A history of the development of Lincolnshire's railways from the wild ideas of the 1830s through the 'golden years' before WW2; the era of steam and speed of the 1930s - although Lincolnshire saw little of the speed; through the post WW2 years of decline and closure right up to the present day when goods trains are now the main traffic and lines are being upgraded to meet its demands.

Books Etc

Lincolnshire used to have a comprehensive and varied railway system. It served towns, villages and even hamlets; supplied farmers with fertiliser and markets with produce; took holiday makers and trippers to the seaside and fed large industries with the raw materials they needed. Sadly, many of those lines never prospered and the network was gradually whittled away with the final coup de grace for many of them coming in the infamous Beeching closures of the 60s and 70s.

This book looks at those lost lines, their history, the reasons for their demise and what still remains of their routes.

160 pages Illustrated with maps and photographs  £10.99

Over 200 maps, drawings and photographs

£16.99 from bookshops or direct from us at the same price inclusive of postage

Other books

Farming has changed dramatically over the past 100 years, with manpower and horse power replaced by engine power as the tractor and combine have done away with heavy horses, 'moffrey' wagons and men with scythes. For this book the author talked to many of the men who could still remember the old ways with a mixture of relief that much of the back-breaking labour had gone, but some sadness that old communities and traditions had been lost as gangs of workers were replaced by a single man in the cab of a massive machine.

New book - now out

In January 1900 133 young men from Lincolnshire left their home county to travel to South Africa. They were Volunteers, going out to join their Regiment fighting in the 2nd Boer, or South African, War. Among their number were Herbert and Arthur Stennett, who wrote home regularly to their families on the home farm at Billingborough.

This book is based on those letters and on reports home to the Lincolnshire Echo by their reporter, Private David Wilkie, another Volunteer.  The author, Alan Stennett, Herbert’s grandson, followed the trails of the letters and reports across South Africa to a mountain pass where the Lincolns were ambushed and Herbert had to run for his life. Arthur, meanwhile, was serving in a hospital, trying to combat the biggest killers of the campaign, infection and disease  - they took seven of the volunteers, while one was killed in battle.

Illustrated with contemporary and modern maps and photographs £10 inc p&p