Chris Veitch
Western Thunderer
I’ve just bought myself the excellent Steam on the Sirhowy Tramroad from the R&CHS as an early Christmas present. I’ve saving most of it for the holiday period but it’s a beautifully presented and meticulously researched book (as you’d expect from the author) which details a fascinating selection of locomotives, mostly from railway pre-history and including plateway and some narrow gauge. Definitely recommended for students of obscure, ancient and “interesting” railway history, mostly in the early to middle part of the 19th century.
While it could be argued that it's standard gauge (which most of the routes ultimately became) the plateways are mostly 4'4" or 3'6" and there are many examples of narrower gauge feeder railways with locomotives from various mostly obscure builders such as Neath Abbey Ironworks. True to its title, about half the book covers the locomotives and their history with another two sections - one devoted to the history of the line and accompanying coal and iron businesses, and the other covering the often horrifically dangerous working practices. Heartily recommended.
While it could be argued that it's standard gauge (which most of the routes ultimately became) the plateways are mostly 4'4" or 3'6" and there are many examples of narrower gauge feeder railways with locomotives from various mostly obscure builders such as Neath Abbey Ironworks. True to its title, about half the book covers the locomotives and their history with another two sections - one devoted to the history of the line and accompanying coal and iron businesses, and the other covering the often horrifically dangerous working practices. Heartily recommended.