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Isle of Man Transport: A Colour Journey in Time: Steam Railways, Ships, and Road Services Buses
£17.90£23.80 (-25%)
This stunning selection of colour views, dating from the period 1953-1980, includes most of the vessels operated during this period by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company and The Ramsey Steamship Company. Passenger boats and freighters are seen at ports on the island and on the mainland. There is comprehensive coverage of the Peel, Ramsey and Port Erin lines operated by the Isle of Man Railway with some outstanding views taken during the 1950s, together with excellent portraits of most of the locomotives, as well carriages, vans, wagons, lorries, stations, staff and signal boxes. Also covered are Douglas Station and its environs, St John’s junction and the Sunday ‘specials’ to Braddan. Many of the rich mix of bus types operated by the railway subsidiary, Isle of Man Road Services, are seen in a variety of locations. Included are some of the vehicles delivered just before and shortly after the Second World War. There are good views of the fascinating Ramsey Pier Tramway and its unusual rolling stock, as well as rare scenes taken as early as 1953 on the Groudle Glen Railway. For anyone who loves the Isle of Man and its wealth of vintage transport, this book provides a remarkable trip down memory lane and a colourful reminder of some of its lost glories. The book is dedicated to the memory of John McCann who took brilliant colour views on the island starting in 1953.
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Additional information
| Publisher | Pen & Sword Transport (30 Aug. 2017) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 160 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1473862477 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1473862470 |
| Dimensions | 25.4 x 1.91 x 24.77 cm |
by N. D. Ashfield
Especially if you’ve been to the Isle of Man yourself, you’ll find this a captivating book of beautiful and well-reproduced colour photos, covering the period 1953-1979. It is arranged in sections, firstly showing many of the steamships of the IoMSP and the Ramsey Steamship Co., then giving us a good coverage of all the railway lines of the island, followed by the buses of the period; and finally a look at the one preserved railway line to Port Erin, again up until 1979, at a time when its future was far from assured. The captions are very full and informative, telling you what became of Manx ships after withdrawal, for instance.
Monochrome photography just cannot transport you in the same way to the island and the period itself. We are so lucky to have the colour work of John McCann; I couldn’t afford colour film myself until 1970. In 1954 my parents took me to the island from Liverpool in the Ben-My-Chree (1927) and we rode the line from Douglas to and from Peel, through St Johns, to our guest house, so this book was a real trip down memory lane. I thoroughly recommend it. Note: a companion book is planned in 2018 to give coverage of horse-drawn and electric trams, and the Snaefell Mountain railway.
by N. D. Ashfield
Nothing wrong with the subject matter, but the Kindle edition is very poorly formatted, with images of such low quality that it renders the book almost useless. (The second book in the series is much, much better in this respect).
by Tiny Bulcher
A super collection of photographs – brought back many memories
by Mr. Vincent Gillibrand
Good book, well reproduced with full colour photos. Informative captions and extensive coverage of the islands railways and shipping services from 1953 to 1979.
by IF
Excellent book if you like IoM transport