This book is an
updated version of
the Hongkong Tramways book published back in 1970 and written
by
the late Peter Atkinson and Alan Williams. It is considered by
many as the definitive work on the subject matter. Joseph Tse Yiu-hon,
a tram enthusiast living in Hong Kong and John Prentice, Chairman of
the Tramway and Light Railway Society, have pooled their knowledge and
have published this update.
Having seen this latest
publication advertised, and having had an interest in this timeless
tram system ever since my first visit to the former colony in 2002, an
order was placed. I do possess the original publication, which was
acquired second-hand through a popular auction site, so I was
already
familiar with the book.
The most noticeable difference is its size, as shown below, and its thickness!
The original book measures 220mm x 145mm (approx.) and has 96
pages. It
contains 16 chapters and includes approximately 47 black and white
photographs together with around 10 drawings and/or maps. It came in
hardback form.
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Comparison - old and new
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The updated
edition is A4 size with a soft cover, consists of 216 pages with 18
chapters (2 more than the original) and has alot (and I mean
alot!) of photographs, the majority of which are in
colour. The size of the text is increased, which makes it a much easier
read than the original.
This updated version retains much of the text of the original, as this
is still relevant today as it was then, but with additional
information. The
two additional chapters are titled '1970-2013' and
'Tramway Advertising'.
Rather than comparing each and every chapter, I have picked
out two chapters for particular note:-
Chapter
11 - 'Green Cars Go East and West' features a tram ride made by Alan
Williams back in the 1960s from Kennedy Town to Shaukeiwan via Happy
Valley. In the chapter he describes his journey and the sights along
the way - Joseph Tse took the same journey in 2012 and whilst the route
is more or less the same, the sights are somewhat different!
Chapter
12 - 'Rolling Stock' consisted of 8 pages in the original book (Chapter
11) whilst the updated book features 45 pages with over 100
colour
photographs!
Below are some sample pages from the book.
Summary
There
is very little I can say about this book other than it really is worth
every penny!! It covers the whole aspect of Hong Kong's trams
and
must be the new 'point of reference' for the subject. A superb read
with plenty of photos!
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