25 October 2021
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Written by Noel Coates. The Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway Society. Price: £18.00
This is the latest volume from the L&Y Society by the same author, and it’s another wonderful thing. I must express an interest/preference here because I was a first-hand witness to many of the scenes illustrated; from the sight of L&Y 0-6-0s shuffling around Rhyl during long summer holidays spent in a caravan adjacent to the North Wales Coast main line at Abergele, the same types getting ready for banking duties up to Miles Platting from Manchester Victoria to travelling over the electrified lines to Ormskirk from Liverpool Exchange during my teacher training days. Memories came flooding back.
It’s mainly pictorial, with accurate, extended captions to the mainly B&W imagery. All the surviving L&Y classes are illustrated, stations are shown, the latest locomotives built at Horwich are pictured (and an L&Y tank being scrapped at the same time), there are images of rolling stock, railtours, shed scenes, aspects of signalling and signal boxes, stationary boilers, preservation views and much more.
It’s not just ex-L&Y motive power which is shown; later LMS-built and BR-built types feature as well, and there are even a few ex-LNER locomotives to boot (and the ‘MN’ used in the ’48 Exchanges!). I must have seen the Manchester-Bury ‘antique’ electric sets, but I have no memory of them. This book shows me why I should have taken greater note! Even a few diesel shunters sneak into view. The standard of reproduction is first class and to say this marvellous work will be of use to modellers is an understatement. It really comes into the ‘cannot be put down’ category as far as I’m concerned. It’s brilliant in fact and truly outstanding value for money. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
Review: Tony Wright
More information: www.lyrs.org.uk
