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Books > Sport & Leisure > Transport: general interest > Trains & railways: general interest
Explore 63 of the best rail-trails and multiuse pathways across two
states. All around the country, unused railroad corridors have been
converted to public multiuse trails. Here, the experts from
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy present their list of 63 of the best,
most highly rated rail-trails and other multiuse pathways in
Michigan and Wisconsin. Each entry includes detailed maps, driving
directions to trailheads, activity icons, and succinct
descriptions. Explore Wisconsin's iconic Elroy-Sparta State
Trail-widely acknowledged to be the oldest rail-trail in America-or
Lake Michigan Pathway, which features beaches and marinas that keep
you in close touch with its namesake. Tour Michigan's state capital
on the Lansing River Trail, which winds along scenic riverbanks for
8 miles, from the campus of Michigan State University to Old Town
Lansing. Witness the effects of ancient ice floes on Wisconsin's
landscape along the 52-mile Glacial Drumlin State Trail. You'll
love the variety in this collection of Midwestern multiuse
trails-from beautiful waterways and scenic areas to the hustle and
bustle of the states' urban centers. So whether you're looking for
a trail for a leisurely stroll, a bike ride with the family, or
something a bit more challenging, you'll find it in this
comprehensive trail guide.
Robert Ellis James-Robertson (always known as Ellis) was born in
Wales but lived at Worcester from the mid-1950s and travelled
extensively around the country building up a large railway
collection. In the 1960s a few of Ellis's photographs were
published in books and magazines and the credit 'R. E.
James-Robertson' may be familiar to some. This book of mainly
unpublished colour and black & white photographs has been
created entirely from Ellis's North Wales archives, it will appeal
to railway enthusiasts, modellers, and those interested in local
history. The time period covered is from the mid-1950s through to
the mid-1960s with steam being the predominant motive power. Much
of North Wales is covered and in addition to BR standard-gauge
lines, the narrow-gauge Penrhyn and Padarn slate systems are also
seen. Ellis and his wife Norah celebrated their diamond wedding
anniversary in 2013, and Ellis passed on in April 2015 aged 92.
Their daughters, Louisa and Fiona, contacted film-maker and author
Michael Clemens whose late father was a friend of Ellis's. Ellis's
collection lives on today at films shows around the country given
by the author and now in this second of a number of books using his
photographic archive.
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.
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.
From the early years of steam power to today's awe-inspiring
high-speed passenger trains, this book spans nearly two centuries
of locomotive history. It covers the first designs of the 1830s,
early North American freight trains, the golden age of railways
from 1900-1950, the crossover from steam power to diesel and
electric, and how the locomotive was transformed into the superior
passenger and freight-pulling power of today. Bringing us to the
present, the latest developments are highlighted, including the
modern wonders that are Europe's Eurostar and the Japanese bullet
train. This definitive history of locomotive technology from the
1830s to 2000 charts the development of locomotive design
throughout the world, including Britain, the United States, Canada,
Europe, Australia, India, China, Japan and the Pacific Rim, and
includes detailed specification boxes for over 100 key locomotive
designs. With insightful text and 700 photographs, the book is a
guide that will appeal to all railway enthusiasts. *
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.
Through Dennis A. Livesey's camera lens, readers will experience
the thrill of the steam railroad, a transportation system that
dominated the USA for over 100 years and helped build a nation. In
131 photographs of Steamtown-a heritage railroad-see the billowing
smoke and the flashing steel rods that turn enormous spoked wheels,
hear the scream of the whistle, and listen as veteran railroaders
share their stories and wisdom. Find out what it means to be in
charge of the handbrake on a 400-passenger train as it begins a
downhill descent. This book goes beyond train hardware and history,
sharing stories so that those outside the railfan community can
appreciate the importance of preserving this part of our history.
Since the 1800s locomotives have steamed, chugged and sparked their
way into the nation's affections. These powerful engines were the
drivers of the Industrial Revolution, and to the present day carry
passengers and freight to every corner of Britain. But do you know
your Locomotion from your Rocket, or your Gresley Class A4 from
your Princess Coronation Class? How heavy is the Flying Scotsman?
And who designed the Britannia Class? The Loco Spotter's Guide
answers all of these questions, with first-class illustrations
portraying more than 60 of the most important steam, diesel and
electric designs, including all-important specifications and
technical details to aid any would-be loco spotter.
This title features key facts and figures spanning over 150 years
of British railway history, from the early 1800s to the end of the
golden era of steam in the 20th century. It offers technical
specification tables for each class, including builder's name,
location and date, weight, driving wheel diameter, boiler pressure,
cylinders, valve gear, coal capacity, water capacity and tractive
effort. It features all the classic British steam locomotives,
including the 'Iron Duke' class, the D class, the 'Royal Scot'
class, the Q1 class, and many more. It is divided into sections
covering the four main eras: 1800-1885; 1885-1920; 1920-1940; and
1940-1960. It includes a glossary of key railway terms. Britain was
the pioneering force behind the birth of the steam locomotive. By
1829, George Stephenson and his son Robert had developed a fast,
revolutionary and light-weight steam engine: Rocket. This superbly
illustrated book celebrates the British steam locomotive legacy.
From the streamlined 'flyers' of the 1930s to freight workhorses
and dock tanks, the book profiles the variety of steam locomotives
that Britain has produced. With over 200 photographs covering 85
classes, as well as detailed information on each period and a
comprehensive glossary, the book covers the story of the first,
finest and fastest locomotives ever to run on rails.
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.
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.
Moquette is the carpet-like fabric covering the seats we sit on in
London's Tubes, buses, trams and Overground trains - and here is a
brilliantly colourful guide to all its patterns. London Transport
has always wanted the best design, be it Charles Holden's superb
art deco Tube stations on the Piccadilly Line, its elegant Johnston
typeface or Harry Beck's Tube map. And this pursuit of excellence
has extended even to the design of the fabrics it covers our bus
and Tube seats with: moquette. In the Thirties top artists like
Paul Nash and Enid Marx were commissioned to design patterns;
nowadays every line like Crossrail or the Overground gets its own
unique, colour-co-ordinated moquette pattern. Now, in conjunction
with the London Transport Museum, which has the definitive London
Transport moquette archive, Andrew Martin has written a delightful,
surprising and covetable guide to all these patterns, from the
first horse bus to the latest Tube train.
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.
Nothing Like It in the World gives the account of an unprecedented feat of engineering, vision, and courage. It is the story of the men who built the transcontinental railroad -- the investors who risked their businesses and money; the enlightened politicians who understood its importance; the engineers and surveyors who risked, and sometimes lost, their lives; and the Irish and Chinese immigrants, the defeated Confederate soldiers, and the other laborers who did the backbreaking and dangerous work on the tracks. The U.S. government pitted two companies -- the Union Pacific and the Central Pacific Railroads -- against each other in a race for funding, encouraging speed over caution. Locomotives, rails, and spikes were shipped from the East through Panama or around South America to the West or lugged across the country to the Plains. In Ambrose's hands, this enterprise, with its huge expenditure of brainpower, muscle, and sweat, comes vibrantly to life.
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.
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.
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