Passing through some of the most picturesque scenery in the world, several main routes traverse Southern California. Most are freight corridors, but there are a handful of long-distance passenger services, primarily worked by Amtrak. Some of the long-distance and heavy freight services can be powered by up to ten locomotives, equating to around 50,000hp. One of the most scenic routes is on the Union Pacific-owned track between Mojave and Bakersfield, which climbs over the Tehachapi Mountains, reaching a height of over 4,000ft above sea level, requiring locos to work hard on the climb either side of the line's summit. The route over Cajon, one of the busiest freight routes in the world, is also covered, as well as the routes between Barstow and Needles, the central California line, and the highly photogenic Pacific Surfliner route between Los Angeles and San Diego. Lavishly illustrated with 200 images, this book is divided into the main routes in the area, showing the diversity in scenery and train types found. With informative captions explaining the locos, their routes, and the best places for rail enthusiasts to see these trains for themselves, this is the ultimate guide to the railways of Southern California.

The railway line along the sea wall at Dawlish is one of the most famous and beautiful stretches of the railway network in Britain. In February 2014 it made headline news when storms battered Britain and a section of the wall and line collapsed into the sea. A team of engineers worked against the clock to repair the wall and the line but it was not reopened to passengers until nearly two months later. The impact of the closures on the South West was huge and reignited the debate about building an alternative route route inland. In this book, author Colin Marsden, who has an unrivalled archive of historical material on the line, presents the history of the line from Exeter to Newton Abbot, concentrating on the scenic section between Starcross and Bishopsteignton, with previously unpublished photographs and accompanying text. The final section of the book is devoted to the closure, rebuilding and triumphant reopening, as well as an analysis of the alternative routes proposed and why ultimately they are unlikely to be built The Dawlish Sea Wall has been a popular site for railway enthusiasts and photographers for many generations and this new book brings a fresh new look to this particularly scenic part of Britain's railway network.