The Somerset & Dorset Railway: Bath to Bournemouth – The Main Line and Branches
EDITOR’S CHOICE
THE phrase from the horse’s mouth come immediately to mind when perusing this encyclopaedic portrait of the legendary system that fell as an easy victim to the Beeching era closure programme, as the author worked on the footplate on the Southern Region in the West Country.
Stations and significant points on both the main line and branches are illustrated by black-and-white pictures, and many are accompanied by track diagrams and informed anecdotes in the form of expanded captions.
While numerous classes of steam locomotives are seen in action on the trans-Mendip route, both before and after Nationalisation, there are also the rare incursions by diesel power, such as a Derby lightweight DMU running a Birmingham to Bournemouth West excursion in Whitsun 1958.
Despite the middling patronage which helped bring about the closure of the system, the S&D has continued to fascinate enthusiasts over the ensuing decades, with two preservation sites having revived small sections, at Midsomer Norton and Shillingstone.
This hefty volume offers a journey and insight into the line’s past glories, and will certainly not disappoint.
A MENDIP MARATHON
