Trains and railways: general interest Books

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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'.

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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.

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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.

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Book SynopsisPeter Tatlow provides readers with a concise and detailed history of railway breakdown cranes in Britain. There are few railway subjects which have not been published in detail in recent years. One however, is that of Breakdown Cranes. Possibly this omission is in part due to the technical nature of the subject and as such the ideal person to compile such a work would be an engineer. Such is the case now with this new work by respected railway author and former BR Civil Engineer, Peter Tatlow. In this two-volume history, Peter has taken the subject from its early days through the time of the short-jib cranes to more recent history and the introduction and use of the long-jib variant. Even so, many of the older types continued in use well into the late 20th century. As well as descriptive and informative text, included are numerous photographs and scale plans. Illustrations of breakdown cranes in both static and working mode complete what will become the this standard work of reference on the subject.

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Book SynopsisAt the turn of the 20th century the rail network extended to over 23,000 miles, very nearly the circumference of the world the greatest length it was ever to achieve. Some urban routes had closed and later, hundreds of rural lines and stations succumbed to the Beeching axe. This map shows the network in its heyday before the decline commenced.

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Book SynopsisStarting in 1902 with three 0-8-0s for the Great Central Railway, J G Robinson''s heavy freight locomotive fleet grew rapidly as part of General Manager Sam Fay''s strategy to rescue the company from financial difficulties. At Grouping, the GCR passed on 241 well-built, powerful and efficient eight-coupled locomotives to the newly formed London & North Eastern Railway. In a parallel development, the Robinson 2-8-0 was adopted in 1917 as a standard type for the Railway Operating Division of the Royal Engineers. More than 500 were constructed by several manufacturers, over 300 being sent across the Channel to support the British forces in France. Their later story included short-term loans to nine railway companies, sales to four UK companies and operators in China and Australia. In 1941, 92 were requisitioned for military service in the Middle East for deployment in Egypt, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq and in 1952 five more were sent to Egypt. This work surveys a large, complex locomotive family that saw service on four continents between 1902 and the early 1970s. It covers the signature 2-8-0s, the original 0-8-0s, the unusual 0-8-4Ts, the 2-8-2T derivatives, Fay''s exploration of ten-coupled power, the sad story of the ''might-have-been'' Garratt, plus the various modifications and rebuildings instituted by Gresley and Thompson.Related TitlesBR Steam Locomotives Complete Allocations History 1948-19689781910809723 35.00The Class 33s9781910809662 25.00The LMS Turbomotive9781909328525 27.95

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Book SynopsisUnavailable for some time, this book proved to be an instant success when first published, explaining as it did, in a simple and comprehensible way the complex engineering behind a steam locomotive. The subject is explained through a series of easily understandable diagrams which show the function of the components in step-by-step sequences. The clear diagrams and explanations require no prior technical or engineering knowledge. Photographs, both historic and contemporary, illustrate the text. Starting with a basic introduction to the principles of the steam locomotive boiler, the text provides detailed explanations of both coal and oil firing. Further detailed chapters examine the essential components, including gauge glasses, injectors, ejectors, control valves, mainframes, cylinders, valve gear, lubrication, air and vacuum brakes and cab layouts. Additional chapters cover wheel arrangements, balancing, engine layout and fault finding. This expanded edition is the ideal introduction to the subject both for older steam enthusiasts, as there are few who understand every aspect of the steam locomotive in its entirety, a subject which encompasses many engineering specialisms including structures, dynamics, thermodynamics and fluid flows, and heritage railway volunteers and fans who love this most dramatic and inspiring form of traction but may not be up to speed with how it actually operates.

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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 SynopsisThe Last Years of North West Steam contains over 250 stunning colour and black and white pictures that document the steam era drawing to a close in North West England. The area is taken as Crewe to Chester in the south and Carlisle in the north, visiting places in between such as Manchester, Liverpool, Stockport, Warrington, Wigan, Southport, Bolton, Bury, Preston, Blackburn, Burnley, Blackpool, Fleetwood, Lancaster and Carnforth. Beautiful scenes have been captured across the area by a number of highly-skilled amateur photographers. The images feature locomotives at stations, sheds, industrial sites and charming countryside locations. A good portion of the book features rare colour pictures and these are complemented by high-quality black and white photographs. This collection features many of the locomotive classes employed in the area, such as Stanier's Pacifics, Class Five and `Jubilee' 4-6-0s and 8F Class 2-8-0s, Hughes 2-6-0s, Fowler `Royal Scot' and `Patriot' 4-6-0s and 4F 0-6-0s. BR Standard Classes supplement these, whilst ex-London & North Western Railway 0-8-0s are also included, as are engines built for the Lancashire & Yorkshire Railway and the Great Central Railway. `Foreign' locomotives from the London & North Eastern Railway and Great Western Railway further illustrate the diversity of the motive power scene. The images are accompanied by informative captions, describing the locomotives, the scene and other interesting details.

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Book SynopsisThe excellent photographs of railway historian and former Senior British Medical Council Researcher B.W.L. `Ben' Brooksbank capture the twilight years of the steam railways of the Western Region. Nearly three hundred images are featured, including rare shots of the post-Nationalisation period, in an impressive hardback book. The collection includes locomotives running along trunk routes and branch lines, in stations and goods yards, and at engine depots and main workshops. Classes characteristic of the area are presented, such as: Collett's `Castle', `Hall', `Grange' and `Manor' Class 4-6- 0s, `5700' and `8750' Class 0-6-0PTs and `5101' and `6100' 2-6-2Ts, Churchward's `2800' 2-8-0s, `4200' Class 2-8-0Ts and `4300' 2-6-0s and Hawksworth's `County' Class and `Modified Hall' Class 4-6-0s and `9400' Class 0-6-0PTs. Several absorbed classes, particularly in South Wales, are seen, in addition to BR Standard designs, such as the Standard Pacifics and 9F Class 2-10-0s. The Western Region covered a wide area and some of the places included are: Totnes, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter, Bristol, Salisbury, Taunton, Gloucester, Swindon, Oxford, Reading, Paddington, Old Oak Common, Southall, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Port Talbot, Llanidloes, Fishguard and Wrexham. The photographs are accompanied by informative captions highlighting details of the locomotives, the stations, sheds and locations.

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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 SynopsisThe Class 47 diesel locomotive was a mainstay of British Rail, with 512 built in the 1960s. As such, they were a daily sight throughout the UK, working express passenger and heavy freight trains as well as more mundane local passenger and wagon-load freight all over Britain. For rail enthusiasts, 'bashing' emerged as the art of trying to ride behind as many locos as possible. Largely due to their prolific numbers, the 47s were often disliked by bashers and the 47s were often given the disparaging nickname 'Duffs', but to those who followed them, they were 'Brush', an abbreviation of Brush Type 4, which was how BR originally referred to them. However, as time passed and other classes of locomotive fell by the wayside, a far greater appreciation of them is now the norm. This book records 1982 to 1985 and many days spent trying to travel behind all 507 of the Class 47s that were still in traffic at that time. There were triumphs and disasters in the course of these travels, but you got to go the length and breadth of the country and the book contains a wide variety of colour photographs of Class 47s at work from Inverness to Penzance.

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Book SynopsisGreat photography of locomotives on the East Midlands railways in the final years of steam traction compiled with thoroughly researched, informative captions, beautifully produced in hardback with rare and previously unseen images in colour and black and white. Composed of just over 6,000 square miles of land, the East Midlands enjoyed a diverse system of railways in the days of steam. These routes ranged from the main lines connecting the north and south of Britain to small branches, as well as cross-country and local lines. East Midlands Steam, 1950-1966, presents the twilight years of steam traction in the area with nearly 200 superb colour and black-and-white images. The book covers Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire and Rutland. In addition to the cities that appear – Derby, Leicester, Lincoln, and Nottingham – a number of large towns are included, such as Chesterfield, Grantham, Kettering, Loughborough, Mansfield, Northampton and Wellingborough, etc. With lines formerly operated by the London, Midland & Scottish Railway and London & North Eastern Railway, many locomotives of these companies are present, alongside the Standard Classes of British Railways With a rich industrial heritage in the region, a number of privately owned locomotives appear at work on several sites, such as collieries, quarries and power stations. The East Midlands was a busy and exciting place for steam enthusiasts to observe and record locomotives at work. In doing so, a wonderful era of British history has been captured. This collection has been assembled to celebrate those distant days.

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Book SynopsisThere was nothing quite like the Thames-Clyde Express. Covering well over 400 miles, its route stretched from the dreaming spires of London’s St Pancras via the Shires of England, the legendary Settle-Carlisle line, Walter Scott’s Border Country and finally into Glasgow – the Second City of Empire. It never offered the quickest journey between England and Scotland, but it was undoubtedly the most scenic. A former signalman on the tracks of the Thames-Clyde Express, David Pendleton has written what he terms ‘a love letter’ to this famous named train. Rather than a text ending on the sad day in 1975 when the last train reached its destination, he instead views its history and the route it traversed from a present-day perspective. Here is a rich mix of anecdotes and observations, including attractions and oddities either visible from today’s train services or within easy reach of principle stations Gavin Morrison, one of Britain’s most experienced railway photographers, has compiled more than 60 books and has gained the highest reputation for the quality of his work. He is able to capture the Thames-Clyde Express in its glory days and portray both steam and diesel locomotives on the complete route from London to Glasgow in its many moods. The result is a superb array of images taken during a lengthy period of well over 60 years between 1955 and 2022. Collectively this book is a journey in both words and pictures that is highly informative and richly illustrated. It is to be enjoyed as a record of recent times as well as evoking memories of years long past

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Book SynopsisGreat photographs of locomotives on the railways in and around Lancashire during the final years of steam traction.

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Book SynopsisA superb edition with over 220 outstanding photographs and thoroughly researched, informative captions.

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

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Book SynopsisThe London Midland Region covered a huge part of England from London to the north and north west, from the Scottish borders into the south west. It served huge metropolitan cities and towns, supported heavy industry, and ran through areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the Peak District and Lake District. Modelling the Midland Region from 1948 is an essential guide to creating your own model based on the London Midland Region of the British Railways era. It covers the history of the London Midland Region; British Rail and LMS locomotives; passenger and goods rolling stock; structures and scenery unique to the region, and signalling and electrification. The authors of this book are trustees of the charity Famous Trains model railway and directors of its operating company Famous Trains Ltd.

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Book SynopsisIn The Last Ten Years, author Brian J. Dickson presents stunning colour photographs from the collections of three enthusiasts of the Seafield Railway Club in north London.Meeting regularly at New Southgate station to record the steam-handled traffic, their focus was initially on all things connected with the former London and North Eastern Railway, but as steam traction became restricted to smaller and smaller areas of operation, regular visits were made further afield, to the north-east of England, Scotland and the former London Midland and Scottish Railway sheds and lines.This record of steam locomotion in its final years of mainline usage, from 1959 to 1968, is sure to enhance any steam railway enthusiast’s library.

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Book SynopsisAmazing and Extraordinary Facts: London Underground is a fascinating and useful reference to the history of the London Underground that reveals new insights into the history of the iconic transport system - the perfect gift for commuters, tourists and railway enthusiasts alike.

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Book Synopsis'A delightful book ... the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove' Observer After the Beeching cuts of the 1960s, many railways were gradually shut down. Rural communities were isolated and steam trains slowly gave way to diesel and electric traction. But some people were not prepared to let the romance of train travel die. Thanks to their efforts, many lines passed into community ownership and are now booming with new armies of dedicated volunteers. Andrew Martin meets these volunteer enthusiasts, finding out just what it is about preserved railways that makes people so devoted. From the inspiration for Thomas the Tank Engine to John Betjeman's battle against encroaching modernity, Steam Trains Today will take you on a heart-warming journey across Britain from Aviemore to Epping.Trade ReviewPraise for Andrew Martin: 'Compelling ... full of history and railway nuggets -- Michael Binyon * Sunday Times *Informative and witty * Cumbria Life *You do not have to be a trainspotter to enjoy this book. It is social history, a kind of epitaph to a way of travel that seems to be lost, at least in Europe -- Christian Wolmar * Spectator *A delightful book ... This book is the perfect companion as you wait for the 8.10 from Hove -- Nigel Jones * Observer *Martin is entertaining company, alive to the history of his route ... leaves you with renewed confidence that trains can still be the most civilised way to travel * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisGreat photographs of locomotives on the railways in and around Wales during the final years of steam traction.

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Book SynopsisThe Last Train to Zona Verde is Paul Theroux''s compelling account of his final African journey.Heading north from Cape Town, through South Africa, Namibia, Botswana and Angola, Paul Theroux makes a final journey along Africa''s western edge. The end of the line is the Congo but Theroux discovers that his trip''s pleasures are tempered by a growing sense that the Africa which so long ago helped form him has vanished, along with the hopes of many of its people. Yet after 2,500 miles Theroux finds that though this will be his ultimate African adventure there are still surprises to be found by the traveller prepared to step off the beaten track.''A melancholic, farewell journey . . . Theroux does all this inimitably, and more, getting better the more detours he takes'' Evening Standard''Hard to put down, brutal honesty. Theroux proves himself a sharp observer of human foibles and a master of pithy description. The book he has crafted out of

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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 SynopsisCollins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available.When Shinoy downloads the Chaos Crew app on his phone, a glitch in the system gives him the power to summon his TV heroes into his world. With the team on board, Shinoy can figure out what dastardly plans S.N.A.I.R. has come up with, and save the day.Location: An out-of-control train!Operative: Merit, at the mercy of dodgy phone receptionMission: Stop the train from entering the Forbidden Zone!This exciting title is part of the Shinoy and the Chaos Crew series by Chris Callaghan.Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language.Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimula

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Book SynopsisThe heritage railways around Britain today operate hundreds of miles of track. The role of signalling on these railways is vital in enabling them to operate their services safely. This is the first guide to be published aimed specifically at those who wish to learn how the signalling operates on the heritage railways. The reader is given a background history of the development of railway signalling since its beginnings in the 19th century but the book also gives the reader practical advice on the operation of the signalling. Although the practices vary from railway to railway according to the different traditions and the variations in the equipment, the principles are followed by all. This book will give examples of the range of signalling to be found on the heritage railways in the UK as well as explaining the rules of signalling that are established on all railways.This book will be an indispensible manual for all those wishing to take up railway signalling on one of the main heritag

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Book SynopsisIllustrated with 200 photographs, this book depicts the rich scenery and history of the old Western Dunbartonshire railway, which stretched from Clydebank with its shipyards and other heavy industries to the north end of Loch Lomond, now part of Scotland's first National Park. The railways which served this area reflected its landscape; some, such as the West Highland Railway, are still in use, although parts have been lost and the nature of traffic today has changed substantially. Other routes have disappeared completely thus today's commuters on the busy electric train service from Helensburgh to Glasgow are frequently unaware that an alternative route existed for much of its length. An extensive network of industrial railways, often running along cobbled roads, has vanished. A railway which meandered eastwards from Balloch to Stirling across the flat farmlands to the Forth Valley was closed to passengers in the 1930s, and a short but busy branch from the West Highland Railway, built during the Second World War to service the military port at Faslane on the Gareloch, has also been taken over by the overgrowth. Other parts, now disappeared, had been built to bring the workers of the Glasgow area down to the fresh air of the coast or the lochs for a trip on the paddle steamers. This book will be a treat for anyone who remembers the golden age of trainspotting, and for anyone keen to capture the essence of those bygone days.

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Book SynopsisThe complete story of the world’s high-speed railways, from Japan’s bullet trains to HS2 via France, Germany and ChinaTrade ReviewAn excellent read from a true expert.A great book to find out about the world of high-speed rail, well-researched and written.Murray Hughes has contributed many insights that are valuable to today’s and tomorrow’s practitioners … A story of human endeavour as well as facts and technical advances … a sense of extraordinary achievement springs off each page. -- Professor Andrew McNaughton

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