Richard Long
@rclongauthor.bsky.social
Full time dad and part time railway author. Winner of Third Prize Non-Fiction at the 2025 Isle of Wight Book Awards for “Upgrading the Isle of Wight’s Railway”.
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/rclong
https://uk.bookshop.org/shop/rclong
Surely this is the reference photo for the cover?
December 6, 2025 at 9:54 PM
Surely this is the reference photo for the cover?
Looking for a Christmas gift for the train geek in your life? My books about the Isle of Wight’s railways and the St Ives branch line are available now from all good bookshops and websites uk.bookshop.org/shop/rclong
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
December 3, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Looking for a Christmas gift for the train geek in your life? My books about the Isle of Wight’s railways and the St Ives branch line are available now from all good bookshops and websites uk.bookshop.org/shop/rclong
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
If we submit photos, how recent should they be? I took this at Dawlish in 2008 but pretty sure it’s still there.
December 3, 2025 at 7:40 PM
If we submit photos, how recent should they be? I took this at Dawlish in 2008 but pretty sure it’s still there.
Just realised I have a photo of the red painted bit at the top of the Shanklin columns and - as suspected - it is an IWR monogram. So can confirm the Shanklin columns definitely don’t have SVSR on them - just “S” on alternate sides.
December 2, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Just realised I have a photo of the red painted bit at the top of the Shanklin columns and - as suspected - it is an IWR monogram. So can confirm the Shanklin columns definitely don’t have SVSR on them - just “S” on alternate sides.
Seriously. Most of it’s gone now but this was the Isle of Wight’s railway network at its peak. 55 1/2 miles of track on an island just 20 miles across.
November 29, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Seriously. Most of it’s gone now but this was the Isle of Wight’s railway network at its peak. 55 1/2 miles of track on an island just 20 miles across.
This is getting a lot of interest. If you’d like to know more about the Isle of Wight’s railways you might be interested in one of my books on the subject uk.bookshop.org/shop/rclong
November 29, 2025 at 9:31 AM
This is getting a lot of interest. If you’d like to know more about the Isle of Wight’s railways you might be interested in one of my books on the subject uk.bookshop.org/shop/rclong
I think they’re judging you here.
November 27, 2025 at 8:49 AM
I think they’re judging you here.
The neon sign looks very reminiscent of the (now listed) neon sign at the former Walthamstow dog track to me.
November 25, 2025 at 8:10 PM
The neon sign looks very reminiscent of the (now listed) neon sign at the former Walthamstow dog track to me.
They’ve added one now!
November 25, 2025 at 12:46 PM
They’ve added one now!
SPECIAL OFFER: Right now - until 1 December - can buy both of my Pen & Sword titles for 30% off the the RRP in the @penandswordbooks.bsky.social Black Friday Sale! www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Richard-C-Lo...
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
November 17, 2025 at 7:34 PM
SPECIAL OFFER: Right now - until 1 December - can buy both of my Pen & Sword titles for 30% off the the RRP in the @penandswordbooks.bsky.social Black Friday Sale! www.pen-and-sword.co.uk/Richard-C-Lo...
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
#IsleofWight #IslandLine #StIves #StIvesBranchLine
Based on a real event from 1969.
November 16, 2025 at 10:15 PM
Based on a real event from 1969.
That is one of the cross-channel hovercraft in the image and it’s based on a real event from 1969.
November 16, 2025 at 10:13 PM
That is one of the cross-channel hovercraft in the image and it’s based on a real event from 1969.
This is the thumbnail I’m seeing here.
November 13, 2025 at 8:20 PM
This is the thumbnail I’m seeing here.
This fits quite well.
November 8, 2025 at 1:26 PM
This fits quite well.
And for comparison…
November 8, 2025 at 1:21 PM
And for comparison…
For example, we all know the Isle of Wight uses old tube trains, but what if they built the actual tube network on the Isle of Wight? (Includes two bonus tunnels to the mainland).
November 8, 2025 at 1:18 PM
For example, we all know the Isle of Wight uses old tube trains, but what if they built the actual tube network on the Isle of Wight? (Includes two bonus tunnels to the mainland).
Also, this bit is nonsense. Last time there was no “festive special” was in 2022.
October 29, 2025 at 6:50 PM
Also, this bit is nonsense. Last time there was no “festive special” was in 2022.
It’s going to turn into Peter Davison’s face, isn’t it.
October 29, 2025 at 12:54 PM
It’s going to turn into Peter Davison’s face, isn’t it.
This just in from 1963.
October 28, 2025 at 6:54 PM
This just in from 1963.
That’s subjective, but blue was the original British Railways livery for express passenger steam locos. Didn’t last very long and most photos of that era are b&w so you can’t tell anyway. Here’s a preserved ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ passing through Dawlish in the same livery a couple of years ago.
October 27, 2025 at 8:07 AM
That’s subjective, but blue was the original British Railways livery for express passenger steam locos. Didn’t last very long and most photos of that era are b&w so you can’t tell anyway. Here’s a preserved ‘Sir Nigel Gresley’ passing through Dawlish in the same livery a couple of years ago.
Caledonian Road, London, 1967
October 26, 2025 at 6:54 PM
Caledonian Road, London, 1967
Bit of history from the “Blood and custard” website:
October 26, 2025 at 6:31 PM
Bit of history from the “Blood and custard” website: