Amble Branch (Kestrel Railway Books)

Northumberland, steeped in ancient history and with a stunning coastal beauty, also has an industrial heritage. Thanks to George Stephenson, railways were born here, and although much has been written about the county’s railways, one line – the branch line to Amble – has escaped detailed attention over the years. The fascination of the author with his home-town railway has, and many years of enjoyable research, culminated in the production of this book.

Lying between Chevington and Acklington stations was Amble Junction, the beginning of the 5-mile branch line to the seaside town of Amble, where coal was exported from Warkworth Harbour. Although a mineral line in essence, it flirted with a passenger service for some 50 years before returning to its original purpose to serve the collieries in the area. Along the branch were two stations, the intermediate one at Broomhill and the terminus at Amble.

As well as personal accounts and recollections, this book includes a selection of photographs showing the several types of steam locomotive to be found on the branch (NCB and British Railways), its buildings and staiths, and maps and track plans of the various locations along the route. It recalls with nostalgia the influence that coal and railways once had on the prosperity of this small coastal town.