The first thing to say about this book is it isn't cheap - but you do get a lot for your money. The book consists of reproductions of the 6th (New Popular) Series OS 1 inch to the mile maps that were published circa 1947, so therefore shows all the railways by their pre-nationalization names.

The maps are slightly reduced in size from the original so that they are an effective scale of 0.94 inches per mile, though this doesn't really show if the book is compared with an original map. Joins in the maps are quite apparent in places and one slightly annoying thing is that maps on adjacent pages do not often match up vertically. Ringwood, for example, is a third of the way down the righthand side of page 58, but three quarters of the way down the lefthand side of page 59.

The book sets out to cover the railways of southern England south of a line from Bristol to Gravesend, which makes it a very useful publication for anyone interested in matters Southern and, because hardly any town was far from a railway, it also covers virtually all of southern England per se so is useful to anyone with an interest in maps of fifty years ago. It does not, of course, include any railways (e.g. Lynton & Barnstaple) that were closed prior to the publishing dates of the maps.

To put the price into context, sixth series OS maps can be found quite easily in bookshops and usually cost in the region of £5.00. For the price of six maps you can have a virtually complete set for southern England, all nicely presented in a hardback book and with an index to stations thrown in for free!

I would have just two real criticisms of the book - the pages dealing with the London area would be far better if a larger scale had been used - and the maps on the front cover! The top one is a seventh series map showing the railway at Steyning whilst the lower is a later Landranger map showing how part of the railway line has been turned into the A283 road. The former because it is a far clearer map than the sixth series and may lead people to think that is what is to be found between the covers and the latter as the book has no "then and now" comparisons inside. Notwithstanding these, I think it is a very good addition to my bookshelf and know it will be well used - and not just for the railway content. Seeing how roads have changed in fifty years can also be quite interesting!

PJR, 2 December 2004

The latest offering from Michael Welch follows on from his successful 'Steam In' series but this time it is a hardback book with a larger (9" x 10" approx.) format. The subject matter is one of those 'too often sadly neglected' aspects of the Southern and this book certainly takes it out of that category.

Within the SEmG there has been demand for high quality colour photographs of SR EMUs and Electric locomotives and this is what is provided. The colour reproduction is excellent throughout and the variety of rolling stock types and locations portrayed is commendable. From wooden bodied 4-Subs to brand new 4-Reps and 4-Veps, along with a few later photographs from the blue and grey era. Locations depicted are from Waterloo to Weymouth/Portsmouth, the Central Division and the South Eastern along with various inner and outer suburban lines.

Some of the photographs I can only describe as 'stunning' and the photograph of Lovers Walk Depot, Brighton, that it featured on page 49, I (and others) have studied intensely (ok so I know I used to work there!). Blue Vep, Green Cig, Green Bil, Blue and Grey Big, Blue Cors, Blue Haps, Green (Tin Hal type) motor coach and Bel within the depot yard and then all the freight and parcels vehicles in 'Top Yard' behind. In addition one of the 2-Bils at the end of 7-road was 'standing foul' and the 4-Big (exiting 5-road) had just struck it a glancing blow and knocked all its door and commode handles off, until it came to a stop!

Each photograph is, as usual, accompanied by one of Michael's thoroughly researched, comprehensive and informative commentaries, for which he is well known.

In my view a very much needed book to plug, what was, the 'chasm of the world of colour SR electrics in print' and I thoroughly recommend it. I never thought I would see a colour photograph on an HA (class 71) with its pantograph raised and 'under the wire' but I have been proved wrong!

Glen Woods, Brighton

Produced in the regular Ian Allan inexpensive all-colour format, this book will delight both Southern enthusiasts and Maunsell Locomotive Society members.

Known for his examples of good, no-nonsense engineering practice, REL Maunsell was one of the best locomotive and rolling stock engineers of his generation. Trained at Inchicore works in his native Dublin, it is as CME of the last years of the SECR and as the first CME of the SR between 1923 and retirement in the late 1930s that heis best known.

Relatively little has been written on Maunsell locomotive designs; although covered by the late Brian Haresnape in Maunsell Locomotives, the various designs constructed between 1914 and 1922 have tended to be overshadowed by the more recent Bulleid classes.

We start with some of his early work in Ireland such as the J4 0-6-0 goods - sporting features that, with modification, developed into the designs later found on the SECR and SR. The L, N and N1 classes lead us to further rebuilds of 1919-22 including the ex-Wainwright E class to E1 and D to D1.

Once on the SR Maunsell gave the Urie N15s and S15s the same treatment and came into his own from 1926 when the range that includes the now Maunsell Society-owned Bluebell fleet became his trademarks.

Rarities include pictures of Nº15201 - one of his class of just three 0-6-0 diesel-electric shunters and concludes with a section on Southern EMUs in which he was heavily involved alongside th SR's electrical engineers before retiring. Apart from one of the latter's captions stating the location as Three Bidges when it is patently Horsham, the 85 photographs are well captioned and informative

Reproduced from Bluebell News, with permission, 23 January 2003

Roger Siviter has deservedly acquired a reputation for coming up with little gems of self-published archive photo albums from time to time, and this is one of the best.

It covers the 'classic diesel era' on the LSWR main line, from the demise of steam until the early 1990s, and features a veritable feast of stunning portraits and landscapes portraying Class 42 Warships, Class 33 Cromptons, Class 37s, 47s and 50s plus the occasional DEMU or first generation DMU at the zenith of their careers along the route.

Virtually every livery carried by these diesels is represented, although the emphasis is in the Rail Blue years.

It is difficult to find a shot taken in less than near-perfect lighting conditions, let alone on a dull day.

This is easily one of, if not the best modern traction volumes to have come our way in many a month and it fails in only one respect - it does not disappoint.

Reproduced from Heritage Railway, with permission, 23 January 2003

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