Using a rare collection of archive photographs, 'past and present' regular John Stretton describes the old M&SWJR route from Andoversford to Marlborough, via Cirencester and Swindon, concentrating on the achievements and developments at Blunsdon as the S&CR strives to expand north and south towards the towns of its title.

This new title in the growing Recollections series takes us back through the years using archive pictures of The Severn Valley Railway, selected to show the line in day-to-day use, we see pre-preservation scenes and preserved era scenes along the route. The Severn Valley Railway that we can travel on today was closed to passenger traffic in stages during the 1960's and early 1970 - the final section from Bewdley to Kidderminster closing on 5 January 1970. That as we now know was not to be the end. In 1965 a small band of enthusiasts met in Kidderminster and formed The Severn Valley Railway Society. - Initial efforts succeeded in raising 25 per cent of the GBP25,000 purchase price for the closed 5-mile section of the Severn Valley line from Bridgnorth to Alveley. By 1967, the first rolling stock, an engine and four coaches, had been received. From this small 'base camp' the ever growing numbers of enthusiasts started to climb the initial mountain and over the ensuing forty years have scaled many more! The line has not just reopened from Kidderminster to Bridgnorth it has restored, grown and developed - with new station facilities, carriage sheds, workshops, signal boxes etc., etc. For the enthusiast there are classic shots of the railway operating during the year, but this is not just a book for enthusiasts - memories are made of these pictures. The station scenes, fashions, old carriages, wagons, buildings, advertising, etc, will evoke memories of days past.

'British Railways Past and Present' is a nationwide series of books featuring photographs of railway locations taken several decades ago and comparing them with the same scene today. Such is the current pace of change on our railway system that even a few years can reduce a busy and vibrant railway scene to a wasteland or housing estate - or conversely can bring electrification and up-to-the-minute technology to an outdated, run-down route. The contrasts are often dramatic, while sometimes hardly anything has altered in 30 or 40 years. Whatever the change, the comparison of 'past' and 'present' will intrigue not only the railway enthusiast and historian, but also anyone interested in our recent history. In this volume covering South Gloucestershire are over 175 photographs featuring a wealth of locations on both Ex-Great Western and LMS Main Lines during the British Railways era and before contrasted with the scene in recent times. Many erstwhile routes and locations closed in the 'Beeching years' and before are seen when trains still plied their trade and the wayside station provided a local service even over short distances.

The Great Central Railway was built in 1899, with the intention of providing journeys from Manchester to the Continent through a projected Channel Tunnel. It was a scheme of grand pride and vision. The history of the line is one of gradual reduction in scope, ambition and achievement, with inherent post-War UK problems leading to the removal of the Manchester and Sheffield routes to Nottingham. The 1950s saw reductions and decline, with the removal of prestigious named trains 'The South Yorkshireman' and 'The Master Cutler', together with the final ignominy of transfer from ex-LNER to ex-LMS control at the end of the 1950s. The Derby empire did not see the need for this railway, duplicating, as they saw it, their existing routes from Nottingham-London and the GCR was further truncated, removing local services in the early 1960s, the through route to London in 1966 and closure of the final rump, from Nottingham (Ruddington)-Rugby, in 1969. The ending of steam on the through route in 1966 led to preservationists becoming interested and through the 1970s and beyond, the sections from Ruddington to Loughborough and Loughborough to Leicester North have been re-opened and developed, to create the only main line double track private railway in the UK. There are plans - grandiose and hugely ambitious to close the gap between the two ends at Loughborough, which will truly give travellers a recreation of some of the appeal of the lost line. This volume looks at the past views between Nottingham (Victoria) and Rugby (Central) stations, with many present day scenes to contrast and compare and closes with a section looking at some of the scenes that have accompanied the progress by the restorationists over the past 40 years. The achievements of the present day Great Central Railway have been impressive, with the promise of even greater things to come.

The second part of John Stretton's sixty trainspotting years features his forays into the world of railways and other areas of interest during the period 1985 to 2015.By now a very profficient photographer John's submissions to the railway press coupled with his increasing output of books for both Silver Link and Past & Present publishing saw John visiting many new and past locations in the pursuit of all things railways. The first volume covering the first 30 years sold out within a month of publication and a reprint is already under consideration.

As 1961 dawned it would no longer be possible to spend a farthing! The last minted examples were issued in 1956, the first, in silver, having been issued in 1279! The Morris Minor had by now become a motoring legend and the one millionth example rolled off the production lines. On the railways, Dr Richard Beeching was appointed Chairman of the British Transport Commission - a decision that was to have considerable influence on the future of the network. The East Coast Main Line, for so long the domain of the 'A3s' and 'A4s' on express passenger services, saw the start of the diesel take-over. The 'Flying Scotsman' and 'Talisman' named expresses became predominantly 'Deltic'-hauled in the summer, and the gradual decline in steam dominance had begun.

Following the publication of the 1955 Modernisation Plan, which set out to establish the future of Britain's rail network, it seemed that the writing was on the wall for steam traction. With the "Beeching Report" the pace of change gathered speed, and the move to alternative traction was accompanied by considerable contraction of the network. The last steam locomotive built for British Railways, aptly named Evening Star, was outshopped from Swindon Works in 1960, and amazingly the last steam locomotives were withdrawn from service in August 1968! This decline from the mid-1950s forms the first part of this book, as hundreds upon hundreds of locomotives were sent to the breaker's yards. The scrap yards are the sombre location of the second section, which looks at these 'abattoirs of steam', where the vast majority of locomotives were despatched by the cutter's torch all too rapidly. However, among the scenes of devastation something remarkable was happening. Enthusiasts noticed that at one yard, old wagons were being cut up but locomotives were not. This was the remarkable yard of Dai Woodham at Barry Docks in South Wales - locomotives were going to Dai, but not to die! Thanks in large part to this remarkable man we are able to move to our third section, the preservation years, when locomotives were reserved, then purchased (often gradually) and eventually moved to fledgling preserved lines all over the country to be restored. Having been banned seemingly for ever, steam eventually returned to the main line, and the book concludes with a look at today's thriving heritage railway scene, with more than 8 million visitors a year - a fall and rise indeed!

Back in 1961 we were enjoying black and white television with shows such as "Ask Mr Pastry" (BBC), "Comedy Playhouse" (BBC), "Bootsie and Snudge" (Granada), "The Morecambe and Wise Show" (ATV), "The Avengers" (ABC), "Coronation Street" (Granada) and "The Rag Trade" (BBC), Dr Richard Beeching was taking up his post at the head of British Railways, the millionth Morris Minor was rolling off the production line, Yuri Gagarin became the first man in space, and Britain applied for membership of the EEC. It was an interesting year on the railways and in this second look at 1961 we start our review with a focus on London's Waterloo terminus, where steam still very much held sway. 'West Country' and 'Merchant Navy' 'Pacifics' are seen cheek by jowl with BR Standards. We continue the Southern theme with a visit to Southern sheds and turntables before embarking on a trip around the regions. We take in Birmingham and the Midlands, including Western and Midland scenes. Melton Mowbray contrasts with Leominster and the transition from steam to diesel railcars on branch lines in Herefordshire. A visit to Northern England and Scotland completes the mix.

The year started with the resignation of Sir Anthony Eden as Prime Minister following the Suez crisis of the previous year. Harold Macmillan, who prior to the nationalisation of the railways in 1948 had been a director of the Great Western Railway, became Prime Minister on 11 January. On the railways Simeon T. Webb, Casey Jones' fireman on the fateful 'Cannonball Express' in April 1900 passed away in Memphis at the age of 83. Nearer to home, the new numbering system was introduced whereby diesel locomotives carried a 'D' prefix and electrics an 'E' prefix, and 3rd Class was phased out, leaving just 1st and 2nd.

Takes us back to a time when steam had just four more years to run on Britain's railways and the 'Beeching Axe' was reshaping the rail network when many last trains were run as branch lines closed.

This was the year in which Winston Spencer Churchill resigned as Prime Minister to be replaced by Anthony Eden, the year in which James Dean was killed in a road traffic accident, and tragedy struck at the Le Mans 24-hour race where a collision between two cars led to the death of over 80 people and a least a further 100 injured. This was also the year that Vladimir Nabokov's controversial "Lolita" was published in Paris and Juan Peron lost power following a military coup in Argentina. Meanwhile, on the railways of Britain, the "1955 Modernisation Plan" was published. It is interesting therefore to see images within these pages of the railways during 1955 as a backdrop to these far reaching proposals. We start our journey in Northern Ireland where a degree of modernisation is already under way with diesel railcars already beginning to replace steam-hauled services, although ironically steam in Northern Ireland was to outlast the rest of the UK. A hop across the water finds us in the Isle of Man before we reach the Cambrian Coast route, where 'Dukedogs' could still be seen. A visit to Birmingham and the Midlands follows before we head north to Scotland, the Lake District and the North East.

This book both celebrates and commemorates the last four dramatic years of steam, recording both working locomotives, shed scenes and a selected number of routes, many of which closed during the period of examination, by way of illustrating the disappearing steam age railway. The views are nostalgic, poignant and cannot be repeated.

This was the year of the wedding of Charles and Diana, Ronald Reagan became the 40th President of the USA. On the railways the Tyne & Wear Metro opened, the HST network was expanding and loco-hauled passenger trains were on the decline.

This title talks about: former GWR main lines from Banbury to Oxford and Didcot and towards Ashendon; the Bristol main line between Cholsey and Steventon, added to the county in 1974; the King's Sutton-Kingham cross-country route; the old Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton route in the county; the Woodstock and Faringdon branches, and the Fairford branch as far as Kelmscott; the former LNWR line into Oxford (Rewley Road); and the railway complex at Oxford.

Running from Bishops Lydeard near Taunton to Minehead, at over 21 miles the WSR is the longest preserved line in the UK, so fully deserves to be classed among the premier heritage railways. It incorporates many of the classic ingredients of a traditional GWR branch line: steam-hauled trains and beautiful stations set in an idyllic countryside of rolling hills and seaside resorts.

2006 was a landmark year in the history of the Dean Forest Railway, with the opening of the extension to Parkend by HRH Princess Anne. This title presents a selection of 'past' views' and contrasts them with developments on the railway, which took place since the publication of the earlier volume in 2002.

Authorised in 1845 and opened in stages between 1852 and 1853, the Oxford, Worcester and Wolverhampton Railway (OWW) built the line from Wolvercot Junction, north of Oxford station, to Worcester and Wolverhampton, via Stourbridge and Dudley, with Isambard Kingdom Brunel as the chief engineer. After a rather chequered history, and colloquially known as the 'Old, Worse and Worst' railway, the length between Oxford and Worcester was inherited by British Railways in 1948. More latterly known as the North Cotswold Line, it was singled in places in 1971, with a view to cutting costs, leaving just 11 miles of double track out of the 51-mile length of the route. With passenger numbers holding up and the birth and growth of the the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, that urged development, Network Rail began assessing the possibilities in 2006 of addressing the capacity restraints. The 'Cotswold Redoubling Project', GBP70 million scheme to restore a total of 21 miles of double track between Evesham and Charlbury, saw preparatory work undertaken during 2009, including major work in and around Chipping Campden Tunnel, with removal of old material, a new drain installed and a second track laid in readiness for the later part of the Project. Elsewhere, approaching ten miles of track was repositioned, to enable a second line to be installed; thirty miles of new cabling was installed; and sixty sets of signal equipment relocated. 2010 saw a number of possessions, as preparatory work continued, including making ready the various level crossings between Evesham and Moreton-in- Marsh; attention to an overbridge just south of Evesham station; and, over the weekend of 2/3 October a major achievement with the replacement of the existing single line bridge east of Honeybourne by a brand new double width version. 2011 saw second platforms being returned to Honeybourne, Ascottunder- Wychwood and Charlbury; enhancements to passenger facilities at most of the stations en-route; the freight line to Long Marston from Honeybourne realigned; a re-instatement of a group of sidings by Honeybourne station; and provision for the eventual northern extension of the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway to pass under the Cotswold line, to gain access to a new platform face at Honeybourne. The long campaign from the Cotswold Line Promotion Group, local authorities and individuals has borne fruit, with an increase in the numbers of trains servicing the route, further enhancing the travelling experience and giving the line a long term future. This volume looks at these newer works against a backdrop of past operations, including views of the engineering works involved and provides a fascinating exhibition of the evolving history.

Helps you to travel back to 1964, a time when the railway lines to Peel and Ramsey were still open.

1975 was the year in which Margaret Thatcher defeated Edward Heath to become leader of the Conservative Party, Charlie Chaplin was knighted by the Queen and the Vietnam War ended with the fall of Saigon. On the railways, two major accidents at Moorgate and Nuneaton resulted in considerable loss of life, and the prototype High Speed Train reached speeds in excess of 150mph on the London to Bristol main line.

Even in 1973 much of the steam infrastructure was still to be found, but as modernisation took hold diesels were being joined by electric locomotives in increasing numbers. This was the height of the 'loco-hauled' era on the main line. In the wider world hostages were taken at the Olympic Games, and President Nixon visited China.

This new book takes up the story where Volume 1 left off. In the intervening years much hard work has seen the line return to the Snowdonia National Park as far as Rhyd Ddu, at the very foot of Snowdon, providing a 13-mile trip through magnificent scenery that is surely unsurpassed on any narrow-gauge railway in the UK.

Having survived for over two decades as a horse drawn operation, shipping slate downhill between Blaenau Ffestiniog and Portmadoc and the empties back up the line, the Ffestiniog Railway was forced by constantly increasing loads and weight to switch to steam locomotives. Four 0-4-0STs - Princess, Prince, Welsh Pony and Little Wonder - were received from George England Co. in 1863 and immediately made their presences felt, producimg a step change in the railway's fortunes. This continued over the next decade, leading to orders for more powerful motive power, with delivery of a further 0-4-0ST - Palmerston - and the first of what would become the iconic emblem of the railway, Robert Fairlie's patent double-engines. As has been asserted on several oocasions, the Festiniog have always been at the forefront of forward thinking and innovation and this has continued through to the present day. 2013 sees the celebration of 150 years of steam and this book, a third vloume in Nostalgia Collection's Past & Present series, features a focus on the locomotive fleet, as well as showing a number of comparative views through the years, but there are also views that deserve to stand alone on their merit. What the book does show is both progress in the past by the railway and the health of current operations to take them into the next 150 years!