Eastern England

Graham R. Jelly    [Publisher:  Book Law  2014]    Softback    96 pages

A really atmospheric all colour album, predominantly covering the BR Blue era in the earlier 1980s but with a few earlier shots and a very few much more recent ones. Lots of iconic locations and atmospheric routes, Sleaford, Lincoln St Marks, Spalding and Skeggy, and all mostly in sunshine on the drier side of Britain. The pictures are of universally good quality and cover the traction and stock in use at the time together with an abundance of steam age infrastructure, especially signal boxes and signalling. A really worthwhile album and a good record of its subject.

Peter Kay    [Publisher:  Peter Kay  2020]    Softback    80 pages

The final part of Peter Kay's highly detailed and well illustrated history on this important line, including an extended feature covering the developments and changes at Ripple Lane and a photo feature covering Shoeburyness shed. The book concludes with addenda and corrigenda for the earlier volumes and an index to the whole series.

Richard Adderson and Graham Kenworthy    [Publisher:  Middleton Press  2001]    Hardback    96 pages

This covers a particularly interesting route, the major part of which now forms part of the line to Lowestoft. The northern section above Beccles was abandoned in 1959 to avoid the maintenance of two spectacular swing bridges, with the former branch via Gorleston remaining as a continuing rail link to Yarmouth - you'll have to read the book to understand it all! This is one of the best books from this publisher, in addition to the whole route the photos show the rebuilding of the two swing bridges in superb detail, and the decline of Yarmouth South Town from Railway hub to wasteland is depressingly well shown.

Brian J. Dickson    [Publisher:  History Press  2018]    Softback    96 pages

Another lovely collection of pictures from the camera of Ron Buckley, images date from as early as 1936 and illustrate the changes in locomotives and infrastructure from then until the end of steam. Very nicely produced, the subjects are wonderfully varied and include some real period delights, including the four Webb "Special Tanks" at Wolverton Works in 1955, a lovely book.

Barry Taylor    [Publisher:  Lightmoor  2018]    Hardback    328 pages

A weighty tome, covering the SMJ years and beyond, through to the MoD era. Including a worthwhile colour section towards the rear, including some atmospheric views of Banbury Merton Street station. Extensive black and white photography covers all eras while detailed plans and map extracts describe the line well. The whole book forms an attractive and informative record of an unusual system that crossed the grain of the South Midlands landscape, linking the different routes that radiated from the Capital.