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Plymouth's Hidden Railways


brianusa
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My copy arrived today. Looks very good but has been immediately sequested by SWMBO until my birthday near Christmas.

 

Plenty of inspiration for a variety of modelling ideas. And as always with Twelveheads it's very nicely produced.

 

Twelveheads do post free if ordered direct, and don't usually appear discounted anywhere else until long after publication date.

 

Reasonable value at £16 methinks, but I can't help wishing it was bigger in size to do better justice to the images.

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Much appreciate the heads up and I have just ordered my copy. Despite being born in Devonport and living in Plymouth for 18 years, I knew next to nothing about these railways (except for the Dockyard, of which I knew a little).

Phil 

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There is an event on the Plym Valley Railway on Saturday 21st October next at 1430 hrs, where the author Paul Burkhalter will be present, signing copies etc. There will also be a train in operation on the Plym Valley Railway, as I understand it.

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In he process of obtaining this book from my preferred source, the Book Depository (who post free to the US) where there were none, I turned to Amazon UK who had one but the seller was unprepared to mail to the US.  So I turned to Twelveheads and got it from the source where the postage will probably be half the cost of the book; hence my preference for the Book Depository when possible.  No doubt, if I had any patience, it would be available there later!

 

Brian.

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In he process of obtaining this book from my preferred source, the Book Depository (who post free to the US) where there were none, I turned to Amazon UK who had one but the seller was unprepared to mail to the US.  So I turned to Twelveheads and got it from the source where the postage will probably be half the cost of the book; hence my preference for the Book Depository when possible.  No doubt, if I had any patience, it would be available there later!

 

Brian.

Got mine today and a very nice product it is too. If you can wait half a year Brian you can then borrow mine. It will take me that long to read it.

Phil

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Purchased mine from the Titfield Thunderbolt book shop, Larkhall, Bath on Wednesday.

An excellent book covering industrial lines of all gauges around Plymouth.

Pictures, maps and some operating instructions where connected to the bigger railway companies.

 

Gordon A

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Got mine today and a very nice product it is too. If you can wait half a year Brian you can then borrow mine. It will take me that long to read it.

P

 

Thanks Phil, but my patience when it comes to Plymouth railway books is very limited, I gotta have 'em all! 

I live in the past :senile:

 

Brian.

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In he process of obtaining this book from my preferred source, the Book Depository (who post free to the US) where there were none, I turned to Amazon UK who had one but the seller was unprepared to mail to the US.  So I turned to Twelveheads and got it from the source where the postage will probably be half the cost of the book; hence my preference for the Book Depository when possible.  No doubt, if I had any patience, it would be available there later!

 

Brian.

Brian

 

It will not be available from the "Book Depository" (Amazon by another name) as along with most of the specialist/quality railway publishers, Twelveheads do not supply the suppliers to Amazon on the terms required for Amazon and Book Depository to "rape" the specialist market. This "issue" incidentally deprives these same specialist book publishers of having the use of general book wholesalers into the UK book trade. This is a problem that limits sales and affects the overall viability of specialist publishing (of all types) within the UK.

 

I can understand any of us not wishing to pay more than we have to for anything we buy, but why on Earth some people seem to have an "expectation" of paying lower prices all of the time beggars belief.

 

And as for expecting books to be shipped half way across the Globe for "free", just how do you really think that happens, is there really no cost, do you expect packaging as well?!

 

 

Simon

Edited by Not Jeremy
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Brian

 

It will not be available from the "Book Depository" (Amazon by another name) as along with most of the specialist/quality railway publishers, Twelveheads do not supply the suppliers to Amazon on the terms required for Amazon and Book Depository to "rape" the specialist market. This "issue" incidentally deprives these same specialist book publishers of having the use of general book wholesalers into the UK book trade. This is a problem that limits sales and affects the overall viability of specialist publishing (of all types) within the UK.

 

I can understand any of us not wshing to pay more than we have to of anything ewe buy, but why on Earth some people seem to have an "expectation" of paying lower prices all of the time beggars belief.

 

And as for expecting books to be shipped half way across the Globe for "free", just how do you really think that happens, is there really no cost, do you expect packaging as well?!

 

 

Simon

 

 Simon,apologies for contradicting you but it is available from Amazon,not at a reduced price tho !

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 Simon,apologies for contradicting you but it is available from Amazon,not at a reduced price tho !

Hi Mervyn

 

No worries and well spotted. If you look at the listing though, the book is being offered by a separate business through "Amazon Marketplace", in this case the estimable Ian McCall trading as Mainline and Maritime. It is not being offered by Amazon itself.

 

And as you observe, it is not being offered at a reduced price and I would imagine delivery costs will be related to real world costs and charged accordingly.

 

Simon

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the book is being offered by a separate business through "Amazon Marketplace", in this case the estimable Ian McCall trading as Mainline and Maritime. It is not being offered by Amazon itself.

 

To the layman, though, that seems quite confusing.

 

But long may the specialist publishing resistance to Amazon continue!

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Hi Simon and note your valid comments.  While not wishing to open an us -v-them type of discussion, but to bring out the oldest reason - OAPs don't have an excess of discretionary income!  Which is the reason I seek a break and if a seller is prepared to ship halfway across the globe for free, it must be because he  will accept the sale under those condition's and absorb the postage cost, similar to perhaps a discount offered on the books themselves .  I purchase a fair amount of railway related books from UK booksellers, obviously pay the shipping cost involved and have no expectation of paying lower prices all the time, but if I can save a Pound or two, so be it!   In the end the book was bought from Twelveheads at the published price and postage paid which incidentally was over half the cost of the book as reckoned, so all is well.

 

Brian.

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  • 2 weeks later...

There is an event on the Plym Valley Railway on Saturday 21st October next at 1430 hrs, where the author Paul Burkhalter will be present, signing copies etc. There will also be a train in operation on the Plym Valley Railway, as I understand it.

Thank you CK for this mention....all are welcome to come and 'meet the author' this coming Saturday. The book will be on sale.

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Thank you CK for this mention....all are welcome to come and 'meet the author' this coming Saturday. The book will be on sale.

I hope the day goes well. I really enjoyed reading this book. Most of the railways described I had no idea existed despite living in Devonport and Plymouth for 18 years.

Excellent read. So many ideas for small layouts.........

Phil

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My copy has just arrived; looks good but as I'm in the middle of cataract surgery, it'll have to wait until I get new glasses.  I'm having trouble writing this as it is but I can see better already!

 

Brian.

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Got a question already!  There is a picture of a Pannier and trucks by Wrangaton Munitions depot along with a track diagram.  While the depot is on the UP side, on the Down side there is a facing point leading to ?  Possibly an underground site but the gate and the points can be seen in the photo and as I never knew of it, can anyone enlighten me please.

 

Brian.

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Got a question already!  There is a picture of a Pannier and trucks by Wrangaton Munitions depot along with a track diagram.  While the depot is on the UP side, on the Down side there is a facing point leading to ?  Possibly an underground site but the gate and the points can be seen in the photo and as I never knew of it, can anyone enlighten me please.

 

Brian.

Hi Brian,

Your new eyes are working overtime!

The gate and track are to the Wrangaton goods siding. Nothing more exciting than that.

 

Pb

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  • 1 year later...

Reactivating this topic, having gone through my copy further, hopefully someone can help with more information on traffic to the following sidings/depot in their latter years (late 80s, very early 90s)

 

1) Victoria Wharf...rail traffic finished in 1991, but what was it and the wagons used? Probably delivered by open but unlikely to be China clay due to potential for contamination (loading looks like by bucket scoop only)?

 

2) M. Thomas Distribution...was in operation in 1990. Main traffics I understand were fertiliser by VGA/PWA and bricks in OCAs...but anything else and what wagon type???? I think the OAA used as a reach wagon in the LPG siding was also kept there (photo pg 166).

 

3) RNAD Bull Point, closed early 90s , but never seen any photos of traffic in those latter years (only early 80).

 

Interested to see what comes out of the woodwork.

 

Thanks,

John

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Bull point is I believe still active, although I have not been over there for some years. Since it was connected to the 'yard with the extension which includes  'frigate ally' the vast majority of traffic remains within its confines. I don't think there was a lot of rail traffic after the Falklands. The same could be said for Ernestsettle.

 

 

Edited by Siberian Snooper
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Hi Siberian Snooper, I think Bull Point essentially became part of Devonport (From my reading of the various books). As such the mainline connection was lost in the 90s. But as you say internally could/is still in action.

Cheers, John

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