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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Trains & railways: general interest
For the third and final portrayal of the southern railway in the
years of World War 2, this exciting volume aims to present
something rather different to the reader. With a further selection
of unseen images of the railway in its damaged and destroyed state,
this title gives an informative and real-life picture of the
Southern during the World War 2 era. In addition to these
previously unseen images, this wartime special takes an in-depth
look at the human effort involved through records of the bravery of
the staff during these hard times. The citations included in this
volume make for a humbling experience and a truly inspirational
read outlining the courage, bravery, and outstanding efforts of
those working on and linked with the Southern Railways during the
devastating times of World War 2.
The Shelf2Life Trains & Railroads Collection provides a unique
opportunity for researchers and railroad enthusiasts to easily
access and explore pre-1923 titles focusing on the history, culture
and experience of railroading. From the revolution of the steam
engine to the thrill of early travel by rail, railroads opened up
new opportunities for commerce, American westward expansion and
travel. These books provide a unique view of the impact of this
type of transportation on our urban and rural societies and
cultures, while allowing the reader to share the experience of
early railroading in a new and unique way. The Trains &
Railroads Collection offers a valuable perspective on this
important and fascinating aspect of modern industrialization.
"Riveting...A great read, full of colorful characters and
outrageous confrontations back when the west was still wild."
--George R.R. Martin A propulsive and panoramic history of one of
the most dramatic stories never told--the greatest railroad war of
all time, fought by the daring leaders of the Santa Fe and the Rio
Grande to seize, control, and create the American West. It is
difficult to imagine now, but for all its gorgeous scenery, the
American West might have been barren tundra as far as most
Americans knew well into the 19th century. While the West was
advertised as a paradise on earth to citizens in the East and
Midwest, many believed the journey too hazardous to be
worthwhile--until 1869, when the first transcontinental railroad
changed the face of transportation. Railroad companies soon became
the rulers of western expansion, choosing routes, creating
brand-new railroad towns, and building up remote settlements like
Santa Fe, Albuquerque, San Diego, and El Paso into proper cities.
But thinning federal grants left the routes incomplete, an
opportunity that two brash new railroad men, armed with private
investments and determination to build an empire across the
Southwest clear to the Pacific, soon seized, leading to the
greatest railroad war in American history. In From the River to the
Sea, bestselling author John Sedgwick recounts, in vivid and
thrilling detail, the decade-long fight between General William J.
Palmer, the Civil War hero leading the "little family" of his Rio
Grande, and William Barstow Strong, the hard-nosed manager of the
corporate-minded Santa Fe. What begins as an accidental rivalry
when the two lines cross in Colorado soon evolves into an all-out
battle as each man tries to outdo the other--claiming exclusive
routes through mountains, narrow passes, and the richest silver
mines in the world; enlisting private armies to protect their land
and lawyers to find loopholes; dispatching spies to gain
information; and even using the power of the press and incurring
the wrath of the God-like Robber Baron Jay Gould--to emerge
victorious. By the end of the century, one man will fade into
anonymity and disgrace. The other will achieve unparalleled
success--and in the process, transform a sleepy backwater of thirty
thousand called "Los Angeles" into a booming metropolis that will
forever change the United States. Filled with colorful characters
and high drama, told at the speed of a locomotive, From the River
to the Sea is an unforgettable piece of American history "that
seems to demand a big-screen treatment" (The New Yorker).
Moquette is the carpet-like fabric covering the seats we sit on in
London's Tubes, buses, trams and Overground trains - and here is a
brilliantly colourful guide to all its patterns. London Transport
has always wanted the best design, be it Charles Holden's superb
art deco Tube stations on the Piccadilly Line, its elegant Johnston
typeface or Harry Beck's Tube map. And this pursuit of excellence
has extended even to the design of the fabrics it covers our bus
and Tube seats with: moquette. In the Thirties top artists like
Paul Nash and Enid Marx were commissioned to design patterns;
nowadays every line like Crossrail or the Overground gets its own
unique, colour-co-ordinated moquette pattern. Now, in conjunction
with the London Transport Museum, which has the definitive London
Transport moquette archive, Andrew Martin has written a delightful,
surprising and covetable guide to all these patterns, from the
first horse bus to the latest Tube train.
One of Wales' oldest narrow gauge railways, the 2ft 3in gauge
Corris Railway was built to carry slate from several quarries in
the Dulas valley to wharves on the river Dyfi. At first forbidden
to use steam locomotives or to carry passengers, it overcame these
obstacles and became an essential part of the community that it
served. It was also a forerunner in encouraging tourists, offering
inclusive tours to nearby Talyllyn, passengers travelling on the
train and on railway-operated road services. Taken over by the
Great Western Railway in 1930, the railway was closed by British
Railways in 1948, apparently for good. Fortunately, the last two
steam locomotives and some rolling stock was saved by the nearby
Talyllyn Railway, where it played an essential role in that
railway's preservation. Eventually, the thoughts of enthusiasts
turned to reviving the Corris Railway, and, after many twists and
turns, the first passengers were carried on a short section in
2002. Historian Peter Johnson has delved into many sources to
uncover the intricacies of the railway's origins, its development,
operation and revival.
A luxury facsimile edition of Bradshaw’s Handbook of 1863, the
book that inspired the BBC television series ‘Great British
Railway Journeys’. The original Bradshaw's guides had been well
known to Victorian travellers and were produced when the British
railway network was at its peak and as tourism by rail became
essential. It was the first national tourist guide specifically
organised around railway journeys, and this luxuryleatherbound
facsimile edition is a true collector’s item, offering a glimpse
through the carriage window at a Britain long past.
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