London's Lost Railways

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The west London line completed as Isambard Kingdom Brunel’s last-ever project. A Gothic terminus built by a hotelier to attract wealthy guests to his country retreat. A Victorian docklands goods line reborn as the DLR, and routes that once ferried pleasure-seekers to the Crystal Palace and Greenwich Park. London’s Lost Railways explores all these and more as it uncovers the hidden network that once carried goods, workers and day-trippers across an ever-expanding metropolis.

Paul Talling – our best-loved investigator of London's lost history – traces the rise and fall of these bygone railways. Armed with his camera, he walks their routes and discovers what remains: abandoned halts, ghost platforms, repurposed bridges and curious cuttings. In the process, he reveals fascinating tales of Victorian ambition and bold speculation, fierce commercial rivalries, wartime destruction, and post-war change – all the way up to the present day.

Packed with maps and over 100 colour photographs, London’s Lost Railways brings a forgotten network back to life and reveals how it helped to forge the London that we know today.

About Paul Talling

Paul Talling first became interested in derelict buildings in 2003, after witnessing the demolition of an old candle factory in Battersea. Later that year, he set up derelictlondon.com, a website that collects photos and stories of the capital’s abandoned spots. Since then, the website has received 2 million views, won numerous awards, and been described by the Daily Telegraph as Britain’s ‘shabby Pevsner’. In 2008, Paul published the bestselling first edition of DERELICT LONDON to widespread acclaim.

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