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Books
We - Z
WHIPSNADE AND UMFOLOZI RAILWAY and GREAT WHIPSNADE RAILWAY
by C.S. Thomas |
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A narrow gauge steam locomotive with its train moves slowly along,
passengers look out from open-sided coaches across grasslands populated by
axis deer and nilgai. To one side is a water hole where several barasingha
are cooling off in the summer heat, to the other side a group of blackbuck
glance up before moving on their way. This must be somewhere in Asia,
India perhaps? Not at all, this is the Great Whipsnade Railway at
Whipsnade Wild Animal Park. Up until now the line has been virtually
ignored by writers and historians, it can hardly be said to have remained
undiscovered all this time, passenger figures of 100,000 a year or
thereabouts testify to the popularity of this railway which offers
something probably unique with its historic narrow gauge equipment and a
journey shared for almost its full length with wild animals from across
the world. A5 format, 144 pages of text, which includes a map of the
system and two trackplans. Also included are plans of the locomotives
Chevallier, Excelsior, Conqueror and Superior. There are 64
photographs reproduced on 32 pages of art paper, with a full colour card
cover. |
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OL93 |
ISBN 0 85361 478 4
ISBN 978 0 85361 478 4 |
£ 9.95 |
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The
WILTS & BERKS CANAL
by L. J. Dalby |
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The Wilts & Berks Canal linked Abingdon on the River Thames to Semington on
the Kennet & Avon Canal and as such provided a useful link from Oxford and
the South Midlands to Bristol and Somerset. There were branches off the
main route of the canal which gave access to Calne and also Chippenham. The
North Wilts branch of the canal linked it with the Thames & Severn Canal
near Cricklade. This book was first published in 1971, and a revised edition
became available in 1986. The late Jack Dalby has been acknowledged as the
authority on this subject and in the long years since his book was last
available the interest in this canal has grown dramatically due to the work
of the Wilts & Berks Canal Amenity Group.
Since the last edition of book
was published, a dramatic change of policy by the Amenity Group has had a
profound effect on the fortunes of the canal.
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From just trying to preserve what
remained of the old canal, the group decided that full restoration, using as
much of the old line and infrastructure as possible was practical. They had no doubt of the magnitude of the
task before them, but were confident that a restored Wilts & Berks Canal was
essential to the Wessex Waterway Network, forming, as it does, the central
section. In the succeeding years nearly 10 per cent of the canal, at several
different sites has been restored and a number of structures have been
either restored or rebuilt. Doug Small of the Canal Amenity Group has
written a new chapter, ‘Into the 21st Century’, which brings the story of the
restoration up to date. The book is to A5 format and
consists of 144 pages and is published on art paper throughout, the
photographic content has been expanded and now includes more than 40
pictures along with numerous maps. A pull-out map 200mm x 600mm of the route
is also included. The book has a full colour laminated card with a
square-backed spine. |
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C2 |
ISBN 0 85361 562 4
ISBN 978 0 85361 562 0 |
£ 8.95 |
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WINDSOR TO SLOUGH: A Royal Branch Line
by C.R. Potts |
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Windsor to Slough a mere 2¾ miles long but what a
history this short line has! After the branch was built it was used
regularly by Queen Victoria. When she died her body was taken by train to
Windsor for burial a tradition since followed three times up to 1952.
Naturally the royal use of the line is comprehensively covered, and an
appendix lists all royal trains used by the monarch on the line which an
intensive search of archives has produced. We are fortunate in that two of
Windsor’s station masters left detailed diaries which the author has drawn
on to give a unique picture of the line. Within the 288 pages of art
paper, there are 98 photographs, 20 maps, plans, documents and timetables.
There is also large fold-out map which shows a survey of the line in 1880
when the route was still broad gauge. The book is to A5 format and has
printed endpapers. Casebound with an attractive gold laminated and
full-colour jacket. |
‘an excellent book, well
printed and laid out . . . thoroughly recommended’
RCTS |
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OL88 |
ISBN 0 85361 442 3
ISBN 978 0 85361 442 5 |
£ 18.50 |
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WINSFORD &
OVER BRANCH
by R. W. Miller |
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The longest and most individual of several short branch lines operated by
the Cheshire Lines Committee was that from Cuddington to Winsford and Over,
slightly more than six miles in length. Opened in 1870 it enjoyed a
distinctly chequered career. Passengers were originally considered a
nuisance as they interfered with the real purpose of the line, to serve the
numerous salt works on the west bank of the River Weaver. Twice the branch
was closed to passengers but services were reinstated after a few years,
the second time only after the CLC had been taken to the Royal Courts of
Justice. The third and final withdrawal occurred in 1931 and again the CLC
was taken to court, but this time it won its case and the branch reverted to
goods traffic only until complete closure in 1967. Most of the route was
single line but at one time the final mile into Winsford was double track
with the curiosity that all passenger trains used only the up line. |
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Today, much of the trackbed has been purchased by the County Council and converted
into a public footpath and bridleway, with a visitor centre established at
the one intermediate station at Whitegate. A5 format, 108 pages, 89 photos,
maps, plans. |
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LP212 |
ISBN 0 85361 546
2
ISBN 978 0 85361 546 0 |
£8.95 |
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THE WIRKSWORTH
BRANCH
by Howard Sprenger |
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Desperate to reach Manchester, but
thwarted by political wrangling with the London & North Western Railway
north of Ambergate, the Midland Railway opened its branch to Wirksworth in
October 1867, with the intention of extending to Rowsley and beyond, if
necessary. The extension, however, was never needed, and although the line
struggled to justify its existence in terms of passenger numbers, the
amount of milk and limestone that was transported was enough to warrant
the building of the line on its own.
Passenger services ceased in 1947, and the milk traffic declined from this
time too, but stone trains continued to run until 1989, when production at
the quarries stopped. Throughout all this, the line was a natural testing
ground for new stock built at. Derby, and was also used to test
locomotives that had undergone overhaul at the works. Additionally, if a
quiet place was needed for an official photograph, the branch was one of
the first places people thought of. The result
was an amazing variety of rolling stock seen over the years, from MR steam
railmotors, to main line locomotives, dmus and even the Midland Pullman. |
What was conceived as part of a major
trunk route from London to Scotland looked set to end its days as little
more than a long, picturesque siding, until in the mid-1990s, a determined
bunch of local businessmen formed Wyvern Rail Ltd to return a passenger
service to the valley using dmus to provide a commuter service during the
week, but with steam trains providing a tourist attraction at weekends.
The beginning of this new chapter in the line's history coincides with the
publication of this book in September 2004, when the first passenger
trains for nearly 60 years departs from the station at Wirksworth.
A5 format, with a square-backed spine, the book consists of 216 pages
which include 200 illustrations and it is printed on art paper throughout. |
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OL72 |
ISBN 0
85361 625 6
ISBN 978 0 85361 625 2 |
£ 14.95 |
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WREXHAM & ELLESMERE RAILWAY
by Stanley C. Jenkins & John M. Strange |
The Wrexham & Ellesmere line was opened in 1895 and was worked by the
Cambrian Railways and, for a few years at least, this single track branch
formed part of a tenuous cross country link between Manchester and Liverpool
and the districts served by the Cambrian system. The 1922-1923 Grouping
ensured that the line passed into Great Western hands and it treated the
route as an ordinary country branch line, and in the 1920s and 1930s this 12
mile single track route would have been very similar to scores of other
rural lines.
In World War II the route carried extra traffic to and from a large ordnance
factory that had been established at Marchwiel, and in post-war years the
site of this factory became an industrial estate that continued to provide
freight traffic for the railway. Sadly, the Wrexham & Ellesmere line did not
survive the anti-railway purges of the 1960s, and its passenger services
were withdrawn in 1962. Freight traffic continued to operate over the
northern end of the line until the 1980s. |
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There has not, hitherto, been a history of the line, and very few articles
have been written; neither has the route received much attention from casual
photographers. This present volume therefore fills a small but significant
gap in the railway history of the Welsh border region.
A5 format, 144 pages, with more than 120 photos, maps, etc. It has a full
colour laminated cover with a square-backed spine. |
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LP226 |
ISBN 0
85361 617 5
ISBN 978 0 85361 617 7 |
£ 10.95 |
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WREXHAM, MOLD & CONNAH'S QUAY RAILWAY including the BUCKLEY
RAILWAY
by J.I.C. Boyd |
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416 pages of text, A5 format made up of 352 text pages and 64 pages of 120
photos, printed on quality art paper. 80 specially prepared maps. Colour
page of original tickets. Pull-out large map. Printed end-papers. Full
working timetable included plus engineering drawings, ephemera. Casebound,
gold blocked with two-colour glossy jacket.
‘a lavish provision of
maps supplement the text . . .
This is a major work showing new light on an interesting railway’
RCHS |
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OL83 |
ISBN 0 85361 417 2
ISBN 978 0 85361 417 3 |
£ 25.00 |
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The
WRINGTON VALE LIGHT RAILWAY
by Colin G. Maggs |
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The Wrington Vale lies approximately midway between Bristol
and Weston-super-Mare, snuggling under the north-western slopes of the
Mendip Hills. The railway was built and operated by the Great Western
Railway and opened in 1901.
For reasons of economy the Wrington Vale line was one of
the first in southern England to see steam railmotor services. The Great
Western made another ambitious attempt to improve economy when it built a
pioneering oil-burning 0-4-0T for the line. Due to technical problems No.
101 never left the vicinity of the GWR's Swindon Works. )
The railway was to carry passengers for 30 years with
freight on part of the line continuing for another 30 years. The author is
well-known for his railway histories in and around Bristol and South-West
England. As well as appealing to local and railway historians, this book
will hold great appeal to railway modellers as it depicts a simple line
with interesting features. |
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A5 format, 120 pages, 130
illustrations, including plans of the station buildings, maps, documents
etc. It is printed on art paper with a square-backed perfect-bound full
colour card cover. |
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LP224 |
ISBN 0
85361 620 5
ISBN 978 0 85361 620 7 |
£ 8.95 |
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THE
WYE VALLEY RAILWAY and the Coleford Branch
by B. M. Handley & R. Dingwall |
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The Wye Valley Railway linked Monmouth with
Chepstow, and ran through the idyllic countryside along the Monmouthshire
and Gloucestershire border. It is an area rich in industrial archeology. The
coming of the railway vastly increased the popularity of the region with day
trippers, giving much easier access for those who came to appreciate this
area of outstanding natural beauty. The most popular trains during the
line's history were those organised as special excursions to see Tintern
Abbey on the night of the harvest moon. Each September crowds of between
1,000 and 1,300 people came by train from Gloucester, Cheltenham, Newport
and Cardiff to glimpse the full moon shining through the abbey's rose
window. In the 1950s the quiet routine of the railway was interrupted by the
rare excitement of a twice-yearly double-headed, seven-coach excursion from
London. This certainly enlivened the serenity of a peaceful Monmouth Sunday
afternoon. |
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Contents
The Source
Communication Cords
Promotion and Construction
Struggle and .Takeover
Decline and Closure
Signalling, Stations and Halts
Motive Power
Reminiscences
The Wireworks Branch (Tintern Railway)
The Coleford Branch
The Monmouth Tramroad
Coleford, Monmouth, Usk & Pontypool
Railway
Ross and Monmouth Railway
Chronology
Acknowledgements and Bibliography
Sources and Bibliography |
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Oakwood Press first published a history
of the line in 1982. A second enlarged edition was published in 1998
and this saw the addition of a series of fond memories and
reminiscences of a number of people which captured the atmosphere of
this delightful country railway backwater. The Wye Valley Railway
and the Coleford Branch has been expanded, enlarged and updated
once again for this, the third, edition with more reminiscences and
the inclusion of some interesting new photographs that have come to
light.
Passsenger trains on the Coleford
branch, which fed into the Wye Valley Railway were short-lived, but
part of this branch managed to survive into the diesel era. The story
of this line, and its forerunner, the Monmouth Tramroad are also
included, as well as that of the short branch across the river at
Tintern for the Wireworks traffic.
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A5 format, the book has a full colour glossy jacket. 220 photographs,
maps and plans illustrate the 176 pages. |
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LP209 |
ISBN 978
0 85361 665 8 |
£11.95 |
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THE YATE TO
THORNBURY BRANCH
by Colin G. Maggs |
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This Midland Railway branch was originally built to serve iron ore workings
and also provide a passenger service. While the line's passenger trains have
long since gone, the branch still provides a link to Tytherington Quarry for
stone traffic to this day. Read the line's story up until closure in 1966.
In its last few years it became very busy with 'Presflo' trains in
connection with building the M5 motorway, then discover the branch's
renaissance with new investment and re-opening in 1972 to Tytherington.
The author is well-known for his railway histories
in and around the Bristol area and South-West England. Colin Maggs' put his
local knowledge to good use to add colour, with stories of life on the
railway from some of the line's railway staff.
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The book is to A5 format, 144 pages, 180
illustrations, including plans of the station buildings at Yate, Iron Acton,
Tytherington and Thornbury, maps, documents etc. It is printed on art paper
with a square backed-backed perfect-bound full colour card cover. |
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LP219 |
ISBN 0 85361 585 3
ISBN 978 0 85361 585 9 |
£ 10.95 |
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YEOVIL - 150 Years of Railway History
by B.L. Jackson
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This is the story of intense rivalry
between the independent railway companies of the Victorian era and their
ambitions towards the west of England. The broad gauge Bristol & Exeter
Railway and the Great Western Railway, against the standard gauge London &
South Western Railway who were held in a stranglehold for 18 years with
its route to Exeter and the west by the local Salisbury & Yeovil Railway.
Also examined are the many proposed schemes both feasible and
impracticable that appeared in the early years, not assisted by the
topography of the Yeovil area which added to the difficulties when the
three routes reached the town, making Yeovil one of those unusual and
complex rural railway crossroads. |
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Fully explained is the removal of the
broad gauge and the expansion of the system to its peak, followed by
decline as the motor vehicle and bus appeared, the difficulties of two
World Wars and Nationalisation. The Beeching Report, the reduction of
services, the closure of the Durston branch, and the reduction of the
Wilts, Somerset & Weymouth line to a single line branch. The battle to
save the once fast Salisbury-Exeter route, a racing ground for expresses
including the 'Atlantic Coast Express' and the 'Devon Belle', reduced to
single track with passing loops and hampered by unreliable motive power,
until a rethink on policy improved services in 1993.
Today both lines survive albeit in reduced circumstances, steam specials
visiting the Yeovil Steam Centre bring the few locomotive-hauled trains to
the town. The history of Yeovil's 150 years of railways has never been
covered in one book before, it makes compelling reading.
A5 format, 232 pages of high quality art paper, which includes more than
180 photographs, maps and plans. The book has a full colour laminated card
cover, and a square-backed spine. |
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OL128 |
ISBN 0
85361 612 4
ISBN 978 0 85361 612 2 |
£ 14.95 |
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YESTERDAYS PAPERS: Life in Victorian England: From the pages
of the Isle of Wight County Press
by Alan Stroud |
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This
book is not an academic work. It is not a history lesson or a sociology
lecture. If it has any intention at all, it is simply to prove amusing and
diverting for a short while without reaching any serious conclusions but if
it helps show the Victorians in a new light and challenges a few modern
stereotypes, then that will be a bonus.
Other
than that, it is not meant to have any serious intent or any particular
educational merit; it is simply a collection of articles drawn from the
Victorian editions of the Isle of Wight County Press that seemed too good to
stay hidden away in the archives; no more, no less.
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The
articles have been chosen for a variety of reasons, the majority of them
purely and simply for their historical interest. Others were selected
because they were amusing and a few were chosen because they were
horrifying; on some occasions they manage to be both at the same time.
Finally, some deserved inclusion just for being plain quirky or curious, or
for showing the Victorians in an unexpected light.
The one
thing that they all have in common is that they open a contemporary window
onto a way of life that has all but gone in just three or four generations.
They are first hand accounts of the day to day life of Victorians, written
with surprisingly few inhibitions and often in the smallest and most
revealing detail, a form of history not found in textbooks. This is the
Victorians writing about themselves, and quite intimately on occasions. They
wrote uncluttered by modern attitudes and opinions and with no other agenda
than to provide a straightforward account of the week’s news. The columns of
the County Press are pure and undiluted history, untainted by the
stereotypes and reputations the period has since been branded with.
A5
format, 176 pages, 47 illustrations. |
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X88 |
ISBN 978
0 85361 671 9 |
£ 11.95 |
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SIGNAL BOX DIAGRAMS
BY THE LATE GEORGE PRIOR
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Volume 22 -
Midland & South Western Junction Railway (£6)
Andoversford to Red Post Junction (Andover) and the Tidworth Branch
ISBN 1-904318-01-0
Volume 23 -
GWR Lines in the Bristol Area (£7.50)
Bath Goods to Temple
Meads: Bristol to Severn Tunnel West: Avonmouth to Pilning and Filton
Junction: Bristol Relief Line: Bristol Harbour Goods Lines.
ISBN 1-904318-02-9
Volume 24 - SR
Lines in West Sussex (£7)
Chichester (Excl). to Shoreham Junction (Excl): Littlehampton and
Bognor Lines: Christ's Hospital to Arundel Junction: Hardham Jcn -
Midhurst - Lavant: Christ's Hospital to Peasmarsh Junction (Excl).
ISBN 1-904318-04-5
Volume 25 -
GWR: The Swindon Area (£7)
Didcot (Foxhall Jcn.) to Swindon West, Stonehouse to Swindon,
Cirencester Branch, Faringdon Branch, Highworth Branch.
ISBN 1-904318-05-3
Volume 26 - SR
Lines Reading, Staines and Windsor (£7.50)
Reading to South Wokingham, Wokingham to Staines, Ash Vale to
Ascot, Addlestone Junction to Virginia Water, Windsor Branch.
ISBN 1-904318-06-1 |
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