Richly illustrated with more than 200 photographs, Great Western Railway Stars, Castles and Kings examines the history and workings of these legendary classes of passenger steam locomotives, the first of which, the North Star, was built in 1906. The book includes illustrated explanations of how Great Western Railway steam engines work, and gives details of the engines' work on named expresses and in ordinary service. An overview of the survivors, heritage organizations and their futures is included. Technical specifications and timelines of each class are given, as are GWR and British Rail Motive Power Depot codes and train head codes.