Author: Chris Davies
Publisher: Key Publishing
ISBN: 1913295737
Price: RRP £14.99
Publication Date: 12th June 2020
Number of pages: 128
Format: Paperback
How Obtained: Purchased
Coal trains have operated in South Wales for over two hundred years, if you include the pre-steam horse-drawn era. But due to both economics and the urgency of tackling climate change, they may be about to come to an end.
The Last of the Welsh Coal Trains focuses on those few routes which remain or have recently stopped running. Written by Chris Davies it was published in June 2020 by Key Publishing and is Volume 2 of the Railways and Industry Series.
A personal portrait of the few remaining coal trains
The book is a photograph album from the author’s own personal collection. Davies starts with an Introduction which charts the rise, fall and possible future of the coal industry on which these trains obviously rely.
A brief chapter describing the routes of the coal trains from 2013 to 2020 is followed by four dealing with the valley source locations of the loaded trains in order from east to west. These include Cwmbargoed, Tower, Onllwyn and Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen. A closing chapter looks at the destination for some of the journeys, Aberthaw ‘B’ power plant which closed in December 2019. There are over 190 high quality annotated colour photographs. Informative maps and data tables provide context and background to the illustrations. Inevitably, with so many pictures and relatively few routes to record there are a number of very similar images.
Exquisite pictures in a book best dipped into at random
Immediately striking was the exquisite care taken over the composition of the photographs. Almost all picture-based railway books prominently feature the subject locomotives, rolling stock or infrastructure in close up. The scenery is almost incidental. However, in this volume the environment is given at least equal prominence as the trains which are often seen in long shot, frequently dwarfed by the steep sided valleys. This strikingly illustrates an essential point of the book, the existential threat to the coal trains from the urgent need to tackle the climate crisis.
This is a book for dipping into at random rather than reading cover to cover. Sets of photographs often feature the same location and the image annotations can become repetitive. Consequently, reading straight from cover to cover can get a little irritating in places, but it does mean you can open the book at any point and instantly get relevant details about what you are viewing.
It is inevitable in a book dealing with a contemporary theme that the issue of how events may develop arises. Davies tackles this at the end of his introductory chapter and it is here that the only jarring note occurs. Certainly it is desirable that a range of future possibilities is presented. But it is difficult to resist the temptation to positively advocate a point of view rather than simply outline the alternatives. At times Davies slightly oversteps the mark and appears to almost become an advocate for the coal industry.
In Summary
An unusual book which showcases the authors skill in photographic composition. Relish the many fine photographs in which the scenery is given equal billing to the trains. The train operations are described and detailed in the text with expertise and authority. Recommended
The Good
- A superb range of beautifully composed high quality photographs presenting the trains in a variety of environments.
- Authoritative text which details the locomotives, rolling stock and routes.
- Comprehensive annotations accompany each photograph.
The Not So Good
- While comprehensive the annotations are occasionally repetitive. Not such a problem, however, for the reader who randomly dips in.
- The introductory text is laboured at times and author presents a slightly biassed view of the outlook for the trains.
About the Author: Chris Davies
Chris Davies has been interested in railways since he was a little boy and is just about old enough to remember the last of the steam engines in action, mainly shunting at Barry in South Wales. Whilst he has long been a keen photographer, it is only in the past few years now that he is semi-retired, having spent many years overseas as a geologist, that he has started photographing railways.
(from The L:ast of the Welsh Coal Trains)
Outline Contents
- Introduction
- The Rise and Fall of Welsh Coal
- South Wales Coal Flows – 2013 to 2020
- Cwmbargoed
- Tower
- Onllwyn
- Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen
- Aberthaw Power Station
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