OAKWOOD PRESS & VIDEO LIBRARY

Volume Two of The East Kent Railway documents the final years, and then offers a comprehensive survey of the railway's various routes using maps and plans as well as numerous photographs.

The locomotive and rolling stock on the East Kent Railway was just one of the features that set the EKR apart from other railways and offered rich diversity. It is studied here in great detail.  The operation of trains is examined as we look at timetables, signalling, permanent way, tickets, staffing and profit and loss.

The book is to A5 format, it consists of 240 pages, with 210 illustrations. It is printed on art paper throughout and has a laminated card colour cover, perfect bound with a square-backed spine.

The Edinburgh Suburban line was the Victorian equivalent of today’s ring road, designed and built to relieve congestion on an overburdened yet still developing urban transport network. Starting life as a legally independent company, its prime function was to provide a through route for freight around the capital, passenger potential being negligible, but the city was slowly expanding in its direction.

A passenger service was introduced shortly after opening, the number and location of stations being defined by assessed viability. As the city expanded, the stations became surrounded by domestic, commercial and industrial buildings and became centres of their respective communities. As ‘town offices’ for the NBR, they functioned as ‘rail shops’ between trains, revenue and statistics being perhaps artificially inflated by bookings from Waverley with no suburban railway element. Passengers on return portions of tickets were also discounted!

Since then, apart from blaming Dr Beeching - who was not involved - there have been several clamours for reinstatement, but population shifts and city southern expansion makes this unlikely - at least as most of the former station locations have no car parking sites nearby! The ‘sub’, having faced challenges which it has met and adapted to over the years, is now reduced to almost ‘plain line’ but continues to function in the capacity for which it was intended 125 years ago - a city bypass.

A5 format, casebound, full colour dust jacket and end papers, 320 pages, with 228 illustrations.

The third branch - the Ely Valley line - appeared to be the most modern, with double track and stations dating from around the turn of the century. Appearances were deceptive, however, as this was, in fact, the oldest of the three branches, having been opened in 1860 as a single track, broad gauge mineral line by the Ely Valley Railway Co. Extensively modernised in connection with the doubling of the line and the subsequent introduction of passenger trains , it remained an independent concern (although leased by the GWR) until amalgamation with the larger company in 1902.

The Ely Valley line passenger trains clung on until 1958, their departure leaving Llantrisant with only the main line stopping service. Closed in 1964, the station was reborn in 1992 with the geographically more correct but to the railway historian rather prosaic tile of 'Pontyclun'.

The book is to A5 format, consists of 144 pages of art paper with more than 130 photographs, maps etc. It has full colour laminated glossy cover with a square backed spine.

Also identified are 12 museums including the National Transport Museum at Strasshof and ÖGEG’s superb collection at Ampflwang. Five freight companies have been included as have 15 funicular operations.

The range of railway activity addressed in this book has been widened when compared with the previous guides as a continuing problem has been what to include and what to exclude. ‘Heritage’ railways are relatively speaking easy to define but when do regular routes become of ‘tourist’ interest?

A5 format, 208 pages, with full colour; 147 photographs and 20 maps; perfect bound with square-backed spine.

Many of the railways identified here travel on routes, long and short, invariably through outstandingly beautiful countryside with a few others operating on purpose-built track laid in country amusement parks, thus offering something for all the family. In addition, the vélorail, for example, is a recent phenomenon in France and another facility that has universal appeal to families. There are two basic types of ‘locomotion’ – one form is effectively two pedal cycles (vélos) welded together by a metal frame to which is fitted a bench seat for the non-pedalling passengers or for luggage; and the other, a cyclo-draisine with wheels between 10 and 20 centimetres diameter and is a variation on a traditional self-propelled railcar. Both types of machine require human energies to be expended, but the benefits a vélorail journey brings is a worthwhile form of exercise and a pleasant group activity, as well as an opportunity to appreciate the countryside as viewed from a former local railway route.

A5 format, perfect bound with 192 pages including 93 photographs - colour throughout.

This guide is intended not only to appeal to railway enthusiasts but to holiday-makers and travellers who love Switzerland and wish to see this beautiful country from another perspective. This guide lists a total of 117 locations where heritage and tourist railways and related activities can be found. Of these, there are 93 railways and/ or routes; the situation at the beginning of 2007 being that all but two were fully active. One in Western Switzerland has closed but hopes are kept alive that perhaps one day, phoenix-like, it will rise again. The other is an active development project to restore a line in Eastern Switzerland from the town of Etzwilen to Singen just over the border in Germany. Also listed are nine museums including the outstanding Swiss Transport Museum in Luzern (Lucerne). A further 15 locations have been identified where there are items of related railway interest. Some of these include organisations which have preserved rolling stock which is often on display. Moreover, in some instances, material is in full working order and has been approved for excursions on SBB tracks or those of other railway networks.

The book is to A5 format, it consists of 196 pages, with full colour; and includes over 100 high quality photographs; perfect bound with square-backed spine.