ACTUELLEMENT ÉPUISÉ

The Leader Project: Fiasco or Triumph by Kevin Robertson (Hardcover, 2007)

For many years, the story of the 'Leader' locomotive was covered up. British Railways tried to forget it ever happened. But some information 'escaped' and formed the basis of rumour for over 30 years. Further information has now come to light, together with views and comments that could not be published in 1989 as some of the participants were still living. We can now reveal, a suggestion of deliberate sabotage, as well as misinformation deliberately passed to British Railways Headquarters. In the light of this new information, and a number of new photographs, the whole debate can be re-opened. Was it almost a success? Did it show the way forward? Did pure personalities cause it to fail or was it a step too far? The designer was the brilliant if at times eccentric Oliver Bulleid. He had achieved success elsewhere but appears to have conveniently ignored the obvious problems almost as if they would go away. Elsewhere, and particularly in France, great strides were still being made with steam at the same time, but Bulleid chose to pursue his own radical agenda. Why and how did he get away with it? For the first time I think we have the answer.

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