No 26 South Wales (Part 1) (British Railways Past and Present)

‘British Railways Past and Present’ is a nationwide series of books featuring photographs of railway locations taken several decades ago which are compared with a shot of the same scene today. Given the current pace of change on our railway system, even a few years can reduce a busy and vibrant railway scene to a wasteland or housing estate - or conversely those years can bring revitalisation and up-to-the-minute technology to an outdated, run-down route. The contrasts, however dramatic, are recorded in this evocative photographic album and the comparison of ‘past’ and ‘present’ will intrigue not only the railway enthusiast and historian, but also anyone interested in our recent history. In this first volume on South Wales, covering Gwent and routes to Dowlais and Merthyr, are over 260 photographs featuring * Great Western lines from Chepstow and Monmouth * The South Wales main line west from Severn Tunnel Junction * The railways of Newport * Valley lines of the former Sirhowy and Brecon & Merthyr Railways * The ‘Heads of the Valleys’ line from Abergavenny to Merthyr * Railways around Pontypool