SHANNON, Paul D. - 'British railway infrastructure since 1970', Barnsley : Pen & Sword Transport, 2019.

[C126]

Please can anyone vouch for the degree of repetition of photographs in this volume, compared to Dr Shannon's previous works?

 

I appreciate he needs to keep costs down, and there are only a finite number of relevant pictures taken forty years ago, but I am hoping for many new photographs of goods facilities.  There was some duplication between his 'Freight Only' and 'Rail freight since 1968' series, and 'Speedlink', and I do not want to buy it 'unseen' with this risk.

 

Many thanks for any opinions.

[18B]

On ‎31‎/‎01‎/‎2020 at 10:04, C126 said:

Please can anyone vouch for the degree of repetition of photographs in this volume, compared to Dr Shannon's previous works?

 

I appreciate he needs to keep costs down, and there are only a finite number of relevant pictures taken forty years ago, but I am hoping for many new photographs of goods facilities.  There was some duplication between his 'Freight Only' and 'Rail freight since 1968' series, and 'Speedlink', and I do not want to buy it 'unseen' with this risk.

 

Many thanks for any opinions.

 

the book arrived today, and instantly upon flicking through it I though, Hmmmmm, that's in the FO series, that's in the Rail Freight since 1968 series.

 

So yes there are a few pics that have been seen before (Sometimes several times! before! like many of Rhodes' pics are in his marshalling yards book),

 

More to the point I expected for a book on "Infrastructure" that's there'd be more on the actual track changes of BR, things like single lead point work and its rise, the cutting of loops, running lines and freight only routes etc, but that didn't really feature.

 

the chapters cover:

 

The changing Network, stations, freight terminals, Depots and Yards and signalling/Electrification.

 

In essence its a very pretty photo album, while the sub title "An Historical Overview" might IMHO, have been more appropriately worded as: "A pictorial overview".

 

 

 

[C126]

Many thanks for taking the time to reply and your very useful comments, 18B, and stopping me from buying it 'blind'.  I will order it from the public library, and save the space on my bursting bookshelves, unless I see it at an exhibition to flick through to check.  Apologies for not replying sooner, and thanks again.