£21.99
Peter Morris


Publication Date:
   2022

Format & Edition:   Paperback, First Edition
Pagination:   423 Pages, 160 Illustrations
Condition:   New
Genre:   Midland Railway (MR)

Status:   In Stock

Synopsis

The Dursley Railway: The Life and Times of a Cotswold Branchline 1854-1970 by Peter Morris.

In 1854, a handful of Gloucestershire businessmen and mill-owners decided to build and operate their own railway, one that would run passenger and freight services from the market-town of Dursley to a junction with the Bristol – Gloucester mainline near the village of Coaley.

The Dursley & Midland Junction Railway opened to the public in September 1856 but within a year, its presiding company had fallen into trading difficulties. The Midland Railway, who were already heavily invested in the project, purchased the railway outright and ran it successfully for the following one hundred years.

In his book, The Dursley Railway, Peter Morris recalls his time growing-up next to this fascinating and much-loved branchline. His research into the history of the railway will fascinate both railway enthusiasts and local historians alike. Featuring over 160 photographs and thousands of historical references, this meticulously researched publication includes details of the railway’s infrastructure, its workers, the locomotives that operated on it, and presents a human account of how the railway transformed the social and economic lives of so many people and local businesses.

This book provides indepth knowledge on the line and is therefore highly recommended.

Chapters

Introduction
Dursley and the Arrival of the Railways
Dursley & Midland Junction Railway Company
Early Years of the Dursley Railway
Midland Railway Company Takeover
Dursley Branch Operation
Motive Power
Workers’ Duties and Rates of Pay
Branch Stations and Passenger Services
Parcels, Goods and Freight Services
The Dark Side of Dursley Railway
Special Excursions
Chartered Trains
Day-trips to Dursley
Social and Economic Revival
Lister and the Dursley Railway
Final Years of the Railway
Conclusion