John Scott-Morgan

In Victorian Britain, the provision of rural railways was eased by the passage of the 1896 Light Railways Act, which allowed lines to be be promoted, constructed and operated on a less rigourous basis than railways constructed under powers granted by Acts of Parliament were required to. Holman Stephens, a railway engineer by profession, did just that and was responsible for a number of light railways up and down the country. As time went by, he also acquired a number of existing lines. During the First World War, he saw service and was awarded the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Royal Engineers. Thereafter, he was known as 'Colonel Stephens' and his railways collectively as the 'Colonel Stephens lines'.

Colonel Stephens' railways were notable for one thing; their lack of profit. They nearly all served rural areas which would not generate a lot of traffic; and to make ends meet, they were operated on a shoestring with a variety of unusual, quaint or super-annuated locomotives and rolling stock. This made them ideal targets in their later years for enthusiasts seeking out the unusual. But it also meant that they were first to fall victim to harsher economic times. Today, only the Festiniog, Welsh Highland and Kent & East Sussex lines remain, all after periods of closure and resurrection by preservation groups. Part of the East Kent Railway remained open for colliery access until recently, and the Plymouth, Devonport and South Western Junction still carries a passenger service between Bere Alston and Gunnislake.

This book details each line in turn with a selection of photographs.… (más)

Between 1956 and 1971, London Transport operated 13 GWR-design 0–6–0PTs. Painted in LT’s distinctive maroon livery, they became the last ‘normal’ steam – if indeed their workings could be described as ‘normal’ – over Britain’s passenger metals. To see steam in the heart of London, even though the workings were mainly at night, was a continued source of fascination for enthusiasts, especially after the end of Southern Region steam in 1967, saw the demise of regular BR steam in the capital.
Thus, when the remaining fleet of LT panniers was withdrawn in 1971 and LT ran a farewell special, it was attended by huge crowds (even in the limited space that LT’s stations offered).
In the course of seven chapters and two appendices (with detailed histories of each locomotive and information about engineering wagons) this excellent book leaves few, if any stones unturned.
Indeed it looks beyond the LT panniers, with one chapter dealing with the GWR’s 0–6–0PT’s origins, and a second covering the motive power used before the panniers arrived, the reasons for their introduction, together with copies of some of the correspondence.
Another chapter is devoted to pictures, by photographers Geoff Plumb, Gordon Wells and Keith Lawrence, while another looks at LT’s Lillie Bridge and Neasden steam sheds, complete with plans.
The human angle is also covered, with memories of those who worked with the panniers (including Steam World contributor Kirk Martin) and rode on their footplates, adding to the atmosphere, plus details of their duties, the final years, farewell special and preservation.
There’s plenty of text, together with engineering drawings and details of alterations for LT work, such as cab roof modifications and trip-cock installation, but this is balanced by a good selection of photographs – many in colour – and a good number of which are previously unpublished. However, for those unfamiliar with the network, a track map showing the area/lines over which the panniers worked would have been helpful.
In all, this is an excellent, well-rounded history, written in a manner that means even those with limited LT knowledge can easily follow, but also incorporating a great amount of detail.… (más)