Lynton & Barnstaple Railway 1895-1935

With the closure of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway imminent in 1935, Leslie Catchpole wrote two articles about the railway for the Southern Railway Magazine. However it was felt that a published history would be a more enduring tribute and ensure that the line would be remembered long after its closure. In those days railway books were considered a risky venture and only a handful had been published. As no great demand was expected only 250 copies were printed. However, sales were such that a reprint was needed by May of the same year and the book has been almost continuously in print ever since. So why is it that a small book about a little narrow gauge railway, now long closed, is still in print when so many other railway books have come and gone? For many it is their first introduction to the L&B written as it is, by someone who knew the line. This little book has surely contributed to keeping the memory of the railway alive long after its closure.