In North Staffordshire Railway the author, Anthony Dawson, has marked the 100th anniversary of the end of the railway's independence by producing a new history celebrating one of the most popular pre-Grouping railways.
This detailed account begins with the early wagonways and railways in the area, then looks at the various railway schemes which were put forward in the early 1940s. The focus then turns to the successful proposal, to combine the Staffordshire & Potteries and the Churnet Valley line schemes, which finally resulted in the formation of the North Staffordshire Railway.
Also known as the ‘Knotty’, the North Staffordshire Railway was centred on Stoke-on-Trent and at one time carried two-thirds of the country’s pottery, as well as partaking in the lucrative coal and iron trades. Lines ran from Macclesfield to Colwich, Harecastle to Sandbach, North Rode to Burton-upon-Trent and Crewe to Uttoxeter.
The company began building its own carriages and locomotives at an early date and operated an extensive canal system, as well as narrow gauge lines including the Leek & Manifold. Never a wealthy company, it withstood aggressive take-over attempts from its bigger rivals to maintain its independent existence until 1923.
Illustrated with a selection of rare images, maps and memorabilia. Each picture is accompanied by a caption.
20 colour and 66 black & white images. 96 pages.