Books about St. Helens and local transport.
The St. Helens Railway
by J.M. Tolson. Compact but excellent history in the Oakwood Press series.
Industrial Railways of St. Helens, Widnes & Warrington.
by C.H.A. Townley & J.A. Peden. Published by IRS in 2 volumes so far, covering the St. Helens area. Sadly both authors died recently, before publication of the 3rd volume covering Widnes & Warrington. Includes a section on the development and history of main line railways in the area.
Industrial Railways of the Wigan Coalfield.
by C.H.A. Townley, F.D. Smith & J.A. Peden. Published by Runpast in 2 volumes. Includes a section on the development and history of main line railways around Wigan.
Widnes and St. Helens Railways
by Bob Pixton. Paperback photo. album published by Chalfont Publishing. Contains many photographs, including closed lines and stations, but has a few minor errors in the captions.
Local Transport in St. Helens. 1879 - 1994.
by T.B. Maund & M.J. Ashton. Published by Venture. History of local trams, trolleybuses and motor buses until the end of St. Helens Corporation Transport bus operations in 1974.
A Merseyside Town in the industrial revolution - St. Helens, 1750 - 1900
by T.C. Barker & J.R. Harris. Excellent history of the growth of St. Helens, the town and local industry, including local railways. Paperback reprint available from local bookshops.
Black Gold And Hot Sand - A History Of St. Helens.
by Mike Fletcher. Less detail than the Barker & Harris book, but includes more recent history.