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 Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., Terminal House, Station Approach, Shepperton,
TW17 8AS.
ISBN 07110 3003 0. Price £100. 646 pages large format, 2 volumes, case
bound.
A comprehensive atlas of public, common carrier, railways from 1807 to
1994 in England and Scotland (not Ireland). This is an impressive book,
beautifully produced and very thoroughly indexed, which makes it a
valuable reference source for the student of railway history.
The maps are at 1 inch to the mile and the railways are shewn as
coloured lines on muted grey ordnance survey maps to illustrate how the
railway fitted into its environment - or, where it has disappeared
beneath macadam, buildings or been preserved privately. There are
separate indexes for stations, junctions, tunnels, water troughs,
inclines and a miscellaneous section that includes, for instance,
collieries, sidings, wharfs and mills.
The year of opening and closing is given for each line or section
together with the names of its various owners. There are also a dozen
pages of family trees of the railway companies, which I found
interesting and very illuminating.
The kaleidoscope of lines in and around London has separate pages for
the underground lines while places like Carlisle have larger scale
inserts to shew the complexity of lines.
The good Colonel has clearly spent many years on what can only be
described as a labour of love since it is unlikely to become a best
seller. Just as well then the book was privately financed. Not cheap but
a valuable reference book produced to very high standards and one I
shall spend many happy hours studying.
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