RAILWAY buff Clive Foxell has just published his second account of the history of Chesham branch line.

Former British Telecom managing director Mr Foxell, 68, of Meades Lane, Chesham, published a full history of the line in his book Chesham Shuttle two years ago.

His second book, Chesham Branch Album, is a pictorial history of the line, containing stories and newly released photographs.

Mr Foxell said: "It came about because I had an interest in railways. My first job after the war was cleaning engines at Neasden.

"Secondly, I lived my whole married life in Chesham and travelled on the branch line and I started really looking into the background of the branch line.

"It has quite an interesting history. Basically, Chesham was very late in the day to get a railway. It didn't get a line until 1889, around 50 or 60 years after other towns in Britain."

He said that the railway was finally built because of a wealthy man's dream. He dreamed he could travel by train from his home in Manchester to Paris.

The line was meant to go straight through Chesham.

It began to be built, but Chesham ended up a branch line and not a major route between cities as enthusiasts had hoped.

The story of the Chesham line was first published in Mr Foxell's book Chesham Shuttle.

But the response to that book was so enthusiastic it encouraged him to publish another work on the railway line.

"I had about 400 letters from all round the world.

"People in Chesham, Amersham and the Chalfonts had sent the book to people to remind them of Chesham and these people started to send in photographs and other stories about the line," he added.

Chesham Branch Album is being launched at Chapter One Booksellers, Chesham, tonight from 6pm to 8.30pm.

Clive Foxell will be on hand to sign copies.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.