When this book arrived from the publisher, I was initially disappointed. It looked such a slim volume for the price. I need not have worried; every page was filled with high-quality photographs, all reproduced either in good colour or vibrant monochrome. And to cap it all, although the title specified 'Western Europe', that was stretched to include Mallets in the former Italian colony of Eritrea, and engines exported to Indonesia. These last were the most amazing examples of all, looking less like typical European narrow gauge engines than slightly shrunken versions of the massive machines to be found towards the end of steam in the USA. One (built by Dutch company Werkspoor) has apparently been preserved in the Dutch national railway museum in Utrecht. Looks as if I shall have to make a return visit...… (mer)
It would be unfair to call this a disappointment: anyone familiar with these Middleton Press photo albums will know pretty well what to expect from it. We get thumbnail sketches of the histories of the various lines, a brief run-down of the locos and rolling stock they have owned, and about a hundred black and white photos, mostly taken in the 1960s by D. Trevor Rowe. The little text we get is badly written and unattractively laid out (the publishers obviously assume that the people who buy books like this don't like to read) so perhaps it's a mercy that it's so short. But it does give the tantalizing suggestion that the author knows a lot .about the subject and could have written an interesting book, given a bit of editorial support. A pity, given that there is so very little else available in English on Greek railways. But I suppose we can only blame ourselves if we're too lazy to learn modern Greek...… (mer)
One of the Middleton Press uniform series of railway albums, this is a reasonable coverage of the subject, although it omits a number of lines such as the narrow gauge Stern & Hafferl operations in the Salzkammergut, the Mixnitz line and a number of others. It is also unusual for a modern book in the photographs being reproduced in black-and-white throughout, despite some of the material being available in colour. However, there are some good photographs in here not previously published, so this is a worthwhile addition to an Austrian railway library as long as the reader understands that it is not definitive.
I am either on photograph 2.32 (in the distant background) or stood next to the photographer!… (mer)
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