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.

Once an icon of American industry, railroads fell into a long decline beginning around the turn of the twentieth century. Overburdened with regulation and often displaced by barge traffic on government-maintained waterways, trucking on interstate highways, and jet aviation, railroads measured their misfortune in lost market share, abandoned track, bankruptcies, and unemployment. Today, however, as Robert Gallamore and John Meyer demonstrate, rail transportation is reviving, rescued by new sources of traffic and advanced technology, as well as less onerous bureaucracy. In 1970, Congress responded to the industry's plight by consolidating most passenger rail service nationwide into Amtrak. But private-sector freight service was left to succeed or fail on its own. The renaissance in freight traffic began in 1980 with the Staggers Rail Act, which allowed railroad companies to contract with customers for services and granted freedom to set most rates based on market supply and demand. Railroads found new business hauling low-sulfur coal and grain long distances in redesigned freight cars, while double-stacked container cars moved a growing volume of both international and domestic goods. Today, trains have smaller crews, operate over better track, and are longer and heavier than ever before. Near the end of the twentieth century, after several difficult but important mergers, privately owned railroads increased their investments in safe, energy-efficient, environmentally friendly freight transportation. American Railroads tells a riveting story about how this crucial U.S. industry managed to turn itself around.

Starting with a little known Indian Battle on top of the Cumbres, and moving rapidly forward in history, the story of "The Little Train That Would Not Die" creates a tale of the West seldom told today. While some of it was lived out in the 1800s, the major portion of this book centers around the heroic efforts of ordinary men accomplishing the impossible through ordinary means in the 1960s and 1970s. It is a story packed with action, adventure and passion that interweaves with the lives of General William J. Palmer, Bat Masterson, and singing star, Gene Autry. But most of all it is a passionate tale of the lives of men who dared to dream big and found success even when the deck was stacked against them. They were train buffs, steam fans, senators, family men. They were men who saw a piece of Americana slipping away and they were damned if they were going to let that happen. Like my father said, "they were the most over enthusiastic, unbusiness-like fools that ever set foot in shoe leather," but they got the job done and the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad is their living monument of hope to future generations. This is their story, but it's also mine. As a 9 year old girl, I rode on the Cumbres & Toltec when it first started out. By the time I was 14 years old, I was drummed into Engine 463's "boiler maker corps" working along side my dad and three other guys, forever losing my heart to that little engine. I remember the blisters and aching muscles, the heart ache and joy. It is my hope that a piece of that has been capture on these pages and that this train will go to future generations forever being "The Little Train That Would Not Die."

This ninth edition of Bradt's USA by Rail guidebook has been fully revised and expanded to take account of changes to Amtrak routes and services, plus the latest Amtrak and VIA Rail pass details, and features over 500 destinations, including Disney World, the Grand Canyon and Niagara Falls. With 25 long-distance train journeys across the United States and a further 12 in Canada, plus sightseeing highlights for 38 major cities, accommodation options from cheap to chic and everything you need to find your way around unfamiliar train stations, this book has all the practical information required to make the most of a rail pass. There are maps, route plans and photographs, up-to-date security and immigration information, plus vital tips for sightseeing, local transport and accommodation, as well as chapters on VIA Rail, the Rocky Mountaineer and other trains in Canada. The book also includes a history of North American railroads, current steam train operators, tourist railways and museums, as well as sound advice for the visitor from overseas. Hundreds of Internet contacts make it easy to plan and make reservations for any trip you desire. The grandeur of America's scenery - from its never-ending prairies, the Joshua trees of the Mojave Desert and the saw-toothed peaks of the Rocky Mountains to the pounding surf of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans - is one of the continent's greatest attractions and there is no better way to enjoy it than by train. Written by an expert author who has travelled around 80,000 miles by train in North America in the last 25 years, Bradt's USA by Rail is the essential companion for a successful trip.

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 **************************************************************************************************** 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!

There are more than 400 miniature railways in Britain. Some are hidden away and privately owned, others are parkland attractions, and some - such as the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch - are large commercial enterprises. They come in an array of gauges (from 5 inches up to 15 inches and sometimes beyond), but their most definitive characteristic is that they can carry passengers, whether sitting astride the rolling stock or inside enclosed carriages. In this colourfully illustrated guide, David Henshaw offers a concise history of miniature railways from the nineteenth century to the modern day, including a whistle-stop tour of the most notable examples open to the public - including the Ravenglass & Eskdale and Eastleigh Lakeside railways - exploring their layouts, engineering and rolling stock.

John Betjeman (1906-1984) was not only one of the best-loved Englishmen of the twentieth century, he was also the people's favourite poet and champion of many causes linked to the preservation of Britain's heritage. Whether those causes concerned buildings, bridges or railway branch lines, Betjeman was a feared adversary of bureaucratic excesses. This delightful little book is a celebration of his love of railways and rail travel. Ten letters selected by his daughter, Candida Lycett Green, each describe a journey that he made or that he planned to make or that he planned for a friend or relative. Jonathan Glancey has added his own words to each letter; words that set the scene, bring the letters to life, that describe Betjeman's moods - humorous, mischievous, brisk for business - and above all, remind us of the age of the steam locomotive in Britain and the many stations closed and track miles lost during the sixties and seventies.

In 2010 the first volume of Mike Jacob's enchanting memories of his railway childhood was published. Memories of Isle of Wight Railways combined personal reminiscences with accurate factual information. Readers are privileged to see Hampshire railways in the 1940s, the time as a child he first saw a sailor carrying bananas at Portsmouth station-without knowing what they were, a strange machine that turned out to be the Leader on a test run, and later still, visits to Eastleigh and interviews with the works manager, which revealed some interesting facets on Mr. Bulleid and his engines. The story continues with equally wonderful descriptions of visits from Kent across to Cornwall. This new title is copiously illustrated with new material, a lot of which has never previously published. Just like the first volume, this is a compelling book that once started, will be difficult to put down.

The London Midland Region covered a huge part of England from London to the north and north west, from the Scottish borders into the south west. It served huge metropolitan cities and towns, supported heavy industry, and ran through areas of outstanding natural beauty such as the Peak District and Lake District. Modelling the Midland Region from 1948 is an essential guide to creating your own model based on the London Midland Region of the British Railways era. It covers the history of the London Midland Region; British Rail and LMS locomotives; passenger and goods rolling stock; structures and scenery unique to the region, and signalling and electrification. The authors of this book are trustees of the charity Famous Trains model railway and directors of its operating company Famous Trains Ltd.

In series with the main 'Southern Way' volumes, this 96 page book looks at things that went wrong on the railway - sometimes unavoidable, sometimes misfortune and sometimes just sheer bad luck. Nothing too macabre either, instead derailments, clear ups, and incident-causing delays, plus of course Bulleid's that got a bit hot under the casing! This primarily pictorial volume covers the period of both Southern Region and Southern Railway days plus a few earlier occurrences. The photographer sometimes unwittingly affording a glimpse of a background scene rarely seen elsewhere.