The Power of the A4s (Power Series) By Brian Morrison
The Power of the A4s (Collectible First Edition)
A Definitive Photographic Archive of Sir Nigel Gresley's Legendary Streamlined Pacifics
A Definitive Photographic Archive of Sir Nigel Gresley's Legendary Streamlined Pacifics
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The Power of the A4s
- Author: Brian Morrison
- Publisher: Oxford Publishing Co (OPC), Oxford
- Publication Date: 1978
- ISBN-10: 0860930327 / ISBN-13: 9780860930327
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Impression. Part of the highly acclaimed OPC Power Series.
- Binding: Hardcover with original publisher's premium cloth boards, housed in the original illustrated dust jacket under a protective archive cellophane wrapper.
- Physical Format: Large Quarto Format (Oversized 4to), 128 pages. Lavishly enhanced with 218 premium black-and-white plates, chronological caption histories, and a comprehensive masterclass registry log.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
-
The Book: Very Good (VG)
- Exterior / Boards: The original publisher's heavy cloth boards are crisp, sharp, and uniform across all edges. The spine is completely straight, robust, tightly bound, and remains structurally undamaged with bright lettering.
- Interior: Superbly preserved and structurally tight. The heavyweight internal pages are exceptionally clean, clear, intact, and unmarked. Completely free from standard handling soils, workshop oils, finger smudges, dog-ears, or previous owner inscriptions.
- Protection: This specialized steam transport archive has clearly been well maintained and looked after thus far, now beautifully preserved in a professional, removable archival cellophane sleeve.
-
The Dust Jacket: Used – Very Good (VG)
- Condition: The original large-scale illustrated dust jacket is complete and unclipped. It exhibits some typical, limited signs of vintage retail shelf storage wear, light edge rubbing, and minor surface stress lines. It is entirely free of large chips or deep tears and presents beautifully behind its protective archival cellophane cover.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published in 1978 by the prestigious Oxford Publishing Company, The Power of the A4s is a monumental, masterfully curated pictorial tribute to the pinnacle of British steam achievement: the iconic Gresley A4 Pacifics. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), these legendary streamlined locomotives redefined post-war express passenger speeds—most famously solidified when No. 4468 Mallard secured the world steam speed record of 126 mph in 1938. Author Brian Morrison presents an incredible library of 218 highly dramatic black-and-white photographs capturing these thoroughbreds at the absolute height of their mid-century operational power across Britain during the 1950s and 1960s. Complemented by an authoritative class introduction, deeply informative local captions, and a complete technical listing of every class member from construction to preservation, this first impression stands as an invaluable reference atlas for railway modeling experts and serious transport historians.
Published in 1978 by the prestigious Oxford Publishing Company, The Power of the A4s is a monumental, masterfully curated pictorial tribute to the pinnacle of British steam achievement: the iconic Gresley A4 Pacifics. Designed by Sir Nigel Gresley for the London & North Eastern Railway (LNER), these legendary streamlined locomotives redefined post-war express passenger speeds—most famously solidified when No. 4468 Mallard secured the world steam speed record of 126 mph in 1938. Author Brian Morrison presents an incredible library of 218 highly dramatic black-and-white photographs capturing these thoroughbreds at the absolute height of their mid-century operational power across Britain during the 1950s and 1960s. Complemented by an authoritative class introduction, deeply informative local captions, and a complete technical listing of every class member from construction to preservation, this first impression stands as an invaluable reference atlas for railway modeling experts and serious transport historians.
Author Profile: Brian Morrison
Brian Morrison is an exceptionally prominent British transport historian, author, and master photographer who spent over half a century documenting the golden era of British rail infrastructure. Renowned within the transport community for his uncompromising technical fidelity, Morrison contributed heavily to the definitive Power Series by capturing locomotives in their raw industrial environments. His publications are highly sought-after by international collectors for their peerless photographic clarity, exhaustive historical context, and masterful preservation of mid-20th-century steam heritage.
Brian Morrison is an exceptionally prominent British transport historian, author, and master photographer who spent over half a century documenting the golden era of British rail infrastructure. Renowned within the transport community for his uncompromising technical fidelity, Morrison contributed heavily to the definitive Power Series by capturing locomotives in their raw industrial environments. His publications are highly sought-after by international collectors for their peerless photographic clarity, exhaustive historical context, and masterful preservation of mid-20th-century steam heritage.
brian morrison power of the a4s 1978, rare opc railway books, vintage gresley a4 pacific hardcovers, collectible steam locomotive photo albums, classic lner train chronicles first edition, timeless collectible books, antiquarian train books south africa #
