Book Review: Images of the British Railway Landscape by David Goodyear

Published in February 2022, this hardback from publishers Pen & Sword and written by David Goodyear measures around 27.94 cm x 21.59 cm, has 200 pages and 200 colour illustrations. It has a published price of £30, although at the time of writing it can be obtained online from Amazon for around £25.

The book has a sub-title “Iconic Scenes of Trains and Architecture”, a term which is often used to mask a mundane offering. That is not the case here, where the author has produced a superb volume that captures the railway as part of the landscape, where the trains embrace each scene, and provide the soul and atmosphere that complement the landscape.

The author's approach shows not only how steam locomotives bring a very special sense of mood and movement to the railway landscape, but equally how a modern train contributes its own soul to the landscape in which the railway participates. Added to that is the superb way in which he has captured inspirational scenery, big skies, brooding hills, and patchworks of colour in springtime fields.

There are four sections, featuring modern railways, narrow gauge railways, preserved diesels, and preserved steam in the landscape, each with excellent photographs complemented by detailed and well-written captions. Each section lives up to the book's title in portraying the UK landscape in all its moods and providing the background to a wide range of railway subjects.

Arguably one of the most-recognisable locations in the British railway landscape is the Dawlish sea wall. The location below must have appeared in thousands of photographs over the years, with Teignmouth church prominent in the centre. Both of these photos stand out from the ordinary in the way in which they draw the eye towards the church as the focal point.

Two for the price of one could be the title here, with the five Newcastle bridges on the left and the Royal Border Bridge at Berwick-on-Tweed prominent on the right. The author has used his photographic skills to transform photographs of two of Britain's most iconic railway locations from run-of-the-mill to outstanding examples of composition.

There could be no greater contrast from the urban environment of the previous pages than the wilds of Snowdonia in North Wales. Here, the author has resisted the temptation to focus on the engine and carriage but has used them as accessories to portray the wider picture.

Anyone who lived in the Western Region during the reign of the Western and Warship class diesel hydraulics will savour these nostalgic views below of the locos in maroon livery. For good measure, the Class 47 at the bottom right is captured in two-tone green, which many consider to be the class's best livery.

Below are two views taken on the Llangollen Railway, which surely exemplifies the book's title of “Images of the British Railway Landscape”.

In summary, from first to last page a superb example of portraying railways as a part of the landscape, fully justifying the book's sub-title “Iconic Scenes of Trains and Architecture”. A superb volume, where trains embrace each scene and provide the soul and atmosphere that complement the landscape. The author's approach shows how trains bring a very special sense of mood and movement to the landscape, but equally they contribute their own soul to the landscape in which the railway participates. Purchasers of this book will certainly get value for money. All images are well composed, mostly in bright and well-lit conditions, equalled by superb print quality, whilst excellent captions provide a great deal of information about each image. Very highly recommended.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon and from Pen & Sword.

We would like to thank Pen & Sword for providing RailAdvent with a copy of the book for review.