Journal of the Railway & Canal Historical Society Volume 29

Part. 9 No. 143 November 1989

THE TREVIL RAIL ROAD COMPANY Gordon Rattenbury .. .. .. L. J. Boughey .. • • 470 `ANY WARE TO ANYWHERE' Richard Storey • • 481 BOOK REVIEWS .. .. .. CORRESPONDENCE .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 4 8 9 4 5 INDEX TO VOLUME XXIX Compiled by H. C. L. . Tric.k. ett . • 497

Gordon Rattenbury. The Trevil Rail Road Company. 454-69

About three years ago, when in the Gwent Record Office, I had finished what I had intended should be my day's allotted task and was glancing idly through their `Tramroad' index cards. I found a card I had not seen before, headed `Trevil Tramroad'. This card listed about thirty items that had recently come into the custody of the Record Office, including the minute book of the company from 1820 to 1874, and a long list of share transfers and a few other documents. On making enquiries, I found that these had been received from Abergavenny Museum, to which I went on the following day. It appeared that, some weeks before, two small boys had gone into the Museum with a parcel containing the

Mr Pick And The London Midland & Scottish Railway Company's Canals
In eight weeks to May 1941, Frank Pick, late head of London Transport, visited most of the inland waterways in Britain to prepare a report to the Minister of War Transport.' Pick made recommendations to many concerns, which were received with varying levels of seriousness. One of the more serious recipients was the London Midland & Scottish Railway Company; this article will examine his recommendations and their consequences, concentrating less on the closure proposals than on those for transfers and amalgamations.2 Relations with Pick Surviving records of Pick's dealings with the LMS do not indicate a particularly cordial relationship. After the LMS board had read his report, they deemed it excessively critical of railway companies, and his enquiries via the Railway Executive Committee were met somewhat irritably with terse and dismissive generalities.3 His Report of May 1941 made few direct references to waterways owned by the LMS. A selection of little-trafficked canals which should be abandoned included the western branches of the Shropshire Union Canal along with such diverse lengths as the Stroudwater Canal, Kennet & Avon Canal, and the Halifax Branch of the Calder & Hebble Navigation. A special note on Mersey ports singled out Ellesmere Port for its efficient, if somewhat outdated and rundown, transhipment facilities. The LMS was criticised for selling off canalside facilities at Chester, to which most direct traffic had ceased.4 Pick had already offered detailed proposals to the LMS, which Ashton Davies, the Vice-President, was asked to investigate. His Report to the Board of April 1942 lays out Pick's suggestions and his own views.5 Pick's proposals Pick suggested the closure of disused canals, the transfer of certain lightlytrafficked waterways, and the retention and grouping of the canals based on the Mersey Ports. These may be summarised as follows:6 Canal 1941 Tolls Proposal Ashby 1,990 Transfer Cromford (east of Butterley) 304 Transfer Huddersfield (Cooper Bridge—Huddersfield) 225 Transfer Manchester, Bolton & Bury (Salford—Clifton) c15 Transfer Coalport Cromford (west of Butterley) Huddersfield Narrow Canal (rest) Lancaster Monkland Shropshire Union (all branches) St Helens Trent & Mersey (Leek Branch) Ulverston Nil Close Nil Close Nil Close 2,258 Close 2 Close c8 Close 1,976 Close Nil Close Nil Close 470

Richard Storey. `Any Ware to Anywhere'

The literature of road haulage history is in inverse proportion to the immense potential scope of the subject, which embraces thousands, probably tens of thousands, of undertakings, many short-lived, and few leaving behind such substantial physical remains as those of the railway system. In some respects the literature reflects the mix of interests involved—academics, practitioners past and present (from lorry-drivers to managers), and enthusiasts—although, as this brief summary is intended to indicate, each category has something of value and relevance for any student of the subject. In this area of transport history, perhaps more than in others, there is much to be gained from a mixing of approaches and `conversations' across boundary-lines of activity and approach.
This short article does not attempt to be comprehensive, but to point out some recent developments and indicate some potential sources as these are viewed by an archivist with a long-standing interest in road transport. The 1980s have seen some notable additions to the literature, in a number of categories. At the end of the previous decade G. Turnbull's study of Pickfords3 had analysed a firm which, in various ownerships, linked the canal era with that of the motor lorry. In 1981 a former transport practitioner, C. Dunbar, surveyed The Rise of Road Transport 1919-1939, illuminating a key period with personal experience, providing particularly interesting material on parcels traffic and on the organisations of employers and employed. More fully illustrated than is usual with such studies, the illustrations were generally of considerable relevance and very well captioned. The Rise of Road Transport was much more successful than a superficially similar earlier study, The Long Haul. A Social History of the British Commercial Vehicle Industry. This was an uneasy mixture of Foden company history with general transport and industry background. Seve

Book Reviews THE MIDLAND COUNTIES RAILWAY, compiled by Derby Railway History Research Group, ed. P. Stevenson, 128 pp, 49 illustrations, maps & plans, card covers. Railway and Canal Historical Society, 1989. ISBN 0-901461-11-3, £7.95. The Midland Counties Railway has not only survived for 150 years but apart from the most southerly portion from Wigston to Rugby it has flourished. It is surprising therefore that there has been no previous attempt to provide a detailed investigation into its history and origins. The new publication by the Derby Railway History Research Group more than adequately fills the gap and traces the origins of the MCR back to the later part of the eighteenth century, and concerns the carriage of coal by canal from the pits along the Erewash Valley. The opening of the Leicester and Swannington Railway in 1832 broke the monopoly of these coal owners. There followed during the 1830s several schemes that were to play an important part in forming the railway network that was constructed in the Victorian age: the London and Birmingham 1838, the MCR 1839, the Birmingham and Derby Junction and the North Midland 1840. The last three combined to form the Midland Railway in 1844. The book is attractively produced with well-chosen illustrations and maps. One or two of the latter were difficult to interpret; the captions could have helped more to clarify. On p. 79 the Earl of Scarbrough should be spelt thus. Fig. 39 of the Queens Road crossing, a rather poor reproduction of a photograph by Samuel Bourne, c.1860 states that there were four lines of rails across the road by 1864. This is very unlikely in view of the long running complaints by the borough council about the nuisance of the crossing. The additional lines most probably followed after the viaduct was completed about September 1869. There is no reference to the visit of the Dowager Queen Adelaide to Nottingham in July 1840, one of the earliest of all Royal train journeys, neither of the most important MCR relic, the stone coat of arms from the 1839 station now in the Nottingham Industrial Museum, nor to the gate pillars at the station yard entrance. However these are points which could be looked at if a second edition is contemplated. The book can be recommended especially to serious students of railway history. J. P. WILSON 484

THE WELSHPOOL & LLANFAIR LIGHT RAILWAY, Ralph Cartwright and R. T. Russell, 207 pp, 35 photographs, 42 maps, diagrams, etc, boards, David & Charles, 1989, ISBN 0-7153-9226-3, £10.95. The valley up from Welshpool through Llanfair Caereinion to Mallwyd was once described as the longest valley in Wales without any mineral extraction or industry of note. It is not surprising, therefore, that this early progeny of the 1896 Light Railways Act and the first to be contracted was lacking in dividends. This seemingly gentle agricultural country may look easy going compared with the lines to the north-west perched on rock shelves above rhododendron clad ravines, but with gradients like 1 in 29 for a mile both engineering and subsequent running costs are infinitely worse than many of those obtaining on the more spectacular routes. Opened in 1903 (when a competing horse-drawn bus actually ran a faster schedule!) it survived for passengers until 1931 and freight until 1956. It was rescued by a preservation society and the first part was reopened in 1963—the week of the Beeching Report! Since then it has gone from strength to strength. In this third and revised edition, the story of the line from its inception, through its years under Cambrian, GWR, and BR control, and into the present era with its fascinating collection of stock from all over the world, is excellently told by the authors who are to be congratulated on writing a thorough and all-embracing history. What a pity that the publishers did not give them better backing. The new photographs are reasonably well reproduced. Those that appeared in earlier editions are now crudely rehashed by some process that renders them deplorable. The jacket blurb (presumably from the last edition) says 'extensions are in hand to restore the railway to Welshpool itself.' The line opened to Welshpool in 18 July 1981. JOHN DENTON ;

RAILS IN THE VALLEYS, James Page, 192 pp, 285 mm x 220 mm, 131 photo illus, map, extracts from Appendices to Service Timetables, boards, David & Charles, 1989, ISBN 0-7153-8979-3, £14.95. The railways of the Welsh valleys constituted a group of lines unique in character. Nowhere else in these islands were to be found so many different railway companies operating within such a small geographical area, competing with one another in each others' valleys. Considering the complexity of the railway system of the region not a great deal has been written about it. The present book is particularly welcome as it sets out to bring to life the character of the valleys' railways. It is not a catalogue of Acts of Incorporation, opening dates, and so on, but an overall word picture of the history and operations of the railways of the area as a whole. The first chapter is entitled 'Journeys in the Valleys' and describes a journey up the Taff Vale (`up' in South Wales meant literally inland away from the ports to destinations such as Merthyr). It is followed by 'Moving the Coal', a most informative chapter describing the railways' part in handling the one-time enormous coal export trade from pit to port. Subsequent chapters include a general account of the build-up of the railway system in the valleys, the different types of traffic handled, locomotives, engine sheds and stations, ports, the LMS presence in South Wales, and a chapter called 'Cake Trains and Wet Fish' which is a fascinating account of some of the author's personal experiences whilst he was employed at Cardiff General station in 1956. There are numerous personal anecdotes and considerable information is included by way of extracts from Appendices to Service Timetables and such publications 485 as The Railway Magazine. A vast amount of research has gone into the preparation of this volume and the selection of photographs is widespread. They have reproduced well. A canal historian might question the use of the adjective 'great' in connection with the Glamorganshire, Neath, and Swansea canals (p. 46) and the Mersey Railway was hardly a major English railway (p. 84). A point about Swansea, there were five and not three engine sheds which survived into the post war years, the two not mentioned being the LMS sheds at Paxton St. and Upper Bank (p. 119). Why is the firm of contractors at Swansea docks consistently referred to as Towsland & Mason' instead of Towlesland & Mason', the correct form? These are very small criticisms which do not detract from the value of the book. It should be on the bookshelf of anyone whose interests extend to that absorbingly interesting group of lines in the South Wales valleys. NEIL PITTS

THE GREAT DAYS OF THE CANALS, Anthony Burton, 224 pp, 285 x 220 mm, 22 colour and 125 b. & w. illus., sketch maps as endpapers, index, boards, David and Charles 1989, ISBN 0-7153-9264-6, £15.95. `I can travel a canal I thought I knew well and still find features I had missed, which bring out some new and sometimes unexpected aspect of the old life of the waterway'. A fitting aphorism for this delightful overview of the British canal system. This is not a detailed historical survey of individual canals but a philosophical look at those who created and worked this vital transport network and whose activities generated the satisfying functional appearances of British waterways. This is a book which should enthuse the general reader who knows little of canal transport yet it equally contains much of value to the dedicated enthusiast in tune with the above quotation. Opening with his reactions on a day trip from Bradford to Bath on the Kennet & Avon Canal the author then surveys the earlier river navigations, canal construction and engineering features, their craft and day to day operation. The problems of both the boatpeople and the carriers are sympathetically covered and their difficulties highlighted in the onset of rail and road. A brief look at the burgeoning leisure interest is followed by a most important and cogent argument for water transport revival, relevant as we stand on the threshold of Europeanisation. It is good to read this reasoned response to the blinkered myopia of the government and its advisers. The text is enhanced by the quality of the illustrations many of which clearly demonstrate the author's photographic ability as both a record and artistic interpreter. After such commendation it seems churlish to cavil but two small points arise. Why describe the Thames & Medway Canal as the Gravesend and Rochester (p. 163) and why repeat essentially the same lengthy quotation from a Fellows, Morton and Clayton officer on both pages 101 and 121? A worthy addition to a RCHS bookshelf. JOHN H. BOYES. 486

A REGIONAL HISTORY OF THE RAILWAYS OF GREAT BRITAIN: VOLUME 15 NORTH OF SCOTLAND, J. Thomas and D. Turnock, 336 pp, 36 photo illus., 5 maps in text, folding map, reproduction of timetables, boards, David St John Thomas, David & Charles, 1989, ISBN 0-946537-03-8, £14.95. Here is the final volume of the Regional History series by which the whole of Great Britain has now been covered. It is a fitting finale to the series as it deals with the most remote and the largest geographical area of any in the series. John Thomas, who wrote volume 6, sadly died when the present volume was in its fairly early stages. However David Turnock has incorporated John Thomas' original work and has completed the volume himself. The work takes in the area roughly north of a line from Fife across to the northern end of the Firth of Clyde. The logical inclusion of the whole of the Western Highlands means that the little isolated Campbeltown and Macrihanish line is included in the present volume rather than in Volume 6 notwithstanding the fact that Campbeltown is slightly south of Ayr (by 21 minutes of latitude!). This is appropriate. After an account of the general background there are six chapters each dealing with a particular part of the north of Scotland. They are entitled 'Central Region: Stirling—Gateway to the North', 'Fife Region: Between the Bridges', 'Tayside Region: Perth and Dundee', 'Grampian Region: Little and Good', 'Highlands and Islands: Inverness and the Far North', and 'Highlands and Islands: Oban and the West Highlands'. The final chapter is styled 'A Concluding View: Train Services and Motive Power'. There is a chronology giving opening and closing dates of the lines covered in each chapter, and a bibliography. Included in the chapters are references to proposed lines and industrial railways. Throughout the book populations of communities, frequently quite small ones, are quoted for each of the years 1861, 1921, and 1981. Also imperial distances and weights are individually converted into metric equivalents. This does seem largely a waste of space. Yet such a line as the Wick and Lybster Light Railway is disposed of in just four lines on page 251, and even that includes the populations of Latheron parish for 1861, 1921 and 1981. A few years ago a 64-page book was published on this railway, which incidentally is not mentioned in the bibliography. A number of minor typographical errors have crept in. As in other books in this series, it is set against the social and economic background of the area covered, with reference to the problems peculiar to this part of the country. It is a good overall picture of the railway history of a large area of country which consists to a large extent of rugged terrain with a vast irregular and heavily indented coastline. NEIL PITTS

THE CROMER BRANCH, Stanley C. Jenkins, 144 pp, 210 x 145 mm, 73 illustrations, 7 maps, card covers. The Oakwood Press, 1989, ISBN 085361-330-3, £6.95. This is the latest book to come from the Oakwood Press in their attractive new format and covers very fully the interesting lines in the Cromer area. Compared with many other areas these lines have a very short history, for until the mid-19th century Cromer and Sheringham were still small fishing villages and the first railway to reach the area—the East Norfolk Railway, from Whitlingham to Cromer—did not arrive in Cromer until 1877, thirteen years after being incorporated, having been delayed by the financial crisis of 1866 and subsequent 487 shortage of money; it was absorbed by the Great Eastern in 1881. Cromer then began to develop as a high class residential and holiday area, and this was further stimulated by the arrival of the Eastern & Midlands Railway (Midland & Great Northern Joint from 1893) at Cromer Beach in 1887, which brought visitors from the Midlands and elsewhere. Further lines in the area were subsequently built by the GE and the M&GN acting together as the Norfolk & Suffolk Joint Committee. These lines ran from North Walsham to Mundesley and from Mundesley to Cromer through the district then called Poppyland, but traffic never developed as was hoped and they were early pre-Beeching closures in 1953-4. The author takes 'The Cromer Branch' as comprising all these lines and recounts in great detail their history and the train services and engines that were worked over them, as well as describing the lines and stations, and the book has many well-reproduced photographs. There are occasional blemishes; in a description of the disastrous head-on collision on the single line between Norwich and Brundall on 10 Sep. 1874—a month before the East Norfolk Line was opened—it is stated that the accident was caused by a Norwich station inspector ordering the telegraph clerk to tell Brundall to let an up (westbound) train enter the single line section while that section was occupied by a down express. Actually at that time the section was not so occupied, for the down express had still not arrived at Norwich from the south, but it did so a few minutes later and inexplicably the same inspector allowed it to leave for Brundall before the up train had arrived. On the subject of fencing the author refers to many M&GN and N&SJ stations having decorative Midland style diamond pattern fencing; in fact however this type of fencing was M&GN style— in the Midland style the diagonal palings were all inclined in the same direction. But these things apart, the book is to be commended as a comprehensive account of the lines in the Cromer area. H. C. L. TRICKETT

THE HUNDRED OF HOO RAILWAY, Brian Hart, 84 pp, 107 photo illus., 7 maps and plans, 6 pp of scale drawings, 6 reproductions of posters and timetables, card covers, 275 mm x 215 mm. Wild Swan Publications, 1989, ISBN 0-906867-73-8, £7.95. The railway from Hoo Junction to Grain and Port Victoria and later All Hallowson-Sea has already attracted much attention; this is the fourth book to appear on the subject since the 1960s and there have been at least half a dozen extended references in railway periodicals. This is an attractive production, well up to the publisher's high standards in book design. Although it is understandably difficult for him to find much new to say, the author relates the story of the line to date in considerable detail, writing with great affection, and easing readability by the insertion of well-crafted pen pictures. These minor literary excursions, together with quotations from contemporary guides and other documents are supported by beautifully reproduced photographs of every part of the line and its villages and surrounding scenery—a small fortune must have been spent in buying old picture postcards at their present high prices. Thus is the atmosphere of this rather special branch evoked in a way which has not been done before, the result deserving to stimulate local sales and generating the reader's interest. Conscious of the author's commendable endeavour to record the background and place the railway in its proper setting, one puts the book down with a slight regret that more was not said of the SE's financial involvement in the All Hallows town development project, the various attempts to get this going over the years 1929-39 and the reasons for its failure (in contrast to its success with day excursion traffic). Events in the last two decades are also skated over lightly and there is no index, list of sources, or bibliography. ALAN A. JACKSON 488

HIGHLAND RAILWAY LOCOMOTIVES—BOOK 1—EARLY DAYS TO THE LOCHS, J. R. H. Cormack & J. L. S. Stevenson, 160 pp, 236 mm x 182 mm, 114 photo. illus., 2 line drawings, map, boards. Railway Correspondence & Travel Society, 1988. ISBN 0-901115-64-9, £12.95. This book, which is the first in a two-volume history of Highland locomotives, commences with those built in 1855 for the opening of the Inverness & Nairn Railway and covers all locomotives built or acquired up to the end of David Jones' period as Locomotive Superintendent in 1896. For completeness the three Jones 4-4-0's built in 1917 are also included. The history of all these locomotives is followed to the end, be it in HR, LMS, or BR days. In the introduction a brief history of the Highland Railway is followed by short biographies of the Locomotive Superintendents, a description of the line and its features, and details of liveries and special fittings on the engines. The locomotive classes are described in order of appearance, with individual class histories being broken down under subject headings rather than being written in strict order of events. Reference is thus made easy but the smooth flow of a continuous narrative is lacking. Origins of the locomotive names are explained, yielding much interesting background information on the railway. Devotees of the works of John Buchan will be disappointed to learn that the 4-4-0 Huntingtower was not named after the scene of the exploits of the Gorbals Die-Hards. Most helpfully for this Sassenach reviewer guidance is given on the pronunciation of the names. There are also appendices on engine loading, turntables, and water columns. In places more information on locomotive design and detail features would have been welcome. Errors seem to be few. The name of Major Marindin of the Board of Trade appears on p. 57 as Mandarin, and it is stated that the Skye Bogies had horizontal cylinders when the illustrations clearly show them inclined. The book is printed on art paper, with well-chosen illustrations nicely positioned in relevant portions of the text. With few exceptions the locations are given—the authors clearly know their terrain. May we look for a bibliography covering both volumes in Book 2? A most charming and enlightening book, both for the student of locomotive history and for those with other railway interests. D. F. TEE

ATLANTIC COAST EXPRESS, Stephen Austin, 112 pp, 23 maps and diagrams, 102 photographs, soft cover, Ian Allan 1989, ISBN 0-7110-1822-7, £6.95. This book puts the clock back to a September day in 1960 when we are taken for a journey to Padstow on the 11.00 am from Waterloo. After some potted history and an account of the operation of this unique multi-portioned train, the narrative concentrates on the work of the footplate crews, handling 35028 Clan Line as far as Exeter and 34033 Chard for the remainder of the journey to the Atlantic seaboard. The task of working a heavy train on the ACE's tight schedule is recalled from the memories of one of its drivers as well as from the author's recent experience of 35028's preserved activities. The lineside scene and passing traffic are also described in detail, with the aid of track diagrams of the principal stations en route. One or two anachronisms have crept in here; M7 tank 30051 brings the ACE stock into Waterloo some six months prematurely, while the VC 10 at Weybridge was still 21 months away from its maiden flight. 489 The numerous photographs include details of preserved Bulleid rolling stock and of his Pacifies to illustrate some of the less glamorous aspects of the engineman's job. Moving from the grime of the loco shed to the West Country scenery a selection of contemporary colour pictures shows Bulleid engines at work on the SR's most attractive main line. This well produced book evokes many happy memories of the latter years of the Atlantic Coast Express. J. N. FAULKNER

RAIL CENTRES: LEEDS/BRADFORD, Stephen R. Batty, 160 pp, 242 x 176 mm, 203 photo illus., 11 maps and plans in text, end-paper maps, boards. Ian Allan 1989, ISBN 0-7110-1821-9, £11.95. This is a generously illustrated account of main line railways in the Leeds and Bradford area. Two thirds of the book are devoted to a detailed history of railway development in the industrial West Riding. The story is complicated, but the author succeeds in unfolding it with the minimum of fragmentation and repetition. The remainder of the book deals with passenger services down to the present day, emphasising the current revival in main line and local travel. Apart from a page and a half devoted to the major goods depots, freight operations receive little attention. The photographs contribute materially to the value of this book. They have been chosen carefully and the quality of reproduction is very good. The majority were taken between 1950 and 1970 with another forty since 1980. For those living in the West Riding the photographs give a fascinating insight into the changing landscape. In common with other volumes in this series there is no index. This is a major flaw in a book containing so much historical detail. Factual errors appear to be few, though there are occasional misprints and slips of the pen in the text and in the maps. The lists of locomotive allocations given as appendices seem to have been compiled hastily as there are mistakes and inconsistencies in classification. The aim of the author is to stimulate his readers to enquire further into the railway history of the two cities. This attractive and well produced book should ensure fulfilment of that ambition. GRAHAM HARDY DIDCOT, JUNCTION & RAILWAY CENTRE (A Railway World Special), L. Walters, 56 pp, 286 x 211 mm, 101 illus., (17 in colour), 6 plans, pictorial soft covers. Ian Allan, 1989, ISBN 0-7110-1831-6, £5.50. This profusely illustrated publication, printed on good quality paper, is much more than a picture book of steam locomotives. Practically two-thirds of the alltoo-restricted space is devoted to a history of the continuing development of the railway settlement, best remembered by many for the dominating bulk of the GWR Provender Store. A general plan of the village would have aided understanding of the text, and the reviewer would have welcomed a longer description of the station buildings and their facilities, together with more of the fascinating early photographs. Over a 28 year period the Great Western Society has grown from a group of four schoolboys to the operators of a Railway Centre that attracts over 100,000 visitors annually. As well as locomotives and rolling stock a number of GWR structures and much equipment is also preserved. These current activities are also well described. Recommended, together with a plea that the author writes a more detailed account for a local history publication. DENNIS HADLEY 490 MAKING TRACKS, J. R. Fairman, 56 pp, 98 photographs, 5 maps, soft cover, Kingfisher Railway Productions 1988, ISBN 0-946184-57-7, £5.95. As part of British Rail's rationalisation of its civil engineering facilities involving greater use of outside suppliers, the Redbridge permanent way works near Southampton was closed in March 1989. This book describes the history of the works since the site was acquired by the LSWR in 1880. Commencing with a review of the social, industrial and railway history of the area, the development of the works is described. This is followed by a valuable account of the evolution of permanent way into today's continuous welded rails on concrete sleepers. The book then deals with each of the departments of the works and how they were adapted and modernised (even as late as 1988) to meet these changes. One feature was the fabrication and pre-assembly of complicated pointwork for major track renewal or remodelling. All these activities are fully illustrated in the book which forms a worthy record of the skills and human effort behind the maintenance of LSWR, SR and BR permanent way. The track has always been a rather neglected subject for railway literature, a need which this book meets. J. N. FAULKNER THE WELLAND CANALS—The Growth of Mr. Merritt's Ditch, Roberta Styran and Robert R. Taylor with John N. Jackson, 168 pp, 240 photographs, drawings and charts, 215 mm x 280 mm, The Boston Mills Press, Erin, Ontario, Canada. ISBN 0-919783-63-5, no price quoted. Apart from the pioneering works of Robert F. Leggett, there are few other books readily available which detail the many facets of the social history of Canada's unique canals. It is therefore timely that a first class illustrated history of the Welland Canals has at long last appeared. The book has its roots in the extensive research undertaken for the First Annual Niagara Peninsular History Conference held at Brock University in 1979. It sets out to show the relationship between local and national demand for a reliable waterlink between the two great lakes of Erie and Ontario and the St. Lawrence River valley. Preliminary chapters offer a useful historical review between canal development elsewhere and its influence on the building of the Welland Canal, including the particular problems of surmounting the Niagara Escarpment. They plot the drive of the local businessman, William Hamilton Merritt, and his relationship with Thomas Telford who he persuaded to purchase 20 shares, worth £225, in the First Welland Canal Company. The changing technology of canal building is clearly illustrated through striking comparative illustrations of the techniques used to construct the various improved canal lines. A useful review interrelates the stages in the development of the canal to the changing demands of industry, trade and ship size. These in turn are reflected in separate chapters to the changing nature of the employment in the area and the way local communities developed. Further chapters on 'People and Pleasures', 'Difficulties and Disasters' and 'Transforming the Landscape' combine to make the whole book a compact social history of a key locality in Canada's history. The book is profusely illustrated with a carefully chosen selection of archive drawings and unique local photographs all reproduced to a very high standard. The three authors, with a common link through their contacts with Brock University, have combined their specialist knowledge of the locality to produce a most informative and readable book with a useful Bibliography which adequately fills a key gap in local canals literature. ROGER W. SQUIRES 491

A genealogy of the LNER and a chronology of its antecedants. Dawn Smith. 224 pp + 8 pp prelims and 33 pp appendices, Hartlepool: Glebe Publications. Reviewed by John Marshall.
Apart from the spelling of 'antecedent', the cover of this substantial volume is attractively set out on a background of approximate `LNER Green' which, as the reviewer has discovered, unfortunately fades in strong daylight. The book sets out to provide information on the various constituents of the London & North Eastern Railway, the full title of which appears nowhere in the book, presented in a standardised form listing: Act of Incorporation; Other Acts; Route; Engineer; Dates of Opening; Other Information. If the information does not fill the space available a large rectangle is provided, labelled 'Notes'. All this would be splendid if only the information could be relied upon. The various constituents are not arranged in any kind of order. At the end Appendix D gives a list of reference sources numbered from 1 to 40, arranged in the most random fashion with some items mentioned twice such as: 1 Tuck's Shareholder's Guide 1846 and 7 Tuck's Railway Shareholder's Manual 1846, all from Mr. J. T. Howard-Turner's private library. Here probably is the root of the book's troubles. To produce this kind of book the compiler needs the resources of a comprehensive library, such as Manchester, where there are complete runs of Bradshaw Manuals and timetables, Local & Personal Acts, and other material. Even this is insufficient; to complete the work properly many weeks would be needed in the PRO at Kew and the Scottish Record Office in Edinburgh. A work such as this is too vast for one person to undertake alone if it is to be completed in a reasonable time. Nothing less than a team of dedicated researchers is needed, prepared to divide the work between themselves. The conception and layout of the book are commendable, but there are omissions and mistakes on almost every page. Where the information has not been readily to hand it has simply been left out. Thus there are many blank spaces after 'Route', 'Engineer', 'Date of Opening', etc., where a little more research could have supplied the information. There is no mention of whether the dates of opening are for passengers or goods. The reviewer naturally examined first the section on which he was best informed, the Great Northern, and soon found himself using the book as a form to be filled in with chapter numbers of Acts (to be found in the Index to the Local and Personal Acts), routes, engineers, dates of opening and much other information. The form becomes unmanageable for lines which were authorised but never built under the original Act but under subsequent Acts with a different name such as the Stamford & Spalding. If the day of opening could not readily be found, only the year is given. Various companies which were not fully integrated with the GNR are listed under `Independent Companies' at the end of the book. Here we read, for example, `Nottingham Canal otherwise known as Grantham Canal'. Errors, omissions and confusion are everywhere. An acquaintance has had a similar experience with the Great Eastern and the Great North of Scotland sections. All this is not to say that nothing is right in the book. It does indeed contain much sound information, but without careful checking there is no means of identifying it. Thus a book which could have been a valuable work of reference and a tool for the railway historian has become little more than a form to be filled in by the enthusiast with plenty of free time. For anyone who loves delving in archives and libraries, and who is short of something to work on, this book is ideal. One is left with the sad feeling that, despite an immense amount of work, a great opportunity has been missed. If, as is stated in the Introduction, this is the first of four such books then a much more diligent approach is needed before embarking on the GWR, LMS, and SR.

SHORTER REVIEWS RAIL PORTFOLIOS 8: THE 24s AND 25s, Hugh Dalby, 64 pp, 71 photo illus., (all in colour), boards. Ian Allan Ltd, 1989, £6.95. This is the first title in the Rail Portfolio series produced by Ian Allen since acquisition from Janes Transport Press. It consists entirely of photographs with extended captions of members of the two classes described, in various liveries and numerous differing situations. The pictures by a wide range of photographers are well reproduced and photographic details, camera, film, etc are quoted in nearly all cases.

RAIL PORTFOLIOS 10: THE WR DIESEL-HYDRAULICS, Hugh Dalby, 64 pp, 76 photo illus. (all in colour), boards. Ian Allan Ltd, 1989, £6.95. This publication includes all classes of diesel hydraulic locomotives used by the WR. As in the earlier Rail Portfolio reviewed above it consists of a wide selection of coloured illustrations of members of the various classes in many environments, in action, in workshops, etc. Photographic details are given and the pictures are well selected and reproduced.

THE GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY IN MID CORNWALL, Alan Bennett, 96 pp, profusely illustrated, maps, track plans, extracts from timetables, card covers. Kingfisher Railway Publications, 65A The Avenue, Southampton SO1 2TA, £7.95. The author treats Mid Cornwall as the area from Lostwithiel to the Redruth/Camborne district. His book surveys the main line and the associated branch lines in the area designated. These latter include that to Falmouth, both branches to Newquay and the various lines serving centres of the china clay industry. There is a chapter on harbour development, notably at Fowey, Par, and Newquay, one on St. Blazey workshops and yard, and another on tourist traffic to Newquay. Besides an outline of the history of the railways there is much information on such matters as locomotive working and traffic handled.

THE ISLAND TERRIERS, M. J. E. Reed, 48 pp, profusely illustrated, card covers. Kingfisher Railway Publications, £4.95. After a brief introduction about the LBSCR Terriers and the pre-grouping lines in the Isle of Wight the remainder of the book is devoted to a series of 'biographies' of each of the eight engines of this class which worked on the island. The numerous illustrations include views of the locos in LBSCR days, in pre- and post-grouping liveries on the island and in a few cases after return to the mainland in SR and BR liveries. There are also a few pictures of the preserved specimens, two of which are back on the island. Appendices list dimensions, boiler details, etc.

ANDERTON FOR ORDERS, Tom Foxon, 152 pp, 8 colour paintings, endpaper maps, card covers. J. M. Pearson & Associates, Tatenhill Common, Burton-onTrent, Staffs, £8.95. A most interesting and informative account of the author's experiences on working boats on the canals in the early days of nationalisation. He describes trips undertaken and the cargoes handled to and from Birmingham, Wolverhampton, 493 Manchester, Ellesmere Port, Stourport, and other places on the canal system. The book brings to life a period when much commercial traffic was still being handled by the waterways, including the narrow canals.

LONDON'S INDUSTRIAL ARCHAEOLOGY No. 4, 54 pp, obtainable from Tom Smith, 74 Lord Warwick St. London SE18 5Q0, £2.80 inc. p&p. This is the latest in the series of journals from the Greater London Industrial Archaeological Society. Highlight is a study of Bricklayers Arms station by RCHS member Malcolm Tucker who looks at his subject in depth, mainly through its buildings, traffic, and handling arrangements.

WAS YOUR GRANDFATHER A RAILWAYMAN? Tom Richards, 2nd edn. 52 pp, card covers. Obtainable from the author at 1 Apsley Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 2SH, £2.25 inc. p&p. The second edition of this work, the first having been reviewed in the March 1989 Journal. Many additions have been made, notably regarding LNWR Crewe staff records, various LNW Joint Committees, a new section on UK railway shipping records of many companies (the oldest for the Stockton & Darlington Railway 1838) and many extra references to staff records of the GCR, LBSCR, and LCDR.

THE USA 756th RSB (RAILWAY SHOP BATTALION) AT NEWPORT (Ebbw Junction), E. R. Mountford, 48 pp, 30 photo illus., 4 line drawings & plans, soft covers. Oakwood Press, 1989, £3.30. In readiness for the invasion of Europe in 1944 a large number of USA locomotives, mainly 2-8-0's of class 5160, were brought to this country. They were serviced at Newport and stored in the Newport area until they were needed on the continent. This is a personal account of observations and information obtained from US Army officers who were responsible for the operation, being based at the fitting shop at the GWR engine shed at Ebbw Junction. Full details are given of the locos involved, together with their locations at the three storage sites. There are also brief details of other types of US locos used by the Allies during the war. An interesting work about a little known aspect of railway history.

WATERWAYS INTO CASTLEFIELD, John C. Fletcher, 20 pp, maps, drawings, photo illus., soft covers. Obtainable from the author at 36 Trawden Avenue, Smithills, Bolton BL1 6JD, £2 inc. p&p. This small but informative book traces the history of navigations to Manchester with the main emphasis on the Castlefield area. Starting with river navigation the story is followed through the canal era to nationalisation, and concludes with a section on the site of the National Boat Rally of 1988. Among other interesting features described are the origins and functions of the various canal tunnels in Manchester, which constitute a lesser known aspect of the Manchester canal system. THE HELLINGLY HOSPITAL RAILWAY, P. A. Harding, 32 pp, profusely illustrated, soft covers. Obtainable from the author at `Mossgier , Bagshot Road, Knaphill, Woking, Surrey GU21 2SG, £1.75 plus 25p p&p. 494 This latest work by Mr Harding describes the little known railway which linked Hellingly Mental Hospital with the LBSCR line at Hellingly on the Polegate— Eridge line. The book covers the history of the line, a description of the route, motive power and rolling stock, operation, closure, and a brief account of the position in 1989. A well researched and well produced account of an interesting and unusual railway. THE MIDLAND COUNTIES RAILWAY 1839-1989: A PICTORIAL SURVEY, Mark Higginson, 60 pp, 106 illus, 3 maps, Midland Railway Trust, Butterley Station, Ripley, Derby DE5 3TL, ISBN 1 872194 00 1, £1.95 plus £0.50 p.&p. This is a special edition of The Wyvern, the quarterly journal of the Trust, published to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the opening of the railway. The illustrations are arranged in geographical sequence and include contemporary engravings and woodcuts, and historical and recent photographs, together with excellent maps showing the railway in 1840, 1922 and 1989. It will be of particular interest to those who attended the Society's 1989 AGM Weekend visits. Correspondence The Weaver Navigation Sir, —While greatly enjoying Reflections on Water—Reminiscences of Frank Rogerson, onetime Waterman on the Weaver Navigation in the March issue, I was reminded of work now being carried out to develop the 20-mile Weaver Valley Way which runs north from Winsford through the centre of Northwich and past the Anderton Lift to the Weaver outflow into the Mersey estuary near Frodsham. The project is being co-ordinated by Cheshire County Council Countryside and Recreation Department and there is an excellent free leaflet available from the Department's office at 40A Church Street, Davenham, Northwich. There is a lot to explore and enjoy in the Weaver Valley, not least its railways and the disused Cheshire Lines branch from Cuddington to Winsford. Much of the trackbed now forms The Whitegate Way, the subject of another leaflet. A reference in part two to the old Indefatigable being anchored just outside Eastham Lock is perhaps misleading, for two training ships which bore this name were always anchored in The Sloyne off Tranmere, four miles further downstream. This, the safest of the Mersey anchorages, is marked on OS maps. It is close to the Cammell Laird shipyard. The Indefatigable originally used as a training ship was a wooden wall. It was replaced in 1914 by an old cruiser. REX CHRISTIANSEN 495