Lightmoor Press LockettS&D The Somerset & Dorset Railway 1935-1966 Norman Lockett Archive

Norman Lockett began taking black & white photographs in the 1930s, using glass plate negatives, a medium he preferred until the end of steam. A modest man, the vast majority of his output has never been published, despite its superb quality. Here, in the first volume of a series which will feature the pick of his work, we present over 200 highly evocative photographs of one of the best loved and most picturesque railway lines with which this country was once blessed – the S&D. Whilst Norman had his favourite ‘spots’ – such as the Midford Valley and Winsor Hill – he captured some of the lesser known parts, around Highbridge and the Bridgwater Branch, as well. He also looked for viewpoints not appreciated by others. In order to present Norman’s work at its best, the publishers have returned to the original glass plates for the scanning process, rather than use his prints. This has revealed much extraneous detail which had been either lost in the printing process or simply cropped out altogether.Devotees of railway photography, S&D enthusiasts, railway historians and railway modellers will all find much to enjoy and of interest within these pages, with Norman’s pictures being accompanied by a lively and knowledgeable text and captions, written by well known S&D authority Mike Arlett. There can be few railway photograph collections of this quality still largely unpublished, so this is a rare chance to appreciate the work of a largely ‘unknown master’.