Trains and railways: general interest Books
Amberley Publishing Iron Empires
Book SynopsisA gripping and fast-paced narrative, Pulizer Prize winner Michael Hiltzik tells the story of the titanic battle between two giants of the Gilded Age, JP Morgan and EH Harriman, as they fought for control of the nationâs railways and reshaped American industry.Trade Review'Were the railroad barons of the 19th century great entrepreneurs in the American spirit who built a remarkable network of railroads? Or were they robbers who fleeced local people and passengers alike? In this superb and comprehensive book, Hiltzik lets you decide, with the help of a few hints.' -- Christian Wolmar, author the Great Railroad Revolution'Unbridled ambition, greed, corruption, ‘creative destruction,’ and a bit of conscience – Michael Hiltzik’s vivid account of the railroad barons in the Gilded Age shows us the workings of unbridled capitalism at its zenith (or nadir, as the case may be). The names Morgan, Harriman, Pullman, Hill, Villard, Rockefeller will forever be associated with creating America’s first great infrastructure and making America ‘modern.’' -- Gordon H. Chang, author of Ghosts of Gold Mountain: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Built the Transcontinental Railroad'This prodigiously researched book tells the fascinating stories of the railroad barons who did so much to build America, not only through their vision and genius, but also through their cunning and ruthlessness. Hiltzik’s brilliant narrative – of power and plutocrats – often bears uncanny parallels to what’s happening in America today.' -- Steven Greenhouse, author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present and Future of American Labor
£21.25
Amberley Publishing Railways of Leicestershire in the Twentyfirst
Book SynopsisLooking at the contemporary rail scene of the county of Leicestershire. Looking at the variety of traffic at work on the countyâs main lines.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Line by Line Cumbria
Book SynopsisA celebration of the diversity of Cumbria's railways, and the variety of locomotives and traffic that can be found on its many lines.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing British Rail Motive Power in the 1980s
Book SynopsisExplore this wonderful selection of photographs celebrating the British Rail's traction in the 1980s.Trade Review'British Rail Motive Power in the 1980s is one of the best collections of photographs I’ve seen put together in an Amberley photo book and for £15.99 is represents excellent value for money.' -- Railways Illustrated Magazine'This photo album from Amberley presents a striking array of previously unpublished, high‑quality colour images from a fascinating decade, capturing sights that would soon disappear forever.' -- Model Rail Magazine'A nostalgic and informative book showcasing the near past of a railway system and country that has evolved much in 40 years.' -- Hornby Magazine, March 2024
£14.39
Amberley Publishing British Industrial Railways
Book SynopsisA superb photographic survey of the industrial railway scene in Britain throughout the 1960s and 1980s.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing The GWRs Forgotten Main Line to the North
Book SynopsisThe history of the Great Western Railwayâs route to the North through Didcot, Banbury and Birmingham to Birkenhead.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Traditional Signalling on British Railways
Book SynopsisA photographic portrait of traditional signalling on British Railways from Nationalisation through to the 1990s.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Barry Scrapyard in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s
Book SynopsisBarry Scrapyard in the Late 1970s and Early 1980s is a fond photographic tribute to this iconic part of Britain's railway history.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Journeys End The Vanishing Steam Era Around the
Book SynopsisStunning original photographs illustrate this document of locomotives and railing stock around the world after their working life has come to an end.
£16.99
Amberley Publishing Line to the Stars
Book SynopsisPublished in partnership with the Bluebell Railway, this book celebrates the railway's many appearances on screen over the course of six decades.
£15.29
Amberley Publishing Early Railways of Scotland
Book SynopsisIn this book Ed Bethune and Anthony Dawson from the 1722 Waggonway Project take the reader on a century long tour of the earliest of Scottish railways, beginning in 1722 with the TranentâCockenzie Waggonway and ending with the Garnkirk & Glasgow Railway of 1831, the first âmodernâ railway in Scotland.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing A World History of Rail
Book SynopsisNew paperback edition - Is it possible to overestimate the impact of the railway in history? Jeremy Black analyses that impact from the beginning to today. And of course it's not all a triumph. The network of the Congo today operates on three gauges run by separate companies; and a lot of it doesn't work.
£10.79
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The LMS Princess Coronation Pacifics The Final
Book SynopsisCovers the experiences of three Crewe firemen of the late 1950s firing the home depot's Duchesses' on the overnight sleeper trains to Perth. Includes personal experiences of, and photographs by, the author between 1957 and 1964. Contains descriptions and photographs of the preservation of three of the remaining Princess Coronation pacifics.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Railways in Devon and Cornwall in the Late 20th Century
Book SynopsisDevon and Cornwall have long been attractive destinations, not only for holidaymakers, but also for railway enthusiasts, and it was in Devon, during a family holiday in 1959 that the author's passion for railways began. Peter started photographing railways at an early age, mainly concentrating on steam, but he made some visits to Devon in the 1970s, to see the Western Class diesel-hydraulics running along the coast. They were being replaced by Class 50 diesel-electrics at the time. More time was spent in Devon in the 1970s and early 1980s photographing preserved railways as well as the modern scene, and an Easter visit to Goodrington became a regular event for several years. The 1986 West of England resignalling scheme provided a good reason for a further series of visits to Devon to record the mechanical signal boxes, semaphore signalling and associated equipment before it all disappeared. The first of the author's many trips to Cornwall was in the summer of 1984, when he spent ten days attempting to photograph the entire Cornish railway system. Although an impossible task, the Class 37s on the china clay operations, as well as all the 'Peaks', Class 47s and 50s on the main lines, ensured an enjoyable time. Here, with the help of other contributors, the author has attempted to assemble a comprehensive photographic record of the railways in the two counties in the late 20th Century.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd London North Eastern Railway 440 Tender
Book SynopsisThis first volume on the LNER 4-4-0 locomotives describes the design, construction, history, operation and performance of the Great Northern, Great Central and Great Eastern examples, classified by the LNER at the Grouping as classes, D1 - D4, D5 - D12 and D13 - D16 respectively. It covers from their emergence in the late nineteenth century to their demise in the mid or late 1950s and their performance at their peak operation times, mainly in the inter-war years of LNER ownership. It also includes the former Midland & Great Northern Railway engines that were later absorbed by the LNER as classes D52 - D54.
£28.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd British Atlantic Express Tender Locomotives
Book SynopsisThe British Atlantic locomotive flourished in the first decade of the nineteenth century especially on the relatively level stretches of the East Coast mainline. This book describes the design, construction, history, operation and performance of the Great Northern, Great Central, North Eastern and North British Atlantics and the London Brighton & South Coast engines that were developed from the GN design. More unusual were the Lancashire & Yorkshire Highflyers' which were some of the earliest and also included are the most powerful of all, Churchward's Great Western Atlantics (converted to 4-6-0s later) and his three French Compounds. Most had been replaced by 4-6-0 and 4-6-2 designs by the 1920s and were withdrawn before the Second World War, though a few lingered to the post-war period and just reached the era of British Railways, though only the Brighton Atlantics survived longer. The last of all, 32424 Beachy Head, was withdrawn in 1958 and has been recreated for the Heritage industry. The book concludes with a brief look for comparative purposes at some of the most influential Atlantics on the rest of the world's railways.
£28.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Britains Railways Through the Seasons
Book SynopsisImages of seasonal landscapes capturing the majesty of railways encompassed by nature's colours.
£28.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Black Country Steam Western Region Operations
Book SynopsisInformative introductions to each line.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Great Western Castle Class 460 Locomotives The
Book SynopsisRecounts, from 1960, the refreshing of the trains' performance as they were modified with high superheat and double chimneys.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Whitland to Pembroke Dock
Book SynopsisShows the railway in steam and early diesel days.
£21.25
Amberley Publishing Class 58 Locomotives
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£13.49
Amberley Publishing Cornish Traction
Book SynopsisThis book aims to bring back memories of traction once common, or not so common, on the rails of the Duchy of Cornwall.
£14.39
Amberley Publishing Cliff Railways Lifts and Funiculars
Book SynopsisThis book illustrates, mainly in colour, all the principal cliff lifts and railways that have been built in the British Isles.
£14.39
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Oliver Bulleid's Locomotives: Their Design and
Book SynopsisOliver Bulleid's locomotives guides the reader in the quest to understand what motivated Mr Bulleid in his work as a senior engineer and manager, and tries, with as little bias as is reasonable, to make sense of some of the more controversial aspects of his activities. For example, why did OVB not pursue the ideal of a 2-8-2 for the Southern Railway? How did the 'Leader' project go so much out of control? What role did Bulleid play in the massive dieselisation programme in Ireland when he was CME there? How did the 0-6-6-0T turf-burning steam locomotive fit in with Ireland's traction policy, or did it? And why did ninety of his steam locomotives and ninety-four of 'his' diesels have to be rebuilt to make them either more economical or more reliable? These are fundamental questions to which the book provides the reader with answers based on the author's experiences or on those of people who knew Bulleid. OVB's undoubted successes are illustrated in words and photographs, too, to provide a hopefully balanced picture of one of Britain's more exciting railway engineers.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Worcester Locomotive Shed: Engines and Train
Book SynopsisWORCESTER LOCOMOTIVE SHED is the third in a series of in depth studies of Western Region motive power depots. This provincial city was a busy and fascinating rail centre with main line passenger and freight services passing through alongside local passenger and freight tripping duties that together provided an endless panorama of railway activity. The Great Western Railway had a major locomotive depot here and this book takes a detailed look at the shed, how it functioned, its locomotives and its operational duties during the latter days of steam. As well as official records valuable detail and reminiscences have been gathered from former footplate and shed staff ensuring that local custom and practice is well recorded in the story. The depot's sub-sheds at Evesham, Honeybourne, Kingham and Ledbury are also all covered in detail as well as Worcester Locomotive Works. Worcester was also home to the fondly remembered ex-GWR diesel railcars and it was their last operational base at time of final withdrawal in 1962\. Their role in the area is well covered in photographs and words. Taken together the book is both a valuable historical record and a fascinating and readable story of a large motive power depot in the latter days of steam.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Great Western, Grange Class Locomotives: Their
Book SynopsisChurchward proposed a 5ft 8in wheeled 4-6-0 for mixed traffic duties in 1901 and it was seriously considered in 1905, but it took until 1936 before his successor, Charles Collett, realised the plan by persuading the GWR Board to replace many of the 43XX moguls with modern standard mixed traffic engines that bore a remarkable likeness to the Churchward proposal. David Maidment has written another in his series of Locomotive Portfolios' for Pen & Sword to coincide with the construction of a new Grange' at Llangollen from GW standard parts to fill the gap left by the total withdrawal and scrapping of one of that railway's most popular classes - to their crews at the very least. As well as covering the type's design and construction, the author deals comprehensively with the allocation and operation of the eighty locomotives and in particular has researched their performance and illustrated it with many examples of recorded logs from the 1930s as well as in more recent times. As in previous volumes, the author has added his own personal experiences with the engines and has sourced more than 250 photos, over 40 of which are in colour.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The B T H and North British Type 1 Bo-Bo
Book SynopsisThe British Railways Pilot Scheme' orders of 1955 included ten BTH and ten NBL Type 1 locomotives, these being introduced during 1957-61 for use in East London, and on the Great Eastern and London, Tilbury & Southend lines. The BTH fleet subsequently expanded to forty-four, as a consequence of their light axle-loading and the availability of spare manufacturing capacity which BR chose to exploit in their quest to eliminate steam traction. Further construction of these two classes ceased after the fifty-four units, with preference being given to the highly reliable English Electric product which by mid-1962 had proliferated to 128 examples. The NBL fleet survived until 1968, being withdrawn after ten years of indifferent performance. The BTH locomotives followed by 1971, although four lingered on as carriage pre-heating units. Dramatic reductions in goods traffic during the 1960s/70s particularly impacted local trip and transfer freight duties, the bread and butter' work for the Type 1s, and it was inevitable that the less successful classes were retired from traffic first. This book looks at the short history of these two classes, making extensive use of archive sources, combined with the primary observations of numerous enthusiasts. Previously unpublished information, covering the introduction, appearance design and performance issues of the locomotives, form a central focus, and, allocations, works histories, storage and disposals, liveries and detail differences are covered in the same level of detail as previous volumes in the Locomotive Portfolio series.
£32.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd The Golden Age of Yorkshire Steam and Beyond:
Book Synopsis_The Golden Age of Yorkshire Steam _includes a wealth of unique memories and experiences from a collection of railway enthusiasts, who in their youth were fascinated by the steam locomotives that ruled the rails. Discover what it was like growing up in York and experiencing the sights and sounds of the giants of the former LNER system, including A4s, A3s, A2s, A1s and V2s, along with the Jubilees, the Royal Scots, and Black Fives of the former LMS system and the BR Standards. Explore life on the footplate of the engines allocated to Royston shed, right up to the end of steam. Read about the push and pull service that ran from Cudworth - Barnsley - Cudworth across the iconic Oaks Viaduct, as well as the Barnsley - Doncaster and York - Doncaster journeys. Memories of Leeds, Normanton, Doncaster, Wath and Penistone are also included, in addition to shed layout drawings of Royston, Doncaster and York. Providing a fascinating insight into a railway system now long gone, this book is designed to ignite the memories of anyone who enjoyed the thrill of trainspotting during the 1950s, 60s and 70s, when steam was still king and the introduction of diesel and electric traction appeared to have little impact on the railway scene.
£13.49
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Southern Railway, 0-6-0 Tender Goods Locomotive
Book SynopsisThis is a book that looks at the 0-6-0 tender goods locomotives of the Southern Railway, from the steam locomotive classes taken over at the railway grouping in 1923, through to the two classes introduced during Southern Railway days, that of the Q and Q1 classes. The Southern Railway had a rich and varied number of 0-6-0 tender goods classes, originating from all three former main line pre grouping companies, many of them lasted until the late 1950s and early 1960s. Many of the older Victorian and Edwardian classes of locomotive taken over in 1923, did not last very long with the new company, but are covered here for historical and modelling interest.
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Britain's Railways in the Second World War
Book SynopsisThe outbreak of the Second World War had an enormous effect on the railway system in Britain. Keeping the trains running through times of conflict was not such a distant memory for the railway companies and their workers but in this second major war of the twentieth century, the task was to prove a very different one. The railway system no longer consisted of the hundreds of companies of the past, but the 'Big Four' still needed to learn how to work together and forget their differences for the war effort. The logistics of the mass evacuation of children, and transporting thousands of troops during the evacuation of Dunkirk and the preparations for D-Day, for instance, were unprecedented. At the same time, they had to cope with the new and constant threat of aerial bombing that military advances brought to the Second World War. The railway system, and the men and women who ran it, effectively served as another branch of the military during the conflict. At the end of the war, Winston Churchill likened London to a large animal, declaring that what kept the animal alive was its transport system. The metaphor could have been applied to the whole of Britain, and its most vital transport system was the railway. This book is a fascinating account of the important role that the railways played in the defence of the country as well as in their support of the Allied forces in theatres of war around the world. It brings to light the often forgotten stories of the brave and hard-working men and women who went to work on the railways and put their lives on the line.
£21.25
Pen & Sword Books Ltd West Coast Main Lines, 1957-1963
Book SynopsisThroughout its length from London to Glasgow via Crewe and Carlisle, with a loop through the West Midlands and spurs to Holyhead,Liverpool and Manchester, the West Coast Main Line has consistently provided interest for those many with more than a passing interest in trains and travel. This book outlines the history of the route,its physical characteristics and sets the scene for the various passenger and goods traffic flows that sustained it; it then details the arrangements for motive power and train working through the era of change that was 1957 to 1963. The level of interest - as evidenced daily by the presence at the lineside of hordes of young spotters and other observers - was particularly high at that time as processions of trains hauled by fine express passenger locomotives and those more suited to other traffic passed by. The book also goes 'behind the scenes' to provide insights into the daily and seasonal challenges of managing that section of a wider railway network, as directed by the varying terms of relevant legislation, and a government increasingly concerned to shape the railways for the changing needs of the public, industry and the economy. The book will be of particular interest to those who simply recall those days by the lineside, those with an interest in detailed arrangements to provide and maintain suitable motive power, those with an interest in how the railway served the needs of the nation and modellers who seek information. The book is illustrated with colour and monochrome images and supported by maps.
£28.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd BR Swindon Type 1 0-6-0 Diesel-Hydraulic
Book SynopsisIn 1957 the Western Region of BR identified a need for 400 Type 1 diesel locomotives for short-haul freight duties but it was 1964 before the first was introduced. General-purpose Type 1s were being delivered elsewhere but WR management regarded these as too expensive for their requirements. After completion of design work on the Western' locomotives, Swindon turned to creating a cheap no-frills' Type 1\. At 65% of the cost of the Bo-Bo alternative, the Swindon 0-6-0 represented a better fit' for the trip-freight niche. Since 1957 the privatised road-haulage industry had decimated BR's wagon-load sector; whilst the 1962 Transport Act released BR from its financially-debilitating public-service obligations, the damage had been done, and the 1963 Beeching Plan focused on closing unprofitable routes and associated services. By 1963 the original requirement for 400 Type 1s had been massively reduced. Fifty-six locomotives were constructed in 1964/65\. Continuing traffic losses resulted in the whole class becoming redundant by 1969\. Fortuitously, a demand for high-powered diesels on the larger industrial railway systems saw the bulk of the locomotives finding useful employment for a further twenty years. This book covers the life of these locomotives on British Railways; a companion volume will provide an extensive appraisal of "Their Life in Industry" for the forty-eight locomotives which made the successful transition after withdrawal from BR
£24.00
Pen & Sword Books Ltd Carmarthen to Fishguard Harbour
Book SynopsisThis volume covers the important main line section of line between Carmarthen and Fishguard Harbour, the terminus station opening in 1906 and replacing New Milford (later Neyland) as the previous main line terminus. In 1909 Cunard passenger liners between New York and Liverpool began calling at Fishguard and this book contains a fascinating account of this working lasting 3-4 years which saw fast connecting trains running to Paddington and the Continent via Dover. There were also important branches coming off this line at Whitland (for Pembroke Dock) and also to Cardigan, though the latter was closed in the Beeching cuts of 1964\. The book affords a detailed look at Whitland where the rail service has been completely transformed since the end of steam. We see the Milk services that ran from Whitland (as well as Carmarthen) and the Fish services from Milford Haven, as well as the Oil Trains which will feature in a later volume.
£24.00
Amber Books Ltd Rail Journeys
Book SynopsisThere is always a sense of adventure when going on a railway journey. Whether it is aboard the Orient Express from London to Istanbul, or travelling the Transcontinental railroad through the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific coast, or riding the Serra Verde Express through the Brazilian rainforest, Rail Journeys takes the reader on a journey through some of the most unusual, romantic and remarkable landscapes in the world. Find out about the Coast Starlight, which carries passengers from Los Angeles along the Pacific coast to Seattle and all points in between; or the 7,000 kilometre Trans-Siberian, crossing the entirety of Mongolia and Russia from Beijing to Moscow; or ‘El Chepe’, the Mexican Copper Canyon railway, a line which took 90 years to build and negotiates 87 tunnels, 36 bridges and sweeping hairpin bends as it climbs from sea level to the rim-top views it offers at 2,400m; or enjoy the engineering excellence of the Konkan Railway in India, connecting Mumbai with the port of Mangalore via some 2,000 bridges and 90 tunnels; or experience the Shinkansen ‘Bullet Train’ as it races at speeds of more than 300 km/h between Tokyo and Kyoto, passing the iconic Mount Fuji on the way. With 200 outstanding colour photographs, Rail Journeys takes the reader to some of the most historic, spectacular and remotest locations in the world, places where trains still offer romantic and astounding experiences of rail travel at its best.Table of ContentsIntroduction America • Mount Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire, USA – dating from 1868, this was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway (rack-and-pinion railway) • Rocky Mountaineer, Canada – connects Calgary and Vancouver, offering spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies • Grand Alaska Railroad, Alaska, USA – Meanders through the beauty of Alaska, past dramatic icebergs, glaciers and snow-capped mountains, from Fairbanks to Anchorage. • Expreso del Sur, Bolivia – Crosses the “white desert” of Bolivia from Oruro to Villazon. • Guayaquil & Quito Railway, Ecuador – Running through Ecuador’s Andes, this train travels through cloud forests, tropical coastal landscapes, vertiginous mountains and passes the “Avenue of Volcanoes” before descending to sea level. • Aguas Calientes, Peru – Named for the “discoverer” of Machu Picchu, the “Hiram Bingham” is the luxury service on the Cuzco-Macchu route, with Pullman-style passenger cars and dining facilities.. • La Trochita/Old Patagonia Express, Argentina – Described by Paul Theroux as “the railway almost at the end of the world”, this narrow-gauge steam locomotive runs for 300 miles from the foothills of the Andes to the Atlantic coast. • Serra Verde Express, Brazil – Runs through deepest rainforest in southeast Brazil • Copper Canyon railway/El Chepe, Mexico – Running from Chihuahua to Los Mochis, the famous El Chepe train runs through the Copper Canyon’s many gorges. Europe • Flåm Railway, Norway – Considered to be Norway's most scenic railway, the Flåm line descends from a junction with the Oslo-Bergen railway to Flåm, at the inner end of Aurlandsfjord, descending 863 metres (2848ft) in just over 20km (12.5 miles), past waterfalls, gorges and dramatic mountain vistas. • Orient Express – Glamorous and rich in history, this old-world luxury long- distance passenger train was created in 1883 to carry passengers from Paris to Istanbul. • Snowdon Mountain Railway, Wales – Since 1896, trains have trundled up and down the highest mountain in England and Wales (1085m/3560ft) on this rack- and-pinion worked railway. • West Highland Line, Scotland – known as Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean (gaelic for “Iron Road to the Isles”), the line links the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland • Cinque Terre Express, between Levanto and La Spezia, Italy • Central Rhine Railway between Bingen and Koblenz, Germany – meanders along the west bank of the River Rhine, showcasing the calm water and vineyard-laden slopes of the valleys • Schönbrunn Metro Station, Vienna – Vienna has one of the most highly integrated and efficient urban transport systems in the world. This is the station for Schönbrunn Palace, built as part of a suburban railway scheme in 1898, and since 1964 a stopping-point on Metro line U4. • Zermatt-Gornergrat Railway, Switzerland – Breathtaking views of the Matterhorn are had from the train on the 33-minute journey between Zermatt and the Gornergrat terminus at 3089m (10,134 ft). • Belgrade, Serbia to Bar, Montenegro – travelling from the Serbian capital to the seaside town, the mountains and canyons of southwest Serbia and the north of Montenegro provide a jaw-dropping backdrop • Novosibirsk-Glavny Station, Siberia, Russia – Novosibirsk is the largest station on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Opened at the foundation of the city in 1894, the present buildings date from 1939 and were renovated in 1999. • Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia to China – With a length of 9,289 kilometres (5,772 miles), from Moscow to Vladivostok, it is the longest railway line in the world. There are connecting branch lines into Mongolia, China and North Korea Africa • Marrakech Express, Morocco – overnight journey from Tangier to Marrakech • Tangier to Casablanca – first high-speed line in Morocco and Africa • Nairobi to Mombasa, Kenya – new Chinese-built standard-gauge railway has reduced the journey time from a putative 16–24 hours by the old narrow-gauge line to just over four hours by the Intercity Train • Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – travels through spectacular game country and national parks to one of the great wonders of the African continent • Cairo to Luxor, Egypt – a train that hugs closely to the Nile river, running past great temples, pyramids and the fertile Nile Valley • Umgeni Steam Railway, South Africa – The Durban to Pietermaritzburg line was built in the 1880s; it runs through a 53 metres (174 ft) long tunnel at Drummond built in 1878, which is probably the oldest tunnel in use today in South Africa • Dakar Station, Senegal – The railway between Dakar and St Louis was the first in French West Africa, opened in 1885. Asia • Jungle Train, Malaysia – The 300-mile (480km) Jungle Train was built by the British to harvest Malaysia’s tin, rubber and tea. It still weaves through defunct mines, rubber estates and vast tea plantations. • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal, India – The entire 88km (55-mile) railway, completed in 1881, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. • Kyoto to Tokyo, Japan – Passengers on the Shinkansen "bullet train" heading for Nagoya and Kyoto from Tokyo prefer to have right-hand seats to see Mount Fuji as the train speeds past at 320km/h (200mph). • Beijing to Shanghai, China – The world’s fastest passenger train completes the 819 mile (1,318km) trip in four and a half hours. • ‘Train Street’, Hanoi, Vietnam – Known to visitors as 'Train Street', this thoroughfare in Hanoi's Old Quarter sees a long-distance train squeeze past twice daily, a popular venue for tourists. It is the train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, running 1600km (990 miles) on the metre-gauge track between the two cities. • Eastern & Oriental Express – running from Singapore to Bangkok, this luxury train passes through rubber plantations, rainforest, and tropical beaches in connecting the city state with the Thai capital • Alishan Forest Railway, Chiai County, Taiwan – Running for 86 km (53 miles) in Taiwan's mountainous centre, this 762mm (2ft 6in) gauge line was opened in 1912 as a logging railway, bringing hardwood timber down to the coast. • Trans-Australian Railway, Nullarbor Plain – This line has the world's longest straight section of railway, 478km (299 miles) across desert and scrubland.
£16.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Railway Carriages
Book SynopsisEvolving from the horse-drawn stage coaches that they soon eclipsed, railway carriages steadily grew in sophistication so that by the end of the nineteenth century the railway passenger travelled in comfortable rolling stock of a design familiar to many until the 1960s. While modern trains look different from those built more than a century ago, even today the facilities are not so dissimilar from those enjoyed by our Victorian ancestors. This book describes the development of the railway carriage from those early days to the present, highlighting some of the key developments in the history, design and construction of carriages. It also looks at the innovations that made life easier for the passenger, such as the introduction of heating, lavatories and restaurant and buffet facilities, as well as the differences in comfort between the various classes of traveller.Table of ContentsIntroduction Railway Carriage Development Passenger Comfort Building Carriages Royal Trains Pullman and Luxury Coaches Other Carriage Stock Further Reading Places to Visit Index
£8.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Goods Trains
Book SynopsisHave you ever watched wagon after wagon of a goods train thunder past and wondered where it is heading, what it is carrying, and how it works its way between the passenger services? While goods services now tend to be shrouded in anonymity, in past times they were celebrated, prominently advertised, and in many cases were the raisons d’être for a rail route. Throughout the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century, goods trains were the lifeblood of the nation, transporting precious raw materials, construction and industrial items, and fresh produce from coastal areas and farms into the centres of bustling cities. This informative illustrated history shows how rail freight has been carried since Victorian times, and how systems have been organized, from the train itself to the sidings, railway clearing houses, goods sheds and final destinations – whether villages, towns, cities, factories or docks. It also examines the basic rolling stock of these trains, from the humble coal wagon to today’s hi-tech containers.Trade ReviewA remarkably informative work of reference. * Journal of the Railway and Canal Historical Society *Table of ContentsIntroduction A Brief History of Railway Goods Operation The Development of Goods Trains Goods Infrastructure Wagons and Loads Further Reading Places to Visit Index
£8.99
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Miniature Railways
Book SynopsisThere are more than 400 miniature railways in Britain. Some are hidden away and privately owned, others are parkland attractions, and some – such as the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch – are large commercial enterprises. They come in an array of gauges (from 5 inches up to 15 inches and sometimes beyond), but their most definitive characteristic is that they can carry passengers, whether sitting astride the rolling stock or inside enclosed carriages. In this colourfully illustrated guide, David Henshaw offers a concise history of miniature railways from the nineteenth century to the modern day, including a whistle-stop tour of the most notable examples open to the public – including the Ravenglass & Eskdale and Eastleigh Lakeside railways – exploring their layouts, engineering and rolling stock.Trade ReviewRecommended. * Ffestiniog Railway Magazine *Table of ContentsIntroduction The 5-inch Railway 7¼-inch Gauge 8-inch to 12-inch Gauge 12¼-inch to 15-inch Gauge Further Reading Places to Visit Index
£8.54
The Crowood Press Ltd History of the Bakerloo Line
Book SynopsisThe Bakerloo is the dull brown line on London's iconic tube map. It doesn't have the multiple branches of the Northern or District Lines, the loops of the Piccadilly or the Central, or the puzzling shape of the non-circular Circle.But its nondescript appearance belies a history encompassing fraud in the boardroom and drama in the courtroom for a line first conceived by sports enthusiasts and finished by Chicago gangsters. With over 120 photographs, this book provides a history of its development from obtaining Parliamentary permission and raising finance through to geology and construction techniques. It details its operation including rolling stock, signalling, stations and signage from the beginning to the current day. The impact of the two World Wars is revealed and it remembers some of the accidents and tragedies that befell the line. Finally, the book describes its evolution up to the present day and beyond.
£18.00
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Railways
Book SynopsisFrom Britain's most popular railway historian, a concise, authoritative and fast-paced telling of how the railways changed the world. The arrival of the railways in the first half of the nineteenth century and their subsequent spread across every one of the world's continents acted as a spur for economic growth and social change on an extraordinary scale. The 'iron road' stimulated innovation in engineering and architecture, enabled people and goods to move around the world more quickly than ever before, and played a critical role in warfare as well as in the social and economic spheres. Christian Wolmar describes the emergence of modern railways in both Britain and the USA in the 1830s, and elsewhere in the following decade. He charts the surge in railway investment plans in Britain in the early 1840s and the ensuing 'railway mania' (which created the backbone of today's railway network), and the unstoppable spread of the railways across Europe, America and Asia. Above all, he assesses the global impact of a technology that, arguably, had the most transformative impact on human society of any before the coming of the Internet, and which, as it approaches two centuries of existence, continues to play a key role in human society in the twenty-first century. 'A lucid and engaging account of the far-reaching effects that trains have had upon society' The Railway & Canal Historical SocietyTrade ReviewChristian Wolmar – always a stimulating writer – presents a lucid and engaging account of the far-reaching effects that trains have had upon society * The Railway & Canal Historical Society *PRAISE FOR CHRISTIAN WOLMAR: 'Witty, fluent and opinionated' The Times, on To the Edge of the World. 'Fascinating... An excellent examination of one the most extraordinary engineering feats of the 19th century' Daily Express, on To the Edge of the World. 'I can think of few better ways to while away those elastic periods awaiting the arrival of the next eastbound Circle Line train than by reading [this book]' * Sunday Telegraph, on The Subterranean Railway *
£11.69
Crecy Publishing Speedlink Volume 2
Book SynopsisSpeedlink was launched in 1977 as an attempt to arrest the decline in British Rail''s wagonload freight business. One of the things that distinguished Speedlink workings from almost all of the freight services that had preceded them was that all the wagons used were air braked. At its peak in the mid 1980s, it carried over 8 million tonnes annually. Despite this, Speedlink was never profitable, and in the run up to railway privatisation the service was abandoned in 1991. This is the second in a four-book series, each one complete in itself, which will provide a comprehensive survey of the whole Speedlink wagon fleet. This volume looks at the types on order in 1977 and delivered subsequently. It will also cover existing stock either fully or partially converted to be compatible on these services and include their former identities. Full coverage of each type is given, particularly livery changes and conversions where appropriate.Wagons produced under 15 Design Codes are covered in this second volume. Among the types included are; 100T Bogie Steel Carriers, 80T Bogie Plate Wagon, 49T Borail Wagon, Flatrol Nuclear Flask Wagon, 32.5T Hopper Coal Wagon, 31T Open Goods Wagon, 12T Pipe Wagon, 31T Plate Wagon, 45T Vanfit and14T Van (Ammunition). Written by wagon expert David Larkin and heavily illustrated throughout, this series is an invaluable source of reference for all those interested in the post steam era on Britain''s railways. Those modelling the railway scene from the 1970s to the 1990s will also find these books essential reading.
£25.31
Key Publishing Ltd Irish Railways: The Last Sixty Years
Book SynopsisBy the end of the 1950s, steam had already mostly disappeared from passenger work in the Republic of Ireland, yet it lingered on in Northern Ireland. In fact, it lasted longer there than anywhere else on the main line within the British Isles. The products of General Motors came to dominate locomotive-hauled freight and passenger work in the entire 32 Counties, whilst electrification transformed travel in and around Dublin. Preservation has ensured that much of what might have vanished in the way of infrastructure, the iconic narrow gauge and a wonderful variety of locomotives is still there to be enjoyed by both the Irish and visitors from near and far. With over 200 images, this is a visual journey around the Emerald Isle, starting in the 1960s and moving through to modern times, showing the various traction, locomotives and stations that have made Ireland's railways what they are today.
£14.39
Key Publishing Ltd Japan's Railways: Kinki to Kyushu
Book SynopsisAt the start of the Menji Era Japan emerged from its hundreds of years of self-imposed isolation and modernised rapidly. Part of this modernisation was the construction of railways, the first railway opened between Tokyo and Yokohama in 1872. This was followed by a rapid expansion of the network, both government and privately constructed, so by the early 20th century the bones of a national system were in place. However, by far the largest development of railways in Japan in the second half of the 20th Century has been the development of the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) network. Even before the Second World War it was recognised that the Tokaido Line between Tokyo, and the Kansai Region was reaching capacity, and the brave decision was made to construct a brand-new high-speed line on a new alignment. Beautifully illustrated, this book is a product of seeral visits made by the author to Japan over a 14-year period. During this time, new trains had been introduced, old trains retired; new lines had opened, some lines sadly have closed, and several fine new museums had opened.This book looks at the changing scene of Japan's railways.
£14.39
Key Publishing Ltd Classes 142143144
Book Synopsis
£15.29
The History Press Ltd Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Book SynopsisBrunel made plenty of mistakes, some of them ruinously expensive. But he also designed and built several structures which are still with us to this day. For these we have to thank a man who was famously described as in love with the impossible'.
£9.49
Amber Books Ltd Rail Journeys
Book SynopsisThere is always a sense of adventure when going on a railway journey. Whether it is aboard the Orient Express from London to Istanbul, or travelling the Transcontinental railroad through the Canadian Rockies to the Pacific coast, or riding the Serra Verde Express through the Brazilian rainforest, Rail Journeys takes the reader on a journey through some of the most unusual, romantic and remarkable landscapes in the world. Find out about the Coast Starlight, which carries passengers from Los Angeles along the Pacific coast to Seattle and all points in between; or the 7,000 kilometre Trans-Siberian, crossing the entirety of Mongolia and Russia from Beijing to Moscow; or ‘El Chepe’, the Mexican Copper Canyon railway, a line which took 90 years to build and negotiates 87 tunnels, 36 bridges and sweeping hairpin bends as it climbs from sea level to the rim-top views it offers at 2,400m; or enjoy the engineering excellence of the Konkan Railway in India, connecting Mumbai with the port of Mangalore via some 2,000 bridges and 90 tunnels; or experience the Shinkansen ‘Bullet Train’ as it races at speeds of more than 300 km/h between Tokyo and Kyoto, passing the iconic Mount Fuji on the way. With 210 outstanding colour photographs, Rail Journeys takes the reader to some of the most historic, spectacular and remotest locations in the world, places where trains still offer romantic and astounding experiences of rail travel at its best.Table of ContentsIntroduction America • Mount Washington Cog Railway, New Hampshire, USA – dating from 1868, this was the world’s first mountain-climbing cog railway (rack-and-pinion railway) • Rocky Mountaineer, Canada – connects Calgary and Vancouver, offering spectacular views of the Canadian Rockies • Grand Alaska Railroad, Alaska, USA – Meanders through the beauty of Alaska, past dramatic icebergs, glaciers and snow-capped mountains, from Fairbanks to Anchorage. • Expreso del Sur, Bolivia – Crosses the “white desert” of Bolivia from Oruro to Villazon. • Guayaquil & Quito Railway, Ecuador – Running through Ecuador’s Andes, this train travels through cloud forests, tropical coastal landscapes, vertiginous mountains and passes the “Avenue of Volcanoes” before descending to sea level. • Aguas Calientes, Peru – Named for the “discoverer” of Machu Picchu, the “Hiram Bingham” is the luxury service on the Cuzco-Macchu route, with Pullman-style passenger cars and dining facilities.. • La Trochita/Old Patagonia Express, Argentina – Described by Paul Theroux as “the railway almost at the end of the world”, this narrow-gauge steam locomotive runs for 300 miles from the foothills of the Andes to the Atlantic coast. • Serra Verde Express, Brazil – Runs through deepest rainforest in southeast Brazil • Copper Canyon railway/El Chepe, Mexico – Running from Chihuahua to Los Mochis, the famous El Chepe train runs through the Copper Canyon’s many gorges. Europe • Flåm Railway, Norway – Considered to be Norway's most scenic railway, the Flåm line descends from a junction with the Oslo-Bergen railway to Flåm, at the inner end of Aurlandsfjord, descending 863 metres (2848ft) in just over 20km (12.5 miles), past waterfalls, gorges and dramatic mountain vistas. • Orient Express – Glamorous and rich in history, this old-world luxury long- distance passenger train was created in 1883 to carry passengers from Paris to Istanbul. • Snowdon Mountain Railway, Wales – Since 1896, trains have trundled up and down the highest mountain in England and Wales (1085m/3560ft) on this rack- and-pinion worked railway. • West Highland Line, Scotland – known as Rathad Iarainn nan Eilean (gaelic for “Iron Road to the Isles”), the line links the ports of Mallaig and Oban in the Scottish Highlands to Glasgow in Central Scotland • Cinque Terre Express, between Levanto and La Spezia, Italy • Central Rhine Railway between Bingen and Koblenz, Germany – meanders along the west bank of the River Rhine, showcasing the calm water and vineyard-laden slopes of the valleys • Schönbrunn Metro Station, Vienna – Vienna has one of the most highly integrated and efficient urban transport systems in the world. This is the station for Schönbrunn Palace, built as part of a suburban railway scheme in 1898, and since 1964 a stopping-point on Metro line U4. • Zermatt-Gornergrat Railway, Switzerland – Breathtaking views of the Matterhorn are had from the train on the 33-minute journey between Zermatt and the Gornergrat terminus at 3089m (10,134 ft). • Belgrade, Serbia to Bar, Montenegro – travelling from the Serbian capital to the seaside town, the mountains and canyons of southwest Serbia and the north of Montenegro provide a jaw-dropping backdrop • Novosibirsk-Glavny Station, Siberia, Russia – Novosibirsk is the largest station on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Opened at the foundation of the city in 1894, the present buildings date from 1939 and were renovated in 1999. • Trans-Siberian Railway, Russia to China – With a length of 9,289 kilometres (5,772 miles), from Moscow to Vladivostok, it is the longest railway line in the world. There are connecting branch lines into Mongolia, China and North Korea Africa • Marrakech Express, Morocco – overnight journey from Tangier to Marrakech • Tangier to Casablanca – first high-speed line in Morocco and Africa • Nairobi to Mombasa, Kenya – new Chinese-built standard-gauge railway has reduced the journey time from a putative 16–24 hours by the old narrow-gauge line to just over four hours by the Intercity Train • Bulawayo to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – travels through spectacular game country and national parks to one of the great wonders of the African continent • Cairo to Luxor, Egypt – a train that hugs closely to the Nile river, running past great temples, pyramids and the fertile Nile Valley • Umgeni Steam Railway, South Africa – The Durban to Pietermaritzburg line was built in the 1880s; it runs through a 53 metres (174 ft) long tunnel at Drummond built in 1878, which is probably the oldest tunnel in use today in South Africa • Dakar Station, Senegal – The railway between Dakar and St Louis was the first in French West Africa, opened in 1885. Asia • Jungle Train, Malaysia – The 300-mile (480km) Jungle Train was built by the British to harvest Malaysia’s tin, rubber and tea. It still weaves through defunct mines, rubber estates and vast tea plantations. • Darjeeling Himalayan Railway, West Bengal, India – The entire 88km (55-mile) railway, completed in 1881, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. • Kyoto to Tokyo, Japan – Passengers on the Shinkansen "bullet train" heading for Nagoya and Kyoto from Tokyo prefer to have right-hand seats to see Mount Fuji as the train speeds past at 320km/h (200mph). • Beijing to Shanghai, China – The world’s fastest passenger train completes the 819 mile (1,318km) trip in four and a half hours. • ‘Train Street’, Hanoi, Vietnam – Known to visitors as 'Train Street', this thoroughfare in Hanoi's Old Quarter sees a long-distance train squeeze past twice daily, a popular venue for tourists. It is the train from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, running 1600km (990 miles) on the metre-gauge track between the two cities. • Eastern & Oriental Express – running from Singapore to Bangkok, this luxury train passes through rubber plantations, rainforest, and tropical beaches in connecting the city state with the Thai capital • Alishan Forest Railway, Chiai County, Taiwan – Running for 86 km (53 miles) in Taiwan's mountainous centre, this 762mm (2ft 6in) gauge line was opened in 1912 as a logging railway, bringing hardwood timber down to the coast. • Trans-Australian Railway, Nullarbor Plain – This line has the world's longest straight section of railway, 478km (299 miles) across desert and scrubland.
£9.49
Historical Images Ltd Wildfire Through Staffordshire
Book Synopsis
£14.99
Mortons Media Group West Somerset Railway Further Recollections
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£7.60
Bellcode Books Railway Memories: The Blyth & Tyne and Associated
Book SynopsisThis latest title in Bellcode's ever popular Railway Memories Illustrates the railways of the Northumberland coalfield as they used to be, mainly in the 1950s when it it was one of the most intensively mined regions in Britain. Both the main line railway and the colliery railways and wagonways which made up a substantial network in their own right are well illustrated along with coal shipping staiths at Blyth and much more.Table of ContentsPage 4: The Blyth & Tyne Story; Page 24 Manors North-Monkseaton; Page 33 Backworth-Morpeth; Page 50 Bedlington-Newbiggin; Page 56 North and South Blyth; Page 83 Earsdon Junction-Percy Main; Page 92 The Colliery Railways.
£15.19
