The new book Wrexham & Shropshire - Open Access the one that got away is now available for sale.

YOU CAN BUY BOTH Wrexham & Shropshire and Welsh Highland Railway Renaissance together for £69, including post and packing, and the WHR Video. Click or Ring 01908 502166 for this offer.

Inside is the tale of Wrexham & Shropshire told by those who were involved in it at the time.  This is a living history book, and you will find the inside story of how this service, with proper dining for its first class customers, and the highest quality of service of any regular British timetabled train, opened for business.

There's information fascinating to professional and enthusiast alike, to take you through all the stages in the life of Wrexham & Shropshire, from setting up the service, the loss of the Class 170s, the search for alternative rolling stock, deciding upon Class 67s, dealing with the bureaucrats, and battling with competitors.  It describes the successes and failures of Wrexham & Shropshire, eventually relating how and why the service ceased, and what its assets were used for. The problems of the agreement that prohibited the train from picking up passengers southbound from Wolverhampton, and the puzzle this caused the public is properly explained.  In addition the book will offer an analysis of Open Access operation, and how and why this can be difficult for government policy.  People have forgotten about how the failure of the 1955 Modernisation Plan led to Beeching and the determination that the railway was no longer relevant: that roads and motorways could do all the work. There is a clear description of this and its effect on the scene leading up to Privatisation that explains how the one led to the other and the effect of political thinking on railway investment, making the book an important record for all those interested in railways professionals and enthusiasts alike.

A feature of the book is the high quality photographs, many by celebrated photographer Geoff Plumb. There are many, many interesting, unpublished pictures, diagrams, and some specially drawn maps, to show the junctions governing the routes around Birmingham that the train was forced to negotiate, along with the effect that this had on journey time and its market competitiveness.

Wrexham & Shropshire - Open Access, the one that got away

This book is now available for sale.