As the modernisation of the former British Railways moved forward into Railtrack and then Network Rail, various schemes to bring the West Country railway network up to date came... and went! Consequently, the far west of the network from Plymouth to Penzance became locked in a kind of time warp of semaphore signalling and cascaded rolling stock. During the last forty or so years, Cornwall has seen the demise of once common classes of locomotives and the introduction of the famous HSTs, Class 66s and Voyagers, though journey times have changed little - mainly due to the nature of the route, but the largest hindrance to an improved service is the lack of signals. The signalling was over-rationalised, though the issue was partially rectified with minor upgrade schemes. This book aims to bring back memories of traction once common, or not so common, on the rails of the Duchy of Cornwall.

One of the best accounts of the story of The Great Siberian Railway.

British Railways Past and Present is a natio nwide series of books featuring photos of railway locations taken several decades ago and comparing them with the same s cene today. This volume covers Avon, Cotswolds and the Malve rns. '

This new history reveals the previously untold story of why and how trains have been used to transport the dead, enabling their burial in a place of significance to the bereaved. Profusely illustrated with many images, some never previously published, Nicolas Wheatley's work details how the mainline railways carried out this important yet often hidden work from the Victorian age to the 1980s, as well as how ceremonial funeral transport continues on heritage railways today. From royalty, aristocrats and other VIPs (including Sir Winston Churchill and the Unknown Warrior) to victims of accidents and ordinary people, Final Journey explores the way in which these people travelled for the last time by train before being laid to rest.

The construction of the Merthyr, Tredegar & Abergavenny Railway was a remarkable engineering achievement. Not only was it one of the most spectacular railways in Britain, but it was also one of the most difficult to build, and its long and steep gradients made it one of the most expensive to operate. The section through the Clydach Gorge was particularly dramatic with the line twisting and turning, but climbing steadily along a ledge cut above the deep valley. The MT&A is remembered with much nostalgia, for in those days, Abergavenny was a thriving and important railway centre with three stations and the town was alive with a symphony of sounds such as the clang of hammers, the hiss of steam, whistles tooting and wheels clattering over joints and points. When railway activity in Abergavenny reached its peak, there were over a thousand people employed in jobs associated with this form of transport. Chris Barber has compiled this richly illustrated book to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the closure of this much loved railway in 1957. The last journey on the line took place almost a hundred years after the railway was first proposed, and if it still existed today, it would undoubtedly be a popular tourist attraction.

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.

Almost the entire network of the former Midland & Great Northern Joint Railway system closed at the end of February 1959. Some short sections of the railway were retained for passenger services until the mid-1960s and freight continued to run on a few others, one surviving into the 1980s. Only the passenger service between Cromer and Sheringham on the north Norfolk coast survives as part of the national network, which is now reached by the route of one-time competitor the Great Eastern Railway. Over sixty years after closure, interest in the M&GNJR and its predecessors remains high. The North Norfolk Railway runs its steam trains from the original station at Sheringham to a new one at Holt, a railway heritage centre has been established at Whitwell & Reepham station, and the M&GN Circle continues to research and celebrate this long-closed railway. There is much remaining evidence of the railway and sections of the trackbed provide pleasant walking and cycling routes. Utilising a range of rare and previously unpublished images, Steph Gillett offers a fascinating and nostalgic look back at this fondly remembered line.

This examination of the relationship of the economy to political process in the United States from 1877 to 1916 shows how the railroad industry encouraged and relied on national politics to solve its economic problems, and created a precedent for government regulation of the economy in the twentieth century. The continuity in governmental regulation from 1877 to 1900, in the Progressive Era, and in the administrations of Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson are pointed out. The origin of each major federal railroad act and contending forces is analyzed. Federal regulation of the railroads, probably the most important example of federal intervention in the economy from the Civil War to World War I is used as a key in reassessing the motives behind Progressivism. Originally published in 1965. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.

The 1980s was a decade of change for British Rail as the BR regions began to be replaced by sectorisation. The BR Blue livery, however, lived on through the decade, gradually being replaced by new liveries. In this photographic journey through the rail network of the 1980s, Stephen Dance portrays the last years of BR Blue and Large Logo liveries, alongside the new sectorisation and special liveries. Images include Deltics and other motive power on the East Coast Main Line; the Midland Main Line prior to the introduction of HSTs; Class 50s and other motive power on the Western Region; the electrification of the Great Eastern Main Line; and a variety of other scenes including loco-hauled services in Scotland and photographs documenting Works and freight across the country. With an array of superb photographs, Stephen Dance presents a fascinating overview of the railway scene in Britain in the 1980s.

Looking Back at Class 24 & 25 Locomotives takes a closer look at these plucky and versatile Type 2 locos in a full-colour photographic album. The images follow the locomotives from their introduction in the late 1950s and throughout their service years, continuing to their final demise from everyday service. Inside we look at some of the variations that have appeared over the years and at many of the liveries they have borne. A varied selection of locations and workings have been chosen from a vast library of colour photographs, which are accompanied by informative captions; they are sure to appeal to both the enthusiast and the modeller alike.

In this book John Whiteley provides a photographic survey of the last years of steam on British Railways in the North of England. The photographs cover the period from c. 1959/60 to the end of steam in the area in 1968. By the early 1960s British Rail was rapidly replacing steam with modern traction, but before the last steam locomotives were withdrawn the decade witnessed a glorious swansong for steam in the North of England. The area covered ranges from northern Derbyshire and northern Cheshire to include the last days of steam in the Peak District, Yorkshire, Lancashire and Cumbria up to the Scottish border. The use of GWR locomotives around Chester in the early 1960s is also included as well as steam in and around Manchester. This photographic survey of the last years of steam on BR in the North of England will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of the railways of this region.

With 980 million passengers a year, more than 250 miles of track, literally hundreds of different stations and a history stretching back nearly 150 years, the world's oldest underground railway might seem familiar, but actually, how well do you know it? Do you know, for example, who the Queen sat next to when she first went on the Tube in 1939? Or what they did with all the earth dug out to make way for the Piccadilly Line? Or indeed why it is that without the common shipworm, Teredo navalis, the Tube network might not even exist? Thought not. But now, with 10,000 wacky facts at your fingertips, The Little Book of the London Underground will tell you everything you need to know - and plenty more that your probably don't.

Why did London have to wait so long for a main-line railway beneath its streets? For a few years in the mid-nineteenth century, Isambard Kingdom Brunel's broad-gauge Great Western trains ran from Reading to Faringdon. Now, after many false starts, his vision is being realised as the Elizabeth Line prepares to carry passengers from Reading to the City once again, and beyond to Essex and Kent, using engineering that would have earned the admiration of the greatest Victorian engineers. London historian Stephen Halliday presents an engaging discussion of Crossrail's fascinating origins and the heroic engineering that made it all possible.

The busy London Underground may seem an unlikely location for heritage train operation, especially involving steam. However, this was the world’s first Underground railway network, and the original sections were built to main line gauge using steam traction. London Transport and its successor London Underground Ltd have been acutely aware of the significance of this and have strived to preserve and present their heritage. Over the decades, open days and special trains operated over parts of the system. This included the running of steam-, diesel- and electric-hauled trains for the public to ride on, while at the same time maintaining the normal level of Underground train service on these lines. These special trains ran not only in the open-air outer sections of the network, but even on occasion through the cut-and-cover tunnel sections of central London. New signalling systems mean that this is unlikely to happen again, but the London Transport Museum continues to offer a programme of exhibitions, guided history tours and open days at the Acton museum depot. This book looks back at the principal events since 1963.

India was the jewel in the crown of the British Empire, an Empire that needed a rail network to facilitate its exploitation and reflect its ambition. But, by building India's railways, Britain radically changed the nation and unwittingly planted the seed of independence. As Indians were made to travel in poor conditions and were barred from the better paid railway jobs a stirring of resentment and nationalist sentiment grew. The Indian Railways network remains one of the largest in the world, serving over 25 million passengers each day. In this expertly told history, Christian Wolmar reveals the full story, from the railway's beginnings to the present day, and examines the chequered role this institution has played in Indian history and the creation of today's modern state.

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.

Pre-order the true story of Oliver Mol. ________ What happens when a writer can no longer write? What happens when pain is so intense that you question who you are and whether you can bare it any longer? Oliver Mol was a successful, clever, healthy twenty-five-year old. Then one day the migraine started. For ten months, the pain was constant, exacerbated by writing, reading, using computers, looking at phones or anything with a screen. Slowly he became a writer who no longer wrote, and a person who could no longer could communicate with the modern world. In literature, and life, Oliver began to disappear. This is Oliver's story of his frightening descent into living with perpetual pain. His doctors can't figure out how to fix him. He suffers a breakdown. One evening, high on pain killers, Oliver Googles the only thing he can think of: 'full-time job, no experience, Sydney'. An ad for a train guard appears. For two years Oliver will watch others live their lives, observing the minutia and intimacy of strangers brought together briefly and connected by the steady march of time. Exquisitely written and bravely told, Train Lord is a searingly personal yet universal book, which asks what happens when your sense of self is suddenly destroyed, and how you get it back.

Twice voted the top railway journey in the world, the West Highland route to Mallaig (like the Dingwall & Skye and the Callander & Oban) accessed the remote and mountainous west coast of Scotland. The original West Highland line, described here, links Glasgow and Fort William. In the late nineteenth century, with their nearest railheads many miles away, the inhabitants of Fort William sought their own railway, approved in 1889. It was opened all at once in 1894. From the north shore of the Firth of Clyde, the line passes the Gareloch, Loch Long and Loch Lomond, before crossing desolate but beautiful Rannoch Moor. From Corrour, Britain's highest and most inaccessible railway station, it descends through Glen Spean towards Fort William. In this book, Dr John McGregor uses a wonderful collection of photographs to bring the history of the line to life.

The Southern Railway may not have been the most glamorous of the 'Big Four' companies that emerged from the grouping of 1923, but it was the great innovator. In the 1930s the Southern pioneered the first main-line electrification and created the largest electrified suburban railway network in the world. It was also one of the few to offer regular departures and the first to run true international services, introducing the 'Night Ferry' through-trains from London to Paris using special ferries. Forming part of a series, along with The GWR Handbook, The LMS Handbook and The LNER Handbook, this new edition provides an authoritative and highly detailed reference of information about the Southern Railway.