New England stagemen followed thousands of bedazzled gold rushers out west in 1849, carving out the first public overland transportation routes in California. Daring drivers like Hank Monk navigated treacherous terrain, while entrepreneurs such as James Birch, Jared Crandall and Louis McLane founded stagecoach companies traveling from Stockton to the Oregon border and over the formidable Sierra Nevada. Stagecoaches hauling gold from isolated mines to big-city safes were easy targets for highwaymen like Black Bart. Road accidents could end in disaster--coaches even tumbled down mountainsides. Journey back with author Cheryl Anne Stapp to an era before the railroad and automobile arrived and discover the wild history of stagecoach travel in California.

The small-block Chevrolet engine is the most popular engine in the world among performance enthusiasts and racers. But with its popularity come certain problems--its more-than-45 years of production have led to countless permutations, making modification or repair a confusing proposition. This book makes sense of that confusion for anyone working on a small-block Chevy engine. The most complete encyclopedia ever assembled, cataloging all 1968 to 2000 small-block Chevrolet V-8 engines, this manual includes more than 25,000 part numbers, specs, dates and technical details on engine blocks, heads, valves, crankshafts, camshafts, pistons, manifolds, ignition systems, emission systems, computer controls, motor mounts and more. More than 300 photos, diagrams, charts and tables reference all available Chevy equipment and its interchange uses. Filled with advice on which parts work best for special applications and tips on component selection, this book is the essential tool for anyone with a small-block Chevy engine.

To the admirer of farm machinery in all its gritty splendor, the tractor is more than the mechanical workhorse of the modern field. It is a testament to American know-how, a work of mechanical art truly in the American grain. Among these hard-working machines, Ford tractors hold a special place after nearly a century of bringing innovation, dependability, and good old American muscle to farms and fields worldwide. This book provides a hands-on guide to restoring these venerable machines from the ground up, from the first models made to those produced as recently as 1965. With hundreds of full-color photographs, the guide is not just clear and easy-to-follow, but also a feast for the eyes for tractor aficionados. Beginning at the beginning--how to choose and buy your tractor--Tharran Gaines takes readers through step-by-step directions for the complete restoration of Fordson, Ford-Ferguson, and Ford tractors. In straightforward terms he covers everything from troubleshooting and disassembly to engine and gearbox rebuilds, electrical work, reassembly, painting, and post-restoration care and maintenance. Informative photographs and proven tips, techniques, and money-saving advice from experienced restorers make the book an invaluable resource for amateur mechanic and professional alike. Also included is an appendix listing sources for parts, decals, tires, etc., as well as addresses for tractor clubs and collector associations.

A searching and at times harrowing re-appraisal of the life of Evel Knievel, the seventies American icon and the greatest daredevil motorcyclist that ever lived. Now fully updated in paperback with the story of the last few years of his life and his death in 2007. Stuart Barker's definitive biography captures the super-star status that Knievel held and also examines the marketing phenomenon of a man who once boasted he `made $60 million and blew $63 million'. Born in the town of Butte, Montana in 1938, Robert Craig Knievel was an outstanding athlete, ski jumper and ice hockey player at school. His early jobs included working in the copper mines and driving a bus as well as a stint in the US Army, but he always subsidised his income through crime ('I could crack a safe with one hand tied behind my back quicker than you could eat a hamburger with two.') He used bikes to escape from the police and eventually hit upon the idea of jumping them after seeing a stunt driver jump cars at a state fair. His first jump took place over two mountain lions and a box of rattlesnakes, and he soon developed his act into the 'Evel Knievel Motorcycle Daredevils' before embarking on a solo career. Knievel suffered 37 breaks and fractures during his daredevil career. In 1967 he spent 29 days in a coma after an attempt to jump over the fountains outside Caesar's Palace casino in Las Vegas. While recovering, he decided to make his goal to jump the Grand Canyon, an attempt he was forced to abort by the US Government; and later was paid $1 million for jumping over 13 double-decker buses at Wembley Stadium. Now, a quarter of a century after he last stepped off a motorcycle, he has been reborn as the originator of Xtreme sports. This, alongside his love of gambling, women and drinking, ensure his legend will live forever. Life of Evel is the story of a truly extreme personality.

A rare and enjoyable sight, double-headed trains are always guaranteed to delight any lineside enthusiast. With nearly two hundred stunning images, published here for the first time, Dave Smith offers a fascinating collection of photographs capturing locos working in tandem on a variety of interesting and unique workings. With a wide range of liveries, locomotives and loads on display, this unique collection is perfect for enthusiasts keen to catch a glimpse of something a little less than ordinary, as well as modellers looking to add an usual touch to their own scene.

How many times have we heard the phrase 'they don't make them like they used to'? Whatever the merits or otherwise of applying such a comment to UK railway locomotives, the fact remains that there are many longstanding survivors from our railway past. Of course, we all know of the role played by preserved railways in the UK; they have secured a place in history for heritage diesel and electric locos as well as many steam examples. But a number of ageing locomotive classes still remain on rail operators' books. Many are over half a century old. A quick tally suggests at least fourteen classes and, more importantly, between 100 and 200 individual examples remain on the network. They continue to attract more than their fair share of interest, particularly among the nostalgia enthusiast market. Yes, some are sidelined but many still see day-to-day service in the hands of mainstream operators. These locos are '50 not out', and the level of variety is perhaps surprising. This book celebrates some of those that have passed their half century and continue to work passenger or freight services.

In 1895, emissaries from the New York Yacht Club traveled to Deer Isle, Maine, to recruit the nation's best sailors, an "All American" crew. This remote island in Penobscot Bay sent nearly thirty of its fishing men to sail "Defender," and under skipper Hank Haff, they beat their opponents in a difficult and controversial series. To the delight of the American public, the charismatic Sir Thomas Lipton sent a surprise challenge in 1899. The New York Yacht Club knew where to turn and again recruited Deer Isle's fisherman sailors. Undefeated in two defense campaigns, they are still considered one of the best American sail-racing teams ever assembled. Read their fascinating story and relive their adventure.

Overnight settlements, better known as 'Hell on Wheels, ' sprang up as the transcontinental railroad crossed Nebraska and Wyoming. They brought opportunity not only for legitimate business but also for gamblers, land speculators, prostitutes, and thugs. Dick Kreck tells their stories along with the heroic individuals who managed, finally, to create permanent towns in the interior West

Many imagine the settlement of the American West as signaled by the dust of the wagon train or the whistle of a locomotive. During the middle decades of the nineteenth century, though, the growth of Texas and points west centered on the seventy-mile water route between Galveston and Houston. This single vital link stood between the agricultural riches of the interior and the mercantile enterprises of the coast, with a round of operations that was as sophisticated and efficient as that of any large transport network today. At the same time, the packets on the overnight Houston-Galveston run earned a reputation as colorful as their Mississippi counterparts, complete with impromptu steamboat races, makeshift naval gunboats during the Civil War, professional gamblers and horrific accidents.

It was a railway just waiting to be made. The capital, London, was in the east; Bristol, second city in the land, 110 miles to the west or a sea journey of 672 miles. By the late 1820s, technology had improved to a state where the very latest form of transport, a steam railway, could make a far superior link than travel by canal, sea or road. This in-depth study of the Bristol to Bath line by the master of West Country railway history, Colin G. Maggs, covers the line's conception, construction, opening and its dramatic effect on the district from the nineteenth century to the present day. It illustrates many aspects of the railway: the first English Pacific locomotive, GWR diesel railcars, gas-turbine locomotives and the pioneer HST, as well as damage and uses during the Second World War and the many accidents that occurred, including one that could have proven fatal to the author. The GWR Bristol to Bath Line is illustrated with maps and over 200 photographs showing every aspect of the line, which passes through sylvan scenes and industrial ugliness. This book also contains appendices giving financial and traffic information, along with descriptions of all stations. This fact-filled, authoritative study offers a rare insight into the development of an integral section of the British railway.

Author built wooden boats for over 50 years and shares his knowledge about traditional, practical, plank-on-frame boat construction. Literate, warm, encouraging, insightful. Wonderfully illustrated by Sam Manning.

Here are 111 more gripping Porsche Stories that afficionados of the Stuttgart brand and sports car enthusiasts should know. Wilfried Muller tells the stories of very individual characters - no matter if in the race car cockpit or on the executive floors of the Stuttgart factory, the New York showroom or the Santa Ana racing headquarters in California. Meet Mark Donohue, Dan Gurney, Alwin Springer, Max Hoffman, Jackie Oliver, Brian Redman, Stefan Bellof, Bjoern Waldegard, Valentin Schaffer and many more. Enjoy the anecdotes of race cars dubbed Mickey Mouse or Kangaroo, Earl Rossi's 917 on the French Autoroute, tales from 10,000 mile rallies, Porsches that handled best when going 1.5 mph, and Porsches that were never built. Learn about the background to America's very own version of the legendary 962 racer, the story of the 356C SC Cabriolet, and the elusive America Roadster. Not to forget the chapter about magic Porsche words, which tell the stories of Porsche Design, "RS" or the "Schuttgut", the Porsche family's home base and retreat in the Austrian mountains. Also available: 111 Porsche Stories That You Should know ISBN: 9783740800352

The Car: The History of the Automobile explores every aspect of the development of the automobile from the fragile engineering of the earliest models to the cutting edge technology of the vehicles of the future. Packed with anecdotes about the best-loved cars of all time and the men and women who created them, The Car also features a fascinating, unique collection of facsimile documents and memorabilia including everything from the most stylish advertising posters ever produced, to historic race event programmes, to road reports on important models and detailed technical drawings of groundbreaking mechanical innovations. The Car is an unmissable treat for every motoring enthusiast.

Since its introduction in 1975, the BMW 3-series has earned a reputation as one of the world's greatest sports sedans. Unfortunately, it has also proven one of the more expensive to service and maintain. This book is dedicated to the legion of BMW 3-series owners who adore their cars and enjoy restoring, modifying, and maintaining them to perfection; its format allows more of these enthusiasts to get out into the garage and work on their BMWs-and in the process, to save a fortune. Created with the weekend mechanic in mind, this extensively illustrated manual offers 101 projects that will help you modify, maintain, and enhance your BMW 3-series sports sedan. Focusing on the 1984-1999 E30 and E36 models, "101 Performance Projects for Your BMW 3-Series" presents all the necessary information, covers all the pitfalls, and assesses all the costs associated with performing an expansive array of weekend projects.

This book covers many variants of the long-lived Leyland PD marque, photographed throughout Britain from 1967 into the seventies. Coming from the south, the author was more familiar with the AEC and the more throaty sound of a PD2, even from London's RTLs, was a touch exotic. The author documents buses from East Anglia down to the South Coast, before travelling up to the Midlands, then into true Leyland territory of Lancashire and Yorkshire, to finish up in Scotland. The author was born in Romford, Essex, in 1943 but relocated to Scotland in 1973. All photographs are in colour from the original slides, which have been digitally restored.

Shuttle Buses, based in Kilwinning, Ayrshire, celebrates thirty years in business in 2020. During that time it has grown from running two Ford Transit minibuses to a modern fleet of fifty-five buses and coaches operating throughout south-west Scotland. Over 150 vehicles have been operated over three decades and twenty manufacturers have been represented in the fleet. Traditional suppliers like ADL, Leyland, Mercedes, Optare, Scania and Volvo are joined by less common buses from Bedford, CarInd, Fiat, KingLong and Talbot, in what must be one of the most diverse fleets operated in the UK in recent times. Almost every vehicle ever owned is pictured in this collection, at work and in less frequently photographed situations. Written by the co-founder and managing director, the informative captions give an operator's perspective of each type, detailing mistakes that have been made over the years and the company's many success stories.

As anyone who's been on one knows, big bikes--Harleys, dressers, tourers, cruisers--handle differently than smaller bikes.They have different centers of gravity; they steer more slowly; they put you in a different riding positions; and riding one--especially riding it well--requires different skills.This book is aimed at helping owners of such motorcycles--bikes with big engines, long wheelbases, and a lot of weight--get the best ride out of them.Maximum Control" addresses every aspect of riding--steering, positioning, braking, and carrying a passenger or heavy load.With clear information on differences in equipment--brakes, engine, drive system, even tires--this expert, accessible guide provides everything you need to know to handle your bike like a pro.The outcome will be, as promised, Maximum Control"--and the ride of your life.

The West Coast Main Line is the principal main line linking London to the West Midlands, the North West and Scotland. The majority of rail freight on the line is container traffic. Some of this traffic is marine containers from the southern ports of Southampton, Felixstowe and the recently opened London Gateway to the North West and Scotland. In addition there are domestic containers from Daventry to Scotland. The route also sees other traffic on various sections including cars, cement, china clay, coal, limestone, nuclear flasks, oil, steel and timber, as well as Royal Mail trains linking London, Warrington and Glasgow. On the route there are freight yards at Wembley, Crewe, Warrington, Carlisle and Mossend. The route includes the well-known climbs up to Shap Summit in Cumbria and Beattock Summit in the Southern Uplands of Scotland. On this electrified route freight is hauled by a mixture of diesel and electric locomotives from all the main rail freight operators in Britain. Electric locomotives include Class 86s from the 1960s as well as more modern Class 90s and 92s, through to the recently built Class 88s. Diesels locomotives are mainly Class 66s although some older British Rail-era diesels still operate on certain workings.