The above-cited reference work, attempting comprehensive furnishing of (within the bounds of common sense) dates of all passenger-service withdrawals -- lines, and stations on lines which overall remained in passenger use -- in Great Britain: is often invaluable to those whose interests lie in that direction. However -- and probably inevitably -- making use of it can often be mildly exasperating: looking for withdrawal date re a particular line, one feels sent "from pillar to post", in seeking in the index, the geographical end-point of the service to which to latch on, to find the relevant date. They by no means always enter in the index, both end-points -- if looking-up, say, the Crumpleton to Midmeddlecum branch, service withdrawn 1/1/1952: one must be ready to look up the C-place, if at first frustrated re the M-place, and vice versa. This, on the compilers' part, is understandable: giving in each case both end-points, would bulk up the index to a degree which would likely be both financially costly; and in practical terms, would in fact deliver as much confusion as clarification.
However inevitable, though -- the way they do things, can be a trial to the enquirer, at least if said enquirer is like me -- sometimes, to the point of total thwarting. I was recently curious for precise information concerning the one-time line (ownership interestingly complex) southward from Weymouth onto the Isle of Portland, terminating at Easton. Was aware of its having lost its passenger service in the 1950s -- not, I think, highly late in that decade -- freight lasted longer -- wished to find out the exact end-of-pass.-service date (which I might have known in earlier times; but, with advancing years etc., subsequently forgotten). On this, Daniels and Dench defeated me -- whatever seen-as-relevant place-name I looked up in the index, failed to deliver.
It could well be that on this "Portland" matter, I was just dim -- or not persistent enough. Nonetheless, felt that "D & D" fell short of perfection index-wise, here. Am wondering whether others have experienced similar frustration, when trying to use this work (and would be grateful to learn from anyone who knows it, the precise date of passenger service withdrawal Weymouth -- Easton !).
However inevitable, though -- the way they do things, can be a trial to the enquirer, at least if said enquirer is like me -- sometimes, to the point of total thwarting. I was recently curious for precise information concerning the one-time line (ownership interestingly complex) southward from Weymouth onto the Isle of Portland, terminating at Easton. Was aware of its having lost its passenger service in the 1950s -- not, I think, highly late in that decade -- freight lasted longer -- wished to find out the exact end-of-pass.-service date (which I might have known in earlier times; but, with advancing years etc., subsequently forgotten). On this, Daniels and Dench defeated me -- whatever seen-as-relevant place-name I looked up in the index, failed to deliver.
It could well be that on this "Portland" matter, I was just dim -- or not persistent enough. Nonetheless, felt that "D & D" fell short of perfection index-wise, here. Am wondering whether others have experienced similar frustration, when trying to use this work (and would be grateful to learn from anyone who knows it, the precise date of passenger service withdrawal Weymouth -- Easton !).
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