Lost Railways of North and East Yorkshire

This illustrated and meticulously researched book takes you back to the golden age of railways in Yorkshire - to a time when the present-day counties of North Yorkshire and the East Riding of Yorkshire were at the forefront of Victorian railway development. Using archive photography, maps and accounts from the time, the book brings to life the history of the area's railways, the reason for their construction and their closure. The 10 specially drawn maps will help the enthusiast to explore many of the old lines and stations that have survived. Two great men dominated the expansion of railways in the area: George Stephenson, whose Stockton-Darlington railway was extended to Middlesbrough in 1830, and George Hudson, dubbed 'The Railway King'. In 13 years, until Hudson's downfall in 1849, his companies were responsible for building 350 miles of track reaching such towns and cities as Harrogate, York, Scarborough and Hull. Of the 900 miles of rail track and 300 stations that existed at that time, fewer than 390 miles and 80 stations remain as part of today's national network. As the motorcar became more accessible and affordable, the numbers of passengers using the area's railways started to decline. Lines began to close, hastened by the Beeching Report in 1963. It's a far cry from the heyday of the railway age in the 1920s and 1930s, when excursion trains would bring excited holidaymakers to Whitby, Scarborough and Bridlington, and freight trains serviced the local lime, iron ore and chalk quarries. This book tells the story of that rise and fall, and the people at the heart of the story.