An attractive album of photographs of abandoned railway installations from around the world. If you are fond of the syndicated tv show Abandoned Engineering, this book will attract. (Indeed, a couple of the locations were featured in that show.) The one objection potential readers might have is the use of the term "train station" instead of the more correct "railway station", but (like the reviled term "sci-fi" for science fiction), this misuse seems to have become lodged in the public mind, so we are probably stuck with it. Don't let that put you off the book, though. ( )

The title caught me: Abandoned Train Stations

Why is there romance in the idea of abandoned railway stations? I guess it’s the idea of the stories, the dreams of times past.
I must admit to being fascinated by old railway buildings. In their day sturdy, decorative and staunch. Who can’t help but appreciate the progress advancement they stood for. I recall a program I watched where, amongst the many gems, have been such buildings renovated with care (and sometimes heartache) but today stand proudly. I love it!
I recall travelling through Berlin and the train whizzing by those stations of the East not used. It’s a bit like the magic of the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. That sense of wonder! And the decorativeness, the architecture of stations in St. Petersburg. A touch of class for the masses. The fascination of the stories these places could tell whips out into the ether with a sense of amazement. This title feeds into those recollections.
Divided into five world regions, this book explores a multitude of abandoned buildings worldwide to do with trains, from the tiniest signal box to huge edifices, from purpose stations built like the Olympic Stadium Station in Munich, to machine repair sheds like the abandoned carriage sheds outside of Budapest. The photography invites you in, to look, “perchance to dream.”
A wonderful book for those who love all things trains.

An Amber Books ARC via NetGalley.
Many thanks to the author and publisher. ( )

Abandoned Train Stations by David Ross is a hauntingly beautiful coffee table book. Definitely an excellent addition to any library as well as living room decor.

The photographs are organized by continents with explanatory captions for each picture. These captions highlight a bit of the history and/or current state of the station and the railway on which it sits.

I tend to enjoy these types of books for a couple of reasons, one of which makes this an excellent book for me. Both for when I have guests and, frankly, just because I like to have fun with displaying books, I arrange coffee and end table books with a purpose. Often that purpose is only visible to me, but such is life. I sometimes (usually when I am having guests who tend toward conversation on a range of topics) like to leave one book open to a particularly intriguing photograph, whether because of its beauty or because it hints at some other subject. I then place a couple of related books to that page on the table(s) as well. Because this book has images of desolate abandoned stations as well as urban, completely abandoned as well as reappropriated, I can place books that are on completely different topics nearby based on whether I use an urban or a rural station. I have several urban decay books that would work well, as well as one on the old Domino Sugar plant which would make an interesting juxtaposition.

I would recommend this to anyone with an interest in trains and railroad lines as well as anyone more interested in photography of deserted places and buildings. The variety of stations included keeps this from being a repetitive book, well, aside from the theme of abandoned stations.

Reviewed from a copy made available by the publisher via NetGalley. ( )