Seventy Years of the South Western

Seventy Years of the South Western
Author: Colin Boocock
Publisher: Pen and Sword Transport
Total Pages: 403
Release: 2022-07-28
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1526780895

The South Western main line is one of the most important railways in the south of England. Colin Boocock spent a significant part of his life living on and researching the history of this centre of railway operations in the South and South West of England. This book looks at the network over the last seventy years, from Nationalisation through to the present day. The system provides a vital link between the South and South West of Britain and London, operating a mixture of commuter services and important main line passenger trains. Throughout the seventy years covered in this book, the South Western network also had significant flows of heavy freight between the capital and Southampton Docks and the West Country. Today there are still frequent, well-loaded container trains from Southampton to the Midlands and the North via Basingstoke and Reading. This volume also covers the transitions from steam traction to diesel and electric in stages from the 1950s through to the late 1980s

The National Rifle Association Its Tramways and the London & South Western Railway

The National Rifle Association Its Tramways and the London & South Western Railway
Author: Christopher Bunch
Publisher: Pen and Sword
Total Pages: 777
Release: 2019-01-30
Genre: Transportation
ISBN: 1473891760

This unique reference work chronicles the interconnected histories of Britain’s NRA and the British Railways Companies. The National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom was founded in the mid-nineteenth century and was granted a Royal Charter of Incorporation by Queen Victoria in 1890. Created for the encouragement of the Volunteer Rifle Corps and the promotion of rifle shooting throughout Great Britain, its popularity soon influenced the development of railway expansion. The London and South Western Railway Company even built unique tramways to connect the NRA’s camps and ranges. This book sheds light on the fascinating relationship between the NRA and the British Railways Companies. Beginning in the 1860s, the NRA held annual marksmanship competition at Wimbledon Common, a site chosen for its accessibility from across the existing railway network. The NRA later established its new home at Bisley Camp in Surrey, some 35 miles outside London. The L&SWR built a spur from Brookwood Station and offered a discount on return fair to uniformed volunteers.