London’s
Dock Railways Part 2 – The
Royal Docks, North Woolwich and Silvertown
by Dave Marden
The railways in and around
London’s docks were arteries to the national railway system at a time when all
heavy goods were moved by rail. As well
as freight, the Port of London moved vast numbers of people by train around its
domain – not just ships’ passengers but also dock workers, who were transported
from their city dwellings to a host of dockside locations. This book describes the dawn of the major
rail-served docks, and traces the evolution of the capital’s quayside railways
and their locomotives from the days of the early dock companies through to what
became the Port of London Authority’s huge undertaking.
Over
two volumes, we see the growth of the dock company railways from simple sidings
to a vast network under the Port of London Authority, together with full
histories of over 100 locos that worked the various quays and sheds. London’s Dock Railways Part 1 looked at the systems
operating in and around the Isle of Dogs at the Millwall and India Docks, and
included various other railway wharves in the area. Part 2 chronicles the Royal Docks and their
associated tracks, primarily the Victoria, Albert and
King George V Docks, and also includes other associated and industrial railways
in the vicinity.
The
absorbing story of these industrial lines and locomotives is traced from their
humble origins to what became one of the largest private railways in the
country, but which are now nothing more than a memory that serves to remind us
of one of the foremost periods in Britain’s industrial history.
Softback: 136 pages with over 150 photographs and maps
273 x 215mm
978-1-905505-28-9
£16.95
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