Trains and railways: general interest Books

Book SynopsisExplore a selection of stunning photographs documenting the variety of Britain's railways from the air.Trade Review'The reproduction throughout is excellent, and the complete absence of white space lets the pictures dominate – just as they should. It really is a stunning compilation that should provide plenty of inspiration to anyone with an interest in drone photography or for someone just getting started.' -- Railways Illustrated Magazine, February 2024'For the quality of the imagery alone, this book is worth adding to your collection.' -- Rail Express Magazine, January 2024

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Book SynopsisRare and in the main previously unpublished photographs over two decades from the late 1970s to the late 1990s documenting the area's rail scene.

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Book SynopsisThe author has recorded the railway scene in the locality for over sixty-five years. His lavishly illustrated collection is a celebration of Preston's railway history.

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Book SynopsisA pictorial survey of Diesel Multiple Units in the North of England from the late 1970s to the present day.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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Book SynopsisThis book is the first of two which covers the history of the Great Eastern Railway and its predecessors from the first proposal for a railway in the eastern counties in 1811 for a railway from Islington to Wallasea Island and Mucking to its absorption into the London and North Eastern Railway under the 1923 Grouping of Railways. This volume covers the period from 1811 up to the formation of the Great Eastern Railway in 1862.The history is the first history of the GER since Cecil J. Allen's history of the railway which was first published in 1955 and which has long been out of print.The book makes use of both previously published works on the GER and its predecessors, but also contemporary documents such as the Directors' reports to shareholders of the Eastern Counties Railway, timetables, reports in local and national newspapers as well as extracts from selected peoples'' diaries. Some of which were not easily available to Allen when he wrote his history of the GER. Incorporating thes

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Book SynopsisThis book endeavours to capture the very essence of the railways in the northern UK, exploring in photographs their imprint upon the landscape. Railways are illustrated as they traverse the bleak fells, pass by traditional cotton mills and industrial heritage, stride over iconic viaducts crossing vast windswept valleys and coastal estuaries, and as they share the grandeur of iconic cathedrals of both religious and railway station designs, whilst not forgetting the intricate network of canals intertwining with the rails that eventually carried the very traffic that kept these waterways in use. Here is a personal selection which I trust helps explore all that characterises and reveals the moods and atmosphere which conjure the heart and Spirit of railways traversing our northern climes. Locomotives, train designs and liveries past and present will help recall the rails of the 1980's and 90's and offer an interesting contrast to the more modern images of the present millennium. With a m

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Book SynopsisThe popular image of railway travel during the Second World War is that of a sparse service of dirty and grossly overcrowded trains that were forever being delayed. The iconic is your journey really necessary' poster campaign is credited with discouraging the public from travelling by train. This book questions these assumptions and examines the mobility requirements of the British public during the war years and aligns these to the level of service provided by the railways. Throughout the war the railways were managed by the Railway Executive Committee (REC) whose members were all senior railway officers. The conflicts between the REC and the government in respect to controlling passenger numbers on the railway system, which was overcrowded with essential additional war related freight traffic, are examined; as are the propaganda campaigns aimed at restricting unnecessary' travel. The public's response to the travel restrictions are analysed to determine how railway passengers' attitu

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Book SynopsisRailway modelling offers a unique opportunity for the modeller to construct and operate an authentic simulation of the real thing. When one creates a model railway, one should strive to embed the sense of purpose from the real railway into their model. Simply moving trains around aimlessly around a layout may be enjoyable, but it doesn't reflect how the real railway operates. There is much focus on absolute accuracy with regards to locomotives and rolling stock but far fewer modellers in general pay attention to prototypical accuracy and replicating authentic railway operations in miniature. Operating your layout in a realistic fashion is not only more authentic, but it can also be an enjoyable pastime in its own right. It gives purpose to the movement of every train on the layout and, if it involves co-operation between more than one operator, involves teamwork and good communication which can be immensely satisfying. Finally, realistic operation is supported by many other factors

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Book SynopsisFrom the opening of the Great Western Railway in 1838 through to the end of steam traction on the Western Region in 1965 the engine shed' formed an important role in both the infrastructure and operation of the railway. As the Great Western system expanded so did the need for larger locomotive servicing facilities and from the 1870s right through to the 1930s many sheds were rebuilt into larger locomotive depots or in some cases replaced by entirely new structuresNationalisation of the railways in 1948 saw the formation of the British Railways Western Region'. Apart from a few early sub-shed closures the number of Western Region steam depots and sub-sheds remained almost unaltered until the regional boundary changes of 1958.Using black and white and colour images from the Great Western Trust archive at Didcot, the book illustrates Western Region steam depots and sub sheds' that were in operation in the mid 1950s. With many previously unpublished photographs the book should interest mod

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Book Synopsis''Great fun. Railway travel without leaving your armchair!'' Chris TarrantA jam-packed puzzle and trivia book about Britain''s iconic railways. The Big British Railway Puzzle Book is a must-buy gift book for puzzle book fanatics, train and travel enthusiasts, history buffs, and the people up and down the country who love their heritage and their regional identity! Featuring a treasure trove of puzzles about railways and locomotives, using maps, old routes and tracks, original posters and all things that delight train lovers, the book also includes mind-boggling brainteasers, navigational tests, word games, code-crackers, anagrams, crosswords, mathematical conundrums and more. As well as having over 100 mind-bending puzzles, the book also contains historical facts and figures, trivia and introductions to each section authored by Dr Thomas Spain, a research associate at the National Railway Museum, about the history of the Br

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Book SynopsisThe Hayling Island Branch was one of Britain's most iconic sea side lines, connecting Havant with Hayling Island via Langston Harbour. Opening in 1865 for freight and 1867 to passenger traffic, it was after a few years of local control, managed and operated as part of the London Brighton & South Coast Railway, who were responsible for its upkeep until the railway grouping in 1923, when it became a part of the Southern Railway. The railway had a colourful and bucolic existence, with trains headed by the attractive Stroudley Terrier class tank locomotives and a collection of vintage carriage stock. In 1948 the branch became part of the Southern Region of British Railways, carrying on as a local and at times heavily used branch line, until its closure in November 1963\. Today the lines track bed is a walking path from end to end, with only the former goods shed at Hayling Island to show the visitor any tangible evidence of the railways existence.

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Book SynopsisWe can now celebrate the 200 years anniversary of railways, which have served to connect communities across this country and across world countries. Our railways started with steam power in 1825, until steam was phased out by British Railways in 1968. Nowadays the preservation movement continues to provide the glorious spectacle of steam trains at work in many parts of the U.K. The preserved railways and the preserved locomotives running on the main line are making their own history, and it is part of this history that is covered by this book, which records many of the steam activities from 1986 to 2000. There are numerous locomotives pictured here which may never steam again as the costs of refurbishment, coupled with very much stricter safety requirements, preclude the reappearance of some old favourites. This book contains colour pictures from the author's collection of large format slides and latterly some 35mm slides. The style is similar to the author's previous books, using approximately of 200 pictures with informative captions to describe the scenes depicted, presented in chronological order. The enormous work of volunteers in continuing the development of the preservation movement cannot be underestimated, because without those efforts, there would be no history to record. This book is a further salute to the volunteer movement, in recognition of their outstanding achievements.

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Book SynopsisThis is a new edition of Dr EM Patterson's first volume on the history of the narrow-gauge railways of North-West Ireland, originally published in 1962. The County Donegal Railways had a route of 124 miles, five termini and three junction stations. For the most part they traversed hilly and thinly-populated country and for two generations they were a busy and efficient operation. This edition adds a valuable chapter of interviews and memories of some of the surviving workers and others who had contact with the railway. It also includes a chapter on the County Donegal Railway today (as over 50 years after closure, much can still be seen of the former network), and some additional Glover drawings of locomotive, carriage and wagon stock.

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Book SynopsisDo you love trains? Do you love adventure? If so, join Tom Chesshyre on his meandering rail journey across Europe from London to Venice. Escaping the rat race for a few happy weeks, Chesshyre indulges in the freedom of the tracks. From France (dogged by rail worker strikes), through Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and Poland, he travels as far east as Odessa by the Black Sea in Ukraine. With no set plans, simply a desire to let the trains lead the way, he heads back via Hungary, the Balkans and Austria. Along the way he enjoys many an encounter, befriending fellow travellers as well as a conductor or two. This is a love letter to Europe, written from the trackside.Trade ReviewBristling with vitality, Chesshyre's new tome is a joyfully rudderless romp through Europe's railway system... It's a work of brilliant geekery, but for the most part it's a love letter to the continent, a Eurocentric work for our Brexit-beleaguered times * National Geographic, Top Ten Travel Books for Summer 2019 *He casually, and beautifully, bats away the earnestness of travel literature * The Literary Times Supplement - Caroline Eden *There is something nostalgic about the clatter of wheels and sleeper trains... by the end, the reader will struggle to resist the urge to follow his lead. * The Economist *We love reading about train travel... Pick up Slow Trains to Venice by Tom Chesshyre * Sunday Times Travel Magazine *An engaging picaresque series of encounters and reflections on Europe as many of its countries struggle to find common ground amid the populist reaction to its dilemmas * Anthony Lambert, author of Lost Railway Journeys from Around the World *At a time when European unity is fraying at an alarming rate, here comes Tom Chesshyre's travelogue to remind us of the virtues of connectedness. Better still, his explorations are made by train, and use the Continent's historic, unpredictable routes from the era before high-speed rail. A diverting and thought-provoking read. * Simon Bradley, author of The Railways *Beethoven with attitude, masochism in Lviv, the smell of cigarettes in the corridor, adventurous great aunts who travelled on the roofs of crowded trains, Carniolan pork-garlic sausage, Jimi Hendrix in the Slovene Ethnographic Museum and, of course, the 13:49 from Wroclaw. Tom Chesshyre pays homage to a Europe that we are leaving behind and perhaps never understood. Che bella corsa! He is the master of slow locomotion. * Roger Boyes, The Times *Far from being just another train travelogue, Slow Trains to Venice combines reports from a Europe on the brink of major change with amusing vignettes... An essential read. * Tom Otley, editor of Business Traveller magazine *Like the trains he travels on, Tom Chesshyre meanders through Europe and the result is entertaining and enjoyable. * Christian Wolmar, author of Blood, Iron and Gold: How the Railways Transformed the World *Meander through Europe in the excellent company of Tom Chesshyre, who relishes the joys of slow travel and seizes every opportunity that a journey presents: drifting as a flâneur in Lille, following in the tracks of James Joyce in a literary exploration of Ljubljana, cosseted in luxury on a trans-Ukrainian express, all decorated with a wealth of detail and intrigue.As Tom discovers, it's not just Brexit Britain - the whole Continent is in disarray. But at least Europe's railways still bind us together. * Simon Calder, The Independent *One of the most engaging and enterprising of today's travel writers, Chesshyre has an eye ever-alert for telling detail and balances the romance of train travel with its sometimes-challenging realities... but for all its good humour, the book impresses as a poignant elegy for the Europe which Britain once embraced * Stephen McClarence, travel writer, Daily Telegraph and The Times *

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Book SynopsisWhen was smoking banned on trains? Which actor restored kippers to the menu of the Brighton Belle? What regular lineside event did Dickens describe as 'a shave in the air'? Perfect for a trivia night or a long trip, Train Teasers will both test your knowledge of this country's rail system and enlighten you on the most colourful aspects of its long history. Meet trunk murderers, trainspotters, haters of railways, railway writers, Ministers for Transport good and bad, railway cats, dogs and a railway penguin. This is NOT a book for number-crunching nerds. Many of the answers are guessable by the intelligent reader. It is a quiz, yes, but also a cavalcade of historical incident and colour relating to a system that was the making of modern Britain.Trade ReviewWonderful ... a treasure and a gem -- Jeremy CorbynPraise for Andrew Martin: 'Andrew Martin has cornered the train market. He is the Bard of the Buffer, the Balladeer of the Blue Train, the Laureate of Lost Property ... the best sort of travel-writer: inquisitive, knowledgeable, lively, congenial * Mail on Sunday *Martin is entertaining company, alive to the history of his route ... leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel * FT *You do not have to be a trainspotter to enjoy this book. It is social history, a kind of epitaph to a way of travel that seems to be lost, at least in Europe * Spectator *

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Book SynopsisThe north east of England was the crucible of the railway revolution in the early nineteenth century. The Stockton & Darlington Railway, which opened in 1825, was the world''s first public railway to use steam locomotives. As the national network developed, the East Coast Main Line passed through the region on its way from London to Edinburgh and virtually every part of the area was linked to a large and complex web of lines which were built to serve coal mines and other heavy industries as well as communities across the region. As the century developed, by a process of expansion and amalgamation, the North Eastern Railway came to dominate the area. This became part of the LNER group in 1923 though with the formation of British Railways in 1948, the new North Eastern Region of BR, with its distinctive orange signage, served an area closely comparable to that of the old NER itself. This new colour album explores the railways of the north east from the 1950s through to the 1970s using largely hitherto unpublished images from the files of the Online Transport Archive. These cover steam, diesel and electric traction and whilst focusing on the main line railways, the area''s heavy concentration of industrial lines is also featured in this wonderful nostalgic reflection of the fascinating railway network of this part of the country.

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Book SynopsisA popular feature of our publishing programme for a number of years has been our facsimile reprints of selected titles from the famous Ian Allan Publishing abc series that first appeared in the 1940s. These modestly priced volumes are welcomed by both the enthusiasts who may have used them when they first came out and also by those not around at the time they were first published. They provide wonderful, nostalgic snapshots of a railway scene that has long since disappeared. The latest volume we have selected for reissue is abc British Railways Locomotives Combined Volume 1966. The Combined Volumes were in effect two books in one, abc British Railways Locomotives and the Locoshed Book. The abc lists all the locomotives and multiple units which were in service at that time, and the Locoshed book shows where they were allocated at the time the listings were compiled. By the time this abc appeared, steam was in full retreat across the country and had already officially ended on the Western Region on 31st December of the previous year. However, many steam locomotives were still on BR''s the books in the other five regions and hundreds of new diesel and electric locos and multiple units were being delivered to ensure the final elimination of steam traction would occur in 1968. This mix of traction makes the year covered in this volume a particularly interesting one. As with all of these facsimile reprints, this volume provides a wonderful, nostalgic window on a railway scene which has long since disappeared and will be enjoyed by enthusiasts of both steam and modern traction.

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Book SynopsisIn the early 1980s, Ravenscraig steel works was the biggest source of rail freight north of the border, handling iron ore, coal, lime and scrap, as well as semi-finished and finished products. Opencast coal was thriving and would even lead to some lines re-opening later in the decade. Wagonload freight was still providing a service on some rural lines, not least the Far North line where many intermediate stations still handled general freight, such as seed potatoes and fertiliser. Today, Ravenscraig is a distant memory and coal is no longer carried by rail anywhere in Scotland. Wagonload freight has also disappeared, despite some attempts to revive the concept in the early 2000s. However, in a few areas, rail freight has done well. The cement works at Oxwellmains is a big user of rail and Grangemouth refinery still produces three trainload flows. Intermodal traffic has grown substantially, with several regular Anglo-Scottish flows on the West and East Coast main lines as well as internal movements to Aberdeen and Inverness. Illustrated with over 160 photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, this volume looks at the changing face of rail freight in Scotland. It details the changes in traction, rolling stock and railway infrastructure over four decades.

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Book SynopsisCarrying on from his first EC Electrics volume, which focussed on classes 86, 87, 90 and Driving Van Trailers (commonly known as DVTs), this book examines classes 91, 92 and DVTs around the UK. The British Rail (BR) Class 91 is a high-speed electric locomotive, which was ordered as a component of the East Coast Main Line modernisation and electrification programme of the late 1980s. The BR Class 92 is a dual-voltage electric locomotive, which was designed specifically to operate services through the Channel Tunnel between Great Britain and France.

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Book SynopsisTom Chesshyre is the consummate traveller, who makes you want to experience all his adventures and mishaps for yourself. - Christian Wolmar, author of British Rail: The Making and Breaking of Our TrainsFrom London via Paris, Naples, Nuremberg, the Swiss Alps, Budapest, Athens and into the furthest corners of Eastern Europe across Romania and Bulgaria, join Tom Chesshyre on his fascinating journey to Istanbul and backEver dreamt of dropping everything and adventuring cross-country to the edge of Asia? That''s just what rail enthusiast Tom Chesshyre did, hitting the tracks for a 4,570-mile adventure on 55 rides, shadowing the old Orient Express route.Interrailing was once the realm of young backpackers setting off to find themselves - and for many, it still is. But it''s also a joyful and eco-friendly twenty-first century adventure that''s open to us all, no matter our age or agenda. Dodging striking train drivers in Germany,

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Book SynopsisA facsimile edition of Bradshaw's Handbook of 1863, the book that inspired the BBC television series 'Great British Railway Journeys'. When Michael Portillo began the series 'Great British Railway Journeys', a well-thumbed 150-year-old book shot back to fame. The original Bradshaw's guides had been well known to Victorian travellers and were produced when the British railway network was at its peak and as tourism by rail became essential. It was the first national tourist guide specifically organized around railway journeys, and this beautifully illustrated facsimile edition offers a glimpse through the carriage window at a Britain long past.

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Book SynopsisGreat Western Goods Train Working is a truly remarkable book providing - for the first time - a comprehensive guide as to how that most important of commodities ''goods'' were handled, marshalled, and moved by rail from despatch to destination. Railways including the Great Western were founded upon the basis of goods movement - passengers would come later - which goes to explain why the GWR Goods Manager was for many years senior to even the Chief Mechanical Engineer, because the Goods Department brought in more revenue! In this all new book rolling stock is depicted for the first time in the context of how it was used, the train formations and where and how freight services operated. The culmination of several decades of painstaking research this complex and detailed subject is split into two volumes both rightly deserving a place on the bookshelf of the enthusiast and historian.

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Book SynopsisIn 1976, the High Speed Train arrived on a British railway scene where trains were predominantly in three colours; blue and grey with a large patch of yellow at the front. On the new trains the yellow warning panel was now strikingly extended down the sides of the power cars, thus beginning a transformation both in terms of the trains themselves as well as in their liveries, from BR''s corporate years to the variety that we see today. HST The Train that Saved Britain''s Railways is a photographic tribute to a train widely credited with rescuing Britain''s railway system from further decline. Few items of rolling stock have stayed in front line service for so long, more than forty years, least of all on longer distance duties. The HST has achieved this whilst leading the move away from traditional patterns of operational practice utilising locomotives and coaches, towards one of fixed formations. This was something of a gamble and it has had its down sides, but is now accepted as the norm. The book focuses on the numerous liveries carried by the HST fleet, particularly since privatisation, rather than on their technical and operational achievements.This colourful celebration of these magnificent trains shows HSTs in action in a wide range of locations across the network from the lineside and at stations and depots. It is a celebration of a great British success story which will be relished by the legions of enthusiasts who admire them.

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Book SynopsisWidely known as England's most scenic line, the enduring Settle & Carlisle Railway was built by the Midland between 1869 and 1876, as part of its quest to forge its own, independent route to Scotland. It is, uniquely for a railway in the UK, a Conservation Area in its own right - viaducts, tunnels, bridges, stations, trackside structures and railway workers' cottages. By walking all or parts of the route from Settle to Carlisle, you get the chance to get up close to the railway's magnificent architecture - but also to see the lonely and lofty fells, and stunning scenery from the Dales through the Pennines to the limestone pavements of Westmorland and the green Eden Valley. In the company of this knowledgeable guide, you'll also discover centuries' worth of local history and traditions: Roman remains, medieval castles, and the Romany who still meet at the annual Appleby Horse Fair gathering.Trade Review"An endearing love-letter to the Settle to Carlisle Railway. It is an enticing mix of reminiscence, history, characters and practical information that lift it far above the level of a conventional guide book. It is evocative and affecting, with a rich sense of time and place. Written with both style and clarity, it is a must for anyone who wants to walk the route or ride the train." Peter Gillman (author & Chairman of the Outdoor Writers & Photographers Guild)Table of ContentsIntroduction; Mission Accomplished: Restoration, Bad Navigation and All that Jazz; From Settle to Ribblehead: The Line’s Lofty Bit and a Curious Tale of Slavery; From Ribblehead to Garsdale: Of Castles, Kings, Ladies and a Vampire in Darkest Peru; From Garsdale to Kirkby Stephen: Red Kites, Red Squirrels and Tea and Biscuits; From Kirkby Stephen to Appleby: Return of the Pied Piper; From Appleby to Langwathby: Flightless Birds, Geese and Mushrooms; From Langwathby to Armathwaite: Paradise Left Behind; From Armathwaite to Carlisle: Postscript: Standing it All on its Head; Notes; Bibliography; Acknowledgements

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Book SynopsisLancashire and Yorkshire led Britain and the world into the industrial revolution, yet were long cut off by the Pennine chain. The railway age finally brought the two counties together and ensured the continued growth of Manchester as Britain's second city. It was linked to Leeds and Sheffield by a series of heroic railway tunnels, three of which were successively the longest in the world when completed in the 1840s. Often taken for granted, this book portrays them as extraordinary achievements against seemingly insuperable odds that deserve the fullest recognition. These pages look not just at the tunnels and the men who created them but also at how lines built through them connected key stations either side of the Pennines. They step back further in history to show how canals paved the way for the railways and also look forward to the future with its brave talk of HS3 achieving journey times that seem unimaginable. There is a remarkable collection of illustrations ranging from period lithographs through to present-day photographs. The many varied themes in this book include: * The vision of George Stephenson - 'Father of Railways' * Navvies left to fend for themselves in huts thrown together with loose stones and thatch * Drunken riots following pay day * Death and chronic illness at Woodhead tunnel on top of the Pennines * Enginemen coming close to suffocation when working heavy freights through the tunnels * Early travellers who preferred to get off and walk rather than travel through a tunnel behind a 'steam monster' * Branwell Bronte, errant brother of the literary sisters, dismissed for constant carelessness at a Calder Valley station * The magnificent Huddersfield station - a stately home with trains * The Midland Railway with almost eight miles of tunnel between Sheffield and Manchester * Inferno in a tunnel when a derailed tanker train caught fire and temperatures reached 1,500 degrees C. * The superb new Woodhead tunnel with its electric services that closed to passengers after only 16 years

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Book SynopsisCombines the work of a noted northern writer with over 150 outstanding images by one of the most accomplished railway photographers.

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Book SynopsisA luxury facsimile edition of Bradshaw’s Handbook of 1863, the book that inspired the BBC television series ‘Great British Railway Journeys’. The original Bradshaw's guides had been well known to Victorian travellers and were produced when the British railway network was at its peak and as tourism by rail became essential. It was the first national tourist guide specifically organised around railway journeys, and this luxuryleatherbound facsimile edition is a true collector’s item, offering a glimpse through the carriage window at a Britain long past.

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Book SynopsisSunday Times History Book of the Year 2015 Currently filming for BBC programme Full Steam Ahead Britain's railways have been a vital part of national life for nearly 200 years. Transforming lives and landscapes, they have left their mark on everything from timekeeping to tourism. As a self-contained world governed by distinctive rules and traditions, the network also exerts a fascination all its own. From the classical grandeur of Newcastle station to the ceaseless traffic of Clapham Junction, from the mysteries of Brunel's atmospheric railway to the lost routines of the great marshalling yards, Simon Bradley explores the world of Britain's railways, the evolution of the trains, and the changing experiences of passengers and workers. The Victorians' private compartments, railway rugs and footwarmers have made way for air-conditioned carriages with airline-type seating, but the railways remain a giant and diverse anthology of structures from every period, and parts of the system are the oldest in the world. Using fresh research, keen observation and a wealth of cultural references, Bradley weaves from this network a remarkable story of technological achievement, of architecture and engineering, of shifting social classes and gender relations, of safety and crime, of tourism and the changing world of work. The Railways shows us that to travel through Britain by train is to journey through time as well as space.Trade ReviewThe Railways - history book of the year: Bradley's loving tribute to the golden age of the railway is a magnificent achievement ... a gorgeous Christmas pudding of a book ... Most eye-catching are the superbly crafted chapters on accidents and murders, yet where his book really shines is in its portraits of the British themselves ... His book is so colourful, so rich and engaging, that even if you don't like railways you should love it. -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *Simon Bradley's The Railways is magisterial. It's both authoritative and absorbing. A first class journey. -- Michael PalinRich and revealing ... [Bradley's] special delight is in ferreting out the telling, often surprising detail that brings the great themes of his story alive ... a monumental work. * Daily Telegraph *Combining authority with intimacy, and technical grasp with humour and humanity, The Railways is by some distance the most ambitious and enriching book I have ever read on this subject. It is destined to become a classic of British social history. -- David Kynaston'A superbly crafted, lovingly assembled tribute to our railways ... the current, tattered state of our railways should in no way detract from Bradley's narrative. This is a first-class, entertaining analysis of a great, albeit troubled, institution that has now been given a history worthy of its national significance.' -- Robin McKie * The Observer *Bradley has written an authoritative and comprehensive history that entertains and informs in equal measure. This is a celebration of the railways that neither descends into nostalgia nor ventures into train-spotter land ... The reward for Bradley's ambition in writing a comprehensive social history of the railways is that his book will sit happily on the shelves next to railway classics such as Jack Simmons's The Railway in Town and Country, probably the nearest equivalent. This is definitely the book to give to that great uncle who you think is interested in trains. But it is also a fitting present for that railway buff who thinks he knows everything there is to know about the railways. This book will show he is mistaken. -- Christian Wolmar * Spectator *A magnificent study ... Simon Bradley is not an ideal, but the ideal railway historian ... a rivetingly detailed technical history ... Masterly ... the joy of Bradley's book is that, by telling the story of railways, he has told the story of all of us British over the last 150 years. Turning the pages, we will cheer the ingenuity of the Victorians, curse the name of Beeching and Harold Macmillan, and recall the many moments of life - sobbing as one parted from a lover, delight as the train took us into new landscapes - in which the railways have played a central role. They made us what we are - both as a nation and as individuals, and this book is the classic, beautifully written, learned exposition of that glorious fact. -- AN Wilson * Sunday Times *It is testament to Bradley's tremendous frame of reference that he is able to write with equal authority on both Branwell Brontë and Timothy Potter ...fascinating ... The entire book is written with a rare combination of easy-going style and Olympian knowledge ... Bradley is one of that happy band of writers who are interested in everything, and also - rarer still - capable of making everything interesting ... this book concertinas the present and the past, the real and the imagined, and, by doing so, turns what might have been Timothy Potter's trainspotter's guide into something much closer to a work of art. -- Craig Brown * Mail on Sunday *Yields a plethora of delightful anecdotes and arcane facts. Bradley has a fine eye for the telling details ... a rich history ... as a work on railways and social life in the last two centuries it is a treasure trove. -- Jill Murdoch * BBC Who Do You Think You Are magazine *A superb and challenging work of railway history, but it is also so much more ... It goes way beyond conventional, introverted, train-spottery literature and deals with some very unexpected themes ... Dr Bradley explodes many myths about the railways ... fascinating ... elegantly written, magisterial and utterly enthralling. -- Gavin Stamp * Country Life *Books of the Year 2015: Bradley's compendious yet rattling The Railways achieves magnificently a difficult double. Learned and deeply researched, it will not only impress railway buffs but tell even them a great deal they didn't know; yet this is also popular history, which will engage and entertain any lay reader remotely curious about train travel in Britain. -- Matthew Parris * Spectator *Simon Bradley entertainingly provides as much social history as industry detail to help today's curious passenger make sense of their past and present "parallel universe". Refreshingly, unlike some railway tomes, he doesn't take his love for the subject too seriously, even referring to a Viz comic character that took the mickey out of trainspotters ... an encyclopaedic book * Scotsman *Daily Mail Books of the Year 2015: Now is probably a better time to read about trains than to ride in them. A magnificent, all-encompassing history ... It's a book that's both jaunty and scholarly - a rare combination - and packed with fascinating details right up to the present day. -- Craig Brown * Daily Mail *Bradley's previous book was elegant enough, but here he blossoms as a writer both elegant and droll ... boldly conceived, protean and frequently beautiful. -- Andrew Martin * Times Literary Supplement *Bradley was a train-spotter from the age of 11, and his enthusiasm for his subject shines through this wonderful history. An encyclopaedic and evocative study that's not just for trainspotters. -- PD Smith * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisA fascinating selection of photographs documenting the diverse contemporary rail scene around Worksop.

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Book SynopsisDuring the course of the 1950s England lost confidence in its rulers and convinced itself it must modernise. The failing steam-powered local railways, run by Colonel Blimp, symbolised everything that was wrong with the country - surely the future lay in motorways and high-speed express trains? Along came Dr Beeching with his diagnosis, and suddenly branch-line Britain was gone for ever. The debate about the Beeching cuts has raged ever since. In this superbly researched examination, Charles Loft exposes the political failures that bankrupted the railways and lays bare the increasing alienation of bureaucrats from the public they were trying to serve. The result is a fascinating study of a nation grappling to come to terms with modernity.

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Book SynopsisStunning original photography from Mike Danneman, former art director of Trains magazine, celebrating the beauty and majesty of railways in the great North American landscape.

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Book SynopsisFully updated essential guide to exploring Britain by train, Railway Day Trips is ideal for anyone planning or looking for inspiration for a rail journey. From bestselling railway author Julian Holland.This pocket companion is perfect for both casual and seasoned rail travellers. Plan adventures, follow the changing landscape through the train window and discover fascinating destinations.Each journey incorporates a location map, route diagram and descriptive text on its history and geography, plus some of the highlights awaiting you at each destination. High-quality photographs illustrate every route throughout the book.Based on his extensive knowledge of British rail travel, the author reveals appealing quirks of the various routes and provides practical tips on how to make the most of your journey.160 day trips from all over the country are featured, departing from major towns and cities and culminating at a variety of interesting destinations.This 2nd edition includes 10 new routes:Trade Review"This pocket companion will quickly become an essential guide for anyone exploring Britain by train" - The Gazette "ideal for train lovers of all ages" - Monmouthshire County Life “Railway Day Trips is ideal for anyone planning or looking for inspiration for a rail journey.” - Motor Books

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Book SynopsisA new, paperback edition of Fiona Rule's fascinating history of the city beneath London's streets

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Book SynopsisThe Metropolitan Railway can claim to have had an influence on the evolution of our railway system out of all proportion to its tracks reaching just forty-seven miles from London. However it was the world's first underground passenger railway, built in 1863 to ease the traffic congestion of a growing London and thus creating the first metro system. Embraced by the notorious Victorian entrepreneur Sir Edward Watkin as part of his ultimately unsuccessful ambition to link Manchester and Paris by rail, the Metropolitan decided to use Watkin's land to create the iconic Metro-land', an Arcadian form of suburbia embracing affordable housing with easy commuting to London. The brand soon became accepted as the generic description of a lifestyle and by the end of the First World War Metro-land represented the appealing factors of aspiration and affordability. This fascinating history of London's first tube line and the people involved in its evolution brings us up to date wit

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Book SynopsisWith many now seeing the return of British Rail as a solution to the manifest problems on Britain''s railways in the 21st century, the work of BR is being re-evaluated on various levels. This book focuses on one aspect of this, BR''s architectural legacy showing how it pursued innovation and experiment in this field. British Rail Architecture demonstrates how twentieth century British railway stations were being brought into the mainstream of modern architecture. It explores not just the buildings and their designers but styles, materials, furniture, colours, artworks and unexpected links to distant places that inspired these changing design idioms. The book''s structure is loosely chronological, accounting for the time architecture takes to evolve from a sketch to a finished building. It begins with the ambitious ideas conceived during the 1930s with inspiration from mainland Europe and then examines post Second World War reconstruction as a precursor to the considerable innovation

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Book SynopsisAt nationalisation in 1948, the newly formed British Railways inherited the coaching stock of the `Big Four'' and continued to build new vehicles based on their designs until 1951. This is the second of two volumes dealing with that inheritance.

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Book SynopsisThis is a revised and expanded edition of one of our best-reviewed and best-selling titles of 2018,Atlas of Railway Station Closures. The Atlas shows all standard gauge railway lines built in Britain and the dates when each line and every station on those lines was closed. The first part of the book consists of an atlas of the entire railway network. On these maps line closures are colour-coded by decade. The company, BR Region or later organisation owning the station at the time of the closure is listed, as well as the last pre-grouping owner. The name of the station used is in every instance that applied at the time of its closure. The second part of the book provides a complete index and gazetteer listing all station closure dates if the station has closed, and highlighting those still in use.?Atlas of Railway Station Closuresencompasses a wealth of invaluable information organised and presented in an accessible format, but we were aware that it was a hugely ambitious project and in

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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