Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
A way to go yet ....., 18 Sep 2008
Well firstly, lets not give a product an average review for something it patently doesn't pretend to be. The Baker atlas has always purported to show the 'current' rail network, and has never depicted closed routes or rail formations abandoned to nature (the book makes this clear in it's introduction). As such, the review by 'Essex Boy' which bemoans such omissions is rather akin to suggesting you shouldn't buy a spanner if it's a pair of tweezers you are after, and marking the product down because you've given yourself a black eye whilst attempting to wrench out your eyebrows!
Of course, like Essex Boy, I don't rate the atlas THAT highly either, but that's because it's not actually particularly good at what it claims to be on the tin.
Now I fully accept that a book with a shelf life of approximately 4 years is bound to be contradictory in places compared to the real world - i.e. lines shown as non passenger carrying in the book, currently have an advertised service, and vice versa, however, some lines granted the passenger carrying status and coloured 'black' accordingly (admittedly relatively trivial lines to the general populace, but not to us "track bashers"), haven't seen an advertised pasenger service in over a decade, but still remain resolutely "black" in Baker parlance. There are other glaring errors which I have actually made known to the author personally. Despite the author welcoming feedback, and initially striking up an electronic conversation with me, he soon went cold on the idea and no response to my abreviated list of errors provided was forthcoming. This is a shame, as I was prepared to filter through the atlas and point out all of the little misdemeanours I was aware of, so the next release could hopefully jump from 97% accurate to more like 99. It might also be a good idea to colour code lines which see sketchy services, although the symbol denoting such backwaters and oddities is a welcome addition in this release.
All in all, Baker suffices, but for those of us who tire at the sight of Battersea Pier Staff Halt north of the Thames, release after release, and hanker for the real nitty gritty/accurate stuff, there's always TrackMaps.
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23 of 35 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Essential for the basher, 23 Jul 2004
If, like me, you enjoy nothing more than a thorough examination of the iron road from the perspective of a railway carriage, then this book is indispensable. Further to this, if you enjoy rail travel and so desire to explore the entire network, then again this book is indispensable. I also reccommend a highlighter pen, a collection of heavy metal (also available on amazon) and an understanding wife/partner. If you were born to bash, then buy this book. Reccommended reading to accompany the preverbial rock and roll breakfast. Ahh, I can almost smell the diesel fumes now.Moth
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3 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
OPC RAIL ATLAS GREAT BRITAIN & IRLAND, 18 Jul 2008
iF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR A BOOK THAT IS GOING TO SHOW ALL THE RAILWAYS THERE HAVE EVER BEEN THEN THIS IS NOT IT, BUY THE IAN ALEN ONE IT SHOWS MUCH MORE !
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