The author came to London from Lancashire as a nine-year old, having developed an interest in buses and trams at a very early age. He remained in south-west London for the next forty-five years. As a young teenager he took up locospotting, joining a small group of fellow enthusiasts who met regularly by the lineside at Clapham Junction, and avidly followed this hobby for roughly ten years. For the first half of that decade, his hobby was centred largely close to London because of age and money restrictions, and his trips further afield were rare. In this book, he describes his experiences: visiting stations, lineside watching, bunking sheds, and making more official trips to depots and works. He gives us a spotters-eye view of the changes to British Railways at the time: new steam locomotives still arriving; the early days of the Modernisation Plan; and seeing elderly locomotives at the end of their service life. Towards the end of this period, he acquired his first camera and uses these photographs to illustrate his exploits in the early years of his hobby.

Discover the Sunset Cluster—railroads that were doomed to fail? The first two decades of the 20th century were the twilight of the railroad age. Major routes had long been established, and local service became the focus of new construction. Beginning in 1907, a cluster of five shortline railroads were established in otherwise unconnected parts of Iowa. By the dawn of the Great Depression, all these routes would be discontinued. The five Iowa 'sunset cluster' railroads might appear to deserve eternal obscurity, being at best minor footnotes to American railroad history. After all, their total mileage barely exceeded 100 miles. Their average life span, moreover, covered about five years, and the Des Moines & Red Oak Railway (DM&RO) never turned a wheel. Yet, to understand the rise of the railroad empires of the 19th century, it is necessary to study their fall. Using contemporary newspapers, government reports, and other little-known sources, renowned railway historian H. Roger Grant offers a fascinating look at these shortline railroads. Sunset Cluster explores the almost desperate desire by communities to benefit from steel rails before the regional railroad map finally imploded and the challenges faced by latter-day shortline builders.

The British have always had a special affinity for their coastal resorts and piers are the epitome of the British seaside. This book takes the reader on a clockwise tour of our islands, stopping at every pier and walking through their histories. Yet this is not just a tour of the pier, for it is not the pier that makes the history, but the people who work and walk along it. Within these pages the reader will meet a prizefighter who achieved fame in a very different sport; learn of several 'professors' whose talents were solely being able to leap from the pier; discover why man would ever want to fly from a pier; meet the former Beatle who worked for a pier company; read about the ferries and steamers that carried visitors; the fires which are an ever-present danger; the men who designed and built the piers along with the entertainers, characters, enthusiasts and entrepreneurs who made the piers. Fascinating information is included on how piers became longer or shorter, which piers served as part of the Royal Navy during two World Wars, and the tremendous amount of work and effort it takes to keep the piers open to the public today. Several piers have embedded rails, with some still being used by trains or trams. These pier railways are described in detail: the engineering, the designs and the changes over the years. While electricity is the sole motive power today, these had once been either steam-driven, pulled by horses, moved by hand or even, in one example, wind-powered by a sail! With over one hundred photographs, both old and new, this is a tour of the coast of the mainland and two islands. Piers which sadly have not survived are included as well as those which never got off the ground (or the shoreline). It reveals why they were built, how they were repurposed over the years, and their role in the future. Join the tour and recall the sea air, candy floss, the music, the sounds of a holiday, that day trip, an encounter, a rendezvous or special memory

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.

Collins Big Cat supports every primary child on their reading journey from phonics to fluency. Top authors and illustrators have created fiction and non-fiction books that children love to read. Book banded for guided and independent reading, there are reading notes in the back, comprehensive teaching and assessment support and ebooks available. When Shinoy downloads the Chaos Crew app on his phone, a glitch in the system gives him the power to summon his TV heroes into his world. With the team on board, Shinoy can figure out what dastardly plans S.N.A.I.R. has come up with, and save the day. Location: An out-of-control train! Operative: Merit, at the mercy of dodgy phone reception Mission: Stop the train from entering the Forbidden Zone! This exciting title is part of the Shinoy and the Chaos Crew series by Chris Callaghan. Lime/Band 11 books have longer sentence structures and a greater use of literary language. Ideas for reading in the back of the book provide practical support and stimulating activities.

The aim of this series is to appeal to readers of all ages, perhaps for different reasons...In this volume: We travel back to the year 1965 For the younger reader there are wonderful pictures of trains, real trains. There will, for example, be tank engines, steam engines, electric trains and multiple units and many more varieties besides! Some will be recognised from train sets, model railways and books, while others will be seen for the first time. For the older reader the books are designed to build into a collection placing the railway in the context of key events thus providing an historical perspective of travel in times past. For those old enough to remember the years depicted, the series will, we hope, provide reminders for many of school days, time perhaps spent train-spotting, shed bashing and generally gricing! The books also make ideal theme gifts for the year of birth, marriage, retirement, starting work and other such events in life.

This third volume in the series on the Great Western Castle class locomotives focuses on the eight that have been preserved and goes into depth on the reconstruction of three of them, the two Tyseley ones, 5043 and 7029 described by Bob Meanley and Didcot's 4079 recounted by David Maidment from the records of the Great Western Society, including the full story of 4079's prolonged stay in Western Australia, its return to the UK and subsequent restoration. The history of all eight is covered and copiously illustrated, including over 100 colour photographs, with many during the restoration work by Bob Meanley and in operation by David Maidment. The book includes records of their operation and performance since restoration when some of the most remarkable performances of these locomotives were achieved.

CrossCountry Trains Ltd won the right to operate the CrossCountry franchise from 11 November 2007 when the Strategic Rail Authority determined that its bid for the franchise was the best value for money and the most sustainable. CrossCountry operates the most extensive passenger rail network in the UK covering 16 million route miles per year; it also operates the longest rail service in the UK - the 08:20 a.m. Aberdeen to Penzance (774 miles). Based in the centre of England in Birmingham, the company serves seven of the country's largest cities and provides 295 services every weekday, which equates to around 30 million passenger journeys per year. It also employs around 1,626 employees. The company does not operate any stations itself, but CrossCountry's trains do call at more than 119 stations stretching from Aberdeen in the north, Stansted Airport in the east, Cardiff in the west and Penzance in the south west. With Birmingham New Street at the hub, its services crisscross the country in a similar pattern to that of the UK motorway system.

Built as part of the massive expansion of Great Britain's railway network during the nineteenth century, London's thirteen mainline railway stations are proud symbols of the nation's industrial and architectural heritage. Produced in association with The National Archives, and profusely illustrated with period photographs and diagrams, London Railway Stations tells the story of these iconic stations and of the people who created them and used them. Though built in an age of steam, smoke, gas lamps and horses, most retain features of their original design. This book will bring new light to these old buildings, and help you to see London's mainline stations through new eyes.

Shown are Soviet armored trains as used during the Russian Revolution, the Russian Civil War, and World War II.

Railway photography has never been more popular. Good quality images, once only achievable with expensive professional hardware, are now within everyone's reach. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced photographer wanting to broaden your horizons, Digital Railway Photography: A Practical Guide will help you get the best from your camera with clear advice and how to avoid common pitfalls. Whether you have an entry level compact camera or an all-singing high-end digital SLR, you will find no nonsense advice and practical tips. Digital Railway Photography: A Practical Guide is written by Jeremy de Souza, a British railway photographer with almost 40 years of experience. From mastering the basic camera controls to more advanced techniques such as panning, time exposures and creative projects, this essential book will help and guide you. You will also find advice on how to save your images securely in the digital age and make simple adjustments in order to present them at their very best. For those with film collections, you will also find advice on how to get the best results from scanning.

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.

The year 1963 will always be remembered as the one when the Sixties really started to swing. The Beatles and Rolling Stones were topping the charts while the mini-skirt and the Mini car had become the latest fashion accessories. For those with an interest in railways however, 1963 was memorable for the publication by Her Majesty's Stationery Office of Part 1 of the report 'The Reshaping of British Railways' by Dr Richard Beeching, then chairman of the British Railways Board. The term 'reshaping' was somewhat of a euphemism as the Report envisaged a radical reduction in the national rail network. Hundreds of stations were to be closed to both freight and passenger traffic, along with thousands of miles of track, while several thousand staff would be made redundant. This book is intended as a record of how the proposals affecting passenger services in the Wessex Area were ruthlessly implemented over a ten year period. Since then, despite the introduction of modern high-speed rolling stock and much track rationalisation, the extent of our rail network has remained basically the same. Train services in Wessex today are therefore still very much Dr Beeching's Legacy. In addition he bequeathed to the nation a linear network of derelict land which could be put to other purposes, including that of heritage railway. The area covered by this book include sections of the counties of Avon, Somerset, Wiltshire, Hampshire, Dorset and Gloucestershire.

In January 1, 1885, Wells, Fargo & Company's chief detective James B. Hume and special agent John N. Thacker published a report summarizing the company's losses during the previous 14 years. It listed 313 stagecoach robberies, 23 burglaries, and four train robberies but included little or no details of the events themselves, focusing instead on physical descriptions of the robbers. Widely circulated, the report was intended to assist law enforcement in identifying and apprehending the criminals believed still to present a danger to the company. The present volume revisits each crime, updating Hume and Thacker's original report with rich new details culled from local newspapers, personal diary entries, and court records.

Japan is steeped in legend and myth, perhaps the greatest of which is the popular misconception that the country is simply too expensive to visit. The truth is that flights to Japan are cheaper than they've ever been, accommodation can be great value, while the warm hospitality which awaits every visitor costs nothing at all. The real secret to travelling around the country on a budget, however, is the Japan Rail Pass. Use this comprehensive guide in conjunction with a rail pass to get the most out of a trip to Japan. * Practical information - planning your trip; when to go; suggested itineraries; what to take; festivals and events. * City guides and maps - where to stay, where to eat, what to see in 30 towns and cities; historical and cultural background. * Kilometre-by-kilometre route guides - covering train journeys from the coast into the mountains, from temple retreat to sprawling metropolis and from sulphurous volcano to windswept desert; 33 route maps. * Japan Rail service schedules - Bullet trains and main routes in this guide. * Customs, etiquette, Japanese words and phrases - with kanji- With kanji/hiragana/katakana for all place name text - readers can point to the text when asking Japanese speakers for directions. * Extended Highlights - extra colour sections make this book even more user-friendly and attractive. What's new in this fully-updated 5th edition? * Greater coverage of Tokyo with additional mapping following post-Olympic interest in the capital and the country * More hot-spring resorts added (including Kinosaki, Kinugawa and Nyuto) * More information about areas off the beaten track including the wood-carving town of Inami, Yanagawa where you can ride in a 'gondola' along its canals, Tomioka Silk Mill (where silk production was first mechanised), Okunoshima island (notorious for its WWII poison gas factory) * New Style Trailblazer guide with twin-colour layout and restyled maps * Expanded colour section with 'Best' lists to help plan a trip * Kanji and katakana are now included for all place names * Fully updated post Covid outbreak.

The Underground is the backbone of the city of London, a part of our identity. It's a network of shared experiences and visual memories, and most Londoners and visitors to the city will at some point have an interaction with the London Underground tube and train network. The Tube Mapper project deliberately captures moments of subconscious recognition and overlooked interests, showcasing images that can be seen near or at many of London's Underground, Overground and DLR stations. Photographer Luke Agbaimoni gave up city-scape night photography after the birth of his first child, but creating the Tube Mapper project allowed him to continue being creative, fitting photography around his new lifestyle and adding stations on his daily commute. His memorable photographs consider such themes as symmetry, reflections, tunnels and escalators, as well as simply pointing out and appreciating the way the light falls on a platform in an evening sunset. This book reveals the London every commuter knows in a unique, vibrant and arresting style.

Being an avid collector of old photographs, particularly those featuring railways, well-known Yorkshire writer Peter Tuffrey was aware of the vast photographic archives lurking in the depths of the Yorkshire Post newspaper. Recently renewing his contact with an old acquaintance and newspaper editor, Peter Charlton, the author was presented with a marvellous opportunity to select some of these photographs for use in Yorkshire Railways: From the Yorkshire Post Archives. Under a number of interesting chapter headings such as 'Views from the Lineside', 'Staff', 'Crashes', 'On Shed and Works' and 'Preserved Railways and Railway Stations', we see the many different ways Yorkshire people have been involved with railways, particularly in the days of steam. The lineside pictures have amazing clarity, having been scanned and enhanced expertly from large format glass plate negatives. But that is not to detract from the book's other pictures, which have been carefully composed and taken over the years by the Yorkshire Post's own reputable staff photographers. The picture captions are well-researched, informative and reflect Peter's eye for the unusual and eccentric.Yorkshire Railways not only provides interest for the real enthusiast but also for the social historians among us who want to look back and get the feel for how it really was in the days before Dr Beeching came along with his axe.

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.

Using a rare collection of archive photographs, 'past and present' regular John Stretton describes the old M&SWJR route from Andoversford to Marlborough, via Cirencester and Swindon, concentrating on the achievements and developments at Blunsdon as the S&CR strives to expand north and south towards the towns of its title.