Great Western Branch Line Gallery

[Not Jeremy]

This new book has just arrived into stock and as evidenced by questions on Strathwood's "book of the week" thread it has caused some interest.

 

I have therefore decided to start a thread dedicated to the book, starting with the same post that I just put on the above thread, in response to a question from a prominent RMwebber who suffers from a bit of a Western persuasion....

 

 

 

 

 

 Hi Robin, well after a week and on the basis that Kevin presumably hasn't received any more copies yet, I'll give a stab at an answer for you.

 

It's pretty good, images are drawn largely from the Great Western Trust and the Online Transport Archive, plus a few of the author's and also from his collection. There is a worthwhile "colour section" including some real gems, such as a couple with their dog awaiting their train at Golant Halt and a gloriously grubby "Brettel Lane", just north of Stourbridge Junction. The author states his intention to use images of use to modellers and that have generally not been seen in print before, and I would say he is successful in this. Overall it is a worthwhile book that covers its subject well - a lot of the images being taken in earlier BR years when there was more variety. It is particularly strong when it comes to South Wales and its lines, a fascinating area and well recorded in this book.

 

I have it in stock and my take on it is here. It is also in stock at Booklaw, and of course you can also purchase it direct from the actual publisher Pen and Sword.

 

Or Strathwood, obviously - when it comes back into stock😉

 

Simon

Edited July 28, 2023 by Not Jeremy
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[Captain Kernow]

So what percentage of the book would you estimate is devoted to South Wales then please,  Simon?

[gwrrob]

West of Bristol too please Simon ?

[melmoth]

5 hours ago, Not Jeremy said:

 

...who suffers from a bit of a Western persuasion....

 

 

Few people suffer from a Western persuasion; the majority consider it a blessing.

[Not Jeremy]

Well bless you Jon, some consider being “spotted” by a seagull a blessing!

 

I suppose I’d call it more of a leaning, others may lean towards it being more of a calling…..

 

I will otherwise conduct a forensic analysis of the proportions of the so far identified Western geographies contained within the book when I am next in the vicinity of  it.

[Captain Kernow]

N/A

Edited July 29, 2023 by Captain Kernow
Comments rendered non-applicable due to removal of post to which they referred.

[melmoth]

52 minutes ago, Captain Kernow said:

I don't think the rest of us needed to see all that or indeed are particularly interested.

 

 

Hi Tim, the post in question has now disappeared, so if you edit your post to remove the quote, it will no longer be visible at all @Captain Kernow

Edited July 29, 2023 by melmoth
spelling

[The Stationmaster]

Thanks for the heads-up on this one.  pen & SSWord do some excellent tites with some really well researched stuff.   Regrettably their West Wales book has a lot of 'muddy' photo reproductions in it plus - unusually for them - one or two minor errors where it seems the author couldn't make up his mind about theh platforms at Neyland.

 

Good to hear therefore that this one has good quality photo reproduction.  But I suspect that the Directors of the OW&W would have been rather disappointed to hear Brettell Lane described as a branch line station when it was actually on their main line.  However after the events of 23 August 1858 it was probably a place they'd rather forget.  

 

 Thanks again for your comments on the book and it looks like it might be time for some early Christmas shopping.

[DCB]

Oh well, another to order from the Library, pore over and purchase if it's really good.    I did the same with Harry Markle's , the celebrity previously known Prince Harry's, book "Spare Part." except  it's the sort of book you put it down you just can't pick it up again so I didn't buy it.

Most people associate GWR branch lines with Devon and Cornwall so its good to see the Welsh branches getting some attention.  

[Harlequin]

If this book really was a gallery of Great Western branch lines, I'd bite your hand off.

 

But I expect it's mostly BR(WR) era photos... 😞

 

Phil

 

[Miss Prism]

I doubt there are many decent unpublished GWR-era branchline pics left.

 

Here's 1912 shuffling a horse box at an unknown location (although the houses look a bit familiar), probably early 1920s.

 

[phil_sutters]

Dad's only pre-war GWR branch line shot is this rather fuzzy one. I must get round to re-uploading his albums from the 50s & 60s.

[Miss Prism]

A 4-coach non-corridor set on the Fairford branch feels like it is the remaining bit of a train from Paddington (or Reading?).

 

[phil_sutters]

2 hours ago, phil_sutters said:

Dad's only pre-war GWR branch line shot is this rather fuzzy one. I must get round to re-uploading his albums from the 50s & 60s.

No selective door opening in those days! Common-sense, an active guard, checking tickets and being aware who was travelling to where, and sensible announcements at stations up and down the line were the order of the day.

[John Isherwood]

14 minutes ago, phil_sutters said:

No selective door opening in those days! Common-sense, an active guard, checking tickets and being aware who was travelling to where, and sensible announcements at stations up and down the line were the order of the day.

 

January 1939 looks remarkable like July 2023, weatherwise !! 😦

 

CJI.

[phil_sutters]

On 30/07/2023 at 12:23, cctransuk said:

 

January 1939 looks remarkable like July 2023, weatherwise !! 😦

 

CJI.

Let's hope that the 'storm' that came nine months later is not repeated.

[John Isherwood]

2 minutes ago, phil_sutters said:

Let's hope that the 'storm' that came nine months later is not repeated.

 

Amen to that !!!

 

CJI.

[Not Jeremy]

Portents of doom aside, I have had a canter through the book in order to give a sense of where it takes us.

 

Up to page 15 images explore the branches westwards from South Greenford Halt as far as New Passage, on the same page Sandford and Banwell and then to Whitehall Halt on page 24, followed by Christow Station and points west to St Ives engine shed on page 40.

 

Gloucestershire to the midlands via the Severn Valley and Bumble Hole runs to Gobowen on page 57, then South Wales starts with Usk and Cefntilla Halt on page 59, running west to Wolf's Castle for Teffgarne Rocks on page 91, at thirty odd pages the largest section in the book.

 

The W&L kicks off for the rest of Wales, which runs until page 98 at Bonwm Halt. Then two pages of absorbed tanks in South Wales, followed by the colour section from page 101 to 122 and the end of the book, following the same geographical route as before.

 

The captions are informative, although in most instances the dates of the actual photographs are not given. Whilst the photographs are predominantly from the BR era, there are a significant number of GWR era shots, including an interesting shot of a Dean Goods on a freight running through Blue Anchor that features one of those lovely "Writhlington Kilmersdon Foxcote Collieries K" wagons.

 

And that's quite enough from me!

 

 

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks Simon, so quite a large section on Wales, then. Sounds jolly good!