Full Size One from the dark side ....

Neil

Western Thunderer
.... in all senses. Yesterday I stopped of on the way home from Llangollen for a cup of tea and a bun at the Carrog station tearooms (very nice too) and a look in the two BGs they have equipped as sales units. I ended up bringing home this rather lovely book with photos by O Winston Link.

link 1.jpg

Though strictly speaking not a photo album, it's the next best thing being stuffed with his lovely black and white images of the Norfolk and Western.

link 2.jpg

Looking through it at home I began to wonder if any of the 60's new wave of British railway photographers were aware of Link's work at the time they were recording the last years of BR steam?

My copy is the softback version, I paid £7.50 for it. A quick internet search shows silly money being asked for the hardback, but copies of the softcover for £15 or so. I only have a mild passing interest in US railroads, but it's a beautiful book, well worth having.
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Aside from wondering which of your many 'dark sides' was going to be the topic of your post Neil ( :p ), I have to say, what a great book. I've seen some of Link's photos before in various laces and find them fascinating - a good find indeed.
I look forward to watching the next distraction develop :D
 

Locomodels

Western Thunderer
.... in all senses. Yesterday I stopped of on the way home from Llangollen for a cup of tea and a bun at the Carrog station tearooms (very nice too) and a look in the two BGs they have equipped as sales units. I ended up bringing home this rather lovely book with photos by O Winston Link.

My copy is the softback version, I paid £7.50 for it. A quick internet search shows silly money being asked for the hardback, but copies of the softcover for £15 or so. I only have a mild passing interest in US railroads, but it's a beautiful book, well worth having.




Wonderful book, I am lucky enough to have the hb copy from a long ago trip to the States. My favourite is the one of a Y6 2-8-8-2 coming down the main street, the cylinders are the size of dustbins. Come to think of it I guess that the piston valves are bigger than most UK locomotive cylinders. Imagine that going through a town near you.
There is also another volume of O Winston Links work entitled "The Last Steam Railroad in America" which has a seclection of colour photos in it. I picked this up for £7.50 as it was being remaindered, a real bargain.
Steel, steam & stars.JPG
 

Neil

Western Thunderer
.... I ended up bringing home this rather lovely book with photos by O Winston Link.

Looking through it at home I began to wonder if any of the 60's new wave of British railway photographers were aware of Link's work at the time they were recording the last years of BR steam? .....

..... There is also another volume of O Winston Links work entitled "The Last Steam Railroad in America" which has a seclection of colour photos in it. ....[/ATTACH]

Yesterday I managed to pick up a copy of The Last Steam Railroad in America from the market in Machynlleth. It is a fantastic book and it answers my earlier question. Apparently Link's photos weren't shown to the public until the mid seventies, so it's unlikely that knowledge of them would have filtered through to the UK earlier.
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
Winston Links pictures defy description most of the time, but what really got me was how he showed the connections between the Railroad personnel, the Railroad and the ordinary folk it touched in daily life. As well as the size and majesty of the N&W's loco's.
Does any one know where you can find any of his sound recordings, they are supposed to be rather good too .
 

Locomodels

Western Thunderer
My copy of "The Last Steam Railroad in America" has a CD of some of his recordings in a pocket in the back cover. It is the hardback edition. Stupendous!

Paul.
 

Locomodels

Western Thunderer
Sorry my last post was misleading and incorrect. The book that had the sound recordings in it was "Life Along the Line" which, as Unklian said so well "Winston Links pictures defy description most of the time, but what really got me was how he showed the connections between the Railroad personnel, the Railroad and the ordinary folk it touched in daily life. As well as the size and majesty of the N&W's loco's."

The CD contains unreleased recordings many of which were recorded at the exact time and location of some of the pictures in the book. A fascinating book worthy of the space on anyone's bookshelf.

Paul.
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
Thanks for the reference to 'Life on the Line' Paul, I will have to look for that one .

The only other photographer that I have come across so far, who captured the people aspect of railways as well is the frenchman Felix Fenino . His pictures of loco coaling at Paris Charolais depot are a sobering look at the less glamorous side of the steam locomotives .

Oh and Jordan I think it is safe to say the French cut up some of their steam before its 'time was up' too ....
 
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Locomodels

Western Thunderer
unklian, the ISBN number is 978-1-4197-0372-0. That should make your search easier. There are several on Amazon and associates.
 

unklian

Western Thunderer
Finally got my copy of "Life Along the Line", been wading through it, awesome stuff . Thank you again chaps for reminding me :thumbs:
 
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