This is volume 2 of the series and is a de-sensationalised look at the progression of steam locomotive performance used on passenger traffic through pre-Grouping and pre-Nationalisation periods into the British Railways era. It uses tools introduced in volume 1 of the series to give a realistic view of what could be expected on a day-to-day basis from designs that were labelled express passenger or mixed traffic and examines the reasons behind choices that were made both after the Grouping in 1923 and post-Nationalisation in 1948.