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The SOMERSET & DORSET RAILWAY Bath to Bournemouth The Main Line and Branches


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New within the Irwell Press range and due into the warehouse on 14 July will be The SOMERSET & DORSET RAILWAY Bath to Bournemouth The Main Line and Branches this is a large format HARDBACK with 350 Pages copiously illustrated throughout with black & white photographs and maps and meticulously researched over many years by Derek Phillips.

 

It is available to pre-order now with an RRP of £35.95 at https://strathwood.co.uk/products/the-somerset-dorset-railway-bath-to-bournemouth-the-main-line-and-branches along with further details.

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12 minutes ago, Jim49 said:

Penrith, if you can imagine the two plans joined together you will have the full picture. See the vertical lines A----A at right and left ends.

 

Jim

 

Thanks Jim , like Penrith I couldnt quite figure it 

 

Although I'm Scottish and tend to model things up here the S&D has a mystique  so I might just treat myself to this one . I love track plans so if there are more where pics and track plans relate that'll be great .  I did build the line out of Green Park on Trainz Train Simulator ages ago .

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Legend, for a book with pics and related track plans of the S&D, I suggest you look for "The Somerset & Dorset  -  Then and Now"  by Mac Hawkins. He covers the whole route and branches including odd sidings, such as the Co-op siding on the climb out of Bath. Try for the later edition from 1995 with the blue cover. 

 

Jim

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On 18/06/2021 at 11:28, Jim49 said:

Penrith, if you can imagine the two plans joined together you will have the full picture. See the vertical lines A----A at right and left ends.

 

Jim

 

Penrith is correct in that the plan date of c1930 is wrong. The Bath Junction box shown on the lower plan and the Single Line Junction box on the upper plan had both been replaced in 1924 by the well known Junction box shown on the OS map which was in the V of the junction as seen in the picture of the 2P and Crewkerne above.

 

Jerry

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On 20/06/2021 at 14:05, queensquare said:

 

Penrith is correct in that the plan date of c1930 is wrong. The Bath Junction box shown on the lower plan and the Single Line Junction box on the upper plan had both been replaced in 1924 by the well known Junction box shown on the OS map which was in the V of the junction as seen in the picture of the 2P and Crewkerne above.

 

Jerry

Thought so!

 

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2 hours ago, PenrithBeacon said:

Just bought a copy off Amazon.

 

Will be interested in your thoughts. I'm hoping to get down to Titfield in Bath next week to pick up a copy - if I haven't melted by then!

 

Jerry

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On 20/06/2021 at 13:45, Jim49 said:

Legend, for a book with pics and related track plans of the S&D, I suggest you look for "The Somerset & Dorset  -  Then and Now"  by Mac Hawkins. He covers the whole route and branches including odd sidings, such as the Co-op siding on the climb out of Bath. Try for the later edition from 1995 with the blue cover. 

 

Jim

Got that and the OPC book "An Historical Survey of the Somerset & Dorset Railway" which also has dated track plans and signal box diagrams.

(It covers the Twerton Co-op siding as well!)

 

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Another recommendation for you:

”The Somerset Dorset Line from Above” by Kevin Potts. Lovely images of the route as it remains now including a few of the railway itself (some historical and some where preserved). Great for getting a feel for the countryside. 

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Just a couple of observations from the publishers' promo:

 

The track plans are identical to those previously published in the OPC Historical Survey book.

The photos shown have also been published before.

 

So is there (or how much) new material in this book?

 

Think I'll pass on this one, unless someone can convince me otherwise...

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I'm waiting for a book on the S&DJR that is genuinely on the subject - i.e. exclusively the period 1875-1930, ideally mostly pre-Great War (and maybe admitting some pre-1875 material). Such a book could be called "The Golden Age of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway".

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15 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

I'm waiting for a book on the S&DJR that is genuinely on the subject - i.e. exclusively the period 1875-1930, ideally mostly pre-Great War (and maybe admitting some pre-1875 material. Such a book could be called "The Golden Age of the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway".

I'm still waiting on a post steam book of the S&D........

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On 18/07/2021 at 16:23, dfloyd said:

Another recommendation for you:

”The Somerset Dorset Line from Above” by Kevin Potts. Lovely images of the route as it remains now including a few of the railway itself (some historical and some where preserved). Great for getting a feel for the countryside.

Are there any publications for the link Evercreech Junction to Burnham on Sea?

 

Mike

Burnham on Sea

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2 minutes ago, Royal42 said:

Are there any publications for the link Evercreech Junction to Burnham on Sea?

 

Mike

Burnham on Sea

 

It would appear to be covered by the book under discussion in this topic, which has "and branches" in its subtitle. It is also covered in Robin Atthill's classic history of the line, of course.

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Yes the new title covers the Burnham-on-Sea branch nicely, sleepy backwater as it was. Pleased to say after several issues getting the books delivered into Bedford (not alone here at present it seems due to a re-emergence of covid issues) they are arriving today into the warehouse, albeit ten days late.

 

Thanks for your patience for all of those with orders in, as we have around 40% of the print run pre-sold your patience may be tested for a few more days yet as the warehouse staff do their best to get them all away as quickly as we can.

 

Thanks for your understanding I am sure you will feel it was worth the wait.

 

Kevin

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2 hours ago, Compound2632 said:

 

It would appear to be covered by the book under discussion in this topic, which has "and branches" in its subtitle. It is also covered in Robin Atthill's classic history of the line, of course.

And the OPC book & the Mac Hawkins book.

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17 hours ago, Peter Kazmierczak said:

The track plans are identical to those previously published in the OPC Historical Survey book.

The photos shown have also been published before.

 

 

...and in the OPC book the plans were correctly dated!

 

Not impressive.

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So some 55+ years since it's demise, people are expecting a new book on a very popular subject to have nothing in it mentioned or published by other people?

 

Track plans are track plans, there may be a mistake in labelling, but ultimately the line is the line, most books that include plans will be very similar if not the same.

 

Is the problem here more a case that people like to look at books before they purchase (I used to) and with no exhibitions it is proving difficult or do people really want to criticise a new publication before it's even been delivered.

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