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Books Q - Railways
QUARRY HUNSLETS OF NORTH WALES
- The Great (Little) Survivors
by Cliff Thomas |
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The 0-4-0 saddle tanks produced by the Hunslet Engine Co. of Leeds, forever
associated with the quarries of North Wales, have proven to be remarkable
survivors. Much loved and admired, almost all entered preservation and
examples work on heritage railways the length and breadth of the country.
For the first time, these locomotives have been brought together in a single
volume, regardless of the quarry where they spent their working lives.
The history of each locomotive is detailed, along with a description of the
groups into which they fall. The reader will discover that these locomotives
may appear similar, but are far from identical. The criteria for inclusion
has been drawn as being narrow gauge, built as an 0-4-0ST by Hunslet and
worked for a North Wales quarry. This includes locomotives built for the
granite industry as well as slate. The definition has also allowed the
inclusion of Penrhyn 'main line' locomotives.
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Notes are included to
give a flavour of the past, based on interviews with
ex-quarry loco drivers, along with extracts from maintenance logs. The
narrative brings the story right up to date - even the project to re-create
one of the very few of these locomotives not to survive intact is detailed.
Some myths, legends and mysteries surrounding some of the locomotives are
explored to provide as comprehensive a record as possible.
The lavish collection
of archive photographs, including rare images from the Gwynedd Archive
service and the work of the late Ivo Peters, is supplemented by
comprehensive pictorial coverage in preservation by the author. Modellers
will delight in the section which describes and illustrates the component
parts of these locomotives, along with photographs of semi-dismantled
examples undergoing overhaul.
The work of the author is widely known - initially with Railway World
and, since early 2001, his narrow gauge news column in The Railway
Magazine. He has also written on the current narrow gauge scene for
Narrow Gauge World since issue No. 1, and
contributes material to Heritage Railway
and Old Glory, amongst others. His previous
book for the Oakwood Press, The Whipsnade and Umfolozi
Railway and The Great Whipsnade Railway,
received critical acclaim.
The book consists of 256 pages of art paper which include almost 200
photographs and six locomotive plans, it is
casebound with a gold-blocked spine, a full colour dust jacket.
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X71 |
ISBN 0
85361 575 6
ISBN 978 0 85361 575 0 |
Hardback £22.95 |
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RAIL AND ROAD
TRANSPORT ON THE ISLE OF PORTLAND
by B. L. Jackson |
This work complements the Isle of Portland Railways (a three volume
history published by the Oakwood Press), which are the fruit of author Brian
Jackson's 30 plus years of research into the transport history of the
Island, its connections with Weymouth, and the surrounding area.
A varied selection of photographs (none of which appeared in the Isle of
Portland Railways trilogy) supported by detailed captions depict all
aspects, including a selection showing pre-war trains at Easton and the last
few years leading up to the closure of the branch to regular passenger
traffic in March 1952. The subsequent use of the branch for goods traffic
and the various special trains, including early rail tours and the Royal
train are covered, as are the final special passenger trains and the
complete closure of the branch in 1965 and its later removal.
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For the benefit of readers who are not familiar
with the full history, mini-chapters guide you through the important events
to give an insight into the early history. The story of bus services up to
1969 was covered in Isle of Portland Railway Vol 3.
In Rail and
Road Transport on the Isle of Portland we cover the drastic changes that
have taken place within the bus industry since then, with a fully
illustrated chapter bringing the story up to date through the tempestuous
years since de-regulation and the bus war between the established operator,
Southern National, Smiths of Portland, and new comer 'Weybus', making
it compelling reading for those interested in the modern transport scene.
They book is to A5 format and consists of 160 pages
and includes 270 photographs. It is printed on art paper throughout with a
full colour laminated card cover. |
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PS10 |
ISBN 0 85361 581 0
ISBN 978 0 85361 581 1 |
£ 11.95 |
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RAILS TO ACHILL -
A West of Ireland Branch Line
by Jonathan Beaumont |
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If you travel from Westport in the
west of Ireland through Newport and Mulrany to Achill Sound today, here
and there you will see overgrown sections of railway embankment, bridges
and a couple of tunnels, as well as the magnificent stone viaduct across
the river in Newport. These are the surviving remnants of the old
Achill line - a branch line built
at the close of the 19th century to help develop the area and link it with
the outside world.
The promoters of the
line had high hopes for its future, and the railway was opened to the
public in several sections in 1894/5. It proved to be a great social and
economic asset to this area of County Mayo, but traffic never
consistently reached the levels originally anticipated, and as a result
the line was not profitable for much of the year. Development of road
traffic in the 1930s sealed the fate of the rails to Achill, and the last
train ran in the autumn of 1937 - a mere 42 years after the line had
opened.
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Since then, trains have operated from Dublin just as far as Westport,
which is now the railhead for the area. The track onwards to Achill was dismantled in 1938. Today, the remaining
stone and earthworks, along with the old railway station buildings at
Newport, Mulrany and Achill Sound stand in mute testimony to the line; the
local businessmen who promoted it, the builders, and the people who used
it. The course of the line is still very identifiable for most of its
length, despite over 60 years having elapsed since the last train ran.
Here and there, parts of it have a new use now. The viaduct in Newport is
a beautifully restored prominent local landmark with a path along the top,
giving the visitor a glimpse of the spectacular views that were possible
from the train. Newport goods shed is now a small chapel, while Achill
station has become a guesthouse.
This is the story of
the ‘Achill Railway’ - described by travellers at the turn of the 20th
century as ‘one of the most scenic railway journeys in these Islands’.
The book is to A5
format and consists of 160 pages with 130 photographs, plans and
illustrations, printed on art paper throughout, it has a card cover with a
square-backed spine.
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LP222 |
ISBN 0 85361
588 8
ISBN 978 0 85361 588 0 |
£
10.95/Euro 18.00 |
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RAILS TO KYLE OF LOCHALSH A History of the Dingwall & Skye Railway
including the Strathpeffer Branch
LAST FEW COPIES AVAILABLE - Order now to avoid disappointment
by D. McConnell |
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The story of a truly remarkable railway constructed in one of the most
remote regions in Britain. The reasons for building such an expensive
railway in such a sparsely populated area can be explained by looking at the
background of the Highland Clearances and later, the will to arrest further
depopulation and poverty in the Highlands and the Western Isles. The railway
was initially built to Stromeferry on the shore of Loch Carron to connect
with steamers to the islands. The largest population centre on the route was
Strathpeffer, a small spa resort. Unfortunately due to difficulties with
influential landowners, the railway had to be diverted away from
Strathpeffer. Subsequently a branch off the ‘Skye Line’ was constructed in
1885, the history of this branch is included in the book. Numerous other
proposals were drawn up for further railways in the West Highlands including
lines to Ullapool and Aultbea and the Kyle Extension (Stromeferry-Kyle of
Lochalsh) and these are examined. The line to Kyle was built, and became the
most expensive line in the British Isles to be constructed.
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Sadly the Strathpeffer Branch closed in 1951, but despite scares in the 1960s and
1970s that the ‘Skye Railway’ might suffer the same fate, the railway has
survived. In November 1997 the Kyle line celebrated
100 years of service to the people of the Highlands and Islands and of
course the many tourists who travel on this impressive railway and enjoy the
outstanding natural beauty of the area. The author’s love of his subject
shines through in his telling of the story of the ‘Skye Railway’.
A5 format, 344 pages art paper
throughout, including more than 200 photographs and illustrations. Casebound
with a gold-blocked spine and a laminated colour dust jacket with full
colour endpapers which show the route of the railway. |
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OL99 |
ISBN 0 85361 513 6
ISBN 978 0 85361 513 2 |
£ 25.00 |
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RAILS TO NEWQUAY - Railways, Tramways, Town,
Transport
by John Vaughan |
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Newquay reflects the influence
man has had in the development of a small coastal hamlet of the Georgian era
into a substantial holiday resort of the 21st century.
In terms of local industries
and employment there have been radical changes during the past 150 years. In
centuries past the primary occupations were from the sea especially in terms
of pilchard and herring fishing, and from the land, including agriculture
and farming, and various mining activities, significantly china clay. From
1849, when a tramway to Newquay was built, the commercial activity at the
harbour hugely increased. A number of cottage industries grew rapidly from
the turn of the 20th century, particularly clothing and knitwear but by far
and away the greatest influence was the development of tourism. |
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This development was greatly
facilitated by the availability of public transport, especially the coming
of the railway to Newquay in 1876. In the Edwardian era direct trains from
London operated, thousands of holidaymakers would arrive in Newquay by
train. The service between Newquay and Par gradually increased in frequency
and in 1905 another railway line from Truro via Chacewater, St Agnes and
Perranporth to Newquay opened.
Between the two World Wars
growth was significant and the holiday trade boomed. By this time buses and
coaches were providing an alternative means of transport but it was the
family car in the post-depression years of the 1930s which was to have the
greatest impact. In the post-World War II era the holiday trade quickly
became re-established and Newquay was proving to be as popular as ever. The
1960s and 1970s were decades of transition.
Gradually travel patterns
have changed and now the car is king. The use of aircraft has hugely
increased and some 400,000 passengers used Newquay Airport in 2007. The
numbers arriving by train has significantly decreased but the Newquay branch
line retains the distinction of being the only Cornish branch to enjoy
through trains from distant locations on time-dated Summer weekend.
The book is to A5 format, it
consists of 288 pages with 300 illustrations and is printed on high quality
art paper throughout. It has a glossy laminated colour card cover , is
perfect-bound with a square-backed spine.
See Book Review |
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OL148 |
ISBN 978
0 85361 677 1 |
£ 16.95 |
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RAILS TO POOLE HARBOUR
by Colin Stone |
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This much enlarged new edition brings the story up to
date. It tells of the various railways which served Poole Harbour. From
the coming of the main line to Poole and changes to the main line network
through the years, to the story of the many minor railways in the area.
Amongst the lines covered are the Hamworthy branch and the industrial
lines of Hamworthy, the Poole Quay Tramway and the numerous industrial and
private railways in the area. Included are the South Western Pottery
Railway which connected Parkstone station to Salterns Pier, the railways
of the Royal Navy Cordite Factory at Holton Heath, and the well-known clay
lines to Arne and Goathorn Pier to name a few.
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The odd-one-out, as it never had a physical
connection with Poole Harbour, is the fascinating Bourne Valley
Railway which was situated near Branksome station.
A5
format, 208 pages with more than 276 photographs/plans etc., it has a
glossy laminated colour card cover with a square-backed spine.
Much enlarged, revised and
updated edition with
more than 100 extra illustrations |
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Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Main Line Routes
The Hamworthy Branch, 1847 to 1967
The Hamworthy Branch since 1967
Motive Power on the Hamworthy Branch
Poole Quay Tramway
They Also Served
The Present Day
Poole Park Miniature Railway
Private Sidings in Poole
Poole Freight Working in 1960
Bibliography
Index |
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LP213 |
ISBN
978 0 85361 662 7 |
£
14.95 |
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RAILWAYS OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS A Pictorial Survey
by C.W. Judge
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88 pages, 138 photographs, 4 maps, all printed on
art paper throughout, A5 format, with a square-backed full colour glossy
card cover. |
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PS1 |
ISBN 0 85361 432 6
ISBN 978 0 85361 434 0 |
£ 5.95 |
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RAILWAYS OF
DUNDEE
by Peter F. Marshall |
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The history of the railways of Dundee has not been fully told before.
Companies were formed to create lines from the harbour at Dundee to
Newtyle, Arbroath and Perth, as well as through Fife from Edinburgh to the
ferry on the southern shore of the River Tay and of course the story of
the Tay Bridge is told. From early years to the present as the branches
were closed one by one. A5 format, 192 pages of art paper, 129
photos/plans, hardback with a gold-blocked spine, with a glossy jacket.
‘if you are at all
interested in either Scottish railways or the history of Dundee, then this
book will make an excellent
addition to any book collection. Highly recommended.’
Historical Model Railway Society |
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OL97 |
ISBN 0 85361 482 2
ISBN 978 0 85361 482 1 |
£ 15.50 |
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