THE WEST SOMERSET RAILWAY REVISITED - DON BISHOP - HALSGROVE

The West Somerset Railway has become one of the leading heritage railways in the United Kingdom, beloved by the many thousands who visit it annually. The line runs for 23 miles through some of the finest scenery in South West England.

It starts at Norton Fitzwarren near Taunton, where it meets the main line of Network Rail to Exeter, Plymouth and Penzance, and climbs through the very scenic Quantock Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty until it reaches the sea near Watchet and then climbs back inland for a few miles before re-joining the coast at Blue Anchor and the final 3 miles into Minehead.

Since the publication of Don Bishop's first book on the West Somerset Railway for Halsgrove in 2005, the railway has continued to grow and develop and passenger numbers have continued to rise. With at least two major special events each year attracting guest locomotives to the line, a good variety of motive power has appeared and is featured in this new book. They include the first visit of an LNER A4 Pacific, Royal Scot and of course the new build A1 Tornado which spent three weeks on the line during 2009. More modern motive power is also featured with the Western Region's diesel hydraulic classes to the fore.

This new volume aims to show the West Somerset Railway at its best, running through the wonderful countryside and coast that surrounds it. All of the superb images were taken between 2004 and 2009 and so show the line in its most recent form and at its very best.