Authors: Jeff Morgan and Wayne Eldridge
Publisher: Bernard McCall (now Mainline and Maritime)
ISBN: 1902953487
Price: Available S/H from about £3.50 – £9.00 depending on condition
Publication Date: August 2010
Number of pages: 80
Format: Hardcover
How Obtained: Purchased
The long evolution of Welsh railways away from a predominantly freight based service to a passenger one continues today. But the change was particularly dramatic during the thirty years between 1980 and 2010.
Focusing on this period is Welsh Railways: A New Perspective by Jeff Morgan and Wayne Eldridge. It was published in 2010 by Bernard McCall, an imprint now owned by Mainline and Maritime. Unfortunately, it is no longer in print but copies are often available to purchase second hand at reasonable prices.
A portrait of Welsh railways 1980-2010
There are no chapters in this book, though the structure is one of a broad geographical sweep weaving through Wales from the north west to the south west. As there is no direct route from south to north within the country itself there are some images from the English side of the border along the Marches route. Undoubtedly, South Wales is favoured in terms of quantity of images. Indeed, some three quarters of the images are from this region and the South East is particularly well represented. Over 70 colour photographs are allocated a generous space one to a page in landscape format.
Assigning the subtitle New Perspective is a risky move and one which is inevitably doomed to obsolescence. Published thirteen years ago in 2010 the perspective is already looking a little dated. With new rolling stock across Wales, the imminent closure of Cwmbargoed Opencast mine and the development of the South Wales Metro the scene is rapidly changing again.
Some unusual images from a time of profound change
Arguably, the period in question saw some of the greatest changes in Welsh rail operation for over a century. Above all, heavy industry transport, especially coal, which was a main driving force in 1980 had shrunk to a tiny rump in 2010.
Instead, weighty port to installation trains such as iron ore transports along with container traffic achieved prominence and are well illustrated in this book. Another welcome trend in the early years of the 21st century was the use of the old mineral lines by expanded passenger services and in some cases completely new services such as the ones to Ebbw Vale.
All these facets can be viewed in Morgan and Eldridge’s book. But there are a number of volumes on the market featuring high quality photographs of this period. So is this book worth it? Among the standard images are some startling ones. A DMU picking its was through a slate covered valley near Blaenau Ffestiniog in North Wales could be an image from an alien planet! At the other end of the country another DMU crosses the busy Commercial Street in Newport, having seemingly dispensed with its rails.
In Summary
A run of the mill album of Welsh railways 1980-2010. The low price on the second hand market, good quality photographs and a few unusual images makes this a worthwhile buy if you are interested in the era.
The Good
- Excellent quality images which are shown to advantage by being largely presented one to a page
- Wide geographical range of locations and interesting lineside infrastructure
- Some surprising images from around Wales
The Not So Good
- No Contents page which would help quickly locate sites of interest
- A simple map with the main locations marked would help contextualise the photographs
About the Authors – Jeff Morgan and Wayne Eldridge
Jeff and Wayne met as pupils at Pontypridd Boys’ Grammar School in the early 1960s and have maintained their friendship and interest in railways ever since. From the early 1980s when Wayne returned to South Wales after time spent in Hertfordshire they have concentrated on recording the ever-changing scene in Wales. In that time they have built up a very large collection of their own photographs and have amassed a considerable library of reference materials on Welsh railways.
(From: Bernard McCall books)
Related reviews
Freight Trains of the Western Region in the 1980s by Kevin Redwood
Rail Freight: Wales and the Borders by Paul Shannon