From Britain's most popular railway historian, a concise, authoritative and fast-paced telling of how the railways changed the world. The arrival of the railways in the first half of the nineteenth century and their subsequent spread across every one of the world's continents acted as a spur for economic growth and social change on an extraordinary scale. The 'iron road' stimulated innovation in engineering and architecture, enabled people and goods to move around the world more quickly than ever before, and played a critical role in warfare as well as in the social and economic spheres. Christian Wolmar describes the emergence of modern railways in both Britain and the USA in the 1830s, and elsewhere in the following decade. He charts the surge in railway investment plans in Britain in the early 1840s and the ensuing 'railway mania' (which created the backbone of today's railway network), and the unstoppable spread of the railways across Europe, America and Asia. Above all, he assesses the global impact of a technology that, arguably, had the most transformative impact on human society of any before the coming of the Internet, and which, as it approaches two centuries of existence, continues to play a key role in human society in the twenty-first century. 'A lucid and engaging account of the far-reaching effects that trains have had upon society' The Railway & Canal Historical Society

'Fascinating' 'Books of the Year', Financial Times 'London's twelve great rail termini are the epic survivors of the Victorian age... Wolmar brings them to life with the knowledge of an expert and the panache of a connoisseur.' Simon Jenkins 'A wonderful tour, full of vivid incident and surprising detail.' Simon Bradley London hosts twelve major railway stations, more than any other city in the world. They range from the grand and palatial, such as King's Cross and Paddington, to the modest and lesser known, such as Fenchurch Street and Cannon Street. These monuments to the age of the train are the hub of London's transport system and their development, decline and recent renewal have determined the history of the capital in many ways. Built between 1836 and 1899 by competing private train companies seeking to outdo one another, the construction of these terminuses caused tremendous upheaval and had a widespread impact on their local surroundings. What were once called 'slums' were demolished, green spaces and cemeteries were concreted over, and vast marshalling yards, engine sheds and carriage depots sprung up in their place. In a compelling and dramatic narrative, Christian Wolmar traces the development of these magnificent cathedrals of steam, provides unique insights into their history, with many entertaining anecdotes, and celebrates the recent transformation of several of these stations into wonderful blends of the old and the new.

It was in 1841 that the London & Brighton Railway constructed the line from Norwood (linking with the London & Croydon Railway) to the coast. The lines built between 1841 and 1868 formed a comprehensive countywide network, extending from Three Bridges to Midhurst and Chichester in the west and (via the South Eastern Railway) from Tunbridge Wells to Bexhill, thence to Rye, in the east. The county's coastal stations yield their own interesting story. Apart from the stations on main routes, those on branch lines and wayside halts are also included. In this book, Douglas d'Enno explores the absorbing and sometimes colourful story of one county's railway stations. The older photographs feature early postcards and carefully selected images from railway archives and publications. When juxtaposed with their present-day equivalents, the extent of the change in these facilities for rail passengers can be fully appreciated.

The first subway line in New York City opened on October 27, 1904. To celebrate the centennial of this event, the Johns Hopkins University Press presents a new edition of Gene Sansone's acclaimed book, "Evolution of New York City Subways." Produced under the auspices of New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority, this comprehensive account of the rapid transit system's design and engineering history offers an extensive array of photographs, engineering plans, and technical data for nearly every subway car in the New York City system from the days of steam and cable to the present.

The product of years of meticulous research in various city archives, this book is organized by type of car, from the 1903-04 wood and steel Composite cars to the R142 cars put into service in 2000. For each car type, Sansone provides a brief narrative history of its design, construction, and service record, followed by detailed schematic drawings and accompanying tables that provide complete technical data, from the average cost per car and passenger capacity to seat and structure material, axle load, and car weight. Sansone also includes a helpful subway glossary from "A Car" (the end car in a multiple car coupled unit) to "Zone" (a section of the train to the conductor's left or right side).

Subway and train enthusiasts, students of New York City history, and specialists in the history of technology will appreciate this updated and authoritative reference work about one of the twentieth century's greatest urban achievements.

The W&LLR opened in 1903 to link the rural community of Llanfair Caereinion with the historic market town of Welshpool. A 2ft. 6in. gauge light railway had been chosen to keep the costs of construction much lower than those associated with a standard gauge line. Furthermore, it was more suitable for the tight curves and steep gradients of the route and allowed the line to follow the contours of the countryside. Passenger services struggled to operate economically from day one and only lasted until 1931. However this sturdy little railway continued to help the communities of the Banwy Valley transport their goods, sheep and cattle to market until competition from the motor lorry won out and goods services ceased in November 1956. The preservation movement, although in its infancy, had already taken steps to preserve the Talyllyn Railway and an equally ambitious band of W&LLR enthusiasts embarked on saving their own local line. Their efforts were rewarded when the 1962 formed Welshpool & Llanfair Light Railway Preservation Society reopened the first section of railway from Llanfair Caereinion as far as Castle Caereinion. With the section of the line that ran through Welshpool Town centre lost to preservation, the group redeveloped the area at Raven Square to create a new terminus. Services reached there in 1981. From that time visitors have been treated to a gentle steam hauled 8 mile journey through some of the most picturesque scenery in Wales. The railway's unique locomotive collection has developed and now embraces examples from three continents including the W&LLR's two original locos built for the line's 1903 opening, by Beyer, Peacock & Co. Ltd. Their coaching stock comprises turn of the century balcony ended saloons from Austria, 1950s built bogies from Hungary and 1960's stock from Sierra Leone. They have also invested in the construction of three replica coaches built to the specification and details of those that operated on the original line. This photographic album captures the essence of the Welshpool & Llanfair Railway which whilst having a decidedly foreign feel to it, continues to retain the traditional atmosphere of a Welsh rural light railway.

All too often, when observing our railways, focus falls entirely on the locomotives or multiple units that haul the many services that travel on them. Britain's railway wagons are equally deserving of attention, with many fascinating details of their own. Over the past three decades, there has been much change on the railways, and the wagons reflect this too. Covering an often neglected subject, John Dedman uses his fascinating collection of images to explore British railway wagons during this period. Featuring informative captions, and detailed images, this book will be interesting for both railway enthusiasts and modellers alike.

This work provides coverage of: Edinburgh and Leith; the East Coast Main Line and the Waverley Route; the Forth Bridge and East Fife; the West Fife and Clackmannan; and the West Lothian and Stirling to Hilton Junction.

Author Tom Ferris uncovers Wales' railway heritage through a series of four attractively priced pocket books, each one looking at a 'lost line'. Explore the line station by station as the history, heritage and social background of the railway and its passengers is brought to life using archive photography, some of it never before published. Lost Lines series includes: - Ruabon to Barmouth Junction ISBN 9781909823174 - Brecon to Merthyr ISBN 9781909823181 - Aberystwyth to Carmarthen Junction ISBN 9781909823198 - Machynlleth to Aberllefenni ISBN 9781909823204

Author Tom Ferris uncovers Wales' railway heritage through a series of four attractively priced pocket books, each one looking at a 'lost line'. Explore the line station by station as the history, heritage and social background of the railway and its passengers is brought to life using archive photography, some of it never before published. Lost Lines series includes: - Ruabon to Barmouth Junction ISBN 9781909823174 - Brecon to Merthyr ISBN 9781909823181 - Aberystwyth to Carmarthen Junction ISBN 9781909823198 - Machynlleth to Aberllefenni ISBN 9781909823204

Drivers in the nation's capital face a host of hazards: high-speed traffic circles, presidential motorcades, jaywalking tourists, and bewildering signs that send unsuspecting motorists from the Lincoln Memorial into suburban Virginia in less than two minutes. And parking? Don't bet on it unless you're in the fast lane of the Capital Beltway during rush hour.

Little wonder, then, that so many residents and visitors rely on the Washington Metro, the 106-mile rapid transit system that serves the District of Columbia and its inner suburbs. In the first comprehensive history of the Metro, Zachary M. Schrag tells the story of the Great Society Subway from its earliest rumblings to the present day, from Arlington to College Park, Eisenhower to Marion Barry.

Unlike the pre-World War II rail systems of New York, Chicago, and Philadelphia, the Metro was built at a time when most American families already owned cars, and when most American cities had dedicated themselves to freeways, not subways. Why did the nation's capital take a different path? What were the consequences of that decision?

Using extensive archival research as well as oral history, Schrag argues that the Metro can be understood only in the political context from which it was born: the Great Society liberalism of the Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon administrations. The Metro emerged from a period when Americans believed in public investments suited to the grandeur and dignity of the world's richest nation. The Metro was built not merely to move commuters, but in the words of Lyndon Johnson, to create "a place where the city of man serves not only the needs of the body and the demands of commerce but the desire for beauty and the hunger for community."

Schrag scrutinizes the project from its earliest days, including general planning, routes, station architecture, funding decisions, land-use impacts, and the behavior of Metro riders. The story of the Great Society Subway sheds light on the development of metropolitan Washington, postwar urban policy, and the promises and limits of rail transit in American cities.

During much of his early career, from 1944 through to the early 1960s, Richard Hardy took hundreds of pictures of life on the railways and the men he knew and worked with on a daily basis, using his trusty Brownie 620 box camera. These unique behind the scenes images form a fascinating and hugely evocative portrayal of Britain at the height of the era of steam, during the time of the 'Big Four', and after 1947 when the sprawling nationalised network known as British Railways came of age. The second edition contains many new unseen photos which capture the railways in wartime, providing a valuable social record of the nation at war. In addition there is a sequence of rare photographs of French engines, railways and railwaymen, offering a superb contrast to the British rail network (it quickly becomes evident that the British rail system ran on tea, whereas the French system ran on wine). Great characters are the unifying theme of the pictures, and they include famous figures associated with the railways, such as the poet John Betjeman. This wonderfully illustrated book sets Richard's personal photographs and text alongside a carefully collated selection of ephemera, artworks and photographs drawn from the National Railway Museum in York. Collectively these images and artefacts tell the stories of the great brotherhood of railwaymen, brilliantly evoking the speed, heat and dust of the footplate.