 | Narrow Gauge Books Published |  |
| Narrow Gauge Books Published | |
| Austrian Narrow Gauge | Middleton Press | |||
| John Organ | £14.95 | 96 pages | Hardback | 2003 |
| A photographic survey of the narrow gauge in Austria, complete with brief histories and location maps of each line covered. This book forms an interesting companion to the same author's Swiss volume. In Austria the gauge generally chosen was 760mm with many fewer lines being electrified than in Switzerland. Historic and some present day views are well used to illustrate the subject. | ||||
| A Contrast in Islands | Plateway Press | |||
| W.J.K. Davies | £27.95 | 264 pages | Hardback | 2002 |
| Covering the metre gauge lines on Corsica and Sardinia, this is a detailed history and description of two systems, one with French and the other with Italian parentage. Unlike many narrow gauge stories, this one is continuing into the future as both systems are being imaginatively developed for incresing tourist use. As you might imagine, this has significantly changed aspects of the operation, all details of which are well portrayed in this book, the first on the subject in the English language for 30 years. The photographic coverage is enhanced by two good colour sections, and in addition to detailed track plans there are also scale drawings of a lot of the rolling stock. | ||||
| The Festiniog Railway Volume 1 | Oakwood | |||
| James Boyd | £22.95 | 298 pages | Hardback | 2002 |
| Covering the history and route, this is a straight reprint of this famous author's definitive history published in 1975. Whilst he photographic illustrations are not quite up to the best quality and size of more recent publications, the book remains as the most comprehensive and authoritative account of this famous railway and its associated quarries and customers. | ||||
| The Festiniog Railway Volume 2 | Oakwood | |||
| James Boyd | £25.00 | 326 pages | Hardback | 2002 |
| Volume 2 covers Locomotives, rolling stock, quarries and branches and preservation from 1954 to 1974; it also contains the index to both volumes one and two(!) The same comments apply as made for volume one, but adding to these one can only be impressed by the level of detail which both books record, both graphically and through the text. This was only achieved through exhaustive research and the author's own fascination and familiarity with the subject from an early age. | ||||
| Great Western Corris | Gomer | |||
| G. Briwnant Jones | £12.95 | 87 pages | Hardback | 2001 |
| A charming book, beautifully put together and well illustrated, recounting the general history and a more detailed account of the Corris's latter years under the Great Western Railway. The author experienced the railway at first hand and got to know many of the characters involved in the railway, and his affection towards and understanding of both illumnate this book. This is a 2001 re-publishing of a 1994 book with additional information added, see also "Last Days of The Old Corris". | ||||
| A Guide to Ruston Narrow Gauge Locomotives | Moseley Railway Trust | |||
| Dave Hall | £4.95 | 58 pages | Softback | 2003 |
| A compact and concise giuide as per the title, potted history of company and its narrow gauge products, all types illustrated and including several scale drawings. | ||||
| A Guide to Simplex Narrow Gauge Locomotives | Moseley Railway Trust | |||
| D.R. Hall & J.A.S. Rowlands | £12.95 | 108 pages | Softback | 2001 |
| Reprinted in 2005, a real narrow gauge "tour de force" and an astonishingly well produced book for such a new and small publisher. Over A5 format on high quality art paper, chapter and verse on this manufacturer of NG locos. Packed with very full and clear photographs and scale drawings of what must surely be every variation and type ever produced. Invaluable reference for narrow gauge and industrial enthusiasts. | ||||
| The Irish Narrow Gauge in Colour | Midland Publishing | |||
| Norman Johnston | £19.99 | 108 pages | Hardback | 2003 |
| Uniform in size and format with the same publisher's two books on the County Donegal, this large colour album benefits from being printed on to art paper, consequently giving the chosen images much more "life" on the page. All lines extant after 1949 are shown, including rare shots of coal mine lines around Arigna. This is a very appealing record of a delightful collection of railways, the images chosen are all good quality and give an excellent feel for the unique character of the Irish Narrow gauge and the people it served and employed. | ||||
| The Last Days of The Old Corris | Gomer | |||
| G. Briwnant - Jones | £8.95 | 48 pages | Softback | 2001 |
| A slim but very worthwhile photographic postscript to Great Western Corris, utilising subsequently found images of the very last years of the line. Attractively produced and containing some fascinating images the book also recounts various experiences with the railway including that of H.C. Casserley and son, who arrived to travel on the line on the very morning that a washout had closed it. Fortunately for posterity, they walked up the route and recorded what they saw, as did several other photographers post closure. Ther is a brief section describing and illustrating the significant progress being made to reopen part of the route south of Corris. | ||||
| Narrow Gauge by the Sudanese Red Sea Coast | Plateway Press | |||
| Henry Gunston | £8.95 | 70 pages | Softback | 2001 |
| Starting with an 18" fragment of the "Suakin and Berber Railway", an abortive and expensive scheme by the War Office to break the Mahdi's hold on North Sudan, this book recounts the later history of a commercial 60cm gauge line on the same route. Built in 1921 to transport cotton but also fulfilling many other roles, the line was a commercial undertaking utilising military equipment of both German and English descent, finally closing in 1952. This well produced book tells a fascinating story and benefits greatly from the Ellis family's records and wonderful photographs, Arther Ellis being one of the line's builders. | ||||
| Narrow Gauge Railways in South Caernarvonshire Vol. 1 | Oakwood | |||
| James Boyd | £22.95 | 310 pages | Hardback | 2000 |
| A welcome reprint of the second edition of James Boyd's classic history of narrow gauge railway development, an attractive and well illustrated book. This volume deals with the numerous railways and schemes which pre-dated the Welsh Highland Railway, an amazingly complex story of ambition and scheming, some of which resulted in railway construction. | ||||
| Narrow Gauge Railways of North Caernarvonshire Volume 3 | Oakwood | |||
| James I.C. Boyd | £22.95 | 226 pages | Hardback | 2001 |
| Covering the Dinorwic Quarry and railways, the Great Orme tramway and sundry other minor systems, including the isolated reservoir line above Dolgarrog, which survived on the ground long enough for me to see it whilst a student in the early eighties. The author visited photographed and researched these subjects long before it became "fashionable" so to do, and the quality of information and photographic illustration benefits accordingly. | ||||
| Northern France Narrow Gauge | Middleton Press | |||
| John Organ | £14.95 | 96 pages | Hardback | 2002 |
| A photographic survey of the principal lines in the area, past and present, complete with an historical overview of the development of narrow gauge in the region and line by line histories. It is a fascinating and varied story, well illustrated by the numerous clear photographs of all eras contained in this book. Large and small scale location maps enable easy identification of the lines on the ground. | ||||
| Quarry Hunslets of North Wales | Oakwood | |||
| Cliff Thomas | £22.95 | 256 pages | Hardback | 2001 |
| A solid little work of reference, packed with everything you ever wanted to know about all the narrow gauge Hunslets that ever worked in any of the North Wales quarries. The book contains a large number of clear and well reproduced photographs, which even include good detail shots of the valve gear and frames taken from below, together with a number of scale drawings. The story is brought up to date with the subsequent histories and present day locations of all the survivors being given, some of which are very obscure. | ||||
| Ransomes and Rapier Locomotives | Narrow Gauge Railway Society | |||
| Chris Fisher and Keith Halton | £8.95 | 70 pages | Softback | 2002 |
| A well produced and illustrated account of a relatively unknown apect of this famous company's history. Early production went to China (the company actually bult the first railway in China), but ceased as early as 1907 with the production of a final vertical boilered locomotive. Locomotive manufacturing recommenced in the 1930s with a series of internal combustion contractors locomotives and the whole story is recorded in this book. Included are a surprising number of good photographs of the early steam engines and their railways. | ||||
| Ruston Proctor and Hornsby Akroyd Oil Engined Locomotives | Moseley Railway Trust | |||
| Robert J. Parkinson | £4.95 | 50 pages | Softback | 2003 |
| An intriguing little book, stylishly presented with a "period" cover, it is an account of a pre Rudolf Diesel diesel engine and its application into small narrow gauge locomotives. Mainly used in explosives works, notably the Royal Gunpowder mills at Waltham Abbey, they were extremely well engineered but ungainly looking things. Many illustrations, scale drawings and a potted history of the personaties and companies involved in development make for an intersting book, although there is no explanation of quite why and how these engines were different to and superceded by conventional diesel engines. | ||||
| Surrey Narrow Gauge | Middleton Press | |||
| Mitchell & Smith | £14.95 | 96 pages | Hardback | 2003 |
| The usual format from Middleton Press, covering a fascinating collection of narrow gauge operations most of which are historic industrial operations rather than modern pleasure lines. There are some unusual and attractive locomotives featured, my favourite is a distinctive Bagnall 0-4-0 pictured on a siding in the gasworks that once occupied the site of the Millenium Dome. The system of the Hampton water works was immaculate, contrasting with the many contractors lines illustrated, one showing the Guildford by-pass construction - quite fascinating. | ||||
| Sussex Narrow Gauge | Middleton Press | |||
| Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith | £14.95 | 96 pages | Hardback | 2001 |
| A really inspired and interesting photographic album of narrow gauge lines old and new. The book is split into two sections, industrial and pleasure, the former section containing some real lost gems working in brickworks, gravel removal and a sewage works. The pleasure lines section is also interesting, the authors have quite rightly given the Amberley chalk pits museum a large section of its own, many of the locos shown working in industry have found a home here after retirement. | ||||
| Swiss Narrow Gauge | Middleton Press | |||
| John Organ | £14.95 | 96 pages | Hardback | 2003 |
| An interesting book, after a general introduction to its subject it depicts the major steam and electric powered narrow gauge lines in the Alpine region of Switzerland. The views are a good combination of historic and modern and depict the lines and their operation well. Included is the story of the amazing and ongoing preservation of the Furka pass route, replaced by a tunnel completed in 1982. This last project has necessitated re-importing original steam locomotives exported to Vietnam 60 years ago. A very minor criticism is that the maps of the various lines are not detailed enough to make maximum sense from the well written and informative text. | ||||
| Tramways A Vapeur Du Tarn | Oakwood | |||
| Sarah Wright | £13.95 | 208 pages | Softback | 2001 |
| The story of a meandering 60cm railway in South West France, closed as long ago as 1937 it has recently undergone a modest revival, albeit on a track gauge of 50 cm. This is an intriguing book, going in to the history of this little line in some detail, and recording its presence with a surprising number of good photographs, and scale drawings of much of the distinctive stock. The original line was the archetypal "petit train", largely built along public roads and hrough towns, but also boasting some significant engineering features, one of the largest of which survives in use today. | ||||