Locomotives and Rolling Stock of the London, Tilbury and Southend Railway, by R.W. Rush
Book published by The Oakwood Press in 1994, 128 pages. Paperback (N6179P1)
From the author's note: The London, Tilbury & Southend Railway (or 'Tilbury' as it was usually known) was an almost unique railway, the nearest comparable company, perhaps, being its close neighbour the North London Railway, with which it had much in common. Both companies derived their chief income from passenger traffic, unlike most larger companies, whose main source of revenue was freight. Goods traffic on the Tilbury line was a secondary concern, the commuter service to and from Southend being the mainstay of the company's finances. With a total length of under 80 miles, and a locomotive stock not quite reaching 100, it was a small concern, but its importance far exceeded its size. It was inevitable that sooner or later it would be swallowed up by some larger company, and it was no surprise when in 1912 the Midland Railway absorbed it. To give the Midland its due, it very astutely let the Tilbury section continue largely on its own sweet way, only transferring heavy locomotive repairs to Derby, and it was not until the LMS group had been formed in 1923 that any major changes in working practices and services became apparent.
This is not intended to be a detailed history of the L T &SR, though a certain amount of history must be introduced to set the scene. It has long been the author's opinion that the LT&SR would make an excellent prototype for a model railway, and it is chiefly with modelling in mind that this book has been prepared. Hence the line drawings of most of the rolling stock, prepared mainly from photographs and published dimensions. Luckily a good deal of detail as to numbering, painting, etc. has been handed down, and photographs are fairly plentiful on the whole, particularly of locomotives, but less so with regard to rolling stock. A few details may be contentious to a degree, since the company's official diagrams were not very explicit, and on the whole were rather crude. The author must express his grateful thanks to Mr R.J. Essery's two-volume work on the Midland Railway goods wagons, which has been of great assistance in producing this book, and can be thoroughly recommended to all model railway enthusiasts, as well as to historians. Contents include:
Author's Note
Historical Notes
Locomotives
Passenger Rolling Stock
Non Passenger Carrying Stock
Goods Stock
Passenger Diagram List, 1912
Passenger Stock List
Whitechapel & Bow Carriages Absorbed by the Midland Railway, 1912
Goods Stock List
Bibliography
The condition of the book is generally very good. The covers are clean and bright, the spine is intact, and all pages are clean, intact, unblemished and tightly bound.
| Condition | New |