Railway buildings have always had a fascinating character all of their own, despite many no longer being in operational railway service. This book tells the story of how these buildings evolved alongside the development of the railway in Great Britain and examines how architects over the years have responded to the operational, social and cultural influences that define their work. Written for those with a keen interest in architecture and the railway, as well as those new to the subject, The Architecture and Legacy of British Railway Buildings provides an unique insight into the production of railway architecture, both in the context of railway management and the significant periods of ownership, and the swings in national mood for railway-based transportation. As well as tracing its history, the authors take time to consider the legacy these buildings have left behind and the impact of heritage on a continually forward-looking industry. Topics covered include: the context of railway architecture today; the history of how it came into existence; the evolution of different railway building types; the unique aspects of railway building design, and finally, the key railway development periods and their architectural influences.

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.

The East Kent Railway was one of Britain's less well known light railways, a part of the Colonel Stephens group of lines, the East Kent Railway was meant to open up the newly discovered Kent coal field and help to make its shareholders wealthy, however things took a different turn, when the projected colliery's along the line did not materialise the way the promoters had first envisaged. The only colliery to produce quantities of coal being Tilmanstone near Shepherdswell, which opened in 1912. There were other pits started along the formation of the line from Shepherdswell to Wingham, but in the cases of the other pits, only the surface buildings or test shafts were constructed, before the work was abandoned. This was largely due to flooding and the poor calorific quality of East Kent coal, which had to be mixed with other coal to be effectively used. There were four colliery's completed in Kent, the East Kent Railway only served one of them and this together with the other three lasted until the latter part of the 20th century. The railway operated a loss making passenger service to Wingham and for a few years to Sandwich Road halt on the line to Richborough Port line, however the service to Wingham Canterbury Road came to an end in October 1948, after British Railways had taken control. The East Kent Railway lasted through two world wars and was nationalised in 1948, becoming part of the Southern Region of British Railways, it closed to traffic in 1984, during the coal strike.

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.

Thomas is going on holiday! Join the little blue engine as he travels around the country visiting favourite holiday destinations in this delightful new picture book. Join Thomas as he puffs up Snowdon, zooms past Blackpool Tower, takes in the sights in London, and marvels at the seaside in Brighton! Thomas is on the trip of a lifetime and is meeting lots of new friends along the way. Enjoy the simple story and beautiful illustrations in this brand new picture book. Thomas has been teaching children lessons about life and friendship for over 75 years. He ranks alongside other beloved characters such as Paddington Bear, Winnie-the-Pooh and Peter Rabbit as an essential part of our literary heritage.

A 2-4 player card game of trains, tracks, and tricky decisions designed by the award-winning design duo Brett J. Gilbert and Matthew Dunstan. In the sleepy English countryside, life continues undisturbed as it has for centuries. It is up to you to travel to every corner of this land, bearing the promise of modernisation, accommodating the oddly specific demands of the locals, and ushering in the age of steam. In Village Rails, you will be criss-crossing the fields of England with railway lines, connecting villages together, and navigating the complex and ever-changing demands of rural communities. Connect stations and farmsteads to your local network while placing your railway signals and sidings ever so carefully. Meet the exacting standards of cantankerous locals planning strangely specific trips, and weigh their demands against your limited funding. There is much to balance in this tricky tableau-building card game of locomotives and local motives. Players: 2-4 Playing Time: 45 mins Age: 14+ Contents: 122 mini cards, 50+ tokens, 4 scoring dials

Since the advent of train travel, railways have compressed space and crossed national boundaries to become transnational icons, evoking hope, dread, progress, or obsolescence in different cultural domains. Spanning five continents and a diverse range of contexts, this collection offers an unprecedentedly broad survey of global representations of trains. From experimental novels to Hollywood blockbusters, the works studied here chart fascinating routes across a remarkably varied cultural landscape.

Originally published in 1979, this volume is an invaluable study of a railway system and its adjustment to changing political-geographical conditions, as well as changes in economic and social geography. Each change in the territorial extent or in the internal territorial-administrative organisation of Germany has had its repercussions upon the spatial pattern of the country’s economy and consequently upon the demand for transport. Furthermore, the central position of Germany within the continent has given an added importance to the role of its railways in the overall pattern of the European railway system. For the transport geographer the comparisons and contrasts with the British railway system are particularly insightful.

The Lehigh Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society compiled this 1966 History of the Lehigh Valley Transit Company, beginning with the horse-drawn cars in 1868 Allentown.

The British Rail corporate image and its Rail Blue livery was one of the longest-lived colour schemes carried by the trains of Britain in the forty-eight-year life of the nationalised railway network. Launched in 1965, after Beeching, the then new corporate image was an attempt by the BR design panel to raise the profile of the railway system countrywide and to sweep away the dull steam-era image as the swinging sixties got underway. By the mid-1970s, virtually all BR locomotives and multiple units were carrying Rail Blue livery, while most of the passenger coaches were in matching blue/grey. As the British Rail network was sectorised from the late 1980s in preparation for eventual privatisation, new bold, bright livery schemes for the fleet swept away the familiar, but by then somewhat jaded BR image. The BR blue era is now looked upon with affection as a golden age when the system was operated by an immense variety of locomotives and rolling stock, all now part of history in the same way that the steam era was viewed when the BR blue era ruled on Britain's railways.