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The East Somerset Railway - An Illustrated Guide, by David Shepherd

Published by the East Somerset Railway in 1976, 20 pages. Rectangular booklet - 21cm by 14.5cm (SN)

From the introduction: Steam died on Britain's railways in 1968, and my painting shows the last hours at Nine Elms sheds, in London. The Great Age of Steam which had begun one hundred and forty three years before did not go out proudly, in a blaze of glory. It died an ignominious death. On the East Somerset Railway, we are keeping it alive. At Cranmore, we believe that steam locomotives are worth preserving. They may belong to a more leisurely and romantic age; but this fact alone surely justifies their preservation in full working order for the enjoyment and enlightenment of young people growing up in a modern world which does not bother as much as it should about the great inventions of the past. We also believe that they will give pleasure to those who like to look back and remember. I am able to indulge in this expensive hobby through the success of my "Jumbo" paintings. It is only natural, therefore, that I should wish the railway to return something to wildlife. So it may not seem strange that the East Somerset Railway is unique. It is the only operating steam railway in the world which is not only helping to keep steam alive, but which is also hclping to conserve the fast vanishing wildlife of the world, through the World Wildlife Fund. In the following pages, I would like to tell you how all this came about - how I was caught up in the preservation mania of' the sixties when, at the same time, and fortunately, my wildlife paintings were gaining international recognition. You will learn, perhaps, just a little of the heartache that goes on behind the scenes in steam preservation - and how we discovered Cranmore - a dream come true...

The condition of the booklet is generally ok. The cover has several scuffs and blemishes, and wear along the edges and corners (with considerable creasing in the top right hand corner), but the staple spine is intact, and all pages are intact, unblemished and tightly bound.

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