ts manifold imperfections and shortcomings, rests entirely
with the author, whose only qualification for assuming the role of
biographer of the Cambrian is the deep interest he has always taken in a
subject worthy of a far abler pen. Not even the attempt would have been
possible had it not been for the valuable assistance readily given by
many kind friends directly or indirectly associated with the Cambrian
Railways.

Special thanks are due, and hereby gratefully acknowledged, to Mr. Samuel
Williamson General Manager, not for only much personal trouble taken in
supplying information and looking through proof-sheets, but for placing
no small portion of the time of some members of his clerical staff at the
disposal of the author, who has troubled them on many occasions, but
never without receiving prompt and patient response; to other officials
and employees, past and present, of the Company for information regarding
their several departments, and their personal recollections, including
Mr. T. S. Goldsworthy, the senior officer and sole surviving member of
the "old guard," who played their part in the battles of the
Parliamentary Committee-rooms of long ago, whose reminiscences of the
days of old have proved particularly useful; to the Earl of Powis for
permission to inspect the voluminous papers of the late Earl, whose name
was so intimately associated with the early development of railway
schemes in Montgomeryshire; to the family of the late Mr. David Howell
for similar facilities in regard to his papers; and, for the loan of
photographs or assistance of varied sort to Colonel Apperley, Mr. E. D.
Nicholson, Park Issa, Oswestry, Mr. W. P. Rowlands and Mr. Edmund
Gillart, Machynlleth, Mr. Robert Owen, Broad Street, Welshpool, Mr. J.
Harold Thomas, Garth Derwen, Buttington, the Misses Ward, Whittington,
Miss Mickleburgh, Oswestry, Mr. E. Shone, Oswestry, the Editor of the
"Peterborough Advertiser," the publishers of the "Great Western
Magazine," and others.

The indexing has been compiled by Mr. Kay, Public Librarian, Oswestry, to
whom thanks are due for the efficient discharge of a rather irksome duty.

As to the arrangement of the book itself: in tracing the various stages
of construction, often simultaneous or overlapping in point of time, of
the several separate and formerly independent undertakings into which the
Cambrian system was subsequently consolidated, and still further
augmented by later local amalgamations