 | Locations & Stations |  |
| Locations & Stations | |
| Brunel's Royal Albert Albert Bridge | Twelveheads | |||
| John Binding | £29.00 | 152 pages | Hardback | 1997 |
| A detailed study of Brunel's masterpiece across the Tamar, covering everything from a detailed examination of the engineering involved through to the railway history that led to its construction. Far from being "stuffy", this is an exquisitely produced book and is illustrated with a wide range of photographs including a good number of very clear construction views. Even Bristol University has bought as copy of this book for their library, but don't let that put you off! | ||||
| Folkestone's Railways | Wild Swan | |||
| Brian Hart | £14.95 | 94 pages | Softback | 2002 |
| Another superlative production from this most reliable of publishers, beautifully put together and laid out, and a real pleasure to handle and read. The author has a deep knowledge and affection for the Folkestone and its railways, being born there in 1949 and getting to know the steam age railway and its personalities well. This book details the story of the railway's construction and development up until 1960, and covers the harbour branch and main line developments equally well. The photographic content is excellent, with much of Pre-Grouping interest being evident in addition to a few charming snaps from the Hart family album - wonderful. | ||||
| L&NWR West Midlands Album | Wild Swan | |||
| Roger Carpenter | £4.95 | 48 pages | Softback | 1988 |
| Still in print after 10 years, this little book is worth a second look. Photographs taken by a platelayer called Thomas Hinckley, the subjects are mainly locomotives photographed at Bescot, Walsall and New Street. There are some lovely shots, I particularly liked the Special tank on page 13, no cab but a bent footplate, and the saloon and carriage truck on page 45, both of them wonderfully archaic looking vehicles. | ||||
| Neyland: A Great Western Outpost | Kestrel Railway Books | |||
| Richard Parker | £19.95 | 144 pages | Hardback | 2002 |
| A comprehensive and well illustrated history of a neglected part of the railway network in West Wales, well printed on to art paper in a large format. Although Neyland was latterly a lesser terminal destination, it was initially chosen by no less than Brunel as the principal port of Irish embarkation from the South Wales Railway. Opening of the route to Fishguard deprived Neyland of the Irish traffic from 1906, but it nonetheless remained a significant railway centre until its end in 1964, partially due to its providing the principal locomotive depot for lines west of Carmarthen until 1963. The station and its layout was a survivor of earliest GWR practice, as a result of which it was latterly cramped, piecemeal and rather forlorn looking - all very fascinating for us enthusiasts. This book was inspired Bill Morgan and Betty Meyrick (Hutchinson), the story of a footplate career at Neyland. Excerpts have been used within this book, but the original is well worth tracking down and reading, being an excellent and entertaining story. | ||||
| Paddington Station | English Heritage | |||
| Steven Brindle | £25.00 | 174 pages | Hardback | 2004 |
| Working from original drawings and sketches held by Bristol University, together with numerous other quality sources of information, this book sets out in great detail the evolution of Paddington Station from its first incarnation on what was to become the goods station through to its most recent adaption and restoration. The illustrations chosen to accompany the story are first class, and the minutiae of the changes of use and management are well recorded, right up into the most recent developments. The text can read a bit like a thesis and the dead hand of political correctness lurks in places, but on the other hand it is very refreshing to read a railway history which is not written by an enthusiast, and the whole may well be a more balance account of its subject as a result. The book is also comprehensively indexed and referenced and is also very well designed and printed. One copy left (Jan 2008). | ||||
| Paddington: A 150th Anniversary Portrait | Silver Link | |||
| Tim Bryan | £15.99 | 112 pages | Softback | 2004 |
| A new edition in 2004 of a 1997 book, this is a very competent and attractive pictorial record of Paddington Station. The 150 llustrations used are of excellent quality and present many unfamiliar aspects of the station and its architecture, staff and the trains that served it. The period covered is the last century, with the bulk of the photographs covering the period from after the First World War up until the last flourish of steam power. | ||||
| Plymouth's Railways in the 1930s | RCTS | |||
| Russell Leitch | £12.95 | 120 pages | Softback | 2002 |
| Irritatingly subtitled as including "the GWR's poor relation", this is a somewhat quirky collection of schoolboy experience derived memories and descriptions of the changing railway scene at Plymouth in the 1930s. Although the writing style and viewpoint is quite personal, the book nonetheless gives an interesting insight into an area full of railway interest at a crucial time. The photographs are the book's strongest point, and include some unusual subjects and views, including transfer freights between the GWR and Southern systems and some venerable locomotive survivors at Laira. The difference between the scenes in this book and the present day are very marked, following the severe bombing and huge urban and road development since, and are well observed by the author. | ||||
| Rowsley Motive Power Depot | Foxline | |||
| Keith Miles | £14.95 | 128 pages | Softback | 2002 |
| A book about a motive power depot on the Midland Railway's Peak route, written by a former running foreman, a key individual in the operation of any locomotive establishment in the days of steam. This is a quality photographic book which illustrates the whole Peak Route, other aspects of the railway network relevant to the story, and all details of the depot itself. Rowsley was a strange place in that it was a very large establishment in a rural setting, and even more curious is that it is being rebuilt by the present day preservation operation running north from Buxton. | ||||
| The Weymouth Harbour Tramway In The Steam Era | Wild Swan | |||
| Gerry Beale | £14.95 | 94 pages | Softback | 2001 |
| A very pleasing photograph history of an extremely photogenic line. A distinctive feature of the Dorset railway scene for many years, the tramway has even now not quite died, although it sees no current use. The author acknowledges the late John Lucking and his 1986 book, which remains the definitive history on the subject, but goes on to present an inspired collection of views. I have the earlier book, and while some of the earlier and "official" views appear in both, this collection makes a very worthwhile addition. There is a wonderful panoramic view of Weymouth Station taken from the tower of a now demolished church and the shots of the earlier tramway locomotives are as interesting as ever - a really lovely book. | ||||
| William Bradshaw, Leicester Railway Cameraman | HMRS | |||
| John Hurst and Mike Kinder | £10.95 | 86 pages | Softback | 2002 |
| A fascinating collection of photographs, all taken before the grouping by one man with real photographic talent. The images presented are more than a collection of locomotive portraits, showing us the infrastructure and staff on both the Midland and Great Central routes. Rarities include a shot of a First World War troop special and a destructive shunting accident at West Bridge. One cannot but be impressed by the clean and efficient looking lines of the scenes and locomotives depicted, and as a bonus the book is also an interesting story of the man and his photographic collections. | ||||
| Winchester (Great Western) | Kestrel Railway Books | |||
| Kevin Robertson | £7.95 | 46 pages | Softback | 2002 |
| Sub-titled "a snapshot in time", this is a well put together and attractive collection of photographs and details of the intriguingly named Winchester Chesil station. The track layout was unusual, as was the installation and subsequent removal of a pioneering "route setting" power signalling system in the 1930s. | ||||