Michael Baker has put together this history of the former Great Western Railway route between London Paddington and Birkenhead via Birmingham, Shrewsbury and Chester, a route that rivalled that of the London & North Western Railway from London Euston to Liverpool on the opposite side of the Mersey from Birkenhead.
The book describes the development of the two routes, the decline of the GWR route following the electrification of the West Coast Main Line, and the revival in its fortunes along parts of the route in recent decades with the introduction of regular Chiltern Railways services between Birmingham and London Marylebone.
The Crewe to Shrewsbury line is also covered along with the Severn Valley and Llangollen heritage railways. There is a good selection of modern day and archive photos of trains and locations along the route. Hardback. 136 pages.