Book: Rail Atlas 1939-1945

Does the book have much information apart from maps?

Lots of questions that I would love answers to - the sidings at Connel Ferry are said to have been funded by the Admiralty in LMS at War but locals say it was RAF and unclear whether bombs, ammunition or fuel.

There is platform at Fort Augustus that was probably a RNAD and used for transferring ammunition from the railway but it was not mentioned anywhere until I got it on the HER/Canmore.

Its a nicely presented book with 21 pages of text and a bibliography but no sources although there is a comprehensive index plus 43 pages of maps. An interesting publisher's copyright statement that warns about copying and selling publications etc which would deprive author's and publishers etc of income - yet the book is printed in Bulgaria thus depriving the few remaining UK printing houses of income!

The maps for obvious reasons are similar to those published in CJ Wignall's excellent book British Railways Maps and Gazetteer 1825-1985 but with the added War Office / Ministry of Supply and Air Ministry etc lines that are omitted in Wignall's book - although some are included.

Going back to Waller's book, I did notice that the short spur to Alconbury airfield is missing, but all others I knew about are included.

For me with failing eyesight, I prefer the large A4 / A3 size of Wignall's book as the Waller book can be a bit cluttered in places (a double page is just over A4 in size). On the other hand I prefer the glossy paper of the Waller book to the matt in the 1985 book. I also would have liked to know what the origin is of the maps in both books.

The problem is, if one is interested in wartime railways, then you need both books, as the Wignall book contains info that is missing such the company that operated the lines, while the Waller book has the military lines.

I didn't know about the World War Two Railway Study Group ( I wish I had), as ARG have just completed a comprehensive study of railway Emergency Control Rooms. We are also considering doing another on the air-raid shelters of Eastern Region.

To finish, I like the book, I just wish there was one large book that met my needs rather than two!