From best-selling railway expert, Julian Holland, explore Britain's historical railways in All Aboard. The history of Britain's railways is a long and fascinating one, filled with stories of grand endeavours, noted figures and record-breaking feats. Julian Holland brings together a unique miscellany of intriguing tales and engaging trivia - the perfect collection for every railway enthusiast. Stories range from Bulleid's 'Chinese Laundries', trainspotting trips in Wales and Scotland and Liverpool's 'Dockers' Umbrella' to railway artists and clergy, a railway-owned airline and railways that were never built. Find out about * The Royal Scot's 11,000-mile journey in the USA and Canada * A narrow gauge island railway in the middle of the Bristol Channel * How the London & South Western Railway saved the British Empire * Mallard's unbeaten world speed record of 1938 * How to fly by Great Western Railway from Cardiff to Plymouth * The 75-mile network of narrow gauge railways on the Isle of Skye * How another 4,500 miles of railway escaped closure by Dr Beeching All Aboard is a delightful miscellany for every railway enthusiast, filled with fascinating and obscure stories, facts and figures.

This book is a gallery of more than two hundred photographs, including a colour section, featuring a selection of Great Western Railway/British Railways (Western) branch lines and similar services taken between 1900 and 1965\. The emphasis is pictorial rather than factual with the aim of using photographs provided by two transport charities as well as the author, all of which are unlikely to have appeared previously in print or on the Internet. Generally, images depict working trains surrounded by recognisable infrastructure, often with station nameboards visible. Such pictures should be of particular interest to railway modellers as well as invoking nostalgia for the older generation who were pursuing their hobby around the time the pictures were taken. Most of the branch lines covered were victims of the 1960s "Beeching Axe", with closure to passengers or complete closure coming even earlier in some cases. Most of the services depicted are steam operated although a few GWR and BR diesel railcars/multiple units are included. All the scenes seem to reflect a more leisurely way of life than exists today.

This book, to published in two parts, is dedicated to the memories of all those people who once worked for the Great Western Railway in South Wales, at Pontypool Road loco depot, the Eastern Valley and the Vale of Neath railway, as well as to those people who worked in the industries once served by the railway in those locations. In 2016, the UK coal mining industry is extinct, and the future of the steel industry is in doubt. This book serves as a reminder to future generations as to what a fantastic place the South Wales valleys once were for heavy industry and transport infrastructure, and also as a tribute to the pioneering 19th century railway builders. Local railway enthusiast Phil Williams, is a contract structural engineer in the aerospace industry. His father's uncle, Harry Miles, was a Swindon trained locomotive fitter at Pontypool Road in the 1930s. His family have interesting links to the mining industry. His great grandfather was Thomas Williams, the Colliery Engineer at Tirpentwys Colliery from before 1902 up to 1912; and then at Crumlin Valley Colliery Hafodrynys and the Glyn Pits, from 1915 until he died in 1925 aged 76.His father's great grandfather, Joseph Harper, was one of the 1890 Llanerch Colliery disaster rescue team; he worked at the British Top Pits. His father's uncle, Williams Harper was the foreman of the wagon shop at the Big Arch Talywain.

The Abermule railway disaster is still the worst single line rail disaster the UK has ever known. It occurred on the Cambrian railway in 1921, killing thirty-four and injuring sixty-five people. The railway operational ramifications of this terrible accident were felt as far away as India.This detailed book focuses on the Abermule disaster, telling the story using reports and testimonies, photographs and diagrams. The book covers the accident itself, the people involved, passengers, workers, the railway company, the wreckage, the witnesses, the casualties, the press, the inquest, the verdict, and presents original theories on how the incident happened, backed up by information from the son of one of the principal players.

Join Thomas for an adventurous day at the zoo!

Each page has a fun peep through so little engineers can follow along with Thomas and spot which animal is next. Thomas sees lions, penguins, kangaroos and more. With simple text and lovely illustrations, this book is the perfect gift for young Thomas fans.

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 and essential part of our literary heritage.

Discover the Sunset Cluster—railroads that were doomed to fail? The first two decades of the 20th century were the twilight of the railroad age. Major routes had long been established, and local service became the focus of new construction. Beginning in 1907, a cluster of five shortline railroads were established in otherwise unconnected parts of Iowa. By the dawn of the Great Depression, all these routes would be discontinued. The five Iowa 'sunset cluster' railroads might appear to deserve eternal obscurity, being at best minor footnotes to American railroad history. After all, their total mileage barely exceeded 100 miles. Their average life span, moreover, covered about five years, and the Des Moines & Red Oak Railway (DM&RO) never turned a wheel. Yet, to understand the rise of the railroad empires of the 19th century, it is necessary to study their fall. Using contemporary newspapers, government reports, and other little-known sources, renowned railway historian H. Roger Grant offers a fascinating look at these shortline railroads. Sunset Cluster explores the almost desperate desire by communities to benefit from steel rails before the regional railroad map finally imploded and the challenges faced by latter-day shortline builders.

`The Last Years of Steam Around the East Midlands' covers most of the railways across the county and the locomotives that worked over them. In the main, the time period covers the ten years or so from the late 1950s up to the end of steam working in the East Midlands. In addition to steam locomotives, their diesel replacements will also be shown. A number of industrial locations will also be visited, and in particular, the book explores the now-closed Ironstone Railways of the East Midlands. The photographs, a mixture of colour and black and white, come mostly from those taken by the author and his late father, with the balance coming from his father's old friends. Most of the photographs have never been published, with all images accompanied by an extensive and informative commentary.

Built as part of the massive expansion of Great Britain's railway network during the nineteenth century, London's thirteen mainline railway stations are proud symbols of the nation's industrial and architectural heritage. Produced in association with The National Archives, and profusely illustrated with period photographs and diagrams, London Railway Stations tells the story of these iconic stations and of the people who created them and used them. Though built in an age of steam, smoke, gas lamps and horses, most retain features of their original design. This book will bring new light to these old buildings, and help you to see London's mainline stations through new eyes.

From the ancient steam locomotives to the latest high-speed models in Europe and China, as well as the first hydrogen-powered convoys, this volume is a fascinating journey in the world of trains. This book guides discovery of the most recent news regarding rail transport, taking a look at the near future, when trains will be remotely controlled without train drivers on board.

The year 1963 will always be remembered as the one when the Sixties really started to swing. The Beatles and Rolling Stones were topping the charts while the mini-skirt and the Mini car had become the latest fashion accessories. For those with an interest in railways however, 1963 was memorable for the publication by Her Majesty's Stationery Office of Part 1 of the report 'The Reshaping of British Railways' by Dr Richard Beeching, then chairman of the British Railways Board. The term 'reshaping' was somewhat of a euphemism as the Report envisaged a radical reduction in the national rail network. Hundreds of stations were to be closed to both freight and passenger traffic, along with thousands of miles of track, while several thousand staff would be made redundant. This book is intended as a record of how the proposals affecting passenger services in the Wessex Area were ruthlessly implemented over a ten year period. Since then, despite the introduction of modern high-speed rolling stock and much track rationalisation, the extent of our rail network has remained basically the same. Train services in Wessex today are therefore still very much Dr Beeching's Legacy. In addition he bequeathed to the nation a linear network of derelict land which could be put to other purposes, including that of heritage railway. The area covered by this book include sections of the counties of Avon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Gloucestershire.

'Stations and Lineside Views in and Around London' features photographs taken by retired British Medical Council researcher/author Dr B. W. L. Brooksbank and captions by railway author Peter Tuffrey. The photographs span the last years of steam traction c. 1946 to c.1962 and the book uses the M25 motorway as a parameter to define the London area. All the capital's main line railway stations belonging to the four former constituent railway companies are featured. Over 3,000 negatives were scanned while only approximately 250 photographs have been selected for inclusion to maintain a very high standard and give a real indication of this last gasp of steam. It is remarkable that when good photographic materials were painfully scarce after the Second World Wat that Ben Brooksbank was able to achieve some exceptional results from limited resources. Some of his images from the late 1940s are not only pin sharp but exude an almost palpable atmosphere of Britain's run-down post-war railways. He has captured freight trains, expresses and local trains along with staff carrying out their mundane duties or blatantly hanging off a locomotive cab eager to be caught on camera forever.Ben has photographed many of the railway stations in a dilapidated condition before massive renovation work.

What was special about 1845 and why does it deserve particular scrutiny? In his much-anticipated new book, one of the leading authorities on the Victorian age argues that this was the critical year in a decade which witnessed revolution on continental Europe, the threat of mass insurrection at home and radical developments in railway transport, communications, religion, literature and the arts. The effects of the new poor law now became visible in the workhouses; a potato blight started in Ireland, heralding the Great Famine; and the Church of England was rocked to its foundations by John Henry Newman's conversion to Roman Catholicism. What Victorian England became was moulded, says Michael Wheeler, in the crucible of 1845. Exploring pivotal correspondence, together with pamphlets, articles and cartoons, the author tells the riveting story of a seismic epoch through the lives, loves and letters of leading contemporaneous figures.

"Krist does wonders . . . [He] describes the frantic rescue efforts . . . and the malevolent, unending storm. In a thrilling, climactic chapter, he conjures forth the avalanche.""--The New York Times" In February 1910, a monstrous, record-breaking blizzard hit the Northwest. Nowhere was the danger more terrifying than near a tiny town called Wellington, perched high in the Cascade Mountains, where a desperate situation evolved: two trainloads of cold, hungry passengers and their crews found themselves marooned. For days, an army of the Great Northern Railroad's most dedicated men worked to rescue the trains, but just when escape seemed possible, the unthinkable occurred--a colossal avalanche tumbled down, sweeping the trains over the steep slope and down the mountainside. Centered on the astonishing spectacle of our nation's deadliest avalanche, "The White Cascade "is the masterfully told story of a never-before-documented tragedy.

Andrew's story covers a period from about 1950 to 1969, the year following the cessation of steam on Britain's railway network. He started collecting engine numbers in 1952, the line at the bottom of his garden in Liverpool providing the right incentive. The local station at Broadgreen was the first 'platform end' before moving on to visiting Liverpool's Lime St. station. Spotting trips to Wigan followed, thus inspiring the title for this book. Birkenhead, Chester and Manchester, soon followed and as life became more adventurous York and Doncaster. Recalling these journeys, Andrew describes points of interest, such as railway junctions, many of which are now no more, plus some of the industries which were thriving during the period. Having left school to start work in 1960, Andrew teaming up with new friends, started taking an interest in railway photography. Joining, the Stephenson Locomotive Society and the South Lancashire Locomotive Club enabled seeing a good deal of the UK. Some of the trips are described providing some amusing anecdotes. The news of Dr Richard Beeching's report for the reshaping of Britain's railways came as a devastating shock, not least to the enthusiast fraternity. Andrew comment about this in his narrative, and explains how it galvanised him into attempting to see and photograph as many different locomotive types as possible. Travelling to all but the four corners of the UK, including a visit to Woodhams scrapyard at Barry, and spending the Easter Holiday of 1963 touring Scotland with the South Lancashire Club. Learning to drive in 1965 and buying his first car. meant the world was his oyster. However, time was running out for steam and Andrew set about photographing trains rather than trying to collect the by now very few numbers he still had not seen. Fortunately remaining engine sheds were virtually thrown open to the public during the last weeks of steam operation, and by the Andrew was also recording sound and was there recording the shed activity. He also recorded on film and tape from onboard some of the many railtours which ran in the closing twelve months to 11 August that year and, on that day at Ais Gill, he witnessed the final act..

In "Just One Restless Rider," Carlos Schwantes invites readers to climb aboard for a ride they'll never forget. This sweeping memoir reflects a lifetime's love of observing and riding trains. Growing up in Indiana, Schwantes was enthralled by trains speeding through his town and especially dreamt of one day riding the Pennsylvania Railroad's all-Pullman flagship, "Spirit of St. Louis. "Now the "dean of travel historians," Schwantes recalls his many trips along the legendary rails of America and traces the evolution of American passenger trains from the 1950s to the present. The recollections are illustrated with a host of the author's own photos that capture old steam engines, ultramodern European terminals, and even the staff of a luxury train in action. In 1993, Schwantes was invited to travel as a lecturer aboard the cruise train "American Orient Express," a dream come true that enabled him to log personal reflections and take photos over the course of twelve years; he subsequently rode tens of thousands of miles on more than thirty separate train cruises. His narrative includes reflections on life aboard American and European trains and embraces not only trains themselves but also the view from the car windows as he ponders the meaning of passing skylines. His photographic eye eschews stereotypical shots of locomotives and cars, instead seeking images of trains, stations, and passengers that more fully depict the human journey. From boyhood memories of the Pennsy--"the mightiest thing I knew"--to adult travels, Schwantes takes in the rich history and lore of rail travel. He muses over the legend of ghostly brakeman Joe Baldwin on the Wilmington and Manchester, decapitated in an accident and said to walk the nighttime tracks swinging his lantern in search of his missing head. He discovers the confusing variety in timetables issued by the numerous British lines following the privatization of British Rail and the adventure of sharing a coach with cigarette smugglers in Eastern Europe. And he hears the recollections of old railroad men like Bill Dixon, retired president of the famed Rock Island Line ("a mighty good road"). By the time Schwantes actually rode on the "Spirit of St. Louis" in 1970, it had been downsized to a single coach and left him a rider even more restless than those celebrated by Arlo Guthrie in the song "City of New Orleans." "Just One Restless Rider" is an enjoyable trip for those with the "disappearing railroad blues" or anyone who has ever been captivated by the rhythm of the rails.

From poverty to immense wealth, from humble beginnings to international celebrity, George and Robert Stephenson's was an extraordinary joint career. Together they overshadow all other engineers, except perhaps Robert's friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel, for one vital reason: they were winners. For them it was not enough to follow the progress made by others. They had to be the best. Colossal in confidence, ability, energy and ambition, George Stephenson was also a man of huge rages and jealousies, determined to create his own legend. Brought up from infancy by his father, Robert was a very different person. Driven by the need to be the super-successful son his father wanted, he struggled with self-distrust and morbid depression. More than once his career and reputation teetered on the edge of disaster. But, by being flawed, he emerges as a far more interesting and sympathetic figure than the conventional picture of the 'eminent engineer.' David Ross's biography of George and Robert Stephenson sheds much new light on this remarkable father and son. Authoritative and containing many new discoveries, it is a highly readable account of how these two men set the modern industrial world in motion.

The aim of this series is to appeal to readers of all ages, perhaps for different reasons...In this volume: We travel back to the year 1965 For the younger reader there are wonderful pictures of trains, real trains. There will, for example, be tank engines, steam engines, electric trains and multiple units and many more varieties besides! Some will be recognised from train sets, model railways and books, while others will be seen for the first time. For the older reader the books are designed to build into a collection placing the railway in the context of key events thus providing an historical perspective of travel in times past. For those old enough to remember the years depicted, the series will, we hope, provide reminders for many of school days, time perhaps spent train-spotting, shed bashing and generally gricing! The books also make ideal theme gifts for the year of birth, marriage, retirement, starting work and other such events in life.

A symbol of the "new Japan" displayed at World's Fairs, depicted in travel posters, and celebrated as the product of a national spirit of innovation, the Tōkaidō Shinkansen—the first bullet train, dubbed the "dream super-express"—represents the bold aspirations of a nation rebranding itself after military defeat, but also the deep problems caused by the unbridled postwar drive for economic growth. At the dawn of the space age, how could a train become such an important symbol? In Dream Super-Express, Jessamyn Abel contends that understanding the various, often contradictory, images of the bullet train reveals how infrastructure operates beyond its intended use as a means of transportation to perform cultural and sociological functions. The multi-layered dreams surrounding this high-speed railway tell a history not only of nation-building but of resistance and disruption. Though it constituted neither a major technological leap nor a new infrastructural connection, the train enchanted, enthralled, and enraged government officials, media pundits, community activists, novelists, and filmmakers. This history of imaginations around the monumental rail system resists the commonplace story of progress to consider the tug-of-war over the significance of the new line. Is it a vision of the future or a reminder of the past, an object of international admiration or a formidable threat? Does it enable new relationships and identities or reify existing social hierarchies? Tracing the meanings assigned to high-speed rail shows how it prompted a reimagination of identity on the levels of individual, metropolis, and nation in a changing Japan.

Do you know what's under your feet? The London Underground was the very first underground railway - but it wasn't the first time Londoners had ventured below ground, nor would it be the last. People seem to be drawn to subterranean London: it hides unsightly (yet magnificent) sewers, protects its people from war, and hosts its politicians in times of crisis. But the underground can also be an underworld, and celebrated London historian Fiona Rule has tracked down the darker stories too - from the gangs that roamed below looking for easy prey, to an attempted murder-suicide on the platform of Charing Cross. Underneath London is another world; one with shadows of war, crime and triumph. London's Labyrinth is a book that no London aficionado should be without.

Railway photography has never been more popular. Good quality images, once only achievable with expensive professional hardware, are now within everyone's reach. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced photographer wanting to broaden your horizons, Digital Railway Photography: A Practical Guide will help you get the best from your camera with clear advice and how to avoid common pitfalls. Whether you have an entry level compact camera or an all-singing high-end digital SLR, you will find no nonsense advice and practical tips. Digital Railway Photography: A Practical Guide is written by Jeremy de Souza, a British railway photographer with almost 40 years of experience. From mastering the basic camera controls to more advanced techniques such as panning, time exposures and creative projects, this essential book will help and guide you. You will also find advice on how to save your images securely in the digital age and make simple adjustments in order to present them at their very best. For those with film collections, you will also find advice on how to get the best results from scanning.