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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Trains & railways: general interest
This book is an interesting collection of essays on the Railways in
Colonial South Asia. The book introduces the key concepts which
have now entered the study of railway history, e.g. economy,
ecology, culture, health and crime through the various essays. The
well researched essays include those on the Imperial Railways in
nineteenth century South Asia, Pakistan Railway, Impact of railway
expansion on the Himalayan forests, development of the Sri Lankan
Railways, a study of the European employees of the BB & CI
Railways, problems of Indian Railway up to c. ad 1900, railways in
Gujarati literature and tradition, mapping the Gaikwad Baroda State
Railway on the colonial rail network, coming of railways in Bihar,
expansion of railway to colonial Orissa, etc. This book will be of
immense value to those researching on various dimensions of railway
transport in colonial South Asia. It can also be read by the more
perceptive general reader exploring books on railways. Please note:
Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Sunday Times History Book of the Year 2015 Currently filming for
BBC programme Full Steam Ahead Britain's railways have been a vital
part of national life for nearly 200 years. Transforming lives and
landscapes, they have left their mark on everything from
timekeeping to tourism. As a self-contained world governed by
distinctive rules and traditions, the network also exerts a
fascination all its own. From the classical grandeur of Newcastle
station to the ceaseless traffic of Clapham Junction, from the
mysteries of Brunel's atmospheric railway to the lost routines of
the great marshalling yards, Simon Bradley explores the world of
Britain's railways, the evolution of the trains, and the changing
experiences of passengers and workers. The Victorians' private
compartments, railway rugs and footwarmers have made way for
air-conditioned carriages with airline-type seating, but the
railways remain a giant and diverse anthology of structures from
every period, and parts of the system are the oldest in the world.
Using fresh research, keen observation and a wealth of cultural
references, Bradley weaves from this network a remarkable story of
technological achievement, of architecture and engineering, of
shifting social classes and gender relations, of safety and crime,
of tourism and the changing world of work. The Railways shows us
that to travel through Britain by train is to journey through time
as well as space.
The formative years of Britain's railway network produced a host of
ideas, activities and characters, quite a few of which now seem not
only highly unusual, but sometimes little short of ridiculous.
Weird schemes and designs, extravagant behaviour, reckless
competition and larger-than-life characters all featured in the
genuine struggle of the railway system to evolve. While the dawning
of regulation and common sense brought about more uniform and
responsible practices, factors like the weather and the innate
complexity of railway operation continued to produce a stream of
nonstandard incidents and outcomes, from wild storms to unusual
equipment. This book, by ex-railwaymen Geoff and Ian Body, captures
over 150 entertaining snippets, stories, and strange and unusual
facts from an ample supply of railway curiosities.
With his meticulously crafted, hand-drawn maps of America's
complex and extensive railroad network, Richard C. Carpenter
recaptures a time when steam locomotives were still king and
passenger trains stopped at nearly every town. Before railroad
mergers forced the abandonment of thousands of miles of line and
passengers chose to hop behind the wheel of a car rather than buy a
train ticket, the United States, at its post-World War II apex,
boasted what many considered the finest passenger railroad system
in the world.
The fourth volume in this acclaimed series illustrates in
stunning detail the rail system in Illinois, Wisconsin, and upper
Michigan. Charting not only the exact direction and distance of
each rail line, Carpenter also includes with precision the
railroad's operational details: both existing and
long-since-demolished signal towers, interlockings, passenger
stations, major rail yards, repair shops, crew change points,
trackage rights and joint operations, and other rarely mapped,
rail-specific sites. The book's unique format allows easy
cross-referencing with U.S. Geological Survey maps and DeLorme
state road atlases. Also highlighted are rivers, lakes, and state
and county boundaries, as well as the mileposts for every line.
These beautifully rendered maps tell the fascinating story of
America's unparalleled railroad network in 1946. Anyone interested
in how people and goods moved around the country will find much to
learn and appreciate in Richard Carpenter's one-of-a-kind railroad
atlases.
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.
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.
Night trains have long fascinated us with the possibilities of their private sleeping compartments, gilded dining cars, champagne bars and wealthy travellers. Authors from Agatha Christie to Graham Greene have used night trains to tell tales of romance, intrigue and decadence against a rolling background of dramatic landscapes. The reality could often be as thrilling: early British travellers on the Orient Express were advised to carry a revolver (as well as a teapot).
In Night Trains, Andrew Martin attempts to relive the golden age of the great European sleeper trains by using their modern-day equivalents. This is no simple matter. The night trains have fallen on hard times, and the services are disappearing one by one. But if the Orient Express experience can only be recreated by taking three separate sleepers, the intriguing characters and exotic atmospheres have survived. Whether the backdrop is 3am at a Turkish customs post, the sun rising over the Riviera, or the constant twilight of a Norwegian summer night, Martin rediscovers the pleasures of a continent connected by rail. By tracing the history of the sleeper trains, he reveals much of the recent history of Europe itself. The original sleepers helped break down national barriers and unify the continent. Martin uncovers modern instances of European unity - and otherwise - as he traverses the continent during 'interesting times', with Brexit looming. Against this tumultuous backdrop, he experiences his own smaller dramas, as he fails to find crucial connecting stations, ponders the mystery of the compartment dog, and becomes embroiled in his very own night train whodunit.
The drastic railway closures of the 1960s led to the slow decay and
re-purposing of hundreds of miles of railway infrastructure. Though
these buildings and apparatus are now ghosts of their former
selves, countless clues to our railway heritage still remain in the
form of embankments, cuttings, tunnels, converted or tumbledown
wayside buildings, and old railway furniture such as signal posts.
Many disused routes are preserved in the form of cycle tracks and
footpaths. This colourfully illustrated book helps you to decipher
the fascinating features that remain today and to understand their
original functions, demonstrating how old routes can be traced on
maps, outlining their permanent stamp on the landscape, and
teaching you how to form a mental picture of a line in its heyday.
In the heroic days of rail travel, you could dine on kippers and
champagne aboard the Brighton Belle; smoke a post-prandial cigar as
the Golden Arrow closed in on Paris, or be shaved by the Flying
Scotsman's on-board barber. Everyone from schoolboys to socialites
knew of these glamorous 'named trains' and aspired to ride aboard
them. In Belles and Whistles, Andrew Martin recreates these famous
train journeys by travelling aboard their nearest modern day
equivalents. Sometimes their names have survived, even if only as a
footnote on a timetable leaflet, but what has usually - if not
always - disappeared is the extravagance and luxury. As Martin
explains how we got from there to here, evocations of the Golden
Age contrast with the starker modern reality: from monogrammed
cutlery to stirring sticks, from silence on trains to tannoy
announcements, from compartments to airline seating. For those who
wonder whatever happened to porters, dining cars, mellow lighting,
timetables, luggage in advance, trunk murders, the answers are all
here. Martin's five journeys add up to an idiosyncratic history of
Britain's railways, combining humour, historical anecdote and
reportage from the present and romantic evocations of the past.
Join Thomas and the Fat Controller on a very special journey in
this beautiful picture book! The Fat Controller has been invited to
London to be given an award by the Queen! Thomas must take him to
his destination, but they are faced with many obstacles along the
way. They even meet a shiny royal engine named Duchess, who is also
in a big hurry! Will Thomas get The Fat Controller to London's
Victoria Station on time? Accompanied by stills from the upcoming
TV special, The Royal Engine, and a cover illustrated in the Awdry
tradition, this brand new adventure is bound to thrill fans of the
little blue engine.
What was it like to travel on the railroad in the 19th century? Did
19th century English railroad travelers have a remarkably different
experience from their American counterparts? How safe was railroad
traveling in the 19th century? To what extent was the railroad
passenger traveling experience in England and America shaped by the
respective social structure, culture, and value systems of each
nation? These are some of the questions addressed in this book.
But, more generally, the purpose of this book is to "frame" the
19th century railroad passenger traveling experience, in England
and America, with reference to social structure, culture, and
ideology, and from a comparative standpoint. This book engenders a
unique approach to 19th century English and American railroad
travel, not the least because of the comparative framework I work
within, and the underlying sociological perspective. The book ought
to appeal to anybody interested in 19th century English and
American railroad history, and especially those interested in the
passenger traveling experience. But even those with an abiding
interest in the administration and operation of 19th century
English and American railroads, their constituent technologies, and
how the railroad fitted into the broader industrial "landscape" in
the 19th century, will find this a valuable resource.
From poverty to immense wealth, from humble beginnings to
international celebrity, George and Robert Stephenson's was an
extraordinary joint career. Together they overshadow all other
engineers, except perhaps Robert's friend Isambard Kingdom Brunel,
for one vital reason: they were winners. For them it was not enough
to follow the progress made by others. They had to be the best.
Colossal in confidence, ability, energy and ambition, George
Stephenson was also a man of huge rages and jealousies, determined
to create his own legend. Brought up from infancy by his father,
Robert was a very different person. Driven by the need to be the
super-successful son his father wanted, he struggled with
self-distrust and morbid depression. More than once his career and
reputation teetered on the edge of disaster. But, by being flawed,
he emerges as a far more interesting and sympathetic figure than
the conventional picture of the 'eminent engineer.' David Ross's
biography of George and Robert Stephenson sheds much new light on
this remarkable father and son. Authoritative and containing many
new discoveries, it is a highly readable account of how these two
men set the modern industrial world in motion.
'Great fun. Railway travel without leaving your armchair!' Chris
Tarrant A jam-packed puzzle and trivia book about Britain's iconic
railways. The Big British Railway Puzzle Book is a must-buy gift
book for puzzle book fanatics, train and travel enthusiasts,
history buffs, and the people up and down the country who love
their heritage and their regional identity! Featuring a treasure
trove of puzzles about railways and locomotives, using maps, old
routes and tracks, original posters and all things that delight
train lovers, the book also includes mind-boggling brainteasers,
navigational tests, word games, code-crackers, anagrams,
crosswords, mathematical conundrums and more. As well as having
over 100 mind-bending puzzles, the book also contains historical
facts and figures, trivia and introductions to each section
authored by Dr Thomas Spain, a research associate at the National
Railway Museum, about the history of the British Railways. From the
National Railway Museum in York!
Bristol is one of the best cities in the world for exploring on
foot and the Severn Beach Line - once hailed as one of Britain's
most scenic railways - is the gateway to some of its finest sights.
The walks in this guide range from short strolls exploring Georgian
crescents and city parks to all-day excursions through ancient
woodlands, eighteenth-century estates and spectacular river gorges.
Among the places visited are St Anne's Woods, Arno's Vale, the
Floating Harbour, Royate Hill, the Frome Valley, St Paul's,
Kingsdown, Montpelier, Redland and Cotham, St Werburgh's, Purdown,
Stoke Park, Frenchay, Oldbury Court, Westbury on Trym, Clifton and
Hotwells, Leigh Woods, Coombe Dingle, Blaise Castle, Kingsweston,
Bishop's Knoll, Pill and Paradise Bottom, Patchway and the Three
Brooks, and Ashton Court, while the final walk heads from Severn
Beach over the Severn Bridge to the Wales Coast Path. With a brief
history of the Severn Beach Line and a description of a journey
along it, this book is an indispensable companion not only for
anyone lucky enough to live near the line, but also for anyone who
can catch a train to Bristol and explore it from there.
There are currently 272 London Underground, 113 Overground and 45
Docklands Light Railway stations. Luke Agbaimoni has been slowly
attempting to capture visual moments at each one. When we see a
symmetrical image, it soothes us. It feels as if a puzzle has been
completed in front of our eyes. In his first book, The Tube Mapper
Project: Capturing Moments on the London Underground, Luke
Agbaimoni captured themes such as light, reflections, tunnels and
escalators, and documented how the London Underground is part of
our identity, a network of shared experiences and visual memories.
This follow-up project sees Luke delve into his obsession with
symmetry, seeking out stunning and powerful examples across the
network in his quest to find beauty in the seemingly mundane.
London Underground Symmetry & Imperfections considers such
questions as what symmetry means and how to find it in your daily
commute, and also revels in the design of the newly opened
Elizabeth line.
Featuring many detailed drawings, this history of military trains
and railways from 1853 through 1953 describes how the railroad
transformed the nature of warfare. Transport and logistics are
discussed for armored trains, rail-borne artillery and armored
combat vehicles, medical evacuation trains and draisines (light
auxiliary vehicles such as handcars). The railroad's role in
establishing European colonial empires in Asia and Africa is
examined. Conflicts covered include the Boer Wars, the American
Civil War, the Austro-Prussian War, the Franco-Prussian War, the
Russo-Turkish War, World War I, the Finnish Civil War, the Spanish
Civil War, World War II and the French Indochina War.
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