 |
Journal of the Railway & Canal Historical
Society
Key file for access to Journal This year lacked cntinuous pagination |
No 213 (March 2012)
An unusual water supply: the Great Western Railway's Alcester branch and the Stratford upon Avon Canal's Edstone Aqueduct. front cfover
Hugh Potter. Butterley Tunnel Wide Hole. 2-7
Based on paper presented to the seventh Waterways History Conference
held at Birmingham Central Library Theatre on 9 April 2011. The Wide Hole
is a widening in the tunnel which not only enabled boats to pass, but which
formed a junction for a branch to an underground wharf which enabled limestone
to be conveyed to the Butterley Company's Codnor furnaces. A roof collapse
was repaired by the Midland Railway in 1915 as the canal was a supplier of
industrial water. The tunnel is not navigable, but its state was investigated
by Robin Witter in 1979 and by Tina Cordon in 2006.
Peter Cleasby. The Canal Association 1855-1947: a brief survey. 8-14
Based on paper presented to the seventh Waterways History Conference
held at Birmingham Central Library Theatre on 9 April 2011
Joseph Boughey. Saving the waterways in the post-war British Isles:
interpretations and assessments. 15-23
Based on paper presented to the seventh Waterways History Conference
held at Birmingham Central Library Theatre on 9 April 2011.
There was never a monolithic process called "saving our waterways" despite
literature to the contrary, Av waterways movement developed that iinteracted
with other movements for connservation and amenity provision, but this contained
many "currents" within it which involved different visions, methods and degrees
of success.
Much could not have been saved in any event, although more could have been
recorded, and thus not lost to memory. The retention and enlargement of the
basic navigable networks in Britain and Ireland was the most impressive
achievement, along with the reversal of the often negative image of waterways,
from liabil ity to asset, in the view of many decision-makers. While much
has been lost, much more might have been destroyed. The ability for the
conservation of representative elements to provide continuities with the
past has been partly realised. It is contended that much more research is
needed into the history of conservation activities, including engineering
and maintenance, alongside the study of movements, their philosophies and
practical instances. This tends to lie outside the main approaches to waterways
history, which usually focus upon engineering, traffics, legal and institutional
developments. While these provide essential elements, they do not, in themselves,
provide sufficient explanations of developments since 1945 that have transformed
most navigable inland waterways.
Wider histories should form a base for the assessment of the success of movements
to retain various aspects of waterways. Previous narratives have tended to
posit a single idea of retention and revival (mostly against formal closures)
and to praise those whose efforts helped to bring this about. To understand
what conservation activities took place is to begin to determine the extent
to which these emanated from influential individuals, organisations and
movements. Some of these are at a distance from the waterways enthusiasts
to whom much has (often rightly) been attributed. The revision of such histories
that have been developed needs to begin with a different foundation.
Philip Scowcroft. Transports of Savoy delight.
23-4.
Gilbert and Sullivan opera references to transport: mainly maritime,
but also some railway. See also letter from Matthew
Searle
Paul Reynolds. The origins of railway passenger transport. 25-31
Advertised, time-tabled and fare-paying passenger services first appeared
on railways in the early 19th century, 1807 generally being accepted as the
earliest date. However, these services only operated where special conditions
prevailed and there was no idea ofthe wholesale migration of passenger traffic
from road to rail. By about 1820 the possibility and desirability of this
was starting to be considered by the more enthusiastic advocates of the railway
and by the time of the mania of 1824/5 the idea had gained sufficient ground
for it to feature explicitly in the plans of several of the companies that
were promoted in those years. The publicity given to railways and to their
capability for passenger carriage, followed by the interest that the S&DR's
passenger operations aroused, led to the acceptance of passenger travel by
train despite a continuing distrust of the steam locomotive for this purpose.
The successful implementation of passenger traffic on the L&MR reduced
this suspicion by showing that it was possible to offer rail passengers a
steam service that was reasonably safe and that was faster, cheaper and more
comfortable than anything that could be provided by a road vehicle and, above
all, that was popular. By the early 1830s acceptance of steam- powered passenger
travel by rail had become the default position.
Colin Edmondson. The Marston Rock Salt Railroad. 32-7
In Northwich, Cheshire. closed in 1844 due to flooding.
Allan Brackenbury. 150 ways of crossing the line. 38-43.
Reprinted from Volume 22 Number 2 (1976)
Allan Brackenbury 150 more ways of crossing the line. 43-9.
Station signage instructing users how to, or not to, cross the railway
line: by bridge, subway or crossing.
Obituary - David Tew 50
Correspondence 51
Reviews. 53
Early railways. Andy Guy and Jim Rees. 56pp,
80 illustrations (colour), paperback, Oxford: Shire Publications, 2011. Reviewed
by Miles Macnair. 54
This is a quite wonderful little production that cannot be recommended
too highly. Written by two pedigree authorities on every aspect of 'Early
Railways', the text condenses the progression of railways from horse-drawn,
wooden-railed waggonways to the opening of the first 'modem', steam locomotive
railway in 1830. The key milestones along the way are presented concisely
and logically, blending the significance of engineering developments with
economic factors and the roles of crucial individuals like Richard Trevithick,
the Stephensons, father and son, and the financial backers Edward Pease and
Thomas Richardson.
The stuttering evolution of the 'iron horse', powered by 'strong steam',
is paralleled by the equally im portant, perhaps even greater, consideration
of the 'iron road', the rails it travelled on. While the first was a slow,
experimental series of progressive improvements and set-backs — that
would continue to the last days of the steam locomotive — the second
was virtually solved by a single invention at the Bedlington ironworks in
1820, the T section rail rolled from wrought iron. Other intriguing aspects
are highlighted; the stimulus to steam-powered solutions (including rope-hauled
inclines with fixed steam engines) resulting from the shortages of horses
during the Napoleonic Wars; the role of canal 'feeder lines' in encouraging
the spread of the railways that soon accelerated the canals' own decline;
and the early recognition of the long-term importance of passengers to railway
profitability.
While the text, spread over seven compact chapters, is excellent, the
illustrations are even more wonderful, both in their selection and the quality
of reproduction. Absolutely top marks to the publishers for producing such
high quality at such a modest price. This book will, hopefully, enjoy a wide
readership among the general public, stimulating interest in this fascinating,
but often neglected, period of railway history.
The Civil Engineers: the story of the Institution of
Civil Engineers and the people who made it. Hugh Ferguson and Mike Chrimes.
London: ICE Publishing, 2011. xii, 262pp, 118 colour &
247 b&w photographs. Reviewed by Peter Cross-Rudkin. 54
As its subtitle implies, this is on one level the corporate history
of the Institution of Civil Engineers from its inception in 1818 to the present
day, but on another it seeks to show how the profession of civil engineering
has developed over that time. After an introduction, eleven chapters deal
with the develop- ment of various aspects of the Institution's role, mostly
by focussing on particular engineering projects or individual engineers.
A twelfth chapter, one-third of the book, gives brief profiles of 42 of the
147 Presidents of the Institution, with photographs and plans of some of
their works, and a final short chapter describes some of the staff, who appear
at times to have ruled their nominal masters.
By 1818 the canal age in Britain was nearly over, and there is little in
this book, apart from Thomas Telford's involvement in the Institution's early
years, to interest the canal historian. However, when in 1828 Thomas Tredgold
drew up his famous definition of civil engineering as 'the art of directing
the great sources of power in nature for the use and convenience of man'
,he went on to mention the various types of civil engineering works, including
roads, bridges, canals and river navigations, ports and docks, breakwaters,
sea and flood defences, lighthouses, steamships, water supply, irrigation,
urban drainage and public health. All of these make an appearance here, with
many interesting images from the Institution's archives. For historians of
the construction of Britain's railways, this book gives a picture of what
was going on concurrently in other fields of engineering and other parts
of the world. The authors have been associated with the administration ofthe
Institution for many years, and write with knowledge and authority. In hard
covers and profusely illustrated on good quality paper, this book is excellent
value. As a bonus for members of RCHS wondering what the chairman of their
Managing Committee looked like before the Society's affairs weighed upon
him, there is a photograph in the chapter on contracts and management.
George Townsend Andrews of York: 'The Railway
Architect'. Bill Fawcett. Yorkshire Architectural & York
Archaeological Society jointly with North Eastern Railway Association, 2011,
256pp, over 600 illustrations & drawings (many in colour). Reviewed by
Gordon Biddle. 58
Dr Fawcett's exhaustive account of the life and work of G T Andrews
is the result of some thirty years' recording and research, from sources
ranging from the local to the National Archive and the Victoria & Albert
Museum. The book is in two main sections: the first on Andrews' life and
career; the second, by far the larger, on his churches, secular buildings,
railway work and houses. His railway activities covered stations and other
buildings on most of George Hudson's lines between the Humber and the Tyne.
Andrews was born in London in 1804, but by 1826 he had moved to York where
he practised as an architect until his death in 1855. He enjoyed the patronage
of Hudson, 'The Railway King', and was Sheriff of York during Hudson's time
as Lord Mayor. Hudson's financial collapse and subsequent disgrace in 1849
severely affected Andrews' practice, but he managed to survive by expanding
into non-railway work such as ecclesiastical, country house and estate buildings,
and town houses and commercial premises, many of the latter still well-known
in York. His railway work is examined in considerable detail. In his early
years it was conventionally classical in character, including three large
stations: Hull Paragon, the first York terminus (both still standing), and
Gateshead (now demolished). Later he began designing stations in the newly
fashionable Gothic manner, particularly the gem at Richmond —lately
restored — and smaller ones in North Yorkshire of equal quality. Andrews
was also prolific in designing railway houses, cottages, locomotive and goods
sheds, and even a couple of railway company gas works. The final chapter
compares his stations with those of three contemporaries: William Tite, Sancton
Wood and William Tress. An appendix lists Andrews' art collection, which
was both discerning and considerable. There are twelve pages of endnotes
and references, and an index.
Printed on heavy art paper, like the author's earlier works, this handsome
book has been designed and produced by himself, including most of the excellent
photographs, plans and measured elevations and drawings.
The gleam of the lines: an illustrated journey through
two centuries of Irish railway history. Tom Ferris. Dublin: Gill
& Macmillan, 2011192pp, 117 photographs (including 68 colour), 50
reproductions of paintings, posters, engravings & drawings, Reviewed
by Gerald Leach. 58
With a well balanced combination of narrative and an excellent selection
of illustrations this book provides an interesting, well written and pictorial
history oflreland's railways over a period of250 years commencing from some
early trarnroads in the 1750s up to 2011. The written history is contained
in six chapters. The first chapter describes Ireland's basic transport system
in the years preceding the 1830s. Subsequent chapters provide a chronological
narra- tive from December 1834 when the Dublin & Kingstown, the country's
first public railway, was opened, and then on through the 19th and 20th centuries
to finally bring the story up to date with the rail modernisation schemes
that have been implemented over the past fifteen years. A novel feature of
the book is the inclusion of a number of short essays covering a variety
of separate topics such as how Ireland got its unusual 5ft 3 in gauge, the
atmospheric railway between Dublin and Dalkey built in the 1840s, brief accounts
of three serious railway accidents (Straffan, Armagh and Buttevant), and
biographies of some personalities who were associated in various ways with
Irish railways.
Undoubtedly the illustrations, many of which are being published for the
first time, are the book's main attractions. It is lavishly and generously
illustrated, mainly in colour, with a superb selection of interesting and
good quality photographs, old postcards, reproductions of paintings, maps,
engravings, posters and other images of railway memorabilia. The book's grand
finale is an atlas section comprising 16 pages of reproductions of the 1907
version of the Railway Clearing House map of Ireland's railways, identifying
the various companies and distinguishing in colour the route maps of their
lines. For a book of such quality it is economically priced and is highly
recommended, particularly to those who are aficionados of Irish
railways.
The book of BR Standard Class 5 4-6-0s, Ian Sixsmith
& Richard Derry. Clophill: Irwell Press, 2011, 208pp, 201 b&w
photographs, Reviewed by Brian Janes. 60
An illustrated list of individual locomotives with an introductory
factual essay on pages 5-29 is followed by a reprinted article by Kevin Pile
based on an official BR report of 1952 on the initial performance of the
class in Scotland. Pages 38 onwards are devoted to tables of individual
locomotive histories largely illustrated with static three-quarter front
views of the majority. Most photographs are dated, a considerable plus.
An improved version of the LMS 'Black Fives', the class seemed to many better
looking. Initially distributed in small batches to virtually all regions
where they were found inferior to their own locomotives, perhaps due to innate
conservativeness. Drifting back to the heartlands of ex-LMS lines they lasted
to the end of steam. The book sheds little new light on the class but the
reviewer was amused to learn that information was drawn from standard forms
with an ERO prefix; one ER O'Neil having rationalised LMS pre-war printing
arrangements, led to Crewe printing works thereafter being generally nicknamed
'The ERO'.
As with all this series the book is well produced for lay enthusiasts. However,
Volume 2 of the RCTS work on Standard BR Steam Locomotives does a better
job of assessing and describing the class.
British steam past & present. Keith Langston.
Bamsley: Wharncliffe Transport: 2011. 176 pp, hardback, 78 colour
photographs, 102 b&w photographs, Reviewed by Graham Bird
This 'popular' volume does not aim to offer a comprehensive account
of British steam operation, but wisely limits itself to pen-portraits of
ten selected aspects of the subject. These include, for example, the Bluebell
Railway, Beattock Bank, the Churnet Valley, Oxford station and the NER Q6
0-8-0. The Belfast-Dublin line also features, and there are accounts of the
building of Tornado and of the ongoing project to recreate an LMS 'Patriot'.
Each topic gets a brief historical overview, but the main focus is on events
which older readers, at least, will be able to remember. There are few pre-1950
illustra- tions. The historical outlines are complemented by accounts of
steam preservation, but some may feel that there is too much emphasis on
these at the expense of'real' history.
The plentiful and well-chosen photographs are the outstanding feature of
the book. The colour images of preserved locomotives and trains are superb
and the monochrome views, many by David Anderson, evoke very well the latter
days of BR steam. The overall quality of presentation is high but a little
more time could usefully have been devoted to proof reading. However, the
author succeeds well in conveying the allure of steam railways and the book
is likely to appeal to a wide audience.
The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway in Salford. Tom Wray.
Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society, 2011, 64pp, 60 b&w and
colour photographs and illustrations, Reviewed by Richard Coulthurst.
60
Covers the period from the early days of the constituent companies
of the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway (LYR) that served Salford, such
as the Manchester, Bolton & Bury Railway, and takes the story up to recent
times with the opening of the Salford Crescent, the Windsor Curve and the
refurbishment of Salford Central station. The Clifton Junction incident,
the result of a dispute between the LYR and the East Lancashire Railway in
1849, receives attention while the heavy freight traffic that was such a
feature of the area is clearly demonstrated.
A late addition to the network in the area was the branch to the Manchester
Ship Canal which proved to be an expensive and difficult project, passing
at it did through a densely populated urban area
A notable feature of the book is the illustrations which include photographs,
large scale plans and coloured architectural drawings all supported by
comprehensive captions. There is brieflist of sources and a short bibliography
but the book is not referenced and there is no index. It is, nevertheless,
a well-produced book and attractively priced.
The Minehead Branch and the West Somerset
Railway. Colin G Maggs. Monmouth: Oakwood Press, 2011.
176pp, 192 b&w photographs, 13 maps & plans, gradient profile, 14
facsimile documents. Reviewed by Tim Edmonds. 64
The second edition of a book flrst published in 1998, this has been
revised to include extended photographic coverage and textual updates. It
tells the story of a line which began life as the broad gauge West Somerset
Railway from Norton Fitzwarren to Watch et, later extended to Minehead, and
worked initially by the Bristol & Exeter and then by the Great Western.
After closure by British Railways in 1971 the branch was sold to Somerset
County Council who leased it to the modem West Somerset Railway, a preservation
operation. The book covers all these periods of the line's existence.
Early chapters cover the origins and development of the line through to the
present day. This is followed by a description of the route and short chapters
on themes including locomotives, traffic, signalling and accidents. There
are no footnote references but there is a short bibliography of primary and
secondary sources and a one-page index. Apart from an excerpt from a Railway
Clearing House map on the back cover, the book lacks maps showing the line
and its relationship to neighbouring railways. However, there is a track
plan or OS map extract of each station. The text is well-illustrated with
an interesting selection of photographs and production is up to' usual Oakwood
Press standards. This is a good, readable branch-line history and is excellent
value for money.
Bashers, Gadgets and Mourners: the life and times of
the LNWR Coal Tanks. Peter W Skellon. Bahamas Locomotive Society,
2011. 256pp, 180 illustrations, 60 line
diagrams & maps, Reviewed by Rodney Hartley . 64
This is an excellent book for the student of locomotive history, setting
out in detail, the designing, building and operation of the LNWR Coal Tanks.
The narrative includes many first hand accounts of the operation and maintenance
of the locomotives. It also describes the improvements and modifications
carried out to the class over the years, and Chapter 5 is devoted to a
description of the locomotives in service in various parts of the railway
system. As well as being a technical work, which enlarges upon some little
known aspects of locomotive development and operation, it is also a social
history, providing information of a lost era. It also is a history of the
early days of railway preservation and the problems encountered therein.
Indeed the last surviving member of the class of Coal Tanks was the first
locomotive to be purchased for preservation from funds raised by public
subscription. Chapter 9 is an Owners' Workshop Manual and there are numerous
appendices, references, a useful bibliography and a good index. The book
is a credit to the author and to the Bahamas Locomotive Society and is well
worth the purchase price, which also includes a 55-minute audio-documentary
on CD.
The Wells-next-the-Sea Branch via Wymondham and Dereham. Stanley
C Jenkins. Monmouth: Oakwood Press, 2011. 200pp, 141 b&w
photographs, 1 colour photograph, 19 maps & plans inc loose fold out
colour map, 12 timetables, 11 illustrations. Reviewed by David St John Thomas.
64
First published in 1988, this revised and expanded edition gives the
painstaking and usually sad story of one of Eastern England's most problematic
lines, the lengthy Wells-next-the-Sea branch. Journey times from London compared
unfavourably with those to neighbouring resorts, and ironically Wells only
became popular as a holiday destination in the motor age once the tracks
around the harbour had been themselves, lifted and a proper promenade was
formed. With a discouraging timetable, passengers on the branch were scarce,
but large cargoes were once frequently transferred between ship and rail.
Though the writing is slightly repetitive, perspec- tive is good and all
one needs to know is here. Timetable reproductions, plans and a rich array
of photographs bring it all to life and will make older readers wish they
had travelled on the line especially in those early Swindon-built green-liveried
DMUs in which you could enjoy the driver's view.
A 1915 as-built drawing of the shortening of the Butterley Tunnel Wide Hole (see pp. 2-7) (British Waterways, Leeds). back cover
Adrian Gray. Canal boats, canal children and social
reform. [214] 2-6..
NSPCC action to eliminate children dwelling on canal boats. Also scandals
involving brutallity inflicted on children on industrial training ships,
notably theAkbar on the Mersey. Children were drowned in locks working at
night and burnt to death on barge fires. The canal school at Bretford was
still open in 1950.
Children on canal boats did not have the emotional impact of the mill
children or chimney sweeps, so by the 1870s it remained one area of children's
life that was largely unregulated. The situation of children who lived on
barges attracted the campaigning zeal of George Smith in 1872, who promoted
awareness of the issue. He described one cabin of 202 cubic feet in which
three children slept on a table, two under their parents' bed and a fifth
on top of a cupboard) There was a problem with small children being suffocated
whilst they slept in overcrowded 'beds' – which were often on the table.2
The issue was most prevalent on narrow canals, especially around Stoke and
Birmingham at least until 1914.
Bill Crosbie-Hill. Great Western Railway ecxcursions
in the 1930s, [214] 7-15
Wide variety of destinations including some on other companies
lines—Avonmouth to Bournemouth via Highbridge and the Somerset &
Dorset using a Bulldog 4-4-0. Football excursions could be very up-market,
especially if the manager and team were being conveyed. Plymouth Argyle played
Arsenal in the FA Cup and this warranted haulage by Castle class onfive special
trains. Rugby and horse racing also warranted specials: the Grand National
brought specials to Birkenhead. Overnight trains were run to Penzance and
Barmouth from Paddington. A special set of excursion stock was built with
fewer doors.
Richard Vandewetering, Reverend Joseph Townsend and the Kennet &
Avon Canal. [214] 16-24
Reason why the country gentleman developed a financial interest especially
in the central section of the proposed long distance canal.
John Duncan. Local taxation and the Victorian railway companies, [214]
25-35
In Scotland and in particular the reactions of the Caledonian and
North British Railways in Peeblesshire and of the latter in Fife: litigation
over valuations.
Graham Cousins. The Macclesfield Canal Company—interactions and relationships. part 1: 1826-39. [214] 36-48.
Correspondence. [214] 51
Railway Handbooks. Kevin P. Jones.
(RCHS Journal, November 2011, 54-5)
In that issue of the Journal four separate reviewers tackled the four
handbooks on the post-grouping railways produced by Haynes Publishing with
David Wragg as their author. Only the review
of the LMS Handbook was really critical: the others received a far warmer
welcome. Thus I borrowed the set from the local public library and sought
to see for myself, especially as the reviewer was particularly damning about
the index, a particular interest of mine. In my opinion the index in the
LNER Handbook is far, far worse: a fault
missed, possibly, because on a superficial level it looks rather good.
In the reviews the greatest strength of the LMS Handbook was missed, namely
that it pays an appropriate amount of attention to the Northern Counties
Committee: too many authors ignore the Ulster dimension in the affairs ofthe
LMS. But there are serious omissions in the books themselves. There is absolutely
no mention of freight in the Southern
Handbook: the Kent coalfield, coal traffic from the wharves at Erith,
the substantial and valuable traffic from Southampton: all are ignored. If
these were manuals for cars (for which the publisher is well-known) it would
be as if one of its publications failed to have a section on the engine,
because it was 'too small'. The post- grouping railways worked hard to retain
freight and pictures of specialist wagons to carry outsize loads were a feature
of childhood reading. These are captured by
Geoffrey Hughes in his LNER
(1986), but this is one of many obvious sources not cited. The author
also perpetuates one of the great urban myths in regarding the chief mechanical
engineers as being on a par with the general managers, whilst ignoring the
almost omnipotent chief civil engineers. Strangely only one such is mentioned,
namely John Miller of the LNER. He was an Ulsterman, but his state was anomalous
as the LNER treated civil engineering on an area basis. William Wallace,
another Ulsterman, had far more clout on the LMS, and E C Trench, yet another
Irish civil engineer, thwarted the efforts of George Hughes to introduce
more powerful motive power.
Returning to the index to the LNER Handbook: it contains 40 page references
to coal traffic, 32 references to Edinburgh and 35 to electrification. None
of these are subdivided in any way. They merely show that coal traffic was
important; and that Edinburgh was a key traffic centre. They do not assist
the quester for information. As the reviewer of
the GWR Handbook stated, one must question
whether the complete series is worth over £100.
Transports of Savoy Delight. Matthew
Searle. (RCHS Journal, March 2012,23-24)
In his survey of Gilbertian allusions to transport, Philip Scowcroft
omitted one reference to social changes in metropolitan transit. In Act II
of Patience (1881), Archibald Grosvenor describes himself as 'the
very delectable, highly respectable / Threepenny 'bus young man'. Fortbe
1900 revival, the Central London Railway having opened in the interim, this
was changed to 'Twopenny Tube young man', a point specially noted in The
Times review of the revival.
On another matter, I question the suggestion quoted in a book review that
tbe 'ERO' code on London, Midland & Scottish Railway stationery represented
personal initials. I understood it to signify the LMS's Executive Research
Office. 0
Reviews. 53
Monorails of the 19th century. Adrian S
Garner. Lydney; Lightmoor Press, 2011. 288pp, 385 illustrations,
19 maps. Reviewed by Grahame Boyes. &plans,
This second book on monorails to appear within a year overlaps very
little with the first — David Voice's
Monorails of the World reviewed in
Journal 210 - because that is subtitled
A history of passenger monorails, the overwhelming majority of which were
post-1900. However, some comparisons may be made. Ever since they first saw
the two-rail railway, inventors have felt challenged to design a single-rail
railway. Garner's index of inventors and designers lists no fewer than 112
of them up to 1900. Sometimes they claimed that their monorail would be in
some way superior to a conventional railway — cheaper, quicker to build,
less friction, faster, or safer. Often it appears that novelty was an end
in itself.
Whereas Voice rarely devotes more than a paragraph to each monorail system,
with little technical content, Garner provides extensive details, taken from
contemporary sources, of all the monorail systems that were actually built,
even if only as trial lines or large-scale models. As well as photographs,
there are many drawings to illustrate the technical details. Voice set out
his book in strictly chronological order, but Garner has divided the subject
into 16 thematic chapters, most of them dealing with a particular type of
monorail. This aids understanding of the chronological development of each
type and also comparison between the types. For example, two chapters trace
the development of Lartigue's pannier-type monorail, from mule- and camel-
haulage on agricultural lines in Algeria and Tunisia, to electric haulage
of copper ore in the French Pyrenees, steam haulage on the Listowel &
Ballybunion and Feurs & Panissieres Railways, and Behr's schemes for
highspeed lines between Liverpool and Manchester and elsewhere. A final chapter
gives details of many more monorail designs, mostly patented, that never
progressed further. Appendices give tabulated details of monorail steam
locomotives and electric vehicles built prior to 1900.
Were these monorails ever more than a solution looking for a problem? Perhaps
not, but they do seem to be intrinsically fascinating and one can understand
why they attracted inventors. To pursue these thoughts further, study this
admirable book. It is unlikely to be superseded.
Mail trains. Julian Stray. Oxford: Shire
Publications, 2012. 62pp, 95 photographs, 1 map, Reviewed by Warwick Burton
This is a further addition to the excellent and inexpensive Shire
range of books on a multiplicity of topics. The book charts the rise and
decline of carriage of mail by rail from the opening of the Liverpool &
Manchester Railway in 1830 to the present day. As soon as railways opened
the mail was transferred to them, because the railways were faster and could
carry much greater volumes of mail than their mail coach predecessors. This
greatly facilitated Rowland Hill's introduction of the Penny Post in 1840
— something that would have been impossible without rail transport.
As early as 1838 mail was sorted whilst on the move, the first being on the
London & Birmingham Railway, using a converted horse-box. The same year
saw an Act of Parliament requiring railways to carry mails on all trains
and to run mail trains at any time fixed by the Postmaster General; the most
famous of these were the Irish Mail and the West Coast Euston–Aberdeen
Special, all carrying dedicated TPOs (Travelling Post Offices). The last
TPOs operated as recently as 2004. Exchanging mail on the move (a practice
inherited from the mail coach era) took place as early as 1838 and was in
general use by 1853. By 1913, the high watermark of the Royal Mail services,
there were no fewer than 245 locations where mail was exchanged at speed.
The book also charts the human cost of these procedures in TPOs without
sanitation, illventilated and involving long hours. The subsequent changes
to mail trains are charted up to the present day, when a few dedicated mail
trains still run to carry Christmas post. Highly recommended.
Andrew Odlyzko. The Railway Mania — fraud, disappointed expectations and the modern economy. 2-11.
Jean Lindsay. The Forth & Clyde Canal — conflict and its motto. 12-14
Adrian Gray. Disaster in Nottingham. 15-16
There was a major explosion caused by gunpowder when it was being
unloaded from a barge on the Notingham Canal annd taken to a warehouse which
collapsed. About a dozen died, blown to pieces scattered over a wide area.
The estimated cost is given. Based on newspaper reports.
Carl Shillito. The Fiery Jack, part 2. 17-20.
Original article see Volume 35 page
774
Graham Cousins The Macclesfield Canal Company — interactions and relationships: part 2,1840-1850. 21-30
Alan Levitt. Early locomotives on American banknotes: what the engravers got wrong and what they got right. 31-42
Neil Clarke. The railway interests of a Shropshire landed gentleman. 42-5.
Correspondence 46-
Canal boats, canal children and social reform. Wendy Freer, 46-9
Reviews 51
Cover images:
front: Water Gate from the Grounds of the proposed Cemetery Kensall [sic] Green (see note on p.30)
back: 'The Great Railway Fall Guy for 1849: 'Mr Hudson - the Railway King - who had been
courted during his prosperity by the highest in Church and State, received the utmost abuse
when he disappointed the confidence reposed in his infallibility' (Punch, 10 November 1849)
(University of Minnesota Libraries) (see pages 2-12)
The Furness Railway: a history. Michael
Andrews. Lindal-in-Furness: Barrai Books. 2012. 248+viii pp, 192
monochrome & 24 colour illustrations . Reviewed by Gordon Blddle
A former Chief Medical Officer on British Railways, the late Dr Michael
Andrews was an early member of the RCHS. A native of Barrow-in-Furness, he
made a life-long study of the history of the Furness Railway, undertaking
extensive research into original records, including the diaries of William
Cavendish, 7th Duke of Devonshire, who was the railway's chairman for 40
years. In addition to his extensive land and mineral interests in Fumess,
the Duke was closely concerned with the establishment of Barrow's iron and
steel industry with which the Furness Railway was intimately associated.
Indeed, it can be said that through the interlocking interests of Cavendish
and fellow directors, Barrow and the Fumess Railway were almost synonymous.
The railway opened in 1846, taking slate and iron ore from Furness quarries
and mines for shipment at the tiny coastal village of Barrow. Progressively
the line was extended up the Cumbrian coast, reaching the iron and coal mining
area around Whitehaven, although it was eleven years before a southerly link
was made with the London &North Western Railway at Carnforth. Meanwhile
Barrow was developing at enormous speed, from a population of 100 in 1846
to over 47,000 by 1881, when iron and steel production was approaching its
peak. By the end of the century it was undergoing a gradual decline and the
last steelworks closed in 1963. Meanwhile shipbuilding had become the principal
industry and Barrow was a major port.
Four of the book's 27 chapters are devoted to Barrow, its industries and
docks. Others cover efforts to promote connecting railways to north-east
England, culminating in the Furness & Midland joint line from Carnforth
into Yorkshire; competition and railway politics in west Cumberland; shipping
interests; the railway's role during World War I; and post-grouping developments
up to the present day. We learn of the influence of Sir James Ramsden, the
railway's general manager, local company director, the town's first mayor,
and much else. What F. W. Webb was to the LNWR and Crewe, Ramsden was to
the Furness Railway and Barrow. His able successor, Alfred Aslett, developed
Lake District tourist traffic to offset the effects of the iron industry's
decline.
Excellent photographs, many of historic value, and specially-drawn maps,
some in colour, enhance this sumptuously-produced book. Yet despite the
sub-title, it is mainly a business history, containing little about locomotives,
rolling stock and train services, and nothing about constructing the line,
its infrastructure, signalling and scenic routes. The dense text contains
numerous lengthy verbatim extracts from minutes and reports, taking space
which could have been used for other material, while a more comprehensive
index would have aided reference. Michael Andrews died during the book's
preparation, and one is left with the impression that the text is a first
draft awaiting editing. Sadly, therefore, this account of an interesting,
compact, regional railway is a disappointment.
London's railway heritage: architecture, engineering and industrial
archaeology, Vol. 1: East. Peter Kay. Wivenhoe: Author, 2012.
86pp, 272 photographs, 36 drawings, 17 maps & plans, paperback.
Reviewed by Matthew Searle.
Those familiar with the author's excellent previous volumes on Essex
Railway Heritage will know what to expect here: a very well-illustrated gazetteer
of historic railway infrastructure, meticulously referenced to original
resources. The present volume covers the southern part of what was historically
known as metropolitan Essex, between the boundaries ofthe City and the Greater
London area. A number of the lines featured would lend themselves to the
sort of exploration on foot that many Society members enjoy. Your reviewer,
despite wandering the area over many years, now learns that he has missed
much of interest and misinterpreted more, and looks forward to revisiting
it with the book in hand, which is surely the best recommendation for this
type of work.
Short reviews
Cornish Railways — John Vaughan. 160pp, 216x292mm, 193 colour photographs,
hardback, Hersham: Ian Allan, 2012, Reviewed by
This attractive album contains photographs taken between 1969 and 2012, embracing
the whole length of Cornwall. Although multiple units are not neglected,
the bias is towards locomotive-hauled trains including many freight workings.
But this isn't a succession of three-quarters views of locomotives. Trains
are shown complete in their context: in the beautiful Cornish scenery and
in industrial by-ways. The composition of most of the photographs is outstanding.
Not all is sunshine — there are some very effective photographs taken
in rain, at dawn and at dusk. The captions are informative, providing the
modem historical context.
The ABC of British Railway Locomotives, Combined Volume 1949 302pp, 150x98mm,
about 250 small b&w photographs, hardback, Ian Allan, Riverdene Business
Park, Hersham KT12 4RG, 2012, ISBN 978 0 7110 3734 2, £12.99
Virtually every RCHS member would have owned an Ian Allan ABC when they were
young — and how many of us wish we had kept our old dog-eared copies?
This is the first post-nationalisation edition, and is in the familiar format.
The introduction reminds us of the prevailing economic conditions: the shortage
of steel and the rationing of its use, and the desire to avoid using imported
fuel. The forecast about the new standard designs proved wrong, the author
asserting that they will be influenced by the LNER 'A 1 ' and '131' classes:
'The new designs will presumably follow LNER practice in having a parallel
boiler on the 4-6-0, three cylinders in the Pacific, and round-top fireboxes
on both.' Norbury Junction: the story of a canal community — Norbury
Local History Group 52pp, 208x210mm, 54 pictures, 2 maps, paperback, Norbury
Local History Group, 2012, no ISBN, obtainable from the Canal Bookshop, The
Wharf, Audlem CW3 ODX,
Norbury Junction, where the Newport Branch left the Shropshire Union main
line, became the maintenance centre for this section of the canal. A small
community grew up round the depot and the pub, isolated from the village
of Norbury. Based on documentary evidence and extensive oral history
reminiscences, and with financial help from the Staffordshire Local Community
Fund, the Norbury Local History Group has created a satisfying booklet. Topics
covered include the development of the depot, the history of the Junction
Inn and its landlords, the working boatmen, and the rise of the leisure industry.
This is an example which other local history groups could usefully follow.
Stour Valley Railway Through Time, Part 2: Clare to Shelford and Audley End
— Andy T Wallis 96pp, 235x165mm, 180 illustrations, paperback, Amberley
Publishing, The Hill, Merrywalks, Stroud GL5 OEP, ISBN 978 1 4456 0473 2,
£14.99
This volume covers some of the same ground as the Middleton Press Branch
Lines to Sudbury album reviewed overleaf (and includes some of the same
photographs), but adopts a very different approach, largely 'then and now',
and has the bonus of including the Saffron Walden branch. The 'now' photographs
— of lovingly-restored stations, housing estates, car parks, trees and
assorted greenery — show how difficult the occasionallysuggested reopening
of the line would be, due the extent of redevelopment over the past 45 years.
Captions are succinct and informative, although the BI illustrated on a goods
train at Haverhill cannot have been in 1967, as implied.
British steam 'Patriots'. Keith
Langston hardback, Barnsley: Wharncliffe Transport, Pen & Sword
Books, 2011, 168pp. 37 colour and 166 b&w illustrations, page 63
The Patriot class combined the larger boilers fitted to some Claughton
locomotives with the Royal Scot class chassis. Some retained LNWR components,
but the final ones incorporated Stanier improvements. Eighteen locomotives
were later rebuilt with larger taper boilers and then resembled rebuilt Scots.
Each locomotive is illustrated, although in some cases only the rebuilt form
is shown: a mistake as the final part describes the present construction
of an unrebuilt Patriot class locomotive to be known as The Unknown
Warrior (A primary aim appears to be to promote this project.) The concluding
section also lists names proposed for the unnamed locomotives.