This book, the second of a trilogy, forms a detailed study of one of the North Staffordshire Railway’s first branch lines, along the Biddulph Valley from Stoke to the Cheshire town of Congleton, dating from 1860.
It also covers the branch from Milton to the Staffordshire Moorland market town of Leek, which opened in 1867. Volume One covered the history of these lines in the NSR period, and this volume covers the LMS and BR eras.
This was an interesting period for the former NSR lines, with the decline and eventual cessation of both passenger and freight traffic, although even after regular passenger services ceased, the lines continued to see occasional excursion trains particularly during the traditional Wakes Weeks holidays. There is also a chapter by Mike G Fell on the stationmasters at the stations on both lines.
The book is well-illustrated with photographs, many of which have never appeared in print before, old documents, timetables, maps and plans and gradient profiles, several of which have been specially commissioned for this book. Hardback. 216 pages.