It was my birthday recently and my present was this book on the narrow gauge system in the Crewe railway works.

It’s a really enjoyable book. The history is well written and the photos are very interesting, particularly the superb images of the interior of the iron foundry. Plus the Ramsbottom locos are irresistable.

I was fascinated to learn that the wagons were very simple wooden framed ‘flats’ and they were often pushed by hand inside the buildings. In the Deviation Works yard wagons were often propelled by hand and a capstan was used to haul wagons up to the first floor in the Joiners Shop. I love loco hauled trains but, it seems, the reality was often rather different.

My family tell me it wasn’t an easy book to find. After some internet searching they found it in Bott Books in Felixstowe, a specialist in transport books that I’d never heard of. I’ve no connection to the shop but I thought I’d include the link here as they have a good selection of books and I’m told their service was good. If, like me, you find secondhand books irresistable you may find something of interest.