This is the second and concluding part of this journey from Gloucester Central to Swindon, which opened as a broad gauge line from Swindon to Cirencester as early as 1841.
Having reached Stroud in Part 1, this volume concludes its study of that station before heading off up the valley towards Brimscombe and Chalford. These were two very different stations, opened over fifty years apart, one designed by Brunel and the other to an 1890s standard GWR design, both of which were closed on the same day in 1964 when local passenger services were withdrawn.
Much of this service was provided by the auto trains running to and from Gloucester, which served the valley for sixty years until bus and private car ownership brought about their demise. However, BR having given notice originally in 1962 about ending the service, its last years of operation were well photographed and all of the intermediate halts are illustrated here, along with numerous scenic views of the autos scurrying up and down the valley. The remainder of the journey into Wiltshire and to Swindon is also covered in similar detail, along with the branches to Tetbury and Cirencester.
Photographs in this book cover from the late 1950s to the mid 1970s, through the last years of steam on BR(WR) and the early diesel-hydraulic era. Each colour photograph is accompanied by an informative caption. Hardback. 376 pages.