This new history reveals the previously untold story of why and how trains have been used to transport the coffins of the dead, enabling their burial in a place of significance to the bereaved. From Royalty, aristocrats and other VIPs (including Sir Winston Churchill and the Unknown Soldier) to accident victims and ordinary people, this book explores the way in which these people made their final journey by train before being laid to rest. Profusely illustrated with many images, some never previously published, Nicholas Wheatley's work details how the mainline railways carried out this important yet often hidden work, from the Victorian age to the 1980s. The continuation of ceremonial funeral transport on many heritage railways brings the story up to the present day.

London Midland Steam Days Remembered offers the very best quality colour photographs of steam from the 1950s and 1960s across the region, with not only Stanier's fabulous Duchesses but a full supporting cast of steam from the lower ranks to be enjoyed. These include Royal Scots, Jubilees, Lizzies, and Black Fives, along with a fine collection of Standards and Ivatts and visiting engines from other regions. There are twenty-one separate photographs of Duchesses alone! Chapters take in steam on the Fells, the men of steam, the North West, the Great Central, Crewe Works, etc., while locations seen in this volume include the Settle & Carlisle, Carnforth, Lancaster, Tebay, Manchester, Liverpool, Derby, Nottingham and Preston, among many others.

The Newport Transporter Bridge was built to meet the needs of industry which had grown to include the east bank of the Usk. Here, Jan Preece illustrates the history of this iconic local landmark from conception to the present day, looking at its unusual design, with only twelve others like it in the world that are still in use, and the impact it had on industry in the area. The stretch of the River Usk close to the bridge has its own rich industrial heritage, from cottage industries of tin makers to shipping and the railways. With a wealth of rare and previously unpublished images, Jan Preece tells these two interconnected stories that form crucial parts of Newport's history.

The most glamorous trains run by railway companies were the high-speed expresses, linking the major towns, cities and holiday destinations. They included overnight sleepers, fast mail trains, excursion specials and boat trains connecting with ocean liners. These premier trains were the fastest and most luxurious of their day. They generated much publicity, especially in the 1930s when they regularly broke speed records. The names of the most famous expresses still resonate with the public today: the 'Flying Scotsman', the 'Royal Scot', the 'Cornish Riviera Limited' and the 'Atlantic Coast Express'. These and luxurious Pullman services featured the newest and fastest locomotives and the most up-to-date and comfortable rolling stock. The latest technology helped increase express train speeds and reduce travel times, making a journey on an express an experience not to be missed for the well-heeled traveller. Most of the famous expresses vanished in the 1970s and only a few survive today. Although faster diesel and electric trains now make journeys considerably faster, the overall level of comfort for passengers rarely matches that of their glamorous predecessors. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with express trains in all their variety.

Vlamgat, literally 'flaming hole' in Afrikaans, was the nickname the South African Air Force (SAAF) gave to the Mirage F1, its formidable frontline jet fighter during South Africa's long 'border wars' in South West Africa (Namibia) and Angola from the late 1960s to the late 1980s. Battling Soviet MiG-21s over African skies, the Vlammies, the Mirage pilots as they were affectionately known, acquitted themselves with distinction and honour. Vlamgat is a gripping account of these pilots and their deeds of bravery; their experiences are authentically related with accuracy, humour and pathos - by the author, himself a Vlammie. As Willem Hechter, former Chief of the SAAF, says: "Vlamgat deserves a place of pride in the long history of this, the second oldest air force in the world."

Look inside an 18th-century warship as it sails into battle on the high seas. Packed with extraordinary illustrations, this history book for children covers everything from warship design to navigation.

Biesty's incredible drawings slice through a man-of-war to explore every corner, from the crow's nest to the stinking hold. Packed with fascinating facts and gory details, the pages teem with sailors busy about their duties. Find out how gun crews fired a cannon, examine a surgeon's toolkit, and learn the best way to wriggle the maggots out of the ship's biscuits. Look out, too, for the stowaway on every page. He's the one with spiky hair and there's a reward for his capture!

This absorbing book will have children - and adults - poring over every page. Celebrating its 25th anniversary, Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Man-of-War remains as entertaining as ever.

Summer, 1941. For Peter, the war is a long way away, being fought by a faceless enemy, marching across places he's never seen. Until the night it comes to him. A German plane is shot down over the woods that his Dad looked after, before he went off to fight. Peter rushes to the crash site to find something exciting to keep. But what he finds instead is someone: a young and injured German airman. The enemy. Here. And in trouble. Suddenly, helping him seems like the right thing to do ... An exciting and thought-provoking World War 2 adventure from acclaimed author Dan Smith.

Published in commemoration of the one-hundredth anniversary of the "Titanic"'s sinking, this book tells the story of that fateful night from an unusual angle: through the many wireless communications sent to and from the land stations and the ships involved as the tragic events unfolded.Drawing on the extensive record of wireless transmissions in the Marconi Archives, "Titanic Calling" recounts this legendary story the way it was first heard, beginning with repeated warnings--just hours before the collision--of several large icebergs unusually far south and alarmingly close to the "Titanic"'s course. The story follows senior operator Jack Phillips as he sends distress messages to nearby ships and shows how these urgent calls for help were received and rapidly relayed across the Atlantic in a desperate attempt to save the lives of the "Titanic"'s passengers and crew. Finally, the distant SS "Virginian" receives the "Titanic"'s final, broken message. The story concludes with the rescue of the fortunate survivors, who radio messages to loved ones from aboard the RMS "Carpathia "while safely on their way to New York. Illustrated throughout with photographs of the messages and including full transcripts of original material, the book also features an introduction to the development of maritime wireless communications and a discussion of the Marconi Archives's "Titanic "collection. The forced brevity of the messages lends the narrative a startling sense of immediacy and brings to life to the voices of the individuals involved.

Sixties Spotting Days Around the Eastern Region offers striking colour photographs depicting the 1960s with coverage of the steam, diesel and electric locomotives from that great period of change on our railways. The captions include nostalgic items of news, culture, music and personalities from the era to bring back the memories of our youth. Locations within this volume include: the Great Eastern Lines, LT&SR Routes, Doncaster, the East Midlands, South Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Doncaster, Peterborough, Stratford, King's Cross and many more.

In the early morning of 20 April 1942, forty-seven Spitfire Vs of 601 and 603 Squadrons of the Auxiliary Air Force launched from the deck of the American aircraft carrier the USS Wasp, which had sailed to a position north of Algiers. The planes were bound for Malta. At the time, the island was under heavy siege by Axis forces. Salvatore Walcott's Spitfire never made it; he crash-landed in North Africa, part of Vichy France, and was interned. After attempting to escape, Walcott was liberated at the end of 1942. He returned to the UK and joined the US Army Air Corps and continued to serve as a pilot until the end of the war and afterwards with the USAF during the Berlin airlift. These are the bare bones of the story. But was that landing in Africa 'an inexplicable defection', as it has been described? Here is the evidence, alongside an exploration of American and British attitudes to men like Walcott who served under foreign flags. Walcott's story has been discussed for many years, but here is the truth. Did the Spitfire's undercarriage fail to retract, as Walcott claimed, or did he lose his nerve? Does the fact that Walcott later gained a reputation as a risk-taker indicate a 'Lord Jim' narrative, whereby he tried to make up for a moment of cowardice? Walcott's ultimately tragic tale is set against the larger narrative of Irish/American and British/Vichy France relations, of the Mediterranean theatre, aircraft design, and the US entry into the war.

The first traction engines were built around the middle of the nineteenth century. Their great pulling power and ability to provide power for other equipment revolutionised road haulage and agriculture. Great makers like Burrell and Garrett from East Anglia, Taskers and Wallis & Steevens from Hampshire, Marshalls and Foster from Lincolnshire, and Fowlers and McLaren from Leeds filled Britain (and much of the rest of the world) with their engines. They ranged in size from the small road locomotives like Taskers' Little Giant, up to giant Fowler ploughing engines and the grandest Burrell showman's engine, resplendent in gold-lined paintwork and twisted brass canopy supports. The age of the traction engine was relatively short, declining rapidly after the First World War, but they have left an indelible mark, with enthusiasts up and down the country having saved hundreds of machines from the scrapmen to entertain us every weekend at steam fairs and other vintage events. This book is part of the Britain's Heritage series, which provides definitive introductions to the riches of Britain's past, and is the perfect way to get acquainted with traction engines in all their variety.

The Class 56 heavy freight locos were first introduced in the late 1970s. The first batch was built in Romania, followed by a second batch built in the UK. Featured here are photos from 1980 to 2017 that include most locos of the class and cover all parts of England and Wales where they worked. Coal, steel, petroleum, stone, engineers and mixed freight workings are covered, as well as some passenger trains. Liveries included are BR blue, large logo blue, early Railfreight greys, Railfreight Sectors (coal, steel and stone), Transrail, Loadhaul, EWS, DCR and Colas, plus some odd one-off liveries. This book shows the progression of the class through the years as they have moved between different areas.

In one of the greatest engineering feats of his time, Claudius Crozet led the completion of Virginia's Blue Ridge Tunnel in 1858. Two centuries later, the National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark still proudly stands, but the stories and lives of those who built it are the true lasting triumph. Irish immigrants fleeing the Great Hunger poured into America resolute for something to call their own. They would persevere through life in overcrowded shanties and years of blasting through rock to see the tunnel to completion. Prolific author Mary E. Lyons follows three Irish families in their struggle to build Crozet's famed tunnel and their American dream.

Southdown Motor Services, a subsidiary of the British Electric Traction Company, once dominated the county of Sussex, with a history dating back to 1915. The National Bus Company took over in 1969 and the company was split up in the 1980s, with the Brighton and much of the East Sussex areas becoming 'Brighton & Hove', bringing back memories of the former Tilling Group operator of a similar name. Brighton Corporation also ran buses in that town, as did neighbouring Eastbourne, both with fascinating fleets, though both concerns are no longer operating. The northern part of what is now West Sussex was the territory of London Country, particularly around East Grinstead and Crawley. In East Sussex, Maidstone & District ran most of the services around Hastings. Today Stagecoach and the Go Ahead Group are the principal bus operators in Sussex, with their operations supplemented by various small, but interesting, independents. John Law has been photographing the Sussex bus scene since the early 1970s and presents here a wonderful selection of his photographs, bringing back memories of vanished operators and vehicles.

As with everything, the coach industry has changed beyond all recognition over the last few decades. In the past, an operator would purchase a coach and run it for many years to get back their initial investment. More often than not, lightweight chassis were purchased because of the lower purchase price, and these could be changed every few years, keeping a modern look to the fleet. It was always more important in the coach industry to have the latest style. Things began to change in the 1960s as motorways were built and higher speeds were required. Vehicles were being worked harder and heavier chassis became more popular. Although the initial purchase price was much more expensive, they required less maintenance as components were stronger. The coach market was deregulated from 1980, allowing express services to be run and some firms took advantage of this. David Devoy looks at some well-known names from the last fifty years, many of which are now just a memory. Most firms had their own liveries and took great pride in the presentation of their coaches, often striving to keep up with the Joneses, allowing for a wonderful variety of photographs to be shown off here.

The DeAutremont brothers were looking for a big score. They brought dynamite, guns and a getaway car. On October 11, 1923, at the summit of the Siskiyou Mountains in southern Oregon, the three young men held up a passenger train, with disastrous consequences. Their rash actions resulted in the tragic deaths of three Southern Pacific trainmen and one U.S. Mail clerk, unleashing a public outcry that still rings through Oregon's history. In this riveting account, rail historian Scott Mangold draws on interviews, in-depth research and previously unpublished maps and photographs to document the events at Tunnel 13. Join Mangold as he chronicles the resulting four-year manhunt and eventual conviction of the DeAutremonts and provides insight into the lives derailed by the robbery's bitter legacy.

All of Britain's airports are served by buses and coaches in some form or other, whether it be by regular services from nearby towns and cities, those many miles away, or by buses connecting them with the airport's own long-stay or off-site car parks, and a few airports are also connected by rail and tram networks. In addition, many airports use airside buses to transport passengers from the terminal building to waiting aircraft, and as such are not often in the sight of airport visitors. Thus, a wide variety of vehicle types can be seen both landside and airside, some in the livery of their owners while others are specially branded for their daily duties. In a tour of Britain's airports, Keith A. Jenkinson covers these aspects through text and photographs in this book to illustrate how the airport bus scene has changed over the past sixty years.

Coaches have long been a part of life in Britain, from the days of eighteenth-century stage coaches galloping along muddied tracks to air-conditioned fleets cruising the motorways of the modern day. As we moved past the horse-driven coaches of the past, and the charabancs and buses that followed, three key parts of the industry shaped the world of coaching as we know it today: the chassis manufacturers, the coachbuilders and the operators. Delving into his impressive collection of rare and unseen photographs, Michael Hymans explores each of these in turn and delivers a fascinating, lavishly illustrated history of the major players in the world of British coaching. Profiling major names such as AEC, Leyland, Duple and Bristol, with photographs dating back as far as the early twentieth century, this is an essential volume for any enthusiast keen to learn more about Britain's coaching history.

Kirkcaldy Harbour: An Illustrated History traces the story of Kirkcaldy harbour from its sixteenth-century royal connections, through the boom years of commercial shipping, to its recent rescue from dereliction by the international grain ships servicing the huge flour mill. The six fully illustrated chapters cover the early days; the never-ending series of repairs and extensions, including plans for two new harbours which were never completed; the nineteenth century whaling industry; wealthy shipowners and their grand houses (three of which remain); imports and exports; and the present day. Importantly, the book includes extracts from a never-before published local memoir that gives first-hand memories of John Paul Jones' American ships in the Forth in 1778; the Kirkcaldy captain on a trade mission to Russia in 1801 when Tsar Paul I was assassinated; and a whaling captain's description of his ship being frozen up in an Arctic winter.

Cyrus K. Holliday envisioned a railroad that would run from Kansas to the Pacific, increasing the commerce and prosperity of the nation. With farsighted investors and shrewd management, the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway grew from Holliday's idea into a model of the modern, rapid, and efficient railroad. There were many growing pains early on, including rustlers, thieves, and desperadoes as well as the nineteenth century's economic and climatic hardships. The railroad eventually extended from Chicago to San Francisco, with substantial holdings in oil fields, timber land, uranium mines, pipelines, and real estate. This is the first comprehensive history of the iconic Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, from its birth in 1859 to its termination in 1996. This volume discusses the construction and operation of the railway, the strategies of its leaders, the evolution of its locomotive fleet, and its famed passenger service with partner Fred Harvey. The vast changes within the nation's railway system led to a merger with the Burlington Northern and the creation of the BNSF Railway. An iconic railroad, the Santa Fe at its peak operated thirteen thousand miles of routes and served the southwestern region of the nation with the corporate slogan "Santa Fe All the Way." This new edition covers almost twenty-five more years of history, including the merger of the Santa Fe and Burlington Northern railroads and new material on labor, minorities, and women on the carrier along with new and updated maps and photographs.

McGill's Bus Services is a bus operator based in west central Scotland, with its headquarters situated in Greenock, Inverclyde. The present company was founded in July 2001, restoring the name of a previous operator that had existed between 1933 and 1997. The company has grown from an initial fleet of thirty-three vehicles to operate a network of routes covering much of Inverclyde, East Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, Glasgow city and North Ayrshire. A second depot in Barrhead was opened in 2008, and four independent operators were taken over by McGill's in the following three years. McGill's now has several depots in Greenock, Barrhead, Coatbridge, Inchinnan and Johnstone. McGill's is the largest independent bus operator in Scotland. Here, David Devoy looks at the fleet of smart, and modern, blue and white vehicles that dominate west central Scotland.