Castleman's Corkscrew Vol 2 - The Twentieth Century and Beyond

The 2nd vol of Castleman's Corkscrew, the sobriquet given to the Southampton & Dorchester Railway because of its circuitous route, takes the story through the 20th century in which the use of the central section of the original route declined and the new section of main line from Brockenhurst to Hamworthy Junction via Bournemouth rose to prominence in the golden years of railways. A full account of the period is followed by the difficult years of WWI and the turbulent times through the 1920s-1930s when many economies and changes were made including the closure of the line from Ringwood to Christchurch. The nationalisation of the railways in 1948, and the later Beeching report which resulted in the closure of part of the original route known as the 'Old Road', and the general reduction of services are all covered. The history of the railways of this area have never been recorded in such detail before, their rise and decline together with the many social changes of the 20th century make compelling reading.