Discovering Britain's Lost Railways

by Paul Atterbury, Adam Hart-Davis (Introduction)

Written by best-selling railway author Paul Atterbury, this updated second edition explores the closed lines of Britain's vanished railway heritage. Paul has uncovered the most interesting of these lines, retraced their routes, explored their relics, and looked back with nostalgia to the days when the railway was an essential part of country life. The text is accompanied by high-quality black and white photographs taken in the heyday of these lines, along with specially commissioned color photography of what remains today. There are also detailed route maps and information panels on recognized footpaths, cycleways, and nearby attractions of interest to railway enthusiasts.

Genres: Railways, Transport

159 pages, Hardcover

First published October 31, 1999

About the author

Paul Rowley Atterbury, FRSA is a British antiques expert, known for his many appearances since 1979 on the BBC TV programme Antiques Roadshow. He specialises in the art, architecture, design and decorative arts of the 19th and 20th centuries. - Wikipedia

Reviews

[Peter Thew · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book traces a number of railway lines that were closed under the Beeching axe - and in some cases earlier. Published in 1995, it's not surprising that the route of much of these lines is "Lost" as the title implies. And you can only imagine that, thirty years later, the situation is likely to be much worse. And herein lies Atterbury's problem. With so much of his content lost beneath new housing, industrial estates or returned to agriculture, there's not much of a story to tell. The book is beautifully produced including photos of the lines in their heyday and to what they are now reduced. But, ultimately it disappoints.