As well as a comprehensive account of the professional achievements of the eminent engineer, Sir Nigel Gresley, this informative book throws new light on his personal life and family history. The Gresleys can trace their ancestry back to 1066, when Robert de Toeni fought under William the Conqueror and was rewarded for his zeal and courage by grants of land in the Midlands. Subsequently the family acquired the name de Gresley and became established at Drakelow and Netherseal in Derbyshire, where Nigel Gresley spent his youth. Educated at Malborough, he became an apprentice under Francis Webb at Crewe and a pupil to John Aspinall at Horwich before receiving rapid promotion which saw him join the Great Northern Railway as Carriage & Wagon Superintendent at Doncaster when he was only 28. Six years later he succeeded Henry Ivatt as Locomotive Superintendent, reaching the peak of his career in 1923 when he was appointed Chief Mechanical Engineer of the newly formed London & North Eastern Railway, until his death in 1941.

He married Ethel Fullagar, who died tragically in 1929, and they had four children, whose lives provide a source of personal interest.

Sir Nigel’s enquiring mind and grasp of techniques were such that as an innovator in steam locomotive practice he was outstanding among the engineers of his day. This can be seen in the range of locomotives for which he was responsible, notable for their power and elegance. In his streamline trains of the 1930s the LNER led the way in passenger service and railway technology. Fortunately, engines such as the world famous Flying Scotsman, the well-known Sir Nigel Gresley, and Mallard (holder of the speed record for steam of 126 mph) have been preserved.

The author, who is well-known for his books and articles on the history of the LNER and the work of Sir Nigel Gresley, has drawn on many original sources for research into the Gresley story. The result is a comprehensive record and analysis of Sir Nigel’s contribution to the advancement of the steam locomotive, with much new material, as well as a fascinating account of his family. The foreword has been written by Tony Roche, himself a railway engineer and president of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (in 2001), a position occupied by Sir Nigel 65 years before.

A5 format, 216 pages, 170 illustrations.

Author : Geofrey Hughes
ISBN : 9780853615798
Cover : paperback
Price : £22.95 including P&P

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Sir Nigel Gresley: The Engineer and his Family by Geoffrey Hughes