The Book of the Ivatt 4MTs LM Class 4 2-6-0s 43000 - 43161

The LMS Ivatt Class 4 2-6-0s were the last steam design produced by the LMS and intended as a replacement for the 4F freight engines, but much of their time was spent on passenger work. They were quickly re-designated mixed traffic engines by their new British Railways owners and this book uses '4MTs' as an appropriate short-hand for these 2-6-0s. In their early days the 4MTs had something of a Jekyll and Hyde existence: although fitted with all the post-war labour-saving fixtures and equipped with well-intended creature comforts for the enginemen, there was obviously something amiss in their proportions because they were often chronically short of steam. It took several years and some Swindon magic to make a few simple but transformational changes to put them right. After that, they settled down and became widely travelled and generally well regarded, at least by railwaymen if not by enthusiasts. 144 pages A4 hardback around 300 black & white photos.