TRANSPORT CURIOSITIES 1850-1950 WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WAYS OF TRAVELLING BY ROAD, RAIL, AIR AND SEA, by John Wade. Pen and Sword. PRICE: £20.00

The first of two from Pen and Sword to review this month (a third describes the South Wales line from Whitland to Pembroke Dock, by John Hodge), this is a delightful and, at times, amusing read. As the title suggests, the four main means of unusual transport are considered, the first chapter, on railways, being of the greatest interest, though the other chapters are fascinating, too. In the 62 pages (out of a total of 196) various railway wonderments are described, including Trains with Propellers, Pneumatic and Atmospheric Railways, Daddy Long Legs, Impossible journeys, New York’s lost railways, Pedal Power, Horse Power, Railcars and more. The whole work is well-illustrated, mainly by drawings – many of the schemes never made it to reality to be photographed – and, in some cases, contemporary advertisements. I learned a lot from reading this work. For instance, I had no idea that a contraption called Daddy Long Legs actually ran on rails at Brighton, with the rails submerged at high tide! A ‘carriage’ (which more resembled a boat) was carried on top of four 24ft stilt-like legs (hence the public’s epithet for it), though its inventor, Magnus Volk, called it his ‘Seaside Electric Railway’, giving it the name Pioneer. It ran between 1896 and 1901, before being abandoned, though stone foundation blocks still survive at Rottingdean. It’s all described in full detail, and what a fascinating model it would make! As would George Bennie’s propeller-powered, elevated ‘Railplane’. A model exists of this in the Kelvingrove Museum, built by Bennie himself. Again, I knew nothing of this; first built in 1929 at Milngavie (I believe pronounced Mulgy) near Glasgow, suspended above an existing railway. It was finally dismantled in 1956, the year before its inventor’s death. All fascinating stuff, and brought to life in this eminently-readable book. At the price, I thoroughly recommend it.