Trains and railways: general interest Books
Crecy Publishing Southern Way 64
Book SynopsisSince its first issue was published in 2007, The Southern Way has become the acknowledged definitive journal on the history and heritage of the Southern Railway and the Southern Region of British Railways. Now under the editorship of Peter Waller, as always, four issues will be published in the course of 2023. Each contains a mixture of articles and photo features on various aspects of the SR including rolling stock, infrastructure, operations and personalities. The Southern Way remains the essential read for all who are interested in the SR and those engaged in modelling it. Among the features and articles in Issue No. 64 are:Post-Nationalisation Southern-built LocomotivesBranch line to Lyme RegisSouthern SnippetsThe Class 460 StorySouthern Engine Sheds in Surrey and BerkshireFocus On: Bishop''s WalthamA Day in the LifeThe Class B4Bulleids at Bournemouth
£13.46
Crecy Publishing British Railways Steam Locomotives 194868
Book SynopsisWhen it was originally published, Hugh Longworth''s definitive record of every steam locomotive operated by British Railways from nationalisation until the end of steam traction on the network in 1968 was very much welcomed as it provided for the first time in one place a detailed and accurate source of reference on this important subject. With the book having been out of print for some time, a new and revised edition was overdue. However, the extent of the revisions, which included the books'' many photographs being given more space on the page and the use of enlarged and enhanced locomotive drawings, greatly increased the size of the work. Rather than attempt to cut or dilute the content, it was decided that instead of publishing one unwieldy and expensive book, a more realistic approach was to present the work in two volumes of roughly similar size. This is the first of these and focuses on the Great Western and LNER locomotives which became part of BR stock in 1948. The second book, due in 2025, will cover Southern and LMS locos and the Standard classes introduced by BR. The entry for each class provides essential information including the size of cylinders and driving wheels, boiler pressure, weight, the type of valve gear used, the year the type was introduced and its tractive effort. For each locomotive in a class, its place of construction and the date, withdrawal and scrapping dates are given as are details of any renumberings that may have occurred during the BR era. Heavily illustrated throughout, this book and its companion volume will be of great value to all interested in the steam era on British Railways. All classes that were on BR''s books in the years post 1948 are covered, and whilst the overwhelming majority of the locos featured are standard gauge, the few narrow gauge locomotives operated by BR are also included.
£27.96
Key Publishing Ltd Norfolk Rail: 25 Years of the Wherry Lines
Book SynopsisNorfolk has enjoyed loco-hauled passenger trains for many years, with Great Yarmouth being a popular destination for summer holiday services from London, the Midlands, and the North. While these summer Saturday' services gained a significant following from enthusiasts and lineside photographers alike, they have not been the only workings to bring unusual traction to the area. The fleet of diesel units based at Norwich Crown Point depot has often been stretched, with augmentation required to cover services on the Norfolk and Suffolk branches, and for special events. A wide range of locomotives have been used over the years on local services to Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft. These culminated in the hugely popular Greater Anglia short set', featuring daily workings from DRS Class 37s. They finally ended in September 2019, with the arrival of a large fleet of new Stadler units, and disability regulations requiring the withdrawal of the outdated Mk2 coaches. With 180 colour images, this title celebrates these workings from inception in summer 1994 to their finale 25 years later.
£14.39
Key Publishing Ltd Class 59s
Book SynopsisIn the mid-1980s, one of British Rail's major customers of heavy block trains, Foster Yeoman, suggested the unusual arrangement of running its services with locomotives owned by them, rather than BR. Disappointment in the Class 56s on its routes led Foster Yeoman to look elsewhere for locomotives. They eventually agreed a deal with the US firm General Motors to provide them with the locos designated as Class 59s. The Class 59s surpassed everyone's expectations and other customers unhappy with the Class 56s decided to purchase the Class 59s as well. The locos are now over 30 years old and are still performing the work they were designed for. With over 230 images, this book shows the Class 59s through the years across the United Kingdom.
£14.39
Key Publishing Ltd Railways of Southern California
Book SynopsisPassing through some of the most picturesque scenery in the world, several main routes traverse Southern California. Most are freight corridors, but there are a handful of long-distance passenger services, primarily worked by Amtrak. Some of the long-distance and heavy freight services can be powered by up to ten locomotives, equating to around 50,000hp. One of the most scenic routes is on the Union Pacific-owned track between Mojave and Bakersfield, which climbs over the Tehachapi Mountains, reaching a height of over 4,000ft above sea level, requiring locos to work hard on the climb either side of the line's summit. The route over Cajon, one of the busiest freight routes in the world, is also covered, as well as the routes between Barstow and Needles, the central California line, and the highly photogenic Pacific Surfliner route between Los Angeles and San Diego. Lavishly illustrated with 200 images, this book is divided into the main routes in the area, showing the diversity in scenery and train types found. With informative captions explaining the locos, their routes, and the best places for rail enthusiasts to see these trains for themselves, this is the ultimate guide to the railways of Southern California.
£24.00
Key Publishing Ltd Class 33s
Book SynopsisIn 1960, the Birmingham Railway Carriage and Wagon Company built a class of 98 locomotives, later to be designated Class 33s. They were capable of operating at up to 85mph and were equipped with a reliable 1,550hp Sulzer engine. Three sub-classes were subsequently created, classified as the standard Class 33/0, the push-pull Class 33/1 and the narrow-bodied Class 33/2\. These locos were eventually used over a large area of operation, and throughout their careers worked both passenger and freight duties. The south of England saw the main bulk of their workings, with allocations split between Hither Green, Stewarts Lane and Eastleigh. During the 1980s, however, they were also diagrammed on passenger services much further afield, with workings including Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol/Cardiff/Swansea, Cardiff to Crewe/Manchester, and local services from Exeter to Barnstaple/Paignton/Plymouth. Following privatisation, freight company English Welsh & Scottish Railway even transferred Class 33s to Aberdeen, albeit not for very long. Many of these useful locos have survived into the 21st century, both as attractions on heritage lines and in service with rail tour companies. With over 220 images, this book is a nostalgic pictorial record of the Class 33 locomotives around the UK.
£14.39
Key Publishing Ltd Rail Freight: London and the South East
Book SynopsisExploring the rail freight operations in London and the South East, this book details the traction, rolling stock, terminal facilities and infrastructure over the past several decades.
£15.29
The History Press Ltd Great British Steam Locomotives that Made History
Book SynopsisThe industrial revolution and the age of steam were intertwined, each pushing the boundaries of the other, and the creation of steam locomotives changed the world forever. This book looks back over some of the most significant and beloved of Britain's steam locomotives, also charting the developments in railway history along the way. Many of the locomotives featured were firsts', with dramatic interest in their technology, the level of public fascination and love continuing to this day. This book charts changes in railway history around Britain from the early days of steam, the Penny-darren of 1804, now accepted as the first passenger carrying steam locomotive on a railway track; Locomotion No.1, celebrated as the first formal' railway line to carry fare paying passengers in 1825; Stephenson's Rocket of 1829; GWR's broad-gauge North Star from 1832; the world famous Flying Scotsman; LNER's Mallard; BR's Britannia; right up to the new-build steam locomotives with the impressive Tornado.
£14.24
BookLife Publishing Trains
Book SynopsisTrains are a great way to get from one place to another. They can carry people, crops, animals and more. There is so much to learn about trains, so, hop aboard and let's go!
£5.94
Atlantic Books The Liberation Line
Book SynopsisChristian Wolmar has written for every national newspaper and appears frequently on TV and radio as a commentator on transport issues. His previous books include the widely acclaimed The Subterranean Railway; Fire and Steam; Blood, Iron and Gold; Engines of War; The Great Railway Revolution; To the Edge of the World; Railways and the Raj; Cathedrals of Steam; and British Rail.
£21.25
Stenlake Publishing Aberdeenshire's Lost Railways
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£11.35
Stenlake Publishing Cornwall's Lost Railways
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£11.35
Stenlake Publishing Belfast's Lost Tramways
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£8.99
Stenlake Publishing The Lost Railways of Yorkshire's West Riding:
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£11.35
Stenlake Publishing Ireland's Largest Industrial Railway: The
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£11.35
Stenlake Publishing Irish Railway Memories: A Decade of Change -
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£12.30
Stenlake Publishing Old Yarm-on-Tees
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£10.95
Stenlake Publishing Morayshires Railways including Invernessshire and
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£11.35
Amberley Publishing Scarborough and Whitby Railway Through Time
Book SynopsisThe Scarborough & Whitby Railway was opened in July 1885. The 21 miles of line traversed the picturesque coast between the two towns for eighty years. There were eight stations on the line all with their own distinctive character and serving the different needs of visitors and local people. All of the stations along the route are fully illustrated in this book. The line closed in March 1965 and the buildings were later sold into private ownership and have been put to a variety of uses since that time. The aim of this book is to illustrate the changes both before and after closure along this fascinating and historical railway which has become a very popular walking and cycling trail that passes through the spectacular and varied scenery of the North Yorkshire coast.
£14.39
Whittles Publishing Walking Scotland's Lost Railways: Track Beds
Book SynopsisScotland still has hundreds of miles of `dismantled railways', the term used by Ordnance Survey, and the track beds give scope for many walks. Some track beds have been `saved' as Tarmacadam walkway/cycleway routes while others have become well-trodden local walks. The remainder range from good, to overgrown, to well-nigh impassable in walking quality. This book provides a handy guide to trackbed walks with detailed information and maps. It is enhanced by numerous black and white old railway photographs, recalling those past days, and by coloured photographs that reflect the post-Beeching changes. The integral hand-crafted maps identify the old railway lines and the sites of stations, most of which are now unrecognisable. The `Railway Age' is summarised and describes the change from 18th century wagon ways and horse traction to the arrival of steam locomotives c.1830. The fierce rivalry that then ensued between the many competing companies as railway development proceeded at a faster pace is recounted. Although walkers may be unaware of the tangled history of the development of the railway system during the Victorian era, many will have heard of, or experienced, the drastic 1960s cuts of the Beeching axe. However, in more recent times Scotland has experienced a railway revival - principally in the Greater Glasgow area but with new stations and station re-openings elsewhere. The long awaited 30-mile Borders Railway from Edinburgh to Tweedbank, the longest domestic railway to be built in Britain for more than a century, is something on a very different scale. Early passenger numbers have exceeded expectations and towns served by the line have seen significant economic benefits. Many railway enthusiasts cling to the hope that more lines will be reinstated. Meanwhile, those walks offer a fascinating and varied selection of routes that can fill an afternoon, a day or a long weekend - an ideal opportunity to get walking!Trade Review'Lavishly illustrated with a fascinating range of images, maps, timetables and stats, this book is packed with everything you need to know about the routes, stations, junctions and towns'. West Highland News
£18.04
John Murray Press Slow Train to Switzerland: One Tour, Two Trips,
Book SynopsisIn June 1863 an English lady set off by train on the trip of a lifetime: Thomas Cook's first Conducted Tour of Switzerland. A century and a half later, travel writer Diccon Bewes, author of the bestselling Swiss Watching, decided to go where she went and see what she saw. Guided by her diary, he followed the same route to discover how much had changed and how much hadn't. She went in search of adventure, he went in search of her, and found far more than he expected. Slow Train to Switzerland is the captivating account of two trips through the Alps: hers glimpsing the future of travel, his revisiting its past. Together they make a journey to remember.This is a tale of trains and tourists, of the British and the Swiss, of a Victorian traveller and a modern-day Englishman abroad. It is the story of a tour that changed both Switzerland and the world of travel forever.Trade ReviewLoquacious and genial. * The Independent *Bewes has become something of an expert on the Swiss. His first book, Swiss Watching lifted the lid on a country everybody knows of but knows little about. In his latest book, Slow Train to Switzerland he follows in the footsteps of Miss Jemima Morrell, a customer on Thomas Cook's first guided tour in 1863, and discovers how this plucky Victorian woman helped shape the face of modern tourism and Switzerland itself. * Wanderlust *Fascinating. Charming. Bewes' breezy prose makes him a pleasant travelling companion. * Spectator *Very enjoyable. Bewes is a charming guide. * Geographical *A brilliant book. There is a strong story to tell of the burgeoning country that Switzerland was in the 1860s, and the utmost change the travel industry effected on the land. The differences and similarities between the two excursions make this time capsule was well worth opening, the contrast well worth making, and this author probably the best to do so. * Bookbag *This book gives an excellent history of our favourite country, not the usual battle of this or war of that, but at the much more personal level of the common people's everyday lives. Even those of us who think we know a lot about Switzerland will learn something new, and gain that knowledge in a very readable and entertaining way. If you enjoyed 'Swiss Watching' then you'll need to get a copy of this book by the same author. Highly recommended. * Swiss Express *A delightful accessible throw-away style which is both amusing and endearing. * The Cultural Traveller *
£10.44
Mortons Media Group Leeds in the Age of the Tram 1950- 59
Book SynopsisThis volume features the street scenes, fashions, road vehicles, adverts, street furniture and of course the trams of Leeds 50 years ago. Over 150 black and white photographs will revive strong memories of times past.
£13.49
Mortons Media Group Locomotive Recollections No 7903 Foremarke Hall
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£9.50
Mortons Media Group Steaming through the Yorkshire Dales
Book SynopsisDesiring a direct route from London to the north, independent of its rivals, the Midland Railway Company built a line through the high fells and dales of Yorkshire and Cumberland.This 73-mile link between Settle and Carlisle had been completed to exacting mainline standards by 1876 and was opened to passenger traffic, establishing a through-route between London and Scotland.The Settle & Carlisle line is famous for its many tunnels, bridges, cuttings and embankments, as well as its stations and their ornate buildings, but the viaducts are its best-known features. First among these is Ribblehead, its 24 arches rising magnificently 104ft above Batty Moss. Then there are Dent Head, Artengill and Dandry Mire, all major edifices built with considerable difficulty in hostile locations. All along the route, bold man-made structures contrast with and enhance the natural beauty of the Yorkshire Dales.Surviving the threat of closure during the 1980s, the line has seen the popularity of steam-hauled railtours grow in recent years. Today, two or three workings may be observed each month, and during high summer it's no longer unusual to see a couple or more steam tours each week. It's these trains and their locomotives which are the subject of this book as we take a pictorial journey along the spectacular 33 miles of route which lie within the Yorkshire Dales National Park between Langcliffe in the south and Crosby Garrett in the north.
£22.95
Mortons Media Group The Welsh Highland Railway: Caernarfon to
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£14.39
Soccer Books Ltd Tiny Trains Britains Miniature Railways 20252026
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£12.34
Bellcode Books Railway Memories No.30 CHESTERFIELD, STAVELEY &
Book SynopsisFollows the usual Railway Memories style illustrating the railways in the Chesterfield area of North Derbyshire as they used to be mainly in the 1950s and 1960s when the olde worlde market town of Chesterfield was surrounded by a tangled mass of collieries, coke works, iron works and railways. Begins with in-depth descriptive text.Table of ContentsPage 4. A Story of Rails, Coal and Iron Page 35. The Midland: Clay Cross to Killamarsh & Branches Page 80. Tapton Junction to Chinley Page 93. The Great Central Lines Page 118. The Ashover Light Railway Page 121. On Industrial Lines
£17.09
Middleton Press Paddington to Ealing
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£19.95
Kestrel Railway Books Civil Engineers Wagons Volume 3: Later British
Book SynopsisThe first five Kestrel Railway Books volumes by David Larkin looked at the revenue-earning wagon fleet operated by British Railways and its immediate successor, British Rail. This volume is the third of three looking at the substantial fleet of specially-designed wagons that were used for track maintenance, and covers a significant change to the wagon fleet from 1978 to 1994.Concurrent with British Rail freight operations generally, there was positive move towards fully-fitted trains on all regions of the system. On working ballast trains, this could be accomodated by using the vacuum-braked examples of suitable designs, and the early years of the period saw the gradual elimination of unfitted stock, either through withdrawal or by the application of automatic braking systems. To get Civil Engineers materials to the various depots, air-braked stock was either built new, transferrred from the revenue-earning fleet or, eventually, rebuilt from exisitng stock. Finally, the on-track plant fleet became more standardised and a new concept of ''virtual quarries'' was introduced, where ballast was stockpiled at specified yards and reloaded into hopper wagons or other types at those locations, rather than at actual quarries, such as Meldon.
£13.50
Middleton Press Wolverhampton to Shrewsbury: Including the Kingswinford Branch
£19.95
Middleton Press Carmarthen to Fishguard: Including Neyland and
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£19.95
Middleton Press York to Scarborough: Featuring All Change at York
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£19.95
Crecy Publishing Impermanant Ways The Closed Railway Lines of
Book SynopsisThe change from a red circle to a white circle on an old OS map is indicative of a station closed to passengers but very often open for freight. This was generally a temporary state of affairs being a prelude to ultimate closure of the line. In this, the eleventh in the series, we examine the railways of the pre-1974 county of Berkshire, travelling west to east with a few necessary detours north and south where relevant lines (used to) exist. The date 1974 is particularly important for this volume, as the Local Government Act 1974 which came into force on 1 April 1974 (we will not comment on the choice of this specific day), meant many closed stations and lines were ''moved'' overnight. Branch line changes to Windsor & Henley are considered together with an insight into Berkshires industrial lines. Newbury is spotlighted and, amongst others, Radley - Abingdon is discussed providing a local insight into a bygone age.
£11.66
Crecy Publishing The Cuckoo Line
Book SynopsisServing the Sussex countryside from Rotherfield through to Polegate, the ''Cuckoo Line'' was a fine example of a cross-country railway branch line which failed to survive into the modern era. Serving Sussex towns including Mayfield and Heathfield, a single line of rails provided a service to the local community for over 80 years before falling casualty to the axe of Dr Beeching, with the last passenger trains running in 1965. Half a century later the opportunity has come to take a new look at this railway. The course of the ''Cuckoo Line'' has now all but disappeared from the landscape - replaced by roads, housing and industrial development, but this important new book records the line, its stations and rolling stock through-out its history. Using three new sources of previously unpublished photographs and descriptive notes on train and locomotive working, The Cuckoo Line presents a vivid portrait of the line and a way of life lost in the half century since closure
£15.26
Platform 5 Publishing Ltd Channel Tunnel: 25 Years of Experience
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£21.95
Platform 5 Publishing Ltd Nottingham: Tramway to Express Transit
£19.95
Middleton Press Branch Lines North Of Grimsby: including
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£19.95
Middleton Press Preston To The Fylde Coast.: including Blackpool
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£19.95
Middleton Press Manchester To Liverpool
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£19.95
Crecy Publishing Locomotives of the Isle of Wight Railways
Book SynopsisIsland railways hold an enduring fascination for railway enthusiasts and although many books have been published about the railways on the Isle of Wight surprisingly very little has been written about the locomotives which ran on the island.Apart from a modest volume written by the late D.L.Bradley which was published in 1982, there has been no attempt to compile a definitive history of all the locomotives which have seen service on the island since the opening of the first line, that between Cowes and Newport, on 14 June 1862. Compiled by four members of the Isle of Wight Steam Railway who are donating their royalties from the sale of this book to the IWSR to further its activities, this book seeks to redress that deficiency.Building on the acquired rights of the Bradley book, this history uses every available resource to present as much information as possible on all the locomotives which worked on the island and includes a selection of colourised images to depict as accurately as possible the variety of liveries carried by those locomotives. The story is brought up to date with the inclusion of details of locomotives which are now preserved on the Isle of Wight, some of which are types seen today on the island for the first time.
£21.25
Mortons Media Group Industrial Locomotives
Book SynopsisRailway historian David Ratcliffe documents the changing railfreight scene during the 1980s and 1990s and records the important role played by the numerous industrial locomotives to be seen in action at works and factories across Britain. Slow-moving yet powerful, they were very much the unsung workhorses of the rail industry and in Industrial Locomotives the author highlights some of the fascinating and often overlooked machines he encountered during his travels around the country.This volume includes more than 300 photographs, most in full colour, and provides an invaluable record of well-used industrial engines in action all over Britain.
£9.49
Mortons Media Group Rock 'n' Rail
Book SynopsisJoin author Richard Clarke as he takes a nostalgic look back at the railways and rock music of yesteryear. Rock n' Rail chronicles the changing scene of the rail industry from steam to privatisation and the music industry from ballad through pop to rock. Privately educated in a third-rate public school and rejecting the silver spoon of the family business, Richard instead chose a route through rock music and railways. His career in rail began with stints working signal boxes from the mid-to-late 1960s, just in time to witness the end of main line steam, before a radical career shift in 1969 saw him managing the hippest rock bands in Soho, London. Three years later, he was back working as a signalman, spending the 1970s on boxes across the East Midlands and beyond. During the 1980s he was promoted into management at British Rail before it was all-change again with the advent of privatisation. Never entirely sure which profession he preferred, Richard nonetheless took a lead role in both through the halcyon years of the 60s and 70s heavy rock period and the catastrophic privatisation years of Thatcher. This is his tale.
£18.70
Blue Crow Media Berlin U-Bahn Architecture & Design Map: Berliner
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£9.00
Graffeg Limited Lost Lines of Wales: Conwy Valley Line
Book SynopsisAuthor Paul Lawton continues this series of pocket books exploring Wales''s railway heritage, each revealing one of the nation''s ''lost lines''. The closure of many of these lines has had significant and lasting impact, and the recovery of some routes is of public relevance and a source of debate today.
£8.99
Key Publishing Ltd RAIL FREIGHT: North West England
Book SynopsisThis book illustrates the changing face of rail freight in North West England over 40 years. During that time the traction and wagon fleets have been almost completely replaced, freight trains have become heavier and less frequent, the amount of shunting and trip working has been dramatically reduced, and most small freight terminals have closed. Perhaps the most striking loss has been freight from the oil and chemicals complex around Ellesmere Port and Stanlow and the former ICI complex around Northwich has lost almost all its rail traffic. On the Cumbrian coast, just nuclear traffic remains after the loss of coal, steel and chemicals traffic. However, not all the change has been negative: we now have biomass on rail, increased intermodal traffic and significant growth in stone traffic from the Buxton area. Illustrated with over 150 stunning photographs, many of which are previously unpublished, this volume looks at the evolution of rail freight in specific localities, detailing the changes in traction, rolling stock and railway infrastructure over four decades.
£13.49
Strathwood Ltd Edward Thompson Wartime CME
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£27.96
Unique Publishing Services Ltd The Somerset & Dorset: The Postwar Years
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£10.44
Key Publishing Ltd Class 47s: Inverness to Dover Western Docks,
Book SynopsisFollowing on from Class 47s: Inverness to Penzance: 1982-85, this volume picks up the story and runs to the end of the summer 1986 timetable. It was a period of change, as the first 47s to be withdrawn started to fall by the wayside in the spring of 1986, since seriously damaged crash victims were no longer likely to be rebuilt. The first non-crash-damaged locos were withdrawn - sacrificed to provide a spares pool for the others. It was also a time of change with regard to how trains were heated, as steam heat became rare south of Hadrian's Wall. Christmas 1985 was a watershed as the relief trains were now routinely electrically heated, with the latest ETH conversions emerging from Crewe Works from November 1985. In 1986, regular trips to Scotland were required to sample the delights of steam heat. Further changes came in summer 1986 as InterCity started to operate some routes in Kent, and Dover Western Docks was now on the map. With over 200 images, this volume provides a visual journey of the Class 47s in 1985-86.
£14.39
