The Last Years of Steam Around Worcester

Book excerpt: — Features a wealth of previously unpublished images, many in full colour — Features extended commentaries from the author, which are rich in detail — Of interest to train enthusiasts, local historians and modellers Robert ‘Ellis’ James-Robertson lived in Worcester from the mid-1950s and travelled around the country, building-up a large railway archive. In the early 1960s, a few of Ellis’ photographs were published in books and magazines and the credit ‘R. E. James-Robertson’ may be familiar to some. This book of mainly unpublished colour and mono photographs has been created entirely from his collection within a 35-mile radius of Worcester. It will appeal to railway enthusiasts, modellers and those with an interest in local history. The period covered is from the mid-1950s through to the mid-1960s; steam is the predominant traction throughout together with occasional shots of early diesel power. Coverage includes parts of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire, plus the Birmingham area. Ellis passed on in April 2015 aged 92. His daughters contacted filmmaker and author Michael Clemens whose late father was a friend of Ellis. His collection lives on at shows around the country given by the author and now in this series of books using his photographic archive.