Salisbury was initially unlucky in the provision of railways, but in 1847 that started to change when an extension of the London & Southampton Railway, by then called the London & South Western Railway, finally reached the town. This prompted the Great Western Railway to propose a 52 mile long standard gauge line, running from Thingley, near Chippenham, through to Salisbury. Originally called the Wilts & Somerset Railway it was also planned to have branch lines to Devizes, Bradford and Frome, with a ‘coal’ branch to Radstock. This plan eventually resulted in the Wilts Somerset & Weymouth Railway after Weymouth was added to the route.
In The Westbury to Salisbury Line, the author, Colin G. Maggs, covers the Westbury to Salisbury section of the line. His book deals with early proposals and other schemes put forward, the building of the line and problems affecting the running of the line. In addition chapters describe the line, locomotives, accidents, signalling, and permanent way. Finally, there is a chapter on First World War military branches. There are seven appendices, including Westbury Shed Allocation, Westbury Ironworks Locomotives, Logs of Run, and Traffic Dealt with at Stations. The photographs are supplemented by illustrations of other miscellaneous railway items including a gradient profile, maps, posters, station plans, regulations and timetables.
94 black & white photographs. 160 pages.