The Dursley Railway

The Life and Times of a Cotswold Branchline (1854–1970)

In 1854, a handful of Gloucestershire businessmen and mill-owners decided to build and operate their own railway—one that would run passenger and freight services from the market-town of Dursley to a junction with the Bristol-Gloucester mainline near the village of Coaley.

The Dursley & Midland Junction Railway opened to the public in September 1856 but within a year, its presiding company had fallen into trading difficulties. The Midland Railway—who were already heavily invested in the project—purchased the railway outright and ran it successfully for the following one hundred years.

In his book, The Dursley Railway, Peter Morris recalls his time growing-up next to this fascinating and much-loved branchline. His research into the history of the railway will fascinate both railway enthusiasts and local historians alike. Featuring over 160 photographs and thousands of historical references, this meticulously researched publication includes details of the railway’s infrastructure, its workers, the locomotives that operated on it, and presents a human account of how the railway transformed the social and economic lives of so many people and local businesses.

Featuring

A short history of Dursley Including the Rise and Fall of the Local Wool Industries
Arrival of the Railways in Gloucestershire and the Construction of the Dursley Branchline
Death, Disaster and Calamity on the Line
Branchline Motive Power, Operation, Staff and Freight Services
History of R. A. Lister Factory and its use of the Local Railway
Development of Dursley Tourism with Rail Excursions, Day-Trips and Special Trains

With hundreds of images and thousands of references this book will appeal to railway enthusiasts and local historians alike.