Tanfield Railway in Colour presents stunning photographs accompanied by informative captions of those parts of the 300-year-old Tanfield Waggonway that are now preserved as a heritage railway.

Published in March 2025 by Amberley Publishing and written by Henry Elliott and Dave Hewitt, this soft-cover book measures around 23.4 cm x 16.5 cm, has 96 pages and 180 illustrations. It has a published price of £15.99, but at the time of writing, it can be purchased for £14.39 from Amberley Publishing and for £12.39 from Amazon.

The Tanfield Railway in County Durham is a heritage railway developed from a wagonway constructed in 1725 to carry coal from the North Durham coalfields to the River Tyne.

Volunteers took over the line in the 1980s, since when it has developed as a centre for the preservation of industrial locomotives that operate over a 3-mile section of the original line.

After a brief introduction and a very useful and clear map, there are five sections describing important parts of the route, including Causey Arch, the first bridge built to carry a railway, and Marley Hill, the oldest continuously operating engine shed.

Further sections describe and illustrate special events, and the book concludes with a list of all locomotives featured in the book.

Unlike similar publications, which often feature general maps on which railway lines have been superimposed, the authors are to be commended for including maps of exceptional clarity showing the line’s major features.

Any book about the Tanfield Railway should include a description and photograph of Causey Arch, the world’s oldest railway bridge. Here, the authors don’t disappoint, with both an aerial view of the arch as seen at the bottom right and an excellent description of its history.

The photos below provide a good representation of the excellent quality of photographs throughout the book, including the clever use of portrait format for the photo on the right depicting a demonstration coal train.

Although many photographs present locomotives in pristine condition, the authors have sensibly included views of the engine shed at Marley Hill that show the more mundane but no less interesting side of life on the preserved Tanfield Railway.

The authors have achieved the promise of the book’s title in capturing the preservation scene at the Tanfield Railway, with an excellent commemoration of the line becoming a heritage railway.

Their obvious knowledge of every inch of the line comes through in the introduction to each section, and continues in the very informative captions that capture the atmosphere and character of the railway and its locomotives.

The book is never dull and would be useful for anyone wishing to visit such a historic railway. Mention must also be made of the excellent photographs depicting the railway during the winter and at night. For anyone interested in the history of railway Britain’s railways, particularly in northeast England, this is an invaluable volume. Without hesitation, it deserves a rating of 5/5.

The book is available to purchase from Amazon and from Amberley Publishing.

We would like to thank Amberley Publishing for providing us with a copy of the book for review.