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Title:Rail freight since 1968 series (4 books) Review image
Author:Paul Shannon
Publisher:Silver Link Publishing, Kettering
Format:Book
Subject:Freight
Category:Overview
Spec:7in x 9.5in, 128 pages, card covers, numerous B&W photos
Publication date:2006-2010
Summary:A series of four books, looking in detail at the various sectors of UK rail freight. The focus is on train services and terminals, but with some coverage of wagon types used.
Review:This is a series of books covering the main 'sectors' of freight traffic, written by one of the acknowledged experts on the subject. I was not tempted by them at first, as my interest was more in the wagons than the services operated. The numerous monochrome photographs were mainly of whole trains rather than individual vehicles. However, when writing profiles for this site, I have often had to hunt high and low for details of changes to freight services. These books bring all this sort of information together, outlining the history of each major traffic flow, the customers served, and the wagon types used. The 'Bulk Freight' title is perhaps the most interesting, with chapters on aggregates, construction materials, waste, minerals, metals and oil. Sample timetables are given for a few operations, while the index usefully includes freight terminals and customers. Other titles are 'Coal', 'Wagonload' and 'Containers, Cars and Special Traffics'.
Reviewed:09/07/2018 by Thomas Young (Comments made by others can appear in the notes section towards the bottom of this page)
Sample pages:(Click on any image to view full-sized in a new window)
Page image The volume covering bulk freight appeared in 2008
Page image Most pages contain a mixture of narrative text and medium-sized, black and white photos. The latter are mainly of freight trains but often also show terminals and/or details of wagons and their loading
Page image Some pages also have tables giving a dated snapshot of train times for selected traffic flows
Page image The Wagonload title was published in 2006, though my copy is a 2008 re-print
Page image The photos are all excellent and interesting, particularly the ones showing yards and terminals. They cover the whole of the period being reviewed, the earlier photos often showing locations that are now unrecognisably different. The upper photo on the page shown is New England Yard in Peterborough
Page image The Wagonload title covers the Speedlink network, and a table (spread over four pages) lists all the main traffic flows as at 1990/1991. There are also several accompanying maps
Page image The final volume, published in 2010, covered all the remaining traffics, the 'special' in the title being broken down into chapters looking at chemicals, nuclear, milk and parcels
Page image References to particular types of wagons are sprinkled throughout the narrative, and sometimes specific aspects are covered in a sub-section. The one on this page outlines the various wagon types designed to carry taller shipping containers
Page image The section on chemicals mentions the well-known Corkickle rope-worked incline in Cumbria, with a photo of two Tip-Air wagons using it
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