Britain's Light Railways
By the late 19th century most important towns and cities in the country had been connected to the railway network, but there were still a number of places that had not achieved this. Although many had had proposals for local branch lines for more than a generation, the costs involved in building a traditional railway line, related to the anticipated levels of traffic, meant that these projects were completely impractical. There was, therefore, a need for promoters of these lines to be able to build and operate lines more cheaply and this requirement led, in 1896, to the passing of the Light Railways Act.
This Act was to revolutionise the construction and operation of lines and the following years were to witness a second but smaller - 'Railway Mania' as lines were promoted throughout the Kingdom to take advantage of it. From Dornoch and Fraserburgh in the North of Scotland to Lyme Regis and Clevedon in the southwest, almost 60 individual lines were either built or operated under the terms of the Act.
Although the majority of these lines are but memories, a number- such as the Kent & East Sussex - survive to illustrate the nature of these cheaply-built and economically-operated railways.
In his latest book, Martin Smith narrates the often tortuous history of these lines. Illustrated with a remarkable collection of photographs, the book provides a graphic reminder of a long-lost era.
Hardback with dust jacket, 17x24cm, 192 pages, black & white photographs
Condition: Good with age-related discolouration to edges of book
ISBN: 9780711022232
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Updated: 2 January 2025