Stenlake Publishing - Rail and Road Transport on the Isle of Portland
Rail and Road Transport on the Isle of Portland
Author : B. L. Jackson ISBN : 9780853615811 Cover : paperback Price : £11.95
This work completes the Isle of Portland Railways (a three volume history published by the Oakwood Press), which are the fruit of author Brian Jackson’s 30 plus years of research into the transport history of the island, its connection with Weymouth, and the surrounding area. A varied selection of photographs (none of which appeared in the Isle of Portland Railways trilogy) supported by detailed captions depict all aspects, including a selection showing pre-war trains at Euston and the last few years leading up to the closure of the branch to regular passenger traffic in March 1952. The subsequent use of the branch for goods traffic and the various special trains, including early rail tours and the Royal train are covered, as are the final special passenger trains and the complete closure of the branch in 1965 and its later removal.
For the benefit of readers who are not familiar with the full history, mini-chapters guide you through the important events to give an insight into the early history. The story of bus services up to 1969 was covered in Isle of Portland Railway Vol. 3. In Rail and Road Transport on the Isle of Portland we cover the drastic changes that have taken place within the bus industry since then, with a fully illustrated chapter bringing the story up to date through the tempestuous years since de-regulation and the bus war between the established operator, Southern National, Smiths of Portland, and newcomer ‘Weybus’, making it compelling reading for those interested in the modern transport scene.