No 30 Somerset (British Railways Past and Present)

David Mitchell takes us on a 'past and present' photographic tour of the railways of Somerset. This largely rural county was the home of several competing railway companies, and consequently its railway system was almost as diverse as its landscape, with a wide range of locomotives and rolling stock, and varying architectural styles. Sadly today the network is now a pale shadow of its former self: although the main lines remain open, many of the branch lines and intermediate stations have closed. Each pair of photographs is accompanied by a helpful caption providing details about the railway scene in the past and present. The comparisons will intrigue railway enthusiasts, locals and holidaymakers alike. The book features, amongst other locations, * Great Western Railway main lines from Brent Knoll and Frome to Wellington and Whiteball * Around Taunton * GWR lines to Yeovil, Dulverton, Chard, Axbridge and Mells Road * Minehead branch (now the West Somerset Railway) * Somerset & Dorset from Burnham and Chilcompton to Templecombe * London & South Western Railway main line from Templecombe to Chard Junction