This is the eleventh book in a series which covers the first 25 years of British Railways, from 1948 through to the years following the end of steam. In this volume the focus is on North Wales, Chester and the Wirral peninsular, with particular attention paid to the late 1950s and early 1960s when the transition from steam to main line diesels was occurring.
From 1956 onwards North Wales was a forerunner in the introduction of DMUs and from 1959 steam was gradually being replaced by main line diesels. The original electric units on the Wirral were replaced by BR in the mid-1950s using units built to the 1930s LM&SR design already employed there.
The book is divided into chapters which look at each area. Each chapter begins with a brief description of the events taking place in the region during the first 25 years of BR, after which a representative selection of black & white photographs are shown, each accompanied by a detailed caption.
Chapter List:
- Chapter 1: Gobowen to Chester
- Chapter 2: Wrexham to the Wirral
- Chapter 3: The Wirral electrics
- Chapter 4: Birkenhead to Frodsham and Chester
- Chapter 5: Chester and Mold Junction
- Chapter 6: Chester to Denbigh and Denbigh to Rhyl
- Chapter 7: Chester to Colwyn Bay
- Chapter 8: Llandudno Junction and Llandudno
- Chapter 9: The Conwy Valley line to Blaenau Ffestiniog
- Chapter 10: Llandudno Junction to Bangor
- Chapter 11: Bangor to Afon Wen
- Chapter 12: Bangor to Holyhead
Throughout the book an interesting variety of quality black & white photographs are used which portray the railways of this scenic area during the final decades of steam.
Hardback. 208 pages.