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The railways of Ben Ashworth country.

West Gloucestershire & Wye Valley Lines


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New book from Black Dwarf Lightmoor ... got my copy today ... and it's absolutely stunning. 280 pages, over 500 photos, and all in colour.

 

Best £25 I've spent in an awfully long time.

 

Usual disclaimers ... no links etc ... juts one very happy customer :imsohappy:

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New book from Black Dwarf Lightmoor ... got my copy today ... and it's absolutely stunning. 280 pages, over 500 photos, and all in colour.

 

Best £25 I've spent in an awfully long time.

 

Usual disclaimers ... no links etc ... juts one very happy customer :imsohappy:

You didn't mention it but I assume that it's this one:

 

http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/view_book.php?ref=L9761

 

David

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Purchased mine today from the Dean Forest Railway Shop. Agreed a superb album with lots of previously unpublished photos including one of my local station, St.Briavels. Other interesting photos show a Grange on the Gloucester to Hereford line as well as a BR Standard 5. The latter is wrongly described twice as 43030 in the caption.

Lots of details.

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I finally got my hands on one of these books yesterday, and I cannot begin to describe it in terms of superlatives.

 

Here is a link to the Lightmoor Press website - http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/view_book.php?ref=L9761&section=CatNew

 

It is, simply, the best colour album on the railways of this part of Gloucestershire that I have ever seen. There is just so much detail, views of stations and structures (with no trains featured!) etc., which combines to give you the richest possible flavour of what the railways looked like in this lovely part of the country. Lots of steam views, of course, but also blue Hymeks at Netherhope Halt and on the Wye Valley line! Colour photos taken in the 1930s of Tintern station!!

 

It doesn't get much better than this, folks, and I speak as someone with no connection to Lightmoor Press or the author, other than a very, very satisfied customer.

 

The thing is, though, that this is simply 'Volume 1' of a total of SIX planned colour volumes on the Gloucestershire and Forest of Dean Area. Future books will cover Midland lines in the area, the Forest itself, the Gloucester to Stroud/Kemble line etc. etc.

 

Anyone who is interested in the railways of 'Ben Ashworth country' cannot afford to be without this book! I got my copy from Simon at Titfield Thunderbolt books - http://www.titfield.co.uk/  He's still got a good stock there (they only arrived yesterday!!), despite me taking a copy for myself and one for Re6/6!

 

Don't delay, go out and get a copy immediately. I'll help you with train times to Bath, if you like! Road directions to Simon's shop - no problem! Hey, borrow my car!! (with apologies to Bill Bryson...)

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I finally got my hands on one of these books yesterday, and I cannot begin to describe it in terms of superlatives.

 

Here is a link to the Lightmoor Press website - http://www.lightmoor.co.uk/view_book.php?ref=L9761&section=CatNew

 

It is, simply, the best colour album on the railways of this part of Gloucestershire that I have ever seen. There is just so much detail, views of stations and structures (with no trains featured!) etc., which combines to give you the richest possible flavour of what the railways looked like in this lovely part of the country. Lots of steam views, of course, but also blue Hymeks at Netherhope Halt and on the Wye Valley line! Colour photos taken in the 1930s of Tintern station!!

 

 

VMT Cap'n - it will go on my Christmas list for this year ;)

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I bought a copy of this book at the REC show in Woking last  Saturday. The picture of the Collett 2251 on the Wye bridge at Lydbrook Junction on the cover was enough to convince me. Words fail to convey the quality of this book and some of the stunning photographic finds therein. I simply can't wait for the rest of the series. I have no connection with the publisher other than as a very, very happy customer who has also bought both volumes of the North Staffordshire Railway in LMS Days (I was an officer in The Staffordshire Regiment), the first volume of the history of the Port Talbot Railway (stunning panorama of Cwymmer in pre-grouping days) and a delightful history of the village of Parkend.

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My copy duly delivered by 'special personal delivery' from the Cap'n.

 

Wow!  The book of the month/year/decade for those of us with a 'Western' leaning. Every picture in living colour. The Forest of Dean one is already keenly anticipated.

 

 Five more volumes to go: After the F.O.D., there will be Gloucester Midlands Lines, Gloucester to Swindon & branch lines, Cheltenham & Cotswold lines and finally BristolArea lines, so start saving!

 

The trouble with books like these is that they fill one's mind with countless new projects...in another lifetime perhaps...

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Living in and knowing the area I was amazed at the number of photos there was that I hadn't seen before. Fabulous value at £25. Picked mine up at Ian Allen in Brum. The guy on the desk said he hadn't known a book sell so quick for a long time. As they say on those telly shows on antiques, "Quality Sells". I too can't wait for the Forest of Dean volume. And that from a committed diesel modeler.

 

Paul J.

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Living in and knowing the area I was amazed at the number of photos there was that I hadn't seen before. Fabulous value at £25. Picked mine up at Ian Allen in Brum. The guy on the desk said he hadn't known a book sell so quick for a long time. As they say on those telly shows on antiques, "Quality Sells". I too can't wait for the Forest of Dean volume. And that from a committed diesel modeler.

 

Paul J.

 

Class 14 Teddy Bears and Class 22s were often seen in the Forest of Dean after the end of steam in the late 1960s. This fabulous books shows blue Hymeks on the rump of the line from Chepstow to Tintern and Monmouth and I have film of a Class 37 clearing the yard at Parkend before closure.

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Class 14 Teddy Bears and Class 22s were often seen in the Forest of Dean after the end of steam in the late 1960s. This fabulous books shows blue Hymeks on the rump of the line from Chepstow to Tintern and Monmouth and I have film of a Class 37 clearing the yard at Parkend before closure.

Yes, the photos of the blue Hymek are amazing!

 

The Class 14s were introduced in January 1966, I believe, and lasted virtually until the closure of the Forest lines, albeit I recall reading in one book that the Class 22s were only seen for the last 6 weeks of traffic?

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Yes, the photos of the blue Hymek are amazing!

 

The Class 14s were introduced in January 1966, I believe, and lasted virtually until the closure of the Forest lines, albeit I recall reading in one book that the Class 22s were only seen for the last 6 weeks of traffic?

Depends which lines we're talking about, doesn't it?

The 'Past & Present' series Forest "specials" have pics of Class 25s working Marsh Sidings in 1975, long after the 22s were gone.

Sure I've seen it somewhere that the 37 that cleared the Parkend branch in 1976 was 37 270. The line wasn't officially closed until 1980.

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Depends which lines we're talking about, doesn't it?

The 'Past & Present' series Forest "specials" have pics of Class 25s working Marsh Sidings in 1975, long after the 22s were gone.

Sure I've seen it somewhere that the 37 that cleared the Parkend branch in 1976 was 37 270. The line wasn't officially closed until 1980.

Sorry, when I said 'closure of the Forest lines', I meant everything beyond Parkend and also the Cinderford branch from Bullo Pill. Certainly there were 25s and 37s latterly on the Parkend section.

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I bought this book after seeing it mentioned on here,  Money well spent.

More interested in the lines closer to the city, but the forest lines are still of interest.

Hope they bring out more in the series soon, would certainly  buy a book that covers more Central & Eastgate Stations, Tuffley Loop & Junction and  shared lines to the south.

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I bought this book after seeing it mentioned on here,  Money well spent.

More interested in the lines closer to the city, but the forest lines are still of interest.

Hope they bring out more in the series soon, would certainly  buy a book that covers more Central & Eastgate Stations, Tuffley Loop & Junction and  shared lines to the south.

 

Yes, the pictures of Llanthony Docks with the 03 diesel were superb. Like a big Inglenook.

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