Author: John Hodge
Series: South Wales Valleys
Publisher: Pen and Sword Books
ISBN: 9781526762566
RRP: £30 (cheaper prices widely available)
Publication Date: 3rd Aug 2020
Number of pages: 312
Format: Hardback
How Obtained: Purchased
From the outset, the railways of the Sirhowy Valley were built to serve the iron and coal industries. Passengers were always something of an afterthought!
With this in mind, Railways and Industry in the Sirhowy Valley by John Hodge is a welcome addition to the literature, placing the line in a more appropriate context than previous volumes about the valley railways.
The book Is very well presented in hardback form with good quality paper and an attractive dust jacket. The core of the book is a series of ‘location analyses’ arranged in order northwards from Newport High Street to Nantybwch at the head of the valley.
The analyses form more than half of the content and for the larger sites is divided into a railway section and the associated industry. The result means that the development of a particular location, whether station or industrial site, is presented in a compact and readable form.
One aspect, however, which lets the book down is the lack of even a rudimentary index. This makes it difficult to discover all the material relating to a subject of interest which may be well dispersed throughout the book. Occasional lapses in proof reading are evident which is most evident in the captions to photographs with typographical slips or are incorrect.
The book is extensively illustrated with a wide range of photographs from a number of collections mixing familiar images with rarer pictures of locations along the line.
These show the full length of the railway throughout the twentieth century. Likewise the text is packed with detail presenting the results of research work in a very accessible form.
In Summary. John Hodge’s very attractive book presents a wealth of detail in a very readable form. Notwithstanding the errors and slips in editing and proof reading I thoroughly enjoyed this book and learned much from it. Definitely recommended.
The Good
The Not So Good
- Impressively illustrated with a range of photographs.
- Detailed information presented in a readable format.
- Excellent quality and feel,
- No index, which makes finding related information a problem.
- Less than accurate proofreading especially on photo captions.
About the author: John Hodge
The author is a former railway manager in South Wales during the 1960s, who since retirement in 1992 has produced many articles and books on South Wales railways. (From Pen and Sword Books)
Related Reviews
Rails in the Valleys by James Page
Railways and Industry on the Brecon and Merthyr (Book 1) by John Hodge and Ray Caston
Reflections on a Railway Career: LNWR to BR by J.M. Dunn
Railways in the Sirhowy Valley by W.W. Tasker
Sirhowy Valley Line by Vic Mitchell and Keith Smith
Steam on the Sirhowy Tramroad and its Neighbours by Michael Lewis
The Sirhowy Valley and its Railways by D.S. Barrie and Charles Lee
The Origins of the LMS in South Wales by Gwyn Briwnant-Jones and Denis Dunstone