Railways of Marple and District: Acknowledgements
The number of people whose writings, photographs, reminiscences and assistance have helped towards the production of this book is too numerous to recount, but to them all I am very grateful. But I first must acknowledged my debt to my father, who first stimulated my interest in railways, and over the years has given guidance and assistance in my researches.
Monty Burton at the official reopening of Marple Station on 28 October 1970.
I owe a great deal of the detailed information and reminiscence, which puts the flesh on the bare bones of my book, to the late Mr. "Hughie" Fletcher. He was intimately acquainted with the railways of Marple from the last years of the 19th century until his death a few years ago, both as a child, then as a joiner in the employment successively of the Midland Railway, L.M.S. and B.R., and subsequently as a Maintenance Foreman, and finally in retirement. This book would be the poorer without his contribution. I wish particularly to acknowledge my debt to George Dow, by whose kind permission I was able to use the information and photographs set out in his monumental trilogy "Great Central" to provide much of the basic material for this book; his "Great Central" also provided me with a first class exemplar of how to write a railway history.
Ex G.C. C13 4.4.2T No 67426 arrives at Hign Lane with an Up Local on the 4th September 1954. Note the immaculate gardens. (H.C. Casserley). (From Marple Rail Trails)
I must thank Mr. l.R. Smith for kindly permitting me to use some of his photographs to illustrate this book (as well as providing information on the Macclesfield Line and Dieselisation) and also to J.R. Hillier and E. Oldham for the use of their excellent photographs. Specific credits accompany each photograph in the text; photographs taken by the author are so credited. Photographs with no credit are from negatives in the author's collection. I am indebted to all the authors referred to in the Bibliography, whose works have provided much useful information; to the Railway Staff, past and present, of the Marple Area, who have over the years given me assistance and much information of value; and to various members of the Marple Antiquarian Society for their help and encouragement. Finally, I wish to thank all those who have pointed out errors and omissions in the first edition of this book, and provided further information. These have been incorporated in this second edition. I would appeal however, to all the readers of this edition to point out any further errors and I would welcome any additional information on the History of Marple's Railways.
