|
Complete Atlas Of Railway Station Names by Tony Dewick Hard Cover British
Complete Atlas Of Railway Station Names by Tony Dewick
Hardbound 112 pages
Copyright 2002
This new addition to Ian Allan Publishing's comprehensive series of railway atlases draws upon years of research by the author. In over 60 colour maps the complex history of the stations on Britain's and Ireland's railway networks from the earliest times to the present day is graphically recorded, with each station name, and the variations in the names of each station over time, clearly recorded. The book also includes a complete index of the stations listed, making it an essential work of reference for all those interested in the history of the railway stations of the British Isles (including the Channel Islands) and Ireland.
PREFACE
I have always been fascinated by the ever-changing geography of our railway network. Reading my father's already old 1930s copies of The Railway Magazine, when I was 11 or 12 years old, I was interested in the photographs of, and articles about, stations and lines which I knew no longer existed. I was intrigued to discover that lines and stations were already being closed at the same time as new lines were being built and new stations opened, and that this had been happening for many years. Closures had not started with Dr Beeching. One of the earliest such closures was of the Great Chesterford-Six Mile Bottom stretch of the Newmarket Railway, which had closed as early as 1851. Just as the size of the network was fluid, I also quickly became aware that even the names of stations were not a constant and some of the changes could be quite confusing. Many now would be puzzled by references to a Southern Railway London terminus called `St Paul's', not realising that it is what is now called 'Blackfriars' (or, more correctly, 'London Blackfriars'). Many stations have been re-sited (some several times) and I discovered that the 1930s Long Eaton station was even on a different line to the present station of that name, and after more research I discovered that the current station was not new but was, in fact, Sawley Junction renamed. I also remember seeing a fascinating photograph of Dolgellau station, with name boards giving three different spellings on view! As a result of these discoveries, I soon started adding all the information I could glean from these old Railway Magazines and other sources to a map of the current railway network, to help me keep track of all these changes. Out of this map, originally on thin sheets of typing paper stuck together with Sellotape, traced from the official BR system map of 1969, evolved the current work.
Right from the start I had a pretty clear idea in my mind of what I wanted the maps to show. All significant stretches of railway, including ones which never carried passengers such as the longer industrial railways, I felt should be recorded. I have included stretches of railway that had been partially constructed but never opened, such as that from Penpontbren Junction to Llangurig. I also included narrow gauge railways, the London Tube, and those tramways that stretched out into the countryside (such as that to Horndean). Tramways, incidentally, by their very nature a grey area vis a vis railways, have posed a particular problem as there is no clear boundary between the two. Indeed some 'railways' were called 'tramways' and some tramways were operated by railway companies. For the purposes of the present work, however, I have included long distance rural tramways, urban tramways operated by the main railway companies and all existing public tramway or light rail systems. The absence of former urban tramways is somewhat arbitrary but to have included them would have made the maps impossibly complex and would have, I feel, diminished this atlas's value as primarily a railway atlas.
Right from the start I was also keen to show all passenger stations that had ever existed and all previous names carried. I quickly evolved a system of showing previous names in parentheses following the current or most recent name, with the earliest name last. In this atlas names which ceased to be used (or the station closed) in the 19th century (that is, before 1 January 1901) are shown in red. And, lest anyone thinks it an error, Channel Tunnel Sidings is correctly shown in red; it was briefly used in 1899 by workmen on one of the earlier attempts to build a Channel Tunnel! Unfortunately in congested areas, or in instances where a station has been renamed many times, it has been necessary to use a footnote against the station on the map, and list the names separately. Deciding what constituted the 'official' name can also sometimes be fraught with difficulty. In general I have taken the name shown on the station's name boards to be its correct one but I have not made this a hard and fast rule; some stations, such as platforms only for the use of workmen, have not displayed a name at all, whilst others display conflicting ones. One example of the latter situation is at Arsenal on London's Piccadilly Line, which still displays its original name, 'Gillespie Road', in huge letters in the platform level tile work. London Transport needs to be commended for having kept this little bit of history. Indeed, I can remember 20 years or so ago, when in addition to these two names, at least one platform sign also displayed the third name used for this station, 'Arsenal [Highbury Hill]'!
My final intention in producing this map was to distinguish between those stations which are currently open and those which had closed. This vital piece of information I have also maintained in the current work. The end result is what I believe is the most comprehensive British railway atlas ever, showing as it does all passenger stations which have ever existed (including re-sitings, private, unadvertised and partially built but unopened stations), all station names past and present, and all railway lines, including freight only. In addition to Great Britain and Ireland the atlas also covers the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. Information on open stations is correct as of June 2002.
All pictures are of the actual item. If this is a railroad item, this material is obsolete and no longer in use by the railroad. Please email with questions. Publishers of Train Shed Cyclopedias and Stephans Railroad Directories. Large inventory of railroad books and magazines. Thank you for buying from us.
Shipping charges
Postage rates quoted are for shipments to the US only. Ebay Global shipping charges are shown. These items are shipped to Kentucky and then ebay ships them to you. Ebay collects the shipping and customs / import fees. For direct postage rates to these countries, send me an email. Shipping to Canada and other countries varies by weight.
Payment options
Payment must be received within 10 days. Paypal is accepted.
Terms and conditions
All sales are final. Returns accepted if item is not as described. Contact us first. No warranty is stated or implied. Please e-mail us with any questions before bidding.
Thanks for looking at our items.
|
