A detailed history of the line that once ran between Sharpness and Lydney, via what was at the time the fourth-longest railway bridge in Great Britain.
The railway was conceived as a link between England and South Wales, principally to move coal, but was soon superseded by the Severn Tunnel and relegated to being a secondary route. It had the potential to carry a considerable volume of lucrative traffic, but various factors and events outside the company’s control and some unfortunate events rendered it unprofitable. The line was, however, extremely photogenic, and the book includes some spectacular images.
There are twelve chapters which deal with the line’s origins, building, opening, the subsequent history and then the beginning of the end and the end itself. There are also chapters on locomotives, coaches, a description of the line, timetables, signalling, and more recent developments, including the Vale of Berkely Railway, formed in 2015 and the Canal and River Trust’s plans for Sharpness. Five appendices deal with locomotives, accounts, etc. 144 pages.