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I could not put the book down! Appreciate the comprehensive coverage of all the rail lines. Excellent photos and maps. I was happy to trace all our family's rail vacation routes in Britain, Wales & Scotland - while visiting relatives and family friends. My older brother was a big rail fan and he would have cherished this book. Good history of all the rail lines in Britain.Excellent shipping service and arrived much earlier than expected. Appreciate the seller having this great book. Thank you!This is a beautiful book which gives all the information required to travel the line or just read about it.When I saw the title, I imagined that the book would mainly focus on the railways through hills and mountains, although of course there are plenty of attractive lowland routes, especially in coastal areas. A look inside before I bought the book showed that the co-authors have opted for the broadest possible definition of scenic. The introduction explains that the Docklands Light Railway is a scenic urban railway. Well, I think that's going a bit far but one or both of the co-authors obviously love the DLR. I can see that urban landscapes can look wonderful, and I also understand the importance of the DLR in helping to revive an area of London that had been neglected for far too long, but scenic is a word I'll always reserve for rural and semi-rural landscapes.A previous book by the same co-authors focused on railway maps, so it should not come as a surprise Away from the maps, there are plenty of contemporary pictures of trains in landscapes, including some that feature heritage lines or steam charter trains on the commercial network.Some of the most scenic Welsh lines have long since been consigned to history, but the lines from Shrewsbury to Llanelli, Aberystwyth and Pwllheli are all featured, as are five conventional narrow gauge lines and the Snowdon Mountain Railway, along with some other Welsh lines.In the west country, Devon and Cornwall are well represented, while the Minehead line is also featured. Further east, the lines from Weymouth to Bristol and Southampton are also included.I have travelled along the line between Swindon and Gloucester many times in both directions and it would not have expected to find it in this book, but I think it has a stronger claim than the DLR. Have I underestimated its scenic appeal? Or does one have to get off the train at one of the intermediate stations and do some exploring to appreciate its scenic appeal. Whichever co-author wrote the feature on this line waxes lyrically about mills characterized by their honey-colored Cotswold stone and some other sights to be seen from the line. I must pay more attention next time I travel from Leicester to Swindon to see relatives who still live there.Talking of Leicester, the Great Central line to Loughborough is omitted but has received plenty of coverage elsewhere, The nearest featured lines are the commercial line from Derby to Matlock and the heritage line from Matlock to Rowsley. An ambitious plan to re-open the line from Rowsley to Bakewell involves major engineering works. From Bakewell to Buxton, the trackbed is now a footpath and cycleway. If the line is restored as far as Bakewell, reinstating the line to Buxton might not present engineering difficulties, but it remains to be seen whether it would be politically acceptable.Further north, it was no surprise to find the Settle and Carlisle line featured, though this book covers the whole route from Leeds to Carlisle. I was also pleased to find the Newcastle to Carlisle line included. It brings back memories of my westward trips from Newcastle (where I lived for a couple of years in the seventies) to race meetings at Hexham and Carlisle, and to Haltwhistle to see the Roman Wall, Also featured is the Newcastle to Edinburgh line, split into English and Scottish sections. In my Newcastle days, I used the line to visit Alnmouth in particular, but the closure of many local stations in the sixties meant that I usually had to use buses to visit places along the route. Of course, the east coast main line has been my usual route to Scotland whenever I have gone there, although I have used the west coast route occasionally.In Scotland, it seems that all the surviving Highland network is included, as well as several other lines. Nowhere in Britain is there a line to compare with Fort William to Mallaig for scenery. I only travelled on it once, and then only in the northbound direction, taking the ferry to Skye and eventually continuing via Kyle of Lochalsh and beyond. I'd like to return to Mallaig one day, but I don't know if I ever will. Its inclusion here was both predictable and essential. Less predictable but gratifying to see is the inclusion of the line from Edinburgh to Aberdeen, featuring the Forth and Tay bridges. For me, the highlight of this section was the picture of the restored and re-opened Laurencekirk station after being closed for about 42 years.I haven't mentioned all the featured lines, but the co-authors have tried to represent most parts of Great Britain. Apart from some lines in East Anglia, a huge chunk of eastern England is unrepresented, but while there is plenty to like about the region, I think even the co-authors realized that it is best left for another book with a different title.What a lovely book! Having been inspired by the part on the Cambrian Railway in the BBC series World's Most Scenic Railways and being unable to travel because of COVID-19, I found this book on Amazon and decided to buy it. I was not disappointed. Reading the descriptions of the various railways in Britain gave me immense joy and made me imagine that I was in fact travelling by train around Britain The book has inspired me to want to try to travel around Britain by train, once it becomes possible again.The book is very well illustrated, with photos and maps complementing the text so beautifully. If you love travelling in Britain, like travelling by train as love adventure, this is a book for you.I bought this book for 13 pence plus shipping - it has to be the bargain of the year, a super book you can dip in and out of at any time of the day. Using the 1960 Bartholomew maps is a great idea because you can also see the lines that were in place before Beeching / Marples started their hatchet job. The book arrived in excellent condition and dead on the nail as regards delivery date and packaging, Will look for more bargains like this now.Just the book I've been looking for to plan journey's by rail throughout the UK. It's full of useful information, extremely detailed, the maps are superb. If you're planning on taking a rail journey this book is a must.Both modern and nostalgic, this book will guide you through the most scenic rail journey's in the UK, and if you don't have time to actually take a journey just read the book and let your imagination do the rest!I bought this book because I wanted a guide to help me plan leisure activities, I'm not disappointed....from the Public Library, I purchased a secondhand copy, which is good value - as usual - and excellent coverage.As a great fan of railways and maps this book is a great buy. Purchased at a very good price and delivered on time there is not one thing to say against it. Thank you for a lovely book which will take its place at the front of my shelves.
