Rails From Shrewsbury: A Pictorial Journey, 1970s-2012

Shrewsbury station is a busy and interesting railway center with a variety of train movements controlled by semaphore signals. However, modernization has been sweeping away much of the railway infrastructure, including the largest remaining operational mechanical signal box in the world. This book looks at Shrewsbury, the lines that radiate from there, and the trains that ran on them in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, including locomotive-hauled trains and freight lines. Preserved railways in the area are also not forgotten, including the Severn Valley Railway.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 30 August 2023
Publisher: Pen & Sword Books Ltd

Shrewsbury station, situated at the convergence of several lines from Chester, Crewe, Wolverhampton, Hereford, and Aberystwyth, serves as a bustling and captivating railway hub for enthusiasts. Despite the presence of semaphore signals controlled from various signal boxes, including the world's largest remaining operational mechanical signal box at Severn Bridge Junction, modernization has been steadily erasing much of the railway infrastructure, both in Shrewsbury and the surrounding area. This book delves into the city of Shrewsbury, the lines that branch out from it, and the trains that traversed them during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. During this era, a broader range of railway infrastructure and mechanical signaling was still in operation, accompanied by a plentiful presence of locomotive-hauled trains powered by diverse motive types, including Classes 25, 31, 33, 37, and 47. Additionally, the book explores the various freight lines that experienced traffic during this time. Notably, the railway from Newport to Hereford and Shrewsbury to Chester, in particular, witnessed regular steam-hauled special trains, some of which are showcased here. Preserved railways in the area also receive attention, including the Severn Valley Railway, which once operated from Sutton Bridge Junction in Shrewsbury to Hartlebury, connecting Kidderminster and Droitwich Spa.

Weight: 762g
Dimension: 252 x 181 x 19 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781399042697