Lost Railways of East Anglia - Leslie Oppitz

East Anglia was once rich in rural railways. As early as the late 1820s plans were submitted for a line from London to York via Dunmow, Saffron Walden and Cambridge. Progress was slow, however, and the majority of the area’s railways were not built until the second half of the 19th century. They provided an essential service to many rural agricultural areas and linked cities, ports, villages and towns. By the early 1900s business was booming and special seaside excursion trains brought hundreds of passengers from London to coastal resorts.

But it was not to last. Increasing road competition led to some closures in the 1930s. After the Beeching Plan in the 1960s the closures became a landslide throughout rural areas.

In this well researched and excellently written book, Leslie Oppitz explains the history of each line from its construction to the present day. His account includes a visit to Melton Constable, now a railway ‘ghost’ town; the story of the opening of the Marks Tey to Sudbury line when the locomotive dislodged the triumphal arch and bunting; and some memories of the Elsenham and Thaxted Light Railway, which was promoted by the local wine merchants W & A Gilbey, and the confectioners Lee’s and nicknamed ‘the Gin and Toffee’ line.

In addition the book covers the many steam preservation centres throughout the region.

Modern photographs accompany those taken when these railways were open and bustling. These, together with the four specially drawn maps, will help enthusiasts to locate the closed lines and railway stations that have survived from the heyday of the railway age.

Publishers: Countryside Books

ISBN: 9781853065958

Pages: 160

Weight: 300g

Dimensions: 210 x 148 x 11 mm

Originally published under the title East Anglian Railways Remembered, this book appears here in a revised, updated and expanded new format.