Rail Runabout: A Look at Northern Ireland Railways from 1975-2005 (Irish Railway Photographers S.) - Softcover

By popular request, this fourth volume in our acclaimed 'Irish Railway Photographers' series looks at the operations and rolling stock of Northern Ireland Railways in the period 1975 to 2005. In this, his first book, Sam Somerville takes us on a trip on the Province's rail network using his Rail Runabout 'rambler' ticket. We visit Londonderry, Castlerock and Portrush before heading south to the Larne and Bangor lines. The former GNR(I) Antrim branch from Lisburn is visited on our journey from Belfast to Dundalk via Portadown. For fans of NIR diesel trains this book is a must, with 60+ photographs of MEDs, MPDs, 70 class, 80 class and 450 class DEMUs all in a variety of liveries, Hunslet, Metro-Vick and General Motors locomotives and a new CAF C3K railcar. Even the odd CIE engine puts in an appearance on freight and weedkilling trains.

Sam Somerville has had an interest in railways since childhood. One of his earliest memories is travelling to Omagh on a steam train whilst a heavy blizzard was blowing in the Sperrins. His interest nowadays includes light rail and buses. Sam has travelled throughout Europe studying and photographing various forms of transport. Educated at the University of Ulster, he is married and lives in Carrickfergus, Co Antrim. This is his first book.