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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Trains & railways: general interest
If you are looking to reduce their carbon footprint but also want
to travel, then look no further than this indispensable and
comprehensive guide to train travel across Europe from the man
behind the award-winning travel website www.seat61.com. Start
planning that holiday now! 'Really gets the juices flowing... I've
booked my ticket!' -- ***** Reader review 'The train travellers
bible' -- ***** Reader review 'A must have travel bible for getting
around' -- ***** Reader review 'A fascinating read' -- ***** Reader
review
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Mark Smith is the Man in Seat Sixty-One - the man behind the
massively popular www.seat61.com website, which offers invaluable
advice on worldwide train travel. This book is the essential guide
for anyone who wishes to travel to Europe and beyond by train.
Packed with insider knowledge and top tips, it offers advice on
everything from the quickest routes and the cheapest fares to the
best weekends away; travelling with children and changing trains;
timetables and maps; essential items to travel with; and everything
in between. More and more people are choosing to avoid air travel
and seek alternatives, and this is the only book you need to plan a
railroad adventure!
An illustrated historical tour of London's 13 great railway
termini, on a clockwise circuit from Paddington to Victoria.
London's railway termini are among the most recognisable and
familiar landmarks in the city. Famed for their bustling platforms
and architectural innovation, they comprise a fascinating mixture
of Neo-Gothic exuberance and purposeful modernity. Though each owes
its existence to a long-extinct Victorian railway company, these
stations continue to be central to London life, with millions of
visitors passing through every year. This historical whistlestop
tour takes you on a circuit of London's thirteen great railway
termini, from Paddington, through King's Cross, to Victoria.
Ranging from the earliest stations to the latest restorations and
ongoing developments, this beautifully illustrated book examines
both their legacy and their future.
It is now over a decade since the much-loved Great British Railway
Journeys series set off on its incredible run discovering the
cultural, social and engineering landscape of the United Kingdom
through the prism of George Bradshaw's Handbook to rail travel.
Veteran politician and ex cabinet minister Michael Portillo has
since presented eleven seasons of this ever-popular show on BBC
Two, covering every part of the existing train network in Britain,
as well as others that were closed as a result of the Beeching
Report in 1963. Across a decade of these journeys, Portillo has
celebrated how every corner of England, Scotland, Wales and
Northern Ireland was opened up by the railway line as a result of
the Industrial Revolution, thus giving fans a unique insight into
our shared past of train travel since the Victorian era. With the
anniversary, this new collection will celebrate Michael's top fifty
journeys from the hundreds he has covered, adding more insight and
analysis to some of the greatest railway lines, stations, bridges,
viaducts and tunnels the Victorians built to create the world we
now live in. From Paddington Station to the Clifton Suspension
Bridge; the Southend Pier line to the milk wagons departing from
Blake Hall Station. An unrivalled narrative to be treasured.
Greatest British Railway Journeys is both a celebratory and
charming ride through our country's beloved history - all from the
unique position of a train seat.
Have you ever watched wagon after wagon of a goods train thunder
past and wondered where it is heading, what it is carrying, and how
it works its way between the passenger services? While goods
services now tend to be shrouded in anonymity, in past times they
were celebrated, prominently advertised, and in many cases were the
raisons d'etre for a rail route. Throughout the nineteenth and much
of the twentieth century, goods trains were the lifeblood of the
nation, transporting precious raw materials, construction and
industrial items, and fresh produce from coastal areas and farms
into the centres of bustling cities. This informative illustrated
history shows how rail freight has been carried since Victorian
times, and how systems have been organized, from the train itself
to the sidings, railway clearing houses, goods sheds and final
destinations - whether villages, towns, cities, factories or docks.
It also examines the basic rolling stock of these trains, from the
humble coal wagon to today's hi-tech containers.
The London Underground has always been key to the lives of
Londoners, from when its stations and stairwells offered refuge
from the barrage of the Blitz through to its unique ability across
the years to transport people safely all around the capital. It has
remained strong in the face of devastation, surviving horrors like
the Moorgate Tube crash and the 7/7 bombings. An icon throughout
the world, the Tube is as resilient as any Londoner, and is the
thread that holds the capital together. These stunning photographs
from the Mirrorpix archives present its changing face over time.
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
Mind the gap and jump aboard this fascinating history of the
world's oldest and greatest underground railway. On seven guided
journeys, travel through time and observe at first hand the
influence of great Underground architects, such as Charles Holden
and Sir Norman Foster, and how the stations have changed - but also
how many things have stayed the same.
The first global history of the epic early days of the iron railway
 Railways, in simple wooden or stone form, have existed
since prehistory. But from the 1750s onward the introduction of
iron rails led to a dramatic technological evolution—one that
would truly change the world. Â In this rich new history,
David Gwyn tells the neglected story of the early iron railway from
a global perspective. Driven by a combination of ruthless
enterprise, brilliant experimenters, and international cooperation,
railway construction began to expand across the world with
astonishing rapidity. From Britain to Australia, Russia to America,
railways would bind together cities, nations, and entire
continents. Rail was a tool of industry and empire as well as,
eventually, passenger transport, and developments in technology
occurred at breakneck speed—even if the first locomotive in
America could muster only 6 mph. Â The Coming of the Railway
explores these fascinating developments, documenting the early
railway’s outsize social, political, and economic
impact—carving out the shape of the global economy as we know it
today.
George Stephenson is among the most famous engineers of all time.
His rise from 'rags to riches' is a stirring story of its kind, but
many of the works attributed to him should in fact be credited to
young subordinates, not least his son, Robert. But much of the work
of innovative engineers for his period lay not in the work itself
but in persuading people that such work was desirable and
necessary. It was in this field that George Stephenson excelled,
providing openings in which his young proteges could change the
world. They did not let him down, and we should give him full
credit for being 'The Father of the Railways'. Adrian Jarvis
specialises in the engineering and finance of dock and harbour
construction, on which he has published extensively, but he also
has a strong interest in early railways and in the general history
of technology. Another book for Shire by this author is: The
Victorian Engineer
On 22 May 1934 a zenith of locomotive construction in the UK was
reached when an enormous new locomotive entered traffic for the
London & North Eastern Railway Company. The impressive engine
was P2 Class no. 2001 Cock o' the North and it was painstakingly
erected to the designs of eminent locomotive engineer H.N. Gresley
(later Sir) at the company's sprawling Doncaster Works.Cock o' the
North was equipped with number of new and experimental features and
this created quite a stir in the highly critical railway world and
with the wider general public. These features included;
Kylala-Chapelon (Kylchap) double blastpipe and chimney, Lentz
poppet valves and rotary cam valve gear, A.C.F.I feedwater heater,
V-shaped cab front, streamlined steam passages and a 50 sq. ft
firebox grate area. No. 2001 also had a 2-8-2 or 'Mikado' wheel
arrangement and, while it was not the first engine in Britain to
have such configuration (the Gresley P1 Class locomotives of 1925
were the pioneers), Cock o' the North was the first engine intended
for use on express passenger traffic to be built as a 'Mikado'.This
book is the first one to feature the entire history of Cock o' the
North as a single subject.With detailed research and a remarkable
selection of photographs it examines and illustrates many aspects
of the locomotive including: the name derivation, construction,
trial runs, trial tests, the controversial rebuilding by Gresley's
successor, Edward Thompson, the involvement in the Balby Bridge
crash, and final withdrawal from service.Locomotive developments at
home and abroad during the first half of the 20th century are also
chartered as well as Nigel Gresley's rise from Great Northern
Railway Company Locomotive Superintendent to LNER Chief Mechanical
Engineer. Having understood Gresley's motivation behind building
the locomotive, readers are then armed with enough information to
ask themselves whether his bold experiment of building the largest
steam passenger locomotive Britain has ever seen was a success and
achieved the intentions of its creator.
As the world speeds up, as technology takes over, it is worth
remembering how we used to live. This three-book series is a
nostalgic hymn to an era when life was slower: a meandering ramble
through the British countryside by bicycle, automobile and train.
Take an amble across the countryside with this book, which
celebrates a time when our railway network was more than a
permanently delayed omnishambles of overcrowded and overpriced
trains. Country stations and lonely halts, milk churns and coal
yards, enamelled signs and platform clocks - these are the
fragments of a more leisured age, from a time when the local
station was a well-loved institution at the heart of so many
communities. Here are gas-lit rural stations, oil lamps on level
crossing gates, enamelled signs, waiting room fires, timetables and
luggage labels. Less a clattering, steamy ride into the past than a
touchstone for joyous memories of such a vital and well-loved
institution, The Slow Train harks back to a more measured,
considered era.
The new puzzle book from the National Railway Museum in York! Have
you got what it takes to travel around Britain solving these 100
train-based brainteasers, word games, number crunchers and puzzles?
Escape from your home and put your puzzle-solving skills to the
test with these captivating conundrums that will take you on a
whirlwind ride through the nation's most extraordinary past and
present railway journeys. From the first journeys of legendary
locomotives such as The Flying Scotsman and the Penydarren, to
record-breaking routes and trips that changed our world, this is
the perfect gift for puzzle book fanatics, train and travel
enthusiasts, and history buffs! Inspired by the museum's archives
this book is jam-packed with a variety of puzzles, from anagrams,
crosswords and wordsearches to logic and mathematical challenges.
Alongside puzzles to suit all levels, each section also includes an
introduction that covers the most fascinating trivia, facts and
figures behind the history of our railways, written by Chris
Valkoinen from the National Railway Museum's Search Engine. There's
a treasure trove of puzzles to be solved - are you ready to climb
aboard?
Never before has a comprehensive history been written of the track
used by railways of all gauges, tramways, and cliff railways, in
Great Britain. And yet it was the development of track, every bit
as much as the development of the locomotive, that has allowed our
railways to provide an extraordinarily wide range of services.
Without the track of today, with its laser-guided maintenance
machines, the TGV and the Eurostar could not cruise smoothly at 272
feet per second, nor could 2,000-ton freight trains carry a wide
range of materials, or suburban railways, over and under the
ground, serve our great cities in a way that roads never could.
Andrew Dow's account of the development of track, involving deep
research in the papers of professional institutions as well as rare
books, company records and personal accounts, paints a vivid
picture of development from primitive beginnings to modernity. The
book contains nearly 200 specially-commissioned drawings as well as
many photographs of track in its very many forms since the
appearance of the steam locomotive in 1804.Included are chapters on
electrified railways, and on the development of mechanised
maintenance, which revolutionised the world of the platelayer.
Peter Tatlow provides readers a concise and detailed history of
railway breakdown cranes in Britain. Although there are few railway
subjects that have not been published in detail in recent years,
breakdown cranes have not, possibly due to the technical nature of
the subject and as such the ideal person to compile such a work
would be an engineer. Respected railway author and former BR civil
engineer, Peter Tatlow, has taken the subject from its early days
through the time of the short-jib cranes to more recent history and
the introduction and use of the long-jib variant. Even so, many of
the older types continued in use well into the late twentieth
century. In what will build into a two-volume history, this volume
includes descriptive and informative text and numerous photographs
and scale plans. Illustrations of breakdown cranes in both static
and working mode complete this standard work of reference on the
subject.
"Memories of a Dean Forest Railwayman" is much more than a railway
book. It makes an important contribution to the social history of
the area, describing the author's latter days at work and providing
an unsentimental account of the real hardships of life on the
railway. It also describes the dedication and camarardarie of the
old railwaymen he met and worked with in the twilight years of
steam, and the hard, dirty and sometimes dangerous work involved,
even in the more modern era days.
This book examines in words and pictures the huge changes that have
taken place in the last 50 years on the British railway network. We
see how steam-age infrastructure has gradually given way to a
streamlined modern railway. The beginning of the period saw the
final stages of the Beeching cuts, with the closure of some rural
branches and lesser-used stations. Since the 1980s the tide has
turned and numerous lines and stations have joined or rejoined the
network. As for freight, we see how the complex operations of the
20th century have been replaced by a far smaller number of
specialised terminals, while marshalling yards in the traditional
sense have all but disappeared. And the long process of updating
our railway signalling has continued apace, even though some
semaphore gems have managed to survive into the 21st century.
This is a new edition of Dr EM Patterson's first volume on the
history of the narrow-gauge railways of North-West Ireland,
originally published in 1962. The County Donegal Railways had a
route of 124 miles, five termini and three junction stations. For
the most part they traversed hilly and thinly-populated country and
for two generations they were a busy and efficient operation. This
edition adds a valuable chapter of interviews and memories of some
of the surviving workers and others who had contact with the
railway. It also includes a chapter on the County Donegal Railway
today (as over 50 years after closure, much can still be seen of
the former network), and some additional Glover drawings of
locomotive, carriage and wagon stock.
Ron Buckley's photographs show the changing locomotive scene taking
place from the later 1930s throughout the East Midlands and East
Anglia, illustrating pre-grouping locomotive classes still working
across Lincoln, Cambridge, Norfolk, Suffolk, Nottingham, Leicester,
Northampton, Bedford, Hertford, Buckingham and Essex. During later
LNER days, locomotives of the Great Eastern and Great Northern
Railways continued working the many secondary routes and branch
lines while the main East Coast saw from 1935 the appearance of
Nigel Gresley's streamlined class A4 locomotives working the high
speed passenger traffic between Edinburgh and London. The LMS
influence saw many former London and North Western and Midland
Railway locomotives handling both passenger and goods traffic
especially the product of the many collieries in Nottinghamshire.
Great Railway Journeys in Europe features 34 fascinating journeys
in North-West, Nordic, Central, Southern and South-East Europe,
ranging from cross-continental adventures to short, nostalgic
excursions by steam train. There are journeys through stunning
scenery, such as the trip on The Rauma Line in Norway; tracks that
defy the terrain, such as the routes through the Swiss Alps, and
journeys that link famed cities in France, Spain, Austria and
Italy. Photographs illustrate the spectacular routes, remarkable
locomotives and unique station architecture. For each journey,
details cover technical information on the track, descriptions of
the scenery the trains pass through, notable facts about the
destinations and factual information on ticketing. Each journey is
plotted on a route map. Whether you are planning a special trip by
train or delighting in discovering Europe's best railway journeys
from the comfort of your armchair, this book is an informative and
entertaining read.
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.
Digital photography equipment and software now give enthusiasts the
ability to create images of exceptional quality. For those who want
to develop their skills and improve their results, this book will
show you how to get the best from your digital camera. It will help
you create a collection or portfolio to be proud of, and show you
how to achieve outstanding results without a huge investment in
equipment. This book is a 'how to' guide for railway photographers.
Intended for those comfortable with their digital camera, it will
show you new techniques to try and the true capabilities of your
camera. Using clear examples, you'll learn how to get the best
image quality from prevailing conditions, and maximise the impact
and creativity of your images. Once back at home in the 'digital
darkroom', the book will offer tips and advice on how to use common
imaging software. It will show you how to enhance an image, so you
can bring out the best results in a creative manner without losing
the inspiration or atmosphere of the original shot.
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.
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