Author: Martin Bray
Publisher: Amberley Publishing
ISBN: 9781398103726
Price: RRP £15.99 (but available at a lower price)
Publication Date: 15th November 2021
Number of pages: 96
Format: Paperback
How Obtained: Review copy
Note. A copy of this book was sent to me for review by the publisher. This in no way influenced my opinion of the book which I have reviewed in exactly the same way as all the others on this site.
From March 1964 to September 2008 Margam Traction Maintenance Depot near Port Talbot serviced locomotives operating from Margam Knuckle yard. These included the iconic Llanwern Steelworks iron ore trains which initially required three Class 37 diesels to operate.
Margam Depot by Martin Bray is not a history of the location itself but rather a photograph album of the locomotives serviced by the depot. Amberley published the book in November 2021.
A photo album of locomotives serviced at Margam
Following the format of previous Amberley books, a short introduction provides a background to the more than 180 colour photographs. A brief description of the subject accompanies each image. Mostly arranged two to a page, the photographs are ordered largely by class starting with 08 and 09 shunters through to Class 66s. Finally, there are a few pages of general exterior shots of the depot. Sprinkled through the photos of mainline locos are some surprises including two steam engines taking on water and a 75 ton mobile crane.
This book is essentially a collection of locomotive images linked by the fact that they were serviced and photographed at Margam Depot. Anyone hoping to discover more about the personnel or operations of the depot will be disappointed. There are no shots specifically of the inside of the buildings, apart from some tantalising glimpses where they form the backdrop to a locomotive, which inevitably dominates the scene.
As may be imagined, Class 37 locomotives are prominent with twenty-five pages or a quarter of the book devoted to them in their various liveries. These range from British Rail green, through the blue era to the colourful private owner period. As the images are arranged in Class order, the locomotives become progressively more recent as you move through the book. Intriguingly, it is possible to detect changes in fashion of locomotive design with shapes moving between more rounded and more angular forms in a similar way to cars.
The pictures are high quality and reveal much detail
In general the annotations are less informative than previous Amberley titles. One unusual picture shows two steam locomotives taking on water. However, other than to record the numbers and dates no information is provided. Worse there are two photographs of the same Class 37 (number 37419) on the same page where the annotation is wrong, giving conflicting construction dates.
The quality of the pictures is uniformly high with only one or two showing a hint of fuzziness. As such it is possible to pick up a lot of detail and is a real strength of the book. The conditions of the locomotives on display range from pristine in shiny retro green right through to some rusting hulks with smashed windows clearly ready for scrappage. These would make intriguing subjects for modellers looking for an unusual lineside scene!
In Summary
This is a book for dedicated enthusiasts of diesel locomotives and modern image railway modellers looking for information and inspiration for super detailing and weathering. As such it fits the bill very well. But the reader will learn little about Margam Depot and its operations.
The Good
- High quality photographs showing the range of locomotives serviced at Margam in many liveries.
- Clear pictures show much interesting detail.
- Logical ordering by class means it is easy to find a particular type of locomotive which interests you.
The Not So Good
- Some incorrect information in the annotations which are likely the result of slack proofreading.
- No shots focusing on the interior of the shed itself.
About the Author: Martin Bray
Martin Bray has a lifelong interest in the railways, serving an apprenticeship with Ruston Diesels and maintaining a close relationship with staff at the two major South Wales depots at Canton and Margam.
(from Amberley Publishing)
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