Trains and railways: general interest Books

Book SynopsisThis book illustrates, mainly in colour, all the principal cliff lifts and railways that have been built in the British Isles.

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Book SynopsisA fascinating collection of images recording one of the most iconic routes on Britain's railways - London to Cornwall.

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Book SynopsisWith previously unpublished photographs John Carlson takes a new look at the north-western rail scene.

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Book SynopsisWith previously unpublished photographs, this book documents the variety offered by the local railway scene.

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Book SynopsisA highly illustrated survey of the glory days of steam in Essex, Sussex, Norfolk and parts of Cambridgeshire.

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Book Synopsis Fifty Railways that Changed the Course of History is afascinating and beautifully presented guide to the train lines and rail companies thathave had the greatest impact on modern civilization. Entries range from the Metropolitan Line of the LondonUnderground, the world's first underground railway, to the Pacific Railroad, thefirst transcontinental railroad in North America. In order to justify the assertion that they literally ''changedthe course of history,'' each railway is judged by its influence in fivecategories: Engineering, Society, commerce, Politics, and Military.Table of Contents1. Rochester to London, England, 75. Caesar’s troops adopt Grecian measurements for grooved roads in their latest colony, Insula Albionum, Great Britain. George Stephenson adapts them for standard gauge, now used by sixty percent of the world’s railroads. 2. Swansea and Mumbles, Wales, 1807. Carriages on the world’s first recognised passenger rail service are drawn by horse and sail. 3. Glasgow, James Watt (1736 – 1819) and Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot (1725-1804). Between them the two men devised the necessary elements for Richard Trevithick to develop his steam engine. 4. Circular track, London, England, 1804. Richard Trevithick’s steam engine, Catch Me If You Can, carries passengers round a circular track in London. 5. Stockton and Darlington, England, 1825. Opened by George Stephenson, it becomes the world’s first publically subscribed railway. But it was a visionary land surveyor, William James, and not Stephenson who would be called the father of the railways. 6. Charleston to Hamburg, South Carolina, America, 1830. The first successful steam locomotive line opened with the steam train, the Best Friend of Charleston. Oliver Evans in 1812 imagines a national railroad network. 7. Semmering, Austria, 1854. Regarded as the world’s first mountain railroad, it would be followed by increasingly hazardous rail ascents such as Mount Washington (1869), Mount Rigi, Italy (1873) and Snowdon, Wales (1896). 8. London to Birmingham, England, 1838. The start of England’s rail network led to the synchronising of railway clocks. Coping with timekeeping where railroads ran across timelines had its own challenges. 9. Philadelphia to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, America, 1838. Mail contracts killed the pony express and mail coach and revolutionized the postal service. In England W. H. Auden and Benjamin Britten contribute to the London Midlands Service’s 1936 film starring music, Night Mail. 10. Nuremburg to Fürth, Germany, 1835. The first steam-driven railway opens in Germany and leads to the creation of Germany’s first long distance railroad line. 11. Union Pacific and Central Pacific, America, 1869. A golden spike ceremonially driven into the tracks marked the last railroad link between the American east and west. 12. Midland Railway, England, 1844. Entrepreneur George Hudson becomes the first railroad rogue, ruining hundreds of investors during Britain’s rail mania. 13. Lancaster and Carlisle, England, 1846. Carnforth Station on the L & C Line became the setting for the 1943 film Brief Encounters, with music by Rachmaninoff and based on a Noel Coward play about a chance meeting at ‘Milford Junction’. Rail encounters continued to inspire film makers. 14. Metropolitan Line, England, 1863. An underground rail route between Paddington and Farringdon Street, London, paves the way for a host of city railroads from New York, Shanghai and Tokyo, to Moscow, Seoul and Paris. 15. London and North Western, England, 1850. The opening of the steam line between Aberdeen and Billingsgate Fish Market in London contributed to the depletion of stocks of the ‘silver darlings’, herring. Britain was not the only country where an efficient railroad caused species decline. 16. Northern Railroad New York, America, 1851. The first refrigerated box or cattle car used on the American railway was not a success. However Gustavus Franklin Swift (1839–1903) introduced the design that herald the age of cheap beef. 17. Liverpool and Manchester, England, 1830. William Huskisson, MP died after being hit by a train, the Rocket. On the Great Western Railway in 1841 a group of passengers, builders working on the House of Parliament, were killed when the train ran into a landslide. These accidents were nothing compared to the damage wrought by the 2004 Sri Lanka tsunami when the Queen of the Sea railroad lost more than 1,700 on a single journey. Rail safety is on the decline and not just due to natural disasters. 18. Washing and Springfield, America, 1865. George Pullman special carriage carried the body of President Abraham Lincoln to its final resting place. Pullman became the chief employer of African Americans after the Civil War, using former slaves to staff his Pullman service. 19. Melbourne and Hobson’s Bay Railway Company, Australia, 1854. Beaten into the record books by Chicago Union’s Chicago to Galena commuter rail in 1848, the Flinders Street to Port Melbourne rail was one of the early commuter rails and Australia’s first line. The opening of rail links between city centres and the outskirts has culminated in France’s ‘TGV commuter belts’ over a hundred miles distant. 20. Grand Truck Pacific, Canada, 1914. So many towns in Western Canada were created by the railroad that the company took to systematically naming them in alphabetical order. The impact of the Canadian Pacific Railway with features such as its ‘school trains’, had a powerful effect on some of the nation’s remotest regions. Railway towns from Wolverton, Crewe and Swindon in the UK to Baldwin, Philadelphia, Meiningen Germany and Nässjö in Sweden. 21. Windsor Hotel, Montreal, 1878. The Windsor was the first of Canada railroad’s grand hotels. The rise and fall of the railway hotel. 22. Milano Centrale, Rome, Italy. The development of the railroad station from New York’s Grand Central to the Gare de Lyon in Paris and St Pancras’, London in the days when rail companies and governments vied to build bigger and better. 23. East India Railways, India, 1854. The East India opened up northern and eastern India from Calcutta to, eventually, Delhi with stock, rails and sleepers. Everything was transported by sailing ship from Britain. 24. Shanghai to Woosung, China, 1876. At the start of the annual holidays or Golden Weeks, over 6.5 million take to China’s trains. The nine mile line, China’s first, was shut down within a year, but the country eventually developed the world’s third largest rail network. 25. The Tay Bridge Disaster. North British Railways, 1890. The failure of the bridge across the Firth of Forth signalled a new approach to bridge building, reflected in the grandeur of the world’s largest long bridge, the Sydney Harbour Bridge. 26. London Midland, England. The railway was the first to produce a timetable before George Bradshaw (1801-53) established his famous railway timetables. 27. Baltimore Ohio Railroad, America, 1895. The railroad started the first electric locomotive service with an engine developed by Werner von Siemens. Eighty years on and the Trans Europ Express system, linking all major cities with electric trains reached the height of its popularity. 28. Great Eastern Railway, Holland, 1862. In 1913 Rudolph Diesel, eponymous inventor of the successor to the steam train dies under mysterious circumstances on the Antwerp to London on the boat train, SS Dresden. 29. Trans Siberian Railroad, Russia, 1905. Connecting Moscow to the Sea of Japan the world’s longest railway contributed to Russia’s defeat by the Japanese in 1905. 30. Baghdad Railway, 1903 to 1940. The contentious rail route from Berlin to Baghdad, which came under attack from T.E. Lawrence’s Arab guerrillas was both blamed for contributing to the start of the First World War. 31. Philadelphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railway, America, 1860s. The first armoured trains appeared during the American Civil War. By the close of the nineteenth century they were being employed in the Boer War: war reporter Winston Churchill was captured by the Boers on such a train in 1899. 32. Ambulance trains, France, 1914. The two world wars signalled a peak in rail traffic with the movement of munitions and armies. They also saw the introduction of travelling hospitals. 33. The Trans-Australian Railway, Australia, 1917. With its Tea and Sugar train, the Trans finally connected Perth with the rest of the continent, despite Australia adopting three different gauges. 34. Kalka Shimla Railway, India, 1903. The railroad that passed through some of India’s most dramatic scenery connected Kalka and the rest of the Indian railway system with what was to become the headquarters of the British Army in India. It would play a pivotal role during the Second World War. 35. Burma Railway, Burma, 1943. The railroad is christened the Death Railway after more than 100,000 forced labourers die during its construction. 36. Tokyo to Shimonoseki, Japan, 1940. The Shinkansen or bullet train began its developmental history in wartime Japan. It went on to break world records. 37. Leipzig to Dresden, Germany, 1839. The old line facilitated the Third Reich’s plan to liquidate those regarded as enemies of the state. The Reichsbahn, or National Railways, recorded and charged each and every passenger journey to the gas chambers. 38. Ferrocarriles Argentinos, Argentina, 1945. Redundant narrow gauge track and rolling stock from the First World War was used to build the Trochita (“The Little Narrow Gauge”), later made famous as the Old Patagonia Express. 39. Settle and Carlisle, 1960s. It was billed as Britain’s most scenic route, but until the late 1960s and a controversial minister called Doctor Beeching, it had plenty of attractive rivals. 40. Birmingham Airport to Birmingham Station, 1984. The first ‘Maglev” monorail opened at Birmingham, England to be followed by similar systems in Japan, Germany and Vancouver, Canada. 41. Channel Tunnel, 1990. The French and British buried their differences and the hole-boring machines that drilled out the Tunnel (it was too large to extract) when the two countries were linked by the Chunnel. It’s status as the world’s longest rail tunnel is challenged by plans to link Russia and the US under the Bering Sea. 42. Alcalá de Henares, Spain, 2004. The simultaneous bombing of four trains on Madrid’s commuter network marked a weather change in terrorism . It was not the first such atrocity, nor would it be the last. 43. Cape to Cairo, Africa, uncompleted. Cecil Rhodes’ vision of a railroad that would link Africa from north to south and bring political stability to the continent was only a partial success. 44. London North Eastern, England, 1923. The Flying Scotsman, operating on the London to Edinburgh line, captured the popular imagination as it raced into the record books. Engines have been racing to their destination ever since the Rocket won the Rainhill Race in 1829. 45. Leicester to Loughborough, England, 1841. An entrepreneurial Baptist, Thomas Cook, chartered a train to carry 500 Temperance supporters to a rally. He went on to found a tourist agency that spanned the international railroad network. 46. Orient Express, France, 1883. The route from Paris to Istanbul became the iconic journey for romantic rail routes that ranged from Italy’s Bernina Express and the modern Danube Express to Amtrak’s Cascades between Oregon and Vancouver. 47. California Zephyr, America, 1949. The rise and fall of this famous rail route was to be rescued by the founding of America’s national rail body, Amtrack. Its early days, with Richard Nixon in the White House, were caught up in controversy. 48. Tayllyn Railway, Wales, 1950. In 1950 a group of volunteers rescued the narrow gauge Welsh slate route and opened it as a heritage railway. Their endeavours would inspire rail rescues worldwide including Australia’s Puffing Billy, the UK’s Bluebell Line and New Zealand’s Glenbrook Vintage Railway. 49. North Borneo Railway, Borneo, 1905. Built with foreign labour to carry tobacco from the interior the railroad, in 2012, was revived as an environmentally friendly tourist attraction. The development of railroads as sustainable transport systems. 50. Great Western Railway, England, 1930s. Railroads have inspired artists, writers and musicians, from Rev. W. W Awdry in his home beside the Great Western Line to E. F. Nesbit’s the Railway Children.

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Book SynopsisThe most comprehensive history of the track used by railways of all gauges, tramways and cliff railways in Great Britain.

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Book Synopsis''A tale of irresponsibility and inexperience'' THE TIMES''Graphically written with a sense of dramatic construction'' SCOTSMANOn December 28th 1879, the night of the Great Storm, the Tay Bridge collapsed, along with the train that was crossing, and everyone on board...This is the true story of that disastrous night, told from multiple viewpoints:The station master waiting for the train to arrive - who sees the approaching lights simply vanish.The bored young boys watching from their bedroom window who witness the disaster.The dreamer who designed the bridge which eventually destroyed him.The old highlanders who professed the bridge doomed from the outset.The young woman on the ill-fated train, carrying a love letter from the man she hoped to marry...THE HIGH GIRDERS is a vivid, dramatic reconstruction of the ill-omened man-made catastrophe of the Tay Bridge disaster - and its grim aftermath.Trade ReviewGraphically written with a sense of dramatic construction * SCOTSMAN *A tale of irresponsibility and inexperience * THE TIMES *One of our leading historians, whose works ... are as scholarly as they are readable * OBSERVER *

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Book SynopsisThis book in Pen & Sword's Gallery' series starts with a brief history of the Cambrian Railways' early years, followed by a magnificent comprehensive set of early photographs of Cambrian engines and Oswestry Works made available by the former Chairman of the Manchester Locomotive Society and the National Library of Wales. A tour of the sumptuous scenery of mid Wales follows - the trains in the landscape taken from Andrew Dyke's collection and a few so expertly colourised' by him that most find it difficult to distinguish these from the many genuine colour photographs, the Welsh countryside deserving the rich and varied hues. The book is jointly authored by David Maidment and Paul Carpenter, the latter bringing the story of the Cambrian up to date and persuading a number of former railwaymen who worked on the Cambrian system to share their memories and experiences. The book finishes with a description to restore part of the closed section of the line through the efforts of members of the Cambrian Heritage Railways. The book has over 25,000 words of text, and more than 250 photographs, including over 40 in colour.

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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.

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Book SynopsisThe South Western main line is one of the most important railways in the south of England. Colin Boocock spent a significant part of his life living on and researching the history of this centre of railway operations in the South and South West of England. This book looks at the network over the last seventy years, from Nationalisation through to the present day. The system provides a vital link between the South and South West of Britain and London, operating a mixture of commuter services and important main line passenger trains. Throughout the seventy years covered in this book, the South Western network also had significant flows of heavy freight between the capital and Southampton Docks and the West Country. Today there are still frequent, well-loaded container trains from Southampton to the Midlands and the North via Basingstoke and Reading. This volume also covers the transitions from steam traction to diesel and electric in stages from the 1950s through to the late 1980s

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Book SynopsisM&GNJR was a Midlands to East Anglia railway linking towns and villages like a patchwork knitted together by clever business entrepreneurs. It started in the 1850s when there was intense rivalry between railway companies and two rich and powerful companies - MR and GNR - were behind the project. Joint,' added by a Special Act of Parliament in 1893, confirms this patchwork was the amalgamation of several small independent railway companies plus the MR and GNR. The company was especially interested in stealing a march on the Great Eastern Railway (GER) which believed it was the principal railway serving East Anglia. Poppyland was the nickname created for the Cromer area of the Norfolk coast by Clement Scott, an influential poet, author and drama critic of The Daily Telegraph who first visited in 1883. He claimed that . . . clean air laced with perfume of wild flowers was opiate to his tired mind.' Scott publicised his delight and many rich families, and their servants, visited too; the railway business entrepreneurs saw a growing market for their patchwork. The M&GNJR grew eastwards to Norwich, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and attracted passengers from the Midlands and London. The M&GNJR grew - then withered as cars, buses, overseas travel offered new holiday options. Closure came on 28 February 1959 but North Norfolk Railway - the Poppy Line - has survived as a heritage line so the Joint is not forgotten!

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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.

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Book SynopsisFocusing on the 1990s as a decade of change, all of the collieries and most of the coal fired power stations of that era have now gone. During that decade I made a point of photographing the collieries and power stations, and the trains that moved the coal, and so amassed a large collection of photographs. Being Worksop-based through my railway career, I am able to describe a potted history of Worksop Depot which opened in 1991, commencing with a brief look at the area in the late 1980s and into the 1990s. The run-up to the privatisation of the railways is followed by the new freight companies which brought changes in coal operations, before the wholesale decline in coal production. There are images taken in the Nott's, Derbyshire, Yorkshire, Leicestershire, and Staffordshire coalfields. Brief descriptions of each colliery and power station illustrated are given, with maps to show their location, along with power station track diagrams, tables, and coal plans to show where power station coal originated. The book concludes with a few instances of locations that Worksop-based drivers served.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Introduction; 1 Worksop in the 1980s and 1990s: The Decades of Change; 2 Declining UK Coal Production; 3 Nottinghamshire Area Collieries; 4 Derbyshire Area Collieries; 5 Yorkshire Area Collieries; 6 Leicestershire and Staffordshire Area Collieries; 7 Power Stations; 8 Three Days at Worksop; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisAfter the Second World War, the drive for the modernisation of Britain’s railways ushered in a new breed of locomotive: the Diesel. Diesel-powered trains had been around for some time, but faced with a coal crisis and the Clean Air Act in the 1950s, it was seen as a part of the solution for British Rail. This beautifully illustrated book, written by an expert on rail history, charts the rise and decline of Britain’s diesel-powered locomotives. It covers a period of great change and experimentation, where the iconic steam engines that had dominated for a century were replaced by a series of modern diesels including the ill-fated ‘Westerns’ and the more successful ‘Deltics’.Table of ContentsIntroduction / Planning for the Future / Pilot Pioneers / Power Struggle / Setting the Standards / The Rate of Change / Planning for the Future (Again) / Diesel Locomotive Types Featured in this Book / Further Reading / Places to Visit / Index

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Book SynopsisThe drastic railway closures of the 1960s led to the slow decay and re-purposing of hundreds of miles of railway infrastructure. Though these buildings and apparatus are now ghosts of their former selves, countless clues to our railway heritage still remain in the form of embankments, cuttings, tunnels, converted or tumbledown wayside buildings, and old railway furniture such as signal posts. Many disused routes are preserved in the form of cycle tracks and footpaths. This colourfully illustrated book helps you to decipher the fascinating features that remain today and to understand their original functions, demonstrating how old routes can be traced on maps, outlining their permanent stamp on the landscape, and teaching you how to form a mental picture of a line in its heyday.Trade ReviewThis is a very pleasing little book and although intended for a general market, it is such a good description of what the UK’s standard-gauge lines were all about in earlier times, it is thoroughly recommended. -- PJH * Ffestiniog Railway Magazine *Table of ContentsA Brief History Keeping a Level Track Serving the Community The Goods Yard Operating a Railway Track and Trackside Furniture Places to Visit Index

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Book SynopsisAn illustrated historical tour of London's 13 great railway termini, on a clockwise circuit from Paddington to Victoria. London’s railway termini are among the most recognisable and familiar landmarks in the city. Famed for their bustling platforms and architectural innovation, they comprise a fascinating mixture of Neo-Gothic exuberance and purposeful modernity. Though each owes its existence to a long-extinct Victorian railway company, these stations continue to be central to London life, with millions of visitors passing through every year. This historical whistlestop tour takes you on a circuit of London’s thirteen great railway termini, from Paddington, through King’s Cross, to Victoria. Ranging from the earliest stations to the latest restorations and ongoing developments, this beautifully illustrated book examines both their legacy and their future.Trade ReviewThis is a delightful book. * The Historian *Table of ContentsIntroduction The Stations - Paddington - Marylebone - Euston - St. Pancras - King's Cross - Liverpool Street - Fenchurch Street - London Bridge - Cannon Street - Blackfriars - Charing Cross - Waterloo - Victoria Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisThis is the definitive story of the men who built the railways – the unknown Victorian labourers who blasted, tunnelled, drank and brawled their way across nineteenth-century England. Preached at and plundered, sworn at and swindled, this anarchic elite endured perils and disasters, and carved out of the English countryside an industrial-age architecture unparalleled in grandeur and audacity since the building of the cathedrals.Trade ReviewAbsorbing detail presented so readably that no one with a spark of imagination and a twinge of interest in people could fail to find this book a pleasure * Evening Standard *A brilliant book about a magnificent and vanished race of men * Listerner *Coleman's vivid and perceptive study of Victorian railway navvies is something of a landmark * Guardian *Coleman's pioneering work of industrial history is handsomely illustrated with prints and photographs from the time with a new introduction from the most distinguished recent historian of the railways * The National (Glasgow) *

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Book SynopsisThe first of the English Electric Type 1 design, what we now know as the Class 20s, appeared in June 1957. With their distinctive 'chopper' engine sound, these single-cabbed locomotives soon gained a reputation for rugged reliability brought about by their simplicity and use of tried and tested components. British Rail Class 20 Locomotives looks back at the operations of these fine locomotives since 1957, covering their varied workings and duties, regional use and railtour operations. The book also covers the technical aspects and specifications of the locomotives, including liveries and detailing.

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Book SynopsisUnlike many of his fellow managers, Dick was a rail enthusiast at heart and never lost his passion for locomotives and their crews. He considered himself first and foremost a ''people person'' and estimated he had worked during his career with more than 25,000 men and women, many of whom became close friends and remained so for many years afterwards. After retirement in 1982, he made a major contribution to the continuance of main line steam train operations across the network. This book is a welcome reissue of two of his autobiographical volumes outlining aspects of his illustrious railway career, Steam in the Blood and Railways in the Blood. These have been out of print for some years and their reissue in this competitively priced paperback edition, will bring the life and times of this remarkable railwayman to the attention of a new audience.

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Book SynopsisThe burgeoning of the railway preservation movement all across the United Kingdom in the last 50 years has meant that there are now a considerable amount of steam locomotives preserved, maintained and in full working order and being run in frequent public service by preservation societies on heritage lines. This means that there is a continuing need for a practical handbook to help drivers and those responsible for maintaining the locomotives in safe condition for public use, covering all the basics of steam locomotive construction, technology and operation - this book fulfils that need admirably. The book is a reprint of an official handbook issued for the education of and day-to-day use by British Railways enginemen in late 1957, when it was distributed to all members of the BR footplate grades concerned with steam power. In lucid terms, and with the aid of over 90 contemporary diagrams, many of which employ a variety of colours to distinguish, for example, saturated steam, superheated steam, exhaust steam, air, oil and water passages, the book provides an accessible guide to the basic principles of steam locomotive construction and operation.

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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.

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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 SynopsisThe name 'Great Western Railway' immediately conjures up images of Stars, Castles and Kings, the legendary express passenger locomotives that were the envy of the world in their day. However, the Swindon empire also produced extensive fleets of all-purpose tank engines - everyday reliable workhorses and unsung heroes - which were also standout classics in their own right. The most distinctive and immediately recognizable type in terms of shape, all but unique to the GWR, was the six-coupled pannier tank. With hundreds of photographs throughout, Great Western Railway Pannier Tanks covers: the supremely innovative pannier tank designs of GWR chief mechanical engineer Charles Benjamin Collett and the appearance of the 5700 class in 1929 and the 5400, 6400, 7400 and 9400 classes. The demise of the panniers in British Railways service and the 5700s that marked the end of Western Region steam are discussed along with a second life beneath the streets - 5700 class panniers on London Underground. Finally, there is a section on panniers in preservation, plus cinema and TV roles and even a Royal Train duty.

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Book SynopsisA facsimile edition of Bradshaw’s fascinating guide to Europe’s rail network. Bradshaw’s descriptive railway handbook of Europe was originally published in 1913 and was the inspiration behind Michael Portillo’s BBC television series ‘Great Continental Railway Journeys’. It is divided into three sections: timetables for services covering the continent; short guides to the best places to see and to stay in each city; and a wealth of advertisements and ephemeral materials concerning hotels, restaurants and services that might be required by the early twentieth century rail traveller. This beautifully illustrated facsimile edition offers a fascinating glimpse of Europe and of a transport network that was shortly devastated by the greatest war the world had ever seen.

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Book SynopsisThis is the latest volume in Antony Ford''s acclaimed ''Pullman Profile'' series. Recognised as the standard work on the Pullman cars operated on Britain''s railway in the 20th century, this latest volume considers the cars that made up the formations of two of the Southern Railway/Region''s prestige services. Individual vehicle histories, interior and exterior views, plans and train make-up details all feature, as do photographs of the complete trains and the clientele of the period.

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Book SynopsisThe name Andre Chapelon will be known to everyone with an interest in the development of the steam locomotive. Put simply he was a genius, head and shoulders above all others in the field of steam locomotive design. This is not to belittle the skills and capabilities of men like Churchward, Stanier, Gresley and Bulleid. Indeed the latter acknowledged the influence of Chapelon on his work.In his native France, Chapelon transformed the steam locomotives of various French railways from often mediocre machines into high performers surpassing the capabilities of similar machines used in other European countries at the time. He was responsible for both rebuilds as well as new designs. His work was disrupted by World War II, but his importance was reasserted in 1946 with his superb 4-8-4 No 242 A 1 capable of producing a continuous output of 5,500hp, a remarkable achievement.Colonel Roger''s book on Andre Chapelon, originally published in 1972, has been difficult to obtain for many years. It remains the best and most detailed biography of the man and his work. It is both a readable and accessible guide to the life and achievements of a man whom few would disagree was the foremost steam locomotive engineer the world has ever seen.Related TitlesThe Somerset & Dorset from the Footplate9781909328921 9.95The LMS Turbomotive9781909328525 27.95Gresley''s Legacy9780711034617 25.00

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Book SynopsisThis is the story of how Britain?s railway disasters, horrific though they may be, change the network for the better through the crucial lessons that are learned.It starts with fatalities on early mining tramways before the dawn of the steam age and takes the story up to the present day. While many of Britain?s worst tragedies are covered in depth, such as Quintinshill in 1915 and Harrow & Wealdstone in 1952, the book also looks at others that had resounding consequences for safety.

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Book SynopsisYorkshire Steam mainly takes a look at the 1948-1967 period when steam traction came to an end on the mainline railways. Over 250 superb colour and black and white images evoke a bygone era across the county. A number of the major cities and towns are documented, such as Leeds, Sheffield, York, Hull, Doncaster, Harrogate, Goole, etc, as well as smaller places like Arthington, Dunford Bridge, Staithes, etc. A wide variety of locomotives are seen at these places, including many of the major Stanier Classes - 'Jubilee', Class 5, 8F - and Gresley designs - A3, D49, V2 - alongside others: Thompson B1, Peppercorn A1/K1, Robinson O4, Raven B16, WD 'Austerity' and Ivatt 4MT. A small band of enthusiasts also ventured to collieries and captured the variety of tank locomotives moving coal, which was the most recognisable product from Yorkshire at the time. The photographs are accompanied by informative captions.

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Book SynopsisJapan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of a trip to Japan. * Practical information - planning your trip; when to go; suggested itineraries; what to take; festivals and events. * City guides and maps - where to stay, where to eat, what to see in 30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background. * Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides - covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis and from sulphurous volcano to windswept desert; 33 route maps. * Japan Rail service schedules - Bullet trains and main routes in this guide. * Customs, etiquette, Japanese words and phrases - with kanji- With kanji/hiragana/katakana for all place name text - readers can point to the text when asking Japanese speakers for directions. * Extended Highlights - extra colour sections make this book even more user-friendly and attractive. What's new in this fully-updated 5th edition? * Greater coverage of Tokyo with additional mapping following post-Olympic interest in the capital and the country * More hot-spring resorts added (including Kinosaki, Kinugawa and Nyuto) * More information about areas off the beaten track including the wood-carving town of Inami, Yanagawa where you can ride in a 'gondola' along its canals, Tomioka Silk Mill (where silk production was first mechanised), Okunoshima island (notorious for its WWII poison gas factory) * New Style Trailblazer guide with twin-colour layout and restyled maps * Expanded colour section with 'Best' lists to help plan a trip * Kanji and katakana are now included for all place names * Fully updated post Covid outbreak.Trade Review'no visitor to Japan should be without their own copy' - Wisconsin Bookwatch (US); Reviews for previous editions: 'A must for any travel or train buff's collection... covers everything from Japanese words and phrases to railway timetables. This new edition includes recent extensions to several train lines plus further coverage of popular tourist destinations and less-traveled ares nearby'.--California Book Watch (USA) 'Excellent guide'--The Sunday Times (UK) 'A find.... Well researched'--The Japan Times (Japan) 'Practical, highly interesting and should enable the visitor to save money and add to the enjoyment of Japan'.--National Railway Museum Journal (UK) 'One of my favourite and most used guidebooks'--South China Morning Post (Hong Kong) 'A great primer'--The Daily Telegraph (UK) 'An invaluable companion'--Railway Magazine (UK) 'If you are coming from outside Japan, this is quite possibly the best single guidebook you can bring'.--Japan Visitor Guide (Japan) 'Brilliantly informative guide'--JTB Europe (Japan Travel Bureau) 'A gem'--The Daily Yomiuri (Japan)

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Book SynopsisGermany, divided after World War II into two separate countries, was reunified on October 3, 1990. For the country's rail system, the complex task of unifying two networks with very different rolling stock and systems had just begun. New lines and stations were built to physically unite the network and new trains were introduced to transform services. Many rural regional lines closed as car ownership in the former East Germany increased dramatically. Amazingly, however, none of the former East German narrow-gauge lines that were still steam-operated in 1990 have shut; most still offer daily services while other long-closed narrow-gauge lines have been rebuilt and reopened by enthusiast groups. This book, written by the Modern Railways magazine's Europe Editor and illustrated with over 130 pictures, most of which have never been published before, traces the development of the unified German rail network and new national operator Deutsche Bahn (DB AG). It also looks at the wider rail industry in Germany and the introduction of market reforms leading to one of the most dynamic rail markets anywhere, with over 300 rail freight operators, open access intercity competition and more than 100 regional passenger concession contracts replacing the original two state railway companies. Looking to the future, the book examines plans for new high-speed lines and a national regular-interval timetable from 2030. 130 illustrations

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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 SynopsisIn South West England a rich railway history was developed through the construction of various routes, the steam locomotives used and services offered. Last Years of South West Steam looks at the region in the 1950s and 1960s as steam traction came to an end. This is done using 230 evocative colour and black-and-white images. Covering over 9,000 square miles, South West England includes the counties: Cornwall; Devon; Dorset; Gloucestershire; Somerset; Wiltshire. A selection of the towns and cities present are: Bath; Bristol; Bournemouth; Cheltenham; Cirencester; Dawlish; Exeter; Exmouth; Gloucester; Liskeard; Newton Abbot; Penzance; Plymouth; Salisbury; Sidmouth; Swindon; Tavistock; Truro; Wadebridge; Weymouth; Yeovil. A number of important routes pass through the area, including the Great Western Main Line from Paddington to Penzance and the South Western Main Line between Waterloo and Weymouth. Several local lines and branches also connected places in the South West. Many of the locomotive classes that worked in the region are present. These were mainly ex-Great Western Railway designs, such as Collett’s ‘Castle’, ‘Hall’, ‘Grange’ and ‘Manor’ Class 4-6-0s or the numerous 5700 and 8750 Class 0-6-0PTs, 5101 and 6100 2-6-2Ts, whilst Churchward’s 2800 Class 2-8-0s and 4300 2-6-0s were still employed. Some ex-Southern Railway classes feature, such as the ‘West Country’ Pacifics, Maunsell’s ‘N’ Class 2-6-0, Drummond T9 Class 4-4-0, Adams 415 Class 4-4-2T, Drummond M7 Class 0-4-4T, etc. BR’s Standard Classes also assisted in the region at the end of steam. The locomotives are pictured at stations, junctions, points from the lineside and sheds, both large and small. Last Years of South West Steam chronicles the railways of the area in the final years of an increasingly distant time in English history.

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

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Book SynopsisA special board book edition of the original, classic story introducing Thomas the Tank Engine!This is a beautifully-illustrated story about Thomas the little blue Tank Engine, who worked really hard on The Fat Controller''s railway. Every day he puffed around Sodor shunting trucks and pulling freight. But what he dreamed about was having his very own branch line Thomas has been teaching children lessons about life and friendship for 75 years. He ranks alongside other beloved characters such as Paddington Bear, Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Rabbit as an essential part of our literary heritage.Other board books about Thomas the Tank Engine include:Thomas & Friends: Go, Thomas, Go! (shaped board book with wheels) 9781405296809Thomas & Friends: Happy Birthday, Thomas! 9781405297240Thomas & Friends: Ten Little Engines 9781405293303Thomas & Friends: Pocket Library 9781405293006Thomas & Friends: Noisy Sound Book 9781405295208Thomas & Friends: Hide & Seek 9781405293129Trade ReviewTop 100 Children’s Book – Junior Magazine, 2019

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Book SynopsisThrough a selection of 15 journeys this book takes the reader on a breathtaking illustrated tour of the most impressive stations, bridges and other rail structures across Great Britain to capture the grandeur of the great Victorian pioneers like Brunel as well as more recent redevelopments.

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Book SynopsisWe are pleased to announce the forthcoming publication of the next issue ofThe Southern Way, the journal of record for all those interested in the history and heritage of the Southern Railway, its constituent companies and the Southern Region of British Railways.Edited by Kevin Robertson, whose extensive knowledge of all things SR and whose many publications on the railways of the south of England are well known to SR enthusiasts, each volume contains a series of authoritative articles on an always interesting range of topics, copiously illustrated with a wealth of photographs.Four issues ofThe Southern Wayare published annually, usually in January, April, July and October and the regular issues of the journal are supplemented by occasionalSouthern Way Specialswhich focus in much greater depth on specific area of SR history, operations or traction.

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