Iberian Rails - Last Days of the Old Order Volume. 3: The Atlantic Coast

By Fred Matthews

The railways and tramways of Atlantic Iberia, in the summer of 1963, when the traditional railways had changed little.

Fred Matthews has been an enthusiastic rail photographer for 75 years. He is the author of Iberian Rails, volume 1: Catalonia, and Volume 2: Valencia, Meseta, Madrid, as well as Sierra and Desert Rails, on the

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gotham Books
• Release date: Apr 2, 2024
• ISBN: 9798887758978

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IBERIAN RAILS:

LAST DAYS OF THE OLD ORDER

The railways of Spain and Portugal on the eve of

modernization

VOLUME 3;

The Atlantic Coast

By Fred Matthews

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© 2024 Fred Matthews. All rights reserved.

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Published by Gotham Books (April 2, 2024)

ISBN: 979-8-88775-898-5 (H)

ISBN: 979-8-88775-896-1 (P)

ISBN: 979-8-88775-897-8 (E)

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid.

The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

INTRODUCTION

This is the third volume recording an extensive tour of the railways and tramways of Iberia, made in the summer of 1963, when the traditional rail networks and motive-power had changed little. Because we recorded that rich and varied rail universe in color, which appears to be rare from that period, it seems worthwhile to leave this account.

Volume 1 covered Catalonia, and volume 2, Valencia, Meseta, Madrid. This volume covers Portugal and the Galician seaport of Vigo, in northwestern Spain, with its little-known but striking tramway system. Aside from the publications by J.H. Price, D.W. Winkworth and W.J.K Davies mentioned in the text, a valuable source on Portugese railways just at the time of our visit is the detailed study by C.P. Boocock and A. Trichett, The Railways of Portugal, in Railway World, August and September 1963.

Once again, I should record my gratitude to the old friend with whom I made the pilgrimage, Larry Veysey, who desperately desired a summer’s break from the academic world after several years’ hard labor on the book that would soon establish his reputation, The Emergence of the American University.

This book is dedicated to the memory of

Laurence Russ Veysey 1932-2004

Distinguished Historian, Rail Enthusiast,

Stormy Petrel

Rare bird: one of Lisbon’s last (relatively) unaltered U.S. cars, built by St. Louis in 1909, heading for Belém via the inland route that paralleled the riverside 15. In the background is a heavily-rebuilt 340 series car originally produced