Railway Ships & Packet Ports

This book takes a nostalgic look at the evolution of Britain’s railway-owned ferry fleets and harbours. Humble dredgers, tugs, and cargo boats; small ferries and excursion ships; and some of the world s finest mailboats and cross-Channel steamers are all featured in evocative photographs.

The book centres upon the period just after the Second World War when the Big Four railway companies had been nationalised and were operating as British Railways. It relates how passenger shipping services developed across our rivers, lakes and the seas around our shores. In addition to their human payloads, the carriage of the Royal Mail, general and specialised cargo, parcels and goods, livestock, private cars and heavy freight vehicles was also fundamental to the whole railway-owned shipping business. The ships are described in detail and fully illustrated with over 240 superb photographs.

Richard Danielson has been researching the history of Britain’s small passenger ships for over 50 years and has written and contributed to many books, magazine and newspaper articles, on the subject. He is also a ship photographer and collector of books, journals and other printed and photographic material, all devoted to the nation’s cross-Channel, Scottish, and Irish sea ships, excursion steamers, trip boats and ferries.

ISBN 978 0 906294 64 2. 136 pages, 245 illustrations. Hard back. £26.00

Buyers outside Europe need to add £1.00 per book towards surface mail. Email us for airmail rates.

Reviews:

Packed to the gunwales with excellent B&W photographs with well written script, 136 pages of pleasure. Sure to be recognised as a definitive work on the subject. Very highly recommended. Sea Breezes, April 2007

This new publication is a must . . . Ships Monthly, May 2007

The photographs are superb . . . To sum up, a visual feast and a useful history. Journal of the Railway & Canal Historical Society, June 2007