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.

This book describes seven branch lines which climbed into the mountain ranges that span the length and breadth of the countries of India and Pakistan. Some - like the Darjeeling Himalayan - are well known, but others - like the Zhob Valley, Khyber Pass and Kangra Valley lines - are less so. Several of these railways were also the last bastions of steam operation in the sub-continent. Unsurprisingly, as hill railways, most of them reached remarkable heights, many using ingenious feats of engineering to assist their climb into seemingly impenetrable terrain. These lines served diverse locations, each with its own characteristics, from the hostile territories of the North-West Frontier, along the spectacular foothills of the Himalayas, skirting the Western Ghats of the Deccan down to the gentle rolling landscape of the Nilgiris, or Blue Hills, of South India. The book gives the histories of the seven hill railways including summaries of their operations and routes. Maps and gradient charts for all seven railway lines are given as well as listings of the locomotives operating the hill railways.

What sort of person undertakes to rob a multi-ton train surging down a set of rails at high speed? For the Old West’s most famous outlaws, including Jesse James, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, the Dalton Gang, and Black Jack Ketchum, it was as much about the thrill of the crime as the riches to be won, thumbing their noses at the authorities, and getting away with their crimes more often than not. These men, and at least one woman, were dare devils, rule breakers, adventurers, and rebels. In addition to their train robberies, they led colorful, dramatic, and dangerous lives. The Old West's Infamous Train Robbers and their Historic Heists profiles sixteen noted train robbers (or train robbing gangs) along with the details of each their forty-seven hold-ups. The mechanics of each of their train robberies—planning, execution, and escape—are dissected and discussed. Pertinent background information relating to each outlaw/gang is included as well as what became of them following their train robbery days.

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.

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 North London Line from Richmond to Broad Street, and later, to Stratford was the capital's Cinderella railway for many years. An official report in 2006 called it 'shabby, unsafe, unreliable and overcrowded.' It was threatened with closure under the Beeching Axe in the 1960s and again in the 1970s, escaping on both occasions due to organised and effective protest groups. Today it thrives as a key part of Transport for London's Overground network, and the story of how it survived closure threats and lack of investment is essential to an understanding of the politics of public transport in London over the past half century