The South Western Railway
Of the great British railways before 1923, the senior company was the London and South Western, or, as it was generally called, the South Western. Older than any of the big northern companies, older even than the Great Western, its history was unbroken by amalgamation until it became the major constituent of the Southern Railway.
Its mechanical history, with which the book is chiefly engaged, was outstanding; it was served by a succession of brilliant locomotive engineers; it was a pioneer of automatic signalling; all-round quality distinguished its train services and its rolling stock.
Yet it had its foibles, and occasionally its misfortunes, which add a tincture to its story. Stretching from London to Plymouth and North Cornwall, serving Hardy's Wessex and Trollope's "Barset," it was a lovely line.
Hardback with dust jacket, 14x22cm, 256 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good/Very Good
ISBN: 9780999009642
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Updated: 7 April 2025