There recently came my way by chance in a charity shop -- price there, of a very few pounds -- Peter Johnson's Illustrated History of the Welsh Highland Railway, published 2002 and with data re the revived WHR, as at that date. A bargain -- and containing some mouth-watering photographs -- which I, a lover of the Welsh narrow gauge, could hardly do other than snap up. Will admit, though, that there are factors to make unlikely my having purchased this work, for anything exceeding the charity-shop knock-down price.
I'm not over-keen on the works of this author, Peter Johnson -- re which matter, have "discoursed" previously on these Forums -- am aware that there are posters here, who have a high opinion of his writings. For me, he has something of a "reverse Midas touch" -- find that he can make the most interesting and appealing material, dull. I do realise that some of this view of him on my part, is unfair to him -- coloured by slightly odd associations from times past. I've reminisced on this site, on past occasions -- possibly ad taedium -- about the quarterly, issued to Ffestiniog Railway Society members, Ffestiniog Railway Magazine during the period of a couple of decades in the later parts of the 20th century, in which it was edited by Dan Wilson with the assistance of Norman Gurley. This pair of talented and fanciful wordsmiths produced a magazine which was in my view, far more witty, quirky and entertaining -- sometimes provocative -- than the rather stodgy general run of rail-preservation-society "mags" (no "rubbishing" of these journals, intended -- in the main, the preservation movement is what those who write these, are "about": they neither possess, not lay claim to, a high degree of literary talent. Wilson and Gurley were decidedly rare birds.).
Not every reader was always or invariably delighted by the output of this duo: there were sentiments at times, of annoyance at their perceived using of their writing in the Magazine to behave like self-indulgent, precious clever-dicks; rather than carrying out preferable straightforward recounting and expounding of what was actually going on on the railway. There came a time when "higher authority" deemed Wilson to have pushed supposed humour too far, getting into the realm of libel: politicking and pretexts suspected here -- but result was, it was seen as necessary for Wilson and his "sidekick" to resign from the editorship; which duly happened. The editorial position was taken over by Peter Johnson: a perfectly literate and competent writer, but in comparison with his predecessors -- who were indeed a hard act to follow -- a drab and unimaginative one: the Magazine was never, for me, anything like as much fun again. Additionally -- perhaps unfairly -- I had from the first an inkling that Johnson had ambitions re becoming a successful railway author: he was no doubt a genuine enthusiast for the FR; but, perhaps more than this, using his editorship as a step upwards toward ambition-achieving. My sentiments here, along the lines of "seek another calling, chum -- you're essentially not cut out to accomplish great things in this one".
Having read or at least dipped into, this author's books on the history of the Ffestiniog Railway; now likewise, concerning his on the Welsh Highland; I find his "product", fundamentally dull and non-enthusing. This is possibly an indictment of me rather than him; could be that I'm a mental lightweight, wishing for pre-digested whimsical and sentimental froth, rather than gritty factual "how things came about" history. However -- the North Wales Narrow Gauge / Welsh Highland: one of the most classic cases of narrow-gauge romantic and delectable hopelessness; story thereof in Johnson's hands, comes to feature in my view, many pages concerning voluminously detailed legal / financial / proprietorial / "prospectual" doings: more of this, than of anything else (and dull-ly and ploddingly recounted). Of course, "Acts of Parliament" or equivalent, for governmental assent, are an important part of railway history; but there are other, less "heavy", aspects of the subject -- it's legitimate to beseech mercy on those such as myself, juvenile train-spotters who never grew up... Even such matters as the line's motive power and rolling stock -- generally considered to be of importance and significance in railway history -- would seem to take second place in the book, to the super-heavily-dwelt-on "admin stuff". Concerning motive power -- I get the paranoid feeling that Johnson has it in for me: anything that I like, he minimises, and vice versa. I am rather highly taken with the phenomenon of "two-foot-gauge" US-built steam locos for World War I Western Front service, ending up post-war on assorted British lines of that gauge -- one such having been the Welsh Highland's Baldwin 4-6-0T No. 590: a prominent participant in service on the line, told of in lively fashion in that capacity, by many who experienced the WHR in its brief inter-World-Wars lifetime, and featuring in many photographs from that era. Johnson dismisses this loco, summarily and seemingly with contempt, in a brief paragraph.
As mentioned earlier: the book -- however lacking I may find it textually -- contains many fascinating photographs taken during -- and, in disuse, after -- the working careers of the NWNGR and WHR. A few of these pictures, "classics" already familiar from other works; more, highly-interestingly new to me. Again as mentioned -- there is some dealing with the railway's renaissance, re so far as it had come about as at 2002.
I am, likely, cruelly hard on poor Mr. Johnson -- my prejudice against him is so great, that I should probably refrain from commenting on anything written by him.
Still -- as mentioned above, he has his devotees; and I doubt whether my maunderings will dissuade many people who might feel an interest in his Welsh Highland book, from following that interest up.