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The first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its successor, British Rail. These were followed by a series of three books looking at the specially designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and then three volumes covering the parcels and passenger-rated stock. This is the second of two covering the ex-private owner fleet.When BR was created, it was intended that it should own all railway rolling stock, but legal action by some of the larger wagon-owning companies delayed things until 1951. Non-pool wagons were defined as privately-owned wagons allowed to run over railways owned or operated by the British Transport Commission. This series sets out the types of wagon eligible to be classified as Non-Pool and lists them individually with details of numbers carried, capacity and registration details where known. Volume 1 covered owners with initials A to H, and Volume 2 deals with the remaining owners alphabetically.

The first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its successor, British Rail. These were followed by a series of three books looking at the specially-designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and then three volumes covering the parcels and passenger-rated stock. This is the first of a series covering the ex-private owner fleet.When BR was created, it was intended that it should own all railway rolling stock, but legal action by some of the larger wagon-owning companies delayed things until 1951. Non-Pool wagons were defined as privately-owned wagons allowed to run over railways owned or operated by the British Transport Commission. This series sets out the types of wagon eligible to be classified as Non-Pool and lists them individually with details of numbers carried, capacity and registration details where known. Volume 1 covers owners with initials A to H, and Volume 2 (expected to be published in October 2016) deals with the remaining owners alphabetically.

It is now almost forty years since the publication of Carriage Stock of the LB&SCR by PJ Newbury, and twenty since David Gould produced Bogie Carriages of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. This new book is the second of two volumes intended to complete the coverage of LB&SCR carriages and passenger-rated vans. It describes the four- and six-wheeled saloon and passenger-rated vans, and also gives an account of the restoration of LB&SCR carriages at the Bluebell Railway.The aim is to provide a "design history" based on contemporary historical documents supplemented by practical knowledge gained through the study and restoration of surviving carriage bodies. The two volumes describe how carriage design developed, and how it followed new developments in train lighting, braking, communication and the social distinctions of the time.Both volumes are profusely illustrated with photographs and scale drawings, and are produced to the same high standard as this publisher''s LSWR Carriages by Gordon Weddell. All royalties from the sale of these volumes are being donated to the Bluebell Stroudley Coach Fund.

Those who have lived in the era of a gas works will remember them as devilish grim and grimy places, covered in a film of coal dust and emitting pungent odours, but to enthusiasts of industrial railways they were sheer heaven. Many such works had their own private lines for transporting coal for the process of extracting gas from it, and some had both standard and narrow gauge systems. In general, gas works ceased production in the mid to late-1960s when natural gas from the North Sea began to be pumped ashore and distributed around the national networks. There can be few railway enthusiasts who have not heard of Beckton gasworks, as it was the biggest in Europe with a huge internal railway operated by numerous and distinctive cut-down locomotives running throughout both the gasworks and the adjacent products factory. Beckton''s railways lasted for a century, during which time around a hundred locomotives came and went, working ceaselessly around the clock to provide heat and energy for London. Also included are details of the neighbouring outfall and sewage works that had its own railway, and also saw a host of contractor''s engines engaged there over the years. Beckton''s Railways and Locomotives gives a marvellous insight into this fascinating corner of London''s industrial past.

It is now almost forty years since the publication of Carriage Stock of the LB&SCR by PJ Newbury, and twenty since David Gould produced Bogie Carriages of the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway. This new book is the first of two volumes intended to complete the coverage of LB&SCR carriages and passenger-rated vans. A second volume will describe the four- and six-wheeled saloon and passenger-rated vans, and will also give an account of the restoration of LB&SCR carriages at the Bluebell Railway.The aim is to provide a "design history" based on contemporary historical documents supplemented by practical knowledge gained through the study and restoration of surviving carriage bodies. The two volumes describe how carriage design developed, and how it followed new developments in train lighting, braking, communication and the social distinctions of the time.Both volumes are profusely illustrated with photographs and scale drawings, and are produced to the same high standard as this publisher''s LSWR Carriages by Gordon Weddell. All royalties from the sale of these volumes are being donated to the Bluebell Stroudley Coach Fund.

This pictorial review shows the changing railway scene in the counties of Cumberland and Westmoreland, together with the North Lonsdale district of Lancashire, from Nationalisation until the end of main-line steam in 1968. It contains well-captioned photographs laid out in date order to show the progression from almost exclusive steam working to its total decline during this brief period of just over 20 years.Two major trunk routes passed through the area - the Settle and Carlisle line built by the Midland Railway and the London & North Western Railway''s route over Shap. In addition, there were many picturesque Lake District and coastal routes such as the Cockermouth, Keswick and Penrith Railway, the line between Carlisle, Maryport, Workington and Whitehaven and the electrified Morecambe and Heysham line.Containing a large number of excellent photographs from Britain''s foremost railway photographers, and showing both the locomotives and the stunning landscape through which they operated, this book charts the transition of motive power from Nationalisation to the "Fifteen Guinea Special" in August 1968.

The railways in and around London''s docks were arteries to the national railway system at a time when all heavy goods were moved by rail. As well as freight, the Port of London moved vast numbers of people by train around its domain - not just ships'' passengers but also dock workers, who were transported from their city dwellings to a host of dockside locations. This book describes the dawn of the major rail-served docks, and traces the evolution of the capital''s quayside railways and their locomotives from the days of the early dock companies through to what became the Port of London Authority''s huge undertaking.Over two volumes, we see the growth of the dock company railways from simple sidings to a vast network under the Port of London Authority, together with full histories of over 100 locomotives that worked the various quays and sheds. Part 1 looked at the systems operating in and around the Isle of Dogs at the Millwall and India Docks, and included various other railway wharves in the area. Part 2 chronicles the Royal Docks and their associated tracks, primarily the Victoria, Albert and King George V Docks, and also includes other associated and industrial railways in the vicinity.The absorbing story of these industrial lines and locomotives is traced from their humble origins to what became one of the largest private railways in the country, but which are now nothing more than a memory that serves to remind us of one of the foremost periods in Britain''s industrial history.

The five previous volumes in this series have looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its immediate successor, British Rail. This volume, however, is the first of three that look at the substantial fleet of specially-designed wagons that were used for track maintenance. They included open wagons to take fresh materials to site, ballast hopper wagons that could be discharged on site, flat wagons to convey new rails and carry old rails away for scrapping, and specialized brake vans to distribute ballast and take gangs of men to remote locations. Most of the wagon types seen in this volume were either built for the "Big Four" railways before 1948, or werederived from them; they are all fully covered together with their BR-built equivalents. Towards the end of the period, former revenue-earning wagons were transferred into the Civil Engineers fleet, and these are also covered in this volume. Finally, there is an examination of the telegraphic code names used to identify the genuine Civil Engineers wagons throughout the period, the reasons why they were necessary, and the original allocations of these wagons.

The Salisbury & Dorset Junction Railway was built to consolidate the L&SWR''s domination of Hampshire and south Dorset, in an effort to keep the GWR away from Bournemouth. It also gave Salisbury businessmen a more direct route to Poole and Weymouth. Almost half of the 18¿ mile route was in Dorset, with less than five miles apiece in Wiltshire and Hampshire. Passing through three counties, it traversed contrasting landscapes and served a wide if thinly populated agricultural area.The water meadows between Downton and Fordingbridge produced cattle, milk and watercress. South-west of Fordingbridge, the clay soil had given rise to brick and tile manufacture centuries before the coming of the railway, enabling these industries to expand and distribute their wares over a much wider area.Year-round passenger traffic on the line was at best erratic, but the line provided a useful diversionary and holiday route. Under these circumstances, it is not surprising that the line sadly became a victim of the Beeching axe in 1964. Since then, however, the populations of the towns it once served have grown considerably, and had it remained open it would have proved very useful, particularly for travel to Salisbury and the Bournemouth-Poole conurbation.This brilliant new book provides a complete history of this important line and the area surrounding it. With a vast amount of detailed information illustrated by a carefully selected collection of vivid images, this book is certain to be essential reading for railway enthusiasts nationwide.

David Larkin continues his comprehensive survey of British Railways goods wagons by looking at the final flowering of vacuum-braked stock, and the development of air-braked stock in the final years of British Railways, such as"merry-go-round" coal hoppers and Freightliner flat wagons. The batch of vacuum-fitted prototypes that eventually led to the general fleet of air-braked opens and vans is also covered.In addition, David also considers the effect of the change of corporate image for British Rail on wagon liveries, as a prelude to his continuation of the series into the British Rail era.Profusely illustrated, as are the other books in the series, this book includes lot and diagram details, wagon number ranges, builder''s and livery details of a diverse set of vehicles.

David Larkin continues his comprehensive survey of freight wagons by turning to the British Rail era. 1969 has been chosen as the starting point for this volume as it was the first full year of non-steam operation.At this time, orders were placed for the first air-braked general purpose open and van designs, and a major step forward was the introduction of the TOPS computerised wagon record system in 1972. The air-braked fleet was separated from other wagons, firstly by code (ABN), and then by name - Railfreight. Compatible privately-owned wagons operated with BR-owned stock on set routes, echoing the old Condor and Speedlink services and on a par with Freightliner services.Profusely illustrated, like the other books in the series, this book includes a lot of diagram details, wagon number ranges, builders and livery details.