The first railway line to reach Somerset came from Bristol and was part of the Bristol and Exeter Railway Company's main line through the West Country. In its wake came prosperity and the opportunity to send goods to market at a speed never seen before. Local money and enthusiasm got the lines built and then they were handed over to established railway companies to run. Within a decade or so many of the lines had been bought by the mighty Great Western Railway. Unlike many other counties across England, Somerset's railway heyday stretched into the 1950s when holiday-makers would come from London, the Midlands and the North of England to enjoy the county's seaside resorts. Sadly, as motor transport and roads improved, so many lines were closed during the 1960s. Today, young and old can savour the experience of steam locomotion on the Taunton to Minehead line preserved by the West Somerset Railway Company. In this excellently written and well researched book, author Stan Yorke tells the story of the now lost lines - the reason for their construction and for their closure. Modern photographs accompany those taken when the county's lines were open and bustling.

A5 (Paperback)