Book - Recalling the days when steam locos ruled the railways (South Yorkshire)

Yorkshire People and Railways by Peter Tuffrey.

Published on Friday 23 December 2011 08:00

Just what is it about the mention of old trains and railways that has half the male population drooling?

As a long time collector of old photographs, particularly those depicting railways, Doncaster writer Peter Tuffrey has for many years been aware of the vast photographic archives that can be accessed.

Renewing his contact recently with an old acquaintance, journalist Peter Charlton, Mr Tuffrey has been able to select some of these photographs for use in his new 128 page book Yorkshire People & Railways.

Filled with stunning and nostalgic photographs, it is perfect for enthusiasts of both rail and local history especially, there’s bound to be at least one image from where you live.

Under various chapter headings – Views from the Lineside; Staff; Crashes; On Shed and Works; Preserved Railways; Railway Stations – you are able to see the many different ways Yorkshire people have been involved with railways, particularly in the days of steam, in their own county. Some of the lineside pictures are superbly pin-sharp, having been scanned from large format glass plate negatives.

But that is not to detract from the other pictures in the book, which have been carefully composed and taken over the years.

But information is as important as the image, and the picture captions are well researched, informative and reflect the author’s reputation for unearthing the unusual and eccentric.

Yorkshire People & Railways not only provides interest for the real enthusiast but also for the general social historian who wants to look back in time and get a feel for how it really was in the days when steam really was king.

If that wasn’t enough then what about the other new offering from the prolific pen of this Doncaster history author, South Yorkshire Railway Stations - a fascinating walk down memory lane or should that be line - looking at incidents and images of dozens of stations, sadly most long gone now.

Once again a must have offering for anyone with a penchant for everything rail.

Priced at £12.99 and available now from good bookshops or Amblerley Publishing on 01453 847800. Number for ordering is ISBN 978-1-4456-0514-2.

All the books from Peter Tuffrey make ideal Christmas presents and there are a lot of them, Peter has been a busy boy over the last few months with offerings covering all sorts of subjects with the emphasis on local history.

Perhaps one of the most fascinating (certainly for me) is the updated version of Doncaster District pubs.

He has added many new venues to his first version of this book and it contains the same amount of detail in a selection of public houses to be found in outlying districts of Doncaster, with the sad exception of course of those that have disappeared over the years and unfortunately there are quite a few of those. A read through this book is a real trip down memory lane.

There are others available, too many to mention here, but all are available from Waterstones or W.H. Smiths or other good book shops.

From: http://www.thornegazette.co.uk/community/recalling_the_days_when_steam_locos_ruled_the_railways_1_4078663

 

Yorkshire People & Railways, Doncaster, South Yorkshire Railway Stations, Amblerley Publishing, Doncaster District pubs