Passing Trains & Blue Diesels – A photographic Album 1986-87

AUTHOR: Michael Rhodes PUBLISHER: Platform 5 ISBN: 978-1-909431-66-9 PRICE: £45

WEB: www.platform5.com very useful caption detailing a mix of relevant facts about the box in question. There are also details of planned box closures, which will serve as a useful guide for those who want to shoot some of these structures, before they disappear as Network Rail enhances its infrastructure.

A valuable reference book for sure, but also a fascinating and interesting read in its own right. Don’t be put off by the price, it’s money well spent as it’s both informative and well written, and pictorially is superb as well. In fact, the only criticism is some of the pictures may be a little bit too small but there was so much to get in that, short of doubling the pagination or splitting it into two volumes, it’s impossible to see an alternative. An excellent book and thoroughly recommended. (PD)

AUTHOR: Ted Reading PUBLISHER: Under My Stairs Books

PRICE: £8.50 inc p&p

WEB: irisandtedreading@gmail. com

TEL: 01460 63904

THIS IS a self-published book that is only available direct from the author in limited numbers. That said, it is worthy of a review since it focusses on a very specific area and short timeframe yet it shows the variety that was around during the years 1986-87. The author worked at a well-known car leasing firm based at Acton, right beside the Great Western Main Line and opposite Poplar Bank that connected Acton Yard to the North London Line. Not surprisingly, it perked my interest as I regularly worked trains in the area while based at Old Oak Common, just a stone’s throw away.

Many shots are essentially ‘grab’ shots from the author’s office window, but that’s part of the book’s charm.

The variety at the time might surprise some people and the author does a good job with the images he has selected. Most of the photos are taken from that office window, but others are from the line sides in that area, including on the North London Line and around Acton Yard, which by this time was winding down prior to closure and being taken over for aggregates trains. It certainly brought back memories for me and I hope others too, so I would recommend you contact the author for a copy. (MN)

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