Rail Around The East Midlands in the 21st Century

Volume 1: Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire & Leicestershire

AUTHOR: Ian Beardsley

PUBLISHER: Platform 5 Publishing

ISBN: 978-1-91598-400-5

PRICE: £19.95

WEBSITE: www.platform5. com

THERE WAS a time when photographic books covering a particular area were popular with publishers, but the trend for these seemed to die off somewhat in the 1990s. However, Platform 5 Publishing has revived the concept with its latest release, which has been compiled by Ian Beardsley. Perhaps I am a little biased, as I now live in the East Midlands and know the patch reasonably well, but this book is essentially an illustrated guide to the area, taking a present-day look at the trains and routes located here. The two main chapters of the book cover the Midland Main Line and its connecting routes, and also the Hope Valley Line and the lines that radiate from that line.

It has been well researched and the text content is excellent, with the photos arranged in line order, accompanied by detailed and interesting captions. The last two chapters take a look at the heritage railways and tramways in the region – the East Midlands boasts a number of heritage lines, Crich tramway and the modern secondgeneration Nottingham Express Transit tram network.

The photographs used have been largely taken by the author; a small number have been reproduced slightly darker than is ideal, but this is a minor quibble on what is an excellent book.

While this publication appeals because of my knowledge of the area covered, the way it has been put together means that I am sure future volumes will also be of interest. Should the series eventually cover the whole of the UK rail network, then it will provide a great overview of the modern railway.

Platform 5 has produced some truly excellent books in recent times and this series has real potential to further cement their reputation.

The price of £19.95 is also reasonable.

I really enjoyed it and can happily recommend it.