Trains and railways: general interest Books
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The English Electric Class 374 Diesel Locomotives
Book SynopsisDetails how the Class 37/4 came into being and the duties undertaken by the Scottish/Welsh fleet.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Locomotives of Robert Riddles
Book SynopsisThe book is comprehensively illustrated with largely unpublished pictures that cover a wide range of locations and locomotive duties.
£28.00
Penguin Books Ltd Full Steam Ahead Felix
Book SynopsisCurl up with the wonderfully cosy SUNDAY TIMES bestselling tale of the exciting adventures of Felix and Bolt!''FULL OF FUNNY AND HEART-WARMING STORIES'' Sunday Express _________ Felix, Senior Pest Controller at Huddersfield station, has been at the heart of a close-knit community since the day she arrived as a kitten. But now, having risen to fame, everyday life at the station has become rather hectic; while reporters and fans clamour for a glimpse of her, Felix and her human co-workers find themselves, and the station, in quite a whirlwind. With the job seemingly too big for one fluffy feline to handle, it seems only sensible to recruit a young apprentice to the team: enter, Bolt. Full of funny and heart-warming stories, with personal tales from Felix''s biggest fans, this is the remarkable tale of Felix and Bolt, the ultimate pest-controlling duo.AS SEEN ON THE ONE SHOW & GOOD MORNING BRITAINTrade ReviewShe's come a long way from her humble start as Huddersfield train station's mouser * Sun *Full of funny and heart-warming stories * Sunday Express *Since she arrived at Huddersfield train station as an eight-week-old kitten, Felix has become famous, attracting visitors from all over the world who come to the West Yorkshire town in the hope of catching a glimpse of her * Big Issue North *Felix the cat, is back with another book of her escapades as a station cat - and she's gained a new apprentice, Bolt * Living North *He's a feline Facebook phenomenon . . . A beautiful book which encapsulates a whole range of emotions. It is humorous and heartbreaking but, above all, it's about real life and the joy pets bring to lives * Telegraph & Argus, Book of the Week *Within these pages you'll find heartwarming stories from the ultimate pest control duo, Felix and Bolt * Living North *
£7.59
Amberley Publishing The Train Drivers Manual
Book SynopsisHow do you drive a steam locomotive? Read this official period manual issued during the great age of steam to find out!
£10.44
Amberley Publishing Glasgow Underground
Book SynopsisWhen it opened in 1896 the Glasgow District Subway was only the third underground railway system in the world. Today its distinctive orange trains continue on their never-ending orbit beneath the city's streets.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Industrial Locomotives Railways of The North
Book SynopsisPrimarily utilising previously unpublished photographs, Gordon Edgar explores the industrial and minor railways of North East England.
£16.99
Amberley Publishing The Somerset Dorset Railway Through Time
Book SynopsisA wonderful collection of photographs showing the Somerset & Dorset Railway in operation, after abandonment and during the present day.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Exploring Disused Railways in East Scotland
Book SynopsisMichael Mather explores eastern Scotland's disused railway lines.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Looking Back At Class 24 & 25 Locomotives
Looking Back at Class 24 & 25 Locomotives takes a closer look at these plucky and versatile Type 2 locos in a full-colour photographic album. The images follow the locomotives from their introduction in the late 1950s and throughout their service years, continuing to their final demise from everyday service. Inside we look at some of the variations that have appeared over the years and at many of the liveries they have borne. A varied selection of locations and workings have been chosen from a vast library of colour photographs, which are accompanied by informative captions; they are sure to appeal to both the enthusiast and the modeller alike.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Class 40 Locomotives
Book SynopsisA photographic look back at an iconic loco of the British railways, reflecting the varied work carried out by the Class 40.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing British Railway Wagons 19802015
Book SynopsisJohn Dedman explores the fascinating world of the British railway wagon between 1980 and 2015.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The North Yorkshire Moors Railway
Book SynopsisA pictorial tour of the North Yorkshire Moors Railway.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The Merthyr Tredegar Abergavenny Railway
Book SynopsisTo commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of its closure, Chris Barber offers a fascinating insight into the history behind this picturesque railway line.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The Cromford High Peak Railway in Colour
Book SynopsisJohn Evans offers a nostalgic look back on the Cromford & High Peak Railway with some wonderfully evocative images, most dating to the 1960s.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Railway Stations
Book SynopsisRailway stations are among Britainâs most special buildings. The start and end point of the daily commute and the magical holiday, they vary hugely in style and size. This book is the perfect introduction to the subject.
£8.54
Amberley Publishing British Coaching Stock
Book SynopsisJohn Dedman examines the coaching stock found on Britain's railways through an intriguing collection.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The Grand Crimean Central Railway
Book SynopsisAnthony Dawson explores the history of the world's first wartime railway - The Grand Crimean Central Railway.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Book SynopsisThere is little disagreement that Isambard Kingdom Brunel was a towering genius of the Victorian age, but what about the man behind the reputation?Trade Review‘Compulsive reading … highly recommended’ -- National Rail Museum Review‘Well researched … a worthy addition’ -- Railway Observer‘A thoroughly entertaining read’ -- Railway Illustrated
£11.69
Amberley Publishing The North British Locomotive Company
Book SynopsisColin Alexander and Alon Siton present a lavishly illustrated exploration of one of Britain's greatest locomotive companies.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing The Turbostar
Book SynopsisRich Mackin's terrific collection of images of Turbostars. This book takes a look at the varied services undertaken by Turbostars, covering both past and present operators.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Locomotives of the Victorian Railway
Book SynopsisAnthony Dawson looks at some of the iconic, trailblazing locomotives that helped shape British railway history.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing 125 The Enduring Icon
Book SynopsisThe history behind the iconic InterCity HST 125 is explored by the 125 Group, with a wealth of fascinating photographs and previously unpublished insights.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Railway Accidents and Incidents in SouthEast
Book SynopsisA fascinating insight into some of the railway accidents and incidents that have taken place in Kent, Surrey and Sussex.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Class 158 and 159 DMUs
Book SynopsisUnpublished photographs celebrating Class 158 and Class 159 DMUs. Examining their varied operations, from Scotland to the south-west and Wales to East Anglia.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing 60009 Union of South Africa
Book SynopsisFormer members of the support crew of the famous Union of South Africa locomotive share their memories, supported by a wealth of previously unpublished images.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Locomotives of Western Canada
Book SynopsisA stunning collection of photographs documenting the railways in Canada, one of the most scenic parts of the world.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The Last Days of Steam in North East England
Book SynopsisAn evocative collection of photographs documenting the final days of steam on the railways of North East England.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The Fifteen Guinea Special
Book SynopsisA lavishly illustrated look back at the famous fifteen guinea special, and how the steam preservation movement developed in the years following it.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Lion
Book SynopsisThe fascinating history of LMR 57 Lion, the real locomotive featured in the cult film 'The Titfield Thunderbolt'.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Britains Railways in the 1970s
Book SynopsisA nostalgic overview of the rail scene in the 1970s. The photographs in this book try to capture a flavour of the railways during this fascinating transition period.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing North West Railways in the 1970s and 1980s
Book SynopsisWith previously unpublished photographs John Carlson takes a new look at the north-western rail scene.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Railways of the British Empire The Indian
Book SynopsisFascinating previously unpublished images of railways built by British companies with British locomotives, rolling stock and other infrastructure. This volume focuses on the Indian Subcontinent.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The End of the Woodhead Route
Book SynopsisFeaturing previously unpublished images of this famous route. The true story behind this iconic part of the British landscape is told.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Diesels and Electrics in London and the South
Book SynopsisWith previously unpublished photographs, this book documents the variety offered by the local railway scene.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Second Generation Scottish DMUs
Book SynopsisOffers a portrait of the Second Generation DMUs in Scotland which covers the modern diesel multiple units introduced by BR from 1981.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Railways in the Peak District
Book SynopsisA lavishly illustrated history of railways in the area of the Peak District, which were born out of necessity to connect the major cities on either side of the Pennines.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Great Central Railway
Book SynopsisWonderful previously unpublished images documenting the years before and after the Great Central Line was cut.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Southern California Railways
Book SynopsisRichard Billingsley takes a photographic look at some of the spectacular railways across the Golden State.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing CSX Transportation
Book SynopsisA stunning collection photographs of the CSX Transportation Railroad, an icon of the American railways.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Preserved Railways of Eastern England
Book SynopsisIn this book there are seven preserved railways that can be found in the East of England. A wonderful pictorial record of the region's preserved railways.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing The Stanhope Tyne Railroad Company
Book SynopsisA lavishly illustrated history of the famous railway company. The story of this remarkable line and its varied ways of working are told here.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing South Yorkshire Railways
Book SynopsisA wonderful selection of original photography of the railways in the beautiful county of South Yorkshire.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Rainhill Men Railway Pioneers
Book SynopsisTelling the story of the pioneering engineers behind the locomotives that took part in the iconic Rainhill trials.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing South East Asia Railways
Book SynopsisWonderful, previously unpublished photographs, of the railways of South East Asia. A fascinating insight into the railways of this rapidly changing area of the world.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Steam Trains
Book SynopsisNew B-format paperback edition. The history of steam in Britain, from the Rocket in 1829, through to the last main line locomotive in the 1960s.
£9.99
Amberley Publishing Glory Days Steam in East Anglia
Book SynopsisA highly illustrated survey of the glory days of steam in Essex, Sussex, Norfolk and parts of Cambridgeshire.
£14.39
David & Charles Fifty Railways That Changed the Course of History
Book Synopsis Fifty Railways that Changed the Course of History is afascinating and beautifully presented guide to the train lines and rail companies thathave had the greatest impact on modern civilization. Entries range from the Metropolitan Line of the LondonUnderground, the world's first underground railway, to the Pacific Railroad, thefirst transcontinental railroad in North America. In order to justify the assertion that they literally ''changedthe course of history,'' each railway is judged by its influence in fivecategories: Engineering, Society, commerce, Politics, and Military.Table of Contents1. Rochester to London, England, 75. Caesar’s troops adopt Grecian measurements for grooved roads in their latest colony, Insula Albionum, Great Britain. George Stephenson adapts them for standard gauge, now used by sixty percent of the world’s railroads. 2. Swansea and Mumbles, Wales, 1807. Carriages on the world’s first recognised passenger rail service are drawn by horse and sail. 3. Glasgow, James Watt (1736 – 1819) and Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804). Between them the two men devised the necessary elements for Richard Trevithick to develop his steam engine. 4. Circular track, London, England, 1804. Richard Trevithick’s steam engine, Catch Me If You Can, carries passengers round a circular track in London. 5. Stockton and Darlington, England, 1825. Opened by George Stephenson, it becomes the world’s first publically subscribed railway. But it was a visionary land surveyor, William James, and not Stephenson who would be called the father of the railways. 6. Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina, America, 1830. The first successful steam locomotive line opened with the steam train, the Best Friend of Charleston. Oliver Evans in 1812 imagines a national railroad network. 7. Semmering, Austria, 1854. Regarded as the world’s first mountain railroad, it would be followed by increasingly hazardous rail ascents such as Mount Washington (1869), Mount Rigi, Italy (1873) and Snowdon, Wales (1896). 8. London to Birmingham, England, 1838. The start of England’s rail network led to the synchronising of railway clocks. Coping with timekeeping where railroads ran across timelines had its own challenges. 9. Philadelphia to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, America, 1838. Mail contracts killed the pony express and mail coach and revolutionized the postal service. In England W. H. Auden and Benjamin Britten contribute to the London Midlands Service’s 1936 film starring music, Night Mail. 10. Nuremburg to Fürth, Germany, 1835. The first steam-driven railway opens in Germany and leads to the creation of Germany’s first long distance railroad line. 11. Union Pacific and Central Pacific, America, 1869. A golden spike ceremonially driven into the tracks marked the last railroad link between the American east and west. 12. Midland Railway, England, 1844. Entrepreneur George Hudson becomes the first railroad rogue, ruining hundreds of investors during Britain’s rail mania. 13. Lancaster and Carlisle, England, 1846. Carnforth Station on the L & C Line became the setting for the 1943 film Brief Encounters, with music by Rachmaninoff and based on a Noel Coward play about a chance meeting at ‘Milford Junction’. Rail encounters continued to inspire film makers. 14. Metropolitan Line, England, 1863. An underground rail route between Paddington and Farringdon Street, London, paves the way for a host of city railroads from New York, Shanghai and Tokyo, to Moscow, Seoul and Paris. 15. London and North Western, England, 1850. The opening of the steam line between Aberdeen and Billingsgate Fish Market in London contributed to the depletion of stocks of the ‘silver darlings’, herring. Britain was not the only country where an efficient railroad caused species decline. 16. Northern Railroad New York, America, 1851. The first refrigerated box or cattle car used on the American railway was not a success. However Gustavus Franklin Swift (1839–1903) introduced the design that herald the age of cheap beef. 17. Liverpool and Manchester, England, 1830. William Huskisson, MP died after being hit by a train, the Rocket. On the Great Western Railway in 1841 a group of passengers, builders working on the House of Parliament, were killed when the train ran into a landslide. These accidents were nothing compared to the damage wrought by the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami when the Queen of the Sea railroad lost more than 1,700 on a single journey. Rail safety is on the decline and not just due to natural disasters. 18. Washing and Springfield, America, 1865. George Pullman special carriage carried the body of President Abraham Lincoln to its final resting place. Pullman became the chief employer of African Americans after the Civil War, using former slaves to staff his Pullman service. 19. Melbourne and Hobson’s Bay Railway Company, Australia, 1854. Beaten into the record books by Chicago Union’s Chicago to Galena commuter rail in 1848, the Flinders Street to Port Melbourne rail was one of the early commuter rails and Australia’s first line. The opening of rail links between city centres and the outskirts has culminated in France’s ‘TGV commuter belts’ over a hundred miles distant. 20. Grand Truck Pacific, Canada, 1914. So many towns in Western Canada were created by the railroad that the company took to systematically naming them in alphabetical order. The impact of the Canadian Pacific Railway with features such as its ‘school trains’, had a powerful effect on some of the nation’s remotest regions. Railway towns from Wolverton, Crewe and Swindon in the UK to Baldwin, Philadelphia, Meiningen Germany and Nässjö in Sweden. 21. Windsor Hotel, Montreal, 1878. The Windsor was the first of Canada railroad’s grand hotels. The rise and fall of the railway hotel. 22. Milano Centrale, Rome, Italy. The development of the railroad station from New York’s Grand Central to the Gare de Lyon in Paris and St Pancras’, London in the days when rail companies and governments vied to build bigger and better. 23. East India Railways, India, 1854. The East India opened up northern and eastern India from Calcutta to, eventually, Delhi with stock, rails and sleepers. Everything was transported by sailing ship from Britain. 24. Shanghai to Woosung, China, 1876. At the start of the annual holidays or Golden Weeks, over 6.5 million take to China’s trains. The nine mile line, China’s first, was shut down within a year, but the country eventually developed the world’s third largest rail network. 25. The Tay Bridge Disaster. North British Railways, 1890. The failure of the bridge across the Firth of Forth signalled a new approach to bridge building, reflected in the grandeur of the world’s largest long bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 26. London Midland, England. The railway was the first to produce a timetable before George Bradshaw (1801-53) established his famous railway timetables. 27. Baltimore Ohio Railroad, America, 1895. The railroad started the first electric locomotive service with an engine developed by Werner von Siemens. Eighty years on and the Trans Europ Express system, linking all major cities with electric trains reached the height of its popularity. 28. Great Eastern Railway, Holland, 1862. In 1913 Rudolph Diesel, eponymous inventor of the successor to the steam train dies under mysterious circumstances on the Antwerp to London on the boat train, SS Dresden. 29. Trans Siberian Railroad, Russia, 1905. Connecting Moscow to the Sea of Japan the world’s longest railway contributed to Russia’s defeat by the Japanese in 1905. 30. Baghdad Railway, 1903 to 1940. The contentious rail route from Berlin to Baghdad, which came under attack from T.E. Lawrence’s Arab guerrillas was both blamed for contributing to the start of the First World War. 31. Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railway, America, 1860s. The first armoured trains appeared during the American Civil War. By the close of the nineteenth century they were being employed in the Boer War: war reporter Winston Churchill was captured by the Boers on such a train in 1899. 32. Ambulance trains, France, 1914. The two world wars signalled a peak in rail traffic with the movement of munitions and armies. They also saw the introduction of travelling hospitals. 33. The Trans-Australian Railway, Australia, 1917. With its Tea and Sugar train, the Trans finally connected Perth with the rest of the continent, despite Australia adopting three different gauges. 34. Kalka Shimla Railway, India, 1903. The railroad that passed through some of India’s most dramatic scenery connected Kalka and the rest of the Indian railway system with what was to become the headquarters of the British Army in India. It would play a pivotal role during the Second World War. 35. Burma Railway, Burma, 1943. The railroad is christened the Death Railway after more than 100,000 forced labourers die during its construction. 36. Tokyo to Shimonoseki, Japan, 1940. The Shinkansen or bullet train began its developmental history in wartime Japan. It went on to break world records. 37. Leipzig to Dresden, Germany, 1839. The old line facilitated the Third Reich’s plan to liquidate those regarded as enemies of the state. The Reichsbahn, or National Railways, recorded and charged each and every passenger journey to the gas chambers. 38. Ferrocarriles Argentinos, Argentina, 1945. Redundant narrow gauge track and rolling stock from the First World War was used to build the Trochita (“The Little Narrow Gauge”), later made famous as the Old Patagonia Express. 39. Settle and Carlisle, 1960s. It was billed as Britain’s most scenic route, but until the late 1960s and a controversial minister called Doctor Beeching, it had plenty of attractive rivals. 40. Birmingham Airport to Birmingham Station, 1984. The first ‘Maglev” monorail opened at Birmingham, England to be followed by similar systems in Japan, Germany and Vancouver, Canada. 41. Channel Tunnel, 1990. The French and British buried their differences and the hole-boring machines that drilled out the Tunnel (it was too large to extract) when the two countries were linked by the Chunnel. It’s status as the world’s longest rail tunnel is challenged by plans to link Russia and the US under the Bering Sea. 42. Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 2004. The simultaneous bombing of four trains on Madrid’s commuter network marked a weather change in terrorism . It was not the first such atrocity, nor would it be the last. 43. Cape to Cairo, Africa, uncompleted. Cecil Rhodes’ vision of a railroad that would link Africa from north to south and bring political stability to the continent was only a partial success. 44. London North Eastern, England, 1923. The Flying Scotsman, operating on the London to Edinburgh line, captured the popular imagination as it raced into the record books. Engines have been racing to their destination ever since the Rocket won the Rainhill Race in 1829. 45. Leicester to Loughborough, England, 1841. An entrepreneurial Baptist, Thomas Cook, chartered a train to carry 500 Temperance supporters to a rally. He went on to found a tourist agency that spanned the international railroad network. 46. Orient Express, France, 1883. The route from Paris to Istanbul became the iconic journey for romantic rail routes that ranged from Italy’s Bernina Express and the modern Danube Express to Amtrak’s Cascades between Oregon and Vancouver. 47. California Zephyr, America, 1949. The rise and fall of this famous rail route was to be rescued by the founding of America’s national rail body, Amtrack. Its early days, with Richard Nixon in the White House, were caught up in controversy. 48. Tayllyn Railway, Wales, 1950. In 1950 a group of volunteers rescued the narrow gauge Welsh slate route and opened it as a heritage railway. Their endeavours would inspire rail rescues worldwide including Australia’s Puffing Billy, the UK’s Bluebell Line and New Zealand’s Glenbrook Vintage Railway. 49. North Borneo Railway, Borneo, 1905. Built with foreign labour to carry tobacco from the interior the railroad, in 2012, was revived as an environmentally friendly tourist attraction. The development of railroads as sustainable transport systems. 50. Great Western Railway, England, 1930s. Railroads have inspired artists, writers and musicians, from Rev. W. W Awdry in his home beside the Great Western Line to E. F. Nesbit’s the Railway Children.
£12.74
Little, Brown Book Group Metropolitain
Book Synopsis''An utterly enjoyable voyage under Paris'' - THE OLDIE''Delightful and diverting... Martin is the most unpretentious and companionable of guides; the book is great fun'' - LITERARY REVIEW''An eclectic blend of engineering and travelogue, urban planning and anecdote... a sincere love letter'' - THE ECONOMISTAndrew Martin has been described as ''the laureate of railways'', having written many books with railway themes. Metropolitain: An Ode to the Paris Metro, is the first English history of the Metro for the general reader.Metropolitain is as stylish as the Metro itself and laced with cultural references. Andrew explains why Last Tango in Paris is a great Metro film, and what the Metro chase scene in the classic thriller, Le Samourai, says about Parisian culture. We also meet Andrew''s half-English, half-French friend, Julian, who runs a society dedicated to Metro history. He tells
£10.44
