Jeff Grayer's previous books in the Impermanent Ways series have been widely welcomed and enjoyed by enthusiasts and the public alike. The latest volume in the series covers Somerset. The author has deliberately excluded the Somerset and Dorset line, which is covered in detail elsewhere. Instead, he has concentrated on the many closed lines from north of Yeovil across to Chard, Langport, Witham, Cranmore, Mells, Shepton Mallett and, of course, the now preserved West Somerset route. Detailed historical notes relating to all the closed lines are provided in the informative captions which accompany the wealth of photographs, all of which are in colour. Lots of other railway emphemera is also featured, including extracts from old timetables, notices and tickets.

The railway at Witham dates from 1843 and the branches to Braintree and Maldon from 1848; the cross-country line to Bishop's Stortford was opened in 1869. The passenger service on the Bishop's Stortford - Braintree line was withdrawn in 1952 and, after the publication of the Beeching Report in 1963, the same fate was scheduled for the other branches. However the Braintree branch survived and, together with Witham, is a busy commuter line. In this book we take a journey over the line from Bishop's Stortford to Maldon via Braintree and Witham to view what has changed over the last 165 years. Unusually for today the Braintree branch line survives, and fortunately most of the cross-country line is now designated the 'Flitch Way'. The Maldon line, since closure, has been put to many other uses, including use as the town's road bypass.

The story of the Meon Valley Railway has been broken into three volumes by expert railway author Kevin Robertson, each of them covering a specific time span. The third volume tells the story of the railway in its final months leading to closure, the last trains and then the gradual decay that naturally followed. However, this is not a book full of depressing images, instead it follows how sections remained in operational use for some years afterwards and also recounts the story of the abortive preservation scheme at Droxford. The book is also alive with stories and folklore from staff and passengers alike. Enthusiasts and locals will be enthralled by this last volume, not least by the specially commissioned painting for the jacket, depicting the station at Wickham by renowned railway artist Sean Bolan.

Although published in 1999 when the WHR ran only from Caernarfon to Dinas, John Stretton covers the whole route through to Porthmadog. The remarkable archive views of the course of the old line serve to illustrate what has since been achieved in reinstating this railway through some of the most magnificent scenery in the British Isles.

In this lavishly illustrated memoir, William D. Middleton invites readers to climb aboard and share with him 60 years of railroad tourism around the globe. Middleton s award-winning photography has recorded events such as the final days of American Civil War locomotives in Morocco and the start up of the world s first high-speed railway in Japan. He has photographed such great civil works as Scotland s Firth of Forth Bridge and the splendid railway station at Haydarpasa on the Asian side of the Bosporus, while closer to home he has been recognized for his significant contribution to the photographic interpretation of North America s railroading history. On Railways Far Away presents over 200 of Middleton s favorite photographs and the personal stories behind the images. It is a book that will delight both armchair travelers and those for whom the railroads still hold romance."

Steam locomotives were developed in the early part of the 19th Century, initially by Trevithick, and then most successfully by George Stephenson, whose engine Locomotion inaugurated the famous Stockton and Darlington Railway in 1825. For the next 150 years, steam locomotives were further developed and refined, until the advent of new electrical technology superseded them. Although British Railways operated its last main-line steam locomotives in 1968, there is still immense interest in the large numbers of locomotives that have been privately preserved, and which run on heritage railways and in various parts of the world. This book describes the anatomy and physiology of the steam train, to enable all train enthusiasts to understand the workings of the various types of engines in use. It covers the design of the engine, the process of converting fuel into mechanical tractive effort to haul passenger and freight trains, and the function and design of the various components of the engine. The authors also outline the reasons behind the safe and efficient operation and maintenance of steam locomotives. Although the steam locomotive originated in the UK, there were parallel lines of development in North America and in various other European countries, many of which introduced their own individual features. These are dealt with in the book, which will appeal to railway enthusiasts throughout the world.

Packed with evocative colour images, this book celebrates the steam revival on every surviving route in the Highlands.

Tom Greaves gives his own account of the chaotic introduction of main line diesel locomotives during the late 1950s which was conducted primarily on the suburban network out of London's King's Cross station and with which he was directly involved. There, a multitude of untried and disparate locomotive types were launched into intensive commuter service almost overnight with inevitable consequences but out of which ultimately emerged a modern, cleaner and more cost-effective network. Railway Memories No.26 also outlines the array of measures taken in the 1950s to prolong the life of steam and make it more efficient before the diesels finally took over. The author charts his early years as a premium apprentice at Doncaster Works and takes us through his time as a locomotive shed master in the London area and as traction engineer at Sheffield and Leeds in the 1960s, concluding with a selection of amusing and fascinating anecdotes. A keen and accomplished photographer throughout his career, Tom Greaves also provides a treasure chest of rare steam and early diesel photographs.

One major gap in the railway modelling market has been in providing a one-stop guide to what made the Southern Railway so unique. Jeremy English is now filling the gap with this title on modelling the Southern.

This book talks about: main line through Carmarthen; Whitland to Pembroke Dock; Clarbeston Road to Milford Haven and Fishguard; closed line to Cardigan; and closed line from Llandilo to Carmarthen.

The mountains of Alberta and British Columbia in western Canada have always challenged the resolve of the railways that worked their way west, opening up the country. It was a new frontier that soon tested man and locomotive as trains crossed through a rugged and unforgiving territory. Even today, the task continues as incredible amounts of tonnage are hauled over arduous mountain passes and through spectacular river canyons, powered by modern diesel locomotives. With a stunning collection of previously unpublished photographs, Mike Danneman showcases these marvellous machines amid the splendour of some of the best mountain scenery in the world.

Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914 is a cultural and engineering history of railway building in Japan during the Meiji era. The importance of early railways in the industrialization of the United States and Europe is a fact all of us are familiar with. To witness the amazing parallel development of the railways in Japan, happening at much the same time as America was connecting its vast hinterland to the East and West coasts, is an eye-opening realization. Early Japanese Railways, tells the fascinating story of the rise of Japanese rail amidst a period of rapid modernization during Japan's Meiji era. Leaving behind centuries of stagnation and isolation, Japan would emerge into the 20th century as a leading modern industrialized state. The development of the railways was a significant factor in the cultural and technological development of Japan during this pivotal period. Free's rare photographic and historical materials concerning Japan's early railways, including a print showing the miniature steam engine brought to Japan by Admiral Perry aboard his "Black Ships" to demonstrate American superiority, combine to form a richly detailed account that will appeal to students of Japanese history and railway buffs alike. This one-of-a-kind book, Early Japanese Railways 1853-1914, illuminates for non-Japanese-speaking readers the early history of Japanese railroads and in the process the fascinating story of Japan's prewar industrial modernization. Anyone interested in train history or model trains will find this book a fascinating read.

This new title, compiled by railway expert Kevin Robertson, forms the second of a three-part series covering the construction, life, and demise of the Meon Valley Railway. It focuses on the operational years of what was a rural backwater, again using much previously unseen material. The years featured are from 1904 to 1955, although right from the start the owning company, the LSWR, must have realized that the line could never attract business on its own. Indeed, economy started as early as 1922, after which came a slow decline tempered with a brief respite when Droxford became the scene of a high-level conference in preparation for D-day. All these, and many more aspects of what was a truly charming railway are covered in detail. This informative new title also includes extracts from official paperwork, snippets of local news from the stations themselves and a variety of mono and color illustrations.

The branch lines of Devon were particularly numerous and this volume covers those in Exeter and the south, central and eastern parts of the county. They were also tremendously varied, ranging from the Exmouth branch - the nearest the West Country comes to a suburban-type commuter line - and the Paignton line - which for many years of its life could be considered a main line - to the Culm Valley Light Railway - a curiosity which required locomotives with a short wheelbase and slight axle loading and restrictions on rolling stock. Many Devon branch lines were originally built to the broad gauge and were later narrowed, some lasting until its very end in May 1892. Three of the branches in the area have been preserved: part of the Seaton line is now a narrow-gauge electric tramway, the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh is a typical GWR branch, and the Dartmouth Steam Railway is capable of taking main-line engines. In this absorbing and well-researched book, Colin G. Maggs has provided a marvellously wideranging view of over 160 years of rail travel in the county. Well illustrated with over 200 fascinating photographs, ephemera and maps, The Branch Lines of Devon Part One: Exeter, South, Central & East Devon will appeal not only to railway enthusiasts, but local historians as well.

LMS engine No.5596 was constructed at the Queen's Park works of the North British Locomotive Co in Glasgow toward the end of 1934. As one of the 191 examples of the 'Jubilee' class, the engine entered traffic with the LMS railway in January 1935 and was allocated to Crewe. It was named Bahamas during its first service repair in June 1936.It subsequently operated from Preston, Camden, Willesden, Kentish Town and Derby prior to the outbreak of the Second World War. Indeed, its highest annual mileage was during 1939 when it achieved in excess of 72,000 miles during that year. During the war Bahamas worked from Grimesthorpe, Millhouses and Bristol. It was back at Crewe by 1947 and, as BR No.45596, would see operation from Edge Hill and Carlisle, before withdrawn from service at Stockport's Edgeley shed in 1966.The engine was purchased in 1967 and sent to the Hunslet Engine Co. in Leeds for repair and a repaint into its former LMS livery. The engine, now operational, provided footplate rides for visitors to the Dinting Railway Centre. During 1972 it was chosen by BR to be amongst the first group of steam locomotives to work on designated routes over the national rail network, following a 'Return to Steam' campaign by locomotive owners.Boiler repairs became necessary during 1973 and Bahamas was taken out of service to become a static exhibit at the Society's home at the Dinting Railway Centre. Work on the restoration of other locomotives by Society volunteers prevented a start on the overhaul of Bahamas until 1980. Restored to its authentic British Railways condition, Bahamas successfully operated 37 railtours on the main line between 1989 and 1994, covering more than 12,000 miles before its main-line certificate became due for renewal. It was praised by both enthusiasts and professional railwaymen, and earned itself an enviable reputation for excellent reliability and good performance.Then followed visits to various heritage railways until the expiry of its boiler certificate in 1997 resulted in its withdrawal from operation.The engine then went on public display in the museum of the Keighley & Worth Valley Railway at Oxenhope, where it stayed until 2012 when it was invited to attend the 'Railfest' event at the National Railway Museum in York. Its stay at York was extended until the following year, when it returned to Ingrow.It was during 2012 that an application was made to the Heritage Lottery Fund to enable the overhaul of Bahamas to be undertaken by contractors and thus speed the process of its return to working order. The bid was successful, and by December 2013 work had commenced on the boiler, wheels and frames at the Tyseley Locomotive Works.This new title in the Recollections series is being published as part of the celebration of No 45596 Bahamas return to the main line and heritage railways during 2017 and beyond.

With bygone railway scenes from all over Yorkshire, 184 pictures - 11 of them colour - illustrate the wide variety of diesel locomotives and multiple units to be found in the white rose county prior to the end of British Rail steam on 11th August 1968.