Southern Way Special Issue No. 20: Isle of Wight Railways in the 1950s Upgrading the Isle of Wight's Railway: All Change at Ryde The St Ives Branch Line: A History Ryde Rail
Lewes and East Grinstead Railway: The Bluebell Line Isle of Wight Railways: A New History Southern Way Special Issue No. 20: Isle of Wight Railways in the 1950s Upgrading the Isle of Wight's Railway: All Change at Ryde
The St Ives Branch Line: A History Ryde Rail Lewes and East Grinstead Railway: The Bluebell Line Isle of Wight Railways: A New History
Southern Way Special Issue No. 20: Isle of Wight Railways in the 1950s Upgrading the Isle of Wight's Railway: All Change at Ryde The St Ives Branch Line: A History Ryde Rail

Books by Richard C. Long

By Richard C. Long

Books by Richard C. Long

By Richard C. Long
Southern Way Special Issue No. 20: Isle of Wight Railways in the 1950s

Southern Way Special Issue No. 20: Isle of Wight Railways in the 1950s

Richard C. Long

£16.95 £16.10

Viewed from over seven decades later the Isle of Wight at the start of the 1950s might at first glance appear to have been experiencing a golden age of railways. A real-life Island of Sodor where Victorian steam locomotives crisscrossed the Island from Cowes in the north to Ventnor in the south, and from Freshwater in the west to Bembridge in the east. Even the smallest of villages could claim its own station and the only cloud on the horizon was generated by the passing of a nearby train. Or was it? The truth of course was rather different. From as early as 1950 - over a decade before Beeching - rumours abounded that the entire network might be at risk of closure. In the event the loss of the Ventnor West branch in 1952 would be the first of several routes to be axed over the next few years, with around two thirds of the Island's network having closed by the end of the decade. Further closures would of course follow in the 1960s. In the meantime, the pages of the Isle of Wight County Press abounded with proposals for how the Island's antiquated railways could be saved, revitalised and modernized - all of them doomed to failure and one so bizarre it was described as like 'something from H. G. Wells.' In this book, the author provides an overview of the Isle of Wight's railways during the 1950s. Were the closures inevitable and what were the arguments for and against? This fascinating survey of the Isle of Wight's railways in their post war heyday contains around 130 photographs, many of them previously unpublished.

Upgrading the Isle of Wight's Railway: All Change at Ryde

Upgrading the Isle of Wight's Railway: All Change at Ryde

Richard C Long

£25.00 £23.75

In 2019 it was announced that the Isle of Wight’s iconic 1938 Stock tube trains were to be withdrawn and replaced with a ‘new’ fleet of refurbished ex-London Underground trains, as part of a wider project to upgrade the Island’s ageing railway infrastructure. This book examines in detail the events that followed: the infrastructure works, the withdrawal and disposal of the old trains, and the development and introduction of their replacements – all of it carried out in the midst of a global pandemic. What went wrong, and what went right? What would happen to the 1938 Stock? And would the new trains even fit through Ryde Tunnel…? In writing this book the author has been able to draw upon unique insights provided by some of the key figures involved in the Island Line upgrade, as well as by the current owners of many of the withdrawn 1938 Stock units.

The St Ives Branch Line: A History

The St Ives Branch Line: A History

Richard C Long

£30.00 £28.50

In 1963 comic duo Flanders and Swann composed Slow Train - a lament for some of the many railway lines proposed for closure by Dr Beeching. Among the destinations listed in their song is the refrain from St Erth to St Ives . Constructed in 1877 as the last broad gauge line to be built in the UK, the St Ives branch did not close in the 1960s and survives to this day - now widely regarded as one of the most scenic railways in Europe. How did it escape closure, and how did it come to be built in the first place? Why did the war departments of the world have their eyes on St Ives in the years before the First World War? How did a town once renowned for the inescapable smell of fish become one of the most popular tourist resorts in the UK? Did the Great Western Railway invent the Cornish Riviera? Why was a heliport proposed for St Erth? Where did a 32-ton ballast digger end-up in 2008? And how did two young men find themselves four miles from the nearest station in 1860 ? Containing over 100 images, mostly in colour and many never published before, this book sets out to answer these and many more questions. Shortlisted for a 2023 Holyer An Gof Publishers’ Award.

Ryde Rail

Ryde Rail

Richard C. Long

£20.00 £19.00

One of the most interesting and unique parts of the whole national railway network is the line from Ryde to Shanklin on the Isle of Wight which has been operated by former London Transport tube trains since the 1960s. This book charts the history and operation of the line since the end of steam and the closure of most of the island’s railway system in 1966. Providing a brief history of the LT Standard Stock and why, when and how it was chosen and transported to Isle of Wight, these elderly trains soldiered on into the 1990s when they were finally replaced with 1938 London Transport stock. The narrative follows the operation of the line in the decades since electrification to the present day and the changes which came about with privatisation of the national network. The book concludes by looking at the current operation of the line and options which might be available to replace the 1938 stock. The future of the line is also discussed. This is a well-researched and very readable account of a unique survivor and perhaps the most singular line in the whole of the Britain’s surviving railway network.

Lewes and East Grinstead Railway: The Bluebell Line

Lewes and East Grinstead Railway: The Bluebell Line

Richard Long

£19.99

The Lewes & East Grinstead Railway opened in 1882 to link the rural communities between these two Sussex towns. It was shortly afterwards taken over by the London, Brighton & South Coast Railway then absorbed into the Southern Railway at the Grouping in 1923. BR submitted an application to close the line in 1954 due to declining passenger numbers but fierce local opposition brought the railway to national attention. BR briefly closed the line in 1955 but public pressure forced it to reopen the line the following year, but after a two year battle it closed in1958. By the time of the closure, the Bluebell Railway Preservation Society had already been formed and took over the line. From 1960 it ran a preserved steam passenger service from Sheffield Park to Horsted Keynes - in effect, the first such standard gauge heritage railway in England. The extension to East Grinstead had been planned for many years, the first section north from Horsted Keynes opened in 1990, but the extension was not completed until 2013. This book is an accessible history of the Lewes & East Grinstead railway from its 19th century origins to the present day when it now runs once again to East Grinstead. The book is illustrated throughout with historical photographs, many from the Bluebell Railway's archives, as well as stunning colour photographs of the Bluebell Railway in action up to the present day. “The author has admirably provided a one-stop shop for anyone wanting to learn all about the history of this landmark line.” Heritage Railway

Isle of Wight Railways: A New History

Isle of Wight Railways: A New History

Richard Long

£20.00 £19.00

The Isle of Wight railways are always popular with enthusiasts, and this book takes a fresh look at their history and development. The author has undertaken detailed new research to present some interesting findings on the development of the railway's network, all illustrated with a fantastic selection of colour photographs, the majority of which have never been published before. “There is much inside here both for those new to the subject and seasoned enthusiasts.” Heritage Railway