Macaulay's 1881 Station Map of the Railways of Great Britain and Airey's Railway Junction Diagrams

Description

This is a facsimile of Macauley's Station Map of the Railways of Great Britain published in 1881 showing all the lines built and planned at that date and the owners of each line. By this date the railway network in Britain was largely complete but many changes took place between 1881 and railway network on the eve of the Grouping in 1923 - some of the planned lines were never built and many of the original owning companies were taken over by other companies. This is a portrait of Britain's railways as the well known large companies which ultimately came to be be narrowed down to the Big Four were vying with a myriad of local lines to rationalise a network which had been built on the demands of local communities and business interests throughout Britain. The book also comprises the 4th edition of Airey's Railway Junction Diagrams which was published in 1880. This is the perfect complement to Macauley's railway atlas as it shows in detail each contemporary railway junction in Britain where different (often competing) railway companies met on the network. The original volume of junction diagrams comprises 130 pages of map which have been interposed in this edition with the relevant pages of the atlas. Review: If you like old railway maps, you'll love this atlas - This atlas brings together Macaulay's 1881 railway map of Britain, with the detailed Railway Clearing House junction diagrams of a similar period. It's fascinating to compare the rails on the ground then, when new construction was still underway in many parts of the country, with today's network. Look at Newcastle, when there was only the High Level Bridge and trains on the East Coast route would've had to reverse there. Or Manchester, before the Midland opened its direct line through Disley Tunnel and the LNW hadn't built the Styal Loop. Or when Wimborne was THE railway junction of Dorset. Equally of interest are some "might-have-beens" such as a line from Upwey (north of Weymouth}, through Bridport to Chard, or from Crediton to Newton Abbot. Quality of reproduction, bearing in mind the age of the originals, is very good. For those who have the old David & Charles reprint of the 1887 Bradshaw timetable, this book provides the perfect accompaniment. Review: Five Stars - Just what the other half wanted - great book for railway enthusiasts