03-
Author(s): Not Stated
Illustrator(s): N/A
Publisher: Irwell Press
ISBN: 1903266661
Condition: New
Binding: Softcover
Dust Jacket: None
Edition: 1st Edition
Publication Year: 2006

Features: 56 Pages with Black/White Photos.

This is our third collection of photographs of the 35 A4 Pacifics and the W1 4-6-2-2. With The Book of the A4 Pacifics and the previous two Accompaniments, a considerable portfolio has been built up. Of course it is not quite as we would have wished, for (as ever) there are too few of pre-war days and rather more of their latter days, which gives a false impression to those not lucky enough to see the engines in their prime.

We would have liked to include the work of famous names such as Cyril Herbert, who specialised in the pre-war LNER and the Bishop of Railway Photography, Eric Treacy, to name but two and perhaps this might be possible in a future Accompaniment. A lot of photographs were taken on shed, which cramps one's style when trying to depict the engines working hard, or at speed.

It is easy to forget how slow emulsions were half a century ago, and how expensive good cameras with large apertures were. Not every day was sunny and not many engines were clean, taxing the ingenuity of the photographer and his light meter, and often calling for a longer exposure than was practicable just in order to get a decent shot of an elusive engine. - Peter Coster