I am looking at a collection of one man’s photographs, made over four decades chronicling the remarkable variety of steam, diesel and electric locomotives that operated out of Manchester Piccadilly Railway Station.*
They are the work of Ronnie Gee, who began his railway career in Longsight in 1943, but quickly moved over to working in a variety of signal boxes across south Manchester.
And because of the unique position high up in a signal box and armed with his camera he took thousands of pictures of the passing traffic, many of which are stunning “action” shots.
When he died in 2016 his collection was bequeathed to Manchester-based enthusiast and author, Eddie Johnson.
Working with Ronnie's negatives and transparencies, Eddie and fellow Manchester Locomotive Society member, Ian Simpson, have produced a magnificent album of Ronnie's Images..
The book, simply entitled A RAILWAYMAN's VIEW is a wonderful collection of some of the 2500 black & white negatives and colour slides which Ronnie took over those three decades.**
As well as a stunning set of pictures from the steam era, there are plenty of diesel and electric locomotives, along with many that record the changes that took place, including the electrification of the line from Manchester to Wilmslow that took place in the 1960s.
The majority of photos date from the steam era and are in black & white, but a selection of colour images from the 1960s and 1970s are also included.
You can get the book direct from Eddie Johnson, price £15.95 plus £2.95 postage.
Cheque or cash only. Available direct from E. M Johnson, 10 Tirza Avenue, Burnage, Manchester, M19 2JY, email; tirza10@btinternet.com
*London Road Railway Station.
** A RAILWAYMAN's VIEW: The Photographs of Ronnie Gee, 2020, by: E. M. Johnson & I. Simpson, , ISBN: 9781527272798
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