The Steam Railway Western Scotland
The images of W A C Smith
Transport Treasury Publishing, 16 Highworth Close, High Wycombe HP13 7PJ. Tel: 01494
708939. Web: www.ttpublishing.co.uk Description: Soft cover, 273 x 215mm, 116pp. ISBN: 9781 913251642. Price £14.95.
The Bo'ness & Kinneil and Strathspey Railways will share the proceeds from this delve into the extensive archive of the late Bill Smith. He worked for BR's Scottish Region and turned his enthusiasm into devising marathons railtours in the 1960s with the quartet of preserved pre-Grouping engines and also brakevan trips over rarely-visited goods branches.
The book begins on a sad note with a picture of a smashed-up North British Reid ‘J35’ in Polmadie's Cardonald goods yard in May 1958. The 0-6-0 had just been involved in a head-on collision with an express at Arkleston Junction that not only ended its 52-year career, but left one passenger dead and 96 injured.
Bill Smith's unhindered access to railway sites and an inside knowledge of train passing times (long before smartphones and websites) paid massive on a rake of non-gangwayed on a race day special to Ayr in July 1963, or a ‘Jubilee’ and LNER ‘V2’ double-heading a long car sleeper train over the GSW at Uplawmoor, with no refreshment car in sight?
