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 1977, as ever an eventful year, that included:* The Centenary Test Match * Red Rum wins Grand National for third time * Silver Jubilee of HM The Queen * Smaller GBP1 note released * Concorde New York service begins * London Underground Heathrow extension opensFor 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 book, to published in two parts, is dedicated to the memories of all those people who once worked for the Great Western Railway in South Wales, at Pontypool Road loco depot, the Eastern Valley and the Vale of Neath railway, as well as to those people who worked in the industries once served by the railway in those locations. In 2016, the UK coal mining industry is extinct, and the future of the steel industry is in doubt. This book serves as a reminder to future generations as to what a fantastic place the South Wales valleys once were for heavy industry and transport infrastructure, and also as a tribute to the pioneering 19th century railway builders. Local railway enthusiast Phil Williams, is a contract structural engineer in the aerospace industry. His father's uncle, Harry Miles, was a Swindon trained locomotive fitter at Pontypool Road in the 1930s. His family have interesting links to the mining industry. His great grandfather was Thomas Williams, the Colliery Engineer at Tirpentwys Colliery from before 1902 up to 1912; and then at Crumlin Valley Colliery Hafodrynys and the Glyn Pits, from 1915 until he died in 1925 aged 76.His father's great grandfather, Joseph Harper, was one of the 1890 Llanerch Colliery disaster rescue team; he worked at the British Top Pits. His father's uncle, Williams Harper was the foreman of the wagon shop at the Big Arch Talywain.

From the early 1900s to the present day we can witness the unfolding story of this popular holiday line, from Newton Abbot through Paignton, the start of the preserved section, beside the sea at Goodrington, to Churston and the Brixham branch, through Greenway Tunnel, and down to the terminus beside the yacht-filled estuary.

Windswept vistas. Scorched canyons. Glorious scenes of snow and ice. This book shows the North American landscape in all its breathtaking glory, cleaved by the continent's powerful locomotives and captured in a series of stunning original photographs by leading railway artist Mike Danneman. Evoking the romance, drama and beauty of the railways, this wonderful collection of images presents the full breadth of jaw-dropping backdrops offered by this vast expanse of land. The contrast between raw motive power and bucolic peace creates scenes that will delight anybody who wants to enjoy the full majesty of North America from their own home.

The second Silver Link Silk Edition takes us to the major northern railway city of York. David Mather takes us on a journey through time from the early steam age to the high speed trains of today. Areas covered include: Steam Days After the Age of Steam Railway Infrastructure - heritage or burden? Maintaining the Permanent Way Traction The 'Golden Age' of Diesels The Early Diesel Freight Locomotives The Purpose Built Heavy Freight Diesel Locomotives Electrics to Scotland Yet Steam Lives On ...York on Show at the National Railway Museum Steam Still Special 2013, the year of the A4s Reunion for 'Mallard 75'

Over the years, the Republic of Ireland's railways have fascinated rail enthusiasts. This was mainly due to underinvestment in the system from Iarnrod Eireann and the Irish government, which left many lines and locations still very much in the past as far as infrastructure was concerned, giving them a certain appeal to British rail fans. This eventually changed from around 2005, when long overdue investment began to materialise. This book documents the last years leading up to this change. It shows the rolling stock and infrastructure that was on offer throughout the Iarnrod Eireann system, featuring Class 071, 121, 141, 181 and 201 American-built locomotives, various BREL-built coaches and Spanish and Japanese-built diesel rail cars. Also featured are the many freight services that operated in the country, including beet, Guinness, cement, timber, lead and zinc ore and liner trains.

The railway lines of London and the South East include tracks from all four of the constituent companies that made up British Railways and subsequently became the Eastern, Midland, Southern and Western regions. Each region took a separate approach when diesels and electrics replaced steam in the 1950s and 1960s. In June 1986 Network SouthEast was launched to collectively market passenger services throughout this area, with a distinctive livery applied to locomotives, rolling stock and stations. This lasted until it was disbanded from 1 April 1994 in preparation for privatisation, since when a variety of companies have held franchises for particular areas. This book features a selection of diesel and electric locomotives in an area of some 50-60 miles from the capital, over a period beginning in 1969. It takes the form of visiting the lines from each of the main London termini, showing a typical selection of the freight and passenger workings to be seen.

This is the third of three special titles being published by Silver Link to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Talyllyn Railway in 2011. Almost all the staff working on the Talyllyn Railway are volunteers - members of the Talyllyn Railway Preservation Society, who thoroughly enjoy themselves running the railway with the unique Talyllyn combination of professionalism and fun. There is something for everyone, ranging from working in the shop, to helping on the operational side as a Guard, Signalman, Fireman or Driver. In addition, there are opportunities to work with the Track Gang or with the Engineers. Training is free! All that is required, once you have become a member of the TRPS, is a wish to work with others, striving for a common purpose - the continued existence of the Talyllyn Railway. This book looks back over the railways 60 years in preservation through the authors own experiences and with memories and illustrations drawn from many of todays volunteers. The variety of work with which volunteers have been involved over these many years

The 1970s was a unique period for Britain's railways. Steam had not long been replaced by diesel traction, the West Coast Main Line electrification was well underway with new and more powerful locomotives, and the colourful 'rail blue' livery projected an image of a new and altogether cleaner railway - there was plenty to be optimistic about. It was also a good time for the railway photographer - much of the railway infrastructure and complex track layouts of the steam era remained intact, freight traffic was plentiful and invariably passed through marshalling yards for sorting, and there were plenty of locomotive classes of various shapes and sizes, often regionally based, to pique the interest. As well as this, though, the seeds were being sown for an altogether different railway - one where locomotive standardisation was being pursued as a means of lowering fleet maintenance costs, where the freight focus was a migration to block trains travelling from supplier directly to customer, avoiding the inevitable delay and expense of the marshalling yards, and one where track layouts were being simplified and streamlined to increase speed and reduce permanent way maintenance. The photographs in this book capture a flavour of the railways during this fascinating transition period.

The excellent photographs of railway historian and former Senior British Medical Council Researcher B.W.L. `Ben' Brooksbank capture the twilight years of the steam railways of the Western Region. Nearly three hundred images are featured, including rare shots of the post-Nationalisation period, in an impressive hardback book. The collection includes locomotives running along trunk routes and branch lines, in stations and goods yards, and at engine depots and main workshops. Classes characteristic of the area are presented, such as: Collett's `Castle', `Hall', `Grange' and `Manor' Class 4-6- 0s, `5700' and `8750' Class 0-6-0PTs and `5101' and `6100' 2-6-2Ts, Churchward's `2800' 2-8-0s, `4200' Class 2-8-0Ts and `4300' 2-6-0s and Hawksworth's `County' Class and `Modified Hall' Class 4-6-0s and `9400' Class 0-6-0PTs. Several absorbed classes, particularly in South Wales, are seen, in addition to BR Standard designs, such as the Standard Pacifics and 9F Class 2-10-0s. The Western Region covered a wide area and some of the places included are: Totnes, Teignmouth, Dawlish, Exeter, Bristol, Salisbury, Taunton, Gloucester, Swindon, Oxford, Reading, Paddington, Old Oak Common, Southall, Birmingham, Shrewsbury, Cardiff, Newport, Swansea, Port Talbot, Llanidloes, Fishguard and Wrexham. The photographs are accompanied by informative captions highlighting details of the locomotives, the stations, sheds and locations.

This book both celebrates and commemorates the last four dramatic years of steam, recording both working locomotives, shed scenes and a selected number of routes, many of which closed during the period of examination, by way of illustrating the disappearing steam age railway. The views are nostalgic, poignant and cannot be repeated.